Chile

Albóndigas is Spanish for meatballs. Ours are lightened with grated zucchini.

Vietnamese hybrid sandwiches called banh mi are great for lunch or a casual dinner.

These cheesy grits are the perfect base for Veal Grillades or almost anything else.

My friend Marvin Woods taught me everything I know about Low-Country cooking, the regional cuisine commonly referred to as soul food. In many ways, soul food is an apt description because there is a lot of soul and spirit and passion that goes into Low-Country cooking—dishes like she-crab soup, catfish stew, shrimp and grits, red rice, hoppin' John, and baked macaroni and cheese. No Low-Country feast would be complete without corn bread. My version is steamed in a water bath to make the bread nice and moist; covering it with aluminum foil for the last thirty minutes of cooking gives you a nice crust that isn't overly browned. Paired with tomato chutney, it's a light snack or meal on its own.

For a nutty flavor, toast the masa in a small skillet until golden.

Pomegranate (originally from the Middle East) brings sweetness; chiles (from Mexico) bring heat. This can be made with chicken breasts instead, but be sure to roast them until cooked through.

Rajas (strips) of crisp corn tortillas and sweet mini bell peppers make a colorful garnish.

Editor's note: Serve this sauce with Lourdes Castro's Chicken Tamales
This is an incredibly versatile sauce that you will refer to as your "special sauce." It is creamy, smoky, and a bit spicy, and goes just as well with chicken and seafood as it does with meat and pork. But don't limit yourself to its conventional uses. Spread it on sandwiches or use it as a dip for vegetables.

While tamales are one of Mexico's most famous street foods, they are also one of its most popular party foods, which is fitting since a tamal is packaged like a small gift waiting to be unwrapped. The many steps involved in tamal making have discouraged countless cooks. But they should not, because the process is very easy. And if you gather a few friends to help with the assembling, you can have a tamal-making party before the real party begins.

Highlighting the flavor of green chilies and fresh tomatoes, these quesadillas or tacos make a great warm-weather meal.

The bread basket just became a little more exciting. These savory muffins are made with white cornmeal—favored over yellow by many southern cooks—and strewn with corn kernels and shreds of cheese. Albin considered putting jalapeño into the muffins but prefers the fresher, more vibrant color and flavor it offers in the butter.

This is the standard salad-relish you find in every tavern and restaurant in Istanbul. It accompanies grilled meat and especially kebabs. Turkish food is often eaten with a spoon, and so is this salad—all its ingredients are finely chopped. Instead of a simple lemon vinaigrette, which is the most common dressing, I like to add a little balsamic vinegar and lemon zest. Add as much jalapeño as you like, but bear in mind that this Turkish salsa is meant to be refreshing and not overpoweringly hot.

For a long time it seemed to me that there was more than a superficial resemblance between the white Indian cheese called paneer and tofu. When I finally made the classic Indian dish of spinach and paneer using tofu, it tasted amazingly at home in the cumin, ginger, and chile-laced sauce. There's a little going back and forth between the skillet and a food processor, but this is an easy dish to make. I serve it over rice with a sprinkling of toasted black sesame seeds.

Chilaquiles is a classic Southwestern casserole made from crumbled tortillas, tomato sauce, and cheese. Here, its savory flavors are augmented with black beans and zucchini.

When you combine powdered chiles with cumin and other ingredients to make a spice mix for chili con carne, you are turning chile powder into chili powder.

This dish is a true Southern delight, our riff on Louisiana-style spicy shrimp combined with cheesy grits just the way we make ’em at The Lady & Sons. It’s amazing how easy this is to whip up. Make it for your family, and they’ll swear you spent all day tied to the stove.

This relish has a smoky, savory quality, thanks to the chiles and garlic. Unlike most cranberry sauces, this one doesn’t require any added liquid.

Poblanos, often called pasillas, are mild, green-colored chile peppers sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, farmers' markets, and Latin markets.