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Introduction

Covering the bottom third of North America and made up of thirty-one states and one very large capital, Mexico is probably the best neighbor a food-lover could have, when you consider the natural bounty of this rich and varied country. That's no doubt what the Spaniards thought when they landed on the shores of the Yucatan in 1521, much to the dismay of the Aztec, Maya, Zapotec and other natives populating this vast stretch of land. Hernan Cortes and his crew set the stage for three centuries of Spanish rule which finally started to unravel in 1810, when a village priest, Miguel Hidalgo, uttered his famous grito, or cry: "Mexicanos! Viva Mexico! Viva la Independencia!" The ensuing hundred years were filled with invasions (most notably from the U.S.) and fitful leadership, whereas the dawn of the twentieth century saw the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in earnest, with the likes of Pancho Villa duking it out with his countrymen. When the dust had settled, the Mexicans were in control, but hardly united. This was, after all, a country comprised of three distinct groups: native peoples, the descendants of the Spanish and mestizos, the result of intermarriage between the first two.

The melding of cultures contributed significantly to the melding of foods and food preparation in Mexico, often referred to as mestizaje, or "mixing." Corn, a staple for over 4,000 years, is the backbone of the diet. The kernels are softened in water and lime and then ground and fashioned (most commonly) into tortillas. Protein-rich beans and an infinite variety of chilies round out this holy trinity of Mexican cookery. The Spanish liked what they saw in Mexico and added a few things of their own, among them domestic animals, sugar and cheese. Mexican cuisine is further enhanced by an incredible array of fruits
and vegetables which seem to taste better in Mexico than anywhere else: tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, avocado, coconut, pineapple, papaya and prickly pear cactus, to name several of the best. Herbs and spices also flavor the pot: cinnamon, clove, anise and cumin are all frequently-used spices, while cilantro, thyme, marjoram and the pungent epazote are popular herbs.

Good ingredients certainly count for a lot, but the Mexicans are also gifted cooks and seem to know how to give a dish that extra zing that makes it special. A simple salsa Mexicana is taken to new heights with a touch of cilantro and lime, while a complex mole sauce is always heavenly thanks to over thirty carefully-chosen herbs and spices which are added in and left to slowly simmer in the pot. Whether it's humble tacos de pollo or a regal cochinita Pibil, the Mexican kitchen is filled with honest, flavorful food which is prepared in a host of interesting ways.

The Mexican Diet

The Mexican table is filled with an assortment of foodstuffs. Sauces, soups and stews are common and expected, while preparations range from a quick-fry to slow roasting. The following is a list of key elements in the Mexican diet.

Corn: most commonly used for tortillas, the warm, flat rounds which accompany or enhance many a dish. Also used for tacos (tortillas stuffed with chicken, beef, fish or cheese) and tamales (steamed and stuffed with meat or vegetables).

Chilies: used both fresh and dried, it's the white veins and seed pods that are the hottest part and pack a punch. Mexicans like to distinguish between heat and flavor, something that can be lost on the untrained palate. Popular varieties of chilies are jalapeno, poblano, serrano, guajillo, chipotle, pasilla, habanero, ancho, mulato and cascabel.

Beans: they run the gamut from lentils to kidney beans and fava beans and are found in many soups and stews. Small beans are often served refrito (refried in lard, tasty but heavy) or de la olla (boiled and served in a light broth).

Tomatoes: the essential ingredient for a tasty salsa Mexicana and also used in sauces for both fish and beef dishes. Tomatillos are small green tomatoes encased in a stiff husk -- they're more tart and often used for a kicky tomatillo salsa which is laced with spicy chilies.

Fruit: mango, papaya, coconut and pineapple are all eaten fresh as well as used in sauces and desserts. Nopales (prickly pear cactus paddles) are sauteed and eaten as a vegetable of sorts but can also be found sweetened in desserts.

Special ingredients: flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) are used in everything from soups to sauces. Huitlacoche is a small, dark fungus (!) which grows on a corn stalk and is surprisingly creamy and delicious. Crepas de huitlacoche (huitlacoche crepes bathed in a dreamy cheese sauce) are a singularly Mexican treat. Romeritos and epazote are two pungent herbs which add a special zest to fish, beef and chicken dishes. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are used in sauces, most commonly in pipian, which is used to top many chicken dishes.

