Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Huauzontle (Chenopodium nuttalliae) was amongst the new-to-me crops to try this year in my backyard garden. Huauzontle is a tall plant native to Mexico, grown for its edible seed heads, which develop from inflorescences such as the one pictured at the top of this post. Its leaves are also edible, and turn bright red in the fall, which has given this herb the name of Red Aztec Spinach ... click on title for more
Last night, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) delivered his first "grito de independencia" ("cry for Independence"), to commemorate the onset of the Mexican war for Independence, on the first hours of September 16, 1810 … click on title for more
This dessert came to Mexico from Spain during colonial times, with the introduction of dairy products from farm animals such as cows and goats, all new to the land. In Mexico, flan is always crust-less; ubiquitous on restaurant menus, whether high-end or family businesses, it has remained popular since colonial times ... click on title for more
This weekend, Mexicans will be commemorating the onset of the Mexican Independence War; traditionally, the president himself comes out to one of the balconies of the National Palace to re-enact the cry for independence, known as “El grito.” Celebrations follow and they most definitely include food … click on title for more
An enchilada is a tortilla in/with chile (pepper); whereas most enchiladas are dipped or covered in the sauce, this rendition from the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi features an ancho pepper paste mixed with the dough (masa) even before forming the tortillas … click on title for more
This is a very elegant-looking dish, and yet, incredibly easy to prepare; the only ingredient that might be hard to find outside Mexico is pickled carricillo peppers, known as chiles gűeros (blond peppers). I served with slices of pork roast, but boiled chicken or turkey might be used instead, and this recipe also works great with grilled fish … click on title for more
There are many regional variations of pozole (hominy soup), depending on the different meats, seasonings and toppings available around the country. In the Mexican state of Guerrero, pozole verde (green hominy soup) is the favourite version. The protein of choice for this recipe is traditionally chicken and, as in the case of other pozoles, all three national colours are still represented by topping with lettuce (green), onion (white) and radishes (red) … click on title for more
This month marks the beginning of the school calendar in many countries; it is also the unofficial end of the summer, with temperatures and weather in general changing rapidly. In Mexico, in addition to these beginnings, the first day of September always brings the State of the Nation speech by the president, and several national holidays on the list, with Independence Day (September 16) at the top … click title for more
An enchilada is a tortilla dunked in chile sauce; an enmolada is a tortilla dunked in mole sauce; it follows then that an enfrijolada is, of course, a tortilla dunked in frijol (bean) sauce. I thought of this recipe as the perfect way to feature the flavour of a good batch of frijoles de la olla (beans from the pot) … click on title for more
Many people, including myself, have wondered why bother with homegrown shelling beans, since the small envelopes of seeds are more expensive than buying a bag of dry beans at the supermarket, probably the same price as a couple of cans, plus the time, work and space the crop takes in the garden. I have to say that not only are they "easy to grow and fun to harvest", but their flavour, texture and the thickness of their broth are definitely worth the effort … click on title for more
