Cotija!

Last week was one full of hispanic meals for Lukey and me. It wasn't intentional- I didn't plan the meals thinking, "Let's eat the food of our friends down south!"- but that's the way it ended up. Deliciously.

Luke lived in Guatemala for a couple years, and made for me the breakfast he had every day while there: black beans, homemade tortillas, and eggs with table cream. He fancied it up for me with a sprinkling of cotija and something he got very rarely- fried plantain (we used green bananas).

Turns out, ten years hasn't been long enough for Luke to like this meal again. I loved it, though, and was surprised at how good it tasted for how simple it was (the only spice was salt).

For dinner one night I made mexican corn cakes. I think because I never saw my parents use it the whole time I was growing up (and they cooked interesting stuff from all over the world), I'm delighted to find different recipes that use masa harina. This was one of those. Topped with tomatos from the garden and a slice of avocado, they were a simple, satisfying meal (and then for dessert I made my first flan with homemade caramel, and it was decadent and wonderful. Definitely one to save in the recipe box).

The best tasting (and least photogenic) meal was the night we had flautas. This is the meal that made me SO glad that I make extra food and preserve it- these flautas (I guess just taquitos that are folded instead of rolled?) were filled with the cilantro pesto that I froze this summer, and a little cheese. That's it. The meal was quick and so good that I made them again for lunches for days (until the last of the cilantro pesto was used up, actually. Time to replenish).