Fresh, tangy, and spicy, this salsa verde was just what was called for to fulfill a longing after a week of excellent Mexican eats in Austin. More

[Photograph: Blake Royer] Adapted from The Art of Simple Food.... More

Tomatillo salsa is also an excellent base for starting a dish with those smokey, spicy flavors, like this one from Rick Bayless's Salsas that Cook. If you have the salsa made already, it's almost no work: stir together with cream, pour it over chicken, and bake until the chicken is just cooked through. Making the salsa takes all of ten minutes, though—so either way, it's quick, simple, and satisfying cooking. More

These Bite-Your-Tongue Tacos from Joshua and Jessica Applestone's The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meats were my first foray into the world of tongue cookery, and I have to say upfront that there was a teeny-tiny amount of apprehension. But knowing full well the joy that comes with a plate of lengua tacos, I sucked it up. More

[Photograph: Caroline Russock] As far as Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurants go (not that there are very many of them) Dressler has to be the most unassuming. Tucked away in the south side of Williamsburg, Dressler puts out consistently elegant new American... More

Living in San Diego I had my first encounter with the Sonoran hot dog. Every weekend a vendor would set up his cart across the street from our go-to bar an hour or two before last call. From midnight until well after 2 a.m. he'd grill up bacon-wrapped dogs and finish them with pickled jalapeños and your choice of red or green salsa. Moving to New York has left a hole in my heart when it comes to this specific breed of dogs. To satisfy my craving I tried Robb Walsh's version from The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook. More