Each year, the publication ranks its top 20 whiskeys of the year based on price, accessibility for buyers and, of course, taste, including scores from a blind panel of international judges.

Old Elk Distillery (253 Linden St., Fort Collins) made the list in 2023 with its Port Cask Finish straight bourbon. It ranked No. 15 out of 20 and received a score of 94 points (out of 100) from the tasting panel. Old Elk was the only local spirits maker on the list, which showcased liquors from a collection of whiskey heavyweights from Kentucky to Scotland and beyond.

“We are very proud to be recognized by Whisky Advocate for our Port Cask Finish Bourbon utilizing our high malt bourbon whiskey. The end product is the culmination of Old Elk’s desire to transcend the industry through innovation,” master distiller Greg Metze said by email. “The award is an honor and tribute to the passionate and skilled people that we have at Old Elk.”

What makes this recipe unique is the way it’s finished. Old Elk takes its straight bourbon and does a secondary aging for 10 months to one year in port wine barrels from Portugal, giving it ripe fruit notes against aromas of oak and sweet honey.

“The palate is redolent with spice and fruit, practically oozing with red berry compote, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and a bit of nuttiness,” Whisky Advocate noted. “Add water, and those chocolate and cinnamon notes become even more vibrant. On the finish, there’s candied sweetness and more spice, both also expanding delightfully with a dash of water.”

Old Elk Port Cask Finish bourbon retails for $90 per bottle. The distillery’s products are widely available at retail liquor stores across Colorado. Drinkers can also buy select bottles online at shop.oldelk.com.

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On Monday, the Denver City Council approved a contract that will allow an airport concessionaire to open a Fat Sully’s Pizza restaurant inside Concourse A.

Known for its ginormous New York-style pies, Fat Sully’s is owned by the Atomic Provisions group, which also owns Denver Biscuit Co. and Atomic Cowboy. Airport concessionaire FM Juice Company will operate the pizza shop under the Fat Sully’s name. (All of DIA’s branded concessions, from Tattered Cover to Great Divide Brewing, do business this way.)

The restaurant group declined a request for comment.

The city council also approved a second Chick-fil-A and a second Shake Shack in Concourse A. Both Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack opened their first DIA locations in Concourse B.

Atomic Provisions, owned by former CU Buffs football player Drew Shader, boasts seven Colorado locations with all three restaurant brands, including the newest, which opened this fall, in Golden, and two locations in Kansas City.

Other local businesses with their names at the airport include: Snooze, Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli, New Belgium Brewing, Smashburger, Elway’s, Etai’s, Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, Boulder Beer Tap House, and Mercantile Dining & Provisions.

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It’s Cookie Week, haven’t you heard? We just published seven new cookie recipes with videos on New York Times Cooking, and there are many more from years past on our YouTube channel, in case you want to revisit Eric Kim’s frosted sugar cookies or Vaughn Vreeland’s eggnog snickerdoodles.

It’s also the moment for potato latkes and the other delicacies of Hanukkah. I personally feel that latkes can make an excellent dinner themselves if they’re properly adorned; I top mine with a schmear of sour cream and a piece of smoked salmon, though no one would be mad about a little caviar or a poached egg. If you’re looking for a meatier main course, Melissa Clark’s paprika chicken below would do nicely.

1. Sheet-Pan Paprika Chicken With Tomatoes and Parmesan

This deeply savory, weeknight-friendly sheet-pan chicken is worth buying a new jar of sweet paprika for, especially if you can’t remember when you got the one in your spice drawer (for those Fourth of July deviled eggs several summers ago?).The fresher the spices, the more intensely flavorful the dish. This one is as pretty as it is complex, with a mix of colorful cherry tomatoes and peppers that soften and absorb all the chicken juices as they roast. Serve it with something to catch the saucy tomatoes: Crusty bread, polenta or couscous all work well.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, drumsticks, thighs or a mix)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more for serving
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper or smoked hot paprika (pimentón)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved
• 1 poblano chile or 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, Espelette and oregano. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.

3. Add tomatoes, poblano and sweet peppers to baking sheet, spread vegetables around the chicken. Season vegetables lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle Parmesan all over chicken and vegetables.

4. Roast until chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir the vegetables halfway through cooking but don’t disturb the chicken. If white meat is done before dark meat, remove it as it finishes cooking.

5. Transfer chicken to plates. Stir vegetables around in pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides of pan, and stir in the parsley and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt if needed, and a drizzle of vinegar if you like. Spoon vegetables over the chicken to serve.

2. Baked Salmon and Dill Rice

Fragrant dill rice is a natural accompaniment to salmon, and a complete meal of the two is made easy here by baking them together in one dish. Add fresh or dried dill to basmati rice, which is eventually topped with salmon covered in a tangy, sweet and spicy paste of mayo, lemon zest, honey and dried chile flakes. To ensure the rice is perfectly fluffy without overcooking the fish, the grains are baked until most of the water is absorbed before the salmon is added over the top.

By Naz Deravian

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• 4 ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup), or 1/3 cup dried, plus more for serving
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 large lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick at their thickest parts), skin on or off

Preparation

1. Place an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil.

2. To a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, add the olive oil and spread it around the pan. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and the dill, and stir to combine. Spread the rice evenly across the pan. Add the boiling water, stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake until most of the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, honey, turmeric and red-pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon fillets well with salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons total) and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise paste on top (or flesh side) of the salmon fillets.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil. Place the salmon fillets on top of the rice, paste side up, reseal and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and the salmon is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh dill and red-pepper flakes.

