Latin American

Editor's note: This recipe was included with two others from our roundup of great cookbooks for Dad. Use this fresh, spicy salsa to top grilled steak tacos or as a dip for tortilla chips.

Bobotie The South Africans were way ahead of us: Curried lamb spiked with raisins and apples and framed by a smooth egg custard is our idea of how meatloaf would be if we had to reinvent it. Although tasty on its own, bobotie is ideal when served with a dollop of chutney—mango for a sweet touch or cilantro for an herby, savory note.

Pozole Rojo Who said you can only enjoy a good rich stew in the depths of winter? Born in the hot climate of Mexico, this melt-in-your-mouth pork and red-chile dish also makes a satisfying but not-too-filling end to a warm summer day.

The surging popularity of sandwich wraps and quick Mexican snacks like quesadillas has turned the flour tortilla, a staple once largely confined to northern Mexico, into something found in supermarkets across the United States. Of the store-bought varieties, we are big fans of those from Maria & Ricardo's Tortilla Factory (800-881-7040), available at high-end supermarkets such as Whole Foods and by mail order from the company. (Dry-toast them slightly to freshen before using.) That said, we are even bigger fans of homemade flour tortillas. Fragrant and slightly puffy, they fall squarely into the "staff of life" category.

Once you've soaked the chiles for 2 hours, this mole comes together in 45 minutes.

The bold flavor of turkey is a natural with Mexican food. Fire-roasted salsa can be found in the refrigerated deli case at most supermarkets.

If you normally take your coffee with milk, you'll find this particular recipe for black coffee a welcome change—the molasses and cinnamon give it a warm and slightly exotic depth that's simply irresistible. Be sure to use coffee that is not finely ground.

Four fresh fruits bring a sunny taste of the tropics to your table. If you want to make this a virgin drink, simply omit the rum and add an extra cup of tangerine juice.

This dish was the surprise of the year. The ingredients might seem ordinary, but trust us — it's fantastic.

Bobó de Camarão Though folding the shrimp into the purée is traditional in Brazil, we placed it on top for a prettier presentation.

Xinxim de Galinha We debated whether to simmer or boil the coconut milk for this dish, fearing flavor loss or curdling. We ended up adding it at room temperature, with great results.

Enjoy a taste of the islands with these healthful, low-fat tostadas.

In Mexico, this breakfast dish is called huevos ahogados, meaning "drowned eggs," since the eggs are served in soup bowls with a lot of sauce.

Chojín Alma Guillermoprieto of Cambridge, Massachusetts, writes: "My guatemalan grandmother made a salad she called chojín. I remember the taste vividly, but when I went to Guatemala, no one knew the dish. This is my attempt to re-create it." While the ingredients in this recipe are extremely simple, the result is an eye-opening explosion of flavors.

This traditional Brazilian drink gets an extra dose of tropical flavor from passion-fruit juice.

Nieve, or "snow," is Mexico's sorbet, sold from carts throughout the country. Ours is a quick version, made with passion-fruit nectar instead of puréed and strained fruit. For the best flavor, look for a nectar that contains just water, passion-fruit juice, and sugar.

In some Latin American countries, these cookies, called alfajores, are made with Pisco — brandy distilled from white Muscat grapes grown in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia — but regular brandy works fine.