If you found the term adobo to be a confusing catchall, then wait until you learn about sofrito. Generally speaking, the word describes a combination of aromatics that have been sautéed slowly in cooking oil to make a flavorful sauce. This is used to enhance everything from soups to meat dishes. But despite the fact that the cooking term is widely employed in Latin and Caribbean countries, its Read more

Holiday feasts with the family call for large, important roasts — that's something I learned long ago from the late cookbook author Sheila Lukins. Make it something succulent and impressively large, like a beef Wellington or a rack of lamb, which can be shared and passed around the table. If you're not an expert at roasts, don't dish out valuable dollars on a piece of beef tenderloin that Read more

Like small-scale supermarkets and savory oatmeal, fusion food is going to make a statement in 2011. No, not that kind of fusion food. Put aside notions of Pacific Rim specialties like miso-glazed butterfish and sesame tuna tartare. Think another take on East-West fusion: the combination of Indian and Latin cuisines. Last Fall, Texas restaurant pioneer Stephan Pyles opened up Samar, a Read more

Empanadas would make the ideal stranded-on-a-desert-island staple. They freeze well, are great for using up leftovers, and are as suited to the beginner as they are the expert. But best of all, they can be filled with just about anything, so they shouldn't be overlooked as both a convenient finger food and an unexpected dessert.Make the cleanup easier than ever for your next fiesta by serving up Read more

I've always found the term "adobo" to be perplexing. After all, it sounds confusingly like adobe, the building material, and the word is a common denominator used in everything from canned Mexican chipotles to Filipino chicken over rice. Since I'm certain that I'm not the only person disoriented by this phrase, I've decided to set the record straight. Spanish for "marinade," adobo refers to a Read more