I’ll never forget sitting in the exquisite courtyard of the Alfonzo Hotel in Seville, Spain. I was surrounded by tall arched windows flanked with hand painted tiles. The hot sun was beaming into the room, and I ordered a refreshing bowl of gazpacho. The server told me that her mother makes it at home to cure any sickness, sadness, or hangover.

The city of Chimayo, New Mexico is known for growing some of the best red chiles in North America. Chimayan chiles get their earthy and pungent flavor from the unique soil in the fields surrounding the historic city north of Santa Fe. I purchase bags of the ground chile powder when I visit, and one of my favorite ways to use it is in this Caesar salad, both in the dressing and the garlicy croutons.

Every island in the Caribbean seems to have its own variation of soup, depending on what they grown and the traditions they hold. Back in the days of slaves and indentured servants, the workers would put on a pot of soup in the morning so it could simmer until their lunchtime break. They blended their traditional African foods with what was grown on the islands. The calabaza squash grows in abundance throughout the Caribbean, and is often cooked into rich soups.

There’s nothing quite like hiking through the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. We were the first to enter the gate one drizzly morning, and the clouds covered most of the views. After hours of walking and climbing, the sun finally peeked out and the clouds drew back, as if they were a curtain revealing a most spectacular stage set. The long day of admiring such beauty ended in the bar at the Sanctuary Lodge nearby, where I took a pisco tasting lesson from the elegant bartender. He presented 13 piscos for me to try, each different in its own way. The chef brought a steaming bowl of corn soup for dinner, which was a perfect pairing to the piscos.

When I visit Tel Aviv, Israel, I get up early in the morning to walk through the Carmel Market. I love to watch the merchants set out their colorful fruits and vegetables, stacking them in perfect formation next to wooden crates full of nuts and dried fruits. Spice merchants scoop mounds of pungent seeds and pods into paper bags for early morning shoppers, many who are chefs in the city. I’ve taken home several bags of nuts and spices, saving them to put into scrumptious salads, stews, and sauces. I call this salad “autumn salad” because it reminds me of the colors of fall, orange from the squash, red from pomegranate, and hues of green from lettuces.

When I was in my early twenties, I had just married and had very little experience cooking. My new husband and I began attending a small church where the ladies were pros at cooking crock-pot dishes for the potluck dinners. This cheeseburger soup appeared often, and someone finally shared the recipe with me. That was nearly thirty years ago, and I still make this soup as soon as the weather gets chilly. My kids grew up on this treasure and I’m happy to share it with anyone, as someone did with me many years ago.

It was a humid and sticky night in Ubud, and my friends and I went to dinner at a popular restaurant known best for its whole roasted pig. Diana was a pescatarian and hated to see pigs spinning over open fire, which was exactly what was happening inside the restaurant. She chose the fish soup for her dinner, and I have to admit it was better than any pork dish I sampled that night. It was served in bowls made of coconut shells, and topped with fresh greens and sprouts. I’ve done my best to replicate that soup, and I’ve come very close. I use whatever white fish I can get at the time, and often I squeeze lime juice into each bite for a little extra zing.

I’ve never been a big fan of cauliflower, but when I was in the little town of Tours, France I had the most delicious bowl of cauliflower soup. It was warm and creamy, and decorated with the loveliest flowers and fresh herbs.