Williamsburg's Kiosco Piaxtla: Village Voice

Robert Sietsema on Williamsburg Mexican eatery Kiosco Piaxtla:

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, my pals and I enjoyed an amazing plate of pipian verde de pollo ($7.50), a pale half-bird dumped like a rubbed-out corpse in a sauce so green, it might be mistaken for a swamp on the warmest day of summer.

Learn to Bake Bread

I just thought I'd pass along information about a bread baking and cheese class at One Girl Cookies whose baked goods are nothing short of excellent.

They are hosting a two part class. Part one is how to bake bread and part two is what cheese to serve it with, courtesy of Stinky Brooklyn.

Last November, I took the apple pie baking class there which was fun and informative. The cost of this two-part class, on March 26 and 27 at 7:30pm, is $120. It's a little steep so I might be sitting this one out. Call 212 675 4996 to reserve a spot.

Mmm, Pupusas

What more is there to say about melted cheese and pork rind between two corn tortillas than mmmm. The pupusa is a gem of a national dish from El Salvador stuffed with sometimes just soft Salvadorean cheese or cheese and chicharron (pork rind). They can also be stuffed with chicken and/or refried beans or practically any combination of the above ingredients.

When I was in El Salvador a couple of years ago I stuffed (stuff being the operative word of the post) my face with these cheesey and gooey morsels. You can find them on practically every street corner being grilled in the open air for mere pennies. The grilling imparts a nice char to the tortilla and the finishing touches are fresh shredded cabbage and a tomatoey hot sauce.

I've never really been able to find that same smoky and luscious taste from the streets of El Salvador here in the U.S., but the pupusas at El Salvador Restaurant in Bushwick come close. The fried yucca is also great. The restaurant itself will make you feel like you've hopped on a Taca flight to the country.

El Salvador Restaurant is located at 276 Knickerbocker Ave., 718-821-7269.