2020-08-22 15:00
A November market tour in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. I'm holding a mamey fruit. The mamey's scientific name is poutería sapote. One of the great pleasures of my life is the n… Read More
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Mexico Cooks! Blog
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Mexico: a culinary travelogue, an adventure for the palate, mind, and spirit. Mexican food and culture at their best.
2020-08-15 15:00
Roma tomatoes are the type we most often see at a tianguis (street market) or at an enclosed market, or in a supermarket. Heirloom tomatoes--even standard, everyday round tomatoes--are very… Read More
2020-08-08 15:00
Azul Histórico, a star of the constellation of three restaurants that make up Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Grupo Azul, has become one of Mexico Cooks!' favorite destinations for comi… Read More
2020-08-01 15:00
Beautifully home-prepared chiles en nogada, as presented several years ago at a traditional food exhibition in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Freshly harvested and peeled nuez de castil… Read More
2020-07-22 10:59
This traditional wood-fired stove is the centerpiece at Beto Chef Michoacán. The "Beto" is Alberto Ávila Espinoza; in 2016, he and his partner, Eduardo (Lalo) Santiago opened t… Read More
2020-07-18 15:06
Poster at the entrance to Hacienda Tzintzimeo, Álvaro Obregón, Michoacán. Simple to find and close to Morelia, the hacienda has approximately 40 hectareas (225 acres) of… Read More
2020-07-11 15:00
Did you know that vanilla--that leathery, wrinkled, don't-know-what-to-do-with-it, dark-brown bean in the back of your pantry, that bottle of extract in your cupboard, the ice cream that dri… Read More
2020-07-04 16:28
In the evening, when you're relaxing at La Conspiración outside under the portales (arches), you can easily see the sky-high towers and the blue dome of the Cathedral--illuminated by… Read More
2020-06-27 16:12
I first ate a meal in the beautiful central patio at Fonda Marceva in 2008--12 years ago, shortly after the restaurant opened. There has never been a time when I Read More
2020-06-20 15:00
Young girl from Oaxaca, wrapped in her rebozo (a long rectangular shawl). Photo courtesy my friend, the photographer Carlos Esteban Medina Sánchez. A friend recently gave me a copy of… Read More
2020-06-13 15:00
Roma tomatoes and onion quarters toasting on a comal (in this case, a cast iron griddle). That little tomato on the right looks downright happy to be toasting. Several years Read More
2020-06-06 15:00
If you've shopped at any of Mexico's thousands of tianguis (street markets), municipal markets, or fairs, you may have wondered what certain vendors were ladling out of their frosty glass Read More
2020-05-30 15:00
I wrote and first published this article in 2010, in response to inquiries from readers who were confused about other authors' articles about "What is authentic Mexican food?" The subject Read More
2020-05-23 15:00
One night a few months ago, Luisa and I went to collect a mutual friend from Morelia's Central de Autobuses (long-distance bus station), partially seen in the photo above. I Read More
2020-05-09 15:12
At first glance, these appear to be flowers--but look closely: they're actually cross-sections of different varieties, sizes and colors of maíces nativos (native corn), grown continuo… Read More
2020-05-02 15:00
From the un-popped kernel to the fully popped microwave-able snack treat, popcorn's evolution is many millennia old. Popcorn was the first corn in Mexico, domesticated at least 5000 years be… Read More
2020-04-25 15:00
The exterior of Simona Barra Saludable during lockdown. Photo courtesy Voofla, Morelia Pet Friendly. Morelia, Michoacán--where Mexico Cooks! lives--has been under quarantine for sever… Read More
2020-04-18 15:00
The chile poblano is one of the most commonly used fresh chiles in Mexico's kitchen. A very large, fleshy chile, it can measure as much as seven or eight inches Read More
2020-04-11 15:00
Normally during the pre- and post-Easter season, Mexico Cooks! devotes its articles to this holy time of the Christian year. This year, Semana Santa (Easter Week) observations and celebratio… Read More
