Tarascan Soup
Episode 1101: The Fire Kings
Retired mechanic Gualberto Elizondo, “Weber,” surprised his grown kids when suddenly his grilling hobby turned him into a local celebrity and internet sensation. He drives Pati through the mountains of La Huasteca in his old car, then to his famous back patio where he and his family treat us to cabrito en salsa and short ribs. But local chef Chuy Villareal of Cara De Vaca wants the world to know that the north of Mexico isn’t just carne asada and he’s putting a Mediterranean twist on his traditional dishes.
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Episode 1102: Sisters, Stew, and Sass
Don’t complain, don’t ask for the bathroom, and definitely don’t ask for salt. On the river Ramos, two sisters – who didn’t ask for your opinion – have taken a shack that serves one dish, traditional cortadillo stew, and made it into a must-visit restaurant. Just watch out for their parrot, he bites. And about 10 minutes down the road in the town of Allende is another restaurant that uses traditional stews in their famous empalmes, or stacked tacos.
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Episode 1103: The World Cup of Tacos
Much like the deep and bitter divide of Salsa Roja vs Salsa Verde, the state of Nuevo León is divided between two pro soccer teams: Los Tigres and Los Rayados. Pati tries the food at each stadium with stars from each team to be the judge on who wins in the battle of tortas and tacos.
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Episode 1104: Maestros Del Pan
The man who literally wrote the book on Mexican bread, Irving Quiroz, brings Pati into his workshop in Monterrey to teach her how to make traditional campechanas and rich conos de crema. Then we meet one of Irving’s students, Chuy Elizondo, who is using bread as a vehicle to make his brunch place one of the hottest in town. Finally, we get an up-close look at a key ingredient in Chuy’s famous chilaquiles verdes: chicharrón. Here in Monterrey, we meet the family who owns the butchery known to have the best chicharrón in town.
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Episode 1105: The Magic of Piloncillo
The Garza family invites Pati to a once-a-year tradition at their vineyard when they open the doors to the whole community to help make piloncillo, the traditional way. And it takes everyone to help stir because you can’t stop and it’s hard work. Then we’re off to the oasis of Nuevo León, the lush Bustamante magic town, where we meet three sisters who own a famous panadería and make us bread in adobe ovens. Oh, and pizza too!
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Episode 1106: Pioneering From Farm to Table
Huerto Urbano, or “urban farm,” is solving the problem of diverse local ingredients and food deserts by developing a way to farm in harsh conditions and serving to restaurants and families who want nutritious food. The owner’s husband also happens to be one of the great pioneers of culinary innovation in Monterrey, having led the way to the city’s local food transformation and is owner of famed restaurant Pangea.
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Episode 1107: Cantina Culture and the Morning After?
Cantinas have historically been bars that act as men’s clubs where men come together to drink, eat and be merry. Or talk about their broken hearts. Pati meets with local author and cantina historian David Canales, who takes Pati to two very different styles of cantinas in Monterrey to have a taste of the stories and food they offer.
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Episode 1108: Texas BBQ in the Orange Belt
Nobody wants to go to Mexico for Texas-style BBQ! Or do they? For the first time ever in the prestigious Houston Rodeo BBQ competition, a Mexican from Linares placed third. Luis Rivas is bringing all that flavor home with his BBQ restaurant Riv’s. Pati visits the restaurant to taste the difference between carne asada and ‘Texas-style’ BBQ. Then she visits his family’s orange grove where she learns about the “Orange Belt,” the nickname for this part of Mexico known for its orange exports. Riv invites all his family and some friends over for a carne asada on his massive grill setup. Then Pati is off to learn how the original Gloria’s candies are made.
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Episode 1109: A Day with Hugo
Chef Hugo Guajardo of El Jonuco is pushing the envelope on Norestense cuisine, researching around the state and finding the best ingredients. First, he takes us to where he sources his carne seca from the family-owned restaurant El Caminante, which has perfected the art of drying meat. Then Pati has lunch at El Jonuco, where she tries his spin on local delicacies and continues on to his home where he teaches her his take on charred chicken.
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Episode 1110: Top Chefs and Ancient Cliffs
Pati’s new mountain climber friends take her on an adventure to see the mountains up close and personal. Then they grab a quick elote snack dressed in wild norteño ways — a concoction popular with climbers. Later, Pati connects with four top chefs in the area and invites them to a carne asada against the backdrop of the gorgeous Huasteca mountains.
