Tortillas

Good, fresh corn tortillas are not always easy to find. But in and around the core of L.A., there are places where the tortillas are so fragrant and tender just off the grill that you'll want to eat them at once. At these spots, you can also usually buy home-style, freshly made flour tortillas, extra-thick Central American corn tortillas and platter-sized tortillas from Oaxaca. Flour power These handmade flour tortillas are thin and flexible. The shop sells handmade corn tortillas too. Either type is $1.50 a dozen.

The first time Matthew Schwartz ditched junior high in the early 1980s, some upperclassmen smuggled him in the back seat of a car and drove to Henry's Tacos. "We could have gone anywhere, but we went to Henry's," said Schwartz, 42, a Pasadena lawyer. "It was the place to go. " Schwartz has been coming to the taco stand in Studio City since he was a second-grader. Other than price inflation, the bare-bones menu has stayed the same for 51 years: ground beef tacos, refried bean and orange-cheese burritos, and "taco burgers.

Ever consider making your own tortillas? It's really easy: All you need is masa (you can find prepared masa at almost any Latin market, or mix up some masa flour with water and a little salt until soft and smooth), a tortilla press and a griddle or flat cooking surface. Oh, and maybe an hour or so of your time. We published an article a few years ago on the best tortillas in Los Angeles, including a tutorial on making your own . And if you're interested,  on reinventing the taco at home . And yes, recipes are included (at the end of the story)

Ever consider making your own tortillas? It's really easy: All you need is masa (you can find prepared masa at almost any Latin market, or mix up some masa flour with water and a little salt until soft and smooth), a tortilla press and a griddle or flat cooking surface. Oh, and maybe an hour or so of your time. We published an article a few years ago on the best tortillas in Los Angeles, including a tutorial on making your own . And if you're interested,  on reinventing the taco at home . And yes, recipes are included (at the end of the story)

HOW to choose among the seemingly endless array of tortillas available in Los Angeles? The Times tasting panel met last week to give it a try. Joining me on the panel were food editor Leslie Brenner, assistant food editor Betty Hallock, staff writer Charles Perry, test kitchen director Donna Deane and recipe tester Noelle Carter. We tasted handmade corn tortillas purchased from area markets, tortillerias and taquerias, including Los 5 Puntos on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, El Parian on West Pico Boulevard, Olvera Street's La Luz del Dia and Tonny's in Pasadena.

  Total time: 1 hour Servings: 6 Note: The chicharrones de queso are adapted from Jimmy Shaw, chef-owner of Lotería Grill, who serves them with warm tortillas, guacamole and salsa verde. Make the salsa one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend. You will have extra salsa; save the remainder for another use. 5 tomatillos, peeled of their husks and finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 cucumber (not English), peeled, seeded and finely diced (about 1 cup)

Once you accept the fact that Luis Santiero's "Our Lady of the Tortilla," at Alternative Repertory Theatre, is little more than a sitcom episode, you can relax and enjoy its little jokes. That's not to say there isn't more in the play than jokes. Santiero has some comments on the foolishness of empty dreams, the benefit of belief and, most prominently, the value--or lack of value--in maintaining too powerful a hold on one's heritage. But he doesn't belabor his comments.

Authorities will give credit cards to 3.2 million poor families who have never had them before, the government newspaper El Nacional reported Thursday. The credit cards will be good for two pounds of free tortillas a day.

In the beginning, there was grilled cheese, and it was good. How could it not be — creamy melted cheese, bread crisped in butter? And then, of course, came the panini, once a simple Italian snack bar staple, turned seemingly ubiquitous. Now it looks like it may be the quesadilla's turn. And, really, the only thing to be said is: It's about time. Granted, making quesadillas is not going to earn you a reputation among your friends as the next Top Chef. Not unless it's at the end of a long day of work and they're hungry.

