Have you been to an authentic Italian restaurant lately? Ever had authentic Yucatecan food? In the mood for authentic Cuban lechón? Every time I see or hear the word ‘authentic’ used to describe a cuisine I can’t help but to have a slight smirk on my face, because, simply stated, when it comes to the creation of a cuisine, this category is especially… well, how...
Read more
Cultural Capsules
Lenten Gastronomy in the Spanish-speaking World
If you grew up in a Latino family you will recognize many of the following dishes: Fish, Tortas de Camarón con Chile Colorado (Egg and Shrimp patties with Red Sauce), Calabacitas (Zucchini), Caldo de Queso (Sonora’s signature Cheese Soup), Verdolagas (Purslane) and other greens*** are among traditional Mexican dishes. Many simple peasant dishes throughout the Spanish-speaking world consist of adding greens into a staple food. Examples...
Read more
A Time for Play, a Time for Sacrifice: a Brief History of Carnival and Lent
In our contemporary culture, where daily addictions abound on just about anything from indulging in too much chocolate, shopping, or junk food, it’s hard to conceive of a time when vices were actually permissible, at least for a brief time. The period I’m referring to, of course, is Carnival!* Whether we conjure up images of elegant masks of the Venetian Carnival or the tossing of...
Read more
From Grapes to Rompope, Here’s A Glimpse of New Year’s and Culinary Traditions
The intimate connection between holidays and food has existed and endured throughout time in all cultures. These culinary rhythms accentuating the holidays are especially true for Spanish-speaking cultures: tamales and Christmas, the Rosca de Reyes (ring cake) and the Day of the Epiphany (commonly referred to Three Kings Day), Capirotada (bread pudding) and Lent, are just a few to keep in mind, but what about...
Read more
Día de los Muertos – Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration
Día de los Muertos brings back many fond childhood memories for me — from the making of sugar skulls to the annual bus ride to Evergreen Cemetery in East Los Angeles for the night time procession. Sometimes, when people of other cultures hear for the first time about the celebration of the Day of the Dead, they mistakenly think it must be: gruesome, terrifying, scary,...
Read more
This Little Piggy Went to America*
*(These articles use the term ‘America’ as synonymous with the American continent, and not just another equivalent of U.S.A. When possible, we will use the term U.S. or U.S. Latinos when being specific to the U.S.A.) One of the greatest food exchanges in human history occurred after 1492, the year Christopher Columbus made his first voyage to the Caribbean. The food exchange included leafy vegetables,...
Read more
The Delectable Avocado
Yet another fruit from the Americas! First the sinful orb-the tomato-then the dirty orb-the potato-now the testicular one: the avocado! Yes, avocado in náhuatl, the language of the Aztecs is , ahuacatl, which means testicle or ball sack, a direct reference to the way avocados hang –at many times as a pair of orbs- that evidently reminded the ancient Mexicans of the male anatomy! It’s...
Read more