Herbs & Spices

Sheila Jacobs and Lynn Kramer of Abreu, Cabrera, Dominican Republic write: "We're both from the U.S., but we have lived in the Dominican Republic for about 25 years. We're friends, business partners, and neighbors, so we entertain together often. Cooking the local dishes has made us feel a part of the country." This recipe is inspired by pescado con coco (fish with tomato, garlic, and coconut).

Nuevo cubano: This is Rodriguez's riff on vaca frita, slow-cooked shredded meat that's then sautéed with onions. Rodriguez likes to serve the steak whole, with an onion mojo on the side. (Mojo usually refers to a marinade made with citrus, olive oil, and onions, but here the mixture has been transformed into a condiment.) What to drink: A selection of Latin beers like Corona Extra, Hatuey, Negra Modelo, Dos Equis, and Tecate.

Use a mandoline to quickly make thin, even plantain slices.

Improv: Top with smoked salmon instead of caviar.

This clever appetizer is halfway between a pizza and a flatbread.

Since the beans need to soak overnight, be sure to begin one day ahead. Spicy Italian sausage is a good substitute for the chorizo.

Florence Myers of Gainesville, Missouri, writes: "In the late 1950s and early 1960s I was a counselor at an all-girls summer camp in New Hampshire. When we went on long hikes in the mountains, the camp cook, Peggy Ward, would pack up plenty of her wonderful ginger cookies. I've passed that cookie recipe on to many people, including my granddaughter. She tells me that every time she makes the cookies people ask her for the recipe." Old-fashioned flavor in a super-easy cookie.

These cookies, a twist on traditional snowballs, are just the thing to enjoy with a spot of tea.

The tubers of a North American sunflower, Jerusalem artichokes (also labeled "sunchokes") are available in the produce section of many supermarkets.

This hefty omelet is big enough for two people to share, and the recipe makes great use of the flavored goat cheese varieties now available at supermarkets across the country.

Be sure the lamb is trimmed; otherwise, ask the butcher to do it for you.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner."

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

Improv: Replace the mushrooms with diced firm tofu and/or wilted spinach.

Called bun bo hue in Vietnam, this is the heartier, spicier cousin to pho, the famous noodle soup.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner." Pureeing the soup gives it a smooth richness — without any cream.