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.

Focaccia is a bread with ancient origins, and although it is prepared differently all over Italy, it remains a staple on most Italian dinner tables. Historically, it was cooked either over hot stones or on the hearth of a wood-fire oven, similar to flatbreads in other cultures. It is always topped with olive oil, and often with fresh herbs and other ingredients such as olives and onions.

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.

If I learned anything about the way food is cooked in Patagonia, it’s that the main ingredient is fire. Nearly every meal I ate, and dish I prepared was either baked in a wood-fired oven or on a spit or grill over roaring flames. It was the end of spring when I visited the Chilean side of Patagonia and many of the vegetables had just ripened. They were drizzled with olive oil and roasted over flames next to beef or lamb, and sometimes buried in the ash to cook slowly in the hot embers.

Every morning at the Riad La Sultana in Marrakesh, I ate breakfast in the courtyard surrounded by tropical flowers and towering palm trees. By the third morning of my stay, the waitstaff knew to send me a plateful of beghrir, spongy pancakes covered with tiny holes resembling a honeycomb. On my last day, I was asked if I’d like to meet the chef and learn to make Beghrir in the hotel kitchen. I eagerly accepted the offer and followed my server to the pristine kitchen where four female cooks were busily prepping the day’s menu.

Argentina boasts some of the best steaks in the world, mostly due to the way they raise their cattle. Very happy cows graze in the lush pastures called “Las Pampas”, resulting in lean and very flavorful meat. The city of Buenos Aires has countless parrillas steakhouses where cuts of beef are grilled and seasoned with nothing more than salt.