Although the Mock Turtle sang the praises of “soup of the evening, beautiful soup”, here in Mexico it’s “soup of the day”, that first course that is required on any comida corrida menu. Most Mexicans do not consider their main meal complete without a bowl of soup to start it off. Comforting, nourishing, easy to swallow, soup […]
Continue ReadingLiterally meaning “tablecloth stainers”, because of its deep red sauce, manchamanteles can be made with chicken, pork, or a combination of the two. In Puebla, where it originated, the fruit that is used varies from season to season and family to family, but plantains and pineapples are always included. Ingredients For the chicken: 2 chickens, cut into […]
Continue ReadingThis Gulf Coast version is from Veracruz, but similar seafood pozoles are found along Mexico’s Pacific coasts. Most Mexican seafood stews come with the heads on the shrimp, but if you do not like to serve shrimp this way, leave them off. If, on the other hand, a more intense shrimp taste is desired, save […]
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 ReadingSome pozole recipes call for cooking the corn and the meat separately; however, I prefer the method presented in Adela Fernandez’ La Tradicional Cocina Mexicana. The exception to this is chicken which, if used, is cooked separately, removed from the bones, and added to the pozole once the corn is tender. Ingredients: 2 pounds of nixtamalized […]
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This is our most frequently requested soup recipe, quite often sought out by readers wanting to duplicate what they’ve just eaten in a Mexican restaurant. Although there are many variations, the following version, from the TV Azteca cooking show El Sazon de Mario, is my favorite. The addition of cheese, avocado, and chicharron or chicken make this dish […]
Continue ReadingThis ancient dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. When we lived in Oaxaca, I learned about segueza from Maribel Bautista who prepares traditional Zapotec food at La Cúpula Restaurant and B&B in the rug-weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. Seguesa is often made with chicken, but the oldest way is with rabbit, since there were […]
Continue ReadingChilpachole is a specialty of Veracruz, but it is found all over Mexico, especially in Mexico City, where food of every region comes together. It can be made with either shrimp or crabmeat, and the various recipes I have been given for both are remarkably similar, with homemade fish stock and ancho chile being used in […]
Continue ReadingWhile hierbabuena is primarily used for tea, it is perfectly delicious in chicken soup. The first time I tried it this way I was very skeptical indeed. A friend who grew up here in Puebla ran out to my kitchen garden, plucked a sprig, and popped it into the caldo de pollo we were preparing before I could open […]
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 […]
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