A simple yet beautiful dish, created to feature edible dahlia tubers, was inspired by the Mexican state of Tlaxcala's traditions and people ... click on title for more
Quesadilla Packets with Dahlia
Category: Ingredients
Basket Tacos – Tacos de canasta
Basket tacos originated in the small town of San Vicente Xiloxochitla, in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala. Rapid infrastructural and economic growth in the mid-20th century created the need for filling and inexpensive foods that could be purchased by workers outside hospitals, office buildings and around constructions sites; some taqueros (taco masters) in San Vicente decided to take their business to larger cities, such as Puebla and Mexico City, to respond to that need. They prepared their tacos in large batches, and packed them in a basket (hence the name) lined with blue plastic, and layers of Kraft brown paper to absorb excess fat and moisture; the tacos were then covered with more paper, and tablecloths, to keep them hot long enough to be carried to convenient and busy locations to be sold. At home, a small batch may be prepared with less fat than the original, and kept warm in a slow cooker, in lieu of the classic basket ... click on title for more
Tlaxcalli – Corn Tortillas
Inspired by the theme of tlaxcalli (pre-Hispanic name of corn tortillas) and Tlaxcala (place of corn tortillas), the smallest state in Mexico, I went on a quest to find blue corn flour to make a batch of tortillas at home ... click on title for more
Beach Cocktail (with Abalone) – Coctel playero (con abulón)
In the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, there are short harvesting seasons of abalone in late spring and during the month of July; fresh abalone is shucked, cleaned, and tenderized before eaten raw, or cooked in seafood platters and dishes, such as Beach Cocktail - Coctel playero ... click on title for more
Traditional Sweets – Cocadas Doradas
Although coconuts are not native to Mexico, but were brought after the Spanish conquest, they quickly became endemic to coastal regions, and nowadays there are many ways to cook with them. Curiously, Puebla is an inland central state with relatively cool weather, so coconuts are not cultivated there, but these sweets have been around for many years, with the recipe mostly unchanged; people in Puebla still make them commercially or at home, for the sheer pleasure of tasting their “doraditas” – “goldies” ... click on title for more
My Slice of Mexico 