Clay Bean Pots from San Felipe
The state of Guanajuato is in the center of Mexico and sadly, here in the states it's probably best known for the town of San Miguel de Allende, which has...
The Rancho Gordo Blog
In the kitchen
Shrimp and Bean Soup
In Mexico, I bought a copy of Patricia Quintana's new book on soup, Sopas. I'm always interested in what she's doing but this small book is one of her best....
A Dessert with Prickly Pears
Not long ago, I lamented the lack of dessert recipes in my bag of tricks. But I'd forgotten a favorite using prickly pears (tunas) and Sambuca Romana from the book...
Potato Chips, Mexican-style
Most people would define Mexican cuisine by the use of corn and chiles but it's also the ever-present lime that makes modern Mexican food what it is. Recently, on a...
Amaranth Greens
You may know that amaranth is one of those super grains, like quinoa, but did you know that it's easy to grow and as the plant matures, you can use...
A Brisket in the Oven
When I asked Steve at Prather Ranch Meat Co for a piece of meat to braise, he immediately led me to a brisket. I wasn't thrilled with the idea. I've...
A Good Marinade
I found myself with what is probably the most boring piece of meat imaginable: boneless, skinless chicken breasts. What to do? I pounded several cloves of garlic with salt and...
Shrimp Cocktail: Leftovers
Inspired by Christopher Ann's recipe, I made shrimp cocktails this last week. I didn't bother with the catsup (as I didn't have any) and I really loaded up on the...
A Clay Comal
A comal is an essential piece of Mexican cookware. It's basically a griddle or flat pan used to make tortillas, toast spices and roast chiles. Now mostly made of steel,...
Shrimp Cocktail, Mexican Style
You may not know this about me, but I'm a complete and total freak for shrimp. I just love them to the point of guilt. My pal Christopher Ann shared...
Chiilaca Chiles in Action
Previously I wrote about chilacas and now Catalan Farms (my neighbors at the Ferry Plaza Farmer Market) have a big harvest of them. You can also find them in Latino...