Hola! I've been working on a bunch of things that I plan to slowly reveal this year, and the first one began last week with my first youtube video! My channel is officially open and I'll be uploading videos of my recipes and other things every week, so if you haven't and feel curious about my "video skills" you can check them out:

I'm still working on a logo and some other things, but one step at a time. And maybe after a couple of videos I'll share some of the bloopers too since there are A TON. But so far so good, since I knew the basics, so I hope little by little they'll be prettier!

For this week's recipe, I wanted to share a very simple way to make salsa. After moving here about a year ago, I've been experimenting with local ingredients to try and replicate the recipes I grew up with. Luckily for me, Los Angeles has an amazing array of mexican imports available even in regular supermarkets, so I rarely have a hard time finding traditional ingredients. But I don't like to depend on specific things to make a dish, so I usually like finding adaptations and substitutions to incorporate local produce, or to cater to my friends with different dietary restrictions. This way it is never about following a specific recipe but more of trying to get out a familiar flavor out of different ingredient combinations.

That being said, my salsa recipe is made with a bit of my own invention, a bit of how I remember my mom making it, and a bit of a bunch of internet and book research. But mostly, it's super easy and it's perfect for cooking enchiladas, tinga (shredded chicken), or topping your favorite taco with.

Those are potato and chorizo tacos, one of my favorite!

SALSA VERDE

Use as little or as many of these ingredients, since I love lime juice I add lots, but you can try out different ratios to match your personal taste

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 tomatillos*
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 onion
• 1-2 chiles (any kind; canned, fresh or dried. I used jalapeños)
• 1 tomato (roma tomato)
• 2 limes
• Cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Pinch of pepper

*TOMATOS: if you can't find tomatillo, you can use green tomatoes. The flavor is different, but still makes a nice salsa. Or you can just use 3-4 roma tomatoes. Or any tomatoes, really.

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove paper-like skin from tomatillos while washing them. Chop onion into 4 pieces, chop tomato into about 8 pieces and chop chiles. Remove or keep the seeds from chiles depending on how mild or spicy you want the salsa. More seeds = spicier salsa.
2. Place a pan over medium heat and place the tomatillo, onion, tomato and chiles. Let them roast for 2 minutes until the bottoms have browned, then flip them and let the tops brown for another 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan and let it slowly cook for 10 minutes. The produce should soften and the aromas will intensify.
4. Carefully add everything to a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, salt, paprika, pepper and cilantro. Mix well until everything is combined.
5. Adjust taste and thickness (you can add more water to make it runnier), then transfer to a jar or serving recipient. Keep in the fridge.

I recommend storing the leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge so you'll have salsa for more than a week!

I just love the smell my kitchen gets when slowly cooking the salsa, the roasted tomatillo smells amazing and you can see them bubbling and almost bursting with flavor and goodness. And if you are used to salsa from a bottle, please try and make this one; you'll be surprised by how much the flavors come through when the salsa is still fresh and warm, even if it is still really good when chilled, nothing beats pouring it while still steaming on top of a warm taco. Or quesadilla. Or steak. Or avocado. Just go and do it, trust me.

Cheers, everyone!

Hola! Not so long ago I visited a mexican restaurant here in Los Angeles with some of my friends, and two of them got to try horchata water for the first time in their lives. For those of you who are not familiar with horchata, it is essentially rice agua fresca. The horchata was fine, a bit too sweet maybe, which made me feel like making my own at home to make it creamier and less sugary; but more importantly: make it pink. And no, this is not the type of "red-velvet-this" with food dye, back in my hometown pink horchata is really popular (I guess all over the country actually, but I don't know that for a fact), and it becomes pink with strawberries! So, as you can imagine, it is not only cuter but tastier. Tastier in a different way, I love regular horchata too, but I usually choose the pink "strawberries-and-cream-like" horchata. And if you fill an ice pop mold with it you'll have one awesome treat.