Regional Cuisines

It stands to reason that a country as large as Mexico would have a variety of regional cuisines. Some of the best can be found in the states listed below.

Puebla: two hours south of Mexico City is where the first mole sauce was prepared. As the legend goes, an order of nuns was asked to prepare a special dish for a visiting dignitary. Unsure of what would constitute a worthy dish, the nuns literally emptied out their pantry and filled a pot with a combination of herbs, spices and chocolate, over thirty ingredients in all. Left to simmer for several days, the resulting thick, sweet mole sauce was served over turkey at the royal feast. Today, mole is most commonly served over chicken. "The nuns are the best cooks in Mexico," says Francisco Cisneros, chef at Guaymas restaurant in Tiburon, California. Anyone who has ever tasted a good mole sauce would have to agree. Coffee is grown in Puebla, a nice accompaniment to the area's many unique desserts, especially camotes, a sweet potato confection. Pastry shops are as common in Puebla as churches, no small feat since there are said to be over 300 churches in the city of Cholula alone. Your meal is likely to be more attractively presented in Puebla than anywhere else in Mexico, since this area is known for its azulejos, or glazed blue and white pottery and tiles.

Yucatan: the land of the Maya is a welcome relief for anyone tired of chilies. Many Yucateco sauces are fruit-based, chief among them a sauce made from brick-red annatto seeds (achiote) and flavored with Seville oranges, pepper, garlic and cumin. This sauce is spread over chicken (pollo pibil) or pork (cochinita pibil), the meats are then baked in a banana leaf, and the result is delightfully good. Pack a picnic and trek to the ruins at Chichen Itza for a meal in an unbeatable setting.

Veracruz: fish is the dish of choice in seaside Veracruz, a busy port filled with salty folks who love life and a good meal. Any fish dish a la Veracruzana means it'll be topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers and chilies. Exotic fruits (guanabana, mamey, chirimoya) and coffee are also grown in this fertile region. Care for a taco? tamale? enchilada? It's bound to be filled with fish while you're in Veracruz.

Oaxaca: you might want to drink your dinner while you're in Oaxaca. Coffee is grown in this state and is usually prepared a la olla, which means it's laced with sugar and cinnamon and left to simmer in a large pot for hours. The resulting brew will definitely perk you up. Heartier sorts will gravitate to the region's mescal, a very sober cousin of tequila. Hungry folks should try anything topped with mole Oaxaqueno, a sweeter version of the Puebla original thanks to the addition of bananas. The Oaxacans are rightfully proud of the bounty of their vast state, which also includes beautiful artesania (hand-carved wooden animals and the black pottery of San Bartolomeo de Coatepec are especially nice) and lyrical Zapotec dances.

The Market

El mercado (the market) is a key part of Mexican life, a big deal with the emphasis on BIG. Cities throughout the country are blessed with markets that are a combination of food hall, discount store, meeting place and social club. These markets are often found in the city center, and most cities of any size have one primary market and several lesser markets. Foodies traveling through Mexico should add the mercado to their list of requisite stops: some of the best can be found in Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Toluca and Mexico City.

On a recent trip to Mexico, I visited the market in Toluca with Gabriel O'Farrill, chef of Los Danzantes, a stylish Mexico City restaurant where the accent is on nueva cocina Mexicana. While the market is open every day of the week, Friday is the market day. An infinite number and variety of stalls are spread out over many square blocks next to the central bus station. A new Wal-Mart has opened up across the way, but don't even think about it: you're in the right place.

What will you find at the Toluca market? People for starters, and lots of them. A sea of humanity courses between rows and rows of food, clothes, trinkets, gadgets, games and more. Tables are piled high with the reddest tomatoes and the pinkest strawberries you've ever seen, while buckets are filled with beans of every color, size and shape. Young boys peer into tubs of hot oil as they fry gigantic pork rinds. Shiny fish and swirly sausage compete for your roving eye, while hawkers do their best to sell you a bowl of soup or a plate of stew. This experience is not for the faint of heart, nor is the food for the faint of stomach. Tripe and potatoes chopped on a super-smooth tree trunk and then deep-fried? Chef O'Farrill didn't have a bite (neither did I), but it was sure fun to watch.

