Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Papatzules are a traditional and very popular dish in the Mexican state of Yucatan. The preparation is similar to a basic enchilada, but the ingredients make this dish unique: the sauce is made from ground pumpkin seed and epazote, and hard-boiled eggs serve as stuffing. Using some ingredients from my garden, I prepared my own version of papatzules … click on title for more
Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) is a traditional Mexican herb that I have used and described in my posts before. In English, it is known as Mexican tea or wormseed, and grows freely (sometimes considered invasive) in Southern USA, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. I bought a seed packet a few years ago, spread some in a sunny patch, and I have had them self-seed and come back every late spring ever since, ready for harvest as soon as summer arrives. This year is no different, and as seen in the photo above, it looks like a bumper crop ... click on title for more
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. The Mascogos, a group of Afro-Mexicans, small, yet historically very relevant, living in the Northern Mexican state of Coahuila, have been celebrating Juneteenth for generations, with a fusion of African, Mexican and Seminole (indigenous groups from Florida) traditions, such as dancing to música norteña (Northern Mexico music), singing hymnals to hand-clapped rhythms called capeyuye, and sharing a meal that often includes cortadillo, a dish of beef or goat meat, cooked in a chunky tomato sauce ... click on title for more
Meringues are desserts prepared by adding sugar and flavourings to perfectly fluffy, beaten egg whites, baked until they develop a crust. Some meringues have a soft interior, such as pavlovas, while others are dry throughout. One example of the latter are small meringues, about the size of a cookie, called "suspiros", and an even smaller version, called in the diminutive form "suspiritos" ... click on title for more
Natilla is a creamy custard, originally brought from Spain during colonial times; the classic recipe was later adapted to the modern Zacatecan kitchen with a "tres leches" - "three-milk" approach, by using sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, in addition to whole milk. Flavourings are usually added as toppings, such as in this case, with roasted pecans ... click on title for more
My Slice of Mexico 