Carnival of Mazatlán – The Journey Continues

Carnival of Mazatlán – The Journey Continues

Around the world, there are many public celebrations a few days before, and until, Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday), marked as the beginning of the Lenten season on Western Christian calendars.  Some of the most famous are the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring samba dances, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, USA, with its floats and marching bands, and Carnival in Venice, Italy, the oldest, with its elaborate masks. In Mexico, there is also a strong tradition of Carnival, with massive concerts, parades, and exhibitions around the country; the most famous and largest are in the port of Veracruz, in the state of the same name, and in Mazatlán, also a port,  in the state of Sinaloa ... click on title for more

Pan de Cajita – A Gluten-free Treat from Guerrero

Pan de Cajita – A Gluten-free Treat from Guerrero

The state of Guerrero is named after Vicente Guerrero (1782-1831); he was the second president and one of the fathers of the Mexican republic, abolishing slavery in 1829.  Guerrero was betrayed, and deposed shortly after that, and by execution, he met his untimely death, on February 14, 1831.   As a homage, I am sharing this recipe for a gluten-free treat from Teloloapan, Guerrero, where it is a cherished old-fashioned bread, ubiquitous around the Day of the Dead, in November, but also available year-round. For this post, I decorated some for Valentine's Day ... click on title for more

Jericallas – A Custardy Treat from Jalisco

Jericallas – A Custardy Treat from Jalisco

Flan is a dessert consisting of custard with a layer of caramel; it is well-known internationally from being served at many Mexican restaurants.  Another Mexican custardy dessert is jericalla, equally delicious, but unfairly not as famous as flan, even in Mexico, where it is mostly found regionally, in the state of Jalisco ... click on title for more

Polvorones – Sweet Bread

Polvorones – Sweet Bread

These polvorones are commonly produced in bakeries, and are considered a type of pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), starting with a versatile dough that may be then flavoured and shaped using different techniques. The oldest recipes always call for lard, but more contemporary ones may use vegetable shortening, butter, margarine, or mixes.  My recipe includes a half/half mixture of butter and non-hydrogenated margarine, and I chose two kinds of log slices for this post: orange flavoured circles, and tricoloured triangles ... click on title for more

Polvorones de Nuez – Dusty Cookies with Nuts

Polvorones de Nuez – Dusty Cookies with Nuts

Probably some of the best known Mexican cookies, these bite-size treats are similar to shortbread, with a generous amount of nuts inside. They are often called "Mexican Wedding Cookies", although giving them out as wedding favours is a tradition that mostly takes place in Northern Mexico and the Southern United States. In the rest of Mexico, they are known as polvorones de nuez - dusty cookies with nuts, an everyday treat, even sold in small packages at convenience stores and supermarkets; however, they may become extraordinary in the ordinary, when their dusty, snow-like tops, turn them into prodigious treats to share  during the Christmas season. ... click on title for more