Before I share the recipe, horchata can be prepared in several ways and some ingredients come and go depending on your personal taste or recipe found. Some people skip the milk, others add a combination of evaporated and sweet condensed milk, others skip the cinnamon, and so on. I like the creaminess that comes with adding evaporated milk, but find that adding a whole can of sweet condensed milk makes it too sweet for my liking. I recommend using the ingredients you like and adjust the sweetness as you go. As usual, feel free to use any milk that suits your dietary/personal preferences.

Frothy, fruity, creamy, refreshing!

STRAWBERRY HORCHATA

You can use any fruit, actually.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups water
• 3/4 cup milk (I used evaporated; any kind is fine)
• 1 cup rice (long-grain white)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown and a bit of honey; any sweetener is fine)
• 1 cup strawberries (frozen or fresh)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, add the rice and cinnamon stick, then pour 3 cups of water or enough to cover it all.  Let it soak for at least 2 hours.
2. Add the cup of strawberries and the rest of the water to a blender, mix until combined. Place in a container and reserve in the fridge until rice is done soaking.
3. After the 2+ hours, add the rice with the water and cinnamon stick to the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients: vanilla extract, milk and sugar. Blend together until the rice and the cinnamon stick are as broken down as possible.
4. Place a mesh strainer over your pitcher and pour the rice water mixture, press down the leftover rice "pulp" to extract all the liquid.
5. Clean the strainer of any leftover rice, then place it back on top of the pitcher. Pour over the strawberry water and remove the leftover pulp.
6. Mix with a spoon to blend the horchata with the strawberry water. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Serve over ice and/or chilled.

Even if you chill your horchata pitcher, I recommend adding extra ice to the glass

If you are thinking about those pink horchata ice pops, do make the mix sweeter so it can be more of a dessert. If you are drinking it along with food I wouldn't recommend adding too much sweetener; unless, of course, that is your choice. It is creamy but not thick, so it is pretty refreshing and easily served during lunch or dinner. With the added plus of helping out ease the burning sensation when eating spicy food. And to drop one more weird-useless personal fact, I can't drink horchata without ice, it just doesn't taste right for me; not sure if it has to do with something from my childhood or the sort. Anyways, enjoy a glass of pink horchata with your friends!

Horchata cheers!

Hola! I'm back in Los Angeles after a a long stay in my hometown, and even if it's not freezing in here, it's surprisingly chilly. So today I'm sharing a super simple recipe that'll warm you up, when oddly enough I remember eating most of my corn (both on the cob and in a cup) at the beach, or close by. 

I think I mentioned before that most of my family is from Tampico, a coastal city on the northeast of Mexico, and among the amazingly delicious food you can find there one of the most widely available is corn in a cup, or "trolelote" as they call it there. You can find corn in a cup and on the cob all over the country, but the recipe for corn in a cup I'm sharing today is completely influenced by those amazing golden kernels I had in Tampico while growing up. So go get a bunch of elotes and get ready to get hooked.

You can even add cucumbers and jicama as a topping, 

I promise you won't be disappointed!

CORN: ON THE COB, IN A CUP

Don't skip the lime!

ON THE COB

INGREDIENTS

• Corncob(s)
• Mayonnaise
• Lime
• Queso fresco (or any crumbling cheese)
• Chili powder*

*CHILI: if you don't have something like Tajin powder, you can mix chili powder with a bit of salt to enhance the flavor.

DIRECTIONS

1. Choose a pot large enough to fit all your corncobs and fill it with water about 3/4 of it's capacity. Place it over high heat to boil it.
2. Remove corn husks and clean the cobs, you can chop them in halves if you want to.
3. Add the corncobs to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Boil covered for at least 10 minutes until they cook.
4. Carefully remove the cobs from the water and let them cool down at least 1 minute.
5. Spread the mayo on top of the cob, squeeze a bit of lime juice and sprinkle with crumbling cheese and chili powder.

