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Recipe: Beat the Heat with Mezcal and Sesame Seed Ice Cream – Nuestra Mesa
Photo: Manuel Rivera To beat this summer heat with a unique Mexican version of ice cream, our friend and contributor chef Aldo Saavedra, shared with us a recipe to make a delicious mezcal and sesame seed treat.
Just like tequila, mezcal is made from agave. This smokey-flavored artisanal drink is slowly becoming popular as another Mexican contribution to gastronomy worldwide.
Ingredients:
Ice Cream Base
This is the foundation for any ice cream, and it can be used to create any other flavor. The sky is the limit! It is all up to your imagination.
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- 10 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
Mezcal and Sesame Seed
- 7 tbsp of your favorite mezcal
- 2 cups of toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cups of semisweet chocolate (in chunks)
Process:
- Boil the milk along with the cream and mezcal in a pot.
- In a separate container, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy.
- Once your milk mixture has reached the boiling point, add half of the volume to the whipped egg yolks, and continue to whip until the yolks and the mix are incorporated.
- Add the whipped egg yolks to the pot on the stove and stir with a wooden spoon on low heat until the mix thickens.
5. You will know it is time to remove your mix from the stove, once you are able to draw a finger on the wooden spoon without it dripping. Remove and let the mix cool over ice.
6. Once cold, put the mix in a blender with the sesame seed and blend. Strain.
7. Transfer the strained mixture into a container and place in the freezer. Stir about every 10 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
8. Add the chocolate and mix.You can store your ice cream in plastic containers in the freezer. Enjoy!
Mexican Chef Aldo Saavedra regularly shares with La Vitamina T’s readers his passion for his country and for Mexican cuisine as a cultural expression. Chef Saavedra has been part of the team in charge of delighting guests at a variety of reputable establishments, including Hotel Condesa D.F. He has also partnered in projects with global brands such as Larousse and Danone. -
Chef Paco´s New Rebozo – Oh My God!
Cochinita pibil tacos await you at New Rebozo in Chicago’s Gold Coast. If you visit New Rebozo, chances are that aside from a remarkable meal, you will be delighted by owner Chef Paco’s warm and exuberant personality. After more than 20 years of success at his Oak Park location, where Chef Paco (A.K.A. Francisco López) is already a fixture, this Mexico City native decided to bring his creativity and passion for authentic Mexican food to Chicago’s Gold Coast.
Holy mole! Chef Paco delights his guests with his complex, yet surprisingly down-to-earth mole Poblano, at New Rebozo. Chef Paco equates food to the dynamics of everyday life: “Life can be sweet and sour… even salty, add love to it and you will strike a balance.” His philosophy spills into every corner of his restaurant. There is definitely love in New Rebozo, named after a shawl Mexican women wear. From the cozy fireplace to the thoughtfully picked art, the dining room and patio embrace you like welcoming Mexican embassies. Do not expect to find cultural clichés here. New Rebozo is the real deal both in form and content. “My work is about making people happy,” said Paco. “That’s my ultimate goal.”
Full of flavor, depth and whimsy, it is so fitting that mole is one of Chef Paco´s specialties. Very few words say fiesta and Mexico as loud and clear as mole does, particularly in the countryside, where this traditional dish is served during important celebrations such as weddings and christenings. Chef Paco´s mole Poblano is so good, I have no doubt that my Pueblan grandma, who was often charged with making the mole for her village’s fiestas patronales*, would have approved.
Watermelon mojitos: Oh my God! If you visit New Rebozo, do not miss the cochinita pibil tacos, a delicacy straight from Yucatán. There is a piece of Mexican heaven in every perfectly flavorful bite and they are surprisingly not greasy. The watermelon mojitos are also quite memorable- one sip of those glorious cocktails had my entire table exclaiming in unison: “Oh my God!”
*In Mexico, fiestas patronales are a village’s most important celebration, and are typically dedicated to the patron saint the village is named after.
New Rebozo Chicago
46 E. Superior
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 202-9141
Open Mon-Sun 12-10 pm
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Nuestra Mesa – Tinga Vegetariana
Foto: Manuel Rivera Generalmente hecha con carne deshebrada, la tinga es un delicioso platillo típico mexicano, proveniente del estado de Puebla. Usualmente servida como guarnición o en tostadas y tacos, la tinga es invitada favorita de fiestas y taquizas.
Hoy, el chef Aldo Saavedra nos trae a Nuestra Mesa, una versión vegetariana de este rico plato. Esta receta, además de diferente, es fácil de hacer y muy sana. ¡Qué la disfruten!
