First, let's figure out what aguachile is. Are you a fan of ceviche? I bet you are. Aguachile is its close cousin, sharing a similar appeal. Ceviche is like "seasoned lime juice with chilis" while aguachile is more like "seasoned chilis with lime juice." That means that the liquid for aguachile is much more flavorful, which is exactly what we want for this week's HEART OF PALM AGUACHILE. Wait a second, what are hearts of palm? They are literally the center of a palm tree's fronds, and they have a very similar texture to the bottom part of an artichoke heart (which actually makes sense, seeing as artichoke hearts are the center of a thorny flower.) They have a wonderful texture and subtle flavor, making them a perfect vegetable for an aguachile. So basically I'll be dressing the hearts of palm with this flavorful aguachile juice, mixing in some fresh cucumber, and serving it with avocado and tortilla chips. This is a bright, bold vegetable dish that's a great way to try hearts of palm if you've never had them, and makes an excellent case for how great simple vegetables can be.

The star of this week's menu is a perfect example of traditional flavors and preparations, presented in a non-traditional way. BIRRIA ENCHILADAS aren't something you're likely to find on a restaurant menu in Mexico, and almost certainly not at a Mexican menu here... but they should be on the menu. In case you're unfamiliar, birria tacos have gained popularity in recent years, despite their own departure from tradition. They are derived from Birria Con Consome, which is a classic beef stew from Michoacan, originally made with goat. Then lamb took over as the preferred meat, and now we are on to beef as the standard. Birria tacos involve taking this awesome stewed meat, wrapping it in a tortilla with onions and occasionally cheese, and then dipping the assembled taco into the flavorful broth, resulting in a delicious mess of flavors. This week we're taking that idea and having it make a lot more sense by turning the dish into enchiladas. I'll be making these enchiladas Mexican-style rather than the Tex-Mex version, which has a few distinct differences: the cheese is inside of the tortilla along with the stewed beef rather than on top, and the tortillas will be dipped in the sauce before rolling them up instead of just dumping the sauce on top, which means they won't be swimming around in sauce but will be very far from dry. All this goodness will be served with chopped raw onion, cilantro, radishes, limes, and some of the savory broth from cooking the beef. This is a seriously flavor-complex and substantial dish and is definitely the focus this week.

You should always eat your vegetables, otherwise you're not allowed to have dessert, right? STEWED MEXICAN SQUASH is a veggie that's easy to like, and this dish's simple flavors make for a perfect foil for our main course. Mexican squash is darn similar to zucchini, so just think about it like that. I'll be cooking the diced squash with a mix of fried garlic and tomatoes, and just enough poblano chilis to give it some extra character. This is a very homestyle dish that you're not likely to find out there in the restaurant world, but what it lacks in fanciness it makes up for in simple, savory goodness.

Wanna know why people turn their noses up at cabbage?  Because they haven't had it prepared nicely.  I aim to prove that cabbage can be great with one simple Mexican dish, and that's why we're having CHARRED CABBAGE WITH CHIPOTLE CREAM alongside our main item this week. First, I'll take some slightly boring red and green cabbages and give them some character by charring the everliving heck out of them, then peeling away the charred outer part so that we're left with tender, slightly smoky cabbage. Then I'll be mixing this now-interesting cabbage with some spicy chipotle peppers for a second smoky component, along with some tart cream to smooth things out and add some richness. This is sort of like a deeply flavored hot slaw, and while I usually serve this dish alongside grilled meats, it folds into this week's menu surprisingly well considering the other menu items. If you think you don't like cabbage, this dish might change your mind.

If you've visited Mexico or are familiar with authentic Mexican cuisine, then you probably know about the classic pairing of guava paste and cheese. It's a classic because it's wonderful, with the deep, sweet, jammy flavors of the guava paste pairing perfectly with the tart creaminess of the cheese. This week's GUAVA CHEESECAKE takes that idea and turns it into a lovely dessert. I'll be doing my signature "naked" cheesecake for this one, which is made with the slightest whisper of a cookie crust and baked up golden brown on top. I'll be spreading guava paste on that golden-brown top for a simple, not-too-sweet finish to our meal.