A FORK ON THE ROAD

She's got a cheese to please most any palate

Jamie Lee Futscher is the cheese queen of Sunset Corners, reigning over a mouthwatering selection of 250 international and artisan cheeses.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

Saffron candy and yogurt soda at Nu Taste

Persian food is as complex as those intricate flying carpets of legend, mingling threads from the Middle East and India. I first encountered it at Southern Illinois University at parties hosted by Iranian students who would serve up platters of saffron rice and sweet and sour stews in mysterious sauces. Years later, on a trip to India, I renewed my acquaintance at Irani restaurants in Mumbai.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

A Central American find on NE 79th Street

The homey Central American dishes at Café La Union attract a mixed crowd, from construction workers to artists, who grab stools at the long counter in back for a meal or snack or drop by in the evening to have a few beers, shoot pool and watch sports or play tunes on the jukebox.

Cooking at La Casa Blanca with Fiesta Latina guest chef

Culinary historians and food bloggers already are poring over the menus of White House functions to draw conclusions about the First Family's tastes and discern the social and political meaning encoded in their food choices.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

Find boldly spiced Malaysian dishes at Parc 28

Enriched with pounded spice mixtures, fragrant herbs, blacan (fermented shrimp paste) and coconut milk, the cuisine Malaysia brings Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Thai and European influences together in a delicious melting pot.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

Along the shore, a tasty boater's secret

Named for the threatened turtles that nest on the beach of John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach, the al fresco Loggerhead Café overlooks scenic Whiskey Creek, an ice cube's toss from the ocean. Open every day of the year, it's a well-kept secret among boaters and divers who frequent the beachfront park, stopping in for a bite after a day on the water.

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Siam Bistro is an authentic family affair

Some restaurants boast of their Zagat listings or four-star ratings. Siam Bistro in West Kendall proudly displays its Thai Select Seal of Approval from Thailand's Ministry of Commerce.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

Viva Chile celebrates bounty of land and sea

Chilean cuisine is a fusion of European and native influences and ingredients that celebrates the bounty of land and sea in this 2,700-mile-long country sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific.

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Brothers literally born into eccentric takeout spot

Omaar and Naom Yemini were born in a tent on the Liberty City land where their parents' restaurant, Naomi's Meals to Go and Sidewalk Café, now stands.

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Peruvian dishes honor an icon

Peru has some of the most diverse dishes in South America, and El Rincon de Chabuca (''Chabuca's hangout'') showcases many of them with an emphasis on seafood.

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Get a Brazilian buzz at Boteco Brasilian Bar

A boteco is a casual place to eat and drink with friends and family in Brazil. Some use crates for tables and chairs, others have plastic furniture with beer logos. Here in Miami, Boteco Brasilian Bar was built on a vacant lot two years ago by Italian Stephano Carniato, who also owns Piola pizzerias in Miami and abroad. He lived in Brazil and fell in love with the culture. When he returned to Miami he decided to create a boteco that looked and felt as if it were transported from Brazil.

A FORK ON THE ROAD

Architecture inspires baker's edible art

Elsylee Colon spends hours making, baking and decorating gorgeous cookies for her company, Elsylee Galetes Artesanals (fine artisan cookies). She sees them as portable mandalas that can be appreciated for the work that goes into them as much as for their scrumptious flavor.

COCINA

New tastes of Portugal

Stretching from the Minho River on its mountainous northern frontier with Galicia to the dry Algarve in the south, Portugal occupies most of the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula. And though it once ruled half of the world, it has enjoyed far less of the culinary limelight than its neighbor, Spain.

THE CULTURAL KITCHEN

Her holiday gift has become a sweet treat anyone can buy

The ''ka'nookie'' is an ''oops!'' that worked out -- deliciously. In 1999, Julie Owens was trying to make peppermint bark to take to a holiday party -- pouring melted chocolate and peppermint candies onto a baking sheet, then breaking it into pieces afer it set up.