Tinga de Zanahoria
Ingredientes:
- ½ kg cebolla
- ½ kg jitomate
- 1 kg zanahoria
- 3 chiles chipotles en escabeche
- 5 hojas de laurel
- 4 cdta aceite girasol
- sal y pimienta negra
Proceso
- Lava las cebollas, los jitomates y las zanahorias.
- Corta las cebollas por la mitad y después en medias lunas muy delgadas. Reservar.
- En una cacerola, pon a calentar el aceite. Sofríe la cebolla hasta que se vuelva transparente y haya reducido su tamaño a menos de la mitad.
- Pela y ralla la zanahoria, agrega a la cebolla y continúa moviendo.
- Muele el jitomate y viértelo en la cacerola junto con el laurel.
- Déjalo cocinar hasta que el jitomate se cueza y reduzca.
- Sazona con sal y pimienta y agrega los chiles o solo el caldo de la lata (depende del nivel de picante que le quieras dar ).
- Sírvela en tostadas. Si lo deseas, puedes agregarle crema , queso y frijoles.
El chef Aldo Saavedra ha cocinado para huéspedes de establecimientos como el conocido Hotel Condesa D.F. y ha contribuído con sus recetas en proyectos con marcas de la talla de Larousse y Danone. En Nuestra Mesa, el chef Saavedra comparte con los lectores de La Vitamina T, su pasión por la cocina y por México. -
Méx-O-Logy – Mojito: A Prescription for Summer
Photo credit: Myrna Rodríguez By: Myrna Rodríguez
Did you know Mojito was created as a medicinal recipe? The original pirates of the Caribbean used to drink it to fight scurvy. While mixing lime, water and spices to hide the strong taste of unrefined rum, they stumbled upon this refreshing recipe.
Luckily for us, the production process of rum has been greatly improved. Mojitos, later popularized by Ernest Hemingway, are so sweet and refreshing, that they remain a preferred summer “elixir” around the world.
My favorite mojito recipe combines the sweetness of rum and sugar with the acidity of raspberry and lime. The mint oils give this antidote for stress its distinctive flavor and refreshing qualities.
Are you wondering what kind of rum to use? Available rums today hail from tropical and not so tropical destinations and feature different levels of alcohol and local flavors. At the end of the day, the best rum is really the one you like.
¡Salud!
Raspberry Mojito
Ingredients:
- 12 peppermint leaves
- ½ lime (cut into 4 wedges)
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 8 raspberries
- 1 ½ oz white rum
- 3 oz carbonated water
Process:
- Combine the peppermint leaves, lime, sugar and raspberries in a glass. Muddle with 10 to 15 strokes, just enough to squeeze as much juice out of the lime as possible and to puree the raspberries.
- Take this same glass with the mint mix at the bottom and fill it up with ice cubes.
- Add the rum, top the glass with the carbonated water and mix.
Tip: you can create a mix of berries to make it fun and add different flavors.
. A business woman by profession, and a mixologist by passion, Myrna Rodríguez holds a masters degree in business and is a certified mixologist. Inquisitive and creative, she keeps up with new techniques, while drawing inspiration from her two grandmothers (one Mexican and one Honduran). Raised and educated in Monterrey, Mexico, Myrna infuses her recipes with Latin American flavors and ingredients, and brings an exciting twist to traditional drinks.
Find Myrna sampling food around Chicago, or delighting her lucky friends and acquaintances with Mexican-influenced beverages.
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Méx-O-Logy – Margarita, Señorita
We are very excited to launch our new column, Mex-O-Logy, a space dedicated to sharing recipes and tips so that you can mix your own Mexican-inspired libations.
¡Salud!
Margarita, Señorita
Mexican transplant Myrna Rodríguez, brings and exciting twist to traditional drinks. By Myrna Rodríguez
Definitely a drink that makes us think of summer, and actually, one of my favorite cocktails, this Mexican classic is a crowd pleaser. Way before I knew tequila was made of agave, I already thought this cactus was fun: I remember traveling with my family to Guadalajara as a child, and being marveled at the endless fields of agave I could see in the distance.
Margaritas are perfect for your summer cookouts, and very easy to put together. Here is my favorite recipe:
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz tequila
1 oz orange liquor
1 lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¾ oz agave syrup*
* Equal parts agave syrup/boiling water. Let it rest until cold, then use.
I usually shake the margaritas with big ice cubes so that they cool faster. Strain the mix into a rock glass then fill up the glass with fresh ice. Add a wedge of lime to garnish and enjoy!
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Photo credit: Myrna Rodríguez
A business woman by profession, and a mixologist by passion, Myrna Rodríguez holds a masters degree in business and is a certified mixologist. Inquisitive and creative, she keeps up with new techniques, while drawing inspiration from her two grandmothers (one Mexican and one Honduran). Raised and educated in Monterrey, Mexico, Myrna infuses her recipes with Latin American flavors and ingredients, and brings an exciting twist to traditional drinks.