3. Sesame-Brown Butter Udon Noodles

This weeknight meal is silky, slurpable and so quick to pull off. It follows the tradition of wafu or Japanese-style pasta, and combines brown butter, udon and spinach, but the classic combination of savory sauce, chewy noodle and green vegetable allows plenty of room for improvisation. Instead of soy sauce, you can add umami with Parmesan, miso, seaweed or mushrooms. Instead of black pepper for heat, grab ginger or chile flakes, oil or paste. For more protein, boil eggs or shelled edamame in the water before the udon, or add tinned mackerel or fresh yuba along with the sesame seeds. Udon noodles, found fresh, frozen or shelf-stable, are singularly bouncy and thick; if you can’t find them, use the thinner, dried style that resembles linguine.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Salt
• 14 to 16 ounces udon, preferably thick fresh, frozen or shelf-stable noodles
• 1 pound baby spinach or coarsely chopped or torn mature spinach
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, plus more as needed
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then add the spinach and press to submerge. (It will continue cooking later.) Drain the noodles and spinach, shaking to get rid of any excess water.

2. Set the pot over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the black pepper and stir until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup pasta water, plus the noodles and spinach, soy sauce and sugar, and toss until the sauce is thickened and silky. Add pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce clings to the noodles.

3. Remove from heat, add the sesame seeds and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Season to taste with more soy sauce and black pepper (if mild) and sugar (if too salty). Serve with more sesame seeds on top.

4. Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry

This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. It’s also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening. Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes. Look for royal trumpets, a large, meaty type of oyster mushroom; shiitakes, and small portobellos. Use some wild mushrooms too, if you can, like golden chanterelles, lobster or hen of the woods. You can make this as spicy as you wish, but be sure to include some cayenne and green chile, to complement and play off the creamy coconut milk sauce. Serve with basmati rice, rice noodles or mashed potatoes.

Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey

Adapted by David Tanis

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 or 2 small green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
• 3 medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch of ground cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

1. In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.

2. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)

3. Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.

4. Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

5. Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.

6. Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

5. Chickpea Stew With Orzo and Mustard Greens

A complex and colorful chickpea stew, this is rich with vegetables, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. You can vary the vegetables to use what you’ve got. Here, I keep to the basics, adding carrots for sweetness, fennel or celery for depth, cherry tomatoes for looks. Tender greens, wilted into the bubbling mixture at the end, are optional, but they do add a bright, almost herbal note. I particularly love using baby mustard greens, which are pleasantly peppery. But spinach, arugula and kale work well, too.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (optional)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat or regular orzo
• 1 quart loosely packed baby mustard greens or spinach (about 5 ounces)
• Salt and black pepper
• Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more as needed

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, fennel or celery, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes and rosemary, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, if using, or water, along with another 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.

2. Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens, letting them simmer until soft, about 2 minutes.

3. Add more water if you want the mixture to be more souplike, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped scallions (if desired), grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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Travel guides, transplants (and even this publication) have plenty of thoughts about Colorado’s best pizza places. I’m a transplant, too, and have fallen in love over the years with local favorites ranging from Beau Jo’s honeyed crust to Cart-Driver’s wood-fired pie.

Related: 11 of the best pizza joints in and around Denver

But having arrived here 23 years ago from Dayton, Ohio — a city that’s no slouch when it comes to pizza — I’ve become dependent on a Denver shop that feels positively old-school compared to the new class of local pie-slingers.

Since 1996, Enzo’s End Pizzeria has been a comforting anchor on the semi-gentrified stretch of East Colfax Avenue between Colorado Boulevard and York Street, where pedestrian traffic is fairly constant. Its red, thatched shingles and vinyl-booth dining room share space (and an interior door) with the also excellent, also old-school PS Lounge.

Tipplers at that bar can order pizzas from Enzo’s while they hang at PS — itself a cash-only classic where women get free roses upon entering, and everyone gets a free shot of the (admittedly weak) Alabama Slammer.

I don’t drink alcohol anymore, but I do have many fond and blurry memories of digging into a New York-style, thin-crust pie from Enzo’s during nights out. Fortunately, Enzo’s stands alone. Its clean-finishing, toothsome crust and 30 high-quality toppings (the usuals, but also garlic chicken and sautéed spinach) are brought together with mozzarella that is lactose-free.

As my food-writer wife informed me, there are various reasons why cheeses tend to lose their lactose (in the production process, as they age, etc.). But Enzo’s version has always had an ideal mix of gooey and giving and savory, concealing a tart and perfectly applied sauce with garden-fresh tomato flavor.

A 12-inch small ‘za costs $18 before toppings, so it’s definitely not cheap. But do you always want the cheapest pizza available? With a refund guarantee and a tasty side salad, there’s little risk in eating Enzo’s. The reward, however, is immediate and lasting.

Enzo’s End Pizzeria. New York-style thin-crust pies. For dine-in, takeout and delivery; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 3424 E. Colfax Ave. enzosend.com or 303-355-4700

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For the members of New York’s Aleppan Jewish community, the tinier the meat- or cheese-filled pastry, the better the cook.

