On Food & Culture
Chef Rico Torres of Mixtli, the famed progressive Mexican cuisine restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, shared his chacales recipe, saying that it evokes memories of his family, and growing up in El Paso, Texas. It is a prized dish of comida casera, home-cooking, along the […]
In our south Texas and northeastern Mexico culinary region, pinto beans are the staple in native Mexican-American homes. No exceptions, not ever. I was amazed when, working in Chiapas, Mexico during my sophomore year of college, I encountered black beans. They were such a radical, […]
Chorizo bean dip is tangy, and the minced pickled Jalapeños enhance the tang with that necessary Mexican bite. This recipe tastes great with canned pinto beans that are sold as “refried” but with no fat. You can also use a good-quality store-bought chorizo. However, I […]
Molletes de frijol y queso are Mexican open-faced sandwiches that are baked, then topped with the brilliant taste of fresh tomato, onion and serrano chiles. They are made with Mexican bolillos which are French-style crusty rolls, about 6 inches long, and shaped in the form […]
San Antonio filmmaker Laura Varela told me that this Bean and Green Chile Burrito is her favorite. It conjures memories of growing up in El Paso, Texas. “We’d walk across the bridge to a restaurant in Ciudad Juarez, and my dad would always order it,” […]
Habanero rum pecans / Nueces Con Ron y Habanero, somehow fit this Christmas Covid moment because although they’re everyday pecans, the rum and habanerio give them a special bite that is celebratory. Both the nut and the word pecan are Native American. European immigrants were […]
The original nachos are Texas Mexican and were created by culinarian, Ignacio Anaya (nickname Nacho) in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, across the river from Eagle Pass, Texas. It is a thoughtful, beautifully balanced combination of just three ingredients: corn tortillas, longhorn cheese and pickled Jalapeños. Anaya […]
Pinole is roasted corn, ground into a fine powder and sweetened with piloncillo, unrefined Mexican cane sugar. The Tarahumara community in Chihuahua, just south of El Paso is famous for the endurance of runners over long distances and pinole is their go-to nutrition. The Tarahumara […]
Comfort food doesn’t get better than a tortilla casserole. These are hardship times, Covid-19, so as you make this tortilla casserole, first gather yourself, your thoughts, your emotions, and ask for spirituality to enter your space, then start to cook. This is advice given to […]
Restaurants in Amsterdam were ordered closed by the Dutch government on March 16. It was a painful step, an effort to halt the spread of Coronavirus, and the financial devastation threatens to close some businesses for good. “Tortillería Taiyari” is the only Mexican tortilla maker […]