Name: Conch Tamales with Jalapeño-Cheese Pesto
Yield: Makes 20 tamals
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons diced onion; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded, deveined, and sliced; 1 tablespoon ground turmeric; 8 ounces queso blanco or Muenster cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 7 to 8 cups fresh corn kernels (from 15 ears), husks reserved; 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal; 1/2 cup cornstarch; 2 tablespoons sugar; Salt to taste; 1 pound fresh conch, ground; 1 large 1/2-inch-thick slice queso blanco or Muenster cheese (optional); 1 pound whole mixed olives (such as kalamata, niçoise, and alphonso); 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture.

These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

Recipe notes

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