Lime

Known in Asia as Shaking Beef Salad, or bo luc lac, this Vietnamese classic is made by shaking — essentially searing — steak in a very hot pan. Jasmine rice or brown rice would be ideal alongside.

The original Diablo calls for crème de cassis, but here we've used black-currant nectar, which adds a woodsy flavor.

This traditional Brazilian drink gets an extra dose of tropical flavor from passion-fruit juice.

Traditionally used to enclose a savory filling, wonton wrappers are cut and fried into crisp triangles here, lending crunchy texture to soft crabmeat.

This sauce adds a bright piquancy to almost any seafood. Try it with poached salmon, seared tuna, or sautéed shrimp.

Low-fat, low-cal: Steaming helps preserve the flavor and nutrients of the fish without adding extra fat or calories.

Low-fat and low-cal, this dish tastes lively and bright.

A classic served at Musso & Frank. Think of it as a Bloody Mary minus tomato juice.

This "salsa" is actually a sort of fruit salad, but it does contain the quintessential salsa ingredients, lime juice and jalapeño peppers. The jalapeños are certainly unexpected, but they have an interesting way of intensifying the sweetness of the pineapple.

A salsa this simple lives or dies by the quality of the ingredients—ripe avocado, luscious tomato, and a sweet, crunchy ear of corn. Most of my corn salsa recipes call for grilled corn. This one features the succulent crunch of raw corn to reinforce the sweetness of the fresh avocado.

Cachaça, a spirit made from sugarcane, gives these drinks their distinctive flavor. In Brazil it is traditional to make caipirinhas one or two at a time, as we do here. For ease of entertaining, however, you can simply combine all the ingredients in a pitcher.

This bright, flavorful fall preserve is best when allowed to stand overnight. It's great on toast or alongside sautéed duck breasts.

The tangy flavor of seasonal rhubarb complements the taste of gin surprisingly well. You can double the quantities for a bigger batch.

Adding rum or vodka to this plum limeade makes a delicious cocktail. With or without alcohol, the limeade should be served immediately, since it will quickly darken if left standing.

Combining the best of lemon meringue pie and lemon tart, a cloud of soft meringue tops the sprightly lemon curd filling and buttery cookie crust.

A spicy Thai take on a classic party dish.