At Hanukkah, which this year begins Thursday evening, they take as much pride in their distinctive tradition of using two candles rather than one to light the menorah — representing both the miracle of light and the welcome they received from Syrians after fleeing the Inquisition — as they do in those small meat- or cheese-filled pastries.

Rachel Harary Gindi, 92, who was born into this close-knit community, based in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, remembers her mother gathering with her friends to make sambousek, served at holidays. Gindi especially adored the ones filled with cheese, reserved for Sunday evenings when her family traditionally ate a dairy meal.

“You couldn’t order them from anywhere,” she said at a recent sambousek-making session at her apartment, which overlooks the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles. So the only way to get them was to make them yourself.

In 1941, Gindi’s family moved to New Orleans. “It was pure culture shock for me,” she said. “Until then, I ate everything at home. I didn’t even know what French fries were.”

But still, they maintained their a connection to the past, traveling to Bradley Beach, New Jersey, every summer where the community gathered. It was there, at age 16, where she met her husband, Jack. They married and moved to Los Angeles the next year.

Because she was so young when she married, Gindi really learned to cook from watching her mother-in-law, who was born in Aleppo, Syria.

“She was an old-fashioned cook,” Gindi said. “I was just a kid when I got married and helped my mother but really didn’t learn.”

The dishes her mother-in-law passed on included kibbe hamdeh, a sour salt soup with potatoes, carrots and tiny meatballs, and edja patate, a potato pancake flavored with allspice. (If they didn’t learn from their mothers, many Syrian Jewish cooks in the mid-20th century followed recipes from Grace Sasson, another member of the Brooklyn Aleppan Jewish community. She gave her address in her self-published book so that people could write to her with questions.)

Sambousek, which means “triangle” in Persian, were popular from Spanish Andalusia to India during the Middle Ages.

Food historian Nawal Nasrallah believes sambousek was one of the dishes that traveled eastward to India from the 10th century. Four recipes even appear in a 13th-century Aleppan cookbook, “Al-Wusla Ila al-Habib fi Wasf al-Tayyibat wa al-Teeb,” according to Poopa Dweck’s magnificent “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews.”

All these years later, cheese sambousek has remained a staple of Gindi’s dairy meals, even during Hanukkah, though she’s made some changes: Miller’s Muenster cheese (the only kosher one available, other than processed American) gave way to shredded mozzarella and kashkaval once they came on the kosher market. About 50 years ago, her dough came to include only flour, first out of necessity (she couldn’t find the traditional semolina), then preference.

Although there are more modern ways to make these flaky pastries, Gindi still uses a memorial Yahrzeit glass to cut the dough, which she pinches closed with her thumb and second finger, fluting the edge like scallop shells. And they are tiny, just a couple of bites apiece.

Cheese sambousek was naturally one of the first recipes Gindi taught Mercedes Borda, her housekeeper of 39 years, ready in the freezer or just baked for the eager appetites of the Gindi children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In her kitchen, Gindi watched as Borda pinched the dough, but when she veered from custom, pressing the tines of a fork into the dough, the way she learned to make empanadas in her native Bolivia, Gindi got out of her chair and took over.

Traditions in the Syrian community die hard.

Recipe from Rachel Harary Gindi

Adapted by Joan Nathan

These crescent-shaped pocket pastries from Rachel Harary Gindi, a home cook living in Los Angeles are popular in one form or another throughout the Middle East and India. Cooks will find, of course, many variations from all over. This Syrian Jewish version from Aleppo creates the dough using flour and smeed, a fine semolina often also used in Middle Eastern cookies, which is not essential but adds a pleasing texture to the tongue. Some Syrian Jews add several kinds of cheese including feta to the cheese mix. Make this dish your own, as this recipe does with the use of nigella seeds. Topping the sambousek with sesame seeds or (nontraditional) nigella seeds adds a slight complexity to the taste of this mild, homey snack. Though you could certainly brush the tops of the sambousek with water and sprinkle with the seeds, for efficiency you can do as Poopa Dweck, author of “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews” (Ecco, 2007), instructed: “Dip the dough ball or formed sambousek into sesame seeds before baking. The seeds will stick onto the dough.”

Yield: About 48 pastries

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 2 cups/256 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 cup/180 grams fine semolina
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 cup/227 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), diced then brought to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 8 ounces/227 grams Muenster, mozzarella or kashkaval cheese, grated
• 6 tablespoons/57 grams sesame or nigella seeds, or both

Preparation

1. To make the dough, in a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the flour, semolina and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Add the diced butter, toss to coat in the dry ingredients, then mix it in with your fingertips until thoroughly combined. Add 1/4 cup lukewarm water and mix to make a soft but not sticky dough, adding another 1 to 4 tablespoons of water if needed (or enough that the dough cleans the bowl). Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rest while you prepare the filling.

2. To prepare the filling, beat the egg in a medium bowl, then mix in the cheese and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and divide the dough into 4 pieces, then leave 3 of the pieces covered in the damp towel or wrapped in plastic.

4. Sprinkle the rolling surface lightly with flour and roll out one piece of dough until about 1/8-inch thick, rubbing the rolling pin with flour if needed to prevent sticking. Using a 2 1/2-inch-wide cookie cutter or glass, cut out about 9 rounds of dough. Reroll the scraps to make as many rounds as possible, ideally about 3 more rounds (12 rounds total from the one piece of dough).