Find Myrna sampling food around Chicago, or delighting her lucky friends and acquaintances with Mexican-influenced beverages.
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Nuestra Mesa – Langostinos con Hierbas y Aceite de Oliva
Foto: Manuel Rivera ¿Listos para celebrar a papá? Esta semana, y justo para el Día del Padre. el chef Aldo Saavedra, nos trae a Nuestra Mesa un delicioso platillo de Ensenada, Baja California.
INGREDIENTES
- 1 kg langostinos
- 150 ml aceite olivo
- 8 hojas laurel fresco
- 1 rama romero fresco
- 2 dientes de ajo picados
- 10 ramas de tomillo fresco
- 10 pimientas negras enteras
- 6 chiles de árbol (opcional)
- 6 limones partidos por mitad
PREPARACIÓN
- Parte los langostinos por la mitad verticalmente y límpialos con agua. Déjalos sin pelar y con cabezas.
- Escurre los langostinos y pónlos en el refrigerador hasta el momento de usarlos.
- Pon el aceite de oliva a calentar en una sartén grande y un poco hondo.
- Ya que esté caliente el aceite, agrégale las hierbas, el ajo y la pimienta.
- Pon los langostinos a freiren el aceite con hierbas, ya que estén un poco fritas.
- Si te gusta el picante, agrégale los chiles de árbol secos, partidos en trozos pequeños.
- Agrega sal al gusto y sirve en un plato hondo.
- Se les puede acompañar con limón.
El chef Aldo Saavedra ha cocinado para huéspedes de establecimientos como el conocido Hotel Condesa D.F. y ha contribuído con sus recetas en proyectos con marcas de la talla de Larousse y Danone. En Nuestra Mesa, el chef Saavedra comparte con los lectores de La Vitamina T, su pasión por la cocina y por México. -
Estampas de mi Ciudad – Desayuno Chilango* (Breakfast in D.F.)
Tortas y Licuados Mexico City, Mexico Photo: Brenda Storch You may or may not be familiar with the term torta, the Mexican interpretation of a sandwich. Tortas are brought to life using bolillos, a type of bread with the perfect amount of crunch and yield to provide textural contrast. When it comes to this Mexican plate, there are no rules: budget and imagination are the only boundaries to what you can create.
Tortas are usually served for lunch, except when they are filled with a tamal, in which case they are called guajolotas or “female turkeys”. This is a popular breakfast meal. According to some food intellectuals, such peculiar name was given to tamal-stuffed tortas in the early 1900’s, due to the fact that back then, this plate was created with a low-quality bread called guajolote (turkey).
Licuados are close to the concept of a smoothie, with the exception that in Mexico, the fruit is usually mixed with milk and even cereal and raw egg yolks.
Here, licuados are a breakfast staple.
Just like sports have permeated the vernacular in the US, in Mexico, food has found its way into language in a rather ubiquitous way. For example, the expression, “se comió la torta antes del recreo” (having finished one´s torta before recess) means a couple is expecting a child before getting married.
This photo was taken at one of the handful of stands offering tortas and licuados in downtown Mexico City.
*Chilango” is a term to refer to someone from Mexico City.
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Flores para Mamá – Indias Vestidas
Foto: Manuel Rivera Desde flores y frutos, hasta cactos e insectos, la comida mexicana es increíblemente variada. La diversidad de los ingredientes, aunado al sincretismo cultural propio de esta cocina, nos ofrece lo mejor de dos (o más) mundos en un plato.
Para celebrar el Día de las Madres, el Chef Aldo y Manuel Rivera decidieron incorporar flores en un platillo para mamá: indias vestidas. Este manjar incorpora ingredientes indígenas, en este caso la flor de calabaza, con técnicas europeas, como el capeado.
¡Demuéstrale a mamá cuánto la quieres con estas deliciosas flores!
