Sweet and juicy, cantaloupe melons make a delicious agua, one of the most popular with visitors and newcomers to Mexico, probably because of their widespread use as a breakfast fruit in the U.S. Ingredients: 1/2 cantaloupe, seeds and rind removed, diced (about 1½ – 2 cups diced melon) 1 quart water 1/4 cup sugar, or to […]
Continue ReadingCodillo, sometimes called chamorro, is the lower part of the pork leg, here cut crosswise into rounds, including the central bone. Nopales (paddle cactus) and verdolagas (purslane) are two of the most common plants found in Central Mexico. Because of their versatility and high nutritional value, they are used in a variety of dishes. Purslane, […]
Continue ReadingTomato-based noodle soup is one of the most common of all meal starters. This version goes a step beyond, incorporating Swiss chard for an added dimension of taste, texture and nutrition. Ingredients: 1 quart good chicken stock 2 roma tomatoes, roasted and peeled 1/2 white onion, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons […]
Continue ReadingSquash blossoms, in season at the same time, go well with poblano chiles. When removing the blossoms from the stems, be sure to remove the pistil as well. Ingredients 1 pound spaghetti 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 poblano chiles, […]
Continue ReadingA 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 ReadingHere, the dried chiles are soaked with the other ingredients, rather than in water or vinegar, as is normally the case. Seville orange juice, which I learned to cook with in the Yucatan, is a great substitute for vinegar in sauces and vinaigrettes.This is a no-cook sauce, but the ingredients must be combined at least […]
Continue ReadingIngredients: 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) corn tortillas 3 chilacate peppers 2 tomatoes 2 garlic cloves – whole, unpeeled 1/2 cup oil 2 large onions – chopped 1/2 kilo (1.1 lbs) Queso Fresco or farmer’s cheese – crumbled How to Prepare: Cut tortillas into squares approximately 1 inch square. Fry the tortilla squares in the oil […]
Continue ReadingThis seasonal adaptation of a traditional manchamanteles — “tablecloth stainer” — uses the fall season’s apples and pears instead of the usual pineapple; sweet potatoes instead of plantains; prunes instead of summer’s tomatoes; and hazelnuts instead of almonds. Mexican winter fruit mole with hazelnuts is a good example of a recipe that can be adjusted […]
Continue ReadingCazahuatenanacatl is the Nahuatl name for oyster mushrooms. While these delicious, meaty mushrooms may be difficult to pronounce in Nahuatl, they are very easy to eat in a variety of dishes. The following, nearly identical to an Italian frittata, is from the CONACULTA collection of nahua recipes. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil […]
Continue ReadingThese elegant loaves, mildly flavored with onion and garlic, reflect the sophistication that the French influence brought to Mexican baking. They are served as an accompaniment to the cream soup course- another Gallic contribution- at dinners celebrating weddings and other important events. On the day that I spent at “La Chiquita”, Don Pepe and his […]
Continue Reading