Marcus Nilsson

Oh, the inherent stress in choosing the perfect avocado. The “ready to eat” ones can go from ripe to rotten quickly, so buy uniformly firm Hass avocados instead. Let them sit at room temperature until they have a slight give, usually a day or two (plan ahead!). This goes great with quesadillas, grilled snapper, and pork.

If you have a really ripe, gorgeous watermelon, you may not need any sugar at all.

All types of beans come in and out of season during the summer and into fall; make this with any color snap beans and your choice of fresh or canned shelling beans.

If you use mezcal, choose a mild one that is not too smoky, like Amarás.

Charring the tomatoes and vegetables plays up their sweetness and adds smoky, bitter notes. This goes great with quesadillas, grilled snapper, and pork.

Not to break your heart or anything, but good luck finding Toma, a cow’s-milk cheese. We didn’t just go rogue: Chef Cámara okayed the cheddar substitute.

Small squid tend to be the most tender, and a quick grilling time ensures they stay that way.

The key to this adobo is truly burning the chiles and spices. Not browned, not toasted—burned. Try this at home; just open the windows and turn on the fan first.

Bright and cooling, this side helps round out any meal—but especially one that packs a little heat.

Rinsing the rice before cooking ensures the grains will be fluffy and separated, not gluey.

Smaller beets are ideal for this since the rounds will fit neatly on the end of a fork.

Think of this as Indian-spiced ketchup, and use it in all the same ways.

The texture of the raw meatballs is very soft. Don’t worry; it’s the reason they’re so tender when cooked. This dish comes from Mr. Curry, a Brooklyn pop-up from chef Rebecca Collerton that celebrates the rich Indian food scene of England, where she grew up.

If you don’t have both spices, it’s okay to omit one or the other.

Highly spiced and a touch sweet, this falafel can be made with other fall squash, such as butternut or delicata.

Almost any fresh fruit (pears, apples, berries) can replace the figs.

Like it hot? Sub a Fresno chile for the red bell pepper for some extra kick.

You can stuff this slawlike salad inside your pita, or eat it on its own.