Papas Chorreadas (Colombian Potatoes with Cheese and Tomato Sauce)

Colombian-Style Arepas (Griddled or Grilled Corn Cakes)

A primer on how to make basic Colombian-style arepas, from mixing the dough to shaping the cakes and cooking on a griddle or grill.

Ajiaco (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup)

All potatoes originated in the Andes, and Colombia has quite a selection of them, the best being the small, yellow, creamy, buttery papas Criollas. They're eaten deep fried, salt roasted, boiled, or—my wife's favorite method—cooked into ajiaco, a classic chicken and potato soup from the mountains around Bogotá.

Fried Plantains With Black Beans, Roasted Poblanos, Avocado, and Pickled Red Onion

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Patacones are the Colombian equivalent of Caribbean tostones—double-fried green plantains. Just like cooking a french fry, you start with a starchy chunk of green plantain, cook it once at a low temperature, then cook it a...

Tostones with Tomato Salsa

Tostones is a classic across Latin America and definitely a favorite side dish. Follow our easy-to-make tostones recipe and I promise you won't be disappointed!!

Patacones Con Hogao (Colombian-Style Fried Plantains with Tomato-Onion Sauce)

You can serve these as-is as a side dish (they commonly go with whole fried fish), or you can make a sauce for them.

Jalea (Peruvian Fried Seafood Platter With Lime-Marinated Onion & Tomato Salad)

One of the world's great fried seafood dishes, jalea features a pile of fried seafood including fish, shrimp, and calamari that's topped with a bright, refreshing, slightly spicy salad of lime-marinated red onion, tomato, and cilantro. This version is made with a beer batter that comes out incredibly light and crisp.

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-Style Arepas

Colombian-style arepas often have crumbled cheese mixed right into the dough. An even more intense option: arepas made with a thick layer of melty cheese stuffed right into the middle.

Ensalada Miraflores (Corn, Bean, and Cheese Salad) From 'Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen'

Hearty bean-based salads are one of my favorite dishes in the summertime. I grew up eating a corn and black bean version, but these days I'll throw just about any vegetable into a bowl with a can or two of beans and a tangy dressing and call it dinner.

Colombian-Style Beans and Rice

The greatest bean dinner is called the bandeja paisa: Beans, rice, arepas, fried green or black plantains, avocado, a thin slice of grilled steak, deep fried pork rinds (known as chicharrones), a chorizo or two, a side of ají to sauce everything up, and a fried egg to top it off.

Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice With Pigeon Peas)

Considered the national dish of Puerto Rico, arroz con gandules is commonly served during holiday season or on special occasions.