On Food & Culture
Nopal, cactus, is delicious and nutritious. The diminutive form of nopal, nopalitos, signals that it is one of the most endeared and important Mexican indigenous foods. Ascribed the scientific name, Opuntia ficus-indica, nopalitos are native to central and southern Mexico. Cactus spread from there throughout …
Roasted Anaheim chiles are direct and uncomplicated, with profuse flavor. I think often we miss so much by complicating our everyday, wasting time with artifice. Just look at the beauty of what’s around, take it in, get real and go with it. I think roasting …
My Carne Guisada recipe is featured in the New York times today, recommended by Sam Sifton in his column, “What To Cook This Week.” The NYT recipe is one adapted by the brilliant food writer, Rachel Wharton. I love the picture by Linda Xiao for …
Enchiladas Rojas are delicious, delicate and they are traditional. You can buy red tortillas at the grocery store, but I suggest you make some. You can make the red tortillas several days before and keep them in the fridge until you make the enchiladas. I’ve …
I first ate a tortilla Española on the streets of Madrid, many years ago, at 3 in the morning. The generous, thick tortilla was sandwiched in a 6-inch crusty baguette. I bought it from a guy on the street corner, along with a beer which …
Chiles Toreados are perfect for any Mexican food feast. They can be cooked days ahead of your party, kept in the fridge, and just before serving, add lime juice and salt. Done! The Texas Mexican region has the honor of being considered to be the …
Special shout-out to intrepid, passionate cooks who like a challenge. This salad requires a bit of skill, but it’s really fun. I’ll be serving this ensalada compuesta, a composed smoked trout salad, at a gala dinner in San Antonio next month during which I will …
I love these Roasted Cactus, Chile Ancho Meatballs because they’re perfect for parties. Albóndigas illustrate the dynamism of food pathways, the routes by which foods travel via bird flights, human wars, marriages, and so on. As it travels, food changes, refashioning itself into new cultural …
The cover of my new cookbook admonishes you, “Don’t Count The Tortillas.” My amá, mom, told me this dicho, saying, when I was a small boy, and it refers to “The Art Of Texas Mexican Cooking.” Within a couple of weeks Amazon, Barnes & Noble …
Papas Con Rajas, Poblano Potatoes, are creamy because of the waxy potatoes and lush because, well, roasted chiles Poblanos are always lush. This dish, brings together the traditions of Peru and Mexico, potatoes being native to Peru and the Poblano chile native to Mexico. Early …