The Mija Chronicles

So long, Puebla – A wrap-up of the International Mole Festival

Lesley — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:19:30 +0000

After two days of Puebla’s International Mole Festival, I came home to Mexico City with stars in my eyes.

I’d learned about mole and regional Mexican food from some of the top culinary minds in Mexico. I’d met some of Puebla’s top chefs, and watched mayoras make foods from their pueblos. [...]

Mark Bittman on Mexican food

Lesley — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:39:05 +0000

Mark Bittman, the New York Times columnist and cookbook author, is probably best-known for teaching people how to cook simply. His How To Cook Everything books have more than a million copies in print. He’s also fan of Mexico: Bittman has written about Mexico City woman chefs and the Condesa tianguis, and [...]

The International Mole Festival in Puebla: Day 1

Lesley — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:19:30 +0000

I’m in Puebla for the next two days, attending the city’s first International Mole Festival.

Several chefs from the U.S. and Mexico — including Rick Bayless, Marcela Valladolid, Patricia Quintana, Monica Patiño and Daniel Ovadía — have been invited to talk about mole, its history and their experience with Mexican [...]

Migas with red peppers and peas

Lesley — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:59:30 +0000

When I was a kid and my brother and I were really hungry, my mom used to whip up this quick tortilla-egg thing.

She’d tear tortillas into pieces and fry them in a little bit of oil, and then crack in some eggs. She somehow fried the tortillas exactly how I wanted — not too [...]

Calling all experts: How do you cook maguey flowers?

Lesley — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:35:52 +0000

In the past six months or so, I’ve become a little obsessed with flowering maguey.

The maguey, also known as agave, blooms when it’s mature, a process that can take anywhere from 6 to 28 years depending on the plant. Weirdly, the flowers don’t sprout from the leaves themselves — they grow [...]

Stuffed nopales with black beans and cheese

Lesley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:19:45 +0000

I’ve got a guest post up today — a recipe for Stuffed Nopales with Black Beans and Cheese — over at Aida Mollenkamp’s blog. She’s a Food Network Chef and the former food editor of Chow, and she’s also a friend and all-around good person. Please check it out if [...]

Strawberry-lima (Mexican sweet lime) agua fresca

Lesley — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:48:01 +0000

A few years ago my friend Jesica and I were shopping at a market, and she pointed out some extra-large limes. “Mira, esa es nuestra lima.” Look, that’s our lime.

She made me taste some — I was a little wary of sticking half a lime in my mouth — and I [...]

A visit to the tianguis in Col. Santo Domingo

Lesley — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:41:11 +0000

My friend Mojdeh does cultural tours in Mexico City, and for more than a year we’ve been planning for me to go visit her neighborhood south of town. She lives in the Colonia Santo Domingo near Metro Copilco, almost to the UNAM.

There are several tianguis (the Nahuatl word meaning outdoor neighborhood market) [...]

Where to eat in Mexico City: El Parnita

Lesley — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:14:37 +0000

El Parnita, a fonda in the Roma, calls itself an “antojería.” The word antojito can mean two things in Mexico — a corn-based street snack, or a little craving. So an antojería is a place where you’d find those two things. And fulfill your cravings, of course.

The menu here is stocked with

I’ve been nominated for a Saveur Food Blog Award!

Lesley — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:02:57 +0000

You may have noticed a new sidebar to the right. I found out late last week, right when I was returning from New York, that I made it as a finalist in Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog Awards.

Out of 40,000 entries, the editors chose my little blog as one of [...]