Until I moved back to California, I rarely made much in the way of Mexican food while living in Atlanta. Well, other than killer salsa and guacamole. It’s among my favorite cuisine, so I did go out for Mexican. A lot.

I’m back in the Golden State, and living practically next door to my school chum, Deya, from way back in junior high. She happens to be the best when it comes to cooking authentic Mexican dishes. And I find that I’m often inspired after leaving her kitchen.

Whether it’s putting together a pot of pinto beans, carne asada for a crowd, spicy Mexican shredded beef or fresh grilled fish to fill a soft taco, I’m now all about Mexican food from my kitchen. The result is that tortillas are becoming almost as common as a baguette around here.

One of my favorite afternoon treats: A freshly cooked tortilla smeared with a little butter, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Oh, and this is teamed with a Cinnamon Roll K-Cup of coffee.

 

I don’t know about you, but once I tasted a flour tortilla made from scratch, the store-bought variety became about as exciting as pabulum. I’ve made flour tortillas from scratch – thank you, Deya. (I’ve even taught a kids’ hands-on cooking class where the little darlings learned to make tortillas. What a nightmare.)

But, I’m not inclined to go that route these days.

Happily, I don’t have to because I found uncooked tortillas that I can prepare when I need them. Are they worth it? Check out my review.

TortillaLand uncooked flour tortillas by Circle Foods, $6.69 at Costco for a resealable bag that contains two packages of 22 tortillas for a total of 44.

 

First look: They’re also available in corn and whole wheat. TortillaLand tortillas are made from five ingredients: wheat flour, water, canola oil, salt and sugar. Each 8-inch tortilla contains 140 calories and 4 fat grams.

Good news: TortillaLand makes preparing fresh tortillas as simple as toasting a slice of bread. Simply place a tortilla on a hot, nonstick pan, cook until it starts to bubble a bit, about 30 seconds. Flip it over, heat the other side for another 30 seconds, then place the hot tortilla in a warmer or wrap in a clean tea towel.

You also can throw them on the grill.

Uncooked, the tortillas are as thin as a crepe.

Cooked, they’re only slightly thicker, pleasantly chewy, boasting a fresh flavor. They’re the perfect foil for a variety of fillings. And don’t overlook the fact that you could just smear some butter, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar, fold it up and enter tortilla heaven. That’s always an option.

Bad news: You can’t freeze uncooked tortillas. While the large package that holds the two bags of tortillas features a zip seal, the individual bags don’t. It’s a bit of a hassle to keep the opened bag sealed air tight if you’re not stashing the two bags together.

Make sure you don’t overcook the tortillas or they’ll be too stiff to roll or fold. You have to take care when separating the uncooked tortillas so that you don’t tear them. I’ve only done that once, so they’re pretty sturdy.

Last words: TortillaLand uncooked tortillas easily stack up to homemade.