Veracruz-style Mexican black bean soup with masa balls © Karen Hursh Graber, 2014

Mexican black bean soup with masa balls: Sopa de frijoles negros con bolitas de masa

Mexican black bean soup with masa balls could easily be a whole meal, accompanied by a salad. A nopales salad or a watercress and spinach salad would both be good choices. Ingredients For the soup: 2 tablespoons lard or oil ½ medium onion 1 roma tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 cups cooked black beans […]

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Criollo Avocados. Photo by Beth Kelly

The Avocado: On Beyond Guacamole

The rich, yellow-green pulp of the avocado, nowadays most frequently associated with the ubiquitous Mexican dish known as guacamole, was once an appetizing mouthful for the mastodons that roamed the American continent, spreading the seeds of the fruit they swallowed whole. Thus the avocado tree, a native of the Tehuacan Valley of Southern Mexico, whose seeds have […]

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Aguascalientes style chicken with fruit sauce: Pollo de Aguascalientes

This chicken with fruit sauce is considered one of the most typical dishes of Aguascalientes, traditionally served at the San Marcos Fair and sometimes called “Pollo de San Marcos.” The 20th century Mexican poet Renato Leduc wrote that “there is not a fairgoer nor local family that does not pass by the San Marcos food […]

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Pineapple and strawberry water: Agua de piña y fresa

This is as attractive as it is delicious. Be sure to disinfect strawberries no matter where you buy them. Ingredients: 1 whole, small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 1 pint strawberries, disinfected, hulled and sliced 8 cups water Sugar to taste Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. This may have to […]

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Mexican beef chichilo by Pilar Cabrera: Chichilo de res por Pilar Cabrera

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 shares her recipe with us. Ingredients 3 pounds beef rump roast, cubed ½ medium onion ¼ medium garlic bulb 1 medium chayote 1 […]

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Carmen Solis’ chicken estofado: Estofado de pollo de Carmen Solis

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 traditional outdoor kitchen, where she prepares many dishes, including beans, over a wood fire. Just as her kitchens and techniques […]

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