Interview with Margarita Carrillo Arronte, author of Mexico: The Cookbook

What we don’t know about Mexican cuisine could fill the pages of a massive book. And now it does. Margarita Carrillo Arronte, a chef, teacher, restaurateur, TV host and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture's chef is the first Mexican author to have written a comprehensive book on Mexican food in English. Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting her and learning more about Mexican cuisine and her book, Mexico: The Cookbook.

How long did the book take to write and why did you write it in English? 

It took two years, but a lifetime, starting with being raised in Mexico, eating and cooking there. I always wanted to write this book in English, because I saw a need. There are other books on Mexican food in English, but not written by someone from Mexico. 

The book is on the cuisines of Mexico, not the cuisine. Because there are eight regions and the weather, the culture and the people are different. The cuisine is completely different from one region to another. The Northern part of Mexico doesn’t have the range of ingredients you find in the South but all they have some great recipes. Some regions have indigenous people with very strong food traditions. We have influences from many different countries--France, Spain, the Philippines. We had trade relations with Asia going back hundreds of years ago. 

What are the major misunderstandings about Mexican food? 

1. That it’s unhealthy, greasy and cheap

2. That it’s too spicy 

3. That it’s about quantity not quality

4. That Mexican food is served with rice and beans. That’s Tex Mex, not Mexican. 

5. That red rice! It’s often cooked badly. The rice is over toasted and it doesn’t taste good. 

When people come to Mexico, what should they eat? 

A variety of food, such as the real burritos of Baja which are nothing like what you find in California, and different kinds of beans. Eat at the little places with local flavors. Eat what the locals eat, not just what’s served to tourists. 

Your book has 700 recipes, what are the recipes readers should try first? 

1. Start with the easy recipes, ceviches and salsas. 

2. Learn the technique of dry toasting, we toast everything—chiles, tomatillos, onions, garlic, spices. 

3. Try some of the simpler soups 

4. We have lots of egg dishes, try one like Huevos Rabos de Mestiza, a Yucatecan dish of eggs with chiles, tomatoes and tomatillos. 

5. Make a dessert such as arroz con leche. 

Gracias Margarita! 

Global Kitchen & Mad Delicious: Cooking Light Cookbook Reviews

For years I subscribed to Cooking Light but these days I have a love hate relationship with it. Some months I treasure the magazine and other months hardly anything in it appeals to me. In addition I find their books to be hit or miss. Right now there are two Cooking Light books on the market, one a keeper, the other a loser.

True to its name, Cooking Light Global Kitchen shares recipes from around the world. There are 150 recipes, 120 of which came from the magazine and another 30 that “fill in the gaps.” They all fit within the magazine’s guidelines for nutrition, ease and speed.

The author/editor David Joachim tapped many chefs to help with the recipes and the results are impressive. The recipes may not be the most authentic but they are certainly user friendly. There are recipes from East Asia and India, Southeast Asia and Australia, The Middle East and Africa, Europe and Eurasia, South America, North and Central America. 

Many of the recipes take classics in a new direction like tabbouleh salad with chicken or a salad nicoise with seared tuna. And frankly many seems like improvements on the original such as lobster rolls freshened up with shaved fennel and citrus. I like that there are photographs on every page, for every recipe. I’ve bookmarked Quinoa Pudding, Cape Malay Curry (with warm spices, buttermilk, beef, peppers and apricots)  Quick Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce, Champagne Browned Butter Chicken and Fennel Cured Halibut Gravlax. 

Bottom line? KEEPER especially if you're looking for healthier international recipes. You could find most of these recipes online or in the magazine, but this it is convenient to have them curated this way.

I was very excited to hear about Cooking Light Mad Delicious:The Science of Making Healthy Food Taste Amazing, but I’m rather disappointed with it.

My issues with the book, I’m going to just give you just a few, start with Culinary School Chicken. It’s a basic roast chicken recipe. But one of the very first instructions says “Rinse your chicken under cold running water. Allow to air dry or pat dry with good quality paper towels. Use the cheap ones and eat paper.” Uh I have a better idea. DON’T EVER RINSE RAW CHICKEN! Sorry for shouting but the author really should have known better. This is just bad advice. Rinsing does nothing but spread bacteria and is widely discouraged.

Next in the Lower East Side Brisket recipe there is a visual tutorial called Step by Step: Creating a crusty exterior. Basically it says season the meat with spices, heat the oil until hot and brown the meat. Really? That seems pretty obvious.

The author uses potentially hard to find ingredients like sorghum syrup, espelette pepper and Turkish red pepper paste, all without suggestions for substitutions. The book also has instructions for making your own sriracha sauce which will keep for a week to 10 days in the fridge. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to use 2 cups of sriracha in 10 days. 