5. Cover the cut rounds with a damp towel. Working with one round at a time, put 1 packed teaspoon of cheese filling gingerly in the center of each round, gently pressing the cheese into the dough then folding the dough into a half-moon shape. Then use your finger and thumb to seal the rounded edge. (You can also flute it, folding to seal as you would fold an empanada.) Place the filled sambousek about 1/2 inch apart on 2 parchment paper-lined sheet pans and cover with a damp towel.

6. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough, forming about 48 sambousek, making sure the dough and sambousek stay covered so they don’t dry out.

7. Once you’ve formed all your sambousek, set the seeds in a small bowl and set each sambousek in the seeds, pressing to coat one side. Return them to the baking sheet, seed side up, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

8. Serve immediately. (You can also form and freeze the sambousek before baking, then bake them directly from frozen, increasing the cook time by 5 or so minutes.)

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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At 73 years old, the chef is still constantly on his feet, cooking, cleaning dishes and greeting guests. “I am happy to be back here, but I am busy,” he said.

Homma reopened Domo, at 1365 Osage St., last month after a year hiatus, but with a smaller menu, limited hours and only four people on staff, two up front and two in the kitchen; that’s compared to the nearly 30 he had before the closure.

“My hands can only hold so much,” Homma said.

Domo closed temporarily in 2021 after a 40-second TikTok video of the restaurant’s beautiful outdoor gardens went viral and led to hundreds of people forming lines around the restaurant, overwhelming Homma and his staff. In September 2022, Homma appeared to have permanently closed up shop, saying he was ready to retire after running the restaurant since 1996.

“I wanted to slow down, and I needed a break after so many busy years in the kitchen,” Homma said. He spent his time off taking a series of trips to Turkey, Nepal and Thailand to teach the practices of Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art. During his visit to Thailand, he cooked some of Domo’s popular curry, which he has been serving in support of the Monthly Meals Project in Denver for the last 32 years, for children at Bilay House, a humanitarian aid and education facility.

Homma helped found the Bilay House, where children who fled from Myanmar to Thailand live, in 2004 through his foundation Aikido Humanitarian Active Network (AHAN). He’s used profits from Domo, as well as his Nippon Kan martial arts studio next door, to help fund meals, boarding houses and college scholarships for the children.

When Homma decided to “put on his armor once again and get back in the kitchen,” it was to honor Bilay House, as well as his loyal customers over the years, who have left many wishes and messages tied to a string hanging from a gazebo in Domo’s sprawling garden.

“People need me, and I feel happy when I’m needed, especially at my age,” Homma said.

Homma’s customers are happy to see the sensei back in his robes, rolling carts of steaming food and tea around the dimly lit restaurant, which is covered in Japanese artifacts.

Larry and Sue Reichert have been coming to Domo since it opened 27 years ago (was still serving red bean ice cream in thimbles after every meal). They even donate to Homma’s foundation.

“When Domo closed, the story wasn’t over,” Sue said. “Now this time, he can go out the way he wants to.” The Reicherts have resumed their weekly visits to the restaurant, ordering their favorite veggie curry, udon and spicy maguro. “I used to travel the country often, and I’ve tried Japanese food in numerous cities, and nothing comes close to this,” Larry said. “I tried making some of his dishes at home with his cookbook, but nothing compares,” Sue added.

Domo is only serving lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as opposed to the full-service dinners it offered before, and there are no reservations. There’s no longer a daily line that wraps all the way around to Colfax Avenue, but Homma said Saturdays are especially busy.

The menu is much more simple with no more of the popular ramen noodles or sushi. Instead, Homma is using recipes from his childhood growing up in the Japanese countryside, as well as old-school methods, like cooking out of a hanging pot over a fire.

While sitting at the low wooden tables with cushioned tree stump stools, guests can slurp on a bowl of Japanese curry, Domo’s most popular menu item. Or if they prefer to sit outside in the garden, Homma recommends the Nabeyaki Udon, a Japanese winter staple with shrimp tempura, kamaboko fish cake, fried tofu, mushrooms and noodles.

“Japanese people don’t only eat sushi and ramen,” Homma said. “My mission is to teach people about some of the original and simple food that Japanese people have been eating for centuries.”

Eventually, Homma plans to bring back select menu items over time and add a dinner service when he’s adequately staffed.

“At 73, I thought I wanted to retire, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Homma said.

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Living the Dream is also moving into the small bar that Grist had been operating inside the Sterling Center, a building at 8155 Piney River Ave. that serves residents of Littleton’s Sterling Ranch neighborhood. That change will take place on Dec. 29.

Grist owners Chuck Norman and Jim Mack, both petroleum engineers by trade, had originally been “passive” investors and are now “ready to get back to our roots,” Norman said.

Living the Dream owner Jason Bell, on the other hand, “knows the industry and has spent many years in it. He’s on-site every day, and that’s an important part of success,” Norman added. And while Living the Dream is buying Grist’s assets and taking over its leases, it isn’t buying the company itself. “Grist will still be alive, but what we do with it, I don’t know.”

The move “just makes sense,” said Bell, who opened Living the Dream, at 12305 Dumont Way, in 2014. “We have been looking for a new home for the better part of a year and a half.”

“It’s a big deal, a lot of work and a good amount of money,” Bell continued, speaking about the mile-or-so move up Santa Fe Drive to Grist’s spot. “The economy is not robust, either, but this is when you can make those kinds of moves — and hopefully they pay off.”

