RECIPES

2021 Queso Fundido Con Chorizo y Rajas: Melted Cheese Casserole with Mexican Sausage & Roasted Chiles Recipe by Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, Chicago; courtesy of California Milk Advisory Board Makes 24 appetizer servings

8 fresh poblano chiles 1 lb. Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed 6 c. thinly sliced white onions Salt, as needed 2 lbs. California Chihuahua cheese or other Mexican-style melting cheese such as Quesadilla or

Asadero, shredded (about 8 cups) 48 corn tortillas, preferably handmade and warm 2 T. crumbled dried Mexican oregano Roast poblanos on an open flame or under a broiler, turning regularly until the skin is evenly blistered and blackened, about 5 minutes on an open flame or 10 minutes under a broiler. Be careful to char only the skin, not the flesh. Cover with a towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Rub off blackened skin, then pull or cut out stems and seed pods. Tear chiles open and quickly rinse to remove stray seeds and bits of skin. Cut into ¼-inch-wide strips about 2 inches long. In a sauté pan, cook chorizo over medium heat, stirring to break up any clumps, about 5 minutes or until half-cooked. As chorizo heats, it should render enough fat to cook the meat; if the mixture seems dry, add a little oil. Add onions and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are richly golden and chorizo is cooked. (If the mixture looks very oily, drain.) Stir in poblano strips and season with salt. Mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated; reheat to order. To plate each serving, to order: Heat ⅓ cup chorizo mixture in a small cazuela. Stir in ⅓ cup cheese. Bake in 350°F oven about 5 minutes or until cheese is just melted but has not begun to separate or look greasy. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon oregano and serve immediately with 2 tortillas.

Chimayó Cocktail

Original recipe by Arturo Jaramillo; featured at Rancho de Chimayó Restaurante, Chimayó, New Mexico; recipe reprinted from Wikipedia Makes 1 cocktail

Highball glass 1 ½ oz. tequila 1 oz. unfiltered apple cider ¼ oz. lemon juice ¼ oz. crème de cassis Pour tequila and unfiltered apple cider into glass over ice. Add lemon juice and creme de cassis and stir. Garnish with slice of unpeeled apple and serve.

Lethal Margarita Recipe courtesy of Lethal Mezcal Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz. Lethal Mezcal 1 oz. Simply Agave Nectar 1 oz. water 1 oz. fresh lime juice Orange wedge, for garnish. Combine all ingredients, pour over ice, and garnish with orange wedge.

Lethal Mule

Recipe courtesy Lethal Mezcal Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz. Lethal Mezcal 1 oz. lime juice 4 oz. ginger beer Lime wedge, for garnish Combine all ingredients, pour over ice, and garnish with lime wedge. Lethal Mary

Recipe courtesy Lethal Mezcal Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz. Lethal Mezcal

4 oz. tomato juice 2 dashes Tabasco sauce 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 t. horseradish 1 pinch celery salt 1 squeezed lemon wedge Celery stalk and lime wedge, for garnish Combine all ingredients, pour over ice, and garnish with celery stalk and lime wedge.

Homb-Rise

Recipe courtesy Rocco’s Tacos, Miami, Florida Makes 1 cocktail 2 oz. El Recuerdo Joven Mezcal 2 oz. pineapple juice (ideally fresh) 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ½ oz. agave syrup ¼ oz. pomegranate syrup Pineapple frond and/or slim lime wheel, for garnish Tajin spice mix, for rimming

Rim a highball glass with Tajin by moistening the lip with a cut lime wedge, then rolling the rim in a plate containing Tajin. Fill a shaker with ice, combine ingredients and shake. Pour into the highball glass. Finish with pineapple frond and/or slim lime wheel.

Durango Bird

Recipe courtesy of Odd Birds Cocktail Lounge & Kitchen, St Augustine, Florida Makes 1 cocktail 1½ oz. Bosscal Joven Mezcal ¾ oz. pamplemousse liqueur ½ oz. simple syrup 1 oz. lemon juice 3 dashes of Peychaud bitters Dehydrated lemon wheel, for garnish Add all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain. Garnish and serve.

Fruit Cart Negroni

Recipe courtesy of Gracias Madre, West Hollywood, California Makes 1 cocktail 1 oz. Cupreata Mezcal ½ oz. Rhinehall Mango Brandy 1 oz. cucumber-mango infused Campari 1 oz. Cocci Americano Bar Spoon Manzanilla Sherry Cucumber wheel, for garnish Combine ingredients and stir. Pour into a double rocks glass with a large ice rock cube. Garnish with cucumber wheel and serve.

Silencio Michelada

Recipe courtesy of Torrence Swain, Mezcal El Silencio Makes 1 cocktail 1 oz. Mezcal El Silencio Espadin 3 oz. celery juice ¼ oz. Dashi Sauce One dash Worcestershire Sauce One dash Pink Peppercorn Bitters Juice from half a lime Lager beer Celery stalk, for garnish Muddle celery juice with the Dashi and Worcestershire sauces in the glass you’re going to serve the cocktail in. Squeeze in lime juice and then add the bitters and mezcal. Add ice and stir to combine all ingredients. Top off with lager. Garnish with celery stalk.