How to Make Masa
Photo Laurie Smith Many centuries ago, Mexican cooks discovered that as good as corn is when eaten fresh or dried, it takes on an exciting new identity when treated with a solution of wood ashes, burnt seashells, or some other natural alkali. The process is called...
Delitefully Mexican Recipes for When It’s Too Hot to Cook: Part 1
Though we’ve hardly had a spring, today feels like summer. It’s hot and humid, which can make cooking less fun. With the temperature hitting 90 degrees today, the thought of turning the stove on, much less the oven, is not enticing. So I turn to my old...
Five Different Stuffed Chiles (Chilles rellenos)
Photo Emmanuel Bastien When people in this country talk about chiles rellenos they usually mean the batter-fried, cheese-filled chiles below. But the words chile relleno simply means a stuffed chile and it can be any kind of chile with any filling. The chile above is...
Home-rendered Lard
The many lives of Zarela Martínez
Culinary legend Zarela Martínez introduced finely tuned, highly researched regional Mexican cuisine to a national stage, and has continued to blaze trails for more than three decades.