Adios to the man who gave me my first job and my best friend
June 29, 2009
Memo Licona passed away the same day that Michael Jackson did. Michael was 50 years old and I mourn for him because I sense that he never really got to live life to the fullest. No matter how much he enjoyed performing, his childhood was taken away from him and he tried to regain it all his life. Memo was 86 and he squeezed every little bit of enjoyment from every moment he lived. He wa sy first boss.
Puebla Revisited
June 25, 2009
Birthplace of such Mexican classic dishes such as Mole Poblano
Soup
Caldo de Chile Poblano
Light creamy roasted poblano soup with zucchini, chayote, potatoes and corn kernels.
Topped with thinly sliced fried corn tortillas
8.50
Appetizers
Tostada de Tinga
Roasted tortillas topped with black beans, shredded chicken,
avocado and crumbled cheese
11.00
Tamal De Clemole
Pork, chicken and Mexican sausage braised in tomato and guajillo chile sauce
10.00
Chile [...]
My Decorator: Mexico
June 22, 2009
MY Decorator: Mexico
One of my biggest regrets is that my Zarela Casa line of Mexican-inspired products for the home were placed in stores specifically traited for the Mexican-American consumer. Mexican traditions and style have entered the American mainstream and Americans are integrating everything from food to decor into their lifestyle. Had it been available to [...]
Blackberries or Moras
June 16, 2009
Bret Thorn wrote an article on blackberries for Nations Restaurant News and posted it on his Facebook profile. Of course no Mexican recipes were included because no one associates blackberries with Mexican cooking but they are very much used in both the cooking of Michoacan where they make delicious tamales with a type of wild [...]
Kids’ Restaurant Week
June 15, 2009
Every once in a while I get invited to participate in a promotion that really excites me such as Kids’ Restaurant Week comes along. Created by Gourmet and Cookie Magazine, their philosophy is very much in keeping with my belief that meals are an important time for families to spend together not just to share [...]
The Mexican Cultural Institute
June 13, 2009
When the Mexican Cultural Institute was founded in 1991 to create awareness of the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Mexico and operated under the able leadership of Mireya Teran, I became an instant avid supporter. When Ms. Teran was made an ambassador and Juan Garcia de Oteyza became its director, the focus became more [...]
A modern fairytale: Craig Claiborne’s magic wand
June 8, 2009
Do you believe in fairy tales? Well I have one for you –my Cinderella-Zarela story made possible by two fairy godfathers, Paul Prudhomme and New York Times food critic, Craig Claiborne who is being honored this week at two exciting events. The first is a symposium entitled Craig Claiborne and the Invention of Food Journalism [...]
The Mexican Corrido
June 1, 2009
We have recently had the great fortune of meeting and becoming friends with legendary publisher of Grove Press and editor of the Evergreen Review, Barney Rosset and his wife Astrid. On our first dinner together at the restaurant he brought me a priceless gift: The No 7 issue of the Evergreen Review, entitled The Eye [...]
