TASTElist

CHOW.com asked chefs from a handful of our favorite restaurants to create better versions of seasonal lattes, with quality ingredients. Here’s former Absinthe pastry chef Luis Villavelazquez’s interpretation. This version of what is usually a nasty spice bomb calls for real pumpkin purée and subtle Indian seasonings. The base can easily be made ahead.

These flavorful vegetarian tacos are filled with savory mushrooms, spicy poblano peppers, and sweet onions. A variety of garnishes make this a fun hands-on meal. What to buy: Queso fresco is a mild white cheese that doesn’t melt when heated. It can be found in the refrigerated cheese case of most grocery stores or at specialty cheese shops or Latin markets. Game plan: You’ll need to make the Pickled Jalapeños or Pickled Red Onions before you begin, if using.

There are no rules when it comes to topping nachos, just go for what you like. We like this cheese-chili–sour cream combination. Game plan: You’ll need to make the chili before you begin.

Cheesy chips are the perfect vehicle for mouthfuls of spicy pork goodness. The Cotija, jalapeños, and cilantro are just bonuses. What to buy: Cotija is a crumbly Mexican cheese that can be found in Latin markets and many grocery stores. Game plan: You’ll need to make the pulled pork and pickled jalapeños before you begin.

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry has spent years uncovering the recipes for original tiki drinks from the ‘30s and ’40s. The Nui Nui—featured in Berry’s book Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari—was originally made by Don the Beachcomber, circa 1937. Even though it’s blended, this is no cheesy boat drink—it has complex flavors of cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla mixed with rum and fresh juices. W

This drink comes to us courtesy of Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. The aged rum, molasses, and allspice liqueur lend nice complexity to the cocktail. What to buy: Allspice liqueur (a.k.a. Pimento or Allspice Dram) is available at specialty liquor stores. We like the St. Elizabeth brand distributed by Haus Alpenz.

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry has spent years uncovering the recipes for original tiki drinks from the ‘30s and ’40s. The Zombie—featured in Berry’s book Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari—is a Don the Beachcomber signature cocktail that has been poorly reinterpreted over the years, most often as a bad drink resembling a tropical Long Island iced tea. This recipe dates to about 1934. Berry found it in the 1937 notebook of Beachcomber waiter Dick Santiago, who had marked the recipe “old.”

The blue-curaçao hue of the Na’vi people in the 2010 Oscar-nominated film Avatar may look a little frightening, as does this cocktail at first glance. But a few sips and the spiced Velvet Falernum will give you enough courage to travel by dragon. What to buy: If you can’t find Velvet Falernum, a clove- and lime-infused liqueur, try making your own. We think this recipe is a great stand-in. This Flying Blue Dragon recipe was featured as part of our Best Picture Cocktails story.

This is Richard Boccato and Giuseppe Gonzalez’s take on a classic tiki cocktail, and is the namesake for their neo-tiki bar Painkiller in New York City.

The 2010 Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker, about an Army bomb squad unit in Iraq, calls for a drink that sparks the palate and detonates the senses. We present … the Exploding Sidecar.

Legumes topped with caramelized onions are a popular combination at the Greek table. This dish has two components: a black-eyed pea salad with flavors of dill and fennel, and mixed greens tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The beans can be served over the greens either warm or at room temperature. Game plan: The black-eyed pea mixture can be prepared up to 3 hours ahead. Complete the recipe through step 3 and refrigerate the finished bean mixture.

Charoset, a diplike Passover dish made with fruit and ground nuts, symbolizes the mortar that the enslaved Israelites used to bond bricks. This Ashkenazic version, containing apples, walnuts, and sweet wine, comes to us from the mother of our colleague Leslie Jonath. This dish was featured as part of our Recipes for Passover photo gallery. Game plan: Though charoset is traditionally served as part of the Passover Seder, it’s also appropriate for a Rosh Hashanah meal.