TAQUITOS!!!!!!

dudes,
taco dumplings?
mexico wontons??
chipotle pouches of power???
YEAH!!!
i made a new thing,
and it's not just super-sexy lookin',
it also tastes like mystical wizardly magic, man.
no foolin'.
check it out:

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
the dough was a rule of thirds kind of thing-
1/3 cup semolina.
1/3 cup white flour.
1/3 cup corn meal.
1/3 cup hot water.
a pinch of salt, a little GPOP,
and a pat of butterish.
that's it.
rolled on a really well floured surface,
i got twenty something 2.5" circles to make it happen with.
sweet.
the filling was elite, and it relied heavily on chipotle seasoning-
look:

yup.
olive oil, plus those beans and onions and garlic and peppers,
and of course, the spice-
that's smoky chipotle peppers, a little cumin, a little ancho pepper,
GPOP, cayenne, smoked paprika, and a few sriracha flakes.
i'll say this:
while the pan was sizzlin' away, the whole house smelled amazing.
spices and oil and heat really do great things together.
anyway, that cooled off a bit,
and i added a little scoople in the center of each corny circle,
with a classic fold, pinch, and tuck to make each one extra cute.
awwwwww.
guys!
hot vegetable oil, right in the pan with all the leavin's from the filling?
genius!
everything got hot, and toasty, and wonderful,
and by the time i had every little dumplestiltskin in there,
the Folk Life & Liberty Fortress i call home was alive with anticipation!
ha.
i mean it.
the dumps rest for a few, while the dough settles down,
and that keeps them from sticking and ripping.
now,
here's the thing-
y'gotta give that shallow oil a little steamy sizzle.
uh-huh.
don't be scared.
shake a little chipotle on top of the dumps,
and then add a few tablespoons of hot water to that pan,
and cover it.
WHOAH!!
that'll do some things you'll be happy about!
the cornmeal gets cooked as the water disappears,
and once it's all absorbed, after just a coiupe of minutes,
and with just a couple of flips into the searing hot oil,
you'll have perfectly fried, golden-brown,
ultimate expert flavorbomb nom-noms to stuff in your hungry hungry hole!!
oh, and here's another thing-
you MUST garnish it with the hottness.
yup.
rules is rules, and this one is in stone.
jalapeno slices.
cilantro.
french-cut green onion.
one. two. three. let's make it work.
hmm?
sauce?
oh. yeah.
sauce!
a simple stewed small tomato, lime juice, poblano, jalapeno,
green onion and cilantro simmer was all i needed.
a little salt,
a little GPOP,
and time over low heat.
that's tight.
and it goes GREAT with those plumpy dumpies.
did i squeeze more lime on all of that?
what are you?
an A*-hole?
of course i did.
that's the best part.
and do they go great with a scoop of salsa AND guacamole?
you bet your sweet bum-bum they do.
***********
neighbors,
i love it when things work out.
it can be the difference between a decent meal and a great day.
especially when it's the first of february,
and i'm all alone for lunch, as usual,
in the house i live alone in forever,
and it's the fourth year anniversary
of obtaining sole proprietorship of this fabulous Fortress of solitude?
well,
i needed a little lift of spirits.
on the real-
cookin' up some good food did just that.
it's all really happening.
that's no lie.
and all of it is leading somewhere.
up or down or sideways remains to be seen.
i think i just feel like i'm standing still,
because i'm moving at the exact same speed as my life.
shoulder-to shoulder, neck and neck, with infinity, eternity,
and the secret universal plan.
i have to either get faster, or watch the floor slip out from under me.
this is it, kids.
get better or get lost;
never quiet, never soft.....