Chile

Enjoy generous portions of this low-calorie dish from Red Mountain Spa's executive chef Chad S. Luethje.

The Easter Bunny will get a kick out of these deviled eggs that are a little Mexican and a little Asian.

A dollop of chipotle-cherry whipped cream adds a sweet and spicy note to purchased brownies.

Perhaps no type of meat is better suited to slow cooking than pork shoulder. Although not generally considered the most tender, this cut becomes meltingly sublime when simmered for hours at low heat. The steam created also helps keep the meat ultramoist. To cut down on prep time, ask your butcher to cube the shoulder for you.

Saltfish is a staple throughout the Caribbean, providing a rich, salty flavor for simple dishes like fritters, steamed callaloo, and rice. This dish is called "pick-up saltfish" because the salt cod is pulled apart and shredded. It's made into a salad that's eaten for breakfast or brunch with coconut bake or crackers. It's a good party snack, too. The salt cod needs to soak overnight, so start this recipe a day ahead. Salt cod is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

The jerk seasoning can be made a day in advance. The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours and can sit as long as overnight.

Named after the heart-shaped callaloo leaves from the taro plant, this traditional stew can be made with crab, lobster, and shrimp, or taro root and coconut milk. But all versions of the dish call for okra and, of course, callaloo leaves. Spinach makes a great substitute for the callaloo.

This dish makes delicious use of the warm spices prevalent throughout island cooking. The chicken needs time to marinate, so start the recipe ahead.

"Rundown" (also called "oiled down" or "oil dong") is a classic stew served throughout the islands, often using saltfish or mackerel. Stories proliferate as to where the term comes from, but Jamaicans say "cook it down" when they mean to cook something for a long time. This vegetarian take is luxurious and satisfying. Serve this as a side dish or over rice as an entrée.

"Shark and bake," a popular Trinidadian pocket sandwich, is found at beach shacks and street stalls throughout the island. Part of its appeal is the variety of go-withs, from mango chutney to sliced cucumbers. "Bake" is a catchall term for several types of bread, grilled or fried. Since blacktip shark — the traditional choice — is not readily available, catfish or tilapia fillets are substituted here. Pita pockets are a stand-in for the flatbread that's typically used to make the sandwich.

In Jamaica, this dish turns up by the seaside or near rivers, as janga (river crayfish) are often used. It is seriously, deliciously hot — wash the heat down with ice-cold beer. Using uncooked shrimp that have been deveined with the shells intact will make the shrimp much easier to peel.

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Called bun bo hue in Vietnam, this is the heartier, spicier cousin to pho, the famous noodle soup.

Ají ecuatorianoají ecuatoriano Served on the table as an accompaniment to soups, this fresh sauce gets its tart, vibrant flavor from the tamarillo (tree tomato), native to South America. A small red tomato can be substituted.

Tired of chili con carne? This warming pozole-inspired stew is a welcome departure. Its spiciness depends on the heat of the jalapeños you use.

Tumis Sayur There are, I think, few things more purely satisfying than quickly stir-fried Asian greens. Indonesian cooks agree: Meals in the country are unthinkable without greens on the table. They're so popular that market vendors often sell as many as 15 different kinds, from the tender mustard shoots known as sayur sawi, similar to bok choi, to bitter young papaya leaves (daun papaya), which are stir-fried along with their small white flowers. On our shores, young, tender Asian greens with slender stems — such as water spinach, bok choi, baby bok choi, choi sum, and baby kai lan — work best for stir-frying. Chinese and Southeast Asian markets will likely carry at least two of these varieties at any given time; farmers' markets will have them stocked in the summer months (and year-round in places with temperate climates such as Southern California and Florida). Always buy unblemished greens that have no signs of yellowing, and cook them as soon as possible — they don't store well.

Start preparing this one day before serving — it needs to chill overnight.