“Every few months, my family gets together with a Latin group of friends and their families for a potluck.

This winter it was our turn. As tradition goes, the host brings the main dishes to the table and the others bring the rest. I eagerly announced my plans to share Mexican casseroles, also called cazuelas, budines or pasteles. The Mexicans couldn’t hide their joy — ‘Pati! De veras? Budin Azteca? Cazuela de Tamal?!’ — and quickly thought of other ‘very’ Mexican sides to pair with them. The Argentines and Costa Ricans tried to understand what ‘Mexican casserole’ meant and whether it was supposed to be any good…”

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