The preparation of this Mexican yucca pudding dessert is the same as for flan, coating the pan with caramelized sugar and baking in a baño maria, or bain marie. For the caramel: Place ¾ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it has melted and turned deep, golden brown. […]
Continue ReadingThese crunchy plantain fritters, or “little Mexican spiders,” made with shredded green plantains, remind me of a crispy version of hash brown potatoes or potato latkes. Be sure to use unripe plantains, or the fritters will be soggy instead of crispy. Ingredients Vegetable oil for frying 2 cloves garlic Pinch of salt 2 green plantains, […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 coast, ancinnd is served with a costeño chile sauce. The dried broad beans, or fava beans, ground into flour give the […]
Continue ReadingThe distinctively flavored Mexican chocolate has a grainier texture than other chocolates, so don’t skip the step using a sieve. I prefer the Mayordomo brand made in Oaxaca, but any of the popular brands, such as Ibarra or Abuelita, work well. Ingredients 12 ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped 3 ¾ cups half and half 3 […]
Continue ReadingThis 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 cousin of the West African fufu, machuca is best made with barely ripe plantains, those that are still mostly yellow. (They can have some black spots but not have […]
Continue ReadingA surprising percentage of Mexico’s land area is protected in one form or another. A very large number of sites of archaeological or historical importance are managed by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, more commonly known by its acronym INAH. In theory, all buildings more than 100 years old have some degree of […]
Continue ReadingThis Mexican pasta salad with jalapeño vinaigrette is a great side dish to serve with grilled meat, chicken or fish. It’s quick and easy to put together at the last minute, or it can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated. If making it ahead of time, don’t add the avocado until you […]
Continue ReadingThe colonial silver mining town of Alamos, Sonora was designed by the king of Spain’s personnal architect and remains every bit as impressive today as it was three hundred years ago. While staying at Alamos’ beautiful Hacienda de los Santos, I taught a cooking course which included this version of filet mignon in chipotle sauce. […]
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Even before the current food obsession permeated a large segment of the population, there were those of us who collected cookbooks. Some we appreciated for the gorgeous, glossy, good-enough-to-eat photographs and some we used over and over until they were dog-eared, splattered with stains from being open in the kitchen, and literally falling apart at […]
Continue ReadingPicture a small tropical city nestled up against sparkling coastal waters, surrounded by fortress walls, complete with drawbridges and moats to keep out invading buccaneers. Where, in the twenty-first century, could this possibly be? No, it isn’t Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Nothing constructed by a theme park could come close to the real […]
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