Chipilo, Puebla is different from other Mexican pueblos. Very different. That’s because it is an Italian pueblo, settled in 1882 by Italians from Veneto, in northern Italy. In the late 1880s, the Mexican government wanted to modernize its agricultural sector and recruited Europeans. Seventy-nine families arrived in Chipilo, worked hard and eventually succeeded in establishing […]
Continue ReadingA few years ago, I had a call from Rachel Wharton, a writer for the New York Daily News food section. She was writing an article on cemitas, the latest sandwich craze to hit New York at the time, thanks to the many immigrants from Puebla who have contributed enormously to the wonderful street food culture of my home […]
Continue ReadingThe fields of Menu Consulting and Food Research/Writing have, in recent years, expanded to include information on culinary traditions and ingredients on an international scale. Economic globalization, the Internet, a newly-discovered pride in ethnic and indigenous roots – all have contributed to the groundswell of interchange in areas as diverse as hotel/restaurant management and culinary […]
Continue ReadingThis beverage was first made by the colonial-era nuns at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla, and the Santa Clara brand is still one of the most popular. It is fun and very easy to make at home. Unlike north-of-the-border eggnog, rompope already contains alcohol, although in a small proportion, so it does not […]
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In the northern and central parts of the state, southern Puebla is called ” tierra caliente” — hot land — although it can get chilly in winter, especially in the mountains. Most pozole is made with hominy-like corn kernels that have been dried then soaked, but this one is made with fresh corn, called elote, thus giving rise […]
Continue ReadingThere are probably as many recipes for turkey in mole as there are cooks in Puebla, where it is indispensable at wedding fiestas. During Puebla’s Festival de Mole Poblano, which is held for three consecutive Sundays in July, mole poblano recipes and traditional poblano table settings are judged. Ingredients For the turkey: 1 8-pound turkey or 2 large chickens, cut in serving […]
Continue ReadingFrom Cholula to Chicago, taco lovers everywhere know that any taqueria that calls itself poblana, or “from Puebla,” will have tacos arabes on the menu. But not everyone knows that this regional specialty of meat roasted on a vertical spit and served in the thick, pita bread-like wheat tortilla called pan arabe is a prime example of the Mexican- Lebanese culinary fusion that […]
Continue ReadingYou can find Karen Hursh Graber’s contributions in many places in MexConnect. She’s a regular contributor with her monthly cooking column, “The Mexican Kitchen”. She also contributes to the food department, “The Cuisines of Mexico”. And she also assists with the web-site’s Food Forum. Here, Kitty, (as she’s known to her friends) came out of […]
Continue ReadingDe Cholula a Chicago, los entusiasta de tacos en todas partes saben que cualquier taquería que se llama “poblana,” tendrá tacos árabes en el menú. Éstos consisten en carne asada en un asador vertical, servida en una tortilla gruesa similar al pan pita que se llama pan árabe. Es un claro ejemplo de la fusión […]
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This is a classic apple and blueberry marmalade recipe from the Sierra Norte, adapted from Patricia Quintana’s Cocina de los Angeles. Blueberries are nearly as abundant as apples in the Sierra of Puebla, and the two make a wonderful combination. Ingredients 3 pounds blueberries 2 pounds apples, peeled and grated Sugar as necessary 2 2-inch pieces […]
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