Maria and the Masa

Here's a story about Maria and using masa (nixtamalized corn dough) for other food products besides tortillas.

María stood in her kitchen, looking at the large bowl of freshly prepared masa on the counter. The scent of the corn dough filled the air, taking her back to her abuelita's kitchen when she was a little girl.

While tortillas were certainly the most common use for masa in her Mexican household growing up, María's grandmother had taught her all sorts of other delicious recipes that highlighted this versatile ingredient.

With a smile, María reached for a small portion of the masa and began forming it into a ball. She then pressed it into a thick disk and used the back of a fork to create ridges across the top, forming a rustic masa canvas. Next, she melted a knob of butter in a skillet and carefully placed the masa disk inside to fry up into a crunchy gordita. As it sizzled away, she diced up some chorizo, crumbled queso fresco, shredded lettuce, and sliced a ripe avocado to pile high on top once it was done.

After plating her savory gordita, María turned her attention back to the masa bowl. This time, she mixed in some piloncillo cane sugar, a touch of cinnamon, and a handful of raisins. Pinching off small pieces, she rolled them into oval shapes and nestled them into a baking dish, creating a batch of sweet masa pellizcadas - little finger-pinched masa bites.

As those baked with their candied aroma wafting through the kitchen, María made one final preparation. She combined masa with rich chocolate, almonds, and a hint of coffee, then shaped the mixture into picture-perfect bolitas - little chocolate masa balls that made for a delightfully unique confection.

When everything was ready, María arranged her creations on a tray and took a moment to admire and give thanks for the humble masa dough that could transform into such a diverse array of delicious dishes. She smiled, knowing her abuelita would be proud.