IN A CUP
INGREDIENTS

• Canned corn or corncobs
• Mayonnaise
• Lime
• Queso fresco (or any crumbling cheese)
• Chili powder
• Extras (add as little or as much of these):
• Melted butter
• Hot sauce
• Chips (crushed)
• Japanese peanuts (or any kind)
• Sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. If using corncobs, boil as instructed above and when fully cooked use a knife to carefully remove all the kernels from the cob. If using canned, drain all the water from the can, then add it to a pot of boiling water to heat them up.
2. Once boiled for 5 minutes, you can either drain the water or use a colander spoon to serve only the kernels into the cups.
3. Dress up with toppings as follows (add only the ones you like): butter, mayo, sour cream, lime, hot sauce, crumbling cheese, chili powder, crushed chips and japanese peanuts.

I used to just stick the cob on a fork or a wooden stick, 

but have found corn holders to be real comfy and easy to insert

If you want to go with a 'lighter' version, I recommend the corn on the cob and add little mayo, just enough to make the cheese stick to the cob. Or you can go crazy and add all sorts of toppings to the corn in a cup, I remember some places in Tampico offered a 'topping bar' with the toppings listed above and also different hot sauces, nacho cheese, tamarind candy,  cucumber, and so on. You can also use a bag of chips (like Fritos) as your cup and make one awesome snack. But I'm trying not to go too crazy after the holiday eating marathon. So maybe just a tiny bit crazy is fine this time.

So, go on, start experimenting and enjoying corn as the delicious and versatile grain plant it is, even if it's mostly indigestible the taste is worth giving it a ride.

Cheers!

Hola! We've been having some pretty chill days here in Guadalajara, México, and my husband tells me it's even colder back in Los Angeles, adding to that some cloudy days and a bit of rain here and there, which for me means "blanket weather". I think is pretty self explanatory, but I'll elaborate anyway that this weather demands that I wear a blanket around myself pretty much all day long. Well, I'm not brave enough to go out sporting my blanket, but one day for sure. When I don't care about anything and anyone anymore; which doesn't seem too far actually. But that's telling too much about myself for today.

The "blanket weather" thing came up because in those days we all ache for warm drinks in cute mugs, to take tiny sips while cozied all up beneath a bunch of blankets. I'm more of a tea person than a coffee person, so there's few coffee drinks that I crave for, and one of them is the delicious and aromatic café de olla. The literal translation is "coffee from (the) pot", and you can usually find it in small towns and traditional restaurants. The coffee is sweet and earthy, and you can smell cinnamon mixed with the already wonderful aroma of ground coffee beans. As a traditional drink, and always considering Mexico is quite a large country, there are several recipes depending on the region and the way your abuela made it, but 3 basic ingredients prevail: ground coffee, cinnamon and piloncillo. Piloncillo (panela/raspadura/etc) can be substituted for brown sugar and a bit of honey, or any sweetener will work. I'll share a basic recipe that you are encouraged to modify and make your own.

How cute are these Hello Kitty breads that my sister got me?

CAFÉ DE OLLA

makes 4 cups

Plus water, of course

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups water
• 4 tbsp ground coffee*
• 1/3 cup piloncillo or brown sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tbsp orange zest

*COFFEE STRENGTH: you can use more or less coffee depending on how strong you want the flavor, or if you want a sweeter and milder (caffeine-wise) drink, add half coffee and half cocoa.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a pot over high heat, pour the water and add the cinnamon, orange zest and piloncillo. Once it boils turn the heat down to medium and mix well until the piloncillo is completely dissolved.
2. Add the coffee and reduce the heat to low, let it steep for at least 5 minutes then remove from heat.
3. Pour the hot coffee through a sieve as you serve into cups.

Drink while warm and start dunking your bread and/or cookies!

It's easy and done in about 10 minutes, and if you want to be an amazing host have a big pot of this coffee by the stove so your family or guests can warm it up and have a cup of goodness when they need a pick-me-up during the winter. Do try and mix it up with a bit of mexican hot chocolate powder, or a bit of coffee liquor, or a dash of your favorite aromatic spices like cardamon, cloves or anise. And please treat yourself and dunk some pan dulce or cookies in it. Have a wonderful week!

Cheers!