The move is also an upgrade, Bell explained, in part because Grist’s brewing system is bigger, more advanced and more efficient than the one at Living the Dream, but also because Grist’s space, including the taproom and the overall infrastructure, is “much nicer.”

If anything, Bell joked, Living the Dream will have to rough it up around the edges to give it the more rustic and outdoorsy feel that his customers are accustomed to. Living the Dream has a heavy focus on skiing, both in its decor and its beer names. Powder Run Cream Ale and its variations, for instance, are the brewery’s biggest-selling beers in cans and taproom flagship.

While Grist served food, Bell said Living the Dream, which will close its existing location, will continue to rely on food trucks, as it has done in the past.

The business of brewing beer has changed quite a bit over the past decade, Bell said, as the industry has matured and public habits have changed. “Ten years ago, it was 65% fun and cool, and 35% business. Now it’s 95% business.” To survive in the existing beer economy, each brewery needs to know how it fits in and what its goals are for the future.”

The deal is expected to close on Dec. 29. Bell said he hopes to make cosmetic changes after that and reopen inside Grist in mid-January.

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The Yiddish word tsimmes, or tzimmes, means to make a big fuss over something. It’s also the name of an Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots, dried fruit and sometimes flanken or brisket, traditionally served at Jewish holidays.

You’d think, with a name like tsimmes, it must be a fussy dish, needing chopping, peeling and praying over to get right.

But the tsimmes I grew up with were simple vegetable side dishes, a pretty mix of orange-hued roots dotted with dark prunes and glistening with honey, baked until plush and velvety. Sure, there was some peeling and chopping, but next to frying latkes, pinching kreplach and rolling matzo balls, a pan of tsimmes was the one fuss-free part of the holiday preparation.

With that ease in mind, I created this tsimmes as a convenient holiday showpiece. Since Hanukkah is approaching, I wanted a one-pot dish that was festive enough for a holiday meal, yet easy enough to leave time to make latkes.

Tsimmes recipes vary greatly, but the version I grew up with included honey and orange juice to nudge the natural sweetness of the root vegetables and dried fruit. For this main-course version, I decided to nix the honey and use only orange juice, which reduces during simmering to a vibrant, tangy glaze.

I also substituted dates for the usual prunes, though almost any dried fruit will do. Dried cherries and cranberries add pops of color, while dried apricots blend in with the roots for a chewy-sweet surprise in every bite.

Tsimmes can veer into sweet-enough-for-dessert territory, which would cloy as a main. So another tweak was to add cumin and coriander to the cinnamon and ginger that typically spice the dish, because I wanted those earthy, musky flavors to ground it to the savory side.

Lastly, I added chicken to make the dish substantial enough to anchor the meal. Because root vegetables need to simmer for 45 minutes or longer to turn silky and plush, dark meat chicken is a better partner than breasts. Bone-in thighs will work, though the skin becomes limp after all that simmering. I call for boneless thighs because they get wonderfully soft and tender as they bubble away beneath the roots.

This tsimmes is such a simple, cozy main dish that the only fuss will be made over, not by, the cook who serves it.

Braised Chicken Thighs With Sweet Potatoes and Dates

By Melissa Clark

This colorful meal is based on tsimmes, the classic Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots and dried fruit (and sometimes meat) typically served on Rosh Hashana and other Jewish holidays. This version includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs and spices, and lets everything simmer together in a Dutch oven until fragrant and silky. It’s a festive one-pot meal that’s sweet, savory and a little tangy from some orange juice used for braising.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: About 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Tip)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick coins
• 1 cup dates or prunes, diced (or substitute other dried fruit)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger (optional)
• 1 (2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
• 1 large pinch ground cayenne or red-pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or dill

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, cumin and pepper, tossing well. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. In another large bowl, add the sweet potato, carrot, dates or prunes, lemon zest, grated ginger if you like, cinnamon stick, cayenne and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

3. In a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add as many pieces of chicken as comfortably fit in the bottom of the pan without crowding and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed.

4. Add leeks, a pinch of salt and more olive oil to the pan if it looks dry. Sauté leeks until golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Place half of the chicken in 1 layer on top of the leeks. Top with half of the sweet potato mixture, spreading it out evenly over the chicken. Repeat layering with the remaining chicken and sweet potato mixture. Pour orange juice into the pan.

6. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Braise, covered, until the chicken and vegetables are tender, for about 55 to 70 minutes, stirring the mixture after 30 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

Tip: Because of the long braising time needed to cook the root vegetables, it can be tricky to use chicken breasts because they’re liable to overcook.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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The Los Angeles-based competitive eater visited Denver in November and shared videos of her completing various food challenges with her 435,000 Instagram, 497,000 YouTube and 3.6 million TikTok followers.

Food challenges bring competitors like Huang from around the world. Local restaurants like Pho 95 Noodle House in Centennial, where Huang slurped down four large bowls of pho in 20 minutes, have started timed eating competitions to attract a new audience (one with a never-ending pit of a stomach).

“The goal is to not make money from customers losing, but so people can come and try our pho,” said Pho 95 owner Aaron Le.

If you think you have the stomach to down a 4-pound burrito, out-of-this-world spicy wings with no milk or water, or a 14-pound pizza, here are six spots in and around Denver to challenge yourself:

Pho 95 Noodle House

Before Le opened Pho 95 Noodle House’s first location in Denver in 2008, his friends and family would always call him the “Pho King Guy” because of his pho obsession. This nickname was later the inspiration for the T-shirts that both winners and losers of his Pho King Challenge get to wear. Losers get: “I am a Pho King Loser.” Winners, well, you get it.

