I’m happy eating corn naked. (Hmmm, better rephrase that.) I’m happy eating just plain corn—no butter, no salt. I know, it’s not normal. And it’s hard to reconcile with my love for esquites, the Mexican preparation that takes corn to the other extreme, embellishing it with green chilies and chili powder, crema and cheese. You can grill the corn first or saute it. Either way, the result is a spectacular summer salad you’ll want to eat every day.
Read moreTurkey Chilaquiles Time
At the small neighborhood market where I buy essentials for Mexican cooking, the meat counter has thick Mexican-style crema and slabs of moist queso fresco in bulk so I can buy just as much as I need. With Thanksgiving looming, I’ll need some of both for turkey chilaquiles. My husband and I are splitting a turkey with friends (I joked that I wanted the front half), but even so, we are sure to have plenty left over for one of my favorite cheese-topped Mexican dishes.
Read moreLatin Accent
The new Administration’s immigration plans are likely to up-end California agriculture. Everybody knows that. But I hadn’t thought about the impact on the nation’s creameries until a cheesemaker told me about her terrified workforce. Immigrants make a lot of our cheese, so get ready for labor shortages and price hikes. And of course they have introduced us to their own cheeses, from feta to Gouda.
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