Cooks in Sonora often cut the beef for this guisado into strips, so that it can be rolled into burritos once cooked. This way, the recipe yields a vegetable stew plus beef burritos. In Mexico, ground ancho chile is sold in most large mercados. North of the border, it is sold bottled by McCormick. Ingredients 1 pound flank steak, […]
Continue ReadingIt is easy to see why black sapote is called “chocolate pudding fruit”, with its dark, creamy consistency and sweet taste. This recipe makes a beautiful cake for a festive occasion. The frosting recipe is adapted from Tropical Fruit World, a promoter of exotic fruits. Ingredients: For the cake: ½ cup (one stick) butter 1 […]
Continue ReadingA juicy pork filling, flavored with spices, makes these substantial Chiapas style pork empanadas a good lunch or late supper dish. Any leftover roast meat would be good here. The dough is traditionally made with pork lard, though butter works well. To coarsely grind the spices as called for, I put them together in a […]
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One of the most requested recipes from this column is agua de jamaica, a refreshing drink made with dried hibiscus flowers. This sorbet has the same clean taste and is perfect for the palate that may have been overwhelmed by rich food. Ingredients: 3 cups water 3 tablespoons jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers) 3/4 cups sugar Place […]
Continue ReadingWhen I told Carmen Titita Ramirez, owner of the highly acclaimed El Bajio restaurant in Mexico City, that I would be spending time in Xalapa, she responded with her usual exuberance and proceeded to write a list of regional dishes I had to try and where to try them. Titita was born and raised in […]
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In researching the origins of various foods, it is fascinating to contemplate how different so many of the world’s cuisines would be without the culinary exchanges that took place during the 15th to17th centuries — the Age of Exploration. New World food — generally referring to ingredients that existed in the Americas before the Europeans […]
Continue ReadingWhile passing the rows of restaurants surrounding downtown Puebla’s Parian crafts market, one cannot help but notice that every one of the many display bowls of mole poblano is adorned with a liberal sprinkling of sesame seeds. Walking past these displays not long ago, I began thinking about the part sesame seeds play in Mexican cooking, especially […]
Continue ReadingThese were first served to us at the nopal fair in Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla. I have since had them in restaurants in Mexico City. They are aptly named for the flat soles of the country people’s sandals that they resemble. Ingredients: 6 large nopal cactus paddles, cleaned 1/4 medium white onion 1 large garlic clove, peeled […]
Continue ReadingAs its name implies, this dish is traditionally served at weddings. The addition of chocolate makes it reminiscent of mole poblano, but the depth of flavor is achieved with far fewer ingredients. One reason for this is the use of whole spices, lightly toasted and ground, rather than powdered spices, which lose flavor quickly. Ingredients: 3 ancho […]
Continue ReadingAlthough classified under “soups,” Chambarete español is really a stew, served as a main course. A reflection of the European heritage of Aguascalientes, it is similar to the Spanish caldo gallego, which is also meat-based and loaded with vegetables such as garbanzos, cabbage and carrots. What makes this version typically Mexican is the addition of xoconostles, the sour nopal cactus fruit. Nopales […]
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