Serrano Chile

The longer you let the vinaigrette stand, the spicier the kick from the chiles. And we know the dressing calls for a lot of thyme, but we loved the result.

Macarrones con Crema y Queso Poblano and serrano chiles give a mild kick to this cheesy Mexican pasta.

(Coriander, Ginger, and Chili Lassi)Lassi is a refreshing yogurt drink that is very popular in its native India and Pakistan.

(Savory Stuffed Pastries)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Ground Lamb Kebabs with Fresh Hot-Pepper Paste

Poblano chilies (fresh green chilies), tomatillos (green tomato-like fruits), dried corn husks, and Masa Harina are found at many supermarkets and Latin American markets.

Steaming, a method often used by Asian cooks, works well with delicately flavored red snapper, since the aromatics (ginger, scallion, chile) are easily absorbed by the fish.

If the four-inch tortillas used at Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado, are hard to find, the standard five- to six-inch ones also work, or they can be trimmed to the smaller size.

It's best to shuck your own clams, but if you buy them on the half shell, be sure to ask for the clam liquor.

"When a friend celebrated her birthday at El Teddy's in New York City's TriBeCa, I really enjoyed trying the innovative dishes there," says Thea DeSando of New York, New York. "But the one thing I couldn't get enough of was the salsa—smoky and full of tomato flavor. Is there any way you can get the recipe?"

This versatile tomato sauce gets its name from the addition of chiles—arrabbiata is Italian for angry. It's great on pasta (especially linguine with clams), roasted meats, and fish.

This unusual salsa calls for canned or bottled nopalitos, the stems of the prickly pear cactus. Available in the Mexican section of many supermarkets, they're sometimes labeled natural tender cactus. If you cannot find nopalitos at your local market, simply substitute cooked green beans. Use this tasty salsa as you would any other--with meats, chips and tacos.

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.

Japanese bread crumbs, called panko , give these cakes a light, crisp coating. Panko is sold at Asian markets and can often be found in the seafood section of large supermarkets. But if it's unavailable, plain dry bread crumbs are an acceptable substitute.

Juicy cantaloupe makes a refreshing salsa for grilled chicken or fish. For a milder salsa, discard all the chile seeds.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.