He should know: Quinces make up 70 to 85 percent of Bañuelos’s family-operated business, which caters an average of three every weekend, sometimes two on the same day.

These DIY birria crunchwraps bring the best of both worlds—melty cheese, slow-cooked beef, crispy tortilla layers, and a side of consommé for dipping. No talking, just pure build-and-bite ...

Ingredients for a homemade birria seasoning mix: 10-12 Large dried chiles. Using a mix of different chilies will create a deeper and more robust flavor.

Encouraged by her family, Rice-Cisneros left L.A. to attend the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She worked in New York for a bit, then returned here in the late ’90s, determined to ...