INDIAS VESTIDAS
Rinde para 6 personas.Ingredientes:- 12 piezas de flor de calabaza
- 1 cucharada de mantequilla
- 4 piezas de champiñones
- 1/4 de cebolla finamente picada
- 1 hoja de epazote
- 1/2 chile Serrano desvenado y finamente picado
- 1 diente de ajo finamente picado
- 60 gramos de queso crema
- 100 gramos de queso fresco rallado
- 1 taza de pan molido
- 1/2 taza de harina de trigo
- 4 huevos
- Sal y pimienta al guato
- Aceite para freír
Procedimiento:1. Lava con mucho cuidado la flor de calabaza y quítale el tallo.2. Derrite la mantequilla en una sartén, saltea el ajo, la cebolla, el chile, el epazote y los champiñones con cuidado de no sobre cocer. Déjalo enfriar.3. Mezcla los quesos con el recaudo de los champiñones y sazona con un poco de sal y pimienta blanca.4. Con ayuda de una manga, rellena las flores con mucho cuidado. Reserva.5. Separa las yemas y las claras de huevo. Bate las claras a punto de nieve y añade las yemas. Integra con un movimiento envolvente.6. Pasa las flores por harina, huevo y el pan. Fríelas rápidamente para no quemarlas. Escurre el exceso de aceite.7. Sirve sobre una salsa de chile poblano o de jitomate.El chef Aldo Saavedra ha cocinado para huéspedes de establecimientos como el conocido Hotel Condesa D.F. y ha contribuído con sus recetas en proyectos con marcas de la talla de Larousse y Danone. En Nuestra Mesa, el chef Saavedra comparte con los lectores de La Vitamina T, su pasión por la cocina y por México. -
Uno de los Siete Moles de Oaxaca: El Mole Amarillo
Foto: Manuel Rivera Sin lugar a dudas, el mole es una de las grandes estrellas de la comida mexicana. Aunque diferentes historias sobre su origen hacen de Puebla el marco del génesis de este manjar, es en Oaxaca, el quinto estado más grande de la República Mexicana, donde el mole se ejecuta en una gran variedad de formas. Oaxaca tiene siete moles: negro, coloradito, amarillo, verde, chichilo, rojo y almendrado. Estos moles representan los ingredientes y la diversidad cultural de cada una de las regiones oaxaqueñas.
Desde el complejo mole negro que requiere de más de 30 ingredientes para su conjuro, hasta el almendrado, cada uno de estos moles es tan delicioso y diferente como el que le sigue. Hoy, el chef Aldo nos trae a Nuestra Mesa, la receta para hacer mole amarillo. Aunque este mole es tradicionalmente hecho con carne de res, esta versión incorpora carne de pollo.
INGREDIENTES
(Rinde para 6 personas)
- 3 chiles guajillos
- 1 jitomate mediano
- 1 tomate verde
- 2 piezas de clavo de olor
- 2 piezas de pimienta gorda
- 1 cucharadita de orégano
- 1 hoja de hierba santa
- 200 gramos de masa de maíz
- 1 litro de consomé de pollo
- 1 1/2 kilo de pollo cortado en piezas y cocido
- 200 gramos de ejotes limpios, cortados y cocidos
- 2 chayotes cortados en cubos grandes y cocidos
- Sal al gusto
PREPARACIÓN
- Pon a cocer el chile y el jitomate en poca agua. Esto muele con las especias, con excepción de la hoja santa. Cuela.
- Añade el consomé de pollo y pon a hervir en una cacerola, agregando la hoja santa y sal al gusto.
- Poco a poco y sin dejar de mover, agrega la masa licuada con un poco de agua hasta formar un atole. Continúa cociendo hasta que esté espeso, cuidando de no subir la flama.
- Al servirlo se agregan las verduras y el pollo.
¡Acompaña con tortillas!
El chef Aldo Saavedra ha cocinado para huéspedes de establecimientos como el conocido Hotel Condesa D.F. y ha contribuído con sus recetas en proyectos con marcas de la talla de Larousse y Danone. En Nuestra Mesa, el chef Saavedra comparte con los lectores de La Vitamina T, su pasión por la cocina y por México.
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Thank You for Each and Every One of Your Votes!
Panko-crusted fish torta with chipotle mayo Dear friends of La Vitamina T,
Earlier today we received detailed information on the results of Gorton’s “Cook, Blog and Win” contest. I thought it was important to wait for them before sharing the news with you. We finished 3rd! You must have done something right, because you helped us close the gap to move up in the race in the final weeks! I also learned that we were not far behind the second spot. This was not an easy feat. As you know, we were privileged to run against very seasoned, highly-respected bloggers. Being part of this contest was in itself, a win for one-year old La Vitamina T.
Thank you so much for your dedicated, generous and thoughtful help. We did not win first place, but we walked away with a greater reward- your support, your words of encouragement and your kind notes. Many of you wrote every day to let us know you had voted. Others sent updates on their voting status while on vacation.
I was truly touched.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for each and every one of your votes; thank you for making the recipe, for sharing it with your friends, for keeping us among your friends in spite of all of our messages, thank you for rooting for La Vitamina T. And most of all, thank you for reading.
I feel like we are winners after all.
Much love and gratitude, Brenda Storch
