Cook Club: Ole! Taste the flavors of Mexico while celebrating Cinco de Mayo

May starts out very early with a day of celebration. Namely, the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo. This holiday which technically commemorates Mexico's victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 has, of course, morphed into a reason to enjoy the food and drinks of Mexico. Here in the states, Mexican-American food is just about on every corner. But the true cuisine of Mexico is a bit harder to find. For this month's Gazette Cook Club we want to explore a recipe and ingredients that are quintessentially considered Mexican cuisine — queso fundido also known as queso flameado.

If you eat Mexican food at all you probably have heard the word queso and know that it is the Mexican word for cheese. Fundido and flameado are a little less known but accordingly mean melted and flamed. This melted cheese dish is famous in Northern Mexico, especially in Monterrey, where it is placed in shallow, heavy dishes and quick roasted over an open grill. Many authentic taquerias (Mexican restaurants which specialize in tacos) in the United States feature this dish on their menu.

Traditionally queso fundido is topped with roasted peppers and chorizo (spiced pork sausage). For our recipe, we chose poblano peppers, which can be easily found in the local grocery store but sauteed them instead of roasting them. Poblano peppers are dark green in color and are larger in size, typically about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches long and 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide. They also are much milder than many other chiles, like jalapenos.

We couldn't go with just one kind of Mexican pepper in our dish, so we also included jalapeno with the poblano for just a bit of extra kick. You can remove the seeds like we did for just a small heat factor, but feel free to keep them in if you have a spicy palate.

Additionally we added tomatillos to the poblano saute for an additional nod to the cuisine of Mexico. The tomatillo is a small, light-green, tart fruit that looks much like a green tomato. It is wrapped in a papery husk that you remove before using. This fruit is most commonly used in Mexican green sauces. It's found in the produce section near chiles.

We rounded out our veggie mix with cilantro, also known as coriander, an herb that is used often in Mexican cuisine and brings a fragrant sweetness to spiced dishes.

The Mexican sausage chorizo is a big part of the flavor of this dish. This pork sausage is flavored with dried chile, numerous spices such as paprika, and some vinegar and is typically cooked and served in a crumbled form. To find authentic chorizo it is worth the trip to a local Mexican grocery. Often you can find chorizo in a range from mild to spicy.

While Mexico is not really known for its cheese, you can purchase a good Mexican melting cheese either at your local grocers or at a Mexican grocery. It's typically sold in a round, cake form and then can be shredded or cubed for melting. Look for a cheese that says it is meant for melting.

Queso fundido is a nice light dinner when served with corn or flour tortillas or a tempting appetizer with tortilla chips. It comes together quickly for a truly fun meal. Whether this becomes your way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or not it is at least your own glimpse into the varied flavors of Mexico.

Recipe

Queso Fundido with Chorizo

Serves 3 to 4 as a light meal or 5 to 6 as an appetizer

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium tomatillo, husk removed and diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

6 ounces mild chorizo sausage, casing removed

3 cups Mexican cheese (and/or Mozzarella/Monterey Jack), shredded

Heat oven to 375 degrees and place a 9-inch pie pan or gratin dish in to warm.

In medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, tomatillo, jalapeno and cumin and saute until onion turns light brown and the tomatillo starts to soften. Add 1/4 cup of the cilantro and saute for a minute. Place the cooked vegetables into a bowl and set aside.

Warm up the other tablespoon of oil in the same skillet and cook chorizo until done, about 10 minutes. Place cooked chorizo on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up some of the grease.

Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the bottom. Next, spread cooked vegetables on top. Layer with another cup of cheese. Spread the chorizo over the cheese and top with the last cup of cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the dish is bubbling and cheese is starting to brown. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve immediately with warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips.

Mexican Cookbooks to Enjoy

• 'Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico' by Rick Bayless

• 'The Taste of Mexico' by Patricia Quintana

• 'Pati's Mexican Table' by Pati Jinich