December 2010

I had never heard the name Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Ever.

I was born and raised in Mexico City. I lived there all my life until I married my husband, another Mexican, and moved to the U.S.

There were no Mexican Wedding Cookies at our Mexican wedding (though there were a ton of roosters doing their Cock a Doodle Do thing next door, which made it hard for us to say our vows real loud...). Nor were there any of those cookies, at any wedding in Mexico that I have ever attended. None.

The first time I heard the name Mexican Wedding Cookie was once we moved to Washington D.C. Since then, I have been asked about them continuously. What's more, once I started my blog, I began to receive a lot of requests, via lovely emails, for their recipe.

It took me a while to realize that those Mexican Wedding Cookies, so liked this side of the border, are what I love and know as Polvorones. One of Mexico's most popular treats, consumed on an every day basis, and found in just about every Panadería (bakery) and any grocery store throughout the whole country.

Continue reading You Say Mexican Wedding Cookies, I Say Polvorones

9 DECEMBER 2010
6:30 to 9:00 PM

Cooking demonstration and tasting dinner at the Mexican Cultural Institute.

The Mexican Revolution shook the ground the country stood on.  As Revolutionaries, soldiers and rebels moved throughout the country a new kind of cooking emerged: Food on the run!  Come taste the exquisite inventions and creations made in ranches, porches, rustic bonfires and by traveling cooks to feed men, and women, who were for years on the run.  Learn the true origins and flavors of the Burrito, the famous Discada Norteña, the Charro Beans.  Drink some of the wholesome and filling drinks revolutionaries took along battles and sweets they carried in their jackets.

To register and for more information click here. 

When I think about my mother, I think about her fava bean soup (fine, and a couple other things too...). That's how strong an impact that soup has had on me.

But not many people are wild about Favas, Habas in Spanish. Different from pasta or potatoes, Favas haven't gone mainstream.

Okay. I can see why.

First, the fact that they come in many forms can be confusing (fresh in their pod, fresh out of the pod, dried with their skin on, or dried and peeled). Also, the ways to cook them in their different forms haven't been widely publicized. On top of that, Favas have a strong flavor that can be overpowering, and to some, hard to bear.

Now, bear with me here. If you know what form of Favas to get for which kind of dish, the confusion is almost gone. With the right recipe, the confusion evaporates further and their overpowering flavor is tamed. Thus... beloved cooks, Favas become what they must:  filling, rich, wholesome and deliciously intense.  

Continue reading Fava Bean Soup: Time to go Mainstream!