“Everything Can Be” Breakfast Tostadas

I recently poured my way through the cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen, by Gabriela Camara and finished feeling totally reaffirmed in my belief that cookbooks are just the best books. My favorite books. I’m the type that reads every single word in every single cookbook that I have/receive – including the ingredient lists and recipe directions.

I suppose this is the primary reason behind why I know how to cook. Absorbing all of that knowledge over a lifetime of doing this is bound to result in some sort of a substantive education. That, coupled with an almost obsessive practice of well, practicing, will result in a home cook well trained, I think.

I am particularly interested in learning more about the foods and footways of Mexico, as it is a cuisine that my family seeks out so very often. The Tex Mex we enjoy, however, isn’t quite the same as the fare served on tables throughout the country of Mexico, and I was so happy to do a deep dive into this fantastic book to learn not only more about the cuisine of Mexico City, but also the specific cuisine of the inimitable and hugely influential Gabriela Camara.

Gabriela’s book is filled with wonderful Mexican food and her explanations behind it all are particularly intriguing – I learned so much reading this book. The specific point I’m homing in on in today’s post, however, is her explanation that “everything can be a taco.” Or in this case, tostada.

And it’s true. Gabriela sort of laughs at the vast array of hugely specific taco recipes that you’ll see plastered all over the American food scene – from restaurant menus to well, blogs just like mine. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, Garbiela explains that a taco can be anything you want or need it to be, and that mindset is far more in line with the way tacos are approached and embraced in Mexican kitchens. From refried beans, to smashed avocados, to scrambled eggs, to leftover ” ______,” – tacos are just any food wrapped in a tortilla, that’s it. You can “taco” anything and everything, making the food more of a verb, in a sense.

From the moment I decided to write this cookbook, I knew it would not have a taco chapter. There are already so many taco cookbooks published in the United States, with precise recipes dictating exactly which toppings to use with which fillings and which salsas. The truth is, I find these notions somewhat silly. They miss the whole point of what makes tacos great, which is that you don’t need a recipe to make one – not the way Mexicans make and eat them, and not the way I’ve been making and eating them, and not the way I’ve been making and eating them for as long as I can remember.

When I was young, as soon as my brother and I got home from school, we’d head straight for the fridge, digging around to see what we could throw together. And whatever looked good inevitably made its way into a rolled tortilla.”

Gabriela Camara, My Mexico City Kitchen

What is a tostada?

“Tostada” is the monicker given to a variety of Mexican and Latin American dishes that use a crispy tortilla as the primary base. The name typically refers to a bowl-shaped or flat tortilla that is typically deep fried or toasted in some way, but can also refer to dishes that use tostadas as their base.

What you’ll need to make these Breakfast Tostadas

8 stale corn tortillas

2 cups cooking oil (Gabriela recommends safflower or any high-smoke point vegetable oil)

Salt, to taste

2 avocados, sliced or mashed

½ cup chopped white onion

1 cup pico de gallo (store-bought or homemade)

Fried eggs, as you like them

Warmed black beans (see note)

Additional suggestions: chopped cilantro, Mexican crema, and cotija cheese or, as Gabriela suggests – crumbled feta, if you can’t find cotija

How to make these easy Breakfast Tostadas

To prepare the tortillas, add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pan or deep skillet set over medium heat to a depth of 2 inches. Line a large baking sheet with a brown paper bag or paper towels. When the oil is 350 degrees (or a test piece of tortilla sizzles when dropped into the oil, fry the tortillas one at a time, for about two minutes each, While the tortillas fry, use either a [air of chopsticks or some kitchen tongs to hold down the edges so they don’t curl up, which can happen sometimes. 

Once the tortillas are golden, transfer to the paper towel to drain and season with a little salt. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and allow them to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. 

To assemble your tostadas, place a crispy tortilla on a plate and top with the suggested toppings or any and everything you see fit. Because that’s the point. These are best enjoyed right away. 

If you like the looks of these Breakfast Tostadas, then you might also enjoy:

Sriracha Honey Mustard Breakfast Potato Salad

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream

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