Father's Day Homemade Tortillas & Taco Bar Masterclass
The grill-season technique that changed how I grill vegetables, and a Father's Day class months in the making.
Letter from the Kitchen
My Memorial Day Audiobook and Grill
A few months ago, Mark (husband) gave me a pair of AirPods. I wouldn’t have bought them for myself — why would I? Well, I’m a fan now. Thanks, Mark.
I had an Audible account years ago and canceled it. Listening on my phone, my mind wandered. The book got lost somewhere between chapter one and whatever I was working on.
AirPods are different. The sound is in your head with noise cancellation. It’s easier to concentrate.
What I’ve figured out: I can’t do anything else that takes real attention. Cleaning the house, yes. Working on my computer, no. Walking, yes. Prepping a recipe, not a chance.
I got through The Great Gatsby and several Amor Towles novels. Then I went back to Heat by Bill Buford — his year at Babbo with Mario Batali (pre-all that stuff), then his trip down Batali’s path through Italy to teach himself to cook.
Now I need the next book. Cookbooks don’t translate to audio — I’ve tried. I’ll pick my next read by Saturday.
It’s part of my Memorial Day weekend plan. The grill is the other part.
Most of what’s below is about the grill.
Last Week, You Answered
The Grill Answer Was Mostly Meat
Last week I asked: First grill of the season — what’s going on it?
Whole chickens. Brats. Burgers. A few ribeyes. Almost nobody led with vegetables.
That makes sense. The first grill of the season is celebratory. You’re announcing summer — with meat!
So this is for the carnivores. Two recipes from my site — one sauce, one marinade. Both are worth repeating.
Join Me at the Table
Father's Day Masterclass: Homemade Tortillas and the Taco Bar
I’ve been working on my puffed tortilla technique for months. It’s finally ready.
Four colors of corn. Blue. Yellow. Red. White. Each one tastes (and cooks) differently.
The class is on the calendar for Father’s Day, June 21st. Hands-on, full meal:
Nixtamalized tortillas in all four corns
A taco bar — fish with roasted tomatillo salsa, slow pork with mango salsa, roasted cauliflower with romesco
Molcajete guacamole, made by hand
Cucumber jalapeño paletas to close it out
View Class Dates & Book Your Stool →
This class is limited to 8 people. Full menu on website.
What’s Happening in the Kitchen
Months of Tortillas
The puffed tortilla technique took longer to master than I expected. Hydration. Press pressure. The exact comal temperature — very difficult to control. Four types of masa, each one cooks differently.
I’m not sure how many test tortillas got eaten or composted along the way. Enough that I lost track.
It’s ready. The class above is the result.
The Podcast Hook
Every Vendor Is Different
A week after the episode, what’s stayed with me is how Ashley runs the market with so much involvement. She tries to know every vendor. Each operation is unique. She appreciates and honors this.
Friday, May 29 at 7:30 AM · Episode 6 — Josiah Christensen: What Mushrooms Are Actually Doing for You
Friday, June 12 at 7:30 AM · Episode 7 — Russ Willenbring: The Secrets Behind Extraordinary Produce
Friday, June 25 at 7:30 AM · Episode 8 — Maddie Jensen: Inside Eversharp: Knives, Craftsmanship, and Community
New episodes every other Friday.
The Skill: The New Basics
The Marinade Comes After
Most people marinate vegetables before they go on the grill and brush it on as their cooking. The marinade ends up on the grates. The vegetables get the smoke and not much else.
Solution? Prep the vegetables. Grill them simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Hit them with an herb-and-olive-oil marinade after they come off.
The Quick Win
This weekend, take whatever you’re grilling — asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, peppers — and grill them with nothing but a film of oil and salt. Off the heat, toss them in a bowl with olive oil, lemon, herbs, and garlic (or the marinade in the recipe below). The marinade goes on hot vegetables. They soak it in.
The Most Common Mistake
Throwing vegetables on the grill straight from the marinade. The oil drips, the grill smokes, the herbs burn. You marinate the grill, not the vegetables.
One Brand Worth Having
Maldon Sea Salt. The flakes catch on hot vegetables. They don’t dissolve. They also make a smoked version. It puts grill flavor on something that never saw a grill. Both belong on the counter all summer.
Recipe Spotlight
After Years of Wrong
The Soul
After years of under-grilling and over-grilling vegetables, I sat down and worked out a guide. Prep ahead. Grill without the marinade. Finish with an olive-oil-and-herb marinade off the heat. The work is in the prep. I like to grill ahead and pop them in the oven or back on the grill to reheat — spoon on the marinade and serve. I have time to focus on the meat or the fish and the people at the table.
The Bridge
In the Midwest, we typically build menus around the meat. Grilling season is when that script can easily flip. Vegetables go first and will become the center of attention. My guide walks through what each one needs — asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, and more. With a little special treatment, they all cook perfectly.
🍽 Get the Full Printable Recipe →
The Mediterranean Edit
This Week I’m Loving...
Three tools this week. These are favorites and will come in very handy this summer.
Tool
Nocutu Mandoline
The name is “no-cut-you.” It’s the most manageable mandoline I own — adjustable blade with three slicing widths, compact, stable. I trust it more than my large professional mandoline, which says everything. The guard works, but I still prefer a chain-mail glove—faster, easier, more consistent prep.
Tool
Fluicer
A flat juicer. Easiest I’ve ever used. Most efficient I’ve ever used. Effortless. It catches the seeds and the pulp. Everyone I’ve given one to has gone back and bought more.
Tool
Microplane Foot File
Don’t laugh. The Microplane foot file is the best lemon and lime zester I have ever owned. It pulls the zest, not the pith. It holds what it pulls, so the counter stays clean. I use them in every class. Everyone reacts the same way — first they laugh, then they buy one. I haven’t tried it on my feet. I’m sure that works fine too.
Cookbook Chronicles
Two Shoots, Two Classes
Some weeks get rather busy.
The pulled-pork taco shot wrapped first — slow-cooked pork, mango salsa, and the tortillas. The guacamole shot followed. Homemade chips! Oh my YUM!
Pizza class. Amalfi Coast class.
The book is closer to finished than it was last week.
Taco Shoot
Guacamole Shoot
Pizza Class
Amalfi Class
Before You Go — This Week’s Question
One Vegetable You’ve Never Grilled
What’s one vegetable you’ve never put on the grill — and what’s stopping you?
Reply or drop it in the comments. I read every one.
Until next Thursday — keep a good olive oil on the counter and don’t be afraid to use it.
— Chef Laura