Maria's Tortillas

In the Spring of every year my hometown holds a four night festival of cultures celebrating its diversity in 200 different food and drinks reflecting fifteen different cultures. Every year my family would attend and every year I would only request two items: Cowpokes (a round corn tortilla chip, a round white cheese, one canned jalapeno slice, one smaller yellow cheese circle all cooked in a large cattle style oven pit over a pit of coals served hot and but not melted so the chip cheese mixture remained in the shape and look of an egg) and Maria's Tortillas. Lots and lots of Maria's Tortillas. Neither are nothing fancy but neither were ever made a home. And even though they could have been, the festival flavor and experience would be lacking.

As I grew into my late teens, I know longer attended this festival due to various reasons so Maria's Tortillas had to be created at home. After many, many, many attempts, they were mastered and have become a monthly staple for a late night snack, a quick lunch, or an easy dinner with a side salad.

Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas
Cheddar Cheese
Salsa, non chunky

Scaled for Likability: Great

Think a quesadilla but with cheese and salsa only and on a corn tortilla. Cheese and salsa oil cook into the tortilla resulting in a beautiful outside crispy layer to a soft inside. It is almost as if the crunch keeps the moist in. So good.

The key to a great Maria's Tortilla is to practice the motto less is more. Less cheese, less salsa. Just enough to fill the center of half the tortilla and squish out the ends when grilled. On a standard 8" corn tortilla, there is less than a tablespoon of cheese and a teaspoon of salsa. Heat needs to be high enough to sear the oil/cheesy/tortilla but so hot as it burns the tortilla. It really is a practice makes perfect situation. Being as each table counterpart eats a dozen or so each, practice comes easily.

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add po...

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Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almos...

Cold Corn Bean Salsa

Nothing says junk food like chips and salsa, chips and cheese dip, chips and guacamole. Over the years I have perfected my salsa. It's good on tacos, on nachos, on enchiladas, and of course on chips. Just because I have the best salsa doesn't mean I don't like to try new salsa's like this Best Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Modifications Made: Shoepeg corn was replaced with one can of standard yellow corn with no salt added. Petite diced tomatoes were reduced by half. Italian dressing was swapped for half teaspoon comino, half teaspoon of chili powder, and two tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Salsa was made and let rest for two hours before eating. Scaled for Likability: Good Salsa this was not. Good it was however. It was too much for chips by themselves but was great served over a soft beef taco.

Eating Waffles

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