Seasonal pantry: Make National Taco Day every day

Oct. 4 was National Taco Day, one of hundreds of commemorative days that honor everything from vanilla cupcakes (Nov. 10) and cream puffs (Jan. 2) to root beer floats (Aug. 6) and Yorkshire pudding (Oct. 13). The next National Bittersweet Chocolate Day is Jan. 10, 2017.

There are commemorative weeks and months, too. This week is National Chile Week, with too many foods to list enjoying October as their special month. Highlights include Vegetarian Awareness, Pork, Pickled Peppers and Pasta, with World Egg Day celebrated worldwide on the second Friday of October.

A few of these days were established to increase awareness of the foods being acknowledged, but most are simply marketing tools, sometimes celebrated at a food's peak but more often used to increase consumption during slow periods. For example, National BLT Month is in April, months before we have good tomatoes in the Northern Hemisphere, and National Macaroni and Cheese Day is in the middle of summer, when we don't necessarily want its rich comfort.

But tacos, that's a different story. The date seems arbitrary, but it doesn't matter. Every day could be National Taco Day, and a whole lot of people would celebrate, myself included. It seems as good a time as any to revisit a favorite topic with recipes perfect for fall.

For taco recipes from the Seasonal Pantry archives, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.

___

It is very hard to find good chicken tacos. In taquerias and cafes, they are typically made of chicken breast, which is almost always overcooked. Even most recipes you find on line call for chicken breast and too many other ingredients; most of the time, you end up with a dry hot mess.

One of the wonderful things about tacos is that less is typically more. Just use good ingredients and let their flavors and textures take center stage. For the best chicken tacos, make them with local chicken thighs and do not overcook the meat.

The Best Chicken Tacos

Serves 2, easily doubled

1 tablespoon olive oil or lard

2 chicken thighs, boned and cut into bite-sized chunks

- Kosher salt

1 teaspoon chipotle powder, piment d'Esplette or other ground chile

2 celery stalks, cut into thin crosswise slices

- Juice of 1 to 2 limes

3-4 radishes, cut into thin half rounds

8 corn tortillas

- Chopped cilantro

1 lime, cut in wedges

- Mexican hot sauce of choice

Put the olive oil or lard into a sauté pan or wok set over high heat, and when it is hot, add the chicken and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, add the ground chile, toss, and cook again without stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the celery, cook for a couple of minutes, and add the lime juice, using both limes if they are not particularly juice. Add the radishes and cook for 2 minutes more.

Remove from the heat, taste, and correct for salt. Cover and keep hot.

Heat the tortillas in a dry cast iron pan or hot griddle set over medium high heat. Set two tortillas on top of each other, and turn them every few seconds until they are hot and pliable. Do not let them become crisp.

Working quickly, set two tortillas on a plate, one on top of the other, and set two more tortillas next to them. Add the filling, top with cilantro, and garnish with lime wedges. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Enjoy right away, with hot sauce alongside.

___

These tacos are perfect on a busy weeknight. With a tangy coleslaw alongside, you have a filling and delicious fall vegetarian meal.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Serves 2 to 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

- Kosher salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle powder or other ground chile

- Black pepper in a mill

1 garlic clove, minced

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup creme fraiche, Mexican crema or sour cream

- Zest of 1 lime

- Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons minced red onion

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 corn tortillas

Put the olive oil into a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, add the sweet potato and cook for five minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes and cook 5 minutes more; continue turning and cooking until the sweet potatoes are evenly browned and tender but not falling apart.

Season with salt, add the paprika, half the ground chile, and several turns of black pepper. Add the garlic and the black beans, and use a metal spatula to gently turn the mixture a time or two; do not stir vigorously; you want the ingredients separate and distinct.

While the sweet potato cooks, put the creme fraiche, crema or sour cream into a bowl, add the lime zest, lime juice, the remaining ground chile and several pinches of salt, and still well. Taste, correct for salt and set aside.

Heat the tortillas as described in the above recipe (The Best Chicken Tacos). Set them on plates, with two tortillas stacked together, and spoon the filling into them. Add red onion and cilantro and drizzle with the seasoned cream. Enjoy right away.

___

Make these tacos when you have kalua pig leftover from a luau. You can also use carnitas, which is Mexico's version of the Hawaiian specialty. And here's a secret: Certain local markets sometimes have carnitas in their hot foods section. It keeps well in a steam table and is ideal for tacos on a busy night. Grilled sliced pineapple with black pepper and shredded mint makes a great accompaniment.

Kalua Pig Tacos with Cabbage & Avocado

Serves 2 to 4

1 tablespoon lard or olive oil

2 cups shredded cabbage

- Kosher salt

2 cups, approximately, leftover kalua pig

3 limes cut in wedges

1 firm-ripe avocado, pitted and cut into thin lengthwise wedges

- Chopped cilantro

- Hawaiian Chile Water or Hot Sauce

Put the lard or olive oil into a medium sauté pan, add the cabbage, and cook over medium low heat until it is very tender. Season with salt. Set the kalua pig over the cabbage, cover, and heat through. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Heat the tortillas as described in the above recipe (The Best Chicken Tacos). Set them on plates and fill them with the cabbage and pig. Squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion, top with some of the avocado, another squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of salt and some chopped cilantro.

Enjoy right away, with the chile water or hot sauce alongside.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook's” series. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com and visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.