Tuscans are known bean eaters, and when you simmer cannellini beans and finish them in the oven with a fresh tomato ragù, you’ll understand why.

Rosemary does something splendid for chicken livers, and using sprigs of the herb as skewers perfumes the livers while they cook gently in butter.

This layered dessert gets its name, volador, from the way the edges of the pastry “fly up” as they bake. The thin, crackly pastry with dulce de leche is unbeatable in its simplicity. ...

Flour and water—can it get any more basic? After a few minutes of kneading, the dough magically comes together into a smooth, supple ball.

A little fancier than a fruit salad yet almost as easy, this cool combination of musky cantaloupe and honeydew gets an unexpected fillip from icy granita.

Ceviche may be Peru’s national dish with combinations of fresh raw fish marinated in a piquant dressing (often made with ají amarillo and lime juice).

A popular Central American table condiment is delicious piled on top of tamales and enchiladas. Beet juice augments the color even more.

Cactus paddles (nopales or nopalitos) are an important vegetable in Mexico. Their flavor is reminiscent of summer’s green beans but with a hint of acidity.

The Colombian and Venezuelan small fried corn cakes called arepas have a distinctive roasty-toasty flavor.

A fragrant sauté of jalapeños and onion is delicious in the taquitos, but it would also take a cheeseburger in a whole new direction.