A Budin Reunion

Not long ago, I went back to Cuernavaca, Mexico, and met with my childhood girlfriends. They went beyond the call of duty with the meals and, of course, updated me on all the local goings-on.

Each day started with a “girls-only” breakfast at a local restaurant. Then came lunch, which usually began at 3 p.m. On one occasion, Andrea Valeria invited us to her home, where she served a squash blossom casserole accompanied by rice and black beans with epazote.

Another afternoon, Veneranda and Beto Rivera organized a party at their home in Tepoztlan. We reminisced about Cuernavaca when it was a small town where everybody knew everybody and we used to read the local paper, La Morelense, for all the latest gossip about who was dating whom and who had been serenaded by whom. We laughed about our weekend outings to the Zocalo (center of town), with the girls going one direction and the boys another so we could meet in the middle and flirt.

Those were the days, we remembered, when we waited anxiously for the feria. The fair would be announced in every corner of town from an old car with loudspeakers on the roof. It was the perfect occasion to show off your latest dress or crinoline skirt.

It’s been a long time since those lovely days, but when I ate Andrea Valeria’s delicious budin de flor de calabaza, I was struck by how many of our old Cuernavaca traditions are still vigorous. We always used to serve budin at parties because casseroles are so good and so easy.

I learned to prepare them from my mother and grandmother. They taught me to cook the casseroles a day in advance so there would be no need to worry about the food when the guests arrived.

I have passed on this tradition to my children and friends and often cook casseroles when we have large dinner parties. They go well with salads, rice, soup or beans--and the leftovers are delicious.

SQUASH BLOSSOM CASSEROLE (Budin de Flor de Calabaza)

Though squash blossoms can be pricey in upscale stores, they are available this time of year at farmers markets.

1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 small onion, halved, plus 1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, plus 4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil

3/4 cup epazote leaves, chopped

6 to 8 serrano chiles, cut into strips

3 pounds squash blossoms, stems removed and stringy green sepals stripped off

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

36 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon butter

1 (15-ounce) jar Mexican crema or 1 pint sour cream

4 cups shredded Jack or mozzarella cheese

Simmer chicken over low heat in water to cover with halved onion, 2 cloves garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper until juices run clear when pricked with fork, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove meat from bones. Discard skin and bones. Shred meat. Strain and reserve 2 cups broth.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and saute chopped onion, chopped garlic, epazote and chiles until onion is translucent and chiles are softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash blossoms and salt and pepper to taste and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil tomato sauce and reserved broth in skillet over medium heat 5 minutes. Bathe 12 tortillas in tomato sauce mixture just until softened, 2 to 3 seconds per tortilla, and place overlapping up sides and in bottom of large buttered baking dish at least 3 1/2 inches deep.

Sprinkle half of shredded chicken over tortillas, then spread half of squash blossom mixture over chicken. Bathe 12 more tortillas in tomato sauce mixture and arrange overlapping in layer over squash blossom mixture. Sprinkle remaining chicken over tortillas and spread remaining squash blossom mixture over chicken.

Bathe remaining 12 tortillas in tomato sauce mixture and place overlapping on top of casserole. Pour Mexican crema over top and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese has melted, about 45 minutes.

8 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings:

655 calories; 763 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 38 grams fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 33 grams protein; 4.20 grams fiber.

AZTEC CASSEROLE (Budin Azteca)

2 pounds boneless pork loin

1 (12-ounce) can beer

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

1 small onion, halved, plus 2 onions, sliced

Oil

8 poblano chiles, charred, peeled and and cut in strips

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

Salt, pepper

36 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon butter

1 (15-ounce) jar Mexican crema or 1 pint sour cream

4 cups shredded Jack or mozzarella cheese

Combine pork, beer, water, bay leaf, garlic and halved onion in baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until pork is tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove pork and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain cooking liquid and reserve 2 cups. Shred pork.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add sliced onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chiles and saute 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce and reserved cooking liquid and bring to boil. Add shredded pork and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Mixture should be moist.

Pour oil about 1/4-inch deep in skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, fry each tortilla until softened, about 5 seconds per side. Do not let get crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Place 12 tortillas overlapping up sides and in bottom of large buttered baking dish or casserole at least 3 1/2 inches deep. Put half of pork mixture on tortillas. Make another layer with 12 overlapping tortillas and top with remaining pork mixture. Place remaining 12 tortillas overlapping over pork mixture to completely cover. Pour Mexican crema over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese has melted, about 40 to 45 minutes.

8 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings:

669 calories; 660 mg sodium; 94 mg cholesterol; 42 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 3.63 grams fiber.

WHITE RICE AND CHILE CASSEROLE (Budin de Arroz con Chiles)

8 poblano chiles or 16 jalapenos

2 (6-ounce) cans tuna, packed in water and drained

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

12 cups cooked rice, cooked

1 (15-ounce) jar Mexican crema or 1 pint sour cream

4 cups shredded Jack, manchego or mozzarella cheese

Char chiles. Cut off stem ends, make slit down middle of 1 side of each chile and remove seeds, taking care to keep chile whole for stuffing.

Combine tuna, tomatoes and onion and mix well. Stuff chiles with tuna mixture.

Spoon 6 cups rice in bottom of large buttered baking dish or casserole at least 3 1/2 inches deep. Place stuffed chiles on top of rice and spoon remaining rice over chiles. Pour Mexican crema over rice and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese has melted, 40 to 45 minutes.

8 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings:

469 calories; 333 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 0.34 gram fiber.

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Cook’s Tip

To char a chile, grill it or place it under a broiler until the skin begins to blacken. Turn to blacken all sides, then remove and cover with cloth or place in plastic bag for 10 minutes. The peel will slip right off.

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Leaf placemats on cover and platter in White Rice and Chile Casserole photo this page from Soup, Wes Hoolywood.