Chestnut stuffing for poultry: Relleno de castañas para aves
This is a very traditional Spanish Christmas stuffing that I have been served here in Cholula. Although most of the chestnuts sold today are exported by Italy, there has been a recent resurgence in the...
read more
Garlic and egg drop soup: Sopa de ajo
This fragrant soup is frequently served in Central Mexico, particularly in Puebla. Made with homemade broth, it is both a comfort food and a home remedy for colds.
Ingredients
1 head garlic...
read more
Mexican style pickled eggs: Huevos en escabeche
Quail eggs are very popular in México, and this is one of the most common ways of preparing them. They are often eaten during the cuaresma, or Lenten season, and make a nice appetizer or cocktail snac...
read more
Eggs with chicken livers: Higaditos
This dish is served in the Central Valley region of Oaxaca on the morning of big fiestas, especially weddings. For this reason, it is also called higaditos de boda, "little wedding livers." Though it i...
read more
Seafood frittata: Torta de mariscos
This dish takes advantage of Veracruz' abundant variety of seafood. It is quite adaptable, in that just about any other kind of seafood or fish can be added, including squid, shelled oysters, clams or ...
read more
"Royal Eggs" custard dessert: Huevos reales
This is typical of the desserts prepared in the Colonial-era convents, most of which have been handed down and made just as they were then. The fact that it is milk-free makes it a good dessert for tho...
read more
Pork loin cooked in orange juice: Lomo en jugo de naranja
This recipe, taught to me many years ago by Isabel Hoyos Gomez, is standard Central Mexican "company" fare. I especially like to make this in the winter, when small trucks drive around the neighborhood...
read more
Pork with apricot-chile sauce: Puerco con salsa de chabacanos y chile
This dish uses the Mexican stewing technique of cooking the meat separately, then using its broth in making a sauce in which the meat is cooked further. Pork is a natural with fruit sauces, and the sho...
read more
Grilled Chihuahua style leg of lamb: Pierna de cordero a la parilla
This northern Mexican recipe, which typifies the outdoor cooking characteristic of the region, is adapted from Larousse de la Cocina Mexicana by Alicia Gironelli. One end of a leg of lamb is thicker th...
read more
Garbanzo soup with saffron: Garbanzos en amarillo
Garbanzos en amarillo, with chickpeas, orange sweet potatoes and saffron, is evocative of the hearty peasant dishes of central Spain. It is a traditional food for the Día de La Santa Cruz, celebrated throughout Mexico, and with particular fervor in Queretaro, on May 3.
read more
Shrimp and nopal tacos: Tacos de camaron y nopalitos
The chunky salsa recipe that goes with these tacos makes more than necessary for the tacos, and is a delicious dip for totopos (fried tortilla triangles). I get asked for the recipe every time I serve ...
read more
Enchiladas with buttermilk sauce: Enchiladas de jocoque
Enchiladas with cream sauces are popular in Querétaro, and these use the thick Mexican buttermilk called jocoque, introduced by Mexico's many Lebanese immigrants. A mixture of regular buttermilk (whic...
read more
Mexican custard dessert: Natillas
This simple, classic Mexican dessert, based on a Spanish one, can be made with just a few staple ingredients found in any fridge and pantry.
Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
¼ cup flour
...
read more
Mexican chocolate ice cream: Helado de chocolate mexicano
In Good Food from Mexico, Ruth Watt Mulvey and Luisa Maria Alvarez tell us "legend has it that the supreme epicure Moctezuma sent runners to the heights of the volcano to bring back blocks of snow over which thick chocolate was poured, whipped, and served as a chilled froth." If this is true, it would make Moctezuma the inventor of the chocolate frappucino before anybody even knew what that was, and if not, it is still a good story.
read more
Spearmint sorbet: Sorbet de hierba buena
A light dessert or a refreshing palate cleanser, this uses one of the most popular herbs in Mexico, but it also goes well with Thai food, with which Mexican cuisine has several ingredients in common.
read more
Strawberry margarita sorbet: Sorbet de coctel margarita con fresas
A drink and dessert in one, this is perfect for informal summer entertaining. It is attractive scooped into margarita glasses and garnished with sprigs of mint or paper thin slices of lime.
read more
Apple and blueberry marmalade: Mermelada de manzana y mora azul
his is a classic recipe from the Sierra Norte, adapted from Patricia Quintana's Cocina de los Angeles. Blueberries are nearly as abundant as apples in the Sierra, and the two make a wonderful combination.
read more
Roast pork loin stuffed with apples: Lomo de puerco con manzanas
This is a beautiful fall entrée, and goes well with a simple side dish like puree de papas or white rice.
read more
Sauteed apples and eggs: Huevos zacatlantecos
After the Virgen de la Asuncion has been raised up from her bed of apples, a little bit every hour throughout the night, the faithful make their way home in the wee hours with bags of apples from her bed. This apple and egg dish is a traditional breakfast at this time of year.
read more
Grilled marinated chicken breasts: Pollo atlixquense
"Melting pot" cooking has given rise to innumerable ethnic grocery stores in the United States, and for people who enjoy cooking authentic Mexican food, this means that ingredients are easily available. Dried avocado leaves, essential to several Mixteca recipes, are sold in just about any Mexican grocery store.
read more
Chicken in yogurt sauce: Enjococado
The name of this dish is derived from the Spanish word jocoque, which is sometimes translated as buttermilk, but is really a type of thick yogurt of Middle Eastern origin. In the city of Puebla, with its large Lebanese population, jocoque is sold in most supermarkets, but in rural areas it is homemade and truly delicious. If you can't find jocoque, a mixture of half sour cream and half regular plain yogurt is an acceptable substitute.
read more
Squash vine soup with corn dumplings: Sopa de guias con chochoyones
In Oaxaca, it is a rainy season staple and has been since before the Conquest. The only addition after the Spaniards arrived was the lard in the corn dough for the dumplings.
read more
Mexican corn on the cob: Elotes
This is a nighttime street snack in Mexico, but once in a while, especially on market days, someone is selling it during the day. The vendors of elotes usually also sell esquites, corn that has been re...
read more
Chilaquiles rojos resurrect revelers and leftover tortillas
Chilaquiles offer a hearty and renewing experience after a few too many tequilas, and are delicious anytime. You can make the dish as mild or piquant as you wish.
read more
