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La Vitamina T Celebrates el Día de Muertos with Negra Modelo and Rick Bayless!
It is virtually impossible to stumble upon any particular element of Mexico´s, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) that does not have a deliberate purpose or meaning. From the bread that symbolizes the circle of life and communion with the body of the dead, to the flowers that make a nod to the ephemeral nature of life, this ritual, especially in rural Mexico, is rich in both form and content.
Along with pan de muerto (literally, “bread of dead”) and cempasúchil flowers, sugar skulls are staples of this festivity. Like any other Mexican celebration, food is at the center of this celebration.
Undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of el Día de Muertos, is cooking with the family, and setting up the ofrendas (literally, “offerings”). My grandma Julia took this ritual very seriously, and since her unexpected departure a few years ago, my uncle and my mother have taken on the tradition.
I cannot always make it to Mexico, so this time around, I am honored to celebrate this ancient tradition with another one of my favorite Mexican imports: Negra Modelo. Who will be cooking? No other than Chef Rick Bayless, who will share with us authentic Mexican recipes that promise to delight (as the tradition requires it) both, dead and alive. Stay tuned next week for details, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. We will be tweeting live information to #NegraModelo.
This will be a party to die for. I can´t wait to tell you all about it!
Disclosure: I am a blogger sponsored by Negra Modelo. All opinions are my own.
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Receta: Pastel de Elote
Hace unas semanas tuve el privilegio de conocer a la chef Atzimba Pérez, orgullosa embajadora de la comida mexicana en Chicago. Para esta extraordinaria michoacana, (cuyo nombre significa “princesa de agua” en Purépecha), la gastronomía ha sido una constante en su vida.
Parte destino, parte camino, Atzimba nos cuenta que su mamá preparaba la comida para celebrar las fiestas patronales, mientras ella ayudaba y observaba cómo se les daba vida a los platillos típicos de su pueblo. Atzimba nos dice: “Yo tenía mucha inquietud por descubrir nuevos sabores, y probar formas diferentes de hacer las cosas. Desde chica yo coleccionaba mis recetarios y mis libros de cocina.” Más tarde, Atzimba abrió una lonchería para pagarse la carrera en gastronomía: “La comida era mi sustento físico y mi sustento económico. En la escuela vendía pies de queso para poder costear mis prácticas semanales.”
Su comida es tan hermosa como su nombre, y plato a plato, Atzimba ha conseguido un lugar como representante de la cocina mexicana en Chicago, donde recientemente estableció su propia compañía de banquetes.
Hoy, para celebrar lo que queda del mes patrio, les comparto con mucha emoción la receta de la chef Atzimba Pérez para preparar pastel de elote.
Ingredientes
- 3 tazas de elote tierno
- 5 huevos
- 1 lata de leche condensada
- 1/2 barrita de mantequilla
- 1/4 de taza de aceite de maíz
- 1 cucharadita de vainilla
- 1 taza de harina
- 1 1/2 cucharadita de polvo para hornear
Procedimiento
- Cierne la harina y el polvo para hornear.
- Derrite la mantequilla y licúala con el resto de los ingredientes
- Mezcla con la harina y el polvo para hornear
- Engrasa y enharina 1 molde refractario rectangular mediano ó 2 moldes pequeños.
- Vacía la mezcla y pónla a hornear a 320° durante 45 minutos hasta que obtenga un color miel.
Disfrútalo con un vaso de leche fría.
Según la receta de la chef Atzimba Pérez, reproducida con el permiso de la autora. Para más información sobre Atzimba, visíta su página de Facebook haciendo click aquí.
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Chiles en Nogada: The Dish of a Revolution
If you have the good fortune to be in Mexico late in the fall, you will likely find chiles en nogada appear on many menus. Literally “peppers in walnut sauce”, this seasonal delicacy attributed to the state of Puebla, was served for the first time in the 19th century to celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spain.
Part prayer, part recipe, the story tells that Augustine nuns from Atlixco, Puebla improvised this dish in honor of Mexican caudillo* (and later Mexico´s first emperor) Agustín de Yturbide, who made a stop in Puebla on his way to Mexico City after signing a document in Veracruz establishing Mexico´s independence. Fittingly, green, white and red, the colors of the Mexican flag, are represented on the plate.
Part warrior, part angel, chiles en nogada calls for poblano peppers to be stuffed with a mixture of meat and fruits, which allows for a variety of textures in every bite. To top it off, the walnut sauce is very light and deliciously accented with pomegranate, available in central Mexico through mid September.
Part indigenous, part Spanish, this plate is all Mexico, and the edible equivalent to CliffsNotes on this country’s dichotomies both in personality and history.
Do not pass up the opportunity to try it.
