You know that telephone game where you whisper a message to the first person and then go around the ring to see how close the final message is to the original? Well, Ranchera Sauce has been around the telephone ring a few times and it's taken on all sorts of idiosyncrasies from the players. Taking a...
Most Recent
This Most Recent category is the easiest way to keep tabs on all the recipes that I add to the site.
Chili Lime Peanuts -- Cacahuates Enchilados
Cozumel's blazing sun can eat up your energy muy rapido. When sunset finally rolls around there's a chance you'll end up looking like this: If I'm beached like that my first choice for instant energy would always be a big handful of cacahuates. Preferably with limon. Peanuts play a surprisingly substantial role in Mexican cuisine. You'll see them combined with...
Enfrijoladas Recipe -- What To Do With All Those Mexican Beans
Enfrijoladas are one of Mexico's most common 'dinner in a hurry' meals. They are less common north of the border because people tend to limit beans to the 'side dish' realm. But that usually means they've never tried warm corn tortillas drenched in a chili-infused bean puree. Enfrijoladas also happens to be on the lookout for a stable, long term relationship. It's more than willing...
Must Try These Peruano Beans (aka Peruvian, Canary, Mayocoba, or Mexican Yellow Beans)
Peruano beans are the quiet sibling when sitting next to Black and Pinto at the dinner table. Black and Pinto do all the talking, constantly arguing their case for a coveted spot on your Mexican dinner plate. Peruano is happy to sit smugly next to them, confident in its case to overtake both of them in the...
Mexican Street Corn Dip
The Aztec/Nahuatl word izquitl roughly translates as "toasted corn". The word itself, izquitl, has morphed into its modern day version, esquites, and is still used in Mexico today. Esquites has now made its way north of the border too, mostly because corn slathered in creamy, Chili-Lime sauce is a dish that can quickly transcend culture boundaries. In other...
Simple, Epic Refried Beans
You are 10-15 minutes away from authentic refried beans that will outperform anything you can get north of the border. But the question is......where are you starting from? Are you using homemade beans or canned beans? If you're starting with homemade beans then give yourself a quick congratulations as most of the work is already done. For...
Frijoles de Olla (Mexican Pot Beans)
Beans are on the shortlist of nominees to become the Official Ambassador of Mexican Cuisine. And it's a well-deserved nomination at that. These nutritional powerhouses are loaded in protein and fiber, and they've been a staple in Mexican cooking since the beginning. They also taste better when you make them at home, and once you see how easy it...
Single Serving Queso Fundido
A typical Queso Fundido recipe is reserved for big occasions: birthdays, Superbowls, the Fourth of July. It's best eaten within minutes of completion and it usually takes a crowd to accomplish this when there's a dish full of melted cheese coming out of the oven. Then add in that melted cheese doesn't exactly store well...
Authentic Mexican Cooking Ingredients Part I
I've been getting some questions about ingredients used in the last few recipes, so consider this a start to a comprehensive list of Mexico-based ingredients that might be new to your kitchen. But the list comes with one big disclaimer: Mexican cuisine is very forgiving, so you rarely have to use exact ingredients to achieve the...
Chicken in Peanut Sauce -- Pollo En Salsa De Cacahuate
Warning: now entering the unheralded category of Rustic Sauce that is slowly becoming more common outside of Mexico. Combining nuts and seeds with core salsa ingredients can create an instant delight that can be used in an infinite number of ways. You'll recognize the base here as the Tomato-Chipotle Salsa that we tackled a couple weeks ago....