Today is National Empanada Day, and were celebrating with dobladas: folded, stuffed tortillas from Guatemala (the name means “folded”*) that can also be made in the form of a classic empanada. They can be served as an appetizer (cut into wedges), lunch, light supper or snack.

Like tortillas, dobladas are made from nixtamalized masa (maize dough). They are then filled, folded over themselves and cooked, usually fried. In Guatemala, Mexico and other Latin countries, a clay griddle is used, as with tortillas.

The cooked dobladas are topped with repollo (a shredded cabbage salad) or shredded lettuce, tomato sauce† and/or hot sauce.

You can use a variety of stuffings, including beans, cheese—cottage cheese, farmer cheese, Monterey Jack, queso fresco or queso de capas)—chorizo, ground meat, mashed potatoes and pork rinds.

The recipe was winner of the U.S. Potato Board’s “Ultimate Potato Recipe” Contest, in partnership with Better Homes and Gardens magazine. A team of recipe tasters picked this winning entry out of 334 total entries!

 
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*Pupusas, are a similar food, but they are not folded over.
 

Dobladas with potatoes and chorizo. The recipe is below. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.

†Tomato sauce in Latin recipes refers to a homemade sauce, as opposed to Italian-style pasta sauce.Tomatoes are boiled with, celery, chiles, cilantro garlic, onion and sometimes red bell pepper, and cilantro roots. The result is puréed with water or chicken stock, with salt and pepper to taste.
 
RECIPE: POTATO & CHORIZON DOBLADAS

Ingredients For 10

1. PLACE potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with lightly salted water by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash with a potato masher.

2. COOK chorizo thoroughly in a large skillet cook and drain well. Stir cooked chorizo into mashed potatoes.

3. ADD 1/4 cup of the filling to a warm tortilla and fold in half. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

4. HEAT oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 to 3 dobladas to the skillet; cook 3 minutes for flour tortillas, 6 minutes for corn tortillas, or until crisp and golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dobladas, adding additional oil as needed.

5. SERVE warm and top with shredded lettuce or cabbage slaw, sour cream, salsa, and crumbled cheese as desired.

Americans love creamy spinach dip, sometimes made with added artichoke hearts (here’s a rich and lovely spinach and mascarpone dip recipe).

But there are other types of spinach dip, some even better for you. Here’s a Georgian-style dip—actually more of a spread, which is chock-full of walnuts for protein and made with no cholesterol or added fat.

That’s Georgia, the country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, and part of the former Soviet Union.

This recipe was created by California-based chef Boris Portnoy for the California Walnut Board. Chef Portnoy, of Georgian ancestry, notes that this dish originated in Georgia but has been adopted in other parts of the Caucasus.

The name for the spread is pxali, a general term denoting a spread or dip that can be made from a variety of vegetables. Spinach is traditional. The dip is green if spinach is used, red if beet leaves are used or white if young cabbage leaves are chosen.

A different type of spinach dip. Photo courtesy California Walnut Board.

 
RECIPE: PXALI, GEORGIAN SPINACH DIP WITH WALNUTS

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
*Ground mustard seed can be substituted. Fenugreek is in the spice section. If your supermarket doesn’t carry it, check international markets or buy it online.

Preparation

1. CHOP the walnuts finely in a food processor, until they are the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. PLACE the spinach in a large pot, cover tightly and cook over moderate heat, stirring once or twice, until the leaves are wilted. (Alternately, microwave the spinach in a covered bowl until wilted.) Rinse the spinach with cold water, which cools it and stops the cooking. Squeeze the moisture out of the spinach, a handful at a time.

3. CHOP the spinach finely in the food processor as well, and add to the walnuts. Stir in the garlic and water. Add the vinegar, coriander, fenugreek, chili flakes, cilantro and parsley to the mixture and blend thoroughly. Season with salt to taste. If the spread seems too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

4. TRANSFER to a serving dish and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Serve with flatbread, crackers or sliced rustic bread. Makes about 3 1/2 cups dip.

WHAT IS FENUGREEK?

Fenugreek is a plant that was likely first cultivated in the Near East. The oldest samples have been found at an Iraqi archeological site, carbon dated to 4000 B.C.E. Seeds were also found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen.

The largest producer today is India, with Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Nepal, Morocco, Pakistan, Spain and Turkey also major producers.

In India, the seeds are used to make daals, pickles, spice mixes and vegetable dishes. They are often roasted to reduce bitterness and enhance flavor. Fresh fenugreek leaves are used in some Indian curries; sprouted seeds and microgreens are used in salads.

The sweet-smelling plant produces an herb (dried or fresh leaves), a spice (the seeds, which are used whole or ground), and a vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens).