2020-04-04 16:00
Because of the novel coronavirus, many of us in Mexico and around the world have been self-quarantined (bajo cuarentena, sheltered in place, or any of a number of English- and/or Read More
2020-03-28 16:00
A perfect michelada, rimmed with Tajín and topped with crunchy fresh cucumber. Spicy, salty, beery, umami-rich, and completely refreshing. Here in Mexico--everywhere in Mexico!--the s… Read More
2020-03-21 17:01
If you've shopped at any of Mexico's thousands of tianguis (street markets), municipal markets, or fairs, you may have wondered what certain vendors were ladling out of their frosty glass Read More
2020-03-14 16:00
Make-do old fashioned cooking technique in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán. Frijoles boil in a clay pot on what is usually a fogón. In this case, the fire ring is the wheel rim Read More
2020-03-07 16:00
Restaurante Teocintle Maíz, at the corner of Calle Miguel Blanco and Calle Constitución, Ajijic, Jalisco. You could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather. This charm… Read More
2020-02-29 16:00
Tortitas de papa (potato croquettes, left) and frijoles negros (black beans, right) from the state of Chiapas in far-southern Mexico are ideal for a Lenten meal. Roman Catholic Mexicans obse… Read More
2020-02-22 16:00
Several years ago, Mexico Cooks! was thrilled to meet doña Yolanda Rodríguez Orozco. At the time, she was cooking at a now-defunct buffet restaurant in Morelia, Michoacá… Read More
2020-02-15 16:00
If you've been reading Mexico Cooks! for long, you know that I photograph a lot of ripe and colorful fruits, vegetables, and other edibles in Mexico's markets. This gorgeous turkey Read More
2020-02-08 18:10
This article originally published in 2014. It's particularly pertinent right now because there is currently an enormous amount of seismic activity occurring in the same area where Paricut&ia&hell…Read More
2020-02-01 16:00
Niños Dios: one Christ Child, many colors: ideal for Mexico's range of skin tones. Mercado Medellín, Colonia Roma, Mexico City, December 2013. For about a month prior to Christ… Read More
2020-01-25 16:00
Lilia Facio Hernández offers us one of the 30+ gorgeous varieties of cakes made at the Museo del Dulce de la Calle Real (the Royal Road Candy Museum). Buy as Read More
2020-01-18 16:00
A big pot of cocido, simmering last week in my kitchen. Nearly 40 years ago, long before the website Mexico Cooks! was a possibility--when I was just beginning to learn Read More
2020-01-11 16:00
Tamales in the tamalera (the steamer) at Tamalería (tamales shop) Méndez, on the street at the corner of Av. Baja California and Av. Insurgentes, Colonia Condesa, Distrito Fede… Read More
2020-01-04 16:00
Most Mexicans eat traditional rosca de reyes (Three Kings' Bread) on January 6. Its usual accompaniment is chocolate caliente (hot chocolate), often made in the pre-Hispanic way--with boilin… Read More
2019-12-28 16:00
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, women wear new yellow underwear on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and wealth in the year to come. Red underwear (this Read More
2019-12-21 16:00
Mexico's fragrant, delicious ponche navideño--Christmas punch, served piping hot. Loaded with seasonal fruits and sweet spices, it's a do-not-miss at our Christmas festivities. The re… Read More
2019-12-14 16:00
Traditional piñatas ready for sale decorate the door to the Hernández family's tiny taller (workshop) on Av. Lázaro Cárdenas near Plaza Carrillo in Morelia, Micho… Read More
2019-12-07 16:00
The new Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, built between 1974 and 1976, is the second-most visited religious site in the Western Hemisphere, second only to the Vatican. M… Read More
2019-11-30 17:18
The unprepossessing doorway to UNEAMICH mfa/eronga, the Erongarícuaro, Michoacán artists' cooperative originally founded in 1981 by Steven and Marina Rosenthal. "Go to the corn… Read More
2019-11-23 22:37
Remember that old saying, "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first,"? Mexico Cooks! is a firm proponent of that--at least for beginning today's report. This sweet, delicious offering is on the… Read More