The Pho King Challenge, which is only offered at Pho 95’s larger Centennial location, requires diners to finish four large bowls of pho with 2 pounds of noodles, 2 pounds of your choice of meat or tofu, and 200 ounces of broth within an hour. It’s recommended to call two days in advance of your attempt. Le said around 2,468 people have tried to complete the challenge in the last 10 years, but only 22 competitors have finished it. If you lose, you pay $40 for the meal and get the T-shirt. If you win, you get a free meal, a T-shirt and a photo on the winners’ wall.

“Before I started the challenge, I weighed in at 140 pounds and could finish two large bowls of pho, so I figured if I could do that out of pure hunger, someone is bound to be able to eat more,” Le said.

Huang is the only woman to finish the challenge in 20 minutes, and the record holder is popular competitive eater Ricardo Corbucci, who finished it in 12 minutes. Le said these competitors with millions of followers bring in a ton of business after their visits and help boost the challenge.

“You have to sign a waiver before you try the challenge, and in it, it says, ‘If you throw up, you have to clean it up,’” Le said. “Only one person has thrown up at the table, and they fulfilled their promise.”

6879 S. Vine St., Centennial; pho95noodlehouse.com

Fire On the Mountain

Put a little fire in your belly by trying the El Jefe challenge at both of Fire On the Mountain’s Denver locations. After signing a waiver to acknowledge you’re completing this out of your own free will, you must eat 15 wings (bone-in chicken or seitan for vegetarians and vegans) drenched in the restaurant’s ridiculously spicy El Jefe sauce in 3 1/2  minutes or less. There’s no ranch, blue cheese, or alcohol for relief. Winners get a free meal, a free piece of Fire On The Mountain merchandise and a picture on the restaurant’s Wall of Flame. Losers have to pay the $19.99 and drown their sorrows in milk.

300 S. Logan St.; 3801 W. 32nd Ave., Denver; fotmdenver.com

Beau Jo’s

Pick your ravenous friend as a teammate to devour Beau Jo’s Grand Sicilian Pizza challenge at any of the six Colorado locations. The buddy challenge requires two people to finish a 14-pound Mountain pie with hamburger, sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, red onion and mushroom on top in an hour. Each location requires advance notice before the challenge. “One person has attempted to finish it on their own, but failed,” said Arvada Beau Jo’s manager Victor Romero III. Winners get a free meal, a T-shirt, pictures on the restaurant wall and $100 cash.

Multiple locations; beaujos.com

Swanky’s Vittles and Libations

Not for the lactose intolerant: Swanky’s offers a food challenge with a 3-pound grilled cheese made with six slices of Texas Toast, a full order of mac and cheese, cheddar cheese curds, 18 slices of American cheese, a half-pound of french fries and a half-pound of tater tots. Whew! Sounds like a Saturday night. Winners get a free meal, a T-shirt, a $10 gift certificate and a photo on the restaurant wall. Losers have to pay $35 for the meal and get a photo on the Wall of Shame. There is no time limit, but you can’t leave the table without finishing it. The challenge is not available during peak hours and marquee games.

1938 Blake St., Denver; swankys.com

The Rock Restaurant and Bar

The Rock serves a 4-pound burrito nearly the size of a newborn to the bravest of stomachs. The ground beef burrito is smothered in green chile and cheese and comes with a side of refried beans, lettuce and tomato. There’s no time limit, but the longer you let that ground beef dry out, the harder it becomes. Winners get a T-shirt and all the glory.

 22934 E. Smoky Hill Road, Aurora; rockrestaurantandbar.com

Kickin Wings

For the last 13 years, Kickin Wings has been challenging guests to finish its spiciest 10 wings in 10 minutes. And only 10 guests have completed the restaurant’s Triple X challenge. The wings are coated in Kickin Wings’ spiciest Triple X sauce, which requires gloves for handling. After you finish the 10 wings in 10 minutes, you aren’t allowed a drink for another 5 minutes. The meal is free for winners and losers, but whoever can handle the spice – akin to pepper spray – gets a gift certificate for 20 free wings.

4990 Kipling St., Wheat Ridge; facebook.com/KickinWings

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CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — One bite of a chile verde con papas burrito at Burritos Sarita in Ciudad Juárez has the power to shatter whatever preconceived notions you have about burritos. In it, a pillowy-soft flour tortilla, with hints of smoke from the griddle, swaddles a fragrant mix of tender potatoes, caramelized onions and fire-roasted chile verde that is coated in a salty and tangy thick crema.

From start to finish, the tin-foiled treasure is delicate and neat. Burrito renditions far from this border city tend to be overstuffed, oversized, overdressed and overblown. But here, a purist burrito, as locals call it, has only what it needs: one tortilla, one filling.

“It is our hallmark,” said Paty Covarrubias, the food truck’s general manager, of burritos’ importance to the city. She has been working for her aunt Sarita Alfaro’s business since she was 14.

“My tía taught me you have to know how to make every part of the burrito yourself,” she said. Covarrubias had been up since 3:50 a.m. preparing daily guisados, or stews, and kneading flour tortillas before opening at 8:30 a.m.

