A chunky sauce like this is best served with a shorter pasta shape, such as penne, shells, or rigatoni, which will “hold” the sauce, rather than spaghetti, from which the ingredients will slide to the bottom of the plate. Like all of the following recipes, this one can easily be doubled, tripled, etc., using the […]
Continue ReadingMexican Kitchen Readers of this column often write to inquire about taking cooking classes in Mexico, though I never recommend one that I have not visited personally. This month, another can be added. Casa del Angel, in Cuernavaca, is a cooking school, spa and bed-and-breakfast run by American chef Billy Cross, whose culinary training and […]
Continue ReadingMexican Kitchen As Mother Nature assaults the Northern climates with chill winds, sleet and snow, northerners can take comfort from the fact that she has thoughtfully provided the season’s bounty of citrus fruit from Southern latitudes. Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, mandarins and tangelos are all tasty, loaded with vitamin C to help combat colds and […]
Continue ReadingMany years ago, we received at least three fondue pots as wedding gifts. Fondue parties were popular, but after a while, no longer in style in the “avocado green” and “harvest gold” of the seventies, they made their way to yard sales and hand-me-down status. If I’d only known about the quesos fundidos I’d find in Mexico, […]
Continue ReadingSan Gabriel Chilac, the southern Puebla town known for hand-embroidered blouses and dresses, is a garlic-growing region providing this indispensable culinary ingredient to much of the area, where this soup is served with the piquant addition of crushed chile de arbol. Ingredients: 1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 4 tablespoons corn oil 1 arbol […]
Continue ReadingSeveral years ago, I gave a recipe for a simplified version of chiles en nogada. This one, while a bit more labor-intensive, is exquisite and a great project for making with family and friends. We have a lot of fun doing this, with everyone pitching in to roast the chiles and chop the various ingredients. Chiles en nogada are […]
Continue ReadingOn a visit to Cuernavaca, our friend Joaquín was describing the chicken his sister-in-law had prepared for New Year’s dinner. It sounded delicious and he promised to ask her for the recipe. A few nights later, he surprised us with the chicken, which she had prepared especially for us when she found out we wanted […]
Continue ReadingIngredients 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) green chiles (poblanos) 3/4 kilo (1.5 pounds)) tomatoes, chopped 2 large onions, chopped 4 tablespoons oil 3 teaspoons salt 1/2 kilo (1.1 pounds) of queso fresco or farmer’s cheese, crumbled Before beginning, know that chiles contain an oil that is very irritating to the skin and eyes so please be careful when […]
Continue Reading1 Kilo (2.2 lbs.) Tomatillos (with brown papery husk removed) 10 small green chiles 4 C. Water 3 Garlic cloves 2 Peppercorns 2 Cloves 1/2 tsp. Salt Combine all ingredients except for salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer until tomatillos turn dark green – about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat […]
Continue ReadingEn México, diciembre es un mes de celebración. En tiempos prehispánicos, los Aztecas festejaron la llegada del solsticio de invierno, uno de los dos días más importantes del año. (El otro era el solsticio de primavera.) Después de la conquista, se integraron nuevos festejos al calendario, fechas alegres en donde los platillos y dulces tradicionales […]
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