Cotija

Warm tortillas, refried beans, sunny eggs, and a salsa you'll write home about.

If you can’t eat just one totopo (tortilla chip), this is the salsa of your dreams. 

This one-skillet meal is ideal for both chilly evenings and weekend mornings when hot melted cheese and comfort is all you want. Leave a handful of chips undressed to tuck into the skillet at the last minute. Their salsa-free points add the perfect layer of crunch.

Salty, spicy, and slightly tangy, this dish delivers flavor on multiple levels.

Make this street-food favorite at home with flavor-packed chipotle mayonnaise and crumbly Cotija cheese.

Any fairly thin cut of beef will work with this marinade; try flank or New York strip.

Once a way to make use of stale tortillas (by toasting and/or frying them), tostadas are so good that it wasn't long before people simply started using fresh tortillas. After biting into these layers of flavor—crunchy, creamy, luscious—you'll see why.

Charred to a crisp: Not a statement usually associated with salads, but delicious nonetheless in this Mexican-inspired romaine number.

Radishes make a crunchy salsa for these–or any other taco you're serving this summer.

This Mexican-inspired torta is stuffed with turkey, lime, cilantro, and pickled red onion.

If you grew up in Northern California in the 1990s, you lived through the trend that was sprouts. From alfalfa sprouts to bean sprouts, they seemed to find their way into every green salad, sandwich, and omelet. This savory whole-grain breakfast bowl is inspired by those California days, with chunks of ripe avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese, toasty almonds, and a citrus-sparked yogurt sauce. While alfalfa sprouts were prevalent when I was growing up, today I try to branch out, using a tangle of colorful bean sprouts or more delicate radish or sunflower sprouts. These morning bowls couldn't be easier to prepare, but the barley does take a while to cook; I put a pot on the stove first thing in the morning so it'll be ready by the time I've had my coffee and prepped the other ingredients. Feel free to experiment with other grains, too. I've tried this with both quinoa and farro, and it's as wonderful with delicate grains as it is with heartier ones. Morning Notes: Cotija cheese is popular in Mexican and Latin dishes. It's a firm, crumbly cheese made of cow's milk and is used so often because it's milder than feta or even goat cheese and softens with heat but doesn't fully melt. You can also use queso fresco if it's easier to find.

While waiting for a main course to finish cooking, you can make this simple salad with the remnants of a bunch of broccoli. Or, you can integrate the shaved broccoli, which is sweet, mild, and tender, into other lettuce-based salads, or julienne the strips for cabbage slaws.

For the ultimate nachos, layer tortilla chips with beer-braised carnitas, black beans, and shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack. Bake until the cheese is melty, then serve it with all your favorite toppings.

"I love to give tangy, sweet pineapple the Mexican-corn treatment by sprinkling it with salty Cotija cheese and dusting it with cayenne pepper." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

Like Mexico’s better-known culinary exports—guacamole, tacos, and tequila—Mexican-style corn (elote) is finding its place in restaurants, street carts, and home kitchens across North America. Given how available the ingredients are and how quickly it can be prepared, it’s no wonder that it’s a new favorite. Grilling lends an earthiness to the corn, but if grilling is not an option, boil it instead. It’s worth seeking out cotija, a Mexican cow’s-milk cheese, but in a pinch, Parmesan or feta will do.

You can use shredded Monterey Jack cheese in place of the cotija and queso blanco. Other wild mushrooms, such as shiitakes, can be substituted for the porcini.

Chihuahua, Cotija, and Mexican crema give the dish authentic flavor, but Monterey Jack, French feta, and sour cream are good substitutes.