bolillo

Ortiz said he frequently would stop by at Ruben’s Bakery on his way to work, where he would grab a bolillo and a cup of coffee.

Imagine opening up a steamy, golden bolillo and lying inside of it like a sleeping bag.

"It's this carb overload, usually a breakfast food that's two tamales inside a bolillo, which is a big roll. It's kind of the same idea. Tamales and their utility for working people as food on the go, it's just cross-cultural."

As I fried the bolillo slices and carefully stacked them inside a baking pan while sprinkling almonds and raisins, I thanked God for taking my mother before the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the version shared here, because I didn’t have access to a bolillo or telera, I picked up a baguette.