Conchas
Conchas, the faintly sweet buns that are made fresh every morning at bakeries in Mexico, are perfect with hot, milky coffee. Their name, meaning “shells,” comes from the pretty, sugary scalloped topping that covers each bun. The chef Gabriela Cámara, of Contramar in Mexico City, says that cooks in Mexico rarely bake conchas at home, but she developed a recipe out of necessity when cooking at Cala, her restaurant in San Francisco. At lunchtime, she splits leftover conchas to make sandwiches, which she says are especially good with spicy fillings. Julia Moskin
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