This recipe is adapted from one at the Mayan Beach Garden on the Costa Maya. Avocados should not be cut in advance of using, since they oxidize quickly, turning their beautiful yellow-green color into an unappetizing brown. Tossing with lime juice will prevent some of this, but cutting avocados is not a “do ahead” recipe […]
Continue ReadingCarrots add a subtle sweetness to broths, and beef shanks — with their rich, tasty marrow (called tuétano in Mexico) — make an extra nourishing broth. Ingredients 6 beef shanks 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 6 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks 1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 bay leaves 1 sprig […]
Continue ReadingThe combination of meat and squash is typically West African, combined here with tomatoes, an indigenous Mexican ingredient, and spices introduced by the Spaniards. The original recipe, as presented by Raquel Torres and Dora Elena Carriaga in Recetario Afromestizo de Veracruz leaves out the tomatoes and spices, but nowadays most jarocha cooks use them. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil […]
Continue ReadingThis is probably the most famous soup from the Puebla region. This version is thicker and more textured than most, more of a chowder than the creamy pureed version often found on poblano menus. 3 tablespoons butter 6 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ […]
Continue ReadingVisually, these remind me of the pickled green tomatoes that are nearly always on the table in New York’s kosher delis. But the sweet-and-sour vinaigrette, with the addition of green chiles, makes them very much a unique product of Chihuahua Mennonite kitchens. Chilacas are long, fresh green chiles, mild to medium hot, commonly found in […]
Continue ReadingCremas, or cream soups, are popular all over Mexico, especially as first courses on wedding menus. The addition of sherry at the end makes this a good starter for a festive fall dinner. Ingredients: ½ cup chopped white onion 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 3 cups chicken […]
Continue ReadingI like to vary the colors and textures of a comida, and for this meal I would choose a white rice dish such as this one, rather than repeating the red tomato base of the soup course above. This recipe, prepared like a risotto, is made especially flavorful by the addition of cream cheese, called queso filadelfia after the […]
Continue ReadingThis dish, which I first had at a wedding in Atzompa, Oaxaca, is sometimes called barbacoa de pollo. It is flavored with either avocado or hoja santa leaves, both of which have an anise-like flavor. Ingredients: 8 banana leaves 10 guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped ½ medium white […]
Continue ReadingMexican jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and smoked fish are a wonderful botana adapted from Susana Trilling’s Oaxaca cookbook, Seasons of My Heart. Just be sure to use the pickled jalapeños and not raw ones, or they will be too hot for most people. Ingredients 6 ounces cream cheese 6 ounces smoked mullet, sable, tuna or salmon, boned and […]
Continue ReadingServe this very easy Mexican yogurt avocado dip with totopos (crisp fried tortillas) or tortilla chips, or with raw or steamed vegetables. Ingredients 1 ripe avocado ¾ cup yogurt ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 fresh jalapeño chile, seed and finely chopped (or include seeds for more “heat”) ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Salt to taste Chopped cilantro for garnish, […]
Continue Reading