Salvadoran Quesadilla
A Salvadoran quesadilla, unlike the Mexican dish of the same name, is a sweet bread verging on cake, just savory enough for breakfast or a midafternoon pick-me-up. There are variations based on rice flour, yuca flour or masa harina; Karla Tatiana Vasquez, in “The SalviSoul Cookbook” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), suggests all-purpose flour as an accessible starting point. Traditionally, the quesadilla’s salty kiss comes from queso duro blando, an aged Salvadoran cheese, but Parmesan, equally funky, makes a good substitute. Crema Salvadoreña, the thick top skimmed off fresh cream and left to turn gently sour, brings a touch of tang. It’s akin to crème fraîche, which may be used instead. (In a pinch, Ms. Vasquez has improvised with diluted yogurt.) Ideally, she says, you whip up the quesadilla after lunch, bake it until there’s browning at the edges, let cool, and by 3 o’clock it’s yours for the taking, between sips of hot, dark coffee. Ligaya Mishan
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