world traveler

If you've visited Spain, chances are, you've sampled patatas bravas. They're a standard tapa at just about every restaurant: a fried, bite-sized piece of potato, that's smothered in a slightly spicy paprika- and mayonnaise-based sauce. I fell in love with the simplicity of the dish years ago, but only recently tried to re-create this classic dish in my own kitchen.

Traditionally, the potato pieces are deep fried, but I skipped the frying to keep this tapas recipe a touch healthier, and so my house wouldn't smell like a fast food joint. Instead, I achieved a crisp and golden potato using a hot oven and potatoes coated in olive and canola oils.

While the spuds cooked, I made the dipping sauce, which is a piece of cake if you employ the food processor. To present this dish, either drizzle the sauce over the potatoes, or serve it as a finger food, with a plate of golden potatoes and the sauce in a small bowl on the side. Get ready for a taste of Spain when you read more.

It's National Grilled Cheese Month, and while I've made my fair share with two slices of bread, I wanted to celebrate with a traditional Salvadoran dish, the pupusa. Essentially a pancake-like corn cake, pupusas are stuffed with a thin layer of cheese, beans, or pork. I was a little nervous, but preparing the masa is easy — you just add water and stir.

I tried a couple of different techniques to get the perfect pupusa and found the best way was to use my hands. I lightly oiled them, flattened the masa ball, placed the shredded cheese in the center of the masa, and pulled the edges up around the cheese. Once the masa sealed the cheese, I patted it into a small, flat disk.

With this process, the pupusa doesn't crack or let the cheese leak out while cooking. Serve these cheese-filled corn cakes hot topped with spicy slaw and a touch of sour cream. Now that I have the method down, I can't wait to make pork- and cheese-filled pupusas. To skip taco night and surprise your family with pupusas, keep reading for the recipe.

Today, billions of Chinese people worldwide are ringing in the year of the rabbit by spending time at the table with their friends and family. But that's where a lot of the similarity ends; each region of China and ethnic Chinese groups have their own cultural traditions associated with the celebration.

For some, it's eating both the land and the sea; for many, especially those near the coast, it's absolutely imperative to consume copious amounts of fragrant fish.

In starch-heavy Northern Chinese cuisine, the Lunar New Year wouldn't be complete without shui jiao, or boiled dumplings, which signify wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese currency. Savor them simply with a side of soy-vinegar dipping sauce and a drizzle of chili oil. Enjoy abundance in the coming year with this recipe.

We're huge fans of Spanish migas and now, thanks to this photo that Lauren took and shared in the Yum Community, we can't wait to try Portuguese migas!

This past weekend, I was treated to a Portuguese breakfast of migas. It is fried Portuguese linguica with garlic and then cooked dough or bread that is broken up into crumbs! It was served with some scrambled eggs. It was delicious and so filling, I didn't eat until dinner!

Have you enjoyed a breakfast of champions recently? Let us know by uploading your grub in the Savory Sights group in our YumSugar Community!

Traveling the globe can be pricey, but trying out new worldly recipes in your own kitchen is an easy and inexpensive way to taste more of the planet. In our world traveler series, we are doing just that: exploring the earth one dish at a time.

Muhammara is a Syrian roasted pepper and walnut dip often served with crackers, on kebabs, or over meat and fish. The longest part of preparing the dip is roasting the bell peppers. Of course you could just buy a jar, but they are so much better fresh. If you have never roasted your own, check out this how-to slideshow. Once you have the roasted bell peppers, the dip is incredibly simple to make with the help of a food processor.

The sweetness from the pomegranate molasses and roasted bell peppers is balanced by the tart lemon juice and spicy kick of jalapeño. I served it with pita chips, but it would be great as a veggie dip or a sandwich condiment. Skip the hummus and the onion dip and give muhammara a try. Curious about the recipe? Keep reading.

I've never met a cuisine I didn't like, and ethnic dives are among my most regular haunts. But I recently have come to terms with the fact that I've never made any of the sought-after dishes at the top of my list: North India's saag paneer, Korea's bibimbap, Cuban tostones con mojo. Then, when I learned that most of you are just as interested in adobo and banchan as I was, I decided it was time to tread through previously uncharted kitchen territory.

So, in a new series, I'll be exploring new dishes from around the globe, beginning first with a wildly underappreciated dish: chicken adobo. The term adobo can mean many things, but in the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country that's heavily influenced by Spanish and Chinese cultures, it refers to the process of stewing chicken or pork in a vinegar- and soy-based sauce. I can't get enough of the succulent result, which has an intoxicating sweet-and-sour aroma, and the sauce, which is phenomenal with rice. Make a new chicken dish when you read on.