The two little girls were standing at the side of the winding mountain road, surrounded by plastic buckets of something whose shape we could barely distinguish in the fading daylight. Trying to get to the next town before darkness set in, we nevertheless stopped to ask what they were selling. “Mamey” was the answer, as […]
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As we settle into the crisp autumn months and adapt cooking techniques and ingredients to the change of seasons, it seems like a good time to look at the use of spices in the Mexican kitchen. Besides providing great depth of flavor, spices have both a warming and anti-inflammatory effect on the body, making them […]
Continue ReadingJust as corn was called “the gift of the gods” in ancient Mesoamerica, the same phrase was used for rice in what is now Southeast Asia. In several Asian languages, the word for rice and food is the same, and rice was part of the creation myth of many Asian cultures, as corn was in […]
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Spring is the season of renewal, evident in the green buds poking up through the warming earth and, here in Mexico, symbolized by the wheat sprouts that adorn altars during Easter week. For many people, this time of year brings with it the urge to plant a garden. As the nitrogen-rich April showers begin preparing […]
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Part One: Culinary guide to Mexican fish and shellfish: Las delicias del mar I Last month’s column presented the first part of an alphabetized list of Mexico’s most popular eating varieties of fish and shellfish, expanded beyond the literal meaning of mar – ocean – to include freshwater species. Throughout Lent, markets and supermarkets have been selling […]
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Although Mexicans relish seafood all year long, the months of March and April top the rest in consumption of fish and shellfish. Besides the fact that most species are available in late winter and early spring, the Lenten and Holy Week meatless meal traditions contribute enormously to this seasonal swell in the popularity of las delicias […]
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México está bendecido con abundantes frutas tropicales. Se sirven frutas en platos elegantes, vasos y bolsas desechables que se venden en las esquinas. No importa que tan humilde sea el lugar, las frutas en bolsa siempre se cortan en tiras o gajos uniformes y se sirven con limón fresco y chile en polvo si lo […]
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Mexican Kitchen by Karen Hursh Graber Read Part I – Beef Continuing a look at meat cuts and how they are named and used in Mexico, we will first consider pork. The old saying that you can eat every part of the pig but the squeal is especially true in Mexican cuisine. In addition to […]
Continue ReadingHere in Cholula, the market ladies sell pickled sweet-and-hot chipotles known locally as “chipocludos,” a recipe for which was given in this column in the February 2003 issue of Mexico Connect. This recipe, though similar in that it uses piloncillo or brown sugar, is not as picante, and because it uses the much larger ancho […]
Continue ReadingMexican Kitchen Now that summer is approaching, along with Father’s Day, graduations and weddings, thoughts turn to celebratory meals to be shared with family and friends. From barbeque to buffet table, formal or casual, salads play an important part in these warm weather repasts. When I first came to Mexico, I was overwhelmed by the […]
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