Here’s a fusion recipe for Cinco de Mayo: Mexican Chicken Lasagna. It substitutes tortillas for lasagna noodles, enchilada sauce for pasta sauce, Monterey Jack for mozzarella.

It’s lots of fun.

Thanks to Pampered Chef for the recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: MEXICAN CHICKEN “LASAGNA”

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the cream cheese in a bowl and microwave on HIGH for 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add the cilantro and 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.

2. CHOP the onion and set aside. Spread 2/3 cup (150 mL) of the enchilada sauce over bottom of baking pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce into a mixing bowl andset aside.

3. ASSEMBLE the lasagna. Dip four of the tortillas into the enchilada sauce in mixing bowl using tongs, and arrange over sauce in the baking pan, overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over the tortillas, and spread.

[1] It looks like a classic lasagna, but it’s a Mexican twist (photo courtesy Pampered Chef).

[2] If you’re not a cilantro lover, substitute basil or oregano (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

4. TOP with 1 cup (250 mL) of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat the layers one time. Dip the remaining tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with the remaining chicken and onion. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) Monterey Jack cheese.

5. MICROWAVE, covered, on HIGH for 12-15 minutes or until the center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares and serve using a spatula.

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*If desired, 1 bottle (22 oz/650 mL) medium salsa combined with 1/2 cup (125 mL) water can be substituted for the enchilada sauce.

[1] One of our favorite truffle cheeses: Truffle Tremor from California’s Cypress Grove.

[2] Truffle honey available from Gourmet Attitude.

[3] Alba white truffle—the most expensive in the world at more than $2,000 a pound (photo courtesy Stefania Spadoni | Archivio Ente Turismo Alba Bra Langhe Roero).

[4] Summer black truffles are typically used in truffle cheese and truffle honey (photo courtesy Caviar Russe).

May 2nd is National Truffle Day. It’s not specific as to the underground truffles a fungus is related to mushrooms, or chocolate ganache bonbons, which are named after the original vegetable truffle, a fungus. We’re going for the fungus.

May is not a good month for fresh truffles. The best truffles are gone by February, and there’s no inventory until the summer truffles appear.

Instead, we recommend two truffle-infused products: truffle cheese and truffle honey. Both make delicious Mother’s Day gifts for the gourmet mom.
 
 
TRUFFLE CHEESE

Truffle cheese is typically made from mild cheese that has been flavored with bits of truffles and/or truffle oil. The cheese can be made from any type of milk, in any style—from soft cheese like burrata to hard cheeses like mild gouda.

The cheesemaker will purchase tiny bits of truffle that have fallen off the truffles as they are handled. Sometimes, truffle shavings are used, from truffles that weren’t presentable enough to be sold.

The cheesemaker blends the truffle bits into the curd, infusing the cheese with earthy truffle flavor. You can see the pieces of truffle in the cheese.

Here are some examples that you can look for locally, or online at e-tailers like DiBruno, iGourmet and Murray’s.

 
 
How To Serve Them

While you can serve truffle cheese with either red or white wine, still or sparkling, how about a bottle of dessert wine?

The European custom of serving cheese at the end of a meal, instead of a sweet dessert, makes this a terrific gift for a cheese-loving foodie.

Other accoutrements you can package with a gift: honey (for a drizzle), Marcona almonds or toasted hazelnuts, and whole grain crackers.
 
 
TRUFFLE HONEY

Truffle honey is made by adding pieces of truffle into plain honey, where the truffles infuse their flavor and aroma.

The earthiness of the truffles combined with the sweetness of honey is a special combination.

There are many brands, and some use chemical approximations of truffles instead of the real thing (it’s the same with truffle oil). While they are not bad, they are not the best.

As you consider the brands available to you, check the reviews or ask your retailer.

Truffle honey is popularly served with hard cheeses; Italians love it for dessert with Parmigiano Reggiano. We love it on a slice of baguette, plain or toasted.

We also like to drizzle it in a baked potato. And you can use it as a glaze for chicken, game birds and skirt steak.

Like to be edgy? Put a dab onto a square of dark chocolate or chocolate or vanilla ice cream.

Frankly, it is delicious to eat truffle honey from the spoon.

A [pretty] comprehensive guide to black and white truffles.

While stuffed baked potatoes may not be authentic Mexican fare, these two winners from blogger Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting at Home.

They were sent to us by the Idaho Potato Commission are an easy way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Serve the baked potatoes along with some grilled steak or fish, and a green salad with lime vinaigrette and some crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese.

