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...Nixtamal
Many centuries ago, Mexican cooks discovered that as good as corn is when eaten fresh or dried, it takes on an exciting new identity when treated with a solution of wood ashes, burnt seashells, or some other natural alkali. The process is called nixtamalización....
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...
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.