Strolling through a Mexican market lets you see first-hand the bounty of the land and its many uses. Among my favorite things: charales, tiny river fish which are fried crisp, making for a sorta-fishy chip; piloncillo, hunks of sugar cane candy which are used to sweeten cafe de olla ("piloncillo is especially common at wakes," says O'Farrill -- "all the calories in that sugar help give people strength"); mango manila, small, super-sweet mangoes; and some of the biggest, reddest and juiciest watermelons I've every seen. This last item gives O'Farrill the opportunity to share a tale with me: "Watermelons are indigenous to Mexico," he tells me, "and they're also how we got the colors of our flag. During a hot and bloody battle in Chilpancingo (the capital of Guerrero state) in the 1820s, the fighters took a break and cooled off with some watermelon. When they sliced into it and took note of the bright green, white and red tones, they decided those would be the colors of our new flag." Viva Mexico!

An Interview with Patricia Quintana

Noted cookbook author and chef Patricia Quintana has written nearly a dozen books on the food of her fabled country. Several of them have been published in English, among them "Mexico's Feasts of Life," which discusses family celebrations (birthdays, weddings and religious holidays) and the foods surrounding them, and "The Cuisine of the Water Gods," covering both coastal and central Mexican cookery. This well-traveled chef studied in Europe under Bocuse, Troisgros and Guerard before returning to her native land and opening her own cooking school, where she taught for ten years. A passion for the foods and flavors of Mexico prompted her to start writing and sharing her favorite recipes. Quintana recently partnered with the Sheraton Maria Isabel in Mexico City to develop "Sabores de Mexico," a combination Mexican food fest and folkloric ballet (courtesy of the Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico) now being offered in the hotel's Cafe Pavillon. I had the good fortune of being in Mexico City for opening night of this new dinner extravaganza and took a few moments to chat with the chef.

"What we're trying to do here is to preserve the special dishes of the repubic," says Quintana. "Whether it's Yucatan, Veracruz or the heart of Mexico, we are working with different ingredients and the stories behind them." As if to prove her point, one of the better appetizers on this new menu is the tacos sudados en canasta estilo Diego Rivera. "This is an idea I got from an article I read about fifteen years ago. Lupe Rivera, Diego's sister, told the story of how her brother loved steamed tacos. Although he painted all day long, he would always take a break to eat these little steamed tacos which were served piping hot in a basket. Now we've got them on the menu." Quintana is keenly aware of integrating the old with the new. "We're taking the stories of Mexico and presenting them in a new way by creating dishes with simple, nice and direct flavors. If you eat here, you'll be able to remember what you ate because itÌs straightforward and easy to understand."

Quintana shared her views with me on a number of things. On food as ritual: "Since prehispanic times, food has been a ritual. Through food you create a way to celebrate. That's what holidays are about: surrounding yourself with friends and family and creating a menu of feelings. ItÌs a way to understand the concept of gathering." The role of food: "That's what the markets are all about. It's a gathering. You go to eat, you go to buy, you go to meet people. It's a way of communication." Mealtimes: "We favor the comida (late lunch) over sena (supper). We like to start with a big breakfast and then have lunch later in the day. Most people canÌt have three big meals and then go to sleep -- especially not with the altitude of central Mexico! So we focus on the midday meal."

Some of Quintana's keenest observations were on the role of regional cuisines: "Oaxaca has a rich ethnic heritage, a fusion of the native peoples, the Spaniards and the French after that. You can see it in how they handle corn tortillas and the moles, with their varying tints and types. The Yucatan also has an ethnic cuisine which is very European-influenced -- you can see it in the Dutch cheeses and how they are used. Veracruz includes the food of eight distinct regions in the state, from the interior to the coast. There's much of a Mediterranean influence here which you can see in how the fish and meats are grilled. And then there's Puebla, which combines aspects of the surrounding states plus the influence of the Spaniards after the conquest and that of the convents. Two of our main dishes come from Puebla: chiles en nogada (stuffed Poblano chilies) and mole Poblano. The moles were greatly aided by the spice trade, which brought us peppercorns and sesame seeds from Asia, among other ingredients. Moles are so unique: different consistencies, sweet or not, even a variety of chilies. A mole Poblano is completely different from a mole Oaxaqueno. It has to do with color, spices and seasoning and how theyÌre combined and prepared."

