Even in the land of meat lovers, a Yucatecan meal can be plant-based, even vegan. A dinner party for friends and neighbors at El Pueblo Mérida held such an affair. Here’s how the in-house chefs brought the right flavors while staying true to host Daniel Cecil Hemingway’s commitment to whole food and plant-based living. The…
Chiles en Nogada are not difficult to make, but they are time-consuming. Only poblano peppers have the right flavor. The first step is to char them over an open flame, turning them constantly so they don’t burn through. Place them between layers of newspaper for half an hour so they will sweat. This loosens the skin, seeds, and…
The Yucatecan dish Kaaxil Sikil isn’t found in any cookbooks or cooking blogs. Not yet, anyway. It made it to the 2021 finals of a national cooking competition which translates to “What does the homeland taste like?” It was hosted at the Los Pinos Cultural Center in Mexico City, which was also the official residence…
While visiting Mérida, celebrity Eva Longoria met Regina Escalante, who runs the popular Restaurante Merci, and sampled the chef’s grilled fish with sour orange, prepared beachside. It’s a segment in CNN’s “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico,” which debuts this spring. Longoria explored Mérida in April, and also was spotted in Taquería La Lupita at Mercado…
Recently, Yucatán Magazine highlighted new places to get that Asian fix. But since I love to cook, I am finding recipes for the home kitchen. Here are some of my favorites, and yes, all the ingredients can be found in Yucatán. Asian Slaw Serves 4 Put the following in a bowl: 3 C. cabbage 1…
Brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the 19th century, the noble kibbeh fast became one of Yucatán’s favorite snacks.
Mexican Citrus Salad with jicama and Yucatán Spicy Shrimp lead the way
The current Yucatán chill is real. I never thought a gal from Pennsylvania would find the 70 degree days here cold. However, my internal temperature controls have changed, and I am feeling the chill. So how else are we all taking the chill off during these cooler days? Soups are the answer! Local soups are…
Mondays in Yucatán are all about frijol con puerco. This traditional pork, rice, and beans dish is much beloved by people across the state, but you are unlikely to find it on the menu of any restaurant..
When I first came to Yucatan, I was very young and had never tasted eggplant. My mother-in-law had a special recipe and when I tried it, I liked it so well that it became the dish she would always make for me on my birthday.
Roast turkey in Yucatán — pavo pibil — is full with flavor because it’s filled with citrus and onion, smothered with achiote sauce and wrapped with banana leaves. But plan ahead. You need to start your preparation one day before serving the turkey. This recipe works best if you have a 14-16 lb. bird. Remove…
Pumpkin was a fundamental ingredient in the pre-Hispanic diet, particularly in the center of the country. In Yucatán, however, it is usually enjoyed fried.
Our neighbor has a huge mango tree, and literally, hundreds of unripe mangoes fall every week. If not picked up right away, they rot. Ugh!
At the local fruit stand, avocados are a quarter of the price I pay back in the States. So naturally, I buy them more frequently. But what to do with all those avocados?
Beautiful things are possible with this ugly, pungent fruit.
From an American newspaper in Santa Fe comes a recipe that blends the flavors of old Yucatán and New Mexico. “This is a taco recipe that comes from our constant craving for the unequivocal cochinita pibil sandwich and a never-ending love for tacos,” writes Marianne Sundquist in The New Mexican. The spirit of the pibil…
The managing editor of Salon, Joseph Neese, happens to be the grandson of a woman from Merida. And that grandmother, Elena Narvaez Neese, is sharing her recipe for caldo tlalpeño, which Joseph says should be in every cook’s repertoire. “Looking back, I can’t believe how lucky I was to have grown up on caldo tlalpeño…
The 560 thick, glossy pages of “Mercados: Recipes from the Markets of Mexico” are such a riot of color and photography, at first Michalene Busico of the Dallas Morning News didn’t read a word. David Sterling’s gorgeous travelogue is “not so much a cookbook as a treatise on the food and culture of Mexico as…
David Sterling’s followup to “Yucatan” explores all of Mexico, but starts in Yucatan’s famous magic town, Izamal. Here is one interesting dish, which isn’t at all what it first appears. This recipe is republished with permission from “Mercados: Recipes from the Markets of Mexico” (University of Texas Press, 2019). Read about the book here. By…
TV chef Rick Bayless, whose love for Yucatan is well documented, recently posted a video that combines a current pressure-cooker craze with a traditional Yucatecan taco filling.
Legendary chef Jeremiah Tower (and expat living in Merida) was on New Orleans television recently to demonstrate a timely recipe.
If you’re not dining out on Thanksgiving, here is an idea that’s moderately easy to execute at home.
Many foodies stop being adventurous when presented with a plate of nopales. And that’s a shame, because these prickly pear cactus paddles are spectacularly healthy.
End of content
End of content