| The Secret to Mexican Cuisine is in the Ingredients |
Carmen Elena Huras
April 2004
Twelve years ago, I was pregnant with my first daughter when we came to live in this region of the country. We came with the intention of giving our children a safe clean place to live.
I never thought at that time that the magic of Mexican cuisine would possess me. Maria, our maid, originally from Tlaxiaco, a small town in the state of Oaxaca, has been delighting in preparing the most delicious traditional Mexican dishes for our family.
Perhaps it was she who was responsible for inspiring me to teach the ‘Cooking and Flavors of Mexico’ course, which I’ve been doing for five years---a course that has become more and more popular with visitors who want to discover much more than just the sun, beach and ocean.
The secret of Mexican cuisine is to have fresh ingredients. To get them here in Zihuatanejois not difficult. The best place is the farmer’s market, located three blocks behind the central market.
There you can find the delicious squash flower, the best criollos and costeños chiles, crabs and shrimp, fresh cheese and a type of cream cheese called requesón. And of course one cannot forget all the endemic herbs: verdolage, pipiza, hierbabuena, and epazote, to name a few.
All of these ingredients come at very reasonable prices.
Going to the market is to open your senses to the colors, the smells, the flavors, the song of the vendors, the texture of the fruit and vegetables.
Its difficult to decide which dish to pick because every dish has its own secret but here are a few that you can start with:
Mexican Style Zucchini - Calabacitas a la Mexicana
for six people (from San Luis Potosí)
Ingredients:
1 lb. zucchini
3 tomatoes
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 poblano chilis
3 ears of corn
1 sprig of epazote
4 oz. of crumbly white cheese
Preparing the Ingredients:
Roast the chilis in a plastic bag to sweat. Peel and remove the seeds under running water. Cut in very fine strips.
Method:
Fry the garlic and onion in a pan and add the tomatoes, epazote and salt to taste. When cooked add one cup water, zucchini, corn and chilis.
Poor Man’s Snack - Fritanguitas de Pobre
For four people (from Querétaro)
Ingredients:
Potato peelings
1 large onion
4 serano chilis
Method:
Keep the peelings from potatoes used in other dishes. Fry in a little oil with the halved chilis and thin rings of onion until golden. Season with salt and use as taco fillers- a tasty snack. |
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