Chorizo

Serves 8 to 10. 2 pounds Spanish chorizo, cut into ½-inch slices 3 cups sparkling cider, such as Martinelli 1. In a large deep skillet, combine the chorizo and cider. Bring to a boil and simmer the sausage over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced roughly by half. 2. Serve hot in earthenware dishes. Adapted from Taberna de Haro

Erik Jacobs for The Boston Globe Mariachi and more: It's a little early for Cinco de Mayo, but never too early to celebrate at The Beehive. Mi Casa Bee Casa includes the nine-piece Mariachi International, tequila specials, and Mexican-inspired food. We can almost taste the shrimp and chorizo quesadilla. May 2 from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. (live music from 8 p.m.-midnight). No cover (reservations recommended). The Beehive, 541 Tremont St., Boston. 617-423-0069.

Serves 2 Oliver writes that his omelet "is a cross between a Spanish tortilla and an Italian frittata. It's Spanish because of the chorizo and potato, but a little Italian too because I like to finish it off in the oven instead of on the burner, so it puffs up like a souffle. " Salt and pepper, to taste 4 small waxy potatoes, cut into chunks 6 eggs 4 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, thickly sliced Olive oil (for sprinkling)

Tenoch Mexican 24 Riverside Ave., Medford 781-395-2221 www.tenochmexican.com Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. All major credit cards accepted (for American Express, purchases must be more than $20) Accessible to the handicapped Adios, cubanos. Ciao, panini. Later, subs. There's a new sandwich in town: the torta. At Tenoch Mexican, a recent addition to Medford, this sloppy, gut-busting, south-of-the-border sandwich is about as good as it gets.

Serves 4. FOR THE CLAM BROTH 3 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice ½ cup white wine 1 bay leaf 5 peppercorns 1 sprig fresh thyme 1. In a medium pot, combine the clam juice, wine, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the broth for 30 minutes.

LAGUARDIA, Spain - The quest begins on a tip from a Catalan friend. “While you’re in Rioja, you need to eat patatas a la riojana,’’ he says, referring to the region’s signature dish, a stew-like mix of local potatoes and the region’s native son, chorizo. He sends me looking for a man in a castle in the hilltop town of Laguardia. “That guy’s a phantom,’’ one local tells me. “He’s got a room in his hotel called ‘Love and Madness.’ ’’ Sure enough, at Castillo El Collado, Javier Acilonna appears from nowhere, his shoulders hunched inward under an...

More. That’s what I want from Noche. More flavor. More spice. More freshness. More finesse. The South End restaurant, located in the former Icarus space, has a Spanish name. Chef Reginald Collier comes to Boston from Miami. You can’t blame a guest for expecting some sort of Latin accent. Aside from the basket of plantain chips that starts each meal instead of bread, Noche might as well be called Night. (It does serve until 1:30 a.m.) Instead, the menu is Pan-Asian-Cal-Mediterro-American.

Waitsfield is blessed with a certain geographic advantage. Tucked into Vermont's picturesque Mad River Valley, the village bustles in the shadow of two of the state's beloved ski areas: Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. But one needn't know the difference between a schuss and a slalom before venturing to the high country. While outdoorsmen can truly indulge themselves here, Waitsfield also nurtures a thriving artists' colony, making it a beckoning retreat for embracing winter's last gasp or hibernating in the great indoors.

Husband and wife Alberto Cabre and Angelina Jockovich are architects who formerly ran a catering business. So their new Union Square small plates restaurant, Casa B, both looks adorable and has an appealing menu. (The "B" stands for Bobonis, the last name of Cabre's maternal grandfather.) He is from Puerto Rico, she from Colombia, and the food reinterprets traditional dishes of Latin America. Casa B's offerings consist of tablas (boards meant to be shared by the table)

Serves 8 Made with many kinds of pork, usually in enormous quantity, Locro is an Argentinean specialty. I learned about this hearty South American dish from Graciela Casais, a native of Buenos Aires and longtime resident of Argentina’s wine capital, Mendoza. A mother of four whose heritage is Italian, Casais makes locro for Sunday supper in a 15-gallon pot for family, in-laws, and neighbors; everyone goes home with leftovers. This adaptation calls for three types of pork.

