Fish filets in Mexican hoja santa: Filetes de pescado en hoja santa Karen Hursh Graber

Fish filets in Mexican hoja santa is a specialty of Veracruz, where hoja santa is often called acuyo. It combines the fresh seafood for which Veracruz is famous with the anise-scented herb that grows a... read more

fish main-dishes Veracruz

Mashed plantains with pork rinds: Machuca de platano con chicharrones Karen Hursh Graber

This variation on traditional machuca uses crispy chicharrones (pork cracklings), which give a good texture to the dish and impart the taste of pork without having to use the traditional lard. A cousi... read more

fruit meat main-dishes Veracruz

Mexican plantain empanadas with picadillo: Empanadas de platano Karen Hursh Graber

This recipe is adapted from Alquímias y Atmósferas del Sabor, by Doña Carmen Titita Ramírez, proprietress of Mexico City's famed El Bajío restaurant. The plantains should be cooked a day in advanc... read more

fruit meat main-dishes Veracruz

Mexican coffee flan: Flan de cafe Karen Hursh Graber

Mexican coffee flan comes from the Coatepec region of Veracruz. Instant espresso powder is a boon to the dessert maker, since it dissolves easily and has an intense flavor. Ingredients For the carame... read more

eggs desserts Veracruz

Mexican cold avocado soup: Sopa fria de aguacate Karen Hursh Graber

Originally from the tropical coastal state of Tabasco, where a chilled dish is always welcome, this soup is a perfect first course for a light summer meal, such as grilled chicken or fish. Try adding a tablespoon of sherry for a delicious, unusual twist. read more

vegetables soups Tabasco

Fish in spicy tomato sauce: Pescado a la veracruzana Karen Hursh Graber

This is one version of the Veracruz classic traditionally made with huachinango, red snapper. It has everything you could want in a healthy Mexican dish -- bright flavors and lean protein, without sacrificing regional authenticity. read more

fish main-dishes Veracruz

Beef short ribs with pumpkin: Costilla de res con calabaza Karen Hursh Graber

The combination of meat and squash is typically West African, combined here with tomatoes, an indigenous Mexican ingredient, and spices introduced by the Spaniards. read more

vegetables meat main-dishes Veracruz

Fish in red pipian: Pescado en pipian rojo Karen Hursh Graber

The mountains of northern Puebla and Veracruz are blessed with an abundance of freshwater fish. The combination of fish and pipian is unusual but delicious, and any firm fleshed white fish can be use... read more

fish main-dishes salsas Puebla Veracruz

Chicken in sesame seed, pumpkin seed and chile sauce: Tlatonile de pollo Karen Hursh Graber

This sauce originated in Huatusco, in north central Veracruz. Comapeños are very small, dried red chiles abundant in this region. You can substitute chiles de arbol for the comapeños, but I rec... read more

poultry main-dishes salsas Veracruz

Seafood frittata: Torta de mariscos Karen Hursh Graber

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

eggs seafood Veracruz

Cheese-filled Sweet Potato Patties: Tortitas de Camote Karen Hursh Graber

In most of Mexico, these fried patties are made with white potatoes, whereas in Veracruz they are made with sweet potatoes or yucca. This cheese-filled version is more versatile than most, because it c... read more

cheese vegetables vegetarian side-dishes Veracruz

Xalapa-style green mole: Mole verde de Xalapa Karen Hursh Graber

Puebla and Oaxaca both have their own distinctive versions of green mole, but none is as laden with fresh vegetables as Xalapa's mole verde. Although I have prepared several meatless pipians and ... read more

vegetables poultry main-dishes mole-and-pipian Xalapa, Veracruz

Oyster mushroom chileatole: Chileatole de setas Karen Hursh Graber

Mushrooms proliferate in the mist-covered hills of north central Veracruz, the only place I have ever seen chileatole made with them, in this case with setas or oyster mushrooms. It would probabl... read more

vegetables poultry soups Veracruz

Stuffed Fish Filet: Filete De Pescado Relleno Karen Hursh Graber

This is a basic coastal recipe, adaptable to several different kinds of fish and shellfish. We first tried it in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, but some version of it is on the menu of nearly every seafood re... read more

fish main-dishes Veracruz

Spicy seafood soup: Chilpachole Karen Hursh Graber

Chilpachole is a specialty of Veracruz, but it is found all over Mexico, especially in Mexico City, where food of every region comes together. It can be made with either shrimp or crabmeat, and the var... read more

seafood soups Veracruz

Did You Know? - Vanilla Teresa Kendrick

Did you know that the vanilla bean is from an aromatic orchid that originally came from Mexico? The Academy of Sciences and Gastronomic Arts in Paris were so taken with the fruit of this orchid, that ... read more

spices Papantla, Veracruz

Yam and pineapple dessert: Dulce de camote con piña Karen Hursh Graber

This delicious dessert is a perfect example of the Afro-Cuban influence on Gulf coast cooking, combining pineapple, a plantation crop, with yams or sweet potatoes, a West African staple. Ingredients: ... read more

vegetables fruit desserts Veracruz

Tamaulipas-Style Fajitas: Fajitas al Sombrero Karen Hursh Graber

Driving northward along the Tamaulipas coast, the traveler goes from the tropical region of the Veracruz border to the plains of south Texas. A mid-point on the journey is the small town of San Fernand... read more

cheese masa meat main-dishes Tamaulipas

Seafood Pozole: Pozole con Mariscos Karen Hursh Graber

This Gulf Coast version is from Veracruz, but similar seafood pozoles are found along Mexico's Pacific coasts. Most Mexican seafood stews come with the heads on the shrimp, but if you do not like to se... read more

seafood main-dishes soups Veracruz

Rum Milkshake: Toro Karen Hursh Graber

I hadn't been to Boca del Rio in many years, and was surprised to see it transformed from a sleepy fishing village to a gastronomic center. At a fair there, with a friend from Veracruz, just about ever... read more

fruit beverages Veracruz

Veracruz-style seafood and rice: Arroz a la tumbada Karen Hursh Graber

One of my happiest dining memories is the first time I tried Arroz a la Tumbada at the King of Carnival restaurant in the city of Veracruz, where it is prepared to order for each diner and serve... read more

fish seafood main-dishes rice-and-grains Veracruz

Veracruz-style stuffed chiles: Cuaresmeños jarochos Karen Hursh Graber

Some of our favorite ways to eat seafood in Veracruz are the cold salads and cocktails featuring shrimp, crab and other local seafood. This recipe for cuaresmeños - large jalapeños - st... read more

vegetables seafood main-dishes Veracruz

Veracruz-style picaditas with black beans and salsa: Picaditas veracruzanas Karen Hursh Graber

Picaditas are fun to make as well as eat. As each one is baking on the comal, the sides are pinched up, creating perfect little containers to hold the toppings. Veracruz, being a port city, has ... read more

cheese seafood masa main-dishes beans Veracruz

Veracruz-style chicken tamales: Tamales rojos veracruzanos con pollo Karen Hursh Graber

I first had these many years ago in the main plaza of the port of Veracruz. We'd stayed out so late listening to the wonderful local musicians that it was morning already and we were starving. The only... read more

poultry masa main-dishes Veracruz

Chicken in Tabascan Pipian: Pollo en Chirmol Karen Hursh Graber

Chirmol is a thick sauce resembling the pipian rojo of central Mexico. It is served in Tabasco with fish, chicken and pork. Ingredients for the chicken: 1 3 ½-4 pound chicken, cut into serv... read more

poultry masa main-dishes salsas Tabasco