The white variety is the onion of choice in classic Mexican cooking. Use them in both raw and cooked salsas, and grill them with peppers when making fajitas. Also popular in Mexico is the red onion, or as it is more properly called in Spanish, cebolla morada, or purple onion. Green onions, called cebollita or cebolla cambray, are a requisite component of any Mexican parillada, or meal of grilled food, whether beef, chicken, chorizos, or a mix of meat, poultry or vegetables.
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The Lebanese population of Mexico, especially concentrated in Mexico City, Puebla and Veracruz, has given us jocoque, a type of thick yogurt from the Middle East, related to Greek yogurt. And it was in Spain that the industrialized production of yogurt was begun in Barcelona in 1919, when Isaac Carasso introduced a product called Danone, named for his son Danial. Danone, called Dannon in other countries, has long been the most popular brand of yogurt in Mexico.
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Traditional Mexican beet salads nearly always pair the sweetness of beets with a savory ingredient, most often a mild white cheese, usually queso fresco. Some type of fruit is usually incorporated, with citrus being a common choice, either orange in the salad, lime in the dressing, or both. Pears, mangos and avocados are also typically used in beet salads.
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In Mexico, dried shrimp come in a range of sizes, from the tiny quarter-inch river shrimp to larger ones from the ocean. The tiny ones are ground into a powder, used for adding flavor and body to soups, stews and sauces, and the larger ones are usually soaked and peeled.
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Americans commonly mistake Cinco de Mayo, the day that commemorates the Mexican Victory over the French in Puebla (1862), for Mexican Independence day (1810). Cinco de Mayo has become an American holiday synonymous with mariachis, margaritas, Corona beer, and Americanized Mexican food like jalapeño-studded nachos and cheese-smothered burritos.
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Some of the most thriving enterprises in the highland areas are trout farms, either run privately or as community projects undertaken by locals. Through the years, we have enjoyed fresh fish from trout farms in different regions of Mexico, where water from mountain streams feeds the ponds.
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Think tequila, and many think of spring break and tequila shots, followed by who knows what?
But precursors of this quintessentially Mexican drink considered a gift from the gods.
Tequila has to do with its real roots, with the land it comes from and the lifestyle surrounding it. Here are my top five tequila drinks.
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Having written a bit about chia some years back, as part of an article on the use of seeds in Mexican cooking, I was not surprised to learn that chia seeds have been lauded as the new superfood of 2013.
Nutritionally dense, chia seeds are loaded with antioxidents, fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also gluten free and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Chia seeds met the nutritional needs of early Mesoamericans, and were so valued by the Aztecs that they were considered one of the four grains acceptable as tribute to the Aztec state.
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Taking a look at the past year's Mexican cookbook offerings, it seems that 2012 produced more specialized books than ever before. These are not your essential Mexican cookbooks (for that, go to Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico or Adela Fernandez' La Traditional Cocina Mexicana), but they will add new dimensions to a basic Mexican culinary library.
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Awakening to a misty dawn in the Valle de Santo Tomas, we were greeted by cool air, subtle sea breezes, and the sight of row upon row of deep green vines, laden with grapes that would become wine. This rustic valley would one day be part of the Ruta del Vino, the Baja wine country that is now a popular travel destination, with dozens of wineries, bed and breakfasts, crafts boutiques, and world class restaurants.
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