Sylvia bakes her potatoes in an instant pot.
 
 
RECIPE #1: MEXICAN BAKED POTATO WITH ROASTED CORN & BLACK BEAN RELISH

This baked potato is topped with a south-of-the-border-style corn and black bean relish. It is vegan, gluten free and full of flavor.

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
For The Corn and Black Bean Relish

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the corn and black bean salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to incorporate. Adjust the salt and lime, adding more if you like.

2. CUT a slit into the warm baked potatoes and fluff up the flesh with a fork. Divide the corn and black bean relish between the two potatoes. Drizzle with hot sauce or sriracha and serve immediately.
 
 
RECIPE #2: BAKED POTATO WITH MEXICAN GARNISHES

Crema is Mexican sour cream. It has a slightly different flavor than American sour cream, but you can use them interchangeably.

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
For The Vegan Avocado Cilantro Sauce

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the Vegan Avocado-Cilantro sauce. Place the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until very smooth. Set aside.

[1] Baked potato with roasted corn and black bean relish (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Baked Potato With Mexican Garnishes.

[3] Russet potatoes for baking (photo courtesy Potato Goodness).

[4] If you’re not sure if everyone likes the heat of jalapenos, pass them around in a dish (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

3. SPLIT and fluff the baked potatoes, season with salt and pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil.

4. TOP the baked potatoes with the warm refried beans. Add the avocado, cilantro and jalapeño. Top with a
few dollops of crema/sour cream or the cilantro sauce.

[2] The selections of black, green, herbal and white teas will please everyone.

[3] Lord Bergamot, the company’s version of Earl Grey, blended to provide substantial bergamot flavor for which Earl Grey is known.

For a Mother’s Day gift of fine tea, look no further than Steven Smith Teamaker of Portland, Oregon.

Smith was* tea royalty in the U.S., first as co-founder of Stash, then as founder of Tazo, then as co-founder, with wife Kim, of Steven Smith Teamaker.

Steve not only had the expertise; he had the commitment to seeking out the best, and the palate to know the best. When he started his eponymous label, his curated teas were noticeably superior to other “superior” tea brands. There’s no brand we like better.

The company’s staff travels the globe to to personally select the finest small-batch teas and botanicals. They buy from longtime colleagues in the world’s best tea-growing regions in Africa, India, China and Sri Lanka.

There are boxes of sachets (tea bags) and tins of loose tea in every style. A sampling of some of our personal favorites:

 
The teas are so flavorful and nuanced that we drink them straight, without milk or sweetener.
 
 
OUTSTANDING ARTISAN TEAS

But you don’t have to make a decision here: There are black, green, herbal, oolong, pu-erh and white teas galore on the Smith Tea website, including special blends for iced tea.
 
There are wonderful gift sets. Custom-label tins are available for wedding parties, in blends that can be mixed to the couple’s preferences. Steven Smith is an artisan tea blender, to be sure!
 
Steven Smith Teamaker teas are all natural, gluten free, GMO free. The bags are compostable.

Each container has a batch number that you can enter to see the provenance of the ingredients, the date it was packed, and personal notes from the tea blender.
 
 
A CALMING GIFT FOR MOTHER’S DAY

There’s a specialty blend to take note of, called Nancy And Beth, created by singer-actresses Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt. The name is the title of their latest album.

Find it here.
 
 
HEAD TO SMITHTEA.COM TO BEGIN YOUR TEA ADVENTURE.

If you’re in the Portland area, stop by the tasting room for a cup or two.
 
 
WANT TO EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF TEA?

Check out our Tea Glossary.

 
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*Mr. Smith passed away in 2015.

†Portland is called the Rose City for its proliferation of rose bushes. The climate is ideal for growing roses outdoors: warm, dry summers, rainy and mild winters, plus heavy clay soils.

The photos could be ice cream or sorbet. But they’re mashed potatoes.

There are few people who don’t like mashed potatoes. Here’s a way to bring them to the next level.

Taste the rainbow with these artful mashes. Mashed potatoes are blended with bold flavors, with vegetable purées providing vibrant colors and tastes.

Serve them as a side or the center of a vegetarian plate. Layer them in stacks with colorful vegetables. Have a great time with them.
 
 
PARTY BAR

Thanks to Potato Goodness for this recipe.

Beautiful for Mother’s Day dinner, we also like them for a DIY party food bar: four colors (five if you add the original, plain version) with a choice of toppings: bacon, caramelized onions, cheese, chives, sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds and much, much more.

