Cilantro

Poblanos are among my favorite chiles and I use them in many dishes, even those that don't have a Mexican heritage - pastas, casseroles, stews. The dark-green chile successfully lends its medium-spicy flavor to all of them. I also like to top grilled meats with strips of poblanos that have been quickly sauteed in olive oil. This recipe for flank steak uses them in combination with red onion slices for a great, simple topping that matches the earthiness of the steak. If you have more time, consider grilling the whole poblanos first until they start to blacken on all sides, then cut them into strips.

Planning a backyard party in the warm days ahead? Take your cues from cultures that have summer entertaining down cold. From the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia, room-temperature buffets are mainstays for celebrations on the terrace, the beach, the patio or the town square. Putting a few cold dishes on the menu works, too, if you know some simple tricks for keeping them chilled.The beauty of such an outdoor buffet is that most of the work can be done in advance; the only last-minute task is arranging an attractive spread of food.

The season for expected and unexpected guests has arrived, and with it, the season when hosts and hostesses are especially grateful for recipes that provide easy-to-prepare nibbles.So I collected recipes from my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and wife. To do my share, I've added one of my own.One of the most reliable snack presentations in our family is that old standby, the crudites platter. Cooked cauliflower and broccoli never have the charm of these vegetables served raw and crisp with a tangy dip. Bell pepper strips of various colors; slices of carrot, celery, zucchini; and, for variety, perhaps fresh fennel, cucumber and radishes appeal to almost everyone.

I am a firm believer in the intrinsic goodness of a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup. But I often lack the time to make it from scratch. Lately I have been exploring easy ways to infuse canned chicken broth with rich, homemade flavor.I reduce the broth to intensify the flavor, infusing it with garlic, fresh herbs and spices. A tea infuser provides a convenient container for the flavorings. Using the infuser means there is no need to strain the broth. Then I add a few simple ingredients to turn the tasty broth into a rewarding soup.

The following light-eating recipe, is a delicious new way to use boneless chicken breasts from "Cooking Under Wraps" by Nicole Routhier.Thai-Style Fajitas6 servingsCHICKEN:4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced1 medium shallot, peeled and mincedgrated peel of 1 lime2 tablespoons lime juice1 tablespoon fish sauce1/2 teaspoon sesame oil2 teaspoons brown sugar2 tablespoons minced cilantro6 flour tortillasPICKLED VEGETABLES:1/2 cup rice vinegar2 tablespoons sugar1 tablespoon fish sauce1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes1 large English cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch slices1 large carrot, peeled, halved and cut into 1/8 -inch thick slices1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced2 tablespoons minced cilantroCut chicken into very thin strips.

Fish is one of those items that often intimidates cooks pressed for time.Tilapia fillets are recommended here because they are usually less expensive than orange roughy or flounder and are becoming more common in the grocery store. A very mild farm-raised fish, tilapia pairs easily with a great variety of toppings. Farm-raised // catfish also have a mild flavor that works well with this recipe. If you aren't a fan of cilantro, substitute freshly chopped parsley in the sauce. Start the artichokes first, since they require the longest cooking time.

Like many Moroccan-born Jews who emigrated to the United States, Solange Emsellem, 71, places great importance on symbolism. For Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, she will not serve black olives for fear that the color and sour taste might augur evil for the coming year. She removes the purply black skin of eggplants for similar reasons."I know it's in my head," she said at her Rockville home. "We think of black as a mourning color, not green for happiness for the New Year and the harvest period."

POTATOES ARE THE star in this one-dish meal with South American overtones. Serve this giant potato salad with a variety of different condiments.The Potato Board is offering a free brochure with six recipes from around the world. Send a stamped, self-addressed business-size envelope to: The Celebrated Potato, 1385 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 512, Denver, Co. 80222.South American Potato Platter6 cups chicken broth2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks2 lemons, halved3 fresh or canned jalapeno peppers, quartered lengthwise1 tablespoon ground cumin1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts1 small bunch cilantro2 cups diced tomatoes1/4 cup fresh or canned diced mild green chiles1 tablespoon chopped cilantro1 tablespoon white wine vinegar1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepperTo prepare potatoes and chicken, in large saucepan or Dutch oven combine broth, potatoes, lemons, jalapeno peppers and cumin.

Ten years ago, few Americans had ever heard of or tasted cilantro. Today, progressive cooks can't seem to cook without it. This pungent green herb has been turning up in everything from salsas to salads and stir-fries. Once available only at ethnic markets, it has crept into restaurants and supermarkets.Cilantro (pronounced see-LAN-tro) may be a relative newcomer to the United States, but it has long been a mainstay of many of the world's great cuisines. The pungent leaf is a cornerstone of Mexican cooking.

