Starter

Crème fraîche—a French heavy cream that's slightly sour—can be found in the dairy section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Look for bresaola (air-cured, thinly sliced beef) in the refrigerated section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets. WHAT TO DRINK: A fruity, sassy, off-dry white wine like Lindemans 2005 "Bin 75" Riesling, Australia ($8).

If your toddler doesn't want the toast part, give him a more finger food–friendly bowl of cooked, unmashed beans. Four-star chefs wait all year for the same privilege.

Meaty yet melt-in-the-mouth and with slightly caramelized edges, butternut-reminiscent calabaza comes alive with a squeeze of lime.

In Spanish, escabeche refers to placing already cooked seafood into a marinade—a pickling of sorts—but this subtle shrimp salad is gentler than anything you might expect from the term pickled. Complemented by silky thin-sliced onions, the shrimp get their tender-firm texture from slow-poaching followed by marinating.

Chalupas de huitlacoche Chalupas, meaning "little boats," differ in shape and size as you move around Mexico, but in this case, their cargo includes mushroomlike huitlacoche; pleasantly tart salsa verde; salty queso fresco; and the crunch of raw onion.

These irresistible nuggets, a specialty of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, are here made with boneless chicken instead of the usual chicken-on-the-bone.

These tasty cornmeal cakes can be found grilled, baked, or fried in several Latin American countries. We love this Colombian version—the outside fries up crisp and golden, while the cheesy middle stays wonderfully moist. They can be eaten as a side dish or paired with hot chocolate for an afternoon snack.

Ajiaco The term ajiaco means different things in different parts of Latin America, but in Colombia the name refers to a chunky chicken soup thickened with papas criollas, a native potato. The tiny yellow tubers break down completely, giving the broth a rich, silky mouthfeel. If you can't find papas criollas in your supermarket's freezer section, grated russets achieve pretty much the same effect. Yukon Gold and red boiling potatoes contribute contrasting texture, and a handful of briny capers punches up the flavor.

Crispy pancetta sprinkled on top adds a salty, savory flavor to this sweet soup.

The quail marinates overnight, so be sure to begin one day ahead.

The beans and the chiles need to soak overnight, so start this the day before.

Three make a meal, but a bunch make fun party hors d'oeuvres. Look for the rolls at a local bakery.

Dried cracked corn, after being soaked and cooked, is mixed with milk and brown sugar to make a soupy sweet for indigenous peoples in the highlands of Colombia. Here it adds the thickening base that potatoes would in a traditional chowder. Chipotle and bacon mingle to form a low, smoky whisper of heat.

The buttermilk in this soup gives it a light, tangy richness that harmonizes with the sweetness of the peas and the gentle bite of the curry. Though it looks lovely in a bowl, serve this soup in drinking glasses, to be sipped rather than spooned, for a nice change of pace.