Requeson cheese with fried tortilla triangles: Resqueson botanero con totopos
Requesón is a soft, white cheese, similar to ricotta in consistency, though not as sweet. If ricotta is used in place of requesón, blending it with cottage cheese until smooth will produce a taste si...
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Fried Mexican cheese with epazote and tomatillo sauce: Queso frito con salsa de epazote y tomate verde
This recipe is a house specialty at Chialingo's restaurant in Cholula. It makes a good appetizer for a Mexican dinner, or could be served with a salad as a light lunch or supper. Epazote goes particula...
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Mexican cheese soup: Crema de queso
There are many versions of this soup, a specialty of the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Gouda cheese also works well in this recipe, which should be prepared immediately before serving.
Ingredie...
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Mexican amaranth-potato croquettes: Croquetas de papa con amaranto
This is an adaptation of a recipe provided by Gladys Zavaleta Ruiz in her collection, Cocina con Amaranto. Served with a salad, it makes a fine light supper, and is a good example of the many vegetaria...
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Chicken in Mexican amaranth sauce: Pollo en amaranto
This dish, and other similiar chicken and amaranth combinations, is also called mole de amaranto and tinga de pollo con amaranto, depending on the part of the country where it is found. D...
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Mexican chicken and fruit stew: Manchamanteles
Literally meaning "tablecloth stainers", because of its deep red sauce, manchamanteles can be made with chicken, pork, or a combination of the two. In Puebla, where it originated, the fruit that...
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Mexican cantaloupe salsa: Salsa de melon
This Mexican cantaloupe salsa was an invention that we came up with while visiting friends in southern Mexico. We served it with the meal, and ate leftovers later with tortilla chips. The best way to...
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Mexican mango salsa: Salsa de mango
The streets are littered with mango pits, and stands selling fresh mangos-on-a-stick, cut to resemble flowers, are on every other street corner. Is it a festival? A fair? No, it's just mango seas...
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Avocado and kiwi salsa: Salsa de aguacate con kiwi
When I went to visit friends in warmer parts of Mexico, I was surprised to see so many kiwis in the market. This drab brown, coarse-skinned fruit embodies the saying that "beauty is on the inside" beca...
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Mexican steamed carrots with vanilla: Zanahorias al vapor con vainilla
Among the most charming presentations of any vegetable, these herb-wrapped bundles of baby carrots are a specialty of Cuetzalan and the surrounding mountain towns. Served by the locals, the carrots are...
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Papantla style shrimp: Camarones xanath
Shellfish such as river shrimp and crawfish are found in abundance in the many rivers that run through the vanilla growing region of eastern Mexico. Called xanath in the Totonac language, shrimp are pa...
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Tropical Mexican pineapple salsa: Salsa de piña
The Pineapple Fair in Loma Bonita, Oaxaca, in the lush, tropical part of the state bordering Veracruz, celebrates months of packing and processing the fruit for world-wide, as well as national, distrib...
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Mexican braised chicken with vanilla: Pollo al vainilla
As unlikely as it may seem, vanilla pods, or "beans", are a tantalizing addition to this speciality of the Totonac Sierra Oriente, the beautiful mountain range that separates coastal Veracruz from the ...
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Citrus-tequila cocktail: Mexicana
Refreshing as a dip in the Carribbean, this is a nice change from the popular spring and summer tequila-orange juice combination. Serve it in a tall, frosted glass, with your choice of garnish- a lime ...
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Strawberry and tequila cheese cake: Pastel de queso con fresas y equila
Ingredients
For the crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons butter, melted
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Pla...
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Mango-tequila ice: Nieve de mango con tequila
During the warm months in Mexico, a variety of tropical fruit-flavored ices are sold by vendors with pushcarts, usually stationed in the parks and in front of schools. In the zócalo - main squa...
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A sweet tequila cocktail: Toreador
This chocolate-y concoction is Mexico's answer to the Brandy Alexander. Creamy and just a bit sweet, it makes a nice special-occasion drink. Any tequila may be used, although blanco (white) is preferab...
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Chicken tequila fettuccine: Pollo al tequila con fettuccine
This recipe is from the late Doctora Lorena Otero, good friend and "foodie" par excellence. I have seen several other versions of this dish, but this one is both the easiest and the best I have tried.
...
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Acapulco style fish filets: Filetes de pescado estilo Acapulco
Fresh fish filets from Mexico's Pacific coast are lightly marinated in tequila and lime juice, then grilled or sauteed and topped with a fresh salsa, for a delicious, low-fat entree. Acapulco style fis...
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Cooking with tequila: Mexico's national drink moves into the kitchen - Part One
Part 2
Tequila: the name alone conjures up a variety of images associated with the Mexican cultural landscape. From its beginnings in the blue agave fields of Jalisco, to its consumption in h...
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Sangrita salad dressing: Aderezo de sangrita para ensaladas
Salad dressings with tequila and sangrita are used frequently in the cooking style known as La Nueva Cocina Mexicana, and the two work just as well together on salads as they do in beverages. Sangrita ...
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Beef fajitas with tequila: Fajitas de res al tequila
At the El Callejon restaurant in Tequila, Jalisco, my questions about preparation and proportions led to an invitation to their large, open kitchen area, where there was always something appetizing siz...
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Baja stuffed clams: Almejas brujas
Many varieties of clams are to be found in the Sea of Cortez, including the famous chocolates and patas de mula. For this Mexican stuffed clams recipe, we used the large, yellow-shelled botijones, whic...
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Mexican fish pacos: Tacos de pescado
Perhaps the most famous Baja street snack, and certainly one of the most frequent reader requests, fish tacos differ a bit from place to place, but are always served with the same basic selection of ga...
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Cooking on the Sea of Cortez: Culinary adventures in Baja California
Mexico's Sea of Cortez, also known by the less lyrical name Gulf of California, supports more marine life than any other body of water on earth. It is no surprise, therefore, that divers, fishermen, an...
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