Having spent almost 20 years living in or near San Francisco's Mission District, I've never bothered making tortillas at home since there was ample opportunity to buy delicious fresh tortillas made by people who obviously really know what they are doing (La Palma on 24th and Florida, if you're curious). Now I live a little father away and the closest tortillas are Trader Joe's Truly Handmade, which aren't bad but not quite the same either. So I've been curious about trying my hand at making my own from scratch. Do you have any advice? More

If you've ever been tempted by the unfamiliar snacks at the local bodega, but unsure about what you're getting yourself into, check out this helpful photo guide to Mexican sweets and snacks from Saveur. Identifying snacks like tart tamarind candies and sour-spicy potato chips, it has me itching to try some new treats. More

When it comes to quick weeknight meals, or a meal for a mixed crowd of people, tacos and burritos reign supreme. Fold a tortilla (corn or flour) around a scoop of fresh summer tomatoes and soft black beans, or pulled pork simmered in the slow cooker with peppers, and you have a meal that pleases nearly anyone. Tacos, burritos, and enchiladas may have originated in Mexico and Latin America, but they have been welcomed and adapted by cooks all over the world. More

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where even modest neighborhood cafes get their produce from local farms and change their menus often to reflect whatever their farmers are harvesting that week. I recently had my first taste of sweet summer corn at one such cafe, in a dish that combined chunks of shaved corn with tangy little cherry tomatoes and a creamy cilantro dressing. Sweet, crunchy and bursting with pure summer flavor, it was so good I knew I had to recreate it. In my kitchen somewhere along the way the combination transformed into a crispy, black-bean-speckled tostada — no complaints here. More

Q: Last summer I made a ton of green enchilada sauce for my freezer. Turns out, I don't make enchiladas that often. I'm making an effort to clear out my freezer for this summer's bounty. What else can I do with green enchilada sauce besides enchiladas?

Sent by Megan
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I grew up in LA with a slight touch of Mexican blood in my family, and a neighbor from Guadalajara named Lupe who taught me about Mexican cooking. It was her guacamole method that my mom picked up and passed to me through culinary osmosis. As with most dishes that are passed through generations, this one, I believed for years, was the best. Throughout the years, friends and family have supported me in my belief. Then, a few years ago a neighbor brought her "best" guacamole to a gathering and like two girls wearing the same prom dress, it got really awkward. Hers might have been better.

That's when I started thinking a little more openly about guacamole.
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One of the most refreshing ways to enjoy fresh fruit is in an agua fresca, a beverage made with pureed fruit, water, a touch of sugar and maybe some lime juice or herbs. Here in Los Angeles, every taco stand worth its salt has a big jar or three of the brightly-colored drinks standing by, but you don't have to be eating a drippy carnitas taco to enjoy the thirst-quenching, pure fruit flavor of aguas frescas. Especially not when they are this easy to make at home. More

There are many ways to heat a tortilla: my friends of Mexican heritage wrap them in a damp cloth and pop them in the microwave. Other people use the oven (but that can feel wasteful unless the oven is already being used for another dish) or pan fry them in a skillet. But I have another strategy which I believe is the most fun and flavorful way to accomplish this task. Hint: see picture above! More

Q: Hola! With one week left in Mexico City, I'm thinking about what food and cookware items I should bring back. I want to bring items that are safe and legal to transport, much less expensive here or not available in the US, and that I will actually use. Do you have any suggestions? More

Q: Tortilla chips are one of my guilty pleasures. Any suggestions for all those broken chips at the bottom of the bag? I use them to add crunch on salads and soups, but I am looking for more creative uses. I buy the organic, blue corn, unsalted varieties. Thanks!

Sent by Melinda More