2012

My Mother’s Pantry

My Mother's Pantry

I wrote this article a long time I go and somehow I don’t think I posted it so here it is. If I did post it, take another read. It ‘s sweet.   Glistening by the light of a single... (Continue reading)

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Coffee Crunch Cake

Coffee Crunch Cake

COFFEE CRUNCH CAKE Every Christmas, I make this spectacular cake that I learned to make from Jack Lirio, a San Francisco cooking teacher in 1976.  Jack’s eccentric book, Cooking with Jack Lirio, (William Morrow & Co. 1982) is out-of-print so... (Continue reading)

Caldo de Huitlacoche (Huitlacoche Soup)

Caldo de Huitlacoche (Huitlacoche Soup)

(Mexico City/CentralMexico) Ingredients: 3  tablespoons lard or vegetable oil l    medium onion sliced in thin half-moons (about l cup) 2   medium cloves garlic, minced 3    poblano, Anaheim, or California long green chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded by directions on, diced... (Continue reading)

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Christmas at the ranch many years ago and now

Christmas at the ranch many years ago and now

        My personal memories of the Christmas season are probably different from those of southern Mexicans, for we had many Americanized customs in the north. The whole thing came back to me  vividly a couple of years... (Continue reading)

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Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

          Recipe: Food from my Heart I can somewhat live with commercial corn  tortillas. They are essential for crispy flautas and chips and some producers are now making special tortillas for soft-shell tacos. But commercial flour... (Continue reading)

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Reading from Food from my Heart

Reading from Food from my Heart

        This text was taken from several parts in Food from my Heart  that I had reprinted by amazon and a kindle edition will soon be ready.   Before I knew better I used to open this... (Continue reading)

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Poblano chile stuffed with fruit picadillo (Chiles rellenos de picadillo con frutas)

Poblano chile stuffed with fruit picadillo (Chiles rellenos de picadillo con frutas)

              POBLANOS RELLENOS (Stuffed Poblano Chiles)   One of the crowning glories of Mexican cuisine is chiles en nogada, which hail from the state of Puebla. To make this famous dish, poblano chiles are... (Continue reading)

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Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12  is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The festivities begin around midnight with a serenade by groups of mariachis and other singers that is kicked off with Las Mananitas, the Mexican birthday song. The Virgin of Guadalupe has... (Continue reading)

Lard? Yes! Praise the Lard

Lard? Yes! Praise the Lard

  It was 1991. Ruth Reichl, was the editor of the Los Angeles Times food section, and she was changing the culinary scene, mostly subtly but with a wake up bang directed  at others.  When she asked me to write... (Continue reading)

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Brussels sprouts with chorizo

Brussels sprouts with chorizo

You either love or hate Brussels sprouts but for those who love them here is an exceptional way fo preparing them  that my son Aaron came up with it. At my restaurant Zarela we use our homemade chorizo instead of... (Continue reading)