Officially, the U.S. observes National Hispanic Heritage Month annually from September 15 through October 15. Having lived in the American Southwest of the United States for almost 20 years, I feel like we celebrate Hispanic heritage every day. The Spanish and Mexican heritage and living community in Tucson makes our city vibrant in very special ways. Cuisine. Customs. Architecture. Warmth. ¡Fiestas! And, you know that I’ll celebrate with a wonderful thematic meal.
Recently, Rock Point Publishing invited me to review a new cookbook by Mely Martinez: Mexico in Your Kitchen, released in April. Martinez is also the author of the best selling cookbook The Mexican Home Kitchen. In her new Mexico in Your Kitchen, she notes how authentic Mexican food is different from Americanized Mexican food. Living as close to the Mexican border as we do in Tucson, I feel like we get the best of both worlds.
Home cooking almost always beats restaurant food; home cooking is from the heart, and Martinez has plenty of that. She started blogging (Mexico in My Kitchen), in 2008 for her teenage son, hoping he would someday use it to recreate the foods she made for her family. By publishing these recipes, she will pass them to generation and new families. Though Martinez is from Tampico, Tamaulipas, the recipes she offers in this book are selected from all the different regional cuisines of Mexico, and every recipe in the book is accompanied by a beautiful photo taken by Martinez. Today, she lives and works in Dallas, Texas.
She writes about the importance of food in Mexican culture, and starts by talking about the meal structure each day. The day starts with desayuno (a very light breakfast consisting of coffee — or chocolate — and a pastry), followed by almuerzo (a second, larger breakfast which often includes eggs, meats, and cheeses), comida (or lunch, consisting of a stew with a couple of side dishes with tortillas and salsa on the side), merienda (a small, late afternoon meal that may include a sandwich, a fruit salad, a tamal, or even cookies and milk), and finally cena (dinner eaten later in the evening — after 7:00pm — which is very similar to the merienda earlier in the day). She also includes a section on antojitos (street food).
After describing the meal structure, Martinez gives a lot of information about the Mexican pantry. I know from posting recipes on Cocoa & Lavender that many Mexican ingredients aren’t available in all parts of the world but, through online sourcing, it’s getting much easier. The book’s pantry section is subdivided among: fruits and vegetables; peppers; herbs and spices; dry ingredients; dairy; canned goods; and fats and meat. After the ingredients, she gives a list of tools and equipment, with substitution ideas wherever possible. For example, in Mexican cooery, there really is no perfect substitute for a molcajete made of volcanic rock, but a mortar and pestle will suffice.
After going through the book several times, the recipe I chose for today’s post is Papas con Rajas y Crema (Potatoes with Poblanos and Cream). It is creamy, hearty, and incredibly flavorful. This is one of those dishes that we could not stop eating. It was incredibly good served as a side dish (with seared chile-lime fish fillets), and the next day we ate it as our comida. Side dish or main course, this recipe is already a favorite in our household. Most of the ingredients for this recipe are readily available in your grocery store, however it may be difficult to find the Mexican crema. Martinez gives several substitutions for those who cannot find it.
I love this book because it’s about cooking at home. And that’s what we all do, isn’t it? Don’t expect restaurant recipes; you will find wonderful things that you can realistically put together in your own kitchen. I look forward to trying many other recipes — her Tortitas de Papa, Tacos de Alambre, and homemade bolillos. I highly recommend this book and I know you will enjoy it, as well. Note: both hardcover and digital editions are available.
~ David
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Carolyne
September 28, 2024 at 4:52 am¡Delicioso! Y tus fotos son preciosas.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 6:46 am¡Muchas gracias! Es realmente fantástico,
Mad Dog
September 28, 2024 at 5:39 amYour Papas con Rajas y Crema look delicious – I’m sure that book is excellent! What’s not to like about having Mexico in your kitchen!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 6:44 amThis is a great dish, Mad Dog — rajas y crema is something we make often as a side — but adding the potato (and onion) is a game changer.
Mimi Rippee
September 28, 2024 at 5:49 amThat looks delicious! I love Mely’s blog. Great food. We were just in Mexico City and even did a cooking class. I finally had huitlacoche! And nopales. It was great.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 6:44 amHer blog is amazing — I really like her style! Huitlacoche is pretty amazing — very delicate considering its looks! Nopales are wonderful, too. Glad you had a good time.
