Tortas

There are rare, incomparable meals I have eaten that embody the Platonic ideal of certain foods. At the time, all you can do is revel in their glory. You are ecstatic to have the experience of tasting such delectable perfection.

But then problems begin. No matter where you go, no matter how hard you search, you cannot find anything to replicate that original experience. Everything else you taste comes up short.

I once had the best fish and chips from a hole in the wall joint in Auckland, New Zealand. I subsequently spent the better part of three weeks attempting to replicate the experience. I searched all over the North and South Island. No dice.

The same thing happened in Mexico City. Across the street from the apartment where I lived, there was a hole in the wall (the best places always seem to be of the hole in the wall variety) taco place Chip's--pronounced cheeps in Spanish--which were a better version of Tim's.) In the intervening 12 years, I have yet to encounter a torta that is even in the same ballpark as Watsy's. They. Just. Don't. Compare.

called--of all things--Watsy Taco. For months my friends and I were regulars, and we always ordered the same thing: a chicken torta with cheese. (For a perfect pairing, consume with a green bag of jalapeño

To make a torta, it is best to have a very special type of soft, wide bread called a telera. I randomly encountered teleras in a Wilsonville Albertson's recently, and couldn't pass them up. For my first attempt at making tortas, I did not hope to achieve the apogee of the Watsy Torta. But the nice thing about a torta is that it will be still be delicious, even if you are not in Mexico City.

 Tortas

~Print Recipe~

• Telera rolls, cut in half and toasted-1 per person
• Refried black beans prepared, or homemade: diced onions, minced garlic, broth
• Chicken, or meat of your choice 
• Cheese
• Grilled onions
• Avocado slices
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapeños
• Other toppings of your choice (tomato, grilled peppers, etc)
• Spices, to taste

1.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin, chipotle, chile powder, paprika, salt and pepper, etc. to taste. Add diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add black beans and a couple tablespoons of broth. Mash the beans together.
2. Toast telera in a toaster oven or broiler. Cover one side with cheese, so it melts. 
3. Spread sour cream on one side and refried beans on the other. Build the sandwich by layering the meat, onions, avocado and other ingredients. Drizzle with salsa and top with telera.

Nachos

Oh tasty nachos, they are based on a type of food formula I love to make and eat: ingredient layering. This same formula can also be found in waffles, ice cream sundaes, hobo pies, lasagna, you get the idea. I usually find myself eating nachos during a pub happy hour, or perhaps when Lauren makes her chili nachos, but I rarely find myself making nachos myself. If I am craving a taco inspired meal, I usually fall back on my favorites: taco salad, stuffed quesadillas, or tortilla soup (a hidden benefit of all these is they are very inexpensive meals).

On a recent ski trip to Mammoth, we made taco salad, and after having it a couple nights, ended up taking all the leftover ingredients and making nachos for the Super Bowl. A couple nights ago we made tortilla soup, and again found we had some leftover ingredients, which were perfect for whipping up a batch of nachos. Moral of the story? Make up a dinner of your favorite mexican theme, and instead of having leftovers of the same dish for a week, save ingredients to make nachos later in the week.

Nachos are an incredibly flexible dish. They can be made with any toppings you choose, or you have on-hand. They can be made single serving or for a crowd. It takes minimal preparation, and is incredibly affordable. Plus, your nachos will taste so much better than the local pub! The recipe below is merely a guideline, feel free to experiment and add different types of fresh ingredients you have on hand. I would recommend keeping it simple though, so you don't end up with soggy nachos.

What's in it

Tortilla chips or totopos (homemade tortilla chips)

cooked chicken (perhaps leftover from enchiladas or tortilla soup)

cooked ground beef

can black, kidney or refried beans

can jalapenos

can chile

chopped fresh vegetables - bell pepper, chile, onion, green onion, tomato, olives

grated cheese (I recommend colby jack)

sour cream or mexican table cream

lime

avocado or guacamole

salsa

chopped cilantro

tapatio or hot sauce

get crazy - pineapple, cooked squash or potato, peaches, grilled shrimp...

How it's made

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet or oven proof plate/platter with foil (for easy clean up). Make totopos (using Alexis' recipe linked above) or use ready made tortilla chips. Layer about a third of your tortilla chips on your pan/plate. sprinkle cheese on top and a few other ingredients like meat and beans. Layer half remaining chips and sprinkle with more cheese and half remaining ingredients (but not salsa, avocado, cream, cilantro, lime). Layer rest of chips, sprinkle cheese, add remaining ingredients (except salsa, avocado...) then top with remaining cheese. Put in oven and bake until cheese is melted and veggies are at least warm, if not broiled a bit. Turn up the heat if need be. It will probably take 7-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with remaining fresh ingredients.

Pictured above: (made from leftover tortilla soup) totopos, colby jack, chopped tomato, chopped green onion, shredded cooked chicken, sour cream, avocado.

Pictured below: (made from leftover taco salad) tortilla chips, cheese, olives, salsa, sour cream, avocado, bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, black beans.

Alexis' Guacamole

Guacamole is a bit of a contentious issue in my house. Everybody has their own way of making it, and while all versions are good, they are quite different. Some cooks are minimalists, others go all out. Either way everybody is usually pretty happy, because how can you not love avocados?! It's hard to go wrong here, but I've sort of honed my guac recipe over the years and feel like it's pretty fantastic.

I've hesitated to post it, but only because I don't usually measure anything. I just add ingredients, stir, taste and repeat until I've hit the right balance. I think it's good to put your own personal spin on guacamole, so please, my all means---go wild. The avocados we bought recently were particularly tasty, so you should probably go out and buy some right now.

I'd be very interested to hear what your favorite guacamole recipe includes, especially if you add something I don't...

Alexis' Guacamole

~Print Recipe~

•  2 ripe medium avocados
• 1/4  of a medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic pressed)
• Leaves from approximately 20 sprigs of cilantro, torn or chopped
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa (I use hot Pace)
• 4 to 6 drops of El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce
• A couple of good shakes of Trader Joe's Jalapeno Hot Sauce
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional; I didn't put any in my last batch)

1. In a medium bowl, mash avocados with a fork. Mark likes to leave it kind of chunky and I tend to go a little smoother. 
2. Add remaining ingredients individually, stirring and tasting after each addition. Add more of whatever you feel it needs.  If you think your guac is missing something, I've found that usually salt is the magic ingredient. Don't be afraid to add more.
3. Serve with a cilantro garnish and fresh homemade tortilla chips.  There is very little in this life that is more satisfying than good guacamole with fresh, warm tortilla chips!