Masa

Masa Harina is an ingenious addition to these savory shellfish cakes from chef George Mahaffey of The Restaurant at The Little Nell in Aspen.

Tortillas de Maiz Packaged tortillas are available everywhere, but homemade ones have better flavor and a more tender texture.

These little quesadillas are made with masa rather than packaged tortillas.

Tlacoyos con Queso de Cabra Traditionally these rustic cakes are made with a mashed bean filling. The goat cheese called for here adds a contemporary twist.

Sausage and Potato Mini-Turnovers The dough for these little turnovers may be pressed either by hand or with a tortilla press.

The filling of these savory Latin pastries, served at Café Iguana, in Denver, Colorado, is accented with chilies, raisins and almonds.

Memelas are similar to chalupas and sopes. Pinching up the edges and creating tiny bumps in the centers helps keep the filling in place, which becomes important when the memelas are large.

Masa labeled "masa preparada para tamales" often contains baking powder and salt, so don't add either if it does. Soak the husks three hours ahead or overnight.

Poblano chilies (fresh green chilies), tomatillos (green tomato-like fruits), dried corn husks, and Masa Harina are found at many supermarkets and Latin American markets.

This refried-bean-slathered gordita with all the fixings is a Mazatlán specialty.

A combination of beer and vodka keeps the masa and rice flour batter on these swordfish pieces ultralight and delightfully crisp.

These crunchy tenders will give you tortilla chip vibes in the best way (and they just so happen to be gluten-free).

If you can spread peanut butter on bread, you can make these homemade tamales filled with pork slathered in a bright red chile purée. 

Once you taste this classic Salvadoran dish, you’ll definitely want to experiment with the fillings.

A tamal filled with carrots, habaneros, and garlic is chef Maricela Vega’s celebration of how the harvest from summer and fall floats into wintertime.

Masa harina is a ground corn flour, commonly used to make corn tortillas, and is not the same thing as cornmeal. Maseca brand is fairly ubiquitous in grocery stores; other types can be found and ordered online.