As unlikely as it may seem, vanilla pods, or “beans”, are a tantalizing addition to this speciality of the Totonac Sierra Oriente, the beautiful mountain range that separates coastal Veracruz from the inland high plateau. The shelf-life of a vanilla pod may be extended by keeping it in a tightly-sealed container of sugar. The sugar […]
Continue ReadingMexican Kitchen Last month’s column discussed buying and storing summer fruit, as well as the versatile fruit salsas which are perfect for outdoor dining. This month some ideas for using fruit as part of the main course are given. Here in Mexico, especially in the southern coastal regions, fruit is much more than a salad course […]
Continue ReadingI hadn’t been to Boca del Rio in many years, and was surprised to see it transformed from a sleepy fishing village to a gastronomic center. At a fair there, with a friend from Veracruz, just about everyone was drinking the local specialty called a toro – bull – probably because of its potency. It […]
Continue ReadingMexican Kitchen Readers of this column often write to inquire about taking cooking classes in Mexico, though I never recommend one that I have not visited personally. This month, another can be added. Casa del Angel, in Cuernavaca, is a cooking school, spa and bed-and-breakfast run by American chef Billy Cross, whose culinary training and […]
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The state of Tabasco is part of the the Gulf Coast Region of Mexico, along with the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz. The economy of the small, low-lying state of Tabasco is based on oil, services and agriculture, especially bananas. The state of Tabasco has a much higher than average annual rainfall and accounts for […]
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The state of Tamaulipas is part of the the Gulf Coast Region of Mexico, along with the states of Tabasco and Veracruz. The state capital is Ciudad Victoria. Other large cities include Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo and Tampico. The state shares 370 kilometers (230 miles) of the U.S. border with Texas and is home to […]
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