Salsa is the ideal dinner guest.
It's fun, it mixes with almost any crowd, it doesn't take long to get ready, and it's colorful in a way that complements its host without stealing the show. While taquerias and pupuseria might be the best places to find authentic Latin American salsa recipes, nowadays the finest restaurants dabble with combinations of heat and relief by mixing hot chilies, juicy produce and acidic splashes like lime or vinegar into tantalizing salsas. With all the chilies we have at the restaurant, I have a great window to play around in. Follow Chef Jacobs' menu ideas below, tossing in whatever looks most succulent at the market. Strawberries, nectarines, peaches and plums, for example, also play well with chilies, a dice of onion, a splash of lime and a handful of fresh herbs.