Green enchiladas in the oven Total time: About 1 hour Servings: 6 Note: Enchiladas are always better if made individually and served immediately. However, if you are having a party, you can assemble the dish like a casserole ahead of time. Assemble the enchiladas in the baking dish without adding the remaining salsa, cream or cheese. About 30 minutes before you are ready to sit down to dinner, pour the salsa on top of the dish, layer over the cream and cheese and place it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

  Note: Times Test Kitchen Cook Mayi Brady regularly creates recipes for our Quick Fix and Second Helpings columns. When that far-away look in her eye turns to a glimmer, you know she has something good in mind. This spicy, filling soup by Brady was published as a Quick Fix in late July--prime swimsuit season, she noted--when you don't want to eat a lot but do want something satisfying. The way we put it away, bathing suit profiles didn't seem to matter. Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes * Vegetarian 1 tablespoon oil 2 onions, sliced 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 ear corn, husk and silk removed 1 (6-ounce)

Comfort food doesn't get much better -- or easier -- than a platter of enchiladas. Use leftover chicken (or pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store on your way home) to make these lightly-spiced green enchiladas. You can prepare this meal in about an hour, and that includes making your own homemade tomatillo salsa. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

Dinner doesn't get much better -- or more simple -- than quesadillas. Melt some cheese over a warm tortilla, add an extra filling or two, and you're good to go. In this variation, tortillas are stuffed with quickly cooked greens and chunks of feta and mozzarella, the tortillas warmed until lightly browned and the cheese oozes just slightly. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 8 Note: This is a lighter version of what's usually a decadent dish. If you want the luxurious version, skip the chicken broth and stir in at least one cup of Mexican crema or to taste. Be sure to use Mexican crema and not sour cream. Crema is available at any Latino supermarket. Crème fraîche is an acceptable substitute. 6 poblano peppers 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

On the plate, a wide-eyed Malcolm McDowell stares up at me from beneath his bowler. It's a bit disconcerting to find the violent figure from "A Clockwork Orange" sharing space with seared day-boat scallops at Playa . On another plate, squash blossom tempura is framed by another scene from the brilliant (and creepy) film. John Sedlar is pushing the envelope again. Sedlar has never been able to do just food. He has the impulses of a conceptual artist, except his medium is food.

Chirmole , a high-intensity soupy sauce as black as squid ink, is poured over tender poached chicken and holds a single hard-cooked egg. This classic Maya dish, dubbed "black dinner" in tiny Central American Belize, is based on darkly charred chiles, ground to a mud-colored paste with a litany of seasonings as complex as that of any Oaxacan mole. It's easy to go through several baskets of corn tortillas mopping up every trace of its toasty, hauntingly pungent liquid. Chirmole is a weekend indulgence at Flavors of Belize , one of the first new restaurants to offer this cuisine in a very long time.

Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 8 Note: This is a lighter version of what's usually a decadent dish. If you want the luxurious version, skip the chicken broth and stir in at least one cup of Mexican crema or to taste. Be sure to use Mexican crema and not sour cream. Crema is available at any Latino supermarket. Crème fraîche is an acceptable substitute. 6 poblano peppers 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

Chirmole , a high-intensity soupy sauce as black as squid ink, is poured over tender poached chicken and holds a single hard-cooked egg. This classic Maya dish, dubbed "black dinner" in tiny Central American Belize, is based on darkly charred chiles, ground to a mud-colored paste with a litany of seasonings as complex as that of any Oaxacan mole. It's easy to go through several baskets of corn tortillas mopping up every trace of its toasty, hauntingly pungent liquid. Chirmole is a weekend indulgence at Flavors of Belize , one of the first new restaurants to offer this cuisine in a very long time.

I squeeze past the podium, following the hostess sashaying in front of me toward our table at the new Playa . Light fixtures like giant albino sea urchins dangle overhead. A waiter crosses my path bearing a plate with a single large clamshell the size of a purse. Our table is at the very back, past a handsome rusted steel wall and tables filled with startling plates, laughter and beguiling cocktails. First Rivera, now Playa. John Sedlar, the chef who shocked Angelenos at Abiquiu some years back by serving a tamale on a plate bearing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, is on a roll.

Green enchiladas in the oven Total time: About 1 hour Servings: 6 Note: Enchiladas are always better if made individually and served immediately. However, if you are having a party, you can assemble the dish like a casserole ahead of time. Assemble the enchiladas in the baking dish without adding the remaining salsa, cream or cheese. About 30 minutes before you are ready to sit down to dinner, pour the salsa on top of the dish, layer over the cream and cheese and place it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.