Hola! How is your 2016 so far? I'm excited to start new projects and go to new places and adventures this year! For starters, I have terrible sugar cravings right now, so I wanted to make something less sugary to help me transition into a healthier lower sugar intake after all the holiday indulging. And a great and versatile way to calm those sweet cravings is jello! As long as you don't use the pre-packaged kind that's got a considerable amount of sugar, that is.

I used coconut milk as the base, you can get the canned type or the boxed type, whatever you prefer/have at hand. Just remember coconut milk and coconut cream are two different things. If you prefer to use coconut cream, the fat content will be higher but the flavor I imagine will be pretty creamy and awesome. I also recommend fresh pineapple instead of the canned one, unless you find one without syrup; or, again, use the one with syrup but skip the sweetener. I used fresh pineapple and only added a bit of honey to keep the sugar content low, but you can of course adjust it to your liking. So get a rectangular dish or gelatin mold out and star creating!

Sit back and enjoy an extended vacation, even if it's only in your head

PIÑA COLADA JELLO

The flower is not part of the ingredients, but it helps to set the mood

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup chopped pineapple*
• 4 tbsp unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey*
• OPTIONAL: 1 tbsp Malibu rum

*SWEETENER: if you use fresh pineapple, use honey, sugar or any sweetener and adjust the quantities to your liking. If you use canned pineapple with syrup, skip the extra sweetener or add a bit of the syrup to your desired sweetness.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 1 cup of pineapple in the blender (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup), add the coconut milk and blend together.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the milk mix and the water. When it starts bubbling, add the remaining cup of chopped pineapple and boil for at least 10 minutes. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that eats the protein in the gelatin and prevents it from setting, so the boiling process is necessary to kill those enzymes and get a firm jello. If you use canned pineapple there's no need to boil the mixture.
3. Lower the heat and add the honey and gelatin. Mix well until everything is completely dissolved.
4. Pour the liquid in a large dish or gelatin mold, then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until set.

I sprinkled some amaranth around to add an extra crunch!

You can garnish with shredded coconut or fresh fruit, or just serve little squares in a glass and top it off with a tiny umbrella so you can imagine yourself in some nice and warm beach. You can also go the "boba route" (like those places that sell bubble tea) and chop it into tiny squares and add it to a glass of cold milk tea. Or a glass of rum. Whatever helps you boost your way through the new year, I won't judge.

Cheers! And if you spiked it up, double cheers!

Hola! It is the last day of the year! Are you excited? Are you reflecting on your life so far and wondering how to improve yourself? Yeah, that was uncalled for, I know. I won't bother you with nostalgia and worrisome thoughts anymore, today is more about a quick recipe you can put together in about half an hour and easily personalize with whatever you have in your kitchen. The only trick-ingredient you need: puff pastry.

Made from scratch is always better, but if you stock a couple of frozen puff pastry packs in your freezer you can turn them into easy and quick party pleasers with little effort. From appetizers to tarts, I'll be sharing today a super tasty apple tart that can be also made with any fresh or frozen fruit you have in hand.

After baking it, your house will smell like the holidays!

APPLE PUFF TART

You can add nutmeg, cloves or anything else to spice it up. Any kind of apple is okay as well!

INGREDIENTS

• Roll of puff pastry
• 3 apples
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or any kind)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp thickener (tapioca starch, cornstarch, flour, etc)
• 2 tbsp butter

SWEETENER NOTE: depending on the sweetness of your fruit, adjust the honey and sugar quantities.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Cover a cookie tray with parchment paper, and place the puff pastry on top shaping it into a rectangle or square. Or any shape, really.
3. Remove the core from one of the apples and throw it into a food processor/blender to turn it into a thick puree. You can also replace this with applesauce. If it is too hard to blend add a bit of the lemon juice or water.
4. In a bowl, mix the puree with a bit of the cinnamon, sugar, thickener and honey. Spread it on top of the puff pastry leaving about an inch of pastry as an edge.
5. Chop one tablespoon of butter into small squares and throw them on top of the apple spread.
6. Remove the core from the other apples and slice them into wedges. Throw the wedges in a bowl with the sugar, honey, thickener, lemon and salt. Toss to coat them in the mix.
7. Arrange the wedges on top of the tart, and add the remaining butter cubes on top.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pasty puffs and browns a bit.

