Results tagged “Mexican”
November 4, 2010 6:30 PM
4 November 2010
6:30 to 9:00 PM
Cooking demonstration and tasting dinner at the Mexican Cultural Institute.
The Mexican Revolution shook the ground the country stood on. As Revolutionaries, soldiers and rebels moved throughout the country a new kind of cooking emerged: Food on the run! Come taste the exquisite inventions and creations made in ranches, porches, rustic bonfires and by traveling cooks to feed men, and women, who were for years on the run. Learn the true origins and flavors of the Burrito, the famous Discada Norteña, the Charro Beans. Drink some of the wholesome and filling drinks revolutionaries took along battles and sweets they carried in their jackets.
To register and for more information click here.
September 23, 2010 6:30 PM
23 September 2010
6:30 to 9:00 PM
Cooking demonstration and tasting dinner at the Mexican Cultural Institute
After three centuries of living as a Spanish Colony, Mexico shook off its leash from the Spanish crown. However, Mexico's kitchens were deeply transformed by ingredients and cooking techniques brought by the Spaniards like rice, wheat, milk products, pork, chicken, olives, capers, Old World spices and olive oil.
As Mexico celebrated its re-birth as an independent nation, a whirlwind of dishes covered in the colors of the flag and filled with native symbols were created. Yet ironically, many couldn't be made without some of Spains' inherited elements, now ingrained in our cooking, and too good and delicious to be left out. From Mexico's most popular rice dishes as the Green Poblano, Red Tomato, and Mexican White, to all sorts of Chiles stuffed with the flavors of the coasts of Spain, Mexican identity was transformed and enriched at the table.
To register and for more information click here.
September 2, 2010 12:30 PM
It seems that many people find chicken boring.
I happen to find it fascinating.
Not only because chicken is friendly enough to let you take it wherever your imagination can go and because it can be the juiciest and crispiest meal, but also, because of that story my mother told me when I was growing up.
When my mom was about 10 years old, my grandmother who came to Mexico from Austria in her early twenties having survived years of war, turbulence and the loss of most of her family, taught my mom a serious lesson: you can survive most hardships in life if you know how to cook, she had said, and mostly, if you know how to cook chicken from scratch.
Cooking from scratch really meant from scratch. No nonsense. So my mom learned how to kill, pluck and cook chicken a thousand ways.
August 12, 2010 2:00 PM
With a soft, crumbly and almost sweet dough that embraces a moist, tasty and meaty filling, it is hard not to eat one after the other. These Empanadas do have a curious name though. Especially when you consider their addicting nature.
I didn't choose their name. No.
The nuns from the Mexican Convent of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception are to blame.
It all began with Beatriz da Silva, the Portuguese woman who founded the order in Toledo, Spain. Known to be shockingly beautiful, although destined to be the companion to Queen Isabel from Spain, she was locked up because of the Queen's jealousy and alleged admiration from the King. Legend goes, that when Beatriz managed to flee, she was more beautiful and had a new found strength she used to establish a new Conceptionist order.
The three Conceptionist nuns who arrived in Mexico City around the 1540's, were also known to be strong. If not as pretty. Aside from trying to evangelize the population, they combined Spanish and Mexican ingredients in their kitchens, as most Spanish nuns, with an intense passion and a ton of imagination.
As most Spanish nuns, as well, their cooking instincts were led by an insatiable sweet tooth. That may explain the sweet elements both in the dough and the filling of these Empanadas, that were served time and again to entertain guests in this convent.
And now you know, where the name comes from...
Continue reading Empanadas of the "Immaculate Conception"
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July 28, 2010 6:30 PM
I am crazy for Tepache. Gently sweet, with an innocent hint of home brewed alcohol, a deep freshness and a gorgeous amber color.
Tepache: A home made fermented drink that comes from the state of Jalisco - also breeding ground of other Mexican symbols like Tequila, Charros and Mariachis. Tepache has a base of fresh pineapple, true cinnamon, piloncillo and water and has been drank in Mexico since Pre-Colonial times.
I have made it many times throughout my life.
First, when Daniel and I moved to Texas, to celebrate our finding piloncillo at a U.S. grocery store. Later, when we moved to DC, to soothe the heat of that first long summer and to make our new home, feel like home. A couple years ago, I brewed liters to share with a large crowd for a class I taught on foods from Jalisco.
