The Mexican state of Yucatan, located on the peninsula of the same name, is the home of one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in the country. A long tradition of fine dining, going back to the ancient Maya and incorporating sophisticated European dishes, is very much in evidence in the cities, towns and villages […]
Continue ReadingChronicler Diego de Landa mentioned chaya in 1566, when he observed that the leaves were especially delicious when cooked with plenty of bacon. What isn’t? Chayas fritas is an excellent side dish; it also stars in the scrambled egg dish Huevos revueltos con chaya. Chaya continues in popularity to the present, with exuberant chefs pushing the envelope of its many possibilities: […]
Continue ReadingEsta sopa es una especialidad del estado de Yucatán. A pesar de que se desarrolló en un clima cálido, es una buena comida para el invierno. La variedad de limón llamada Citrus limetta crece en abundancia en Yucatán, aunque otras variedades de limón pueden ser utilizadas al preparar esta sopa. Ingredientes Para el caldo: 1 pollo entero, […]
Continue ReadingThis is another Yucatecan favorite that makes use of leftovers from the day before. Chayas fritas from the afternoon meal are repurposed for breakfast the next day in this quick yet nourishing dish. Scramble the quantity of eggs desired, adding chayas fritas just as the eggs are beginning to set. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper […]
Continue ReadingThis delicious soup from the Yucatan uses half-ripe plantains, meaning green and yellow, not black and yellow. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, if desired, and add more broth for a thinner Yucatan style plantain soup. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, […]
Continue ReadingYucca has always been a staple in the cooking of the Caribbean and the Yucatan peninsula. Fairly bland on its own, it takes well to the flavor of other ingredients. In Mexican yucca in orange sauce, it blends with garlic and oranges. Ingredients 6 medium size yuccas 2 tablespoons corn oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled […]
Continue ReadingThis is the quintessential Yucatecan dish, from a region that is quite possibly the “capital” of leaf-wrapped foods. The color and flavor of the marinade are characterized by achiote, or annatto seed. This succulent baked pork is worth trying even without banana leaves, though the taste will not be exactly the same. Simply omit the […]
Continue ReadingThis tip was taught to me by a restaurant owner on a trip to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, near where the town of Ticul is located. She explained that the inner, smooth side of the banana leaf always faces the filling, with the ridged side on the outside. The leaves may be omitted if […]
Continue ReadingTwo years ago, along the road from Palenque to the Campeche, passing the small campechano town of Esmarga, we stopped at a roadside palapa restaurant – one of the small, thatched-roof eateries common in tropical parts of Mexico – where I tasted my first escabeche. The word escabeche is defined in most Spanish-English dictionaries as “pickled”, a meaning that does not apply in […]
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The Canadian author and Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro said that “The constant happiness is curiosity.” If this is the case, then chef and cookbook writer David Sterling must have taken great joy in putting this book together, for it reflects tireless research that was surely driven by an intense desire to learn as much […]
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