Starter

(Deep-Fried Pastry Stuffed with Spicy Potatoes)

Chef-owner Shawn McClain of Custom House restaurant in Chicago created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. He recommends using a creamy, mild blue cheese like Fourme d'Ambert.

Empanadas de Bariloche This recipe is excerpted from Shirley Lomax Brooks's book Argentina Cooks! We've also added some tips of our own below. To read more about Argentine cuisine, click here. High in the Andes, near the border with Chile, is the all-season splendor of San Carlos de Bariloche. At Christmastime it's a fairyland of cobalt lakes, forested islands, and manicured parklands surrounded by snow-capped alpine peaks. In the center of a small peninsula stands the rustic but elegant Llao Llao Hotel, a holiday mecca for the elite of Buenos Aires, Santiago, and even Paris, Düsseldorf, London, Madrid and Milan. When not attending the hotel's casino (closed as of this writing), guests spend their time dining in exquisite surroundings on international cuisine as well as impeccably fresh seafood from the Pacific coast of Chile. Hence, recipes such as Empanadas de Bariloche frequently straddle the border.

This recipe is adapted from Argentine chef Francis Mallman. Mallman also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This savory first course is Mallman's version of a traditional recipe from the painted-desert Argentine province of Salta. With their corn-husk wrapping humitas are somewhat similar to the spongier Central American tamal. This is one of the rare but significant Argentine dishes that reflects South America's Incan heritage. For the most part, Indian influences are muted in Argentine cooking, except for the country's enduring passion for grilling over an open fire. But Mallman is enraptured by the traditions of the Incas, with their mud ovens and, as he puts it, "the worship of peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, and tomatoes ... all that magic and mystery."

Preserved lemon, an essential ingredient in Moroccan cooking, is made by pickling lemons in salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Here, preserving just the peel (begin at least a day ahead) is an easy way to add an exciting note to the crème fraäche.

This summer, Marino grew about 85 tomato varieties in his garden; he uses his harvest in this caprese. Burrata cheese, a fresh mozzarella filled with cream and curds, is available at some supermarkets, Italian markets, and cheese stores. Fresh whole-milk mozzarella can be substituted.

A great substitute for the truffle butter is an equal amount of plain butter seasoned with a drizzle of truffle oil. Parmesan cheese rinds are available at cheese counters and cheese shops.

Meyer lemons add a floral note, but if you can't find them, regular lemons work just fine.

In Big Timber, a town of seventeen hundred people just northeast of us, lives Susan Pauli, a great gal and wonderful cook who is in great demand as a caterer. She makes this unusual summer creation as soon as the local watermelons have ripened. The pink color is gorgeous, and the salad travels well. Who would have thought that feta cheese and black pepper together would enhance the taste of watermelon?

This is an intriguing mix of sweet and savory. Sharp white cheddar is a good substitute for Manchego cheese.

Left whole and baked, these plump tomatoes encase a soft-cooked egg and romaine pesto. Their interesting presentation is sure to turn some heads.

Corn on the cob is slathered in crema or mayonnaise, topped with cotija cheese, and dusted with cayenne in this classic Mexican street food.

Try this Mexican-inspired quiche for brunch, lunch, or dinner—it’s good anytime of day!

It's hard to believe there's no cream in this soup, it's so velvety. A swirl of minty pistou, added at the last minute, provides complexity.

Delicious when served hot, this pasta dish is made for the culinarily creative—feel free to use your favorite mushrooms for a recipe all your own.

Baked creminis bursting with a buttery pecan and garlic stuffing make for eye candy just waiting to be devoured.