Pilar Cabrera, chef, cooking instructor and, most recently, participant in Iron Chef Canada, shares this recipe with Mexconnect readers. Ingredients 250 grams (about ½ pound) of organic lettuc... read more

Some say it's one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect from most of the population notwithstanding the tradition and ceremony that has been its trademark for genera... read more

You don't have to break the dish for good luck after eating these, as is done in Oaxaca. Just serve them with plenty of the cinnamon flavored syrup. Piloncillo is the dark brown sugar, sold in cones... read more

salsa . (Latin salsa, salted.) fem. Composition or mixture of several edible substances, diluted, made to dress or season food. There is no doubt that the above definition was translated from... read more

Alegrías, whose name is derived from the Spanish word for "happy", are made from the highly nutritious, ancient grain amaranth. Wrapped in colored cellophane, they make a nice addition to a gift baske... read more

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

Have a taste whenever the opportunity arises, and of whatever is being offered, if only enough to discern differences and develop a palate. read more

Mescal, mescaline, mescal bean, mescal button; what are they? They are all intoxicants, which was what the word mescal meant in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today mescal generally refers to... read more

This ancient dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. When we lived in Oaxaca, I learned about segueza from Maribel Bautista who prepares traditional Zapotec food at La Cúpula Restaura... read more

Called simply (and fondly) "amarillo," this Oaxacan mole dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys region of this southern Mexico state. Although usually made with chicken, it is one of the few mol... read more

When we lived in Oaxaca, I liked to go the food stands that were right outside the university faculties downtown, especially the school of architecture, which was right next to a small park, with plent... read more

Pilar Cabrara created this dressing was designed for her exclusive Oaxaca Salad. Ingredients 100 ml (about 3 fluid ounces) adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo) 250 ml (about 8 fl... read more

Mexican beef chichilo is probably the least known of Oaxaca's moles. It is one of the only instances where nearly burning the chile gives an intense, smoky taste to the finished product. Pilar Cabrera ... read more

The potato tortitas, or "patties" sold inside some of Oaxaca's markets are superb — light on the inside, with a crunchy golden crust. This variation is typical of the region from Ocotlan south to the... read more

To call estofado a "stew" would be like calling Carmen Solis merely a "cook." She is an artisan in the kitchen - in fact, two kitchens, for Carmen has a modern indoor kitchen as well as the trad... read more

The most famous of Oaxaca's many moles, this sauce can be served with turkey, chicken, or pork; however, turkey is the meat of choice for festive occasions. In Mexico, the ingredients for large ... read more

Green mole is most commonly found in the states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Oaxaca, where it is one of los siete moles - the seven famous moles, each with a distinctive color, flavor and arom... read more

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... read more

This variation of the classic arroz con leche is served in Zimatlan, Oaxaca, one of the largest amaranth-producing areas in Mexico. The addition of popped amaranth grains adds nutrients as well ... read more

The combination of chicken and fruit is a hallmark of southern Mexican cooking. This recipe is adapted from one by Maria Concepción Portillo, a native of Oaxaca who collected over 250 recipes from her... read more

A specialty of Oaxaca, where fruit is often cooked with meat and poultry, this dish is easy and delicious. For a variation, try substituting pineapple slices for the oranges. This recipe is from Oaxaca... read more

The bottle gourd, cucurbita Ficifolia, a rather bland member of the squash family, is common in Oaxacan cuisine, either cooked in stews, used to make a dulce something like candied pumpkin, or in this ... read more

This recipe uses more almonds than most and eliminates the chocolate. It is a Oaxaca style, rather than a Puebla style, almendrado. read more

Frida Kahlo was a captivating artist and an intriguing, seductive woman. If we hadn't figured that out from the many books written about her, we would certainly have gotten the point from the motion pi... read more

This dish uses the famous quesillo - Oaxaca cheese that melts easily. However, for this recipe, it should be grated rather than pulled apart into strings. It is delicious served alone with flour... read more