The Spanish made the most of the New World ingredients they found in Mexico, using potatoes, tomatoes and chiles in this dish, in addition to the olives they imported from Europe and the salted, dried cod that accompanied them on ocean voyages. The dried cod piled up in the markets at this time of year […]
Continue ReadingThis Mexican cheese fondue with chorizo and beer is a beer-laced take on fundido toluqueño, the melted cheese dish named for Toluca, a city known for its excellent chorizo. I remember sitting on the chilly plaza there, enjoying a hearty, warming chorizo torta, one of the local favorite snacks. Now is the time to dig out that […]
Continue ReadingA Norteño dish originating in Tamaulipas, this is the classic accompaniment to the grilled beef dishes of northern Mexico. It is an ideal make-ahead dish, especially good with barbeque, improving as the flavors come together. Although the initial cooking of the beans can be done in a pressure cooker, a slow-cooking pot, such as a clay casserole, […]
Continue ReadingAlso known as arroz negro, or “black rice”, this is one of the easiest ways to start cooking with huitlacoche. It is prepared like the traditional Mexican red rice, which needs to be soaked in hot water, rinsed of its starch in a colander until the water runs clear, and left to dry before cooking. […]
Continue ReadingThis recipe for white beans with dried shrimp from the southern Pacific coast of Oaxaca is adapted from Susana Trilling’s wonderful regional cookbook, Seasons of My Heart. Use other beans, such as fava, and try substituting cilantro for the traditional hierba santa used in Oaxaca. Ingredients ½ pound whole dried shrimp, peeled, with heads removed and reserved 2 tablespoons […]
Continue ReadingHere the chaya, a leafy green used throughout the Yucatan, is incorporated right into the corn dough, a common technique in this region. The chopped hard boiled egg filling is complemented by the chile-laced tomato salsa, integral to this dish. Chard or spinach can be substituted for the chaya. The salsa that tops these chaya empanadas […]
Continue ReadingIf preparing this with Mexican rice, thoroughly rinse and drain beforehand, to eliminate the excess starch. In the United States, rice is milled differently, so the rinsing is not necessary. Ingredients 1 ½ cups rice 4 large, fresh poblano chiles, roasted, seeded and peeled 2 lettuce leaves 2 sprigs fresh parsley 2 sprigs fresh cilantro […]
Continue ReadingThis could be called a Mexican version of the jalapeño “poppers” popular north of the border. The idea for the filling came from Susana Trilling, who has written about the smoked mullet of southern Oaxaca, and the idea for the chile soaking technique came from the experience of biting into a jalapeño so hot that […]
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 Mexico, there are different varieties of rice availabe. The most commonly used in Jalisco is the long grain white rice. In other parts of the country, the short grain white rice is used. You can also buy “broken” rice and brown rice, but these are not so commonly used. Either the long grain or […]
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