Called chispas, chispitas, or in some places just the English “sprinkles,” these colored decorations are fun and festive. They add pizzaz to that favorite Mexican cake — pastel de tres leches. Ingredients For the cake: 1 ½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup milk For […]
Continue ReadingThis dish, which I first had at a wedding in Atzompa, Oaxaca, is sometimes called barbacoa de pollo. It is flavored with either avocado or hoja santa leaves, both of which have an anise-like flavor. Ingredients: 8 banana leaves 10 guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped ½ medium white […]
Continue ReadingMexican jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and smoked fish are a wonderful botana adapted from Susana Trilling’s Oaxaca cookbook, Seasons of My Heart. Just be sure to use the pickled jalapeños and not raw ones, or they will be too hot for most people. Ingredients 6 ounces cream cheese 6 ounces smoked mullet, sable, tuna or salmon, boned and […]
Continue ReadingServe this very easy Mexican yogurt avocado dip with totopos (crisp fried tortillas) or tortilla chips, or with raw or steamed vegetables. Ingredients 1 ripe avocado ¾ cup yogurt ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 fresh jalapeño chile, seed and finely chopped (or include seeds for more “heat”) ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Salt to taste Chopped cilantro for garnish, […]
Continue ReadingThe combination of mangos and avocados gets a colorful and tasty lift from the addition of red bell peppers. Fresh bell pepper ( pimiento morrón) once meant green bell pepper, and red ones were available only in cans, but today the markets sell red and yellow bells year round. The avocado should not be peeled or […]
Continue ReadingThis dish is found on restaurant menus throughout Mexico, but particularly in the western part of the country and in the Yucatan, where it is called zic de venado. This recipe is a good buffet dish, to be piled on tostadas or served with warm tortillas and habanero salsa. It makes an attractive presentation served on a […]
Continue ReadingIn most of Mexico, these fried patties are made with white potatoes, whereas in Veracruz they are made with sweet potatoes or yucca. This cheese-filled version is more versatile than most, because it can be served as an hors d’oeuvre as well as a side dish. Ingredients: 2 pounds sweet potatoes 1 cup all-purpose flour […]
Continue ReadingRich yet light-textured, this can be made in a decorative mold and garnished with whipped cream and candied cherries for an elegant presentation. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups evaporated milk 2 cups rompope, either homemade or purchased 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 4 envelopes unflavored gelatin (1 ounce altogether, or 28 grams) 1 cup cold water Preparation: Pour […]
Continue ReadingCrepes, frequently topped with the goat’s milk syrup called cajeta, are a very popular dessert in fine restaurants throughout Mexico. This recipe uses a syrup made of Mexican chocolate instead of cajeta, and a banana filling. Bananas and chocolate are a popular combination at the fried banana stands at every small town plaza, and this […]
Continue ReadingThis protein-packed power brunch could probably be called a “deconstructed” version of Mexico’s classic huevos rancheros. In this Mexican quinoa and eggs ranchero recipe, the whole beans take the place of the refried version, and the fresh salsa is used in place of a cooked sauce. Ingredients 2 tablespoons corn oil ½ cup diced onion ½ teaspoon […]
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