Chile

THE BEST WAY TO SANTIAGO, CHILE From LAX, LAN Airlines and COPA offer direct service (stop, no change of plane) to Santiago, and LAN, COPA. American and Delta offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $839, excluding taxes and fees. LAN offers connecting service to Calama. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,059, excluding taxes and fees. Have your hotel book a shuttle from Calama to San Pedro de Atacama. TELEPHONES To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code)

  Chicken, chorizo and green chile hash Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 6 3 tablespoons butter, divided 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 pound Mexican chorizo, squeezed from casing and crumbled 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken, chopped into ½-inch cubes 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups chopped roasted green chiles Salt and...

Shipments of food, water, clothing and other basics finally began pouring in Wednesday to this earthquake-devastated town, where increasingly hungry and frustrated residents have harshly criticized what they term a tardy response by the national government. Still, fear and anger continued to stalk the community as well as other hard-hit coastal cities, such as Concepcion -- where false reports of a tsunami alert after a particularly strong aftershock sent panicked residents rushing uphill toward the mountains.

A 6.6 magnitude aftershock shook the area near Concepcion, Chile Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was the latest in a series of aftershocks to strike the area, which is reeling from Saturday's powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake. The USGS reported the latest aftershock struck 25 miles northwest of Concepcion at a depth of 18 miles. The USGS initially reported the aftershock had a 6.8 magnitude.

  Total time: 10 minutes Servings: This makes 1/4 to 1/3 cup. 1 jalapeño, serrano or red Fresno chile, cut in a few pieces, with seeds left in 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved 1/2 cup (packed) cilantro sprigs, chopped a few times 1 to 2 teaspoons water, more if needed Salt In a mini food processor, chop chile and garlic until fine. Add cilantro and finely chop. Add 1 teaspoon water. Process to form a paste, adding a little more water if needed.

Chile's dictator, Gen. Augusto Pinochet, thrives on the long nightmare of violence that his rule unleashed on his country, and he may even survive it. But Chile will have a hard time surviving it. Pinochet lived through a highway ambush this week that left him slightly wounded and five members of his official convoy dead.

When Barack Obama arrives in Chile on Monday for a 24-hour visit, something crucial will be missing from his agenda. There will be succulent seafood, speeches praising Chile's prosperity, bilateral agreements and meetings with the high and mighty. But there are no plans, I am sure, for the president to encounter what has been the defining experience of Chile's recent history, the trauma that the people of this country underwent during the 17 years of Gen. Augusto Pinochet's regime. And yet, it would not be impossible for Obama to witness a small sample of the grief of Chile.

PARK CITY, Utah -- Among the screenings on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival was the world premiere of a new film starring Michael Cera shot in Chile in Spanish and English by writer-director Sebastian Silva. But which one? The festival actually has two. “Crystal Fairy” played Thursday as part of world dramatic competition, while “Magic Magic” will premiere Tuesday as part of the midnight section. Cera himself said he found it “uncanny” to have two films premiering at once that are so similar and yet so different.