Quintana is understandably excited about "Sabores de Mexico." "This is like my first restaurant. I'd always wanted to have a restaurant but couldn't find the right place. As a consultant here, I get to manage the fusion of the cultures in the food and combine it with the dancers and what they mean to our heritage. I feel as passionate about the dancers as I do about the food!"

Anyone looking for the essence of Mexico in one night need look no further than the Sheraton's "Sabores de Mexico." This is one food and dance experience which is as much substance as style and makes for a delightful evening. Best of the best on Chef Quintana's winning menu are the camarones empulcados (shrimp sauteed in mescal and pulque), the tamal del Istmo de Tehuantepec (a moist tamale stuffed with perfect mole chicken) and everything on the dessert cart (don't miss the chocolate torte or the lemon mousse). As if this wasn't enough, the best margaritas in Mexico City can be found right here: whether it's a margarita mixed with tamarindo y mango, flor de jamaica or Grand Marnier con limon, this is a sip you shouldn't miss.

Sabores de Mexico is featured in the Cafe Pavillon of the Sheraton Maria Isabel, Mexico City, from Tuesday through Sunday at 8 PM. Dinner is served until 1 AM; the Ballet Folclorico's hour-long show begins at 9:30 PM. Rates at the Sheraton Maria Isabel are USD $189 to $249 per night; check for special weekend and seasonal rates, an excellent buy.

Recipes

The following recipes are from Francisco Cisneros, chef at Guaymas Restaurant in Tiburon, California.

Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano Chilies)
Serves Six

12 poblano chilies

Stuffing:
1/4 C. cooking oil
1 whole chicken boiled in salt water, onions, celery, carrots and garlic
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4 oz. brown sugar
4 bay leaves
4 oz. raisins
2 oz. vinegar
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 oz. blanched walnuts, chopped
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 T. tomato paste

Sauce:
2 lbs. cream cheese
1/2 lb. goat cheese
1 C. sour cream
8 oz. blanched walnuts
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 T. granulated sugar

Garnish:
pomegranate seeds
cilantro

Roast, clean, peel and devein chilies, making sure to slice them along one side only so they can be reconstructed after they are stuffed. Remove meat from boiled chicken and chop. Saute onion and garlic until they are soft. Add chicken, raisins, sugar, walnuts, pepper and bay leaves and saute for a few minutes. Add vinegar, cilantro and tomato paste and cook for 15 minutes. Cool mixture. Stuff chilies with cooled mixture, reheating them in the oven prior to serving.

To make the sauce, blend together sauce ingredients and heat oven to medium heat. Pour sauce over heated chilies and garnish with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.

Don Cacahuate ("Mr. Peanut")
Serves Six

Blend for marinade:
4 oz. achiote paste
2 C. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic

Marinate 6 double breasts of chicken in this mixture.

Peanut-Serrano chile sauce:
2 C. unsalted roasted peanuts
2 C. soybean oil
2 fresh Serrano chilies
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed
1 tsp. dijon mustard
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In blender, add oil, garlic, cilantro and chilies and blend; add peanuts, then blend. In a bowl, fold mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper into this mixture.

Mesquite grill the chicken breasts. Onto a round plate, pour the peanut-Serrano chile sauce, place a chicken breast, lightly brush with the sauce and garnish with slices of lemon, cilantro and fresh radish.

