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 – stuffed with crab meat can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, then served either cold or at room temperature as hors d’ouevres, appetizers or […]
Continue ReadingThe fields of Menu Consulting and Food Research/Writing have, in recent years, expanded to include information on culinary traditions and ingredients on an international scale. Economic globalization, the Internet, a newly-discovered pride in ethnic and indigenous roots – all have contributed to the groundswell of interchange in areas as diverse as hotel/restaurant management and culinary […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most famous street snacks of Veracruz, this puff pastry empanada is flavored with the classic Spanish combination of raisins and olives, with the distinctly Veracruz touch of pickled jalapeños. I think of it as a fish picadillo. You can use any leftover cooked fish, flaked, in place of tuna. If you live in a […]
Continue ReadingFruit atole is a great morning or late night drink. It can be made with several kinds of fruit, but Veracruz guava atole is my hands-down favorite. The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut the fruit crosswise and scoop them out with a spoon. Ingredients 3 cups water ½ cup piloncillo or dark brown sugar 1 […]
Continue ReadingPicaditas 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 seafood variations on its picaditas, which are sometimes known locally as pelliscadas. A very attractive presentation for an appetizer or buffet table is to garnish each picadita with […]
Continue ReadingI 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 food available was from the early-morning tamal vendor. It might have been because were so hungry, but these tamales tasted heavenly […]
Continue ReadingThis is one version of the Veracruz classic that is traditionally made with huachinango, red snapper. If snapper is too pricey, I just buy whatever firm fleshed white fish is more reasonable. This has everything you could want in a healthy Mexican dish — bright flavors and lean protein, without sacrificing regional authenticity. It’s fine to use […]
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The small, distinctively-flavored black beans of Veracruz which so charmed the tastebuds of the early Spanish settlers are still famous throughout Mexico for their high-quality, tenderness and taste. The method of preparation is typical of the eastern coastal area of the country. Soaking beans in water overnight, and then changing the water before cooking, is […]
Continue ReadingThis month we’ll continue to take a look at the cooking of the immigrants who contributed to the modern Mexican culinary repertoire. Unlike other groups discussed previously — including the Mennonites of Chihuahua, the Italians of Chipilo and the Lebanese of Puebla — this group undoubtedly did not come willingly. Their arrival was a product […]
Continue ReadingThis tasty, bracing concoction, one of the signature dishes of Veracruz, is served all over the country. One of the classic Mexican hangover cures, vuelve a la vida seafood cocktail brings back memories of many years ago, when we would take off from Puebla and head for Veracruz on at least three or four long weekends a […]
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