You can share, or not, I won't judge.

You can top each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream. Or just serve it warm along a cup of coffee/tea/chocolate. It is a quick version of a pie, and puff pastry is almost fool proof so even if it looks a bit uneven shaped it'll have that rustic look that's still very appetizing and easy to decorate with mint leaves, cream, or powdered sugar dust. You can make tarts with pear and cheese, peaches and cream, mixed berries, nutella and bananas, and so on.

So if you have puff pastry, roll it out and make something delicious to share with friends and family, or to treat yo' self for the last day of the year. Cut a slice, make a wish, and may all your hopes, dreams and goals turn into realities this 2016! Personally, I hope to make a prettier blog and work in new projects as the new year comes. Enjoy your day!

Cheers!

Hola! If you are celebrating Christmas tomorrow (and tonight), you must be rushing into having everything ready, or getting last minute presents, or traveling to your hometown, or relaxing because someone else takes care of everything; or, you just don't stress because holidays should be fun! Or something in between. Well, if you are still looking for a last minute present or something to take to dinner, I'll share with you a very simple and delicious cookie recipe: mexican wedding cookies!

Which, to be honest, I have no idea how they got that name in english; I've never been to a wedding who hands out these. In spanish they have a couple of different names, but my favorite one (and the cutest one, too) is "besitos de nuez", which translates to "little walnut kisses", a perfectly adorable description to what they are. These are crunchy, crumbly, nutty and buttery bite-sized biscuits that leave your hands dusted in powdery sugar as you reach for seconds and thirds. I won't delay it any more since you might use the recipe for a last minute thing, or take your time and bake these with your family tomorrow morning. Or any day, really.

Just be warned, these are a bit addictive!

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

makes about 40 small cookies

Let the butter sit at room temperature so it creams up faster

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar*
• 1/4 cup honey*
• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1 tbsp amaretto (or vanilla extract, rum, orange liquor, etc) 
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2+ cup powdered sugar (for coating)

*SWEETENER: you can substitute the honey and sugar mix for 3/4 cup of sugar (any kind), or adjust the dough to your desired sweetness. The mix is egg-less so you can taste it confidently.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, blender or mortar & pestle, crush the walnuts to small pieces. You can have a couple larger pieces, don't worry.
2. In a bowl, use a mixer (or a whisk) to cream the butter until it becomes paler and fluffier. Add the honey and sugar (or sweetener of choice) and amaretto. Mix well.
3. Incorporate the flour and salt until a sticky dough forms. Add the crushed walnuts and use a spatula to mix it all together.
4. Form a ball and cover it using plastic wrap, place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes until it firms up.
5. Preheat your oven to 350F° (180C°)
6. Form small balls with the dough and place them on a baking sheet. They should have a bit of separation between them, they don't expand that much while baking.
7. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until the tops are a bit golden brown.
8. Remove the tray from the oven and let them cool. They should firm and crisp up as they cool down.
9. In a small bowl, place about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and toss a cookie at a time around the sugar until it is slightly coated.

Get a cute mug and fill it up with cookies to make a thoughtful gift I bet anyone would love to receive; except people with nut allergies

These cookies are super easy to make and bake pretty fast, specially in colder weather because you don't need to rest the dough in the fridge for long since the butter melts much slower. You can place them on a nice bowl, plate, mug or cute bag tied up with string to give away as gifts. And these are perfect for dipping in hot beverages as well, so they can be given out in any special occasion. Even weddings perhaps, heh.

If you are celebrating Christmas, may you have a merry one, if you are not, happy holidays or happy december! There's still one more post awaiting before the end of the year, and a bunch of new things planned for this blog for 2016! So grab a cup of warm tea with milk, and start dipping your cookies to enjoy your day.

Cheers!