Gorditas Tinga

Cover the shredded iceberg lettuce with cold water and a generous pinch of salt. Swish around with your hands, and then drain off the excess water.

To serve the sopes, place a gordita on a plate. Cover with the chicken tinga, followed by a small handful of lettuce, a smattering of red onion slices, a few wedges of avocado, a dollop of crema, and a large sprinkle of Cotija cheese. Drizzle with additional guajillo salsa.

Guajillo Salsa 

Dried guajillo peppers have rich depth of flavor with mild heat. For a hotter salsa, increase the amount of chipotle peppers.

1 Place the tomatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, and simmer until the tomatoes are completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, cover the dried guajillos with water. Set aside to rehydrate for 10 minutes.

3 Transfer the tomatoes and softened guajillos to a blender, along with the chipotles, garlic, onion, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with some of the tomato cooking liquid, and blend until smooth, adding additional tomato cooking liquid as needed to keep the salsa moving in the blender. Maria sometimes uses the chicken cooking liquid for added flavor.

4 Strain the salsa through a sieve, and set aside.

Tinga 

This shredded chicken can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days before use. Strain and save the cooking liquid to use for reheating, or use it to cook a batch of rice or beans: Those layers of flavor are worth keeping for the next meal.

1 Combine the onion, garlic, salt, and chicken in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until chicken is no longer raw in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

2 Remove the chicken, and set aside until it's cool enough to handle. Shred with a fork.

3 In a deep skillet or saucepan, combine the shredded chicken with enough salsa to completely moisten it. Add bay leaves and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken absorbs the salsa flavors and the aroma is mouthwatering.

Gorditas 

These masa cakes could be translated as "little fatties," a name attributed to the thickness of the dough rather than the way they are fried.

1 Combine masa and salt in a mixing bowl. Add warm water, and begin to mix together with your hands, adding additional water as necessary while continuing to knead the dough together. The masa should form a cohesive dough, similar to play dough, and will still be slightly tacky. If the dough seems too dry, continue to add warm water in small increments. If the dough becomes too wet, add additional masa to firm it back up. This dough is flexible, and it takes practice to get a feel for it.

2 Cover the base of a large skillet with enough canola oil to measure 1 inch deep. Begin to heat the oil over medium-high heat.

3 Scoop a golf ball-sized portion of dough into your hands, and pat it into a disc, approximately 4 inches across and 1/4-inch thick. Carefully lower into the hot oil, and fry until lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Continue to cook the remaining gorditas several at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.

Flavors of Mexico: The Aguayo Family

The spicy, sweet aroma of simmering chicken and salsa fills the kitchen as Maria Aguayo lifts the lid and beckons her son, Jose, to lean in and smell. Her daughter, Ana, watches from across the kitchen, smiling at her mother's enthusiasm, and says, "She's adorable." And she is right. Maria cooks with ease and a bit of show, demonstrating a dish that is as much a part of their home in Northwest Arkansas as it was in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Aguayo family has been here since 1997, and they have brought their food culture with them. Jose and Ana both remember the shock of American food on their lunch trays those first few days of school. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sloppy Joes were an unwelcome mystery, and they continue to prefer the flavors of Mexico.

Finding the ingredients for their beloved tamales, enchiladas, and mole used to be a challenge. But the variety of ethnic markets has grown with the increasing immigrant population, making it easy for Maria to find nearly anything she needs to recreate her Mexican cuisine.

In recent years, both Jose and Ana have switched to a vegetarian diet. Breaking the news to their parents was an event, and Maria struggled to comprehend why her children would give up something as delicious as carne asada. But Maria is creative in the kitchen, and she has adapted her recipes and developed new ones to please the palates of her grown children. Ana raves about her mother's fish tamales, and gladly eats a sope without the chicken. Maria just smiles, eating her own sope with plenty of chicken piled on top.