Tamales with Corn and Poblano Chiles (Tamales con elote y chile poblano)
I long for the flavor of tamales de elote, made with puréed fresh corn kernels. But our starchy, flavorful Mexican corn cannot be replaced with United States sweet corn, which creates a terribly insipid, watery effect. So I evolved something a little different using a...
Stuffed Poblano Chiles (Poblanos rellenos)
Stuffed Poblano Chiles (Poblanos rellenos) This recipe for stuffed poblano chiles will be forever associated for me with rock star Robert Palmer who was a good customer of my restaurant Zarela, and became a close friend. The first time he dined at Zarela, he ordered...
Chiles in Walnut Sauce (Chiles en nogada)
I just bought my first pomegranates of the year so it’s time to trot out my fabulous recipe for chiles en nogada, which I will be serving for my dinner tonight. There is no doubt that chiles en nogada are one of the crowning glories of Mexican cuisine. They are...
Creamy Rice Casserole with Poblano Chiles (Arroz con crema y poblanos)
When I came back to the North it seemed as if every party I went to in Juárez featured this dish. There was a very good reason: It was a specialty of one caterer whom everyone was using! When I became a caterer myself, I rapidly discovered that it is a superior party...
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.