Cooking for two

Fresh salsa verde spices up tostadas

Our house has long been toasty on the bottom and cold on top for reasons we've never investigated.

In the parlance of the day, we'd shrug, "It is what it is." Though we might have admitted, "What it is, is cold."

As winter settled in, the local listserve urged: Bleed the radiator. Violence solves little. And yet, the task sounded intriguing: Find radiator, insert key, turn left. Air hissed out. After which the radiator was happy to radiate. And what it radiated was heat.

Cold mornings were banished with a mere twist of the wrist. Imagine if we'd picked up this trick a decade earlier.

Now we're toasty as tostadas, which made an apt celebratory meal. For the new year, we're revising that tired truism. Maybe: "It is what it is, unless you figure out what's wrong with it and fix it." And then down something delicious.

Not catchy. But effective.

The tostadas served at The Spinster Sisters restaurant in Santa Rosa, Calif., are made with fresh tortillas and heirloom beans. Delicious, no doubt. So is this version compiled from ready-made tortillas and canned beans. Fresh salsa verde is well worth the effort.

Spinster Sisters Tostadas

1 (28-ounce) can black beans

3 1/2 cups thinly shredded raw cabbage

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons lime juice

Canola oil

Salt

6 small corn tortillas (5 or 6 inches in diameter)

1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese

Salsa Verde (recipe follows)

1 avocado, halved, sliced

Pour beans and their liquid into a medium saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and let heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the dish. Add a little water if they look dry.

In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, radishes and cilantro. Dress with the lime juice, 2 tablespoons canola oil and a little salt.

Pour canola oil to a depth of 1/4 inch into a heavy skillet. Set over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until crisp, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on kitchen towels.

Set tortillas on a platter. Top with beans and sprinkle with cheese. Pile on cabbage salad. Finish with a spoonful of the salsa and a few slices of avocado. Serve with additional salsa.

Makes about 3 servings.

Salsa Verde

6 tomatillos, husks removed

1 serrano chile or other hot pepper

1/4 yellow onion

1/4 bunch cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Settle tomatillos in a saucepan; fill with cold water to cover. Simmer until they turn from spring green to olive drab, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain. Halve and seed the serrano pepper. Slice the onion. Cook chile and onion in a dry, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until charred, about 4 minutes.

Combine the drained tomatillos, charred pepper and onion, the cilantro and salt in a blender and puree.

Food on 01/18/2017

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