Blackberry Atole (Atole de mora)
I don’t know anything more truly Mexican, or more baffling to foreigners, than atoles. It’s a concept that we who grew up with them have trouble describing in English. I’ve tried calling them “gruels” and seen otherwise broadminded Anglos look pained at the thought....
Soursop (Guanábana) or Other Tropical Fruit Drink
This recipe — so simple I’m almost embarrassed to use the word “recipe” — is meant as a general model for the many aguas frescas based on Oaxaca’s wealth of tropical fruits. When I first started visiting the area, I could never have...
Rice Drink (Horchata de arroz)
Rice Drink (Horchata de arroz) If you travel to Mexico, you will see many street stands selling only fresh cold beverages. Most are made from fresh fruit. This, which like the French orgeat must go back to some medieval Mediterranean original, is the mysterious white...
Vampiros y Sangrita
Someone just asked me for a recipe for sangrita (originally named sangrita de la viuda –widow’s blood), a chaser that is served with tequila. We make a big amount and add tequila to make a drink called vampiro. Vampiros y Sangrita For long years sangrita,...
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.