Category: The Kitchen

Curanderismo, Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Estrella del Mar (Ulam Raja) : Cosmos caudatus

Cosmos caudatus Synonyms Bidens artemisiifolia subsp. caudata (Kunth) Kuntze (1891) Bidens berteriana Spreng. (1826) Bidens carnea Heer (1842) Bidens caudata (Kunth) Sch.Bip. (1856) Cosmea caudata (Kunth) Spreng. (1826) Cosmos caudatus var. caudatus Cosmos caudatus var. exaristatus Sherff. (1964) Common Names Sometimes called “Spanish needles” although this name is typically used for the (closely related) herb Bidens pilosa. By Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata – Own work, … Continue reading Estrella del Mar (Ulam Raja) : Cosmos caudatus

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Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Cempasúchil Confusion During Dia de Muertos.

It’s that time of year again. No! Not pumpkin spice season. Dia de Muertos season cabrones (pardon my Galician). This means it is cempoalxóchitl (1) season (2). I have Posted on this herb/flower previously (3). This previous Post discussed the edible and medicinal uses of cempasuchil (and supplies a few recipes too) The word cempoalxóchitl (also cempazúchitl/cempasúchil) comes from the Nahuatl term for the flower … Continue reading Cempasúchil Confusion During Dia de Muertos.

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Herbs, History, The Kitchen

Ixmiquilpan : Land of the Obsidian Arrow Quelite

Ixmiquilpan, equivalent to Nahuatl Itzmiquilpan, from itzmīquilitl (purslane/verdolagas) +‎ -pan (locative suffix), from Mezquital Otomi Nts’u̱tk’ani, from tsꞌu̱tkꞌǎni (purslane). Ixmiquilpan is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo. It is located in the central west part of the state of Hidalgo in central-eastern Mexico. The first ethnic group to settle in the Mezquital Valley in Hidalgo state were a group of Otomies … Continue reading Ixmiquilpan : Land of the Obsidian Arrow Quelite

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Curanderismo, Herbs, Native Plants, The Kitchen

Quelite : Piojito : Galinsoga parviflora

Researching this herb has been a joy. It has identified a plant I have seen (as a weed) and am now able to identify as a useful quelite. Research has also uncovered several related plants that also fall into the same categories as weed/quelite. This has expanded my knowledge both as a medical herbalist and as a chef. These are the plants I find the … Continue reading Quelite : Piojito : Galinsoga parviflora

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Curanderismo, The Kitchen

Medicinal Ash.

The tortilla is without a doubt a wonder food. It is produced from that quintessential of all Mexican grains maize (1). Maize is a highly nutritious plant (2) or corn as it is commonly known (please tell me you already knew this) thanks to the process of nixtamalisation. This is the preparation of maize kernels with calcium hydroxide (or just simply “cal”) which liberates particular … Continue reading Medicinal Ash.

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The Kitchen

Cooking Technique : Tatemar : “Chef, you realise you’re burning that?”*

*Quote from Podcast interview with Aaron Sanchez : Cooking in Mexican From A to Z : A Culinary Journey to the Soul of Mexican Cuisine. Episode 13 (March 17 2021) : Mole Through the Generations. A (non-Mexican) chef was commenting on a (Mexican) chefs preparation of ingredients for a mole negro. Cover Image is from a supermercado in Matamoros that “tatemars” your chiles for you. … Continue reading Cooking Technique : Tatemar : “Chef, you realise you’re burning that?”*

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The Kitchen

Mole de Olla

Let’s deconstruct a recipe. ¡A darle que es mole de olla! A popular saying of Mexican origin that variously translates to….. an expression that means doing something at the moment and looking for the best way to solve it. means that something must be done immediately, with good disposition (in good spirits) and without delay. we must take advantage of the opportunities that come our … Continue reading Mole de Olla

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History, The Kitchen

Nejayote

Cover Image by Carl Nebel – Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Mexique par C. Nebel, Architecte. 50 Planches Lithographiées avec texte explicatif., Public Domain Nejayote the left over water after nixtamalization. Agua amarillenta en que se ha cocido el maíz. The “yellow water” in which corn has been cooked (nixtamalized) Also nijayote : from Guerrero Nahuatl nexayotl, Tlamacazapa Nahuatl … Continue reading Nejayote

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Native Plants, The Kitchen

The Queen of Tomatillos : Reina de Malinalco

We all know (at least I hope we all know) that the home of the tomato is Mesoamerica. This where the greatest genetic diversity of this plant can be found. If we include the cultivars as well as the heirloom and landrace varieties there are over 10,000 (that’s right TEN THOUSAND) types of tomato out there (Moore 2021). In Nahuatl this fruit was known as … Continue reading The Queen of Tomatillos : Reina de Malinalco

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Herbs, The Kitchen

Pulque Curado : Tolonche

Cover Images : La Antigua Roma, Las Duelistas, La hermosa Hortensia, La Xóchitl y La gloria de Neza. Foto: Facebook/La Joya De La Santa María Facebook/Conecta CDMX. Facebook/Pulqueria La Gloria Neza Facebook/Pulquería La Antigua Roma Twitter/@cuixan I love pulque and I love medicinal herbs so I was quite intrigued by a Post by Carmen Julia Figueredo Urbina. Copaloctli, pulque de incienso o Tolonche. ¿Lo han … Continue reading Pulque Curado : Tolonche

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