We recommend:
In Mexico City:
In Chicago:
I wrote an article for Eater Chicago that is periodically updated.
*Military leader
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Recipe: Beat the Heat with Mezcal and Sesame Seed Ice Cream – Nuestra Mesa
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.
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Chef Paco´s New Rebozo – Oh My God!
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.
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.
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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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
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!
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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Estampas de mi Ciudad – Desayuno Chilango* (Breakfast in D.F.)
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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Uno de los Siete Moles de Oaxaca: El Mole Amarillo
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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Pastel de Nata con Mousse de Chocolate
La deliciosa nata, típica de la gastronomía mexicana, es esencialmente la crema que se retira de la leche para después enfriarse. Hace años que no me como un pan con nata, y cuando vi este pastel, pensé que el compartirlo era algo imperativo. Esta receta es cortesía de la chef Victoria del Ángel.PASTEL DE NATA CON MOUSSE DE CHOCOLATE Y RELLENO DE JALEA DE MANDARINAPan:- 215 gr de nata
- 400 gr de azúcar
- 200 gr huevo
- 240 ml leche
- 15 ml extracto de vainilla
- 280 gr harina
- 15 gr polvo para hornear (esta receta es para una altitud como la de México, ajusta este ingrediente como sea necesario)
- 1 pizca de sal
Procedimiento:- Acrema la nata con el azúcar e incorpora los huevos poco a poco.
- Agrega la leche y el extracto de vainilla, añade la la harina y el polvo para hornear cernidos.
- Vacía la mezcla en un molde y hornear a 180°C
Mousse de chocolate de leche:- 200 gr cobertura de leche
- 250 ml crema para batir
- 9 gr grenetina
- 400 ml de crema semi batida
Procedimiento:- Calienta la crema y agrega la grenetina ya hidratada.
- Vacía sobre el chocolate de leche para fundirlo.
- Deja enfriar sin que se cuaje y mezcla con la crema semi batida.
Jalea de mandarina:- 500 ml jugo de mandarina
- 15gr de grenetina
Procedimiento:- Calienta el jugo de mandarina y agrega la grenetina ya hidratada.
- Vacía en un molde del tamaño del que se usó para el pan de nata.
- Rebana el pan por la mitad y agrega un poco de mousse de chocolate de leche, coloca la jalea de mandarina y vuelve a agregar mousse, coloca la otra capa de pan y cubre el pastel con el resto del mousse.
- Refrigera y sirve.
La chef Victoria del Ángel descubrió su pasión por la cocina desde los tres años. Fascinada por la repostería y gastronomía mexicanas, decidió perseguir la licenciatura en gastronomía en la Escuela Superior de Gastronomía, y más tarde un postgrado en repostería en la Universidad de Artes culinarias y Tendencias Europeas, otorgado por el Culinary Institute Switzerland de Suiza. Victoria es dueña de la chocolatería Xocolat del Ángel en Jilotepec, México.
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Flock to the Shepherd -The Charismatic Taco al Pastor
RUTA MEXICANA
Whenever I visit Mexico, there is an additional ‘layover’ between the airport and my parents’ home in a suburb of Mexico City. Stopping for tacos al pastor or ‘shepherd-style’ tacos has become somewhat of an unspoken ritual. Luckily, no matter the time or day of the year, my sister is always prepared with a roster of recommendations that she has carefully curated in my absence. Count on her to rattle off an impressive selection that includes taquerías open on Christmas Day.
Despite the fact that taco stands abound, not all tacos are made equal. Ask any local. Finding the perfect taquería is almost a rite of passage for defeños*, one that speaks to the way we connect with our city and beyond- a Mexican’s relationship with their pastor is emotional… personal.
When Enrico came with me to Mexico for the first time, he joined me in our recently established ritual. We visited a corner taquería where my family knew Chucho*, the taquero. Enrico was a little nervous as he eyed the cilantro and the onion piling over the tender marinated pork meat and pineapple. As a tourist who visits Mexico for the first time, Enrico asked me if the food was safe to eat. Trying to leverage whatever I could think of to reassure him, I said, “You will be fine. The taquero’s name is Jesus!”
He was an instant convert.
I have yet to find a perfect spot in Chicago to have tacos al pastor. Recently, I was crushed to find that some places serve them with cubed meat. I am on a mission to find a place I can recommend!
In the meantime, if you have the good fortune to be in Mexico City, you must check out El Califa. Aside from their outstanding customer service, they are famous for the way they serve the meat and for their freshly-made tortillas.
You will see why I think that this taco is king.
* Defeño is a Citizen of Mexico City (D.F.)
**In Mexico, Chucho is short for Jesús, which is a fairly common name