I just ordered and received a selection of five dry chiles, sourced directly from the Mexican state of Oaxaca by a Canadian company based in Montréal ... click on title for more
Five Chiles from Oaxaca
Category: Ingredients
Bean Herbs: Epazote and Summer Savoury
Since the rain and intermittent heat have produced an abundance of herbs in my garden this season, I had lots of self-seeded epazote growing in the garden bed, and my sowing of summer savoury in a pot was looking very healthy as well. Both herbs have been known to be ideal to season beans, so I decided to harvest a bunch of each and cook two pots of beans, side by side, to compare their similarities or differences in flavour and aroma. Along the way, I learned about an heirloom Canadian summer savoury variety ... click on title for more
Cuete Mechado – A Pot Roast with a Curious Name
This Cuete Mechado is pure comfort food, a "meat and potatoes" old-fashioned kind of meal, starting with a tough and inexpensive cut of eye of round roast which, by daubing and braising, is transformed into a truly "wickedly" tasty, rocket-shaped roast, any day of the week ... click on title for more
Cooking with the Harvest II – Green Salad
In Mexico, many salads are dressed with a simple vinaigrette, and often times, just with lime juice and salt. I love a good Basic French vinaigrette, but to pair with my garden greens, I have modified the recipe with a Mexican touch ... click on title for more
Cooking with the Harvest I – Moussaka
It is always very interesting to see how traditional dishes transform as new ingredients are introduced. Moussaka is a Greek and Cypriot dish that is very well known around the world; the traditional versions only comprised layers of eggplant and ground lamb or pork, but since tomatoes and potatoes arrived to Europe from Mexico and Peru, respectively, they have become a common part of the recipe. This post shows the fusion of recipes from my Mexican/Japanese mom, my Cypriot mother in-law and my own, and it is a tri-generational effort, because one of my daughters helped with the cooking, and also styled and photographed the plated presentation, as shown above ... click on title for more
My Slice of Mexico 