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).

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

Papas con Rajas y Crema

September 28, 2024

by Cocoa & Lavender

To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) golden, red, or white potatoes (see Notas),
• – peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick (6 mm)
• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, seeds and veins removed, and cut into strips
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Mexican crema
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

• Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until they are cooked but still firm, about 15 minutes (see Notas). (Make sure to check the potatoes occasionally so that they don’t overcook). Drain.
• While the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes (see Notas).
• Add the drained potatoes and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the roasted pepper strips and pour in the crema. Season with salt and pepper. Keep cooking for 2 to 3 minutes to warm the peppers and the crema. Serve warm.
• Notas:
• • Do not use russet potatoes for this recipe, as they tend to break apart easily.
• • The cooking time for this recipe will vary depending on the variety of potatoes
• you use. Just make sure the potatoes are cooked but still hold their shape.
• • I like cooking the onion slices a little bit longer, until they start turning golden around the edges, to give them a little more flavor.
• • If you like spicy food, add 1 jalapeño pepper, cut into thin slices, in step 2 with the onion.

© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender

https://cocoaandlavender.com/2024/09/mexico-in-your-kitchen-cookbook-review-and-recipe.html