Then, I forgot about it. Until this summer, when we moved, the heat started pumping up and I unpacked my old clay pot from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. A pot that is perfect for brewing Tepache, which is so simple to make. That is, if you can keep an eye on it.
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Oaxaca cheese is a mild tasting, gently salty, stringy white cheese with a deliciously chewy, full and filling bite. It is made in the same way as Mozzarella cheese. In fact, they taste very similar! Once the curds are formed, they are heated in water, stirred, and heated in water again. Throughout the process, as they are heated and stirred, they are made into very long threads that are pulled once and then again, until the desired consistency is achieved. Then the long threads are wrapped into balls (continue for more information and photos).
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Squash blossoms are considered a true delicacy in Mexican cuisine. Available in rainy months, they fly out of the markets as soon as they are set on the floor mats and stands.
No wonder they are such a hot selling ingredient: They are gorgeous looking, with orange and green Fall colors, a velvety texture, a meaty and crunchy bite and a delicate and exuberant flavor.
Since they are also commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine, aside from finding them in the US in Latin markets, one can find them at Italian grocery stores. But one can also find them during the summer season in some grocery stores and Farmer's markets (continue for more information and photo).
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The Poblano chile is a star in Mexican kitchens. It is used in a wide range of ways and in a wide range of dishes. Some well known examples are Chiles en Nogada, rajas, pickled, and stuffed with meat or cheese and bathed in a tomato sauce. But there are hundreds of other ways...
Aside from being absolutely gorgeous - chubby, curvy, large, sensuous and with a beautiful dark green color with a bit of a shine to it- it has a striking flavor -rich, exuberant and fruity. It tends to be a bit capricious as well: it ranges from the very mild to the very hot. However, there are ways to tame its heat (continue for more information and photo).
Continue reading Poblano Chile or Pepper
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May 13, 2010 6:30 PM
13 May 2010
6:30 to 9:00 PM
Cooking class and tasting dinner at the Mexican Cultural Institute
Have you ever wondered what happens when you combine edible flowers and chiles? Mexican cuisine can tell you a lot from this combination! Come learn about the edible side of exotic flowers and the wondrous depth of a variety of chiles. You will be surprised: Not all that you can make with chiles is spicy...
For more information and to register click here.
Huauzontles, also called Huazontles or Cuazontles, are a native plant to Mexico. Their scientific name is Chenopodium nuttalliae. Huauzontles gave a very thick main stem, oval leaves -that aren't eaten- and thinner stems filled with edible green flowers that resemble broccoli or rapini, but are much more smaller and delicate.
They have a strong smell when you get close. Similarly as the Epazote, Huauzontles have a deep, clean and almost astringent smell. Some people say they taste similar to spinach or watercress. It seems to me, they have a welcoming and original, light bitter taste (continue for more information and photo).
They have a strong smell when you get close. Similarly as the Epazote, Huauzontles have a deep, clean and almost astringent smell. Some people say they taste similar to spinach or watercress. It seems to me, they have a welcoming and original, light bitter taste (continue for more information and photo).
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May 7, 2010 11:50 AM
I was invited to design a Cinco de Mayo menu for Ceiba Restaurant along with their Chef de Cuisine, Alfredo Solis. The invitation included teaching a class covering that menu. As always, I was eager to teach whatever I know. But as always, I learn much more as I go. This time, I also learned, that you never know what foods you are going to like the best.
Continue reading Chef Solis's Mexican Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli
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May 4, 2010 4:00 PM
4 May 2010
4 PM
The Blair House will be hosting an event called "Taste of Mexico" honoring Mexican culture in advance of the upcoming State Visit by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Led by Ambassador Capricia Marshall, the US Chief of Protocol, and the Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and his wife, the event will bring together an international DC Youth Group. Together, they will learn about Mexican culture and gastronomy beyond what Americans typically think it to be.
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April 23, 2010 11:30 AM
Though there are many kinds of avocado soups, this is my favorite. I tried it at the Mexican Ambassador's residence a couple months ago. As Doña Rosita, the cook, heard me mmm, and mmm, and mmmmmmm all over again, she came out of the kitchen with a pen and a piece of paper ready to dictate her recipe.
