Oven Bake

Cochinita pibil A popular dish in the Yucat´n, where it is traditionally cooked in a pit, cochinita pibil may be the most tender, flavorful pork preparation on the planet. Some of its subtle earthiness is imparted by the banana leaves that envelop the meat while it's cooking. The leaves aren't meant to be eaten, though.

Roasted vegetables and Italian Fontina lend this lush-tasting lasagne a more intense flavor than than you'd get with the usual spinach and ricotta filling.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. Chef Miguel Ravago also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This delicate soufflélike dish, the Mexican counterpart to the spoon bread of the American South, is invariably the most popular dish on the Hacienda Sunday Brunch Buffet. It is especially good served with grilled meats, ham, or turkey in mole.

This tortilla casserole is a great holiday dish to prepare when you want to use up leftovers. Miguel uses shredded leftover turkey as well as whatever vegetables remain from the holiday feast. It is a reliable dish for brunches or luncheons, paired with a seasonal salad. The tangy tomatillo sauce in this dish can also be used in recipes for other chilaquiles as well as Enchiladas Verdes. Though often referred to as "green tomatoes," tomatillos are members of the gooseberry family.

Remember those baked hams gussied up with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries? There's a reason they became so popular in the '50s — pineapple contributes sweetness and a little acid to salty ham. But here, with pineapple juice concentrated into a syrup and combined with thyme and Dijon mustard, the effect is homey, more subtle, and less overtly sweet.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School, by Darina Allen. To read more about the book, Ballymaloe, and Allen, see the related Daily Dish. We can sometimes get lovely fat pink trout about 2 years old, which have a wonderful taste — much better than the smaller ones. This is a horrendously rich-sounding sauce, but it's delicious and the flavor is sublime.

This dish, from Golden Door executive chef Dean Rucker, only feels indulgent.

Treat your taste buds to meals that incorporate all six flavors, like this one from Teresa Long, in-house nutritionist at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

These creamy potatoes would be a welcome addition to any meal. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave.

In this simple recipe, salty, smoked ham is paired with sweet mango and onion. The fruit and vegetables are cooked alongside the ham in the covered roasting pan, leaving them meltingly tender. To ensure even cooking, leave the ham out at room temperature for an hour before baking.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland. The French regard rutabaga as animal feed, but the Irish know better and use it in numerous beloved dishes. In this recipe, the root vegetable's sweet starchiness is the perfect foil for smoked mackerel, another ingredient for which the Irish have great respect.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen by Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman. This is the snack mix President Bush brought with him from the Texas Governor's mansion. It's a Texas twist on an old American favorite, and we had to have it on hand at all times. In addition to eating it at the White House, the President never traveled without it.

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.

For a lighter version, wrap the fish in very large butter lettuce leaves.

Add a salad and your meal is set. Or serve small squares for an appetizer.

Look for malanga at Latin markets or online at melissas.com.

The jerk seasoning can be made a day in advance. The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours and can sit as long as overnight.

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).