Preheat the oven to 325°.

Lay one tortilla on a cutting surface.

Brush one side only with a thin film of vegetable oil, about ⅛ teaspoon.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas and oil.

Cut the tortillas into the desired size: quarters, sixths, or eighths.

Arrange as many tortilla wedges as will fit in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven about 10 minutes, or until the chips are crisp and lightly browned.

Remove the chips from the oven and sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired.

Repeat baking until all of the chips have been toasted.

Once cooled, store in a sealed plastic bag, or other airtight container, if made ahead.

Prepare the tomatillo sauce and keep it hot in a pan over low heat.

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Cut the cheese into 8 (1⁄4-inch-thick) slices.

Warm 4 ovenproof plates or individual round ramekins in the oven 3 to 4 minutes, or until warm to the touch, but not hot.

Then, spread about ⅓ cup sauce on the bottom of each plate.

Place 2 slices of cheese on the sauce in the center of each dish.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon sauce over each piece of cheese and immediately put the dishes in the oven until the cheese is warm and soft but still holds its shape, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven while the cheese is melting, or wrap in heavy plastic and warm in a microwave.

Serve the cheese and tortillas at once.

Prepare the tortilla chips.

Then, preheat the oven to 375°.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and cook the onion until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, epazote, salt, and pepper.

Cook, stirring, until all the moisture has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.

Grease a shallow ovenproof earthenware plate or gratin dish, then transfer the mushrooms to the plate.

Spread the cheese on top and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Serve at once with the chips.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Cook the chorizo in a skillet, over medium-low heat breaking it up into small bits, about 4 minutes, or until well done.

Transfer to a plate.

Grease an 8-inch ovenproof dish or shallow earthenware casserole dish.

Spread the cheese in the dish, and bake until cheese starts to melt, about 4 minutes.

Remove the cheese from the oven.

Scatter the chorizo over the top, and return the dish to the oven until the chorizo is hot and the cheese is bubbling, 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven while the cheese is melting, or wrap in heavy plastic and warm in a microwave.

Serve at once with the tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Grease an 8-inch ovenproof plate or shallow earthenware casserole dish.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly in the dish.

Bake about 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas, 1 at a time, in a hot, dry skillet, turning once or twice until hot and pliable, about 2 minutes.

Wrap the hot tortillas in a napkin and put in a basket.

Serve at once with the plate of melted cheese.

In a stainless steel saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar, orange juice, and jelly.

Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently, until the jelly is completely melted and the sauce reduces and is slightly thickened with a glossy appearance, 6 to 8 minutes.

Put all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and add ¾ cup of water.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, partially covered, until the peppers are very soft, about 10 minutes to 12 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.

Pour the purée through a strainer back into the saucepan, using a spoon to press the contents.

Discard the solids.

The sauce should be as thick as heavy cream.

The sauce is ready to use, or refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days.

Submerge the chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and cook the yellow pepper and onion slowly, covered, stirring frequently, until they are limp and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, sugar, cumin, allspice, and cloves.

Immediately transfer the mixture to a blender.

Drain the soaked chiles, discarding the soaking water, and add to the blender along with the tomatillos and hoja santa.

Add ¼ cup of water and purée until smooth.

If too thick to blend, add about 2 tablespoons water and blend again.

Pour the sauce through a strainer into a large bowl, pushing with a wooden spoon to extract all the pulp.

Discard the debris.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan.

Pour the sauce into the pan.

Add the salt and pepper.

Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, to blend the flavors.

Wipe the chiles with damp paper towels.

Cut the chiles open and discard the stems, seeds, and veins.

Put the chiles in a bowl of hot water and let soak 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to a blender.

In the same skillet, cook the tortilla pieces until crisp and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add to the blender with the onion.

In the same skillet, cook the tomatoes until the skins char a bit, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add to the blender along with the peanuts, raisins, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice.

Drain the chiles and add to the blender, discarding the liquid.

Add 1¼ cups of the broth, vinegar, and salt to the blender and purée the mixture as smoothly as possible.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large bowl.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large heavy saucepan.

Add the purée gently (to minimize splattering) and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

Add the remaining broth.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the sauce 20 to 25 minutes to blend the flavors, stirring frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.

The sauce should have the consistency of gravy.

If too thick, add a little broth to reach the right consistency.

Adjust seasoning.

The sauce is ready to use, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze in a covered container for 3 months.

The sauce thickens as it sits.

Thin with chicken broth to the desired consistency when reheating.

Wipe the chiles with damp paper towels.

Cut open.

Remove the stems, seeds, and veins.

In a large dry skillet, toast the chiles in batches over medium heat, pressing down with a spatula until they turn orange in some places and are aromatic, about 10 seconds.

Do not burn them.

Soak the chiles, submerged, in a bowl of hot water about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler then broil the tomatoes until blistered and charred all over, about 2 minutes.

Transfer with skins on to a large bowl and reserve.

In a medium nonstick skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes.

Put in the bowl with the tomatoes.

Fry the plantain and the bread in the same pan until brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.

Reserve with the tomatoes.

In a small dry skillet, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until they show some brown spots, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to a small bowl and reserve.

In the same skillet, toast the sesame seeds, stirring, until light brown, about 2 minutes.

Reserve with the almonds.

In the same pan toast the oregano and cumin.

Reserve with the almonds.

Remove the chiles from the soaking water and put them in a blender jar with 1 cup of the chicken broth.

(Discard the soaking water.

) Blend the chiles as smooth as possible, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if too thick to blend.

Pour the chile purée through a strainer into a large bowl, pushing the pulp through with a wooden spoon and reserve.

Discard the bits of skin.

To the same blender, add all of the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate.

Add the remaining cup of broth.

Blend until completely smooth.

Add to the bowl of puréed chiles and mix well.

Reserve.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large heavy saucepan until it shimmers.

Gently pour in the puréed sauce (to minimize splattering) and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, 15 minutes.

Add the chocolate and cook, stirring, until the chocolate melts, 3 to 4 minutes.

The sauce should be the consistency of thick gravy.

If too thick, add water or chicken broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Adjust seasoning.