What else to put on a “main meal” party bar?

 
Plus optional gravy/sauce:

 
 
RECIPE: BASE FOR RAINBOW MASHED POTATOES

This recipe is ready to party: It makes 24 four-ounce scoops. Cut down the recipe to meet your needs.

After you make the base, you’ll purée different vegetables to mix into it (recipes follow).

Prep time is 30 minutes, and cook time is 60 minutes. First:
 
Make The Base

 
Preparation

1. ROAST the potatoes at 450°F until the skin is crisp and the flesh is tender all the way through.

2. CUT the potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment.

3. HEAT the cream, butter, salt, and pepper on the stove until hot. With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the riced potatoes. Mix on low at first, and then medium speed until the mashed potatoes have a smooth consistency. DO NOT OVER-MIX. You should have 2 quarts.

4. SET aside. This is your potato “base.” You need to make a batch of vegetable purée for each flavor.

FOLLOWING ARE THE INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE PURÉES FOR EACH OF THE FIVE FLAVORS.
 
 
1. BEET & DILL MASHED POTATOES

 
Preparation

1. TRIM the tops and bottoms from the beets; place them in a deep pan. Add water until halfway up beets. Cover tightly with foil and place in a 400°F oven until fully cooked, about 1 hour.

2. REMOVE the pan from the oven, carefully remove the foil (watch out for steam), and remove the beets. Reserve the cooking liquid. When the beets are cool enough to handle…

3. REMOVE the skin. Place the cooked and peeled beets into a blender and purée with the dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. POUR 1 quart of purée into a mixing bowl and mix together by hand with a whisk with one of the five portions (2 quarts) of mashed potatoes.
 
 
2. KALE, SPINACH & BASIL MASHED POTATOES

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE a pot of boiling water and an ice bath, ready to blanch the kale. Place the kale in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove it from the water and immediately place it into an ice bath to shock to retain the color.

2. REMOVE the kale from the ice bath and squeeze all of the water from it. Then chop the kale.

3. PLACE the garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, kale, basil, and olive oil in a food processor, and process into a smooth pesto.

4. POUR 1 quart of pesto into a mixing bowl and mix together by hand with a whisk with one of the five portions (2 quarts) of mashed potatoes.
 
 
3. RED PEPPER & CARROT MASHED POTATOES

[1] Top dish: Kale & Spinach Pesto, Tomato & Basil mashed potatoes. Bottom dish: Red Pepper & Carrot, Beet & Dill, Butternut Squash & Sage (photo courtesy Potatoes USA).

[2] Pureéd vegetables are blended into plain mashed potatoes (photo courtesy Copper Pot).

[3] A mashed potato bar. Keep the potatoes warm in slow cookers or hot plates (photo courtesy Betty Crocker).

[4] Everyone creates his/her own garnished mashed potatoes (photo courtesy Just A Pinch).

[5] Like beets? They create a beautiful blend, paired with their classic partner, dill (photo courtesy Burpee)

[6] Beet mashed potatoes are also a go-to for Valentine’s Day dinner (photo courtesy Love Beets).

[7] Dill is the perfect herb complement to beets (photo courtesy Paper Chef).

1. PEEL the carrots, slice ½”, and cook in boiling water until very tender. Strain from the water and add to the blender with the roasted red peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Purée until smooth.

2. POUR 1 quart of squash purée into a mixing bowl and mix together by hand with a whisk with one of the five portions (2 quarts) of mashed potatoes.
 
 
4. TOMATO & BASIL MASHED POTATOES

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the tomatoes with their oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in a blender and purée on medium speed until smooth.

2. POUR 2 cups of sundried tomato purée into a mixing bowl,
and mix together by hand with a whisk with one of the five portions (2 quarts) of mashed potatoes.
 
 
5. BUTTERNUT SQUASH MASHED POTATOES

 
Preparation

1. PEEL the butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and membrane and cut it into 1” pieces. Place into a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.

2. ROAST in the oven at 400°F until tender, but no browning occurs. Remove from the oven and keep warm.

3. ADD the butter to a saucepan. Brown it over medium heat on the stove with the sage, until the sage is crispy. Remove from the heat, set aside, and keep warm.

4. PLACE the cooked squash, the brown butter with sage, salt, and pepper into a blender and purée. Pour 1 quart of squash purée into a mixing bowl and mix together by hand with a whisk with one of the five portions (2 quarts) of mashed potatoes.