The term “comfort food” — the kind we all crave in the winter, when a bowl of something warm and satisfying is somehow more appealing than the salads of summer — is not usually considered in terms of being particularly healthy. But many of the Mexican guisados, those Mexican stews that are so welcome when temperatures drop, […]
Continue ReadingAs discussed in last month’s column, wild game played an important culinary role in pre-Hispanic Mexico. Although the Aztecs, Maya and other Mesoamerican people relied on corn as the staple food, along with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, the carbohydrate-rich diet was supplemented by animal protein. The Aztecs had only five domesticated animals, […]
Continue ReadingThere are probably about as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks in Puebla, where it originated. It is always associated with September, el mes patrio, because it features the red, white and green colors of the Mexican flag. An invention of the colonial Poblana nuns, chiles en nogada can be difficult but don’t […]
Continue ReadingIn this recipe, the rice is good first and then combined with the other ingredients, making it a good way to use leftover cooked rice. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ¼ cup chopped onion ¾ pound chorizo, removed from its casing and crumbled ¼ pound roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped 3 ½ cups cooked white […]
Continue ReadingIn the month of January, cold winds from the north blow down across the altiplano of central Mexico, and those of us lucky enough to get away for a few weeks or so gravitate toward Mexico’s beaches or to the southern and western parts of the country. Staying home can be fun, too, though, especially […]
Continue Reading1/2 kilo of pork, cubed 1/2 kilo of beef, cubed 5 peppercorns 1 clove of garlic 1 small piece (cube) of sweet chocolate 1/2 onion 1 tsp. oregano 2 cloves 8 Tbsp.. vinegar 1/2 tsp. thyme 1 – 2″ stick of cinnamon 1 pinch of cumin 2 large tomatoes 1 – 1/4″ piece of ginger […]
Continue ReadingThere are many versions of salpicón, which varies from region to region and can contain meat, fish or seafood, but the beef version seems to be the most common. This is a great buffet dish because it can be made in advance and is served cold. Ingredients: For the salad 2 cups shredded, boiled flank steak or […]
Continue ReadingDark beer and dried red chiles make this Mexican beef stew a hearty cool weather dish. Add vegetables such as potatoes, chayote and quartered ears of corn to make the guisado de res a one-dish meal. Ingredients 3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and soaked in hot water until soft 4 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and soaked in […]
Continue Reading“Dobladas” means folded, and these can either be left unfilled and folded in half twice, to make triangular wedges for garnishing chicken and meat dishes, or filled and rolled. The sauce is my favorite all-purpose enchilada sauce. This recipe makes a large batch, enough for three dozen enchiladas, and freezes well. The round, deep reddish brown […]
Continue ReadingMixiotes de carnero are a specialty of the central Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. They are flavored with two of the most distinctively Mexican of leaves: avocado leaves, which are enclosed with the meat, and pencas de maguey – the inner layer of maguey leaves – used to wrap the meat. Mixiote wrappers- papel para mixiotes – may be used to wrap […]
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