Mole from Veracruz (Mole de Xico)
Recipe from my book Zarela’s Veracruz. The mole de Xico or mole xiqueño is not as universally known outside of Mexico as the elegantly balanced mole poblano or as famous inside Mexico as the super-elaborate mole negro oaxaqueño (named for their cities of origin...
Crab Enchiladas (Enchiladas de cangrejo)
My food career was born out of necessity with little expectations or big dreams. I was working as a social worker at the Texas Department of Human Resources, was married to a widower with three children, and had given birth to my twin boys Aarón and Rodrigo Sánchez...Tomatillo Sauce with Cream (Salsa de tomatillo con crema)
Tomatillo Sauce with Cream (Salsa de tomatillo con crema) Canned tomatillos are really a last resort here. They taste nothing like the real thing. This sauce is also wonderful with grilled or poached fish, especially salmon, or pan-fried chicken cutlets. Medium...Sour Cream Mixture (Crema agria preparada)
This is an endlessly adaptable formula for which American sour cream, though unlike the crema of my childhood, works well. I also use it to make chilaquiles, my famous Creamy Rice Casserole (Arroz con Crema y Poblanos), crab enchiladas, and as a dip or sauce for fried...
Roasted Fish
Nothing flummoxes home cooks more than cooking fish, particularly head-on whole fish. I steam, grill, pan-fry, and roast whole fish. This is my favorite way to prepare fish, even though it isn’t particularly Mexican. Roasted Fish I often parboil potatoes or turnips...
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.