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Thriving Through Food Episode 1 – Buena Papa
Thriving Through Food Episode 2 – Curry in a Hurry
Thriving Through Food Episode 3 – Arepa Mia
Thriving Through Food Episode 4 – Heirloom Market BBQ
Mexican Hot Dogs
Shrimp Tostadas
Diablo Tacos
Cheesy Enchiladas
Torta de Chilaquiles
Chipotle Albondigas Sub
Pizza Mexicana
Divorced Eggs
Taquitos Dorados
Tacón de Marlin in Puerto Vallarta
Carne en su Jugo with Ángel Martinez of Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán
The Perfect Taco in Puerto Vallarta with Chef Thierry Blouet
Episode 1: Miles from Nowhere
Pati travels from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to Big Bend National Park. She discovers the people, places, and food that make it unique. Old and new friends help Pati discover the best places to eat and what makes the culture and economy of the region distinct. She learns how closely America and Mexico are connected through the cattle industry and visits the site where thousands of cattle cross the border every day. She cruises through downtown El Paso with low-riders, talks to muralists, and watches an all female Mariachi band play their long-awaited comeback concert. She learns how these two cities, which are almost like an island in the desert, rely on each other in order to thrive.
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Episode 2: From Dos Laredos to Mars
Pati travels from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo to Brownsville, Texas. She learns how tight-knit family bonds are an underlying theme connecting everything in the Laredos, and throughout La Frontera. She gets an up-close look at the major industries of the region – trucking, trade and ranching. By tasting the food and meeting people who live and work here she sees how the border is a place ripe for opportunity and creativity.
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Extra: Sergio Troncoso on Border Life
In Ysleta, Texas, Pati visits La Tapatia, a restaurant serving border-influenced tortilla, tamales and tacos since 1950. She sits down with acclaimed author, Sergio Troncoso – known for his many books and essays on border life – to discuss what it’s like to live in the middle of two cultures.
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Extra: Meet Oscar Herrera
Pati and her friend chef Oscar Herrera drive across the border from El Paso, Texas to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and discuss what it’s like to live in a region where you experience two very different cultures daily. At Oscar’s favorite menuderia, they discuss what differences he sees in running restaurants on both sides of the border.
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Extra: The El Paso Art Scene
In El Paso, Texas, Pati meets with some of the most prolific muralists and artists of this part of the border region. She takes a walking tour to see the murals painted on El Paso’s buildings up close, and talks to the artists about what inspires them and what they’re hoping to convey with their incredible work.
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Extra: What Makes the ‘Ultimo Taco’
Brownsville, Texas, is known for being one of the best taco destinations on the entire US/Mexico border. Pati stops at Ultimo Tacos to learn why Brownsville became so known for tacos and how being at the border influences their recipes and flavors.
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Extra: Visit the Sabal Palm Sanctuary
Pati visits the Sabal Palm Sanctuary just outside of Brownsville, Texas. This protected land is the last place to see how the dense sabal palm forests looked centuries ago before this border region was developed. It is also unique in that it is in US territory but located on the south side of the border wall, so Pati has to cross the border wall to visit this US sanctuary.
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Extra: Learn About Raspas
Pati travels to the Rio Grande Valley, just outside of McAllen, Texas, to taste and learn about raspas, a flavored ice treat unique to the region that comes overloaded with an assortment of candy and fruit toppings. She visits the Margo Raspa stand to talk about the origin of raspas, the endless variety of options, and why people in the Rio Grande Valley are so passionate about them.
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Episode 1001: Welcome to Guadalajara
Pati explores the culinary highlights of Jalisco’s capital city, Guadalajara. She starts at a legendary street cart for a taste of the city’s most iconic sandwich, tortas ahogadas. Then, she meets up with one of the city’s best chefs, Fabian Delgado, to see how he’s setting new expectations for the market food experience. In her kitchen, Pati makes bolillos and a torta (called lonche in Jalisco) filled with a local staple, tatemado de puerco.
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Episode 1002: Food Meets Art
Guadalajara is the cultural epicenter of Jalisco, drawing some of the most creative artists, musicians and chefs from all over Mexico. In this episode, Pati explores some unique spots where food and art truly connect. At Ceramica Suro, she gets a tour of the ceramics factory that supplies dishware and textiles to some of the finest restaurants in Mexico and the US. Then she visits two chefs, Poncho Cadena and Fernanda Covarrubias, who both create artistic, colorful dishes that are almost too beautiful to eat. In her kitchen, Pati makes an almond tres leches cake and another dish inspired by her experiences.
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Episode 1003: Jalisco Classics
Pati stops at a couple of Guadalajara’s most beloved restaurants for two of the region’s classic recipes. At Super Menuderia Cano, Pati learns the secrets to their menudo recipe that’s so good people line up down the block waiting to get in. Then, she visits Birriera Chololo, where locals say the birria is second to none. Back in her kitchen, Pati keeps the classics theme going by perfecting her own recipes for a few Jalisco favorites: menudo, tepache and jericalla.
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Episode 1004: Los Mariachis
Some say that Jalisco is the birthplace of Mariachi. In this episode, Pati learns about the history, the instruments and the meaning behind that beloved music that pulls at the heart strings of so many Mexicans. In Guadalajara, she sits down for lunch with the leader of one of Mexico’s most accomplished bands, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán. Then, she visits a guitar shop owned by true craftsmen, with an interesting new take on the mariachi guitar. In her kitchen, Pati makes carne en su jugo and Masa Shortcake.
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