Eggplant Veracruzana
Eggplant Veracruzana I love this time of year when the green market is brimming with the wide assortment of produce that inspired this late summer Mexican vegetable dish. I made my salsa Veracruzana (Veracruzan sauce), which is at its best when tomatoes are...
Zarela Savory “Cornbread” (Torta de elote)
Zarela Savory “Cornbread” (Torta de elote) At the Instituto Familiar y Social, I learned a zucchini dish with a consistency something like a moist, cakey bread, called torta de calabacitas. Over the years I’ve found it a good basis for departures like this version...
Potatoes with Green Chile and Cheese (Papas con chile verde)
This brings back many memories of good friends, Lupe and Nayo Chavez, whom I knew since I was a small child, when Nayo worked for my grandfather. He told me he first met me in the corral when I was two or three years old. My first words to him were, “Cojeme el...
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...
Zucchini with Corn and Cheese (Calabacitas con queso)
Zucchini with Corn and Cheese (Calabacitas con queso) When we were growing up in Chihuahua, we ate this zucchini with corn and cheese dish (calabacitas) at least once a week. We would groan every time we saw it. Now, I love it and not only because it reminds me of...
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.