Salsa

On a Friday night at the Painted Burro in Davis Square, the volume is cranked to high: This one goes to 11. It's not so much the music as the din of the crowd. To reach the bar, one must maneuver through an obstacle course made of people. Every rustic wood seat at every rustic wood table is taken. Last year, upscale Mexican restaurants took over the city — you had your Tico and your Temazcal, your Lolita and your Papagayo. When another opened in the space formerly occupied by the well-loved Gargoyles, the question was: Do we really need more fancified tacos and tequila?

On a Friday night at the Painted Burro in Davis Square, the volume is cranked to high: This one goes to 11. It's not so much the music as the din of the crowd. To reach the bar, one must maneuver through an obstacle course made of people. Every rustic wood seat at every rustic wood table is taken. Last year, upscale Mexican restaurants took over the city — you had your Tico and your Temazcal, your Lolita and your Papagayo. When another opened in the space formerly occupied by the well-loved Gargoyles, the question was: Do we really need more fancified tacos and tequila?

Serves 4 SALSA 4 tablespoons olive oil 12 small or 8 medium tomatillos (1 1/2 pounds), quartered 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup ( 1/2 bunch) fresh cilantro leaves 1 clove garlic, halved 1/2 teaspoon epazote or oregano 1 roasted poblano pepper, seeded and cut up Salt, to taste 1. In a large saucepan over medium...

Serves 4 School vacation week is an ideal time to fill breakfast tortillas with scrambled eggs, cheese, and, depending on your preferences, refried beans, salsa, tomatoes, avocados, even bacon or sausage. The idea is to mix and match to create tacos that appeal to your family. 4  flour tortillas (8 inches)  1  cup canned refried beans  1  tablespoon butter  8  eggs, beaten to mix   Salt and pepper, to taste  1  cup grated Monterey Jack  1/2  cup salsa  1  ripe avocado, sliced  4  thin...

The toe-tapping tempos of mambo and salsa music set the tone for “The Comedy of Errors,’’ Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s 14th annual free staging of Shakespeare on the Common. Director Steven Maler has set the production in South Beach, Miami, in the 1930s, complete with lifeguard, sand, beach balls tossed into the crowd, and surfers who make their entrance through the audience. And the show opens with a comic collection of characters who dance across the stage, including a pair of bumbling Keystone Kops, a group of nuns, a woman promenading with a greyhound, and an assortment of workers and...

This salsa is also excellent with peaches or apples instead of mango. 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/4 -inch cubes 1 small onion, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped ...

Serves 4 1 1/2 cups leftover salsa, drained to remove excess liquid 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained Juice of 1/2 lime Salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 2 grilled pork chops, meat removed from the bone and thinly sliced 8 corn tortillas 4 radishes, thinly sliced ...

Thanksgiving in this region celebrates the local harvest. Tomatoes, chilies, squash, and corn are typically not part of the table. You can always start a new tradition, and spice up a boned, rolled turkey breast. Whir homemade salsa in a blender with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and canned tomatoes. Saute onions to serve as a base for the turkey while it roasts. Meanwhile, stir a sweet and zippy glaze with more chipotle peppers. After the initial roasting, glaze the turkey every 10 minutes until it is done.

Chicken fingers with mango-pineapple salsa Serves 4 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, with its liquid 1/2 cup chopped fresh mango or frozen mango, thawed 1 tablespoon lime juice Vegetable oil (for the dish) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup light sour cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves 4 cups tortilla chips 1. In a small bowl, combine pineapple, mango, and lime juice.

Serves 4 School vacation week is an ideal time to fill breakfast tortillas with scrambled eggs, cheese, and, depending on your preferences, refried beans, salsa, tomatoes, avocados, even bacon or sausage. The idea is to mix and match to create tacos that appeal to your family. 4  flour tortillas (8 inches)  1  cup canned refried beans  1  tablespoon butter  8  eggs, beaten to mix   Salt and pepper, to taste  1  cup grated Monterey Jack  1/2  cup salsa  1  ripe avocado, sliced  4  thin...

Move over salsa-specialist Victor Cruz. Aaron Hernandez may need room to show his merengue moves in the end zone. The dueling dancers are practicing the steps that they hope will lead to touchdowns at the Super Bowl and give the NFL showcase the look of a hard-hitting episode of Dancing With the (Football) Stars. The versatile Hernandez has twisted his way downfield for the New England Patriots — changing direction after making catches and swerving by frustrated pursuers on a 43-yard run playoff run from the backfield against Denver.

