Sometime between mid-March and early April, there comes a day when the temperature suddenly climbs here in Central Mexico, marking the onset of the “hot season.” And with it comes a proliferation of stands selling seafood cocktails, ice cream and fruit drinks. The fruit drinks, or aguas, are sold year round, but business picks up during the […]
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Mexico is a country where soup is an integral part of the comida — the main meal of the day — and many people feel that this meal is not complete without it. I’ve written about it before (Soup of the day: La sopa del día), and this website has an extensive repertoire of soup recipes, but […]
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This recipe, from the state of Jalisco, is usually served as an aperitif before a fiesta meal. In Mexico, the word ponche is most often used to mean a fruit-based alcoholic beverage. Upon aging, this drink becomes similar to a fortified wine like Madeira. I usually squeeze a large quantity of pomegranates during September when they are […]
Continue ReadingThe creative blending of diverse ingredients is the hallmark of Mexican cooking, and in the state of Puebla it is a passion. Everywhere there is talk of food. People give detailed accounts of what they’ve just eaten, plan to eat later, or what was served at the most recent fiesta. Their enthusiasm for the subject is […]
Continue ReadingWhat food was considered so important to the diet of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic population that it was fashioned into images of the gods and eaten as communion? What food was outlawed during the conquest of Mexico, and the people of New Spain forbidden to cultivate or consume? And finally, Chicken in Mexican amaranth sauce: Pollo en amaranto […]
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It seems that so often when I cook something savory, I automatically reach for an onion. Even when undecided about what else might go in a dish, there is a good chance that it will call for some form of Allium cepa, or cultivated onion. With the exception of desserts (and even here, I’ve recently read about […]
Continue ReadingIngredients: 3 Tbsp. oil 1 kg. corn masa 1 bunch fresh spinach, finely chopped or 1 lb. frozen chopped spinach 400 grs. (4 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine 2 C. shredded mild white cheese such as Adobera, Asadero o Monterrey Jack 1 Tbsp. baking powder 2 finely chopped tomatoes 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 […]
Continue ReadingTiny Tlaxcala may be Mexico’s smallest state but it is one of the most quintessentially Mexican in its traditions, especially in the realm of cuisine. The same artistic flair with which the people of this area painted their ancient temple murals was applied to the creation of their regional dishes. Since pre-Colombian times, Tlaxcaltecos have used a […]
Continue ReadingThe state of Zacatecas, in the northwestern part of the central Mexican plateau, has been culturally significant since pre-Hispanic times, when it was one of the few holdouts not conquered by the Aztecs. The people of this area, which was part of the western Mexican region called La Gran Chichimeca by the Spaniards, remained autonomous […]
Continue ReadingI first met Juana Perez when she came to work in our house in Cholula. Born and raised in the surrounding countryside, Juana was a fount of local folklore, insight and wisdom. She was never happier than when called upon to give a lesson or two in the kitchen. I would let her take over […]
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