Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
When it comes to garden bugs, there are some clear heroes and villains, but there are also many others that cannot be classified as perfectly positive or negative; I found four examples in my backyard this week … click on title for more
A chalupa is a small boat, usually rowed or poled. In the 16th century, when Spanish conquerors arrived to Central Mexico, they admired how the areas surrounding Tenochtitlan (today's Mexico City downtown area) had been developed into a system of gardens and farming parcels, seemingly floating on the lakes, interconnected by numerous small boats that they called chalupas. Around the same time, up North in Canada, another type of chalupa was playing an important role as well … click on title for more
The inspiration for this recipe was the delicious main course I enjoyed at “Azul Condesa” restaurant. My starting points were: 1) “EL Pascal Huasteco” – the name of the dish on the menu. 2) The Mexican state of Hidalgo – listed as the place where the dish originated. 3) Ricardo Muñoz Zurita – the restaurant’s chef, who is an advocate for the diffusion of authentic, sometimes less-known, Mexican food, including pipianes … click on title for more
What makes a tortilla flavourful and nutritious? … click on title for more
This soup amalgamates several truly Mexican ingredients (corn, beans, tomatoes and peppers) while adding the richness of herbs and dairy products, brought from Spain during colonial times … click on title for more
Specifically as a hot beverage, pre-Hispanic atole was originally nixtamalized corn dough (masa) dissolved in water and sweetened with honey or agave syrup; sometimes flavouring agents such as fruit, chiles or cocoa were also used. After the Spanish conquest, atole became another product of culinary fusion, with cinnamon, exotic fruits, and often milk, being added to the mix … click on title for more
A traditional Mexican beverage, café de olla (coffee from the pot) was first humbly served in clay mugs (jarritos) at events (such as funerals) and carnivals (before Lent, Day of the Dead, etc.), but has gradually become a well known delight, even in posh locations all over the world … Click on image for more