Barb
September 28, 2024 at 6:33 amThis sounds like a wonderful change from the usual potato dishes we all serve! David, could you possibly add Mely’s suggestions for substitutions for the crema? Thanks!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 6:42 amThanks, Barb — it really is a great change from the average potato dish!
I haven’t tried either of her substitutions but here they are: “If you can’t find crema, you can substitute it with a mixture of equal parts heavy cream and sour cream. Alternatively, you can use sour cream or slightly dilute cream cheese with whole milk to create the texture of the Mexican crema.” My inclination would be 6 tablespoons heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sour cream. I think 50/50 is too sour.
Barb
September 28, 2024 at 7:32 amThanks, David, I agree with your suggestion. Heavy cream improves everything!!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 7:38 amYou are definitely channeling Julia Child with that comment! (And I agree wholeheartedly!)
Karen (Back Road Journal)
September 28, 2024 at 7:06 amSimple but delicious, yes that is what home cooking is all about.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 12:34 pmIndeed, Karen. There is nothing like it!
Carolyn Niethammer
September 28, 2024 at 9:53 amWhat a great and simple to assemble side dish.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2024 at 12:35 pmIt is, Carolyn, and the flavors together are quite wonderful!
sherry
September 28, 2024 at 3:42 pmPotatoes rule :=) Isn’t it amazing that there are literally thousands of different potatoes? I am not a fan of Tex-Mex so this looks like a refreshing change – an authentic home kitchen recipe. So Mexican crema is a type of cream?
cheers
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2024 at 7:59 amWe are peas in a pod, Sherry — Tex-Amex isn’t my thing, but authentic Mexican? Yes, please! Crema is a thickened cream — and a bit tart. Mixing heavy cream with some sour cream makes a great substitution.
Jeff the Chef
October 1, 2024 at 5:16 amI was thinking I might substitute crème fraîche.
FEL!X
September 28, 2024 at 8:22 pmSpanish? Yes please! – Tex-Mex? No, thanks!
But your creamy potato dish looks delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2024 at 8:01 amThanks, Felix — but this recipe is neither Spanish nor Tex-Mex — it’s authentic Mexican and it is wonderful. I agree — I don’t like Tex-Mex either.
angiesrecipes
September 29, 2024 at 8:20 pmThis seems like a great cookbook. That creamy potato makes a perfect side dish.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2024 at 8:01 amIt really does, Angie — but we didn’t mind it as a main course for lunch either!
Ronit Penso
September 30, 2024 at 9:52 amI fail to understand why some heritages are supposed to be celebrated for a whole month, while others are left ignored. In any case I do like this homey and tasty recipe. Potatoes and cream are a heavenly pairing! :).
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
October 1, 2024 at 6:41 amSounds like a cookbook that I should add to my collection! I enjoy Mely’s website so I know I’d enjoy her book. And thanks for the recipe, sounds like a winner. I’ve a similar dish with corn and poblano pretty often, this one sounds even tastier.
Pauline
October 1, 2024 at 4:05 pmI am all for eating authentic home cooked Mexican food David, not the restaurant style type we get here. Love this dish, I saw your suggestion for substituting the crema, and the peppers must bring so much flavour to this dish, so I will need to do some research as to which peppers I can get here to substitute. I avoid some Mexican recipes because I can’t eat corn, but I’m sure there are plenty of non-corn recipes in the book? Wonderful review, and what an interesting part of the world you live in.
Raymund
October 8, 2024 at 4:08 pmWhat a fantastic tribute to National Hispanic Heritage Month! I love how you weave in your personal experiences living in Tucson and the vibrant culture surrounding you. Mely Martinez’s new cookbook sounds like a treasure trove of authentic recipes that truly celebrate Mexican cuisine. I’m particularly intrigued by the Papas con Rajas y Crema. it must be such a comforting dish!
2pots2cook
October 15, 2024 at 5:34 amBeautiful! Is it a side dish to BBQ ?
Valentina
October 21, 2024 at 12:29 pmSuch a scrumptious blend of flavors. Poblanos are my favorite pepper these days, and those creamy potatoes — yum! Mexico in My Kitchen is a beautiful site – love the recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Inger
October 27, 2024 at 7:04 amI love poblanos and always have some frozen for winter breakfasts of Chiles Rellenos. Now I may need to branch out!
Christina Conte
November 16, 2024 at 8:54 amMy kind of cookbook, and this dish is right up my alley! Well, anything with potatoes really is, but add spiciness and I’m sold! Almost like a Mexican version of patatas bravas!