In the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newsroom, the food table is probably the most popular spot. We are notorious for devouring anything placed there, including leftover candies long after Halloween, stale chips, even unidentifiable items — in other words, we are not overly picky.

But like every office, we have been blessed with folks who share their specialties. For years, we joyfully consumed bowls of guacamole made by religion reporter Mary Adamski. Since she retired, it’s been one of the many things we miss about her. Thankfully, graphic artist Martha Hernandez has eased some of those pangs with what is currently the most popular item scooped with a tortilla chip: salsa, of various types. Whether a fresh pico de gallo, tangy tomatillo or fiery, smoky chipotle, her salsas are legendary for their deliciousness.

I asked Martha to teach me a couple recipes, in time for Super Bowl Sunday. She told me there wasn’t really anything to teach, that they were “so simple.” And it’s true, the recipes are simple. But as I suspected, she has a familiarity and insight about salsa that elevates her recipes.

Martha grew up in El Paso, Texas, cooking daily with her seven sisters and her mother, who was from Mexico. “Mom cooked a lot. We learned mostly from watching her, but we all helped out with tortillas and tamales during the holidays,” she recalled. “We were her sous chefs, really.”

Everyday salsa in her mom’s kitchen started with roasting tomatoes and peppers on the fire, peeling off the skins and muddling them with garlic and cilantro. Pico de gallo was for visitors and get-togethers. Today, just like her mom, Martha whips up pico de gallo for gatherings at church and in the newsroom.

Pico de gallo features fresh, diced vegetables and peppers mixed with salt and lime juice. The virtue of pico is its freshness, she said, and the version we made — with Roma tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and seeded and deveined jalapeno — had a light heat, rounded tanginess and wonderful balance. The reason: Before serving, Martha lets it sit for an hour to allow flavors to meld.

It’s a salsa that’s highly versatile, she said, as good with chips as it is a topping to jazz up chicken or fish.

Sometimes, when avocados are available, she dices them and places them on the perimeter of a bowl of pico, making them easily scoopable.

“They add a nuttiness to the salsa,” she said. “Some people call this preparation guacasalsa.”

A stark contrast to all that lightness and brightness is chipotle salsa, a smoky, definitely spicy salsa that’s full of depth, thanks also to a couple of cloves of garlic and some olive oil.

Chipotle — dried, smoked jalapeno peppers — are readily available both powdered and canned. Martha said she likes working with chipotle because labels often indicate the level of heat in the pepper, allowing her to select the right level for the crowd she’s feeding. Fresh jalapeno isn’t always so predictable.

Fresh cilantro is a must, plus tomatillo or some lime to inject tangy brightness. “Garlic and chipotle are two very strong flavors,” Martha said.

She usually uses powdered chipotle, and that means also using tomatillo; its flesh provides body to the salsa. The fruit must first be softened, so she broils it about 15 minutes for the added benefit of a roasted flavor. But it can also be boiled.

Canned chipotle includes the pepper itself, eliminating the need to use tomatillo for texture. Instead, Martha uses lime juice.

Either way, just as with her pico de gallo, she lets the chipotle salsa sit for an hour before serving. It’s a wonderful thing.

MARTHA’S TIPS FOR YOUR SUPER BOWL SALSA

>> Salsas can be tailored to all palates, heat-loving and not. Remove seeds and ribs of jalapenos for moderate spiciness. If your crowd prefers lots of heat, swap in a serrano for the jalapeno. By the same token, different tomatoes offer different profiles. Vine-ripened versions, for instance, have a sweeter, rounder flavor.

>> Get a sense of just how hot a pepper is when you chop it. If it makes you cough, there’s a substantial amount of heat. And wear gloves, or a burning sensation in the fingers could occur later.

>> Tomatillo salsa from scratch is labor-intensive, and commercial versions are done well, so Martha prefers to doctor them up. Ideas: Chopped cilantro and onion, plus some jalapeno, make for a greener, fresher salsa. Blend with creamy avocado for a different take on guacasalsa. Or add chipotle and cilantro for smokiness.

>> When making pico de gallo for a party, chop vegetables uniformly so they look more attractive. Keep the jalapenos smaller, however, to control the level of spiciness in each bite.

Pico de Gallo

• 4 to 5 Roma tomatoes, or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined and finely chopped
• 18 to 20 sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

In mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion and jalapenos.

Add cilantro. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice into bowl. Add salt and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let sit an hour before serving. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.

Chipotle Powder Salsa

• 2 tomatillos
• 2 tablespoons chipotle powder
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Soften tomatillos: Boil, or roast in toaster oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until soft. Place all ingredients in blender and puree 3 to 4 minutes. Let sit an hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup.

Chipotle Peppers Salsa

• 3 to 4 canned chipotle peppers (packed in adobo sauce)
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves
• 20 to 25 cilantro sprigs (leaves only)
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt, to taste

Place all ingredients except salt in blender and puree 2 to 3 minutes. Taste; add salt and more lime juice as necessary. Let sit an hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup.

Is there a cooking technique you’d like explained? Email food editor Joleen Oshiro, joshiro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.