Masa

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

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.

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

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.

The Masa Harina adds a pleasant flavor to the light and fluffy pancakes.

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

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