Artichoke Cachetada
Artichoke Cachetada
It's time to put on a crispy cheese skirt
Like everyone, I’ve had my share of bullies. I’ve also eaten my share of tacos around Mexico, and somehow these two inspired this week’s Fresca.
When I was in middle school, there was a girl named Monica. She had fair skin, her face covered in freckles, and short red hair down to her jawline. Everyone knew her because she seemingly enjoyed getting into fistfights.
One day, I was standing outside of the classroom after getting the best grade in class *again*. Monica didn’t seem to like my smarts. So she came straight at me and slapped me on the face so hard that tears immediately streamed down my face. That cachetada (“slap” in Spanish) felt like an imprint on my face, not because of the humiliation, but because the church taught me to “turn the other cheek.”
I could not dare to defend myself.
I tried to find solace in the fact that “I had lived to my principles.”
I was also 11 years old.
That moment stayed with me. It made me a fierce defender of those who are on the receiving end of bullying, aggression, and violence. I knew I could never be a bystander of violent behavior. But I admit, I’ve also struggled with being a fierce defender of myself. My defense mechanism fails me and I resort to making myself smaller in the face of aggression so as to not be noticed that I’m being hurt.
I’ve been rewriting the ending of that story in which I stand up for little Pao. I’m also rewriting it with this dish, a cachetada, which has origins in Tampico, México. There are many iterations of a cachetada, like this one from Mexicali & Co. which features a crunchy tostada with melted cheese topped with meat and uni (!).
But the main characteristic of a cachetada in the taco world is the almost-stuck layers of tortilla-cheese-meat. You know, just like a hand is stuck to the face in a slap, but also, this cachetada candy in which you roll and then peel a thin layer of caramel stuck to a film to make it into a lollipop.
This artichoke cachetada is my favorite ratio of crispy but chewy cheese. I just don’t love any of those Parmesan fricos, cheese chicharrones, or costras de queso because I might as well be eating a cracker. This cachetada features the perfect in-between texture of cheesy pulls with a golden crispy crust. In case you’re into that kind of thing like me.
The marinated artichokes come out of a jar, making it a perfect pantry dish for a quick lunch, or a late-night snack after going to a rum bar. It’s an upgrade for your everyday quesadilla. There is also a creamy spicy mayo that comes together in 15 minutes, with chiles de árbol and citrus juice. I used some of my homegrown mandarin oranges in the mayo and it brings the perfect balance of sweet brightness to break up the richness of the quesito.
Slapping Monica back with this cachetada de artichoke!
On this week’s playlist, sounds that soothe the softness I find in being kind and vulnerable.
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