Ancho Chile

Relish each step of preparing coffee- and chile-braised short ribs: Searing a brown crust on the ribs before they bake adds a deep caramelized flavor; sautéing the aromatics (onions, peppers, garlic) in the drippings makes the sauce base really fragrant.

Puréed ancho chilies lend a rich, sweet, and only mildly hot flavor to this chili. To make a hotter dish, do not remove the veins or seeds from the chilies. If anchos or similar dried chilies are not readily available, substitute one roasted and peeled red bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes when puréeing.

Achiote paste is a combination of vinegar, spices and annatto seeds, which have a unique, earthy taste. Basting the turkey with butter and achiote yields a moist, richly flavored bird, and the slightly piquant sauce is a refreshing change of pace from traditional gravy. Offer your favorite mashed potatoes, and pour a Pinot Noir.

At the restaurant, the burritos are filled with smoked pork, but this version, using roasted pork, also works well.

"About a year ago, I discovered a new restaurant in town called Babalu's," writes Richard Shipman of St. Louis, Missouri. "It serves terrific Caribbean food, including a flavorful chili-coated salmon."

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="108054">Chicken, Potato, and Carrot Enchiladas</epi:recipelink>.

Steaks at Tequila restaurant are offered with sautéed chard and roasted red potatoes.

This rich, subtly spicy gravy recalls the great Mexican sauce known as mole poblano. The puréed ancho chilies on which the gravy is based are often described as having a chocolatey quality; that is reinforced here with the addition of a small amount of unsweetened chocolate.

Set out black beans, rice, lettuce, salsa and hot flour tortillas to go with the chicken.

Aromatic spice and herb blends can quickly turn an ordinary soup recipe into something extraordinary. Here they transform a basic carrot soup into a special concoction you'll crave again and again. So start utilizing the "cook once, eat twice" theory; just freeze half of the recipe or make a double batch whenever possible.