Latin America is an expansive and diverse region, but one thing is standard across countries: robust and flavorful foods rich in tradition.  Whether you are enjoying Venezuelan arepas, matambre from Argentina, or the Cuban classic Ropa Vieja , you’ll be indulging in deliciousness.

Cooking Channel's adding some spice to your spring and exploring Latin American cuisine. Tune in and get cooking.

"While the degree of heat in Latin American food varies wildly by country and region, we generally agree to keep it spicy," says Ana Sofia Pelaez, food writer, blogger and our new contributor to Cooking Channel's blog, Devour.

Since she was a little girl growing up in Miami, surrounded by the rich smells and flavors of Cuban food, Ana has known she wants to spend as much time as possible in the kitchen cooking. As Miami's demographic landscape started to change -- incorporating Brazilians, Argentinians, Colombians and other Latin nationalities -- her culinary purview evolved from just cooking Cuban dishes to the entire Latin American genre. She launched her popular food blog, hungrysofia.com, three years ago, offering readers an array of well-informed and delicious recipes and food experiences, all with a Latin bent.

She now brings her expertise to Cooking Channel, sharing traditional as well as modern Latin American recipes, presented with historical context, striking visuals and fun insights. Try out her first contribution,

Puerto Rican Pastelón de Plátano Maduro (pictured above).

Ana also gave us a tour of her pantry. It's a great place to start if you're ready to dive into Latin American cuisine. When you have the staples already stocked at home, it will make cooking that much easier.

Forget about steak and red wine: Caitlin Zaino is ready to show you everything you don't know about Argentinian cuisine. Caitlin, aka The Urban Grocer, explores the culinary world of Buenos Aires, where a new generation of chefs and foodies are embracing contemporary Argentine cooking.

Tune in as she captures the heart and soul of the new generation that is leading the way in nouveau Argentine food- to find out what they care about and to discover how the city's history informs the way the they are now defining its future.

Catch The Urban Grocer Sunday, April 10th, at 8 p.m. ET.

Ready to try your hand at Latin American cuisine? Check out our favorite Cooking Channel recipes to get started. Choose from arepas, pernil, agua fresca...the beginnings of a great party!