Pati Jinich is host of the popular Emmy and James Beard nominated PBS series Pati's Mexican Table, author of two cookbooks, and resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC. This is her official website where she shares recipes from her show and new recipes in her blog, plus upcoming events, recent news, and more.
In Mexico, and many parts of the world, roasted turkey is mainly served during the holiday season. Imagine a place where shaved slices of juicy roasted turkey are served on a soft telera smothered with avocado and spicy rajas. This place exists, it’s located in the heart of downtown Mexico City and, here, you can devour a turkey torta during any month of the year.
From one day to the next, heirloom corn became a strong topic of conversation in Mexico. However, heirloom corn varieties have been a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine. Chefs in Mexico City, Enrique Olvera included, have been using heirloom corn in their restaurants for years to make fresh tortillas, tamales, gorditas, or other antojitos that are made after the nixtamalized corn is turned into masa.
Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s most interesting states, rich with culture, ingredients and tradition, and is home to a small and simple eatery that a big part of the country’s foodies talk about. Itanoní is basically made up of plastic chairs, tables, colorful decorations hanging from the ceiling, clay comales and señoras who have a lot of experience cooking on them.
Over 140 years ago, the Guizar family opened a small candy shop in the heart of Mexico City’s historic downtown. Dulcería de Celaya was located on Plateros Street, which is now Madero, a rarity in Mexico’s downtown core because it is only open to pedestrians. Today, the dulcería is located on Cinco de Mayo Street. This dulcería is like a hidden jewelry store that sells some of the tastiest and most delicate candy in the city.
Seven years ago, bread maker Hugo González opened up what is known to be one of the best bakeries in Mexico. As you walk along Chihuahua Street in Colonia Roma, a vibrant and historic neighborhood, the strong aroma of freshly baked bread will lure you over. Hugo studied culinary arts at Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, a highly esteemed culinary school in the south of Mexico City and completed his thesis on bread fermentation…
My grandpa was the first person to introduce me to this 50-year-old fonda. I’m not super keen on waking up at 5:00 in the morning, yet will wake up without a problem just thinking that I’ll soon be wrapping a fresh tortilla around all the different guisados. They open at 5:30AM and that’s when everything is the freshest. This early in the morning you’ll be bound to encounter people who sneak in a quick breakfast before work…
Now-a-days, pan francés (French toast) is commonly said in Mexico City’s culinary neighborhoods thanks to Chef Eduardo García, one of Mexico’s most creative and admired chefs, highly known for his product-focused philosophy. Lalo (Eduardo’s nickname in Spanish) grew up as a migrant worker in the US, he gained valuable kitchen experience from Chef Eric Ripert in New York.
Large clay casseroles filled with some of the tastiest guisados in Mexico City crowd this tiny taco shop on one of Colonia Condesa’s major avenues, Amsterdam. Small and narrow, with only a refrigerator to grab a cold drink and a small table outside, Tacos HOLA is the most popular taco shop in the area. Since 1968, Tacos HOLA has been making traditional guisados, which are delicious stews that can be made with different types of meat, fresh vegetables, grains or any combination of the three with one or another kind of salsa.
In Mexico, there are infinite possibilities between two slices of bread. Mexicans are very creative. We’ve come up with all sorts of combinations. From a simple telera filled with mayo, beans, ham, quesillo and rajas to a more complex torta, which involves grabbing a whole different dish, such as tamales or chilaquiles, and incorporating them into the torta. The torta is part of Mexican culture. It’s difficult for a Mexican to go through a day without saying, thinking about or eating one.