Caribbean

"My husband and I celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the island of St. John, where we enjoyed many terrific meals," says Eileen Hruby of Tom's River, NJ. "One day, we had lunch at Pusser's Ltd. in Cruz Bay. The coleslaw they served was extraordinary: cool and hot at the same time. I have no idea how it was made." Serrano chilies give this dish a real kick; the lime juice makes it refreshing.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Canned black beans with Caribbean seasoning save lots of time and effort. Whisk ground allspice into some bottled oil-and-vinegar dressing, and toss with mixed greens. Garnish the soup with yogurt and chopped red onions, and serve it with some sweet potato chips. To end, spoon sliced bananas and dark rum over coffee ice cream.

Home-style Caribbean fare is often accompanied by coconut rice, a wonderful side dish to temper the heat of spicy food. Pair it with the spicy okra for a simple and satisfying vegetarian meal. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 35 min

Brush this slightly sweet lime-scented sauce on shrimp or chicken before and during grilling. The recipe makes enough for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken or shrimp, with some left over to pass at the table.

Sofrito is a sautéed vegetable mixture used as a seasoning in much of Latin America and the Caribbean. It typically contains garlic, onion, bell pepper, coriander, and sometimes tomatoes or ham, although the recipe varies among countries. In our version, we've omitted the oil normally used to cook the ingredients and instead simply puréed the vegetables. This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Citrus Salmon. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In Cuba, this versatile side dish is known as congrí. Louisiana has its own version of red beans and rice, of course, but in that one you won't find the oregano, cumin or cilantro.

Serve this dish with steamed white rice to catch all the juices.

Jamaica's native herbs and spices glorify the lush island's most popular meat. I serve this with Golden Pineapple Chutney . These chops need at least 4 hours' marinating time, and if you can let them sit overnight, they'll be even better.

(Batido) This milk shake is a Puerto Rican and Cuban favorite; Palacio de Los Jugos on Flagler Street in Miami specializes in jugos and makes great tropical-fruit batidos. The fruit combinations are endless — try a mixture of strawberry and kiwi or guava and pineapple — and you can even use coconut milk instead of whole and spike with a shot of rum.

At The Great House at Villa Madeleine in St. Croix, they often use a native fish called wahoo for this interesting dish, but swordfish is another nice choice. They also make the chutney with the very hot Scotch bonnet pepper. A serrano chili produces a slightly milder version.

(Salt Cod Fritters)

This recipe is an accompaniment for Vanilla-Bean Cheesecake with Guava Topping .

In Cuba, this dish is traditionally served on New Year's Day. In this tradition, as in the Hawaiian luau, the pig is usually covered with banana leaves and cooked over a coal fire in a pit that's dug in the backyard. Because this method is not easy to do at home, the recipe below uses a small suckling pig that will fit in the oven, yet deliver the same delicious flavor. Ask your butcher to split the pig for you. Don't be afraid to give this recipe a try — cooking a whole small pig is like cooking a whole turkey.