Sadly I just didn't find the recipes all that compelling. All in all the book was a good idea, but it misses the mark.  

Bottom line? SKIP IT Science geeks will be disappointed and newbies will be overwhelmed.

Disclaimer: These books were provided to me for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.

Grocery Outlet Wine & Food Bargains & Giveaway!

I love a bargain, the thrill of finding something at a great price. Of course, when it comes to picking a wine, it can be tricky. But when the Grocery Outlet wine sale rolls around it’s worth the gamble. All the wines are an additional 20% off their usual discounted price. So why are the wines at Grocery Outlet? It’s because Grocery Outlet buys "opportunistically." What does that mean? It means some of the wines did not fit well with the rest of a wineries portfolio or the company went out of business. Or the label changed. Or they needed to move the wine to make room for something else in the warehouse. Their loss, your gain! 

To help you find your own bargains I'm going to give you the inside scoop from Cameron Wilson, the Director of Wine, Beer & Spirits as well as my picks for speciality food...

After checking out the deals, do enter to win one of two $25 gift certificates to Grocery Outlet! 

Little Rascals Sauvignon Blanc $3.99

This is my favorite of the wines I tried. It’s a current vintage. There’s lots grapefruit and some grassy notes. A lovely Napa Sauvignon Blanc you’d normally pay at least $12 if not more.

Hill Wine Co Pinot Noir $7.99

This is not a Pinot for Cab lovers. It’s true to style, light and elegant with notes of strawberries and raspberries. The alcohol is a bit high at 14.5% but I liked it. It would be great with salmon and lamb.

Reserve Lot 11 Zinfandel  2011 $6.99

Ok I’m not a big fan of Zinfandel, but this is a Dry Creek Zin, and according to Wilson it’s not terribly high in alcohol or heavy handed. it’s true to the varietal not too big. Great for drinking right now. 

Cinzano Asti Spumante $5.99
This is usually around $10-15 and honestly it has the prettiest Italian label! It’s a good sweet sparkling wine with melon and peach and would make a fine hostess gift.

Domaine Laurier Alexander Valley Merlot $6.99
I didn’t find this to be as big and rich as Wilson described when I first opened it but after an hour or so it was lovely. It has some plum and pepper and would be great with beef or lamb.

Schlumberger Maison Rouge $4.99
They’ve had this wine before and it’s a good ‘“house red.” It’s nice round, good quality, not huge, 13.9% alcohol, good balance, this winemaker also makes some much higher end wines.

Frusion Pear $2.99
Ok this is a wacky pick! it’s a white with some pear juice, aroma you can find in wine. Wilson thinks it’s a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, maybe some Pinot Grigio. But the pear is just the hint of an aroma. Crisp dry fresh white wine. great with food, very refreshing.

And here are my grocery picks, all things I found in the Geary St store in San Francisco: 

Yarra Valley Marinated Feta 

$1.99 for 6.35 ounces

This luscious very soft and creamy feta is divine! Great on bread or vegetables or tossed with pasta. I've never seen it for less than about $7

Galbani Mozzarella Fresca 

$2.49 for 8 ounces

I buy this all the time for $5! It’s very good quality.

Aidells Sausage Organic

Spinach & Feta Smoked Chicken 

$3.99 for 12 ounces

Serve for dinner or with eggs, crazy cheap normally twice the price

California Olive Ranch Mild & 
Buttery Extra Virgin Olive Oil

$7.99 for a 500 ml bottle

This is from late season Arbequina olives, harvested this year! California Olive Ranch is already a very reasonably priced olive oil for the quality so this is a steal.  It’s $12.59 on their website. 

The One Pounder Dried Cranberries

$2.99 for 1 lb

Crazy, right? I didn’t buy these but it would be worth stocking up for baking season.

Please leave no more than one comment telling me your best discovery at Grocery Outlet or what you would buy with the gift card. You must have a US mailing address to win. Enter your email address as directed in the comment form, it will not be visible to anyone but me. I will choose 2 winners on Wednesday November 5th at 10PM PST. 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Grocery Outlet for providing the gift cards. 

Pucker up! Pickling and Fermentation Cookbooks

Sour flavors are growing in popularity in the US and there’s a whole bunch of great cookbooks to help satisfy this flavor fixation.

Asian Pickles

Karen Solomon has done it again. She has written yet another very informative and useful book in her inimitable personable and upbeat style. She balances solid information with a down-to-earth sometimes playful approach. Her books are always fun. In this book she offers up recipes for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian pickles. There are very traditional recipes for things like Miso Pickles or Green Mango Pickle as well as her own creative “inspired” pickles like Five Spiced Pickled Carrots and Sichuan Cucumbers with Orange and Almonds. You’ll also find chutneys and sauces. 