What a surprise for such a tasty soup: just a handful of ingredients! Seems that what matters, again, is how you use them.
Doña Rosita told me she has tweaked her recipe through time. Also, she sometimes tops it with tortilla crisps, and sometimes with fresh croutons. Depends on the mood. But she always serves it with crumbled Queso Fresco. There you go! Another thing you can do with that Mexican Fresh Cheese, aside from a Green Salad and Enfrijoladas.
It is easy, tasty and sounds oh... so... fancy. Plus, it is wholesome. The only thing I added to Doña Rosita's recipe, is some fresh lime juice. I couldn't help it. So check it out, this is how it goes:
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The molinillo is a traditional Mexican kitchen utensil, that has been used for centuries to make froth in hot chocolate. It is made of a single piece of wood. The top part, typically thick and round, has decorations and indentations. A number of loose, movable rings follow. Lastly a round handle that is soft and round making it easy to beat with your hands. All of the decorations, shapes and pieces are made to create the most froth possible.
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April 16, 2010 1:50 PM
We came back home exhausted, after being away for a couple weeks in Canada for a big family reunion. Though we had delicious meals, trying all sorts of Canadian fare, as soon as we walked in I was ready to make some comforting, home tasting food.
Few things taste more like home to me, than beans. In Mexico there is always, always, a simmering pot of beans cooking at some point during the week in any kitchen. As beans need to be cooked for a long time, they infuse the kitchen with a moist, earthy and cozy aroma, that remains even after the beans are ready.
Of course one can make more than a thousand things with a batch of Frijoles de Olla, or Beans from the Pot. But one of the things that are the most simple, yet comforting, asides from scooping them with corn tortillas, are Enfrijoladas.
Continue reading Queso Fresco: Enfrijoladas
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The uses of beans in Mexican cooking are immense. Although you can buy them already made, if you make them at home they have a much nicer flavor and you will give your kitchen an irresistible smell. You can make a lot of them and refrigerate a batch which should last in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days. You can freeze another batch which will last for months.
I will give you two tips, included in the recipe below, if you make them at home:
1. Don't add the salt in the beginning or it will toughen the beans. Add it at least after an hour of cooking when the beans are already a bit soft.
2. You don't need to soak them the night before cooking. Yes, that helps to reduce the cooking time, but it is not necessary. If you do soak them, don't soak them more than 12 to 14 hours, because they may begin to ferment and you will finish with a Chinese rather than Mexican tasting dish.
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Queso Fresco, which translates to Fresh Cheese, can be found throughout Mexico with slightly different variations. It is also called Queso de Pueblo, Queso de Rancho and sometimes just Queso Blanco. In some small towns it may be found sold wrapped in banana leaves and if you are lucky, in the small baskets where they are sometimes made.
It generally comes in rounds. Though it appears to be firm and can hold its shape nicely when cut into sticks or squares, it is very soft and crumbles easily. It is used in many ways, such as a side to guacamole and salsas, crumbled on top of hundreds of antojos like tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, refried beans and even soups. I also love it diced or crumbled in salads. Possibilities are endless (continue for more information and photo).
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The Mulato chile has similar looks to the Ancho chile but instead of a reddish black skin it has a dark black skin. You can tell the difference much better against the light! The Mulato chile also has a sweeter, fuller and more chocolaty flavor than the Ancho. No doubt they are different as they come from different chiles.
The Ancho chile comes from the dried regular Poblano chile. The Mulato chile comes from a variation of the Chile Poblano that has slightly different genes with a darker color and fuller flavor. It is hard to find the latter Poblano chile variation, as the growers prefer to dry them since they can sell them at a higher price at the markets (continue for photo).
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The Chipotle chile is the Jalapeño chile, that has been ripened, dried and smoked. Its name comes from the náhuatl Chilli or Chile, and Poctli or smoke.
The process of drying and smoking Jalapeños has existed for centuries, even before the Spaniards arrived. It was considered a way to preserve chiles for long periods of time and also bring out their interesting qualities.
There are different kinds of Chipotle chiles, all of which are spicy, smoky and rich (continue for more information and photo).
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