2019-11-16 16:00
In February, Mexico Cooks! returned to live once again in Morelia, Michoacán. It's been a joyful return, to the welcome of wonderful old friends, well-remembered streets and markets… Read More
2019-11-09 16:00
Looking for something different to serve for Thanksgiving? How about calabaza en tacha--calabaza de Castilla (a winter squash) cooked in a deliciously sweet syrup? As a side dish instead of… Read More
2019-11-02 17:41
Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, Prepare for death and follow me. ...from a Read More
2019-10-26 15:00
Night of the Dead (Noche de Muertos) grave decoration for a young man who died in a bicycle accident. The bicycle is life-size. Seen in the Panteón Municipal (town cemetery) Read More
2019-10-19 16:29
Highly decorated, very large cartonería (cardboard) skull for Noche de Muertos. One of these might be placed on a home ofrenda (altar) dedicated to the person of one's choice. Pante&o&hell…Read More
2019-10-12 15:00
In early September, a friend and I spent a marvelous weekend of charrería (the sport of the horsemen) in Guadalajara. The Quinto Campeonato Nacional del Charro (Fifth National Champio… Read More
2019-10-05 15:00
This week, Mexico Cooks! has once again cranked up the way-back machine for a trip down Memory Lane. This article, and the articles for the next two weeks, are from Read More
2019-09-28 15:00
This week, Mexico Cooks! has once again cranked up the way-back machine for a trip down Memory Lane. This article, and the articles for the next two weeks, are from Read More
2019-09-21 15:00
This week, Mexico Cooks! has cranked up the way-back machine for a trip down Memory Lane. This article, and the articles for the next two weeks, are from 2008. The Read More
2019-09-14 15:00
Street vendors hawk la bandera nacional (the Mexican flag) in dozens of forms for several weeks during August and right up to September 16, Mexico's Independence Day. It's always fun Read More
2019-09-07 15:00
Steaming hot café con leche (expresso coffee mixed with hot milk), served with a basket of Mexico's pan dulce (sweet bread). I took this photo many, many years ago--so long Read More
2019-08-31 15:00
Adolescent boys walk the length of Santa Fe de la Laguna's Purépecha vocabulary-teaching wall. See the sombrero (hat) to their right? In Purépecha, it's kájtsikua. Just… Read More
2019-08-24 22:08
A portion of the language-teaching wall in Santa Fe de la Laguna, Michoacán. About four years ago, Mexico Cooks! and a friend spent a glorious day in Santa Fe de Read More
2019-08-17 15:00
It's that time of year again: time for chiles en nogada! The photo above is of beautifully home-prepared chiles en nogada, as presented several years ago at a traditional food Read More
2019-08-10 15:42
Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (1915-2003), a proper British woman married to Mexican diplomat César Ortiz Tinoco, learned Mexican cuisine in Mexico City, her husband's home town. She publis… Read More
2019-08-03 15:28
Mexico Cooks! originally published this recipe for orange coconut flan in 2011. Today, it's back by by popular demand! The major ingredients for Mexico Cooks!' best flan ever--clockwise from… Read More
2019-07-27 16:47
Lydia Gregory, a dear friend visiting from Phoenix, Arizona, tries a tuna (nopal cactus fruit) at the Tianguis Obrero Mundial, Colonia Narvarte, Mexico City. Tunas are delicious--and so is m… Read More
2019-07-20 15:00
Although Mexico Cooks! photographed this sign several years ago in Los Angeles, California, it absolutely represents what you will be served for comida (Mexico's main midday meal) at a fonda… Read More
2019-07-13 15:00
Truly wonderful aporreadillo from Apatzingán, Michoacán's Tierra Caliente (hot lowlands), as prepared by doña Victoria González at La Tradición de Apatzing… Read More
2019-06-29 15:00
The covered dining terraza at Los Comensales bordered the restaurant's central garden, beautifully in bloom in rain or sunshine. Indoor dining was also available, but I loved to sit on Read More
2019-06-22 13:40
