Quinoa is a South American grain that is especially high in protein. It's so good for you, in fact, that it was recently called out by a group of nutrition experts as one of the top five foods to incorporate into your diet (find out the other four ingredients in this Washington Post article by Denise DiFulco).

Quinoa is delicious in breads, soups, and gratins. If you can find quinoa flakes (which I recently discovered at Whole Foods), substitute them for oatmeal in all kind of bread and cookie recipes, for an extra punch of protein.
But quinoa truly shines in salad and pilaf-type dishes like these recipes from the talented food guides at About.com...

Vegan Quinoa Salad
Greek Quinoa Salad with Feta
Low Fat Curried Quinoa and Peas
Quinoa and Edamame Salad
Spicy Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms and Ginger
Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Fresh Herbs
Steak and Quinoa Salad with Mango Salsa
Quinoa and Cranberry Pilaf

South America has a tradition of cooking with clay pots. Peruvian pachamanca is baked in clay pots placed in underground ovens, and Brazilian feijoada is always served in an array of different-sized clay dishes. The kitchen of the house we rented in Peru was decorated with antique clay pots. The pot pictured here could go right onto the stove on high heat without breaking, yet it appeared to be unglazed. Just seasoned and well-used.

I really wanted to keep one of those seasoned clay pots - there were so many I don't think anyone would have noticed - but I left them there. Instead I bought a brand new, terra cotta unglazed clay pot at the market and brought it back with me. It survived the trip, but I am afraid to use it for fear I will crack it in my ignorance. I asked in Peru how to season them, but everyone had a different method. It seemed like a mysterious process - something you had to learn from your grandmother. Or maybe everyone's grandmother just passed down the family cooking pots, like Southerners do with well-seasoned cast iron skillets.

Therefore I'm very excited about Paula Wolfert's new book, MEDITERRANEAN CLAY POT COOKING: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share. I can't wait to learn the secrets of cooking with clay, which according to Paula Wolfert, will add great flavor to food, and cook it slowly to perfection, better than any crockpot ever could. I hope to get my pot seasoned up and hard at work very soon.

Potato Gratin Dauphinoise Recipe from Paula Wolfert
Using Unglazed Clay Cookers for Oven Roasting
Asian Food and Clay Pot Cooking

Papas criollas are small buttery Andean potatoes. They are the most important ingredient in the famous Colombian stew called ajiaco. Andrea Meyers just posted an interesting article about papas criollas on her blog andreasrecipes (which has a nice section of Colombian recipes). Apparently papas criollas are amazing when fried whole. And she has exciting news - she found fresh papas criollas at her local Trader Joes store.

More About Ajiaco
Andrea's recipe for Ajiaco Bogotano
Quick & Easy Ajiaco Recipe
Shopping online for South American ingredients

Dia de los Muertos, or "day of the dead" (November 1, All Saints Day), is celebrated in most of Latin America as a way of remembering loved ones who have passed away. In Mexico this tradition is particularly elaborate. Decorated candy sugar skulls, special breads, and other traditional foods are all part of the celebration. Read all about Dia de los Muertos in this article by Chelsie Kenyon, About.com's guide to Mexican food.

All About Dia de los Muertos
Gallery of Sugar Skulls