Although rainy weather is an unpleasant thought, if not anathema, to those hoping for a little summer vacation sun-and-fun, the rainy season is one of my favorite times of the year here in central Mexico. Perhaps this is because there is such a long dry spell that by the time the rains come, they are […]
Continue ReadingAlthough there are two distinct schools of thought on grilled chicken, one that advocates par boiling and one that does not, Mexican cooks do not par boil and are not afraid to let the chicken skin blacken on the outside while the chicken cooks through. The results of cooking the chicken this way are delicious, […]
Continue ReadingWhile hierbabuena is primarily used for tea, it is perfectly delicious in chicken soup. The first time I tried it this way I was very skeptical indeed. A friend who grew up here in Puebla ran out to my kitchen garden, plucked a sprig, and popped it into the caldo de pollo we were preparing before I could open […]
Continue ReadingNochebuena is Christmas Eve, and that is when Mexican families sit down to a feast that usually lasts for several hours. This recipe for Mexican stuffing for Christmas turkey is adapted from Alquímias y Atmósferas del Sabor, by Doña Carmen (“Titita”) Ramírez, a friend and the proprietress of El Bajío, a renowned Mexico City restaurant specializing in regional […]
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The small, distinctively-flavored black beans of Veracruz which so charmed the tastebuds of the early Spanish settlers are still famous throughout Mexico for their high-quality, tenderness and taste. The method of preparation is typical of the eastern coastal area of the country. Soaking beans in water overnight, and then changing the water before cooking, is […]
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A recent trip to the cloud covered village of Cuetzalan, high in the Sierra of Puebla, generated more of the questions that arise on each visit. How does the regional dress of pure white cotton, worn daily, stay so clean in a place where it rains nearly every day? How do any vehicles get to […]
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Sometimes the humblest ingredients have the most exotic histories. So it is with the lentil, whose journey to Mexico dates back thousands of years, to approximately 8000 B.C. in Southwest Asia. It traveled to Greece during the Neolithic period, and to the Mediterranean area during the Bronze Age. Along the way, it journeyed to ancient […]
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It has always seemed appropriate to me that the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, in their monograph Geografia Espanola del Toro de Lidia, uses the valleys of the major rivers of Spain to structure their study by geographical area. In it the ganaderías are pinpointed along the courses of the Duero, the Ebro, the Tagus, the […]
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In January 1992, looking for the roots of the musical form called son jarocho, I made a pilgrimage to the river port town of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. At dawn, as I boarded the southbound bus from the port of Veracruz, I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. Tlacotalpan — the self-proclaimed heart of the […]
Continue ReadingOne of my readers asked me to describe a typical day here in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Others have asked, “What do you do all day?” So, I am inviting you to spend this day with me in the charming colonial village of Ajijic. Only my screen doors are closed so I can […]
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