In Spanish they’re called the “plátano macho.” In English: plantain. The literal translation from Spanish to English is pretty spot on: macho banana. A big, manly banana with bravado. The King Kong of the starchy, golden fruits. They’re also macho intimidating. As big, starchy, and cumbersome as they are, I’ve really never done anything with…
Tag: Limes
Chipotle Black Bean Salsa & Baked Tortilla Chips for Michael
Back in high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my little brother Michael and I would race home to the kitchen impatient and ravenous for sustenance. For me, I needed to calm the storm of angst and hormones feverishly brewing inside. For Michael, to refuel the enormous man-boy body he possessed by age 14. We got…
Grilled Corn with Creamy Coconut Sauce
Her stand is smack dab between the lady selling “gorditas de nata” (small sweet puffy pancakes) and the guy who hawks all the pirated European house music cds. My elote (corn) lady sets up at Parque Revolución everyday at 5:30pm and doesn’t leave until 11:00 or until the rains chase her away. Her daughter is always there…
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Prepackaged salsas used to have a hold on me. My favorite, Mrs. Renfro’s, knew just what I needed in a good salsa: a subtly roasted flavor, slightly chunky texture, a teeny bit of spice. She dominated my shelves for years with her perky little label and her chubby glass jar. She kept a firm hold…
Agua de Chia
Watch out…here it comes…Blanket Beverage Statement: Mexicans have got non-alcoholic refreshing summer beverages down better than anyone else in the world!!! Take the U.S. for example: we have our numerous teas, smoothies, milkshakes, icees, and soft drinks, sure. And at home we are masters at concocting frilly fruity delights, but when it comes…
Baked Sweet Potato Fries Two Ways
I nearly got on my knees and wept. Perched there on the grocery store shelf amidst all the other vegetables, they beckoned me from across the produce section. They were so beautiful and vibrant! I think I actually galloped over to them… I hadn’t seen sweet potatoes since arriving in Guadalajara 4 months ago, and…
Strawberry-Pineapple Chia Jam
Strawberries and Pineapples. What a marvelous combination: sweet, a little tangy at times, and terribly satisfying. My cravings for sweet are boundless, so I need to keep healthy and homemade options around at all times. This recipe is so simple and quick, plus using chia eliminates any need for thickeners or pectin. And of…
Lime-Mint Cooler
I hear it’s hotter back in Wisconsin and Chicago than it is here in Guadalajara right now. Woof!!! I imagine sitting at a Brewer’s game, eagerly slurping down a pricey Miller Lite before it turns to the likes of warm bathwater. Not to mention, hastily slopping on yet another layer of SPF 70 to avoid…
Agua de Jamaica/ Iced Hibiscus Tea
On any given day in Guadalajara, you can take a refreshing pit stop at any number of street carts or taco stands selling Aguas Frescas. And when its blisteringly hot like it’s been lately, a pit stop and some shade are absolutely necessary. Aguas Frescas are non-alcoholic, water-based drinks flavored with fruit, tea, rice… anything…
Raspberry-Blackberry Jam with Chia
Admittedly it’s not the season, but I had a craving for some berry jam the other day. Regular Mexican grocery stores are packed with overly-processed, way-too-sweet, and almost gelatinous jams and jellies. There are some wonderful homemade types, but you really have to seek them out. So to satiate my desire, I threw together an…
The Wild Bohr 