Move aside, roast turkey. You're out of here, dip and chips. Gotta go, crab balls. This month, whether it's at the family feast or the traditional holiday office party, new flavors have infiltrated our cooking and bumped some of the old familiars right off the table.Not exactly new, really. The spicy fire of jalapeno chilies and clean tang of fresh cilantro and ginger have been familiar to fans of Tex-Mex and Southwest cooking for years. What's new for Baltimore, though, is the degree to which these ingredients and flavors have filtered into our cooking.

It is August in the garden, and the energy of spring has evaporated like the dew - for the garden and the gardener. What looked so fresh and promising in May looks scraggly and wilted now, and the punishing heat and drought of late summer in the Mid-Atlantic saps the will to do anything about it. If I wait a little longer, the gardener tells herself, it will be time for mums and this awkward phase in the garden cycle will be forgotten. In spring, we haunt the garden centers and purchase what is blooming at the moment, doubling down our investment in early-season color.

Susan Hill dislikes cilantro, and not just a little. "I just hate it," says Hill, 36, an Annapolis stay-at-home mom. "Oh, I do." The fresh herb Hill detests is also known as coriander and Chinese parsley. It looks a lot like Italian flat-leaf parsley. And good thing. Cilantro has so many enemies that it could use a couple of aliases and a way to pass for something else in the herb garden. Once an exotic flavor confined to Mexican, Asian and Indian cooking, cilantro turns up today even in white-bread American restaurants.

From our first taste of sweet, soft mussels, garlicky and sprinkled with chopped tomato, onion and cilantro, we knew we were in good hands at Mango's Grill. The small restaurant, with its overly bright plastic tablecloths and piles of what looks like folded laundry by the front door, doesn't give a great first impression. But it is a diamond in the rough. -- Poor:]

Quesadillas can be as fancy as you want them to be, but the simplest are often the best. For me, nothing beats two toasted flour tortillas sandwiching a filling of melted cheese and a little bowl of salsa on the side for occasional dipping. Mild asadero, a Mexican cow's milk cheese, is a great melter and would make for a good filling. If you want more of a flavor zap, consider a fine Wisconsin cheddar or even a French mimolette. You also can microwave the quesadillas: Cook on high until the cheese melts.

The secret to Puerto Rican cuisine is the distinctive sofrito. The Puerto Rican version is made with culantro (saw-leaf coriander, a relative of cilantro) and ajies dulces, sweet cooking peppers. I adapted today's recipe from Joel Rodriguez, executive chef at San Juan's Ajili Mojili, celebrated for serving authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, "cocina criolla." Puerto Rican-Style Chicken and Rice Makes 2 servings 1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into cubes 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled 1/2 small onion, peeled and quartered 1 small tomato, cored and cut into quarters 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish (divided use)

Poblanos are among my favorite chiles and I use them in many dishes, even those that don't have a Mexican heritage - pastas, casseroles, stews. The dark-green chile successfully lends its medium-spicy flavor to all of them. I also like to top grilled meats with strips of poblanos that have been quickly sauteed in olive oil. This recipe for flank steak uses them in combination with red onion slices for a great, simple topping that matches the earthiness of the steak. If you have more time, consider grilling the whole poblanos first until they start to blacken on all sides, then cut them into strips.

Frozen, cooked shrimp is great for so many reasons. The hurried cook will love that it's so quick to prepare; the style-conscious cook will like the elegant note it adds to dishes; the health-conscious cook will appreciate a nutrition profile as high as its calorie content is low. Here we're teaming shrimp with star anise, an evocative spice that is sold in specialty markets and many supermarkets. Typically this star-shaped spice is sold whole, so you'll need to grind it in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

When Michael Marx opened Blue Agave Restaurante y Tequileria six years ago, he introduced Baltimore to upscale Mexican cuisine and the joys of good tequila, a liquor made from the blue agave plant. (At the time, his bar stocked 60 different kinds. The number has increased since then.) The restaurant has been a success, but Marx found that being a chef-owner isn't the best way to see much of your family, so last fall he sold Blue Agave to Elizabeth and Chuck Atwood, a couple who wanted to get into the restaurant business.

If you can't afford a trip to Dublin, chef Conrad Gallagher's One Pot Wonders (Kyle Books, 2005, $19.95) may be the best way to experience how far Irish cuisine has come. Gallagher, who has opened restaurants with a fusion touch on both sides of the Atlantic, gives new life to the standard seafood and potatoes of his homeland. In this book, he does it with one pan per recipe - a boon to the home cook. One Pot Wonders is organized into chapters according to pan types (13 including the salad bowl)

Skirt steak makes me think of France and plenty of pommes frites, or the American West with a kiss of mesquite, but I never thought of skirt steak, or any beef for that matter, in connection with Puerto Rico. But there I was during a recent trip, eating skirt steak and loving it. Perhaps it was the relative tenderness of the beef, or perhaps it was the sofrito, a savory blend of pureed peppers, onions, cilantro and garlic used in the Caribbean as a seasoning base or marinade. This medley of flavors brought out a delectable smokiness in the beef.