Cilantro

When pesto - that pungent combination of basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil - was introduced, fresh basil was about as common as a rare steak. Cooks in the know had herb gardens where they grew enough basil to supply half the world's Italian restaurants, and everyone else was envious. Now basil is available year-round in most supermarkets. (It must even have replaced the African violet as the most popular house plant by now.) So to put a fresh slant on what's become a summer perennial, substitute cilantro for basil in the usual pesto recipe.

In my 25 years in the food business, I have seen a huge change of public opinion on cilantro, the green, lacy leaves and stems of the coriander plant. At one time, I couldn't serve it because customers had extreme aversions to this odiferous plant. Thanks to the area's immigrants from places such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Central America, Puerto Rico, Haiti and India, we're all getting into cilantro big time. It may be an acquired taste, but once acquired, you can expect regular cravings for this funky favorite.

Cilantro is to Mexican food what fuel is to a race car. It has become the factor I use to grade Mexican restaurants, and woe to the grocery store that fails to stock fresh cilantro for my own fajitas and pico de gallo. As a further testament to the zest cilantro provides, it is also known as Chinese parsley and is used in Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine. The mildly narcotic seed, known as coriander, is popular in pickles, liqueurs, curries, and ratatouille. The root is added to curries, and the stems go in beans and soups.

Thailand is a country of amazing diversity. No single phrase quite conjures up the melange of big-city bustle, the beauty of the countryside, the warmth and gentleness of the people, the magnificence of the palaces and temples - and the intense excitement of the food. Like most countries, Thailand has two levels of cookery - elegant and everyday. The different regions also have their own distinctive cuisines, though all have a common thread. Bangkok is one of the great eating cities of the world.

Baba Ghanoush . . . 4 Chicken With Lime and Cilantro . . . 4 Fennel and Radiccio Salad . . . 2 French Potato Salad . . . 2 Steak and Portobello Sandwich . . . 3

BILLY GRANT Bio: 42, dating; has three kids. Grew up in South Philadelphia, now lives in West Philadelphia. What's new? Whole roast pig and pig sliders on the menu at his restaurant Le Cochon Noir (5070 Parkside Ave., 215-879-1011, lecochonnoir.com), which serves upscale barbecue with sides of live jazz and blues. Philly restaurant connections: Le Bec-Fin (internship), Philadelphia hotels the Ritz-Carlton, Hilton Airport, Hyatt Regency and Sofitel. Starting out: At 15, as a prep cook at Culinary Concepts.

The secret to Puerto Rican cuisine is the distinctive sofrito . The Puerto Rican version is made with culantro (saw-leaf coriander, a relative of cilantro) and ajies dulces , sweet cooking peppers. This recipe is adapted from from Joel Rodriguez, executive chef at San Juan's Ajili Mojili, celebrated for serving authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, " cocina criolla . " Puerto Rican-Style Chicken and Rice Makes 2 servings. 1. Place bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomato, 1/2 cup cilantro and cubanelle pepper in a blender or food processor; blend until mixed.

A samosa is a fried dumpling filled with meat or veggies (or both) that in India is traditionally sold by street vendors. At Mirchi, a Mexican and Indian restaurant at 236 South St., tradition mixes with nontradition as owner Satish "Sherman" Sharma incorporates the potato samosa into his specially designed sandwich. Served on freshly baked Indian bread known as Tandoori naan, this sandwich is stuffed with veggies, potatoes, spices and herbs such as cumin, cilantro and fenugreek leaves.

Rice, beans and chorizo usually add up to a delicious, long-simmering stew or soup. However, the mix is also excellent when served cold as a salad. The base of this salad is chorizo, the spicy Mexican sausage. Other uncooked spicy sausage, crumbled into small pieces, can be substituted. The key to success when using sausage is to cook it thoroughly and drain it completely before mixing it into the other ingredients. Otherwise, it will be greasy and unpalatable. Complete the Tex-Mex accent of this entree by adding cilantro, scallions and sweet red peppers.

When it comes to food matters, one of the biggest differences between Vietnam and the rest of Asia is its European-style bread-making tradition. Small baguettes are available throughout Vietnam, a holdover from France's colonization of the Southeast Asian country. Adapting the bread to their own culture, the Vietnamese have created some of the most interesting and tasty sandwiches in the world. Vietnamese sandwich makers can stuff a short, skinny roll with vegetables, cold cuts, roast chicken or meatballs in a tangy sauce.