Huachinango Entomatado (Snapper in Tomato Sauce)
Serves Two

2 oz. tomato-chile butter (see recipe below)
10 oz. fresh snapper filet
1/2 white onion, cut into wedges
4 medium mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tomato, seeded and cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 chile pasilla
2 scallions, sliced into rings
1/2 C. seafood stock or clam juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 oz. olive oil or soybean oil

Heat oil in saute pan. Season snapper filet with salt and pepper. Sear snapper on both sides (about three minutes on each side). Add onions, mushrooms, scallions, chile pasilla, salt and pepper and saute for three minutes over high heat. Add garlic and 2 oz. of the tomato-chile butter and saute for another minute over high heat. Add the stock or clam juice and continue cooking over high heat for three more minutes (sauce will thicken slightly). Snapper should be cooked throughout. Add tomatoes and cook one more minute.

Serve over a banana leaf cut to fit the plate, garnishing with a radish rosette and fresh lime wedge.

Tomato-chile butter:
1 lb. unsalted butter
3 pickled jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 oz. tomato paste
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Using a food processor, add butter and soften, then add the remaining ingredients and blend until consistent mixture is formed.

The following recipes are from cookbook author and consulting chef Patricia Quintana, and they are featured at the "Sabores de Mexico" dinner/show at the Cafe Pavillon of the Sheraton Maria Isabel in Mexico City.

Flautas Jaliscienses (Jalisco-Style Flautas)
Makes 20 flautas

20 corn tortillas
2 1/2 C. vegetable oil

For the potato flautas:
2 large potatoes, peeled and boiled in salted water, drained and mashed
1 C. Oaxaca cheese or firm yellow cheese, cut into thin strips

For the chicken flautas:
2 chicken breasts, cooked in salted water with onion and garlic; remove chicken from bone, chop
1 medium onion, finely sliced into rounds
1 T. vegetable oil

For the green sauce:
4 C. water
7 green tomatoes (tomatillos), without husks
1/2 white onion, chopped in half
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Serrano chilies
1/2 C. cilantro
1/4 C. onion, finely chopped
1/8 C. cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 Hass avocado
Salt to taste

For the red sauce:
4 C. water
1 1/2 tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced into rounds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Chipotle chilies, fried but not charred
Salt to taste

Topping:
1 C. creme fraiche
1/4 C. sweet whipping cream
3/4 C. cream cheese, crumbled

For the potato flautas: heat corn tortillas. Place a small amount of the potatoes and cheese in the center of each tortilla and roll them tightly.

For the chicken flautas: combine the loose chicken with the onion and oil; season to taste. Place a small amount of the mixture in the center of each warm tortilla and roll them tightly.

For the green sauce: boil the water and add in the tomatillos, onion, garlic and chilies. Cook for 30 minutes; remove from heat, drain and reserve the liquid. Let the tomatillos cool. Blend the cooked ingredients in a food processor along with the onion, cilantro and avocado. Season to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add back some of the reserved liquid.

For the red sauce: boil the water and add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and fried chilies. Cook for 25 minutes; remove from heat, drain and reserve the liquid. Blend the ingredients in a food processor and season to taste. Add back some of the reserved liquid to thin the sauce.

Presentation: heat the oil in a large frying pan, but not too hot. Fry the flautas until they are golden, turning them carefully. Drain on an absorbent paper towel. Place the flautas on a large serving dish. Alternately top with green and red sauce. Combine the creme fraiche and sweet whipping cream and drizzle it over the flautas. Top with crumbled cream cheese.

Ceviche Acapulqueno (Ceviche Acapulco-Style)
Yield: 16 servings

For the fish:
2 lbs. red snapper fillets, chopped into small chunks
The juice of 8 large lemons
Salt to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped
1 1/2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
3/4 C. green olives (stuffed with pimento), finely chopped
1/8 C. parsley, finely chopped
1/4 C. cilantro, finely chopped
2 1/2 C. ketchup
1 can V-8 juice, approx. 12-oz. size
1 C. olive oil
1/2 can jalapeno chilies, finely chopped (approx. 4-oz. size)
1/8 C. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chopped oregano
Salt to taste

Preparation: In a large glass dish, place the fish and cover it with the lemon juice and salt. Marinate for 15 minutes; remove half of the liquid. Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette, add to the fish and cover. Marinate for three hours in the refrigerator. Serve in individual goblets and top with chopped cilantro. Optional garnish: place a small skewer of olives, avocado and pickled carrots next to each goblet.

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