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When it comes to making Latin cuisine at home, I normally cook Americanized dishes like nachos. However, at a restaurant, I eat more traditional dishes that involve a side of rice and beans. While the beans vary, sometimes they're refried pintos other times they're saucy black, the rice is almost always Spanish rice. It's orange and has a distinct tomatoey taste.

My friend Emily has been making her grandmother's Spanish rice for years and with Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, I begged her to finally share the recipe. The secret is the tomato sauce. It gives the rice a delicious al dente texture and rich comforting flavor. To get the easy technique to this humble side you'll enjoy over and over again, keep reading.

A couple of weeks ago at the fifth annual Burger Bash in South Beach, Michael Symon took home the top honor for best burger. While some people argued it was his mother-in-law's secret sauce that made the burger people's choice, I believe it was the crispy salami that made the burger win. Crispy salami is like bacon — it makes everything taste better! It's an easy and delicious appetizer served on its own, and when tossed in a sandwich or burger, the crispy salami takes it to a whole new level. Inspired by Symon's burger, I tested out two methods for making salami chips. To find out which I preferred, keep reading.

If you're a cheese lover, brace yourself because you are going to be amazed with this recipe. It's for parmesan salsa. Yes, you read that correctly: parmesan salsa! It's a fantastic dip that's made like any regular tomato salsa — with a food processor. Instead of serving with tortilla chips, pair the chunky cheese spread with toasted bread.

Seriously, this addictive salsa is to die for; I've made it countless times and it always gets rave reviews. It's very easy to put together, so it's great for entertaining. Since it's all about the cheese, it's worth it to splurge on a good quality parmesan and asiago. To learn how it's made — trust me you won't be disappointed with this appetizer — keep reading.

If you still haven't figured out how you're going to get your Valentine's Day chocolate fix, grab some chocolate bars and a pint of heavy cream and make chocolate fondue. Seriously, it's quite possibly the easiest dessert ever! All you have to do is melt the two together in a double boiler. Voilà! Serve with an assortment of delicious dippers like sliced bananas, pound cake, or brownies. My favorite chocolate fondue dipper is toasted bread sprinkled with sea salt. It's like a sophisticated take on pain au chocolat! Get the uncomplicated method now.

If you didn't find an easy cheesy appetizer that looked delicious, I have one more suggestion: pecorino fondata. This baked Italian cheese dish is incredibly uncomplicated to prepare; you simply toss cubed cheese with chopped hazelnuts and fresh thyme, then bake till it's melted and gooey. The most difficult thing about this fondue-like appetizer is finding the right kind of cheese. I recommend heading to a local cheese shop or more high-end grocer like Whole Foods. Ask the cheesemonger for a young soft pecorino with a good melting quality. Serve with crisp crostini or crunchy crackers and a glass of sparkling wine. Ready for the recipe?

Every November, I dream of a gorgeous Thanksgiving tablescape with crafty handmade placecards. But with the menu planning, preparation, and cooking, there's never any time! If you find yourself too busy for Martha Stewart-esque placecards, here's a fun idea for dressing the table.

Have the kids go outside and find the flattest, most colorful leaves. Bring them inside and using a special marker and nice handwriting, write the name of each guest on a different leaf. Set in the middle of the plates and voilà: you've got an instant, easy, and seasonal placecard. Do you make placecards?

I'm a sucker for a scrumptious shrimp appetizer, and when I made this recipe for spicy, sweet shrimp with a mint dipping sauce, I almost ate the entire plateful. The marinade is a simple and easy mixture of brown sugar, lemon juice, oil, and cayenne pepper. The sugar balances out the cayenne and the resulting shrimp has just the right amount of heat. I enjoyed the shrimp alone and didn't think the mint dipping sauce was totally necessary. Still, it makes for a fun presentation. Although the recipe says to grill the shrimp, I broiled them. I imagine the smoky flavor from a grill will make the shrimp taste even better! Want to see how they are made? Here's the recipe.

I'm crazy about classic pesto; I absolutely love it and make it all the time in Summer, when basil is in season. However, after enjoying mint pesto with lamb chops, I've been really into mint pesto, too. When I came across this recipe for shrimp with mint pesto, I knew I had to make it. The thick pesto is wildly creamy, thanks to the addition of feta and parmesan cheese.

It was so delicious that I used the leftover pesto as a dip with crackers the following day! It's great with perfectly plump broiled shrimp and would be divine tossed with pasta or spread on crostini. Although the original Bon Appétit recipe serves the shrimp on rosemary skewers, rosemary was expensive at my local market, so I skipped this step. To give mint pesto a try, check out the technique after the break.

While I enjoy baking elaborate and complicated desserts, sometimes it's nice to have one that involves nothing more than a couple of bowls and measuring spoons. When I need a super simple dessert that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser, I turn to the fruit crumble. This blackberry recipe is quite possibly the easiest dessert ever. Seriously, it takes about 15 minutes to put together and 20 to bake. If you are hosting a dinner party, make the two elements beforehand and assemble and bake just before serving. The resulting treat is absolutely scrumptious: plump burst-in-your-mouth berries, a thick sweet syrup, and crunchy golden brown topping. Want the recipe I used? Keep reading.