Forget Taco Tuesday—You'll Want Julia Turshen's Chorizo Tacos Everyday

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My friend JJ Goode is a fellow cookbook writer and also one of the funniest people I know. He has collaborated with some of the greatest folks and I particularly love the books that JJ has worked on with Roberto Santibañez (Truly Mexican and Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales). Not long after JJ and Katie, his very smart and awesome wife, welcomed their son, Remy, into the world, Grace and I stopped by their place for a visit.

While we were admiring Remy’s laughter, JJ put a Roberto-inspired meal together. There was a skillet of chorizo and potatoes alongside a stack of warm tortillas and a molcajete (a stone mortar) filled with tomatillo salsa. There was a simple salad and some ice cream for dessert. It was all very easy and incredibly good. From Roberto’s kitchen to JJ’s to mine, this inspired menu is all about having a few friends over for a relaxed, welcoming meal.

JJ and I talk often about the really fun, albeit unusual, work we both do collaborating on other people’s books. We compare notes about the recipes, ingredients, and skills we’ve learned from these collaborations and have woven into our own lives.

Excerpted from Julia Turshen's cookbook Now & Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers, published by Chronicle Books.

Whether you're already a taco aficionado or can't wait to try out this recipe for the first time, here are some handy tips and tricks we picked up from Julia:

Before serving the salsa, let it come to room temperature.

Although this salsa is probably best enjoyed the second it comes out of the blender, it can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed food storage container the refrigerator for up to three days. Cooked tomatillos that are then chilled in the fridge have a tendency to thicken, so just remember to give the salsa some time to come to room temperature before serving. (You may also want to add an extra splash of lime juice or salt to brighten it right back up.)

Treat your potatoes with care.

It may seem like a tedious extra step to boil the potatoes before crisping them up in the pan, but it's actually the quickest and easiest way to make sure they're nice and soft on the inside. Also make sure to give them a few good shakes in the colander to ensure they're dry before they hit the pan—that way you'll get a perfectly even crust and avoid oil splatters.

There's an art to warming up tortillas.

The microwave works in a pinch, but you take your taco-making skills seriously, don't you? Try charring them directly on the flame of your gas stove or outdoor grill for a hot second, then, wrap the stack of tortillas in a slightly damp kitchen towel and allow them to steam for a few minutes.

Tortillas aren't the only vehicle for taco filling.

Speaking of tortillas...if you've got dietary restrictions or simply feel like mixing things up, an easy swap try using a lettuce wrap instead. Bibb or butter lettuce is your best bet, since they have wide leaves that are sturdy enough to hold as much taco filling as your heart desires. When buying this type of lettuce, you want to pick the freshest leaves possible and avoid any that appear wilted since they will be more likely to rip or tear.

Give leftovers new life.

The best part about making this recipe? The leftovers can easily do double duty with just a tiny bit of effort. Julia smartly suggests using them to make a breakfast hash the next morning: Add the filling to a hot, lightly oiled skillet, cook it up until it's warm, then use a spatula to press down to slightly crush the potatoes so that everything binds together and crisps up. Top the hash with any style egg—and some of that tomatillo salsa—and you've got yourself a restaurant-worthy breakfast.

We're firm believers in the fact that little things can make a big impact. The quality and freshness of ingredients can take a simple dish from good to great. Sharing a treasured recipe with friends can creating lasting memories around the dinner table. And home appliances that are reliable and intuitive—like the Benchmark side-opening wall oven we used to make this recipe—can streamline getting dinner on the table, making your entire week less stressful. We've partnered with Bosch to celebrate these small but vital boosts in our day-to-day lives, with recipes, videos, and more.