Blackberries are one of the staples of the Mexico Cooks! kitchen. In season nearly year-round, Mexico's blackberries are commercially grown primarily in the states of Michoacán and Ja… Read More
2019-06-15 15:00
The man who operates this cart in Mexico City's Centro Histórico (Historic Center) wheels his baked plátanos y camotes (bananas and sweet potatoes) around during the day. In re… Read More
2019-06-08 15:00
Freshly made chicharrón (you might know it as pork rinds). Chicharrón is frequently broken into small-ish pieces and served (instead of totopos [corn chips] with guacamole as a… Read More
2019-06-01 16:51
Mexico Cooks! receives many, many inquiries from foreigners planning a vacation in Mexico: "Where should I go for lunch?" "What's a good time to go out for supper?" "I want Read More
2019-05-26 00:06
Fishermen on Lake Pátzcuaro. Photo by Earl Leaf (1952), Michael Ochs Archives, courtesy Getty Images. Unless otherwise noted, all photos copyright Mexico Cooks!. Mexico's state of Mic… Read More
2019-05-18 15:33
Mexico's long-time chef Patricia Quintana. Her career spanned countries, decades, friendships, classrooms, books published, and regional foods. She left us on November 26, 2018, far too soon… Read More
2019-05-11 15:00
There are times when one simply has to try something unusual. Here, it's a whole frog that had been skewered on a stick, battered, deep fried and served with chiles Read More
2019-05-04 15:00
A look back in time to this important and emotional event, when my beloved friend, the sculptor Ana Pellicer, was awarded the highest artistic honor given by the state of Read More
2019-04-27 14:30
Doña María López viuda de Medina, Tijuana, Baja California. In front of her house, 1983. We met at Mass in early 1981 and became fast friends over a pot of Read More
2019-04-20 15:00
Nuestra Señora de Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows) leads the procession. Hooded members of various Catholic cofradías (confraternities, or religious organizations founded in Europ… Read More
2019-04-13 12:25
This young butcher at a local market is packing longaniza (a type of spicy Mexican pork sausage) into its casings. Mexico is one of the largest producers and consumers of Read More
2019-04-06 14:47
Steaming hot café con leche (expresso coffee mixed with a generous portion of hot milk), served with a basket of Mexico's pan dulce (sweet bread). When my mother, may she Read More
2019-03-30 16:33
A few Springs ago, Mexico Cooks! traveled to Paris--yes, that Paris--with a specific mission: to compare markets in the French capital with markets in Mexico City, Mexico's capital. As for… Read More
2019-03-23 16:00
Dome of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health), Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, at twilight. The setting sun gives the dome its heavenly pink glow… Read More
2019-03-16 16:00
This little boy's mother and I thought he would be terrified by the pig heads hung up in one of the pork stands at a Mexico City market. On the Read More
2019-03-09 16:15
One year during Lent in Chiapas, Mexico Cooks! ate tortitas de papa (potato croquettes, left) and frijoles negros (black beans, right), ideal for a Lenten meal. Catholic Mexicans observe la… Read More
2019-03-02 16:00
Mexico Cooks!' homemade alegrías, freshly turned from the parchment-lined baking sheet onto the cutting board and ready to cut into pieces. Lots of people are like Mexico Cooks! when… Read More
2019-02-23 16:00
Mexico City's Templo San Hipólito, built starting in 1559 to commemorate the 1520 victory of the Mexica (later known as the Aztecs) over the Spanish invaders in a battle that Read More
2019-02-16 16:00
Restaurante Pasillo de Humo, Mexico City: casa llena (full house) recently at midday. The name of the restaurant means "hall of smoke"; it's borrowed from the name of an iconic Read More
2019-02-09 18:04
I wrote and first published this article in 2010, in response to inquiries from readers who were confused about other authors' articles about "What is authentic Mexican food?" The subject Read More
2019-02-02 16:00
I wrote this article in February, 2014. Today I republish it in memory of my dear friend, Edmundo Escamilla Solis, so loved by so many, and whose knowledge of all Read More
