Two years ago, I would’ve been leery about driving out of Mexico alone. Well, “everyone says” that the drive to Nogales (from Puerto Vallarta) is a drag: long, flat, boring, and nothing to see – something like, “straight roads and lots of desert.” As is the usual case with “the CV” (the Conventional Wisdom), it […]
Continue ReadingThis refreshing Yucatecan-style salad uses winter fruit in season. It comes to us courtesy of Chef David Sterling of Merida’s Los Dos cooking school. Ingredients 1 ½ pounds jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips 1 lime ¼ cup naranja agria (sour orange) juice or substitute 2 parts lime juice, and 1 part each grapefruit and sweet orange juice 1 […]
Continue ReadingThis Mexican cheese fondue with chorizo and beer is a beer-laced take on fundido toluqueño, the melted cheese dish named for Toluca, a city known for its excellent chorizo. I remember sitting on the chilly plaza there, enjoying a hearty, warming chorizo torta, one of the local favorite snacks. Now is the time to dig out that […]
Continue ReadingThis Mexican avocado lime pie is something like a creamy version of key lime pie, but with the nutritional value of avocados. Ingredients 1 prepared 9-inch graham cracker pie crust 1 cup avocado pulp 1 teaspoon grated lime zest 1/2 cup lime fresh lime juice 1unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce or 7 grams) 1can sweetened condensed […]
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After the Virgen de la Asuncion has been raised up from her bed of apples, a little bit every hour throughout the night, the faithful make their way home in the wee hours with bags of apples from her bed. This apple and egg dish is a traditional breakfast at this time of year. Ingredients […]
Continue ReadingThis is a good dish for company brunch because the filling can be prepared in advance and the whole thing put together at the last minute. The following filling makes enough for four two-egg omelets. Serve with hot corn tortillas and a selection of salsas. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and […]
Continue ReadingDriving northward along the Tamaulipas coast, the traveler goes from the tropical region of the Veracruz border to the plains of south Texas. A mid-point on the journey is the small town of San Fernando, which has one of the best norteño beef restaurants around. A specialty there is a dish called Fajitas al Sombrero, the “sombrero” being […]
Continue ReadingThe cattlemen of the north made meat easy to carry on the trail by drying it. Tastier than other versions of beef jerky, the meat is first marinated, then cooked, shredded and dried. It can be served in tacos, burritos and in scrambled eggs. This version of breakfast burritos was taught to me by the […]
Continue ReadingHuevos al Albañil literally means “bricklayer’s eggs”, but I have yet to find anyone who can tell me the origin of the name. It is very popular as a brunch dish in Central Mexico, where the cool mornings call for hearty, spicey fare. Ingredients: 1 pound tomatillos, husked 1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered 4 […]
Continue ReadingThis is a basic coastal recipe, adaptable to several different kinds of fish and shellfish. We first tried it in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, but some version of it is on the menu of nearly every seafood restaurant in the country. The stuffing ingredients are not limited to those listed and any combination of seafood […]
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