Anya Ulinich is a writer and artist who moved to Phoenix from Russia at 17 and ended up in Brooklyn.
Her recipe contribution (illustrated below) appears in her entertaining first novel, Petropolis, which was published last fall. The protagonist’s mail order fiancee teaches her to make this uniquely American delicacy — a food, Ulinich explains, “that my mother-in-law calls a ‘cheese crisp,’ despite its soggy nature.”
(I used to eat something similar in college, but my version entailed slapping some refried beans — straight from the can — onto the tortilla, then adding plain shredded cheddar. Also, salsa, when I had it.)