2019-01-26 16:00
Two days a week, José Manuel Mora Velásquez continues a tradition that has been part of his family for more than 80 years. Long before dawn, he begins preparations for Read More
2019-01-19 16:00
In 2016, my dear friend and colleague Maestro Rafael Mier were invited to give conferences in the Mexican state of Puebla. After our conferences, we visited the Biosphere Tehuacán-Cui… Read More
2019-01-12 16:00
Celebrating the first of June--with a taco made with a real tortilla: freshly nixtamalize-d native Mexican dried corn ground into damp masa (corn dough), patted or pressed out, and cooked Read More
2019-01-05 16:00
Most Mexicans eat traditional rosca de reyes (Three Kings' Bread) on January 6. Its usual accompaniment is chocolate caliente (hot chocolate). The Día de los Reyes Magos (the Feast of… Read More
2018-12-29 17:39
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, women wear yellow underwear on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and wealth in the year to come. Red underwear (this vendor Read More
2018-12-22 16:00
Traditional piñatas ready for sale decorate the door to the Hernández family's tiny taller (workshop) on Av. Lázaro Cárdenas near Plaza Carrillo in Morelia, Micho… Read More
2018-12-15 15:35
Mexico's fragrant, delicious ponche navideño--Christmas punch, served hot. Loaded with seasonal fruits and sweet spices, it's a do-not-miss at our Christmas festivities. The recipe is… Read More
2018-12-08 14:45
The actual tilma (cape-like garment) worn by San Juan Diego in December 1531. The framed tilma hangs over the main altar at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Mexico… Read More
2018-12-01 15:45
Making chicharrónes--freshly fried pig skins, just out of the vat. If you haven't eaten this when it's fresh and still hot, you haven't really eaten chicharrones! This man's stand is… Read More
2018-11-24 16:08
Fresh fava beans in the pod, at the Mercado de Jamaica, Mexico City, October 29, 2018. You can see how big and bulky these pods are; the beans inside are Read More
2018-11-17 16:00
Originally published in late October 2007, this article about Guadalajara's Panteón de Belén lead up to several articles about Mexico's Día de los Muertos--Day of the De… Read More
2018-11-10 16:00
This is just a portion of one gigantic calabaza de castilla (squash from Castilla), the winter squash that's used to make calabaza en tacha (squash cooked in syrup). Calabaza en Read More
2018-11-03 18:57
Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, Prepare for death and follow me. ...from a Read More
2018-10-27 22:00
José Guadalupe Posada, born in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, in early 1852, developed his skill as an artist into a career as the foremost political cartoonist of his era Read More
2018-10-23 22:18
In English, the name of Restaurante La Conspiración de 1809 is, "The Plot of 1809"--plot as in spying, clandestine whispers, sneaking around, closed-door planning, state secrets, hero… Read More
2018-10-13 15:00
A perfect michelada, rimmed with Tajín and topped with crunchy fresh cucumber. Spicy, salty, beery, umami-rich, and completely refreshing. Here in Mexico--everywhere in Mexico!--the s… Read More
2018-10-06 15:59
This article, originally published in 2011, is well worth repeating today. The 12th annual Desfile de Alebrijes Monumentales (Giant Alebrijes Parade) will take place on October 20, 2018, sta… Read More
2018-09-29 15:00
The exterior of Mexico City's Mercado de Jamaica. As is true in most Mexican markets, you'll find everything from fresh figs to duct tape, from a haircut to a great Read More
2018-09-22 15:00
North-central Michoacán is frequently and with much reason called paradise on earth. Autumn's wildflowers, ripening corn, green mountains, and a partly cloudy sky combine to give you… Read More
2018-09-15 15:00
Street vendors hawk la bandera nacional (the Mexican flag) in dozens of forms for several weeks during August and right up to September 16, Mexico's Independence Day. It's always fun Read More
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