Cast Iron Skillet

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr Though fig leaves keep the fish moist and make for a great presentation, it's also delicious without them. (Note that fig leaves are not edible.)

Memelas are similar to chalupas and sopes. Pinching up the edges and creating tiny bumps in the centers helps keep the filling in place, which becomes important when the memelas are large.

This variation on the Chinese classic incorporates jícama, which retains the crisp texture of water chestnuts even when cooked.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Linguiça is a garlic-flavored Portuguese sausage available at most supermarkets. Serve with: Frisée salad drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette.

(Sliced Potato Cake)

Can be prepared in less than 45 minutes.

"Pané" comes from the French verb "paner," meaning to coat with bread crumbs.

The following recipe uses whole chicken breasts with the "tenders" (fillet strips) still attached. Because some supermarkets remove the tenders and sell them separately, it is best to buy your chicken from a butcher. All is not lost, however, if you use chicken without the tenders ­ simply stuff the chicken breasts with basil and wrap with bacon as described below.

Serve with: Baked potatoes and sautéed zucchini. Dessert: Dulce de leche ice cream with toasted almonds.

For a delicious, quick accompaniment try our Creamy Parmesan Polenta .

This moist spoon bread (a pudding-like bread made with cornmeal) tastes best warm.

A grill pan is just the thing for cooking the chicken and zucchini in this recipe.

Pan-roasting or toasting in a dry cast-iron skillet is a cooking technique used often in Mexican cuisine. We use it here to bring up the flavors of corn, onion, and pumpkin seeds. We created this salad as a main course, but it's also a terrific side dish. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

You may be curious about why we chose to include edamame (fresh soybeans), which are often associated with Asian cuisine, in this all-American succotash recipe. Soybeans are actually a patriotic legume: They're the second largest crop produced in this country. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

The consistency and flavor of bottled Asian chile sauces can vary, as can the heat of fresh chiles, so make adjustments to taste. For these tropical rolls, we found the thinner Wei-Chuan brand spring roll wrappers worked best. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

Chicharrones are cracklings — the flavorful solids that are left over from making lard; the resemblance these little morsels of chicken bear to them accounts for the name "chicken cracklings." Chicharrones de pollo is a typically South American dish, variations of which can be found all over that continent and up into the Central American peninsula. The chicken is chpped up Chinese-style — bones, skin and all — into small pieces. Then it is usually marinated, rolled in wheat or corn flour, and deep fried — although sometimes it is not marinated, and sometimes it is fried without any breading at all.