Bottom line? KEEPER unless you really don't like anything pickled. 

Fermented Vegetables

The subtitle to this book is krauts, kimchis, brined pickles, chutneys, relishes and pastes. Interspersed in the book are visual guides and profiles of people who make pickles and the like. It’s a wonderful resource and filled with both the usual as well as the unexpected. If you have a subscription to a CSA or a bountiful garden you will particularly enjoy how this book provides recipes to use your overabundance of everything from basil leaves to winter squash. There are even some wacky dessert recipes like Sauerkraut Coconut Macaroons. I particularly like the suggestions for how you can create your own recipes using the ones in the book as a guide. 

Bottom line? KEEPER especially if you are adventurous. 

Pickles and Preserves 

If you’re looking for something a little less exotic, Pickles & Preserves, a slim volume from the Savor the South series might be just the thing. It has recipes for classic Southern style pickles, relishes and chutneys. Dilly Beans, Pickled Okra, Watermelon Rind Pickles and Chow Chow. The recipes are easy to follow and well written. It's a short book, and narrowly focused. 

Bottom line? MAYBE KEEP only if you’re a Southern pickle fan

Kombucha Revolution

What is kombucha? It’s a fermented tea with sugar and bacteria from a starter culture. This book, one of the first of its kind, not only shows you how to make kombucha but also what to do with it. There are recipes for kombucha based juices and smoothies, cocktails, dressing and even both savory and sweet dishes that use it as an ingredient. The recipes such as Long Kombucha Iced Tea and Vegan Kombucha Chèvre Spread are creative and appealing—so long as you like kombucha! 

Bottom line? MAYBE KEEP only if you are an avid kombucha fan (even though I love sour flavors, I'm not)

Disclaimer: These books were provided as review copies, there are affiliate links in this post. 

Tofu Feta Tomato Bake Recipe

Recipes for tofu fall into two camps, those that highlight it versus those that hide it. While I do sometimes add tofu to recipes to increase moisture and tenderness, I don’t need it to be camouflaged to enjoy it. I like both the soft and firm textures and I appreciate how it plays well with others. While we are used to it in Asian dishes, the truth is it gets along with lots of other flavors too. I’ve been playing around with some products from Pulmuone, a company that makes quite a few soy products and this is one of my favorite creations. I used Wildwood sprouted tofu, which is made from sprouted organic soy beans. It has more calcium, iron and protein than conventional tofu and is a pleasantly firm. Anything but the softest tofu should work fine in this recipe. 

I got the idea to use tofu and feta together because they have a similar texture, then I found a member submitted recipe for Baked Tofu with Feta and Spicy Greens in the Epicurious database and decided to take it in a slightly different direction. Basically I used the ingredients I had in my fridge at the time, and hoped for the best. I was not disappointed. Sometimes cooking works like that, other times, well, it turns out ok, but nothing you’d necessarily bother repeating. I try to take good notes of what I’m doing and measure as I go, just in case I hit upon a winner. 

I would now like to implore you DO NOT FOLLOW THIS RECIPE. Change something or everything. The amounts and the kinds of green herbs would be a good place to start. Throw in some caper or olives if you like them. Use sundried tomatoes instead of fresh ones. Use white onions instead of green onions. Omit the cilantro or add parsley instead. Skip the feta altogether and make this your very own vegan masterpiece. This recipe is as forgiving as they come. It would be really hard to mess up. 

Tofu Feta Tomato Bake

Serves 2-4 

10 ounces firm tofu, preferably sprouted 

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup basil chiffonade (thin slices)

1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro 

2 teaspoons minced serrano chile, optional 

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

3/4 cup diced fresh tomatoes 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the tofu in pieces to fit in a one quart casserole. Sprinkle the tofu generously with salt and pepper. Add the greens and drizzle with olive oil. Top the tofu with the diced tomatoes and finally with feta cheese. Transfer casserole to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until feta begins to turn brown and gets crusty. 

Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Pulmuone for providing me with soy products to use

Spirit Works Barrel Aged Gin: Drinks on Friday

Barrel aged gin has been gaining popularity the past couple of years. It started perhaps with Seagram’s Distillers’s Reserve and then a handful of craft distillers got in on the act and more recently Beefeater began producing one. Some distillers use charred new American or French oak barrels, others use barrels that once held red wine, whisky or bourbon, and even Lillet, but I have to admit, on the surface barrel aging gin seems like an odd move. 

