Multi-color cauliflower
Cauliflower Fritters

This is a popular dish in Chile. Parboiling the cauliflower makes the fritters tender.

Serves 4

Borgoña drink
Borgoña

Far simpler than a sangria, this Chilean drink is just red wine and macerated strawberries—sweet and refreshing at the same time.

Citrus cilantro fish
Pan-Seared Cilantro Citrus Fish

This marinade enhances all types of firm white fish, such as halibut, sole, cod, and hake, which in Chile is called merluza and is extremely popular because of its sweet, mild taste. Fun fact: What’s sold in the US as Chilean sea bass is typically neither Chilean nor bass but rather Patagonian toothfish, rebranded to make it sound more appealing. The sea bass eaten in Chile is actually called corvina. This marinated fish is delicious grilled, but here I’m detailing a stovetop method that turns the marinade into a sauce.

Serves 4

Chilean-style spareribs
Costillar de Chanco (Chilean-Style Spareribs)

Grilling is a popular method of cooking in Chile, where families often gather on weekends to enjoy simple but ample meals, often barbecues. St. Louis-style ribs are “squared off” or trimmed and have a flat, meaty shape. Ask your butcher to halve them—this creates more flavorful surface area. Baby back ribs can be substituted for the St. Louis-style ribs and don’t need halving. Multiply quantities as needed.

Serves 2

Denise's Stuffed Olives
Denise's Stuffed Olives

When in Chile, I always look forward to breaking bread with my great friend, olive oil savant, and hostess extraordinaire Denise Langevin and enjoying her cooking. This is the first of two of her recipes that I’m sharing with you. It’s deceptively simple, but you want to source the highest quality ingredients. Note: If you prefer, you might use just one or two of the “stuffings.”

Serves 8 or more

Pastelera de Choclo - Chilean Corn Pudding
Pastelera de Choclo (Chilean Corn Pudding)

Fresh corn is one of my favorite summer foods, and this corn pudding recipe, also from Denise Langevin, is such a delicious way to enjoy it. (Don’t fret if you fall in love and want it year-round—it can be made with 9 cups of frozen corn kernels.)

Serves 6 to 8

Chorizo hash
Chorizo Hash

While hash is often served with fried eggs, this flavorful combination of ingredients can also be used as a filling for omelets. It can be made ahead and rewarmed. Perfect for a festive brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Serves 4

Dulce de Leche Trifle
Dulce de Leche Trifle

Called manjar in Chile, dulce de leche is a butterscotch-like sauce made from very slowly cooking milk and sugar. My speedy hack is using imported dulce de leche (Amazon offers many brands, most from Argentina). It’s used both in the custard and as its own layer in this dessert. Guests can assemble their own glasses, or you can create a showstopper trifle in a tall and wide glass bowl. Both the cake and custard can be made up to two days in advance.

Serves 8 or more

New potatoes and fresh peas
Chicken Sausage Skillet Dinner

Parboiling the potatoes cuts the cooking time of this flavorful dish. The recipe makes a delicious dinner, but it’s also great for a picnic since you can enjoy it at room temperature—for safety, remember to consume hot or cold foods within an hour of taking them off the stove or out of the fridge. Note: If you can only find chicken sausage links, simply squeeze them out of their casings and into the hot pan.

Yields 4 servings

Berry Trifle
A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle

With all the components premade, this layered dessert of cake, custard, berries, and cream can be assembled in minutes…and up to 6 hours in advance. A footed trifle bowl is elegant, but any clear glass serving bowl that lets the layers show will create a festive presentation.

Yields 10 servings

Soft scrambled eggs
Soft Scrambled Eggs

One of the simplest dishes can often be the most difficult to make. If your pan isn’t preheated properly or if it isn’t well prepped, scrambled eggs can brown rather than stay yellow, stick in spots, or take seemingly forever to set. Here’s my simple hack for eggy perfection.

Serves 2

Smashed potato pie
Smashed Potato Pie

Whether you want to skip the gluten of a typical pie crust or are simply looking for a tasty alternative, using new potatoes is a delicious choice.

Yields 6 to 8 servings