Chile

Helen Yard of Flagstaff, Arizona, writes: "I fell in love with Latin food after spending some time in Central America and Mexico assisting with bird studies. Now I study birds along the Colorado River back here in the States. We've got a crew to cook for us in the field, but when I return home I never miss a chance to get busy in the kitchen. " Serve for breakfast with hot buttered tortillas. A poblano is a fresh dark green chile, often called a pasilla, and is available in the produce section of most supermarkets.

At the restaurant, the lamb is served with cilantro-corn mashed potatoes.

One extremely popular fish in Bombay, India's financial center, is pomfret, found in most coastal areas of the country. In one of my favorite pomfret preparations, called patrani macchi, the fish is stuffed with an herb paste and steamed in a banana leaf—which lends a unique fragrance and makes an attractive presentation at table (but should not be eaten). As pomfret is difficult to find in most parts of the United States, we suggest salmon, which is equally delicious.

To make this recipe even easier to prepare, substitute three tablespoons diced canned green chilies for the fresh Anaheim chili.

Moist, with subtle heat from the chipotles.

Great on its own or served alongside grilled fish, chicken or steak.

Serve as a side dish with enchiladas. The beans can be topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese, then covered to melt.

Texans like their barbecue spicy, in the tradition of the Southwest, which is chili pepper country. For this recipe, you'll need to order a U.S.D.A. "choice" grade, packer-trimmed brisket: That's a brisket with none of the fat cut off. Before being cooked, the meat is seasoned with a dry rub; during cooking, it is brushed regularly with a beer-based mop. You'll need to use a smoker for the brisket (a converted barbecue won’t maintain the very low heat required), and to get the most authentic Texas flavor, seek out the natural lump charcoal specified in the recipe; it's available at barbecue stores, some natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Chef Lisa Ahier likes the flavor of Key limes or Mexican limes, which she can buy locally and year-round, for the marinade below. But even if you use regular lime juice, you'll love this chicken, which is as delicious at room temperature as it is hot. In fact, Gourmet's food editors couldn't get enough of it.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a milder dish, use fewer Thai chiles and seed the serranos before mincing them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

As in many Mexican recipe names, there is a playful personification at work here: The eggs are "separated" by their salsas—one is topped with fiery red, the other with jealous green.

Cemitas de Carne Enchilada A cemita is an oversize, slightly sweet, sesame seed bun that gives this Pueblan sandwich its name. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Before grilling the pineapple, be sure to preheat your grill rack and then clean it with a metal brush to remove any bits of previously grilled food, which can give an off flavor to the pineapple. This recipe makes great use of the Börner V-slicer*. Other adjustable-blade slicers also work well, but if you don't have one, you can use a sharp 10-inch chef's knife. The smooth-sided tart in our photo was made in a springform pan, but since the crust is very delicate, it's much easier and less likely to break when made in a round tart pan with a removable bottom as called for in the recipe below. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr