Strange but true; the bird now so closely associated with many festive meals is a direct descendant of the wild turkeys still found in many parts of Mexico. How is it possible that a Mexican bird acquired the name turkey? Turkey The most likely explanation derives from the fact that the merchants who traded in […]
Continue ReadingDuring the winter months, Mexico’s varied and beautiful coastal waters yield an unsurpassed assortment of delicacies from the sea. This is when pescados y mariscos — fish and shellfish — are at their finest and freshest. The seasonal bounty from the ocean coincides with the observance of Lent, a traditionally meatless time of year, and the demand […]
Continue ReadingPosted by Fanny on April 15, 1999 When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Mexico, don’t be a sloppy taco eater. Wouldn’t Eleanor, Abigail and Judith just die! Far cry as it is from the excruciatingly correct manners of these three deities, Fanny wants you to know that there IS a proper […]
Continue ReadingAfter several years of reading cookbooks, newspaper food sections, online culinary magazines and endless food blogs, I realize that the enchilada, an iconic Mexican food, is quite often turned into a completely different dish when it leaves the country. While the basic elements are present, the techniques frequently used north of the border turn enchiladas […]
Continue ReadingMexican chocolate refers to either the round, flat disks of cinnamon-scented chocolate found throughout the land, or the foamy drink made from them. This uniquely flavored sweet is popular in many other countries as well, and, along with flan and rompope, one of the more widely known Mexican dessert and beverage offerings. For centuries, however, […]
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Recently, when a friend here in Cholula went up to Cuetzalan, in the Sierra of Puebla, I asked him to bring back some allspice, which proliferates there on evergreen trees that produce fat, fragrant berries. An indispensable ingredient in several adobos (the seasoning pastes used on meat, fish and fowl) and on many regional pipians (the seed-based […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most popular of Mexico’s many fairs and festivals is the Festival del Mole, the National Mole Fair, held each October in the village of San Pedro Actópan, in the Milpa Alta delegation of the Federal District. This part of the D.F. is unlike any other, a mostly indigenous area with landscapes of rustic beauty which include […]
Continue ReadingCandelaria is back, with her special logic, folk wisdom and Mexican home-style recipes in the bilingual ‘Las Recetas de Candelaria,’ or ‘Candelaria’s Cookbook.’ Readers of Dane Chandos’ charming ‘Village in the Sun’, about life around Lake Chapala in the ‘40s, will recall Candelaria as the cook who ‘could carry in her head scores and scores of recipes.’ […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most fascinating aspects of adjusting to life in another country is exploring the cultural landscape of cooking and eating. In Mexico, food is an intrinsic part of festivals, rituals, and personal commemorations, but the daily meals are the focal points around which everyday life revolves. Mealtimes, especially comida — the main meal of […]
Continue ReadingA friend in Puebla recently arrived at a party with a handful of pamphlets on a symposium dedicated to the topic of aphrodisiac foods. While this largely conservative central Mexican city is not the first place one would imagine such a conference being held, it turns out that this event has taken place for a […]
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