Chicken in Pulque Broth: Pollo en Pulque Karen Hursh Graber

Now that pulque is sold in cans, it is more accessible to people outside the pulque producing regions, but diluted beer can be substituted and the recipe is written to be used with either one. This hea... read more

poultry main-dishes soups rice-and-grains Hidalgo

Cornish Meat Pies: Pasteles de Carne Karen Hursh Graber

Although undoubtedly made without chile in their native Cornwall, these tasty, filling meat pies have been mexicanized in translation, usually with the addition of serrano chiles, either canned in vina... read more

meat breads main-dishes Hidalgo

Hidalgo Style Fava Bean Soup: Caldo de Habas Estilo de Hidalgo Karen Hursh Graber

Although fresh fava beans appear only in springtime in the markets of Central Mexico, the dried versions are available throughout the year and cook much more quickly than other dried beans. I gave a re... read more

vegetarian soups beans Hidalgo

Stuffed Grape Leaves: Tacos de Parra Karen Hursh Graber

In Puebla, these are most often served as small, finger-size rolls, in which case they are referred to as taquitos. Grape leaves usually come in a jar, packed in brine, and must be thoroughly rinsed... read more

meat main-dishes tacos-and-enchiladas Puebla

Mexican-Lebanese Lamb Tartare: Kebe Cruda Karen Hursh Graber

I had not eaten raw meat since I was growing up in New York, saying "yuck" to my father's order of steak tartare, until I tried this dish in Puebla recently. The addition of fresh chile seeds gives it ... read more

meat main-dishes Puebla

Baked Kibbeh: Kebe Charola Karen Hursh Graber

Charola is the Spanish word for a tray or, in this case, the pan in which the kibbeh is baked. It is something like a meat loaf made with lamb, with the outer layers forming a crust to hold the meat an... read more

meat main-dishes rice-and-grains Puebla

Lasagna with Poblano Chiles In Cream: Lasagna con Rajas de Chile Poblano Karen Hursh Graber

We first saw this in a restaurant in Chipilo. If you like lasagna with white sauces, this one is a delicious change from the usual. The filling is the very Pueblan rajas con crema, poblano chile str... read more

cheese vegetables pastas main-dishes Puebla

Sweet Potato Pudding: Budín de Camote Karen Hursh Graber

I first tasted this dish several years ago, prepared by Doña Gloria of the Hotel Bar Reforma in Cholula. It was the first time I had seen the purple-fleshed variety of sweet potatoes other than in the... read more

eggs vegetables desserts Puebla

Anchos Encurtidos: Sweet and Hot Ancho Chiles Karen Hursh Graber

Here in Cholula, the market ladies sell pickled sweet-and-hot chipotles known locally as " chipocludos," a recipe for which was given in this column in the February 2003 issue of Mexico Connect. This... read more

vegetarian salsas side-dishes Puebla

Setas con Epazote Karen Hursh Graber

Setas is the general name for several kinds of wild mushrooms found in Mexico, which have different regional names, according to their colors and sizes. ( Yemas, duraznitos, morillas, and ... read more

vegetables vegetarian side-dishes Tlaxcala

Chicken in Peanut Sauce: Pollo Encacahuatado Karen Hursh Graber

Moles and other thick sauces made with nuts and seeds go best with chicken and pork. This recipe is from the town of Huauchinango, Puebla, set in a cloud forest not far from the Puebla-Veracruz border.... read more

poultry main-dishes Puebla

Codillo Aquiahuac Karen Hursh Graber

Codillo, sometimes called chamorro, is the lower part of the pork leg, here cut crosswise into rounds, including the central bone. Nopales (paddle cactus) and verdolagas (purslane) are two of the most ... read more

vegetables pork main-dishes Tlaxcala

Puebla-style Chalupas: Chalupas Poblanas Karen Hursh Graber

Named for the canoe-like boats that the Aztecs used to navigate the canals of their ancient capitol Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, chalupas are one of the most popular snacks in Central Mexico. ... read more

cheese masa meat salsas Puebla

Stuffed Nopales: Huaraches Karen Hursh Graber and Ana María Flores Sánchez

These were first served to us at the nopal fair in Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla. I have since had them in restaurants in Mexico City. They are aptly named for the flat soles of the country people's sandals t... read more

cheese vegetables main-dishes vegetarian Puebla

Fresh corn pozole from southern Puebla: Elopozole de Tierra Caliente Karen Hursh Graber

