My Slice of Mexico

Amaranth Paste – A Healthy Treat for the Day of the Dead

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020by Irene3 Comments

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico on November 2, and amaranth was an important element in offerings for this occasion in pre-Hispanic times. Not long after the Spanish conquest, the Catholic church sent priests and missionaries to the new lands, taking the colonies by storm; they replaced the native rituals for the dead with great success, and the native amaranth was replaced with European wheat, both as a crop and for religious applications, such as for the now traditional Bread of the Dead (Pan de muerto). Nowadays, amaranth seed has become very popular worldwide, as a healthy cereal substitute; as a way to observe the Day of the Dead, I made a batch of cooked amaranth paste, and formed it into skulls ... click on title for more

Desserts, snack, appetizer

Traditional Sweets – Alegrías and Wafers with Amaranth

October 31, 2020November 6, 2020by Irene20 Comments

Popping seeds is a traditional way to cook amaranth in Mexico, where it is easy to find, as well as many sweets prepared with it. In other countries, raw amaranth seed has become readily available for its health benefits, and once popped at home, it may be used to prepare those traditional Mexican sweets, such as the all-time favourite alegrías - "joys", or wafer sandwiches ... click on title for more

Backyard Stories, Mexican Cuisine

Fall Harvest and Cooking – Huauzontle

October 29, 2020February 1, 2021by Irene10 Comments

Huauzontle (Chenopodium nuttalliae) was one of my featured crops last year; I allowed a few plants to go to seed, and this spring, I got lots of volunteer sprouts, which grew very differently from last year’s crop ... click on title for more

breakfast, Regional Cuisine

Huevos motuleños – Weekend Brunch at Home

October 25, 2020October 29, 2020by Irene12 Comments

As a follow up to my previous two posts, featuring Yucatan Style Longaniza and Cochinita Pibil, this is one more recipe from the Mexican state of Yucatan: Huevos Motuleños. Huevos means eggs, and Motuleños means "from Motul", a small city and a municipality in the Mexican state of Yucatan ... click on title for more

History and Regional Cuisine

Tacos de Cochinita Pibil – One of the Most Popular Delights from Yucatan

October 22, 2020January 28, 2021by Irene36 Comments

After preparing Yucatan style longaniza in my previous post, I wanted to continue the theme with what is probably the best well-known dish from that region: Cochinita pibil. This delicious preparation becomes the classic delight of tacos de cochinita by simply shredding some onto warm tortillas and topping with red onion and habanero spicy condiment ... click on title for more