A member of the Fabaceae family of agricultural and food plants, fenugreek’s relatives include alfalfa, beans, carob, chickpeas, licorice, peas, peanuts and soybean.

We live in a city with a large Chinatown—lots of places to enjoy dim sum. But even if you’re many miles from the nearest restaurant, you can make delicious dim sum at home.

Not frozen dim sum but your own homemade treats, but ones made with your own flour, ground meat, seafood and veggies. It may look complex, but most dishes are quite simple to make. Just check out this easy dim sum cookbook.

There are also many recipes and videos online.

Many Americans think of dim sum, a Cantonese tradition, as weekend brunch. But it can be enjoyed every day, for every meal.

There are tempting options for every palate, from vegetarian and vegan to meat and seafood. Some of our favorites:

More, please! Photo courtesy MackenzieLtd.com.

 
If you’re a fan of Cream of Wheat or Cream Of Rice porridges, make the savory Chinese version, congee (with a soft “g”).
 
All dishes can be made ahead and many can be frozen.

PARTY TIME

Dim sum can be served for brunch/lunch and as cocktail party fare.

If the idea of preparing dim sum is intimidating, plan a co-op party with friends who like to cook. Everyone can make one or two dishes.

 
What to drink with dim sum? Tea, of course!

A dim sum party is an opportunity to sample a few different teas as well. Take a look at chrysanthemum, dragon well, jasmine, gunpowder, keemum, lychee, oolong, pu-erh—brewed from whole leaf tea, of course! (Check out the different types of tea.)

Dim sum derives from an older tea house tradition, yum cha (tea tasting), in the Canton province southern China. Travelers would take refreshment at roadside teahouses; locals would stop by to relax after a day of tilling the fields or other labor.

At some point teahouse owners began to add snacks: hence the development of dim sum. The translation of dim sum, “touches the heart,” shows that it was originally not a main meal but a snack.

Over the centuries, dim sum evolved from an afternoon respite to a major meal, from breakfast through mid-afternoon. Some modern restaurants extend dim sum to dinner time; it is now a staple of Cantonese dining culture and served all over China.

For a dim sum holiday head to Hong Kong, the dim sum capital of the world. If you’re in a major U.S. city, head to its Chinatown.

In New York City, our favorite is Jing Fong, a huge restaurant with the largest selection we’ve ever seen. The food is wheeled around on carts by servers; you point to what you want. Food is priced by the dish, but you can gorge yourself for not much more than $15-$20 a person.

To end the confusion of what’s what, you can get this dim sum pocket guide, in paperback or Kindle editions.

Sihk faahn (that’s eat, the equivalent of bon appétit, in Cantonese)!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with these Margarita Jell-O shots, created by Good Cocktails.com.

Mix up some strawberry Margarita Jell-O (yes, with tequila) and pour into hollowed-out strawberry cups.

Refrigerate, garnish with a small slice of lime, and serve.

It’s delicious and fun. Here’s the recipe.

Here’s a fun idea for Mother’s Day or any other celebration: a custom glass rimmer for cocktails or mocktails. You can buy rimmers in tins, but it’s almost as fast to make your own.

We owe this tip to Seattle’s Best, which served us a coffee Martini with a sugar rim at a recent event.

Wow, we said: How did you get the sugar to really stick on? Our own efforts to create the ideal flavored rim were not as successful.

The answer: Dip the rim of the glass in maple syrup, not water as we’ve been doing, to create the glass rimmer. Do it in advance so the syrup can dry.

We substituted agave for the maple syrup, which held just as fast and firm and is even better when you don’t want to add maple flavor.

Sanding sugar is available in numerous colors, and the technique also works with a chocolate rim, a shredded coconut rim, a sprinkles rim or whatever look and taste you like.

You can be creative in your blend, adding anise, cinnamon or other spice to the base ingredient.

And you can do it with savory rims, blending celery salt, chili powder or sea salt with just about any herb or spice that adds complementary flavor to the drink.

Here’s the recipe we tasted from Seattle’s Best:

RECIPE: SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE MAPLETINI

Ingredients For 4 Drinks

Preparation

1. BREW coffee one hour or more before serving and cool to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator. (Note: You can brew and refrigerate the coffee days in advance.)

2. COMBINE the brewed coffee, half & half, maple syrup and vanilla-flavored vodka in a large glass or martini shaker. Fill with ice, then shake or stir until the ingredients are well-combined.

3. MOISTEN the rims of four martini glasses with maple syrup and dip in sugar to lightly coat.

4. STRAIN the cocktail and pour into the prepared glasses.