Lourdes Castro

When it comes to weeknight cooking, nothing beats pork tenderloin. The affordable cut usually comes two to a pack meaning it easily feeds a crowd. It also cooks incredibly quickly, faster than a whole chicken, in about 20 minutes. The best thing about pork tenderloin, however, is its versatile adaptability. It can be seasoned with everything from fresh herbs to spicy pastes. This recipe looks to Cuba for inspiration and marinates the pork in a generous mixture of fresh citrus, fragrant cumin and oregano, and lots of minced garlic. Thick slashes are made on the meat before it's dunked in the marinade; the result is juicy, tender pork packed with flavor. If you've got time, marinate overnight, but otherwise, give it a flash marinade for at least 30 minutes. For the uncomplicated recipe, read on.

On Saturday mornings, I often enjoy watching Marcela Valladolid's Mexican Made Easy on Food Network. She cooks authentic cuisine with traditional ingredients. One ingredient that she always uses is Mexican crema. Somewhere between sour cream and crème fraîche, Mexican crema is a slightly sour, cooling, and creamy condiment.
Although you can purchase it at many ethnic markets, it's super easy to make at home. It's also wildly delicious: I couldn't stop myself from dunking chips into it and eating it like a dip. It pairs wonderfully with all types of Mexican food, from steak tacos to cheese quesadillas — basically anything you would have sour cream with. Ready for the recipe? Keep reading.

To many of this country's home cooks, Mexican food is a genre reserved for dining out and perhaps the occasional Americanized taco night. But one nutritionist, Lourdes Castro, wants to change that with her new book, Simply Mexican ($16.47). Castro, who is neither a trained chef nor Mexican herself, aims to teach readers how to enjoy the authentic flavors of Mexico using techniques such as roasting, grilling, and stewing. "Feel confident in knowing that these recipes have been developed with one eye on authenticity and the other on practicality," she writes. Find out if her statement proves to be true when you read more