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16 culturecheesemag.com E N T E R TA I N I N G 202 2 C A N D O Waiting for Cajeta M A KIN G M E XI C A N G OAT ' S M IL K C A R A M EL S AU CE I S T IM E WEL L S PEN T w r i t t e n by CH R I S TI N E B U R N S R U DA L E V I G E S aturdays in my kitchen are centered around the transistor radio on the windowsill and a project on the stove. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., my local public radio station serves up Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, Planet Money/How I Built This, RadioLab, and the TED and New Yorker Radio Hours. Listening to the radio (as opposed to podcasts) is old school, and my Saturday kitchen projects trend that way, too. They take hours of time and amounts of patience I don't typically have during the workweek, things like keeping one eye on a warming pot of DIY yogurt while I wipe down the cabinets with vinegar and water; or making homemade holiday gifts like maple bourbon mustard, rhubarb liqueur, or candied jalapeño and Fresno peppers. This year, it's jars of cajeta. Cajeta is a deep, rich goat's milk caramel sauce first made by accident in Celaya, a town in the central Mexican city state of Guanajuato In 1810, when Mexicans began fighting for independence from Spanish rule, Mexican troops were arriving in Celaya. As the story goes, a local woman was preparing atole—a hot, milky drink made with cinnamon, sugar, and cornstarch—for them when she burnt it. The soldiers still ate it. And loved it. Commercially produced cajeta has since become a pantry staple in Mexico, where it's slathered on toast, stuffed into empanadas, poured over ice cream, and used as a dip for both fried plantains and crisp Maria cookies. In the US, it is typically overshadowed by the more widely touted, cow's milk–based dulce de leche. But cajeta's flavor, argues Rick Bayless, an American chef and restaurateur who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine, is fuller, tangier, and more complex due to both the goat's milk (which is readily available from local goat farms as well as the Whole Foods refrigerator case) and the long simmering time (chemically enabled by a small amount of baking soda in the mix). "The result trades the clamorous solo flavor of caramelized sugar…for the quieter ensemble of browned richness that hints of butterscotch," writes Bayless in his book Mexico: One Plate at a Time. A growing number of American goat cheesemakers are producing and selling cajeta as a value-added product at farmers' markets. But should you find yourself with a quart of goat's milk and a significant chunk of time on your hands on a Saturday, try making a batch of your own. c 10 Reasons to Celebrate Cajeta 1. You made profiteroles for a fancy party, and you want to spice up the fillings. 2. You need a last-minute hostess gift, so you tie a ribbon around a small jar from your own stash. 3. You're competing with a cousin to make the most interesting apple pie for Thanksgiving. 4. Your spouse has requested a layered tres leches cake for their birthday. 5. You've got unexpected dinner guests and the half-eaten quart of vanilla ice cream in the freezer is dessert. 6. You're wondering what might make savory fried plantains a little sweeter. 7. You made a mess of shortbread and want some to look like Millionaire Bars. 8. You have a cup of coffee but are dreaming of a Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato. 9. You're eating oatmeal, yet again. 10. You have an empty spoon and a full jar of cajeta. PHOTO: Guajillo studio/Adobe Stock