7 Layer Dip -- Building Something Layered, One New Thing at a Time

First full week in Pilsen. The apartment is starting to look like somewhere a person lives — the chairs arrived, the books are on the shelf I found at the Goodwill on 18th Street, the cast iron is on the stove where it belongs. I have been cooking every day because the kitchen is good and because cooking in a new space is how you learn it, the same way you learn a new classroom by being in it before the kids arrive. Where the light is. What the oven runs hot. Which burner takes longer.

The neighborhood is alive in a way Oak Lawn is not. Pilsen is murals and taquerias and a farmers market on Saturday and children on the sidewalk and music from windows at eleven PM. Mrs. Orozco's neighbor Claudia, the one she warned me about for noise, knocked on my door Tuesday morning to introduce herself. She is sixty-three, from Mexico City, has lived in this building for fifteen years, and immediately offered me the phone number of her nephew who does cheap car repairs. I said thank you and she said "We look out for each other here" and went back downstairs.

Made tacos this week — proper ones, with corn tortillas and two toppings: refried beans from a can (seventy-nine cents) with sauteed onion and garlic, and a batch of the slow-cooker chicken thighs I had made on Sunday. The tacos Claudia probably makes are a thousand times more complex but these are mine and they are good and they cost under two dollars per plate. I am going to find out where Claudia shops for corn tortillas because hers are different from the store ones and I need to know why.

First Saturday farmers market visit in the neighborhood: I bought asparagus, a bunch of radishes, and a head of lettuce and spent four dollars total and felt extraordinarily pleased with myself. Chicago in May, new apartment, farmers market, two dollars' worth of asparagus. These are the materials of a life. I am making one here. I can feel it starting.

The taco week got me thinking about layers—the way a good meal, like a good neighborhood, is built one thing at a time until suddenly it’s whole. I had refried beans already on the shelf, I had sour cream, I had salsa, and I was curious what Claudia would think if I ever got brave enough to bring something to her door. This 7 Layer Dip is the kind of thing you make when you’re still learning a kitchen and a place but you want to show up with something that looks like you meant it all along.

7 Layer Dip

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 cup prepared guacamole
• 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
• Corn tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the beans. In a small bowl, stir together the refried beans, cumin, and garlic powder until combined.
2. Build the first layer. Spread the seasoned refried beans in an even layer across the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish or a wide, shallow serving bowl.
3. Add the sour cream layer. Mix the sour cream with the taco seasoning, then spread it evenly over the bean layer.
4. Spread the guacamole. Spoon the guacamole over the sour cream and spread gently to the edges.
5. Add the salsa. Spoon the salsa or pico de gallo over the guacamole in an even layer, letting some of the color show through.
6. Top with cheese. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the salsa layer.
7. Finish with toppings. Scatter the black olives, green onions, and jalapeño (if using) over the cheese layer.
8. Serve immediately. Serve right away with corn tortilla chips, or refrigerate uncovered for up to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg