From early evening until late at night, stands are set up in the plazas of Morelia, Pátzcuaro and other cities in Michoacan selling this popular supper. We watched women bring the different elements of this dish – chicken, vegetables and enchilada sauce – which had been pre-cooked at home, then heat them in hot oil […]
Continue ReadingOne of the signature dishes of Campeche cuisine, this combines the best of local shellfish with what might be the quintessential flavor of the tropics, coconut. At La Pigua, it is served accompanied by a homemade applesauce, an unexpected and surprisingly good complement. Ingredients: 24 jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving the tail and first segment of […]
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When we moved to Mexico in the 1980s, berries were not a common sight in the produce markets. There was a seasonal appearance of local blackberries in cooler regions, and a spring strawberry season, but blueberries were nearly impossible to find in most town markets, and raspberries were even less common. Home cooks in the […]
Continue ReadingI went through several versions of Mexican scrambled eggs with dried shrimp, a common dish in Oaxaca’s Isthmus region, to find my favorite. In the Isthmus, it is made with camarones oreados, or partially dried shrimp, described in Diana Kennedy’s Oaxaca al Gusto, where the recipe uses epazote and chiles. This take on dried shrimp and scrambled eggs uses […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most recent topics of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, simply entitled “Eggs,” inspired a bit of research on the history and use of eggs in Mexican cooking. However fraught with symbolism the egg may be in many cultures, it is above all an economical source of protein. For this reason, […]
Continue ReadingEvery region of Mexico has its own beloved street foods, and pambazos seem to be especially favored in parts of Puebla and Veracruz. Although the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows falls on a meatless Lenten Friday, pambazos are still enjoyed, with many vendors substituting quesillo- string cheese- for the chicken. The savory sauce that […]
Continue ReadingSometimes translated to English as “corn smut,” huitlacoche has become popular in recent years as a nouvelle cuisine offering in everything from ravioli filling to omelettes. Corn fungus crepes, however, were first served in the 1950’s by chef Jaime Saldívar. This version uses a poblano chile sauce, and the filling itself is also good with the addition […]
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Visitors to Mexico, most of whom are eager to explore the markets, nearly always have the same question when it comes to vegetables: Why, when there are so many of them in the market, does it seem that they are not an important part of Mexican meals? The answer lies in two words: home cooking. […]
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Step aside, kale. We’ve had you in everything from soup to lollypops, but it’s a New Year and there is a new title holder for Vegetable of the Year. According to Christine Couvelier, a culinary trendologist (yes, that’s the job title, not a word I made up, although somebody surely did) at Metro News, this […]
Continue ReadingA Norteño dish originating in Tamaulipas, this is the classic accompaniment to the grilled beef dishes of northern Mexico. It is an ideal make-ahead dish, especially good with barbeque, improving as the flavors come together. Although the initial cooking of the beans can be done in a pressure cooker, a slow-cooking pot, such as a clay casserole, […]
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