Just across the Rio Grande, this quintessential comida fronteriza — border food — is just as integral to the cultural identity of El Paso, Texas, Juárez’s sister city in the United States.

“You can count on someone eating a burrito every second of every hour of every day here,” said Steve Vasquez, the owner and burrito maker at La Colonial Tortilla Factory in El Paso. The tortillería sells as many as 800 burritos on any given morning.

No one questions that Juárez is the birthplace of burritos, though there are competing origin stories. Some attribute their creation to Juan Mendez, who sold guisados wrapped in flour tortillas from a donkey-pulled buggy — a burrito — during the Mexican Revolution. Others say they were born of the workers who took these wraps on the go and then called them burritos because they resembled the rolled blankets that sat atop donkeys in the fields. Some say they were named after children who helped women carry their shopping — endearingly nicknamed burritos — and paid with these wraps.

Both cities strive to maintain and preserve a purist burrito tradition while defining a fine burrito experience. Yet it is hard to deny that there is a friendly but deep rivalry.

Vasquez said La Colonial has throngs of customers from Juárez who cross the border primarily for his burrito de chile relleno with chile con queso. And Covarrubias said she has regulars from El Paso who seek out her burrito de chile verde con papas.

“I have always been scared to try the burritos from somewhere else because it is just not the same,” Vasquez said. “People brought us some from Juárez, and they are OK, but nothing like ours.”

Covarrubias once caught her daughters bringing home some burritos from El Paso. “You can imagine the scolding I gave them!” she said, laughing.

Despite that competitiveness, both cities can agree that the same essential elements produce a burrito worth bragging about: It must be made with a flour tortilla and an emphasis on one filling, with no gratuitous toppings, and eaten on the go.

Here’s more on the three essentials:

A Freshly Made Flour Tortilla

It is no coincidence that one of the most popular burrerías in El Paso is also a tortilla factory. At La Colonial, burritos are rolled to order with hot tortillas straight from the pressing machine. “My grandparents started making tortillas by hand,” Vasquez said, “but they couldn’t keep up with the demand, so they installed a machine a few years later.”

At Burritos Sarita, they refuse to change their artisanal process. Each morning, fresh masa, or dough, is kneaded and rolled by hand with a palote, a heavy rolling pin, and cooked in a hot griddle in the back of the open truck.

The dough ingredients are the same on both sides of the border: flour, salt, water, baking powder and fat. The water should be “as hot as your body can tolerate, so the masa won’t harden,” Covarrubias said. The baking powder ensures that the tortillas puff with a smooth texture. Without it, the tortillas can have a crinkly texture; but too much, and they become as stiff as crackers, she said.

Finally, you need some fat. In the region, the most popular options are lard, vegetable shortening and butter. Covarrubias and Vasquez opt for lard, though vegetable shortening produces great results for truly meatless burritos.

Customers know good flour tortillas, Covarrubias said. “They can taste the difference so well that even other Juárez burrería owners come to ours. I won’t out them, but they don’t mind standing in line for a burrito that is en su punto,” she said. That is, on point.

Filling That Stands on Its Own

Purist burritos tend to have a single extraordinary filling, with maybe an addition of cheese or avocado at most. A key difference between El Paso and Juárez is that north of the border you’ll find evidence of American influence with ingredients like chile con queso sauce, brisket or sausage scrambled with eggs instead of machaca or chorizo.

Still, those elements are transformed into home-style fillings that are strong in their own right. Brisket at La Colonial is cooked from scratch in an almost guisado-like fashion. Their chile con queso is spooned over a traditionally made chile relleno or onto boldly seasoned refried beans. Chicharrón en salsa, picadillo, frijoles con queso, chile relleno, chile verde con papas, chile verde and chile Colorado are all classics on both sides of the border.

Put your thumb and your middle finger together in a circle — that’s how slim purist burritos should be. If there is salsa, it is incorporated into a guisado or filling, not served over the top.

Packed and Eaten on the Go

Simplicity is crucial: no mess, no dress, no fuss and no platter. Purist burritos are light and neat and convenient to the extreme.

“I have offered electricians and plumbers, if I can make a platter for them and add more things,” Vasquez said. “But they say they love eating them on the way to work and how easy and convenient they are.” Oscar Herrera, a chef who splits time between the two cities, said the region is a key market for aluminum-foil companies thanks to the popularity of burritos on the go.

Covarrubias worries about the future of the kind of burrito she wakes up so early to make. Her adult children have said they’d consider working in a burrito truck, “but they are unwilling to dedicate the time to learn guisados right or make flour tortillas, as they can now be found in stores,” she said.

Maybe she can find some hope across the river. Vasquez’s 11-year-old daughter, Mia, has said she wants to continue her father’s work. “We’ll see,” he said with a sigh.

On both sides of the Rio Grande, the love for and dedication to the craft of making what they consider true burritos are perhaps what define the style most. Making them, Vasquez said, “has to come from the heart.”

Covarrubias echoed that sentiment. “The main ingredient is mucho amor.”

Recipe: Burritos de Chile Verde con Papas (Chile Verde Burritos With Potatoes)

By Pati Jinich

One of the most popular and traditional burritos of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez borderlands, this chile verde burrito is referred to as a purist burrito: It has no toppings, no garnishes and no salsas or crema to drizzle on top. It is neat, clean, slim and tightly packed; its filling is intensely flavorful, but delicate in its texture and bite. Everything in it is cooked al punto, on point: The Anaheim chiles are fire-roasted to bring out their exuberance, tenderly cooked over soft heat with almost-caramelized onions and soft-to-the-bite potatoes, and then coated in creamy crema. The fact that the best renditions of this burrito are made with freshly made flour tortillas makes the experience sublime.

