Lime

Check the supermarket produce section for fresh peeled and sliced mangoes. You'll need about four cups of diced mangoes.

Veracruz-style mixed seafood is the centerpiece of a festive meal that's rounded out with rice and vegetables. To present it as pictured, mound the seafood salad over the Mexican Rice and surround with the Tricolor Vegetable Sauté . A piquant dressing is drizzled over the seafood and mixed into the rice.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 40 min

Made with reduced-fat cream cheese and light sour cream, this cheesecake is irresistible — just like its namesake cocktail.

Marinate the tri-tip for at least two hours.

Salsa Mexicana Variations of this fresh tomato-based salsa show up on restaurant tables all over Mexico, where it is called pico de gallo, salsa fresca, or salsa mexicana. The bright flavor of the salsa adds sparkle to anything it touches — quesadillas; grilled chicken, fish or steak; tamales; tacos; and, of course, tortilla chips. This recipe is an accompaniment for Crispy Pork with Avocado Salsa and Tomato Salsa .

This is a simplified version of Havana Harry's recipe; at the restaurant, they deep-fry the pork after braising it.

"I literally didn't know how to boil an egg until I was in my 20's — when I tried to impress a guy by making dinner for him," writes Sally Siegel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I didn't have much success with the dinner or the guy, but I regrouped and put together a repertoire of fairly elegant dishes I felt confident making. Over the years, my cooking style has become more casual; I make dishes that are not too demanding, but still special for company."

Pluots are a great stand-in for true plums in this recipe.

Ceviche de Dorado con Chile Jalapeño y Coco The fish is marinated in fresh lime juice (and therefore partly "cooked").

Present these light sorbets in tall glasses, and garnish each dessert with large pieces of the pine nut brittle for a dramatic effect.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve the chicken with steamed rice to soak up the delicious sauce.