BILLY GRANT Bio: 42, dating; has three kids. Grew up in South Philadelphia, now lives in West Philadelphia. What's new? Whole roast pig and pig sliders on the menu at his restaurant Le Cochon Noir (5070 Parkside Ave., 215-879-1011, lecochonnoir.com), which serves upscale barbecue with sides of live jazz and blues. Philly restaurant connections: Le Bec-Fin (internship), Philadelphia hotels the Ritz-Carlton, Hilton Airport, Hyatt Regency and Sofitel. Starting out: At 15, as a prep cook at Culinary Concepts.

Cilantro is to Mexican food what fuel is to a race car. It has become the factor I use to grade Mexican restaurants, and woe to the grocery store that fails to stock fresh cilantro for my own fajitas and pico de gallo. As a further testament to the zest cilantro provides, it is also known as Chinese parsley and is used in Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine. The mildly narcotic seed, known as coriander, is popular in pickles, liqueurs, curries, and ratatouille. The root is added to curries, and the stems go in beans and soups.

Baba Ghanoush . . . 4 Chicken With Lime and Cilantro . . . 4 Fennel and Radiccio Salad . . . 2 French Potato Salad . . . 2 Steak and Portobello Sandwich . . . 3

The ever-improving Sidecar Bar, a pioneering gastropub in Graduate Hospital, took another step forward this fall with the addition of chef Brian Lofink. Formerly co-chef at Matyson off Rittenhouse Square, Lofink hasn't upscaled Sidecar's inventive bar fare so much as tweaked it with better ingredients. His nachos - usually a dish I dread - were an irresistible example. The gooey jack cheese has been replaced with a genuine Mexican melter - asadero. The salsa, a green tomatillo zinger studded with pineapple, jalapeño, and cilantro, was inspired by Lofink's brief stint with Bobby Flay.

"Stay-cation" is the new vocabulary substitute for "the economy ate my real vacation travel. " Still, there is something to be said for the illusion of getting away from it all, and if good food is involved, well, you can't complain too much. San Lucas Mexican Restaurant, on the 2600 block of Federal St. in Camden, is just such a destination. Chef/owners Abela and Hugo Trinidad have been in business for nearly nine years cooking authentic cuisine from Puebla. The restaurant is set along a stretch from about 23rd Street to 35th that feels like a border town.

The secret to Puerto Rican cuisine is the distinctive sofrito . The Puerto Rican version is made with culantro (saw-leaf coriander, a relative of cilantro) and ajies dulces , sweet cooking peppers. This recipe is adapted from from Joel Rodriguez, executive chef at San Juan's Ajili Mojili, celebrated for serving authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, " cocina criolla . " Puerto Rican-Style Chicken and Rice Makes 2 servings. 1. Place bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomato, 1/2 cup cilantro and cubanelle pepper in a blender or food processor; blend until mixed.

Cooking with fresh herbs may be the original aromatherapy. Although fresh herbs can be bought year-round, the satisfaction that comes from walking outside and snipping off herbs from your own window box or garden is hard to beat. Fresh herbs always make a statement, whether you're an accomplished or a novice cook. They are the punctuation in the culinary lexicon, adding depth and meaning to ingredients and giving context and flavor to whatever you are trying to express in the kitchen.

When I was a young journalist covering Guatemala's civil war in the 1990s, I never imagined I would discover delight amid despair - nor that it would come from a roadside fish stand serving up a local delicacy: ceviche. Every Saturday morning, a local man set up the stand near my house. He set off for the coast in the predawn hours, collected the best fish of the day's catch, and plunged diced pieces into a bucket of fresh lime juice, chopped onion, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and cilantro.

Southwestern border food is an exciting blend of ingredients and techniques from Mexican, Native American and American ranch-style cooking - but with an adventurous, even outrageous, attitude all its own. While purists turn up their noses at this earthy, colorful cuisine, judging it inauthentic, enthusiasts can't get enough. Among the best sellers at north-of-the-border cafes and taquerias all over the United States are chimichangas: colossal burritos, crisply fried and lavishly filled and garnished.