Waitsfield is blessed with a certain geographic advantage. Tucked into Vermont's picturesque Mad River Valley, the village bustles in the shadow of two of the state's beloved ski areas: Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. But one needn't know the difference between a schuss and a slalom before venturing to the high country. While outdoorsmen can truly indulge themselves here, Waitsfield also nurtures a thriving artists' colony, making it a beckoning retreat for embracing winter's last gasp or hibernating in the great indoors.

Husband and wife Alberto Cabre and Angelina Jockovich are architects who formerly ran a catering business. So their new Union Square small plates restaurant, Casa B, both looks adorable and has an appealing menu. (The "B" stands for Bobonis, the last name of Cabre's maternal grandfather.) He is from Puerto Rico, she from Colombia, and the food reinterprets traditional dishes of Latin America. Casa B's offerings consist of tablas (boards meant to be shared by the table)

More. That’s what I want from Noche. More flavor. More spice. More freshness. More finesse. The South End restaurant, located in the former Icarus space, has a Spanish name. Chef Reginald Collier comes to Boston from Miami. You can’t blame a guest for expecting some sort of Latin accent. Aside from the basket of plantain chips that starts each meal instead of bread, Noche might as well be called Night. (It does serve until 1:30 a.m.) Instead, the menu is Pan-Asian-Cal-Mediterro-American.

LAGUARDIA, Spain - The quest begins on a tip from a Catalan friend. “While you’re in Rioja, you need to eat patatas a la riojana,’’ he says, referring to the region’s signature dish, a stew-like mix of local potatoes and the region’s native son, chorizo. He sends me looking for a man in a castle in the hilltop town of Laguardia. “That guy’s a phantom,’’ one local tells me. “He’s got a room in his hotel called ‘Love and Madness.’ ’’ Sure enough, at Castillo El Collado, Javier Acilonna appears from nowhere, his shoulders...

A good formula begets a good formula. Melissa and Robert Jasper’s original Friendly Toast, located in Portsmouth, N.H., now has an outpost in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Outfitted like a diner, the retro decor in the 150-seat spot is decorated with wall-to-wall kitsch from your grandmother’s attic and old advertisements from the days when they knew how to make them: Sunbeam bread, Esso, Schlitz beer, Dr. Scholl’s, and best of all, a series of lighted panels that go on and off, with a woman showing the advantages of Magic-Cling bras.

Serves 8 Made with many kinds of pork, usually in enormous quantity, Locro is an Argentinean specialty. I learned about this hearty South American dish from Graciela Casais, a native of Buenos Aires and longtime resident of Argentina’s wine capital, Mendoza. A mother of four whose heritage is Italian, Casais makes locro for Sunday supper in a 15-gallon pot for family, in-laws, and neighbors; everyone goes home with leftovers. This adaptation calls for three types of pork.

It's 8 p.m. on a Friday at Sophia's Grotto, and the bar is packed to the door with patrons quaffing red wine and waiting for tables. By 11:30, the hostess has her coat on and the room is emptying fast. In other words, Sophia's is hopping, Roslindale-style. Amid the local moms and dads and kids, groups of young professionals, and same-sex sweethearts, Sauce feels all warm and fuzzy, like we're part of the neighborhood. Is that the "Mister Rogers' " theme song we hear in the background?

A good formula begets a good formula. Melissa and Robert Jasper’s original Friendly Toast, located in Portsmouth, N.H., now has an outpost in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Outfitted like a diner, the retro decor in the 150-seat spot is decorated with wall-to-wall kitsch from your grandmother’s attic and old advertisements from the days when they knew how to make them: Sunbeam bread, Esso, Schlitz beer, Dr. Scholl’s, and best of all, a series of lighted panels that go on and off, with a woman showing the advantages of Magic-Cling bras.

Serves 2 Oliver writes that his omelet "is a cross between a Spanish tortilla and an Italian frittata. It's Spanish because of the chorizo and potato, but a little Italian too because I like to finish it off in the oven instead of on the burner, so it puffs up like a souffle. " Salt and pepper, to taste 4 small waxy potatoes, cut into chunks 6 eggs 4 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, thickly sliced Olive oil (for sprinkling)

Serves 8 to 10. 2 pounds Spanish chorizo, cut into ½-inch slices 3 cups sparkling cider, such as Martinelli 1. In a large deep skillet, combine the chorizo and cider. Bring to a boil and simmer the sausage over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced roughly by half. 2. Serve hot in earthenware dishes. Adapted from Taberna de Haro