If you can never find ways to use an entire bunch of cilantro before it wilts in the refrigerator, search no further. Fresh cilantro is the perfect foil for the guajillo chiles in olive oil and garlic. If you can’t find guajillos, dried red California chiles are a good substitute. In the restaurant where I first tried this, it was adorned with thin […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 used in this recipe. Use more or less chile seeds, according to taste. Ingredients For the fish: 2 quarts water 2 pounds firm white […]
Continue ReadingAlthough carnitas are a specialty of Michoacan, serving them with pumpkin is more common in Veracruz, where I bought a hard, meaty, pale orange pumpkin and carried it back to Oaxaca to make this dish, only to discover that the same kind of pumpkins had just shown up in our local markets. Winter squash such as butternut […]
Continue ReadingThis is an adaptation of a recipe provided by Gladys Zavaleta Ruiz in her collection, Cocina con Amaranto. Served with a salad, it makes a fine light supper, and is a good example of the many vegetarian main dishes that can be prepared with amaranth. Ingredients 2 lbs. potaoes, boiled 1/4 lb. manchego, chihuahua or […]
Continue ReadingStep into the Mexican Kitchen with Karen Hursh Graber, MexConnect’s monthly food columnist, for a look at the methods, materials, and ingredients that have characterized Mexico’s rich and varied dishes for hundreds of years. From pre-Hispanic times, through the Spanish colonial period, and up to the current, exciting era of nouvelle Mexican culinary innovations, this […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most fascinating aspects of exploring the cuisine of another country is the process of becoming acquianted with the history, customs and traditions that are an intrinsic part of the cultural landscape of cooking and eating. In Mexico, festivals, rituals and personal commemorations are all important events in terms of celebrating with food […]
Continue ReadingPork and fruit go well together, and mamey is no exception. This is good with a simply prepared roasted pork loin. It doesn’t take long to put together, and can be made in advance or while the pork finishes cooking. Ingredients 1 tablespoon mild olive oil ¼ cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 […]
Continue ReadingChilaquiles are tortillas cut into strips, fried, and cooked in either a red or green sauce. Literally meaning “poor man’s food,” chilaquiles were undoubtedly invented as a way of using up leftover tortillas. They have evolved into a very versatile dish, with some rather sophisticated variations. The following version uses a red sauce; however a green sauce, such as […]
Continue ReadingThis recipe for Mexican avocado ice cream is simplicity itself, and can be served as a softie ice cream or frozen longer for a firmer, more scoop-able version. Ingredients Pulp of 3 medium avocados ¾ tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 ¼ cups whole milk ½ cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream (in Mexico, use Crema […]
Continue ReadingIf the recipe above seems a bit daunting, take heart because many people who don’t live near a tortillería use the convenient dry masa harina to make dough. Maseca is the most widely used brand in Mexico; however Quaker and White Feather brands are widely distributed, along with Maseca, outside Mexico. Ingredients for 1 pound masa: […]
Continue Reading