Chorizo

Frances Driesbach, Maui, Hawaii
"This chili was inspired by Southern Calif., where I grew up. Red, green, and yellow peppers represent the Mexican fiesta."

Serve this dish with French bread to get all the delicious sauce.

Caldo Verde This soup may be made with regular kale, but lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale, cavolo nero, and black kale) has an artichoke-like sweetness that's so flavorful, we even loved the soup without the chorizo.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

Poblano and jalapeño chiles, tomatillos, and cilantro account for the recipe's title. Serve with: Mexican beer, warm tortillas, green salad, and lemon sorbet.

Fideuà is the Catalan name for a favorite baked noodle dish.

This zesty, eye-opening casserole can be made with either pork or beef chorizo.

Mario Batali, star of the Food Network's Molto Mario, is one of the top chefs in New York City, where he owns three restaurants with Joe Bastianich — Babbo, Lupa and Esca. This dish, from Batali's book Simple Italian Food, is served at Lupa.

The Mexican sausage called chorizo teams up with other southwestern ingredients-including corn bread, an Anaheim chili, cilantro and oregano-for a delicious stuffing.

Serve these clams with some crusty bread for sopping up the sauce, or spoon them over linguine or rice.