Ingredient of the Week: Soft-stick , Ceylon Cinnamon (Canela)
Photo by Laurie Smith There are few ingredients used in Mexican cooking that affect the taste of a dish more than canela (true Ceylon cinnamon or soft-stick cinnamon.) It blends subtly with different seasonings and will not drown out other spices like the harsher...
Corn Tortillas (Tortillas de maíz)
When Mexicans say “tortillas,” you usually bet that they are not thinking of the blah versions of flour tortillas so popular in the United States — not much different from all those other flabby all-purpose “wraps.” Nearly everywhere in Mexico, the bread of life...
My Mother’s Meatballs (Albondigas de mi mama)
My Mother’s Meatballs (Albondigas de mi mama) Albóndigas Estilo Mamá — Meatballs Like Mama MakesRecipe from Food from my Heart, Zarela Martínez, Macmillan 1992 This recipe calls to mind the llaves (outdoor water faucets) on the ranch, which were always...Hotel Casa Real del Cafe, Coatepec, Veracruz
This year I have traveled a lot and stayed in many hotels in Peru, California, and two states in Mexico, Queretaro and Veracruz, and know exactly what makes a great hotel, for me at least. I would put plenty of electrical outlets, 60-watt light bulbs, a bathtub,...
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.