Yield: 8 burritos

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (about 4 to 6 large) fresh Anaheim chiles (also known as California chiles), or chilaca or New Mexico chiles
• Kosher or sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 pound Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-by-1/4-inch matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, halved and slivered
• 1 cup Mexican crema or crème fraîche (or even heavy cream, in a pinch)
• 8 large store-bought or homemade flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded asadero, quesadilla or Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

1. Place the chiles on a baking sheet under the broiler, or directly on the grill, or right on the burner of a gas stove over medium-high heat, or on a preheated comal over medium heat. Turn them every couple minutes, for a total of about 10 minutes, until they are completely charred and blistered all over.

2. Place the roasted chiles in a lidded container, close it tightly and let them sweat for at least 10 minutes. Set them under a thin stream of cold water (or in a bowl filled with water) and peel the charred skin, which should come right off. Make a slit down one side and discard the cluster of seeds and veins. Remove the stems and cut the chiles into 1-by-1/4-inch matchsticks (about the same size as the potatoes). Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add the potatoes and cook until very soft, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, translucent and barely starting to lightly brown around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the roasted chile strips and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chile strips have softened even more. Incorporate the cooked potatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are coated with the same cooked glimmer.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the crema and simmer until it thickens and slightly darkens, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

6. Heat a comal, griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Once it’s hot, reduce the heat to low and place a tortilla on it. Once it lightly browns on one side, about 30 seconds, flip it and top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Once the cheese starts melting, 30 to 45 seconds later, remove the tortilla.

7. Add a scant 1/2 cup of the chile verde and potato filling in a thick strip to one side of the tortilla. Tuck in the top and bottom, fold and roll it into a burrito. (You can also leave it untucked and just roll it.) If you’d like the tortilla to brown a bit, you can place the filled burrito on the comal for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese and filling. Serve hot. (Though best eaten right away, you can prepare the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 5 days.)

Recipe: Flour Tortillas

By Pati Jinich

Homemade flour tortillas give every single store-bought one a run for its money and will elevate any burrito or quesadilla you make. The process is somewhat laborious, and it can be challenging to get them to be perfectly round, but perfection is not necessary, as you are going to roll or fold them anyway and your shapes will improve as you practice. This recipe uses vegetable shortening, which makes the tortillas accessible to vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Taking a cue from the El Paso and Ciudad Juárez region, these tortillas de harina fronterizas are made with hot water and baking powder and the dough rests twice, the second time with the portioned dough nicely rubbed in fat. Follow these simple steps, give the dough a chance to rest and make sure the tortilla is fully cooked: When done on the outside, brown freckles appear on both sides, and it’ll be cooked through on the inside when it puffs. The results will be worth your while, as the tortillas will be soft and pillowy. Tuck any leftovers into a sealed container and enjoy the fruits of your labor for days.

Yield: 12 (9-inch) tortillas

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 455 grams (about 3 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup/115 grams vegetable shortening (may substitute for unsalted butter or lard), plus more for coating
• 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters hot water

Preparation

1. Using your hands (or a whisk), combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening with your hand in circular motions to warm it up and spread it in the bottom of the bowl, until it is creamed and there are no lumps, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix it with the shortening, in circular motions, wiping the bowl as you mix, until the fat is evenly distributed through the flour, for about 1 or 2 minutes.

3. Distribute the water over the mixture and mix it into the flour in a circular motion, scraping from the bottom and folding and kneading the dough, pressing it from the center out to the edges of the bowl. At first it will be very sticky and lumpy, but as you continue to knead, it will become more elastic, soft and homogenous, more light, less dense and springy to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

4. Using your fingers, pinch off a heaping 1 1/2-inch ball of the dough. (You should have about 12 pieces, each about 70 grams.) Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet or board. Rub a bit of vegetable shortening in the palm of your hands and roll each ball of dough between your palms to coat it with the shortening. You may need to repeat adding vegetable shortening to your hands about 4 to 5 times to go over the 12 balls. Cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. Heat your comal, griddle, or cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes.

6. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Roll one ball into a 9-inch tortilla. You will need to rotate the tortilla on your work surface about 5 or 6 times as you roll it out, flip and add more flour as needed. Do not get discouraged if the tortilla doesn’t make a perfect round; it takes lots of practice!

7. As soon as you are done rolling out a tortilla, using both hands, lay it on the hot comal, in a swift and determined way so it doesn’t break. After 40 to 50 seconds there should be brown freckles on the bottom side and air bubbles on top. Using a spatula and your hand, flip the tortilla over and cook for another 40 to 50 seconds, until the other side is freckled and the tortilla puffs up even more. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and keep covered.

8. Repeat with the remaining dough and as you cook the tortillas. If you don’t eat all of them at once, let them cool then place them in a plastic bag and seal the bag. They will keep fresh, out of the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 days. You can also store them in your refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to eat, take them out and reheat on a preheated comal, griddle or skillet over medium low heat, for a minute or so per side. (It is very important that you preheat the comal or skillet before adding the tortillas so that they don’t stick or burn.)

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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