If a caterpillar eats my corn, I will eat him in return.
For years my preference for ice creams would be for rich custard based ones, an extra egg yolk or two thrown in seeking that perfect velvet texture. And they were. Rich, velvety, filling, and decidedly not refreshing. They’re more of a winter ice cream, or a sweat inducing summer one, if you live in…
If I were to tell you making tamales is easy, I would only be telling you a half truth. Tamales are not easy. Tamales are not difficult. Tamales are something you are either devoted to, or have no interest in ever making. There is no in between. You do not meet the non-comital tamal maker…
The simplest of things are the ones I most enjoy. Lately it has been glasses full of this drink, made with the pulpy mass of melon seeds which would normally end up tossed into a garbage can. The cuisines of the world are full of dishes made with someone else’s garbage. Offal is what most…
Let me tell you one thing about living in the heat of Arizona. No, nothing about it being a ‘dry heat.’ Don’t even start with that. No. The thing about the special brand of Arizona heat is this: The human body very quickly forgets how to live with it. Exposed skin starts to freak…
Some of my least favorite things to be told by a complete stranger: You don’t look Mexican. You’re too tall to be Mexican. You don’t sound Mexican. Your accent is all wrong to be Mexican. You’re not brown enough to be Mexican. And so on. This happens all the time. Living in upstate New York…
There’s been a journey of months and miles back across the country from the backwoods of upstate New York back to the traffic, car break ins, searing sunlight and heat of the Phoenix desert. But I am glad for the move. Along with all the bad listed above comes the rich flavors of the city,…
Cobá and Cenote Choo-Ha, Quintana Roo Spending the night at Cobá isn’t necessary for visiting the ruins, as the town is only a short drive away from Valladolid and from Tulum, but once I read the words ‘spider monkeys on the grounds,’ I couldn’t pass up spending the night at Hacienda Cobá. The…
I went to Cancún so you don’t have to. Well, no. Go to Cancún for the nice warm beach. Have a cocktail or two in a hollowed out pineapple. Then spend the rest of your time cruising around Quintana Roo and Yucatán. We (2 adults and a child just shy of 2 years old) visited the…
These paletas exist somewhere between comforting cold weather food and icy refreshing summer treat. Just sweet enough, the pinole granules are mellowed by the richness of chocolate. These particular paletas were made with Rancho Gordo’s Pinole Azul, but you can also easily make your own.
You would think the final days of April would bring mentions all over Mexico of the approaching Cinco de Mayo celebrations. And you would think wrong. For the most part, there aren’t many celebrations for the 5th of May. It isn’t a national holiday, and unless you’re in Puebla, is my not be mentioned as…
Some days, making many individual empanadas simply will not do. Some days, the only thing to do is to roll the dough as big as you can and make an empanada gallega. A savory dish, these large round or rectangular Spanish empanadas are stuffed with a sofrito of tuna, or a beef picadillo. Having had…
