The mild taste of chayote is a perfect foil for the robust, spicy flavor of chorizo. Be sure to use fresh Mexican chorizo, and not Spanish chorizo, which is usually cured. Ingredients 1 ½ pounds (about 3 medium) chayotes 1 medium white onion, finely chopped ¾ pound chorizo, casings removed 2 cloves garlic, peeled and […]
Continue ReadingMilpa means “cornfield,” and this soup incorporates not only corn, but a medley of other Tlaxcalan produce abundant at this time of year. Although fresh nopales are preferable, they are available canned in north-of-the-border supermarkets. This can be served as a first course at dinner, or makes an ideal autumn lunch or light supper, accompanied by a salad […]
Continue ReadingSome of our favorite ways to eat seafood in Veracruz are the cold salads and cocktails featuring shrimp, crab and other local seafood. This recipe for cuaresmeños – large jalapeños – stuffed with crab meat can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, then served either cold or at room temperature as hors d’ouevres, appetizers or […]
Continue ReadingWho doesn’t like chiles rellenos? They don’t have to be battered and fried to taste good, and this oven-baked version is flavorful without being a blast of fat. For non-vegetarians who get mopey without their meat fix, sauté some Mexican chorizo, drain well, and add it with the other filling ingredients for stuffed poblano chiles with […]
Continue ReadingThe potato tortitas, or “patties” sold inside some of Oaxaca’s markets are superb — light on the inside, with a crunchy golden crust. This variation is typical of the region from Ocotlan south to the coast, ancinnd is served with a costeño chile sauce. The dried broad beans, or fava beans, ground into flour give the […]
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I had these for the first time at Las Cazuelas de Tlaxcala, a restaurant in Tlaxcala with really authentic Central Mexican cuisine. They can be served with a simple tomato sauce or with a pasilla or tomatillo sauce. Ingredients 1 pound huazontle bud clusters (the tops, with stems and leaves removed) 1 pound rice, cooked and allowed to cool […]
Continue ReadingTostadas are one of our pantry staples, and so are marinated artichoke hearts. Vegetarians can leave out the chicken and substitute firm tofu. Canned and bottled artichoke hearts are found in most large Mexican supermarkets, and in those shops called tiendas de ultramarinos, which are usually grocery stores carrying food items imported from Spain, as well […]
Continue ReadingWe first saw this in a restaurant in Chipilo. If you like lasagna with white sauces, this one is a delicious change from the usual. The filling is the very Pueblan rajas con crema, poblano chile strips in cream, in this case thickened to form a béchamel sauce. If you use the no-boil lasagna noodles, a good […]
Continue ReadingIn a previous column, I gave a recipe for the standard nopales salad that the market ladies all over the country seem to sell, but when my husband overdid it on the grilled nopales (his favorite grilled vegetable) at one of our parilladas (Mexican version of an outdoor barbeque) I made a salad with the leftovers. In my opinion, the grilled nopales, with […]
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 […]
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