Articles
86 posts
How to Fry or Bake Corn-Tortilla Tostada Shells and Assemble Toppings
Make crisp corn tostada shells by skillet frying or oven baking, judge when they are done, and assemble beans, meat, vegetables, cheese and salsa safely for serving.
How to prepare tortillas, fill and assemble enchiladas
A practical guide to enchiladas rojas: making a guajillo-ancho sauce, saucing and frying corn tortillas, filling and folding, and how baked enchiladas differ.
How to make stovetop chicken tinga and assemble tostadas
Make chicken tinga on the stovetop: poach and shred chicken, simmer it in a chipotle-tomato-onion sauce, compare common variations, and build tostadas.
How to make savory masa gorditas, open pockets and add fillings
Make corn masa gorditas two ways: a griddle-then-fry method that puffs the disks, or a pan-only method. Covers dough, pocket cutting, fillings and safe storage.
How to Extract Dried Tamarind Pods and Mix Agua de Tamarindo
Turn dried tamarind pods into agua de tamarindo: shell, boil, steep, strain the pulp, then sweeten, dilute and chill. Measured formula and cues for judging each stage.
How to Make Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips and Check a Named Product for Flour
Fry corn tortilla chips at home using Rick Bayless's batch method at 360°F, and learn how to read a named chip label, such as Canadian Tostitos Restaurant Style, for wheat flour.
How to mix tamale masa with lard or shortening and assess consistency
Choose a fresh-masa or masa harina formula, beat lard or shortening with masa and broth in the right order, and judge consistency with recipe-specific cues and fixes.
How to wrap corn-husk tamales and banana-leaf tamales colados for stovetop steaming
Step-by-step wrapping for corn-husk tamales and Yucatecan banana-leaf tamales colados: preparing wrappers, portioning masa and filling, folding, loading the steamer, and the release cue that signals doneness.
How to make gorditas de azúcar, the sweet wheat-flour griddle cakes
Make sweet gorditas de azúcar: a buttery wheat-flour dough pressed into rounds and cooked on a comal until spotted with brown. Ingredients, steps, cues and egg safety.
How to Make Stovetop Frijoles de Olla from Dried Beans
A stovetop method for frijoles de olla from dried beans: ingredients, epazote and salt timing, water checks, doneness cues, seasoning variations including bacon fat, and leftover safety.