Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Jalapeño peppers have become very well known around the World, but this pepper was originally cultivated in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and more specifically, it was named after the demonym of its capital city, Jalapa. I always grow two plants of standard jalapeño pepper in my garden; this year, they are already blooming and developing fruit … click on title for more
In an informal context, salsa macha translates as “brave sauce”, and applies here in the sense that it is extremely strong and spicy; it would probably also raise a challenge of only those being machos/machas themselves, or “brave to the extreme” being able to eat it. However, a nice feature of this recipe is that levels of spiciness, smokiness, sweetness, etc. may be controlled by choosing different peppers … click on title for more
During a brief visit to Toronto, I was able to purchase a few Mexican items, including dried hot peppers (chiles secos). I replenished my supply of pasilla peppers, which I had almost used up for a recent recipe; I also found packets of chiles “Costeño” and morita … click on title for more
Photo at the top of this post: My dad and me (with my favourite ragdoll, Blanquita, handmade by my mom) posing for my brother in one of the garden areas at El Museo Nacional de Antropología (MNA) - the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City (circa 1970) … click on title for more
The picture above features a chamomile and pot marigold infusion and a sweet snack. The herbal ingredients in my infusion are not native to Mexico, but there is an ancient tradition of herbal preparations in the country, and nowadays, all kinds of teas (true and herbal) are available and well established in the Mexican pantry … click on title for more
My Slice of Mexico 