Tortilla Sandwiches (Sincronizadas)

16 corn tortillas
12 ounces asadero or mozzarella cheese
8 slices ham
Using half the cheese, sprinkle it equally on 8 tortillas. Place a piece of ham on each tortilla.
Sprinkle on remaining cheese, and top with the remaining tortillas. Pin each sandwich together with 2 wooden picks.
Meanwhile, heat about 1/4 inch oil in a skillet until a drop of water sputters instantly. Fry the sandwiches, 1 or 2 at a time, turning once, until the tortillas are just semi-crisp. They should not be crisp, but just chewy. Serve them with guacamole and salsa for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or as a snack.
Tostadas
Vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
Favorite ground meat filling, warmed
Shredded lettuce
2 avocados, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
Hot sauce
Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet until it is very hot but not smoking. Fry the tortillas in the oil until crisp, keeping them as flat as possible. Spoon some of the filling onto each tortilla, and spread it so that it covers the entire tortilla. Garnish with lettuce, avocados, tomatoes and cheese. Variation
Replace ground meat filling with frijoles refritos, spread over the entire tortilla, then proceed with the garnishes.