In the northern and central parts of the state, southern Puebla is called " tierra caliente" — hot land — although it can get chilly in winter, especially in the mountains. Most pozole is made with hominy-like corn kernels that have been dried then soaked, but this one is made with fresh corn, called elote, thus giving rise to the name elopozole. read more

pork main-dishes soups rice-and-grains Puebla

Garlic soup from San Gabriel Chilac: Sopa de ajo Karen Hursh Graber

San Gabriel Chilac, the southern Puebla town known for hand-embroidered blouses and dresses, is a garlic-growing region providing this indispensable culinary ingredient to much of the area, where this ... read more

soups Puebla

Goat and vegetable mole: Mole de caderas Karen Hursh Graber

Every year pamphlets explaining the origins of this dish, along with a list of ingredients, are distributed in Tehuacan's restaurants by the city's Gastronomic Council, an association of restaurant own... read more

meat main-dishes mole-and-pipian Tehuacán, Puebla

Braised chicken with apples: Pollo con manzanas Karen Hursh Graber

On a visit to Cuernavaca, our friend Joaquín was describing the chicken his sister-in-law had prepared for New Year's dinner. It sounded delicious and he promised to ask her for the recipe. A few nigh... read more

fruit poultry main-dishes Morelos

Oyster Mushroom Frittata: Tortilla de Huevo con Cazahuates Karen Hursh Graber

Cazahuatenanacatl is the Nahuatl name for oyster mushrooms. While these delicious, meaty mushrooms may be difficult to pronounce in Nahuatl, they are very easy to eat in a variety of dishes. The follow... read more

eggs pork breakfast Morelos

Chile Seed Pipian: Pipián de Semillas de Chile Karen Hursh Graber

It is customary for Mexican cooks to save the seeds they remove from dried chiles and store them, mixing several varieties in the same jar. This traditional recipe from El Bajio restaurant in Mexico Ci... read more

pork meat main-dishes salsas México D.F.

Rabbit in chile sauce: Conejo en adobo Karen Hursh Graber

The rabbit that I recently bought in the Cholula market, weighing in at a hefty 3 ¾ pounds, was perfect for this recipe, since it calls for the meat to be cooked and marinated before being combined wi... read more

meat main-dishes salsas Puebla

Cornhusk wrapped chiles stuffed with fresh corn: Chiltamales Karen Hursh Graber

In this recipe, corn is cut fresh from the cob and used to fill poblano chiles, which are wrapped in fresh cornhusks, eliminating the need for soaking. Although a metate would traditionally be used ... read more

vegetables main-dishes vegetarian Puebla

Spiced Lamb Steamed in Maguey Leaves: Mixiotes de Carnero Karen Hursh Graber

Mixiotes de carnero are a specialty of the central Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. They are flavored with two of the most distinctively Mexican of leaves: avocado leaves, which are encl... read more

vegetables meat main-dishes salsas Puebla Tlaxcala Hidalgo

Mexican chicken and fruit stew: Manchamanteles Karen Hursh Graber

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... read more

vegetables fruit poultry main-dishes soups Puebla

Harvest cornpatch soup: Sopa de milpa Karen Hursh Graber

Milpa means "cornfield," and this soup incorporates not only corn, but a medley of other Tlaxcalan produce abundant at this time of year. Although fresh nopales are preferable, they are availabl... read more

vegetables main-dishes soups rice-and-grains Tlaxcala