These crunchy plantain fritters, or “little Mexican spiders,” made with shredded green plantains, remind me of a crispy version of hash brown potatoes or potato latkes. Be sure to use unripe plantains, or the fritters will be soggy instead of crispy. Ingredients Vegetable oil for frying 2 cloves garlic Pinch of salt 2 green plantains, […]
Continue ReadingThis variation on traditional machuca uses crispy chicharrones (pork cracklings), which give a good texture to the dish and impart the taste of pork without having to use the traditional lard. A cousin of the West African fufu, machuca is best made with barely ripe plantains, those that are still mostly yellow. (They can have some black spots but not have […]
Continue ReadingThis recipe is adapted from Alquímias y Atmósferas del Sabor, by Doña Carmen Titita Ramírez, proprietress of Mexico City’s famed El Bajío restaurant. The plantains should be cooked a day in advance, to give them time to “set” and make the mashed plantains easier to roll, since they are the only ingredient in the empanada “dough.” Mexican […]
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I have seen one or another version of this recipe in magazines in both México and the United States. Here in Mexico, game hens are sold in the supermarkets and labeled pollitos tiernos, “tender little chickens.” Ingredients: 1 cup pomegranate juice ½ cup honey 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ½ teaspoon each: ground coriander, ground cinnamon, and ground […]
Continue ReadingI call this “winter soup” because to the hearty, filling base of black beans is added the bright taste of the oranges that make cold winter weather more bearable. Here in the mountains of Central Mexico, while not as cold as it is in the north, we’re very happy to see those oranges from the […]
Continue ReadingIngredients: 18 “maria” cookies (can be found in the specialty foods section of your supermarket or local hispanic market. Vanilla wafers may be substituted.) 1/2 stick butte or margarine, melted a bit of milk 1 C. chopped pcans 1 C. chopped dates 5 eggs 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (397 grs.) 1 tsp. vainilla […]
Continue ReadingWhile the large, thin fritters served with syrup are called buñuelos, others, made with apples, corn, bananas or other fruit are called frituras. The apples can be chopped and incorporated into the batter or sliced and dipped in batter, but in either case, heat the oil to 370º to produce crisp, non-greasy fritters. Ingredients 1 cup flour ¼ cup […]
Continue ReadingThis delicious dessert is a perfect example of the Afro-Cuban influence on Gulf coast cooking, combining pineapple, a plantation crop, with yams or sweet potatoes, a West African staple. Ingredients: 2 pounds orange yams, washed, peeled and finely chopped 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 slices fresh pineapple (about 1 1/2″ thick apiece), cored and finely […]
Continue ReadingThis dessert uses the pungent limes that are indispensible to so many Mexican meals. Piled high in markets all over the country, they are often squeezed onto food at the table in place of salt. The Florida native known in the U.S. as Key lime is perfect for use in this dessert, which is a […]
Continue ReadingThis delicious soup from the Yucatan uses half-ripe plantains, meaning green and yellow, not black and yellow. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, if desired, and add more broth for a thinner Yucatan style plantain soup. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, […]
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