Madonna won't explicitly say who she's rooting for, but her spot-on salsa dance in honor of the New York Giants Victor Cruz may have revealed where her allegiance lies. At a news conference Thursday to promote her halftime Super Bowl performance, she was asked what she thought of the wide receiver's touchdown celebration dance and if she had any criticisms of his moves. "I have no criticism … actually, he's inspired me. I've been practicing," said Madonna, who lives in New York, before busting a move in front of the few hundred media members in...

SALSA NIGHTS AT HAVANA CLUB Fridays and Saturdays at Havana Club, 288 Green St., Cambridge. Lessons at 9 p.m., dance party from 10-2 a.m. Tickets: $12 on DJ nights, $15 with live band. Admission includes lesson and coat check. 21+. 617-312-5550, www.havanaclubsalsa.com. The deal: Havana Club turns up the heat Friday and Saturday nights with salsa, cha-cha, and merengue. Though the real party starts at 10, there is a lesson hosted by the Giraldo brothers from 9 to 10 p.m. After a brief warm up, attendees break into beginner and intermediate groups.

Serves 8 To keep the dip from becoming watery, let the salsa drain in a strainer set over a bowl for 1 hour in the refrigerator. 2 cans (15 ounces each) red or black beans (or one of each), drained 1 bunch radishes, sliced 2 scallions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons oil 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded light cheddar 2 cups fresh salsa, drained for 1 hour 1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot chili sauce 1 pound Greek yogurt, stirred well 1/2 cup pitted black...

Thanksgiving in this region celebrates the local harvest. Tomatoes, chilies, squash, and corn are typically not part of the table. You can always start a new tradition, and spice up a boned, rolled turkey breast. Whir homemade salsa in a blender with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and canned tomatoes. Saute onions to serve as a base for the turkey while it roasts. Meanwhile, stir a sweet and zippy glaze with more chipotle peppers. After the initial roasting, glaze the turkey every 10 minutes until it is done.

THE KINGS OF SALSA Presented by World Music/CRASHarts At: Cutler Majestic Theatre, through tonight. Tickets $40-$65. 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org You don't need to know a mambo from a rumba to enjoy Cuba's Kings of Salsa, who opened a three-night run Thursday at Cutler Majestic Theatre as part of World Music/CRASHarts' fall series. You don't need to speak Spanish, either - the 2 ½-hour evening is all body language, presented without texts, translations, or song titles.

THE KINGS OF SALSA Presented by World Music/CRASHarts At: Cutler Majestic Theatre, through tonight. Tickets $40-$65. 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org You don't need to know a mambo from a rumba to enjoy Cuba's Kings of Salsa, who opened a three-night run Thursday at Cutler Majestic Theatre as part of World Music/CRASHarts' fall series. You don't need to speak Spanish, either - the 2 ½-hour evening is all body language, presented without texts, translations, or song titles.

EASY AS 1-2-3 As a trio of women in pantsuits and perfectly manicured hair stepped onto the dock for Salsa Boston’s Salsa & Latin Dance Cruise on a recent Sunday evening, I wondered if I’d made a mistake. What was I, flip-flopped and wooden-hipped, doing on a boat with a group of exiles from the now-gone Sophia’s? Relief soon appeared in the form of fellow rhythmically challenged folks who crowded the dock for the preboard salsa lesson: polo-clad young men mimicking the basic three-step alongside their girlfriends; attentive 50-somethings who had felt like trying something...

So you think you can salsa? Some of the couples who took part in this week's contest at Club Caribe at the Cambridge Courtyard Marriott sure could. The winners of the event, which was sponsored by World Music/CRASHarts, scored tickets to see Kings of Salsa next Friday.

POP & ROCK MATT NATHANSON If you've heard this Lexington-bred singer-songwriter's buoyant 2009 hit "Come on Get Higher," chances are you had trouble getting it out of your head. He hopes the same will be true of tunes from his new album, "Modern Love," which features a duet with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Vanessa Carlton, whose latest album, "Rabbits on the Run," is getting great reviews, opens the show. Oct. 8, 6 p.m. Tickets: $25-$39.50. House of Blues. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com SAVES THE DAY/BAYSIDE The complementary...