A new cookbook includes recipes from 21 different Latin American countries. Food writer and cookbook author Sandra A. Gutierrez joins us to discuss her new book, Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America.

Pupusas de Queso y LorocoCheese and Loroco Bud Pupusas

El Salvador | Yield: Serves 4–6 | Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Total Cooking Time: 1 hour

Pupusas are the plump, stuffed, and griddled Salvadorian masa cakes beloved by multitudesaround the world. They can be filled with beans, cheese, pork, or a combination of the three,called revueltas. But my preferred pupusas are stuffed with a mix of both creamy and meltingcheeses that serve as a canvas to the delicate flavor of loroco buds, from the vine that growsin the wild throughout Central America. Loroco is easy to come by in Latin American stores,where you’ll find it either frozen or packed in jars, but if you can’t find it, substitute your favoritegreen (such as kale or collards) or chopped asparagus.

3 cups (400 grams) masa harina3 1⁄4–3 1⁄2 cups (800–840 ml) warmwater (110°–120°F/40°–50°C)1 1⁄2 cups (115 grams) shreddedqueso blanco, Muenster,or other melting cheese1⁄2 cup (115 grams) soft goat cheese1⁄2 cup (60 grams) choppedloroco buds1⁄2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil1 recipe Curtido de Repollo (page 227)1 recipe Salsa de TomatePreparada (page 161) orSalsa Santa Rosa (page 163)

In a large bowl, combine the masa harina with 3¼ cups (800 ml) of the water and knead withyour hands until you have a soft dough with the consistency of playdough or mashed potatoes(add more water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed). Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen toweland let the dough rest for 10 minutes. To determine whether it is of the correct consistency,shape a bit of masa into a ball and press it flat into a disc. If the edges of the masa crack whenshaped, add a bit more water, a few tablespoons at a time; if the dough is too soft, add a bit moremasa harina, a few tablespoons at a time. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, stir togetherthe cheeses and loroco buds until the mixture comes together into a ball. Line a baking panwith a damp kitchen towel. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (or heatan electric griddle to 375°–400°F (190°C–200°C). Moisten your hands with a little bit of theoil and divide the masa into 12 equal portions of about ⅓ cup (3 ounces/85 grams each); pateach into a ½ inch (12 mm) thick disk. Keep them covered with a damp towel so they don’tdry out. Working with one disk at a time, place 2 heaping tablespoons of the cheese filling inthe center; bring the outer edges of the dough up and together over the filling to enclose it.With oiled hands, roll the pupusa into a ball and then pat it again into a ½ inch thick (12 mm)disk between the palms of your hands (or press it down with a tortilla press lined with plastic),making sure that the filling does not escape. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.Place the pupusas on the griddle and cook until they are golden, with brown flecks, about 4 to5 minutes per side. (If the griddle is too hot, the exterior of the pupusas will burn before they’recooked through. If you see black rather than brown flecks forming as they cook, reduce the heatof your griddle.) Transfer the finished pupusas to the prepared baking pan, covering them withthe damp towel (this allows them to steam and become tender). Serve the pupusas topped withthe slaw and a generous spoonful of the tomato sauce or salsa.

Variations• To make pupusas de queso, replace the loroco buds with more melting cheese.• To make pupusas de chicharrón, replace the cheese and loroco with 8 ounces (225 grams) ofcooked ground pork (or shredded carnitas).• To make pupusas revueltas, mix cheese, loroco, and cooked pork in a food processor until it formsa paste with the texture of thick mashed potatoes (it should hold its shape when pressed together),then use it to stuff the pupusas