Adobo: a Mexican seasoning sauce for shrimp, chicken, rabbit or meat

Adobo is a traditional seasoning sauce and arinade based on the chile ancho. This recipe was given to me by Estela Salas Silva. Having learned the culinary arts from her grandmother, Chef Doña Eulogia Silva Castillo, she is now sharing them with students at her school, Mexican Home Cooking in Tlaxcala. Ingredients 4-5 ancho chiles, […]

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Cooking with tequila: Mexico’s national drink moves into the kitchen – Part Two

Mexican Kitchen To Part One Last month the history, distillation process, and some culinary uses of tequila were discussed in this column. A trip to the Mexican town of Tequila inspired further investigation of the beverage’s role in the kitchen, and a number of recipes with tequila were uncovered. Soups, salads and main courses using tequila […]

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Cooking with tequila: Mexico’s national drink moves into the kitchen – Part One

Mexican Kitchen To Part 2 Tequila: the name alone conjures up a variety of images associated with the Mexican cultural landscape. From its beginnings in the blue agave fields of Jalisco, to its consumption in humble cantinas and trendy restaurants, tequila is the quintessentially Mexican drink. The incredible growth industry which has spawned over three hundred new […]

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Strawberry and tequila cheese cake: Pastel de queso con fresas y tequila

Ingredients For the crust: 3 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 1 stick plus 1 tablespoons butter, melted Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the crumbs in a bowl and stir the sugar and butter into the crumbs until well blended. Press the mixture with a wooden spoon or the palm […]

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Mexican braised chicken with vanilla: Pollo al vainilla

As unlikely as it may seem, vanilla pods, or “beans”, are a tantalizing addition to this speciality of the Totonac Sierra Oriente, the beautiful mountain range that separates coastal Veracruz from the inland high plateau. The shelf-life of a vanilla pod may be extended by keeping it in a tightly-sealed container of sugar. The sugar […]

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Adding zest to summer’s bounty: Salsas de fruta

Mexican Kitchen Enticing colors, graceful shapes and heady fragrances are all part of the appeal of summer fruit. While a wide array of fresh fruit is available in Mexico year round, it is during the summer that the national mango frenzy reaches its peak, along with a propensity toward the consumption of endless montones (the neat piles […]

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Adding zest to summer’s bounty: Tropical fruit accents for meat, fish or fowl

Mexican Kitchen Last month’s column discussed buying and storing summer fruit, as well as the versatile fruit salsas which are perfect for outdoor dining. This month some ideas for using fruit as part of the main course are given. Here in Mexico, especially in the southern coastal regions, fruit is much more than a salad course […]

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