I like gin, especially London dry gin, and the reason I do is because of the botanicals. I like a touch of clean bracing juniper, the freshness of the citrus, the brightness of coriander combined with delicate floral aromas. Barrel aging adds richness and roundness to spirits, not something I necessarily look for in gin. But Timo and Ashby Marshall proprietors of Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastapol are fans of gin too, and in fact, Timo told me his favorite gin was the same as mine, so I was particularly curious to try their barrel gin. 

Spirit Works is a family affair, run by Timo and Ashby Marshall with their little bundle of energy, Bandit, a Boston terrier who runs circles around the place. Ashby is the head distiller and she makes a base gin using organic California Red Winter wheat and a proprietary blend of botanicals. She uses classic spices like cardamom and coriander plus painstakingly hand peeled lemon and orange zest, as well as angelica, orris root and hibiscus. The gin is aged for several months in new American oak.  

The result is really lovely. There is a slight mellowness to the gin, but the freshness is still intact. The barrel aging emphasizes those baking spices plus it layers on some vanillin and caramel. It’s a gin so smooth you can actually sip it, but try it in either a gin or a whisky cocktail such as a Negroni or a Manhattan, or use a splash of it in eggnog.

I highly recommend a visit to Spirit Works Distillery, not only because you are sure to be charmed by the adorable Bandit on a tour, but because you'll get a chance to see some of the very interesting things they are doing, like hooking up headphones to barrels to see how the musical vibrations of say the Nutcracker versus Metallica affect the spirits (personally I’m rooting for the Nutcracker). You can even sign up to help with bottling if you like. And even if you only visit the tasting room you can pretty much see the entire operation from large picture windows.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Spirit Works Distillery for inviting me to be part of the historic first bottling line for their barrel gin and for providing me with a bottle for review purposes. 

Taste of Toronto

This Summer I got a chance to visit Toronto and to attend the Taste of Toronto food festival. Lucky me! Quite a few years ago I attended Taste of London so I had a sense of what it would be like. The Taste food festivals are not your typical free for all food event, because the restaurants are really consistently high quality and included by invitation only.

This event is a particularly good one if you want to familiarize yourself with the Toronto restaurant scene. Here were some of my favorite dishes and the restaurants I would surely like to visit, on my next trip.

One of the first things I tried was a gazpacho like soup from The Harbord Room. The crushed heirloom tomato soup with spicy wild watercress, creamy buffalo mozzarella, crunchy toasted sourdough crumbs and a refreshing dollop of tomato and white balsamic sorbet was perfect on a fairly steamy evening. Truly a winner.

Khao San Road was the one booth where I tried all three offerings, starting with the cooling iced Thai shake. The crispy rice salad with ginger, cilantro, sour pork sausage, lime leaf and peanuts was the knock out dish for me, it was just an explosion of flavors and cooked to order so fresh and crunchy.

The final dish I tried from Khao San Road was the spicy shrimp salad with onion, red pepper, fish sauce, chili, garlic and cilantro. It was cool and perfectly cooked, but a tad too spicy.

I was curious to try something from Anthony Rose, the chef and restaurateur with three successful spots in Toronto. From Rose & Sons came a BLT with Dr. Pepper bacon (more like pork belly) fresh tomatoes, lettuce and a feta and herb mayonnaise. It was extremely succulent and I could understand why this nice Jewish boy is revered for his sandwiches, and the BLT in particular.

Two of my favorite dishes came from Yours Truly a cutting edge restaurant which sadly just closed. Needless to say I will keeping my eyes peeled for the next venture with chef Lachlan Culjak. The first dish was a creamy fresh made "queso" with early Summer garnishes and an orange blossom vinaigrette. It was bright and had layers of texture. The freshness of the produce including ramps, fiddle heard ferns, mushrooms and berries shone brightly. And the plating was gorgeous.

The other dish from Yours Truly was charred sous vide BC octopus with chorizo and green mango.

While I didn't necessarily think of maple syrup and Toronto before, I do now. Thats's because I got to try the maple products from Ninutik. They were serving a variety of cheese wrapped in maple taffy, thanks a bed of fluffy snow. The thick maple syrup is usually poured over fresh snow to make a chewy candy, but in this case, a popsicle stick with a piece of cheddar or blue cheese (yes!) was wrapped in ensconced in maple. It was divine! 

So too were the little buttons of maple sugar that melt in your mouth, nothing like the dry crusty maple sugar candy I was used to eating. They can also be used in cocktails. 

And best of all? Maple Supreme, something I've seen elsewhere before and which I have had in other parts of Canada too. But it never quite as good. It looks white and creamy but it really has the consistency of butter, and the flavor of maple. Divine! Wonderful on buttered toast, but also over ice cream or oatmeal. 

Toronto, you sure are a delicious town. And Taste of Toronto was only the tip of the iceberg... 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Tourism Toronto for hosting me on this trip.