Cilantro

This unusual salsa calls for canned or bottled nopalitos, the stems of the prickly pear cactus. Available in the Mexican section of many supermarkets, they're sometimes labeled natural tender cactus. If you cannot find nopalitos at your local market, simply substitute cooked green beans. Use this tasty salsa as you would any other--with meats, chips and tacos.

A colorful, delicious dish from Lantana's Restaurant, Grand Cayman, West Indies.

A fresh-tasting main-course salad.

The juices from the clams combine with spicy Asian flavors to make a great pasta sauce.

Some cooks may prefer to substitute more readily available angel's-hair pasta for the rice noodles called for in this recipe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In India, chicken is one of the most popular foods cooked in the tandoor, the ubiquitous clay oven. The secret to the bird's distinctive taste and tender texture is a yogurt marinade enhanced with spices. Here we pour one over chicken breasts, which are cooked on a grill. The chicken is served on toasted bread spread with a mayonnaise spiked with mint, cilantro and chili, flavors common in Indian relishes. Try to find Indian beer such as Taj Mahal or Kingfisher to go along with the meal. Offer fresh mangoes for dessert.

The intense flavors come from the marinade, which caramelizes on the chicken as it is deep-fried in foil packets. Jee bow gai, the name of the dish in China, is a house specialty at Yank Sing in San Francisco. Have your butcher split the thighs in half for you.

This classic Indian salad, or raita, is perfect with any curry dish.

The crab salad is mounded over the ends of endive spears so that they work as edible scoops for the salad. This is served as a starter at Le Chat Grippé in Paris, France.

Top these tostadas with guacamole.

Even though they are most often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, potato pancakes have a year-round appeal. Here they are given a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of flour made from chick-peas - the dominant flavor in falafel - as well as chilis, herbs and spices. Pour a dry white wine. For dessert, present fruit and some halvah. Chick-pea flour is available at Middle Eastern and Indian markets.

These easy-to-make meatless sandwiches are nice for a picnic. Wrap them in plastic, and transport them in a cooler.