Cooking In Mexican From A to Z

On this episode of Cooking In Mexican From A to Z, Aarón and Zarela sit down with Lori Flores. Lori is an associate professor of History at Stony Brook University, where she teaches classes in US Latino, labor, immigration, and food history. They discuss Lori's background growing up in rural Texas, her migration to the East Coast, and how Mexican food arrived in East Coast cities like New York. Lori is the author of the award-winning book Grounds for Dreaming: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the California Farmworker Movement (Yale, 2016). Her new book on the history of Latino food workers in the US Northeast from 1940 to the present day has received support from the Russell Sage and Rockefeller Foundations. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, Sandro Canovas sits down with Aarón and Zarela to discuss Sotol, the state spirit of Chihuahua. They outline how it is made from plants of the dasylirion genus, close relatives of the onion, it's significance to the state of Chihuahua, and it's popularity in the United States. Sandro is a bi-national third-generation brick maker turned adobero. Raised in Mexico City, aka Tenochtitlan, he immigrated to Oregon in 1995 and began working with earth-based construction techniques. After spending 19 years as a seasonal commercial fisherman in the Bering Sea of Alaska, he made his home in south Presidio County, Tejas. Since early 2022, he has been a vocal opponent of the appropriation of Sotol in Texas. Spearheading the defense of the designation of Sotol that exists since 2002 for Chihuahua, Coahuila y Durango in Mexico. When not playing with mud he spends his time advocating and educating people about how the patrimony of the tradition of Sotol is affected by the appropriation efforts in the US and its industrialization in Mexico. Sandro started his campaign to protect Sotol in Texas by pressuring the distillery in Marfa to respect the DO and implement science based practices into their business model. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a woman whose first sip of whisky created the female doppelganger of a Mr. Yuk sticker, Shelley Sackier’s view of the spirit changed on a trip to Scotland. After completing a short course in Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery, she began writing about — and working within — the world of whisky. For the past twenty-five years she has devoted her efforts toward creating a plainspoken, easygoing, and humorous grasp on the subject to welcome more into this realm. As the Director of Distillery Education at Reservoir Distillery in Virginia, her aim is to distill down this sophisticated spirit one simple sip at a time. In this episode, Shelley sits down with Aarón and Zarela to talk about her journey into whiskey, how whiskey is defined, and Mexico's obsession with the brown spirit. If you want to learn more about Shelley you can visit her at www.shelleysackier.com. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bill Esparza is a James Beard award winning food writer, author of LA Mexicano, and on screen talent for food TV shows like Street Food: USA, Immigrant Kitchen, and Bizarre Foods. He talks with Zarela and Aaron about aquas frescas, his grandmother from Aguas Calientes, and his first taste of Mexico. Later, he discusses how he learned about regional variations in aquas frescas while touring around Mexico as a young musician. Bill gives Aaron and Zarela examples of regional aquas frescas food pairings, including horchata as the antidote to spicy salsa. The three have a spirited debate on which fruits could NOT work in an aqua fresca, and Aaron shares one of his favorite he's ever done: Honey Dew and Pepino , and his rum-based Horchata cocktail. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Aarón and Zarela are pleased to be joined by Benito Molina to talk about seafood in Ensenada and beyond. Chef Molina is the owner and chef of multiple restaurants in Ensenada, Baja California including Manzanilla, and he was thrilled to represent his people on MasterChef Latino. Working together with his wife Solange, their cuisine stands out for using fresh local seafood and for their focus on sustainability. Benito shares how his uncle, who worked in Shrimp farming, inspired him to move to Baja and how working on tuna boats turned out to be a formative experience. Aarón asks Benito how his menu and seafood market availability has changed over the years, and he shares how Ensenada has grown to become an internationally renowned hot spot for seafood. Plus, Chef Molina makes his ecological case for why you should eat sardines over salmon. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode Zarela and Aarón are back for a second round of bugs! This time they are chatting with Carlos Leal, the creator of several culinary companies in Mexico that include: Compañía de Sales, Mortar and Sons, Loyal & Febre Destilados de Agave and Dodo el Vino. His interest in culinary experimentation led him to enroll in Masterchef Mexico 2018, where he made it to the semi-finals of the show. Both of Carlos' parents are biologists, so his interest in insects was instilled at an early age. Throughout this episode, Carlos focuses on the wide array of flavors that insects contribute as ingredients. Along the way they discuss many species, including Chapulines (Cricket), the Maguey "Worm" (really a larvae), Escamoles (also known as "insect caviar"), and many more. They put eating insects in a global context, and wonder if eating insects could go from taboo to popular in the same way that sushi did in the west. Plus, Zarela shares memories of eating acorn worms on the ranch, and you are already eating bugs without knowing it. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For this episode Aarón and Zarela were thrilled to have Fany Gerson return to the show. Fany launched the acclaimed La Newyorkina, an artisanal Mexican frozen treats and sweets business, and is also the chef, founder and co-owner of Fan-Fan Doughnuts. There could not be a more knowledgable guest for an episode all about Mexican sweets! Together they illuminate how Ice Cream is just as regional as every other component of Mexican Food. They touch on specialties from Oaxaca, Veracruz, Campeche, and more. For instance, Fany tells us about an ice cream shop near Dolores Hidalgo that specializes in ice cream flavored with cacti! Zarela also shares early memories of doughnuts and ice cream on the ranch, and Aaron and Fany encourage you to try making ice cream at home. If you missed it before and want more from Fany, check out her first appearance; all about "The Great History of Vanilla" For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Lesterloon Sánchez to dive deep into the topic of Edible Flowers. Hailing from the state of Veracruz, Lesterloon is on a personal quest to discover new edible flowers across his home state. As a chef and restaurant owner, Lesterloon uses these flowers in an eclectic variety of recipes across restaurants, which he shares with Aarón and Zarela. Plus, Lesterloon shares stories of the symbolism related to specific flowers in Mexican culture. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Mariana Barrera to dive deep into the topic of Mexican Charcuterie. Mariana and her family run Humo y Sal, a charcuterie in Monterrey, where they prepare a wide variety of meat products as well as mustard, honey, and more. She shares how she got into the business, how she gathers inspiration from the way each Mexican state has their own regional specialties and seasonings, and how the local environment affects what they can produce in their region. Plus, Mariana gives an overview of the food culture of Monterrey, one of Aarón’s favorite food destinations, and Aarón pitches Mariana on a Mexican version of scrapple. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode, Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome Chef Rodolfo Castallanos to talk about how traditional Mexican foodways are being reinterpreted in the contemporary Mexican culinary scene. Rodolfo starts by sharing his cooking philosophy - beginning with inspiration from the seasons and culminating in his return home to open Origen. He discusses how French culinary education has been incorporated by Mexican chefs, and Zarela asks him to share some Oaxacan culinary building blocks. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, Zarela & Aarón welcome Sagrario Cruz Carretero to explore the history and cultural legacy of Afro-Mexican cuisine. First, they set the stage with some context about the past and present demographics of African immigration to Mexico. Sagrario shares her personal story of how a trip to Cuba - and her own family history - ignited her interest in this topic. Together they document various Afro-inspired ingredients including plantain, yucca, malanga, rice and beans, gandinga, soup, chitlins, various distillates, and more. Looking for more? Many Afro-Mexican recipes can be found in Zarela's Veracruz. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For our Season 4 launch of Cooking in Mexican from A to Z, Zarela & Aaron sit down together to discuss the most-requested topic from their listeners: Tamales. Together they detail every part of the tamale-making process, including tips like: what lard does for tamales, why you shouldn't overfill your tamales, and how you could repurpose your smoker or pizza oven to mimic the traditional sacahuil technique. Plus, they discuss different regional styles of tamales and the role they play in wakes, weddings, and Christmas celebrations. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For our final episode of 2021, Zarela & Aarón are thrilled to welcome Mauricio Velázquez de León to discuss his relative, Josefina Velázquez de León. Josefina was Mexico's first celebrity chef: she was on the radio, television, and published dozens of cookbooks popularizing traditional Mexican cuisine. Together they dive into Josefina's legacy: she championed new technologies, promoted Mexican cooking both at home and abroad, and celebrated women throughout North America. Though Mauricio was only 5 when Josefina passed away, he was raised on stories of her life and works. He has followed her footsteps in becoming a publisher in his own right; check out his work at Duopress Books. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome their longtime friend Stephan Pyles to discuss all things Tex-Mex and Southwestern Cuisine. Stephan is a 5th generation Texan and a founding father of Southwestern Cuisine, who created 23 restaurants in 6 cities over more than three decades of cooking. Stephan and Zarela have known each other since the earliest days of Zarela's career, and they recently traveled to Oaxaca together. We hear all about the most surprising meals from their trip, and then they regale us with some older, personal highlights of their time spent with Zarela's mother; from careening through L.A. traffic to entertaining together at Stephan's home. Plus, they track the evolution of Tex-Mex and modern Texan cuisine, and have a spirited discussion regarding the invention of the burrito. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode Aarón and Zarela welcome Carlos Yescas to talk all about Mexican cheese. Carlos is the founder of Lactography and LACTEO Network, and an incredibly knowledgable global cheese advocate. He is also a fellow HRN Host, on the show Cutting the Curd (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS). Carlos guides us all through the dairy making process, moving from milk to crema to requeson to cuajada to panela and more. At every point in the cheesemaking process his primary concern is quality and he teaches that consumers can make a positive impact by demanding higher quality dairy products. This is a master class on Mexican cheese! Photo by Vladimir Pudovkin For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Rafael Mier, the Founder and Director of Fundación Tortilla, to guide us through a deep dive on Corn. Rafael's mission is to preserve and popularize the many, wonderful heirloom varietals of corn that can be found all over Mexico. Together they pick apart the differences between various types of corn, and how that impacts their use. They also discuss what the Mexican government is doing to protect heirloom corn varietals, how some regions use corn leaves instead of the husks for wrapping tamales, and Zarela shares her recipe for zacahuil. Have you ever wondered what makes popcorn pop? This is the episode for you! For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, Aarón and Zarela discuss Sonoran cuisine with their friend Regina Schrambling. Regina grew up in Arizona, across the border from Zarela's native state of Sonora. Together they reminisce about the meals and treats of their respective childhoods. Along the way they try to spell out how Sonoran cuisine is distinct from Tex Mex, how Pozoles vary indifferent regions in Mexico, and how the advent of refrigeration has changed how we consume meat. Plus, Aarón shares his traditional recipe for Menudo, and his techniques for preparing tongue in the kitchen. And last, but not least, we have several rounds of spirited discussion about the Sonoran Hot Dog. Photo Courtesy of Bob Sacha For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Pati Jinich. Pati is a chef, author, and TV personality, and she joins Aarón and Zarela to discuss the traditions of The Day of the Dead. They start with the origins of Día de los Muertos as a 3 month long pre-hispanic celebration, and proceed to explore its significance in Mexican culture. Along the way, Pati covers a variety of recipes for Pan de Muerto, from her favorite traditional recipe to more modern takes she has found in Mexico City. They also discuss a number of moles and how they factor into the celebrations. Zarela and Aarón could have Pati on to speak about almost any topic having to do with Mexican cooking, so they also dip into a number of other subjects, including: highlights of food in Mexico City, the particularities of the cuisine of northern border towns, Mexican pizza, sushi, and more. If you enjoy this conversation, look out for Pati's newest cookbook, Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets, which releases on November 23rd, 2021. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's show Aarón and Zarela are joined by Cristina Potters to talk about pasta in Mexican cooking. Cristina has lived in Mexico for over 40 years, and shares her knowledge of Mexican home cooking through her work as an author and tour guide. Together they cover food history, Aaron and Cristina point out ties between Mexican dishes and their European and Arabic influences, and Cristina discusses the spread of ramen noodles in Mexican since the late 80's. They also each share several recipes: Cristina and Zarela swap their recipes for Caldillo and Caldo de Fideo, and Aaron and Cristinna swap ideas for creating American pasta dishes with Mexican flare. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's show, Aarón and Zarela are joined by Neal Fraser, the chef and owner of Red Bird in Los Angeles. Neal is a lifelong Angeleno, and longtime friend of Aarón's, and together they explore the modern intersections of Californian and Mexican cuisine. They explore a number of unusual ingredients from insects to corn fungus, as they map out regional influences from San Cristobal de las Casas to The Valley. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member! Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.