Valladolid Marcela - Casa Marcela: Recipes and Food Stories of My Life in the Californias

W ell, theyre not that small. In fact, most of them could be a full meal. We just like to call them botanas so we dont feel bad about eating platefuls of them. I, in fact, always have to control myself during this part of the meal because I tend to overdo it and then not make it to dinner. Even though recently Ive become a fan of the cheese platter to forgo any real prep, my friends and family truly appreciate when they walk in the house and theres a big bowl of Octopus Ceviche () waiting for them in the sala (living room).

My dad, who has been the inspiration for so many different things Ive done throughout my life, was known in Tijuana for throwing the very best parties with the very best food, whether for a soccer match or a Julio Csar Chvez boxing match or just a good old Friday night. The door to my house would stay open from noon to sunrise the next day. My dads friends would come and go. By some miracle the tequila barrel never seemed to run out and neither did the botanas . By then my brother was allowed to enjoy a beer with the grownups while my sister and I served as waitresses. Yup, we grew up in one of those households where Dad was of a different era and was sure that a womans place was making her man some burritos while he was out with his buddies. Luckily my mom whipped him into shape in time for us to be sent out into the world knowing that all that talk was nonsense.

I cant lie, thoughI reveled in that whole entertaining process. Even though I wasnt making the food, I wanted to arrange the platters, and I had to be the one to take them out to the guests and explain each dish. There was a lot of machismo in my dads upbringing, but at the same time, I dont think there was a dad more proud of his daughters than he was. I could be walking out with a platter of chipotle shrimp and his face would light up like I was walking back from the Olympics with a gold medal. Now that I think about it, maybe thats where my love of entertaining truly came from.

My mom was highly antisocial, as was everyone on her side of the family. But still, behind the scenes she made sure everything was perfect. She would buzz around the house making sure wineglasses were spotless, platters werent chipped, napkins were pressed, and flowers were fresh, and then she would disappear into her bedroom when the guests arrived. They had an agreement; you can have all the friends you want over, but no wives are allowed because, God forbid, she might have to come downstairs and talk to them. She tasted every dish, seasoned every sauce, guided me in the arrangement of every platter, but shed never walk out and say, Hi. Now, grown up, I understand relationships a little better. You make them work as best you can, and thats what has worked for them. Felipe and I, on the other hand, both really enjoy not only entertaining but cooking together. In fact, in the prepping of a meal before the guests even get here, when its him and me cooking and the kids running around and Luis Miguel is on the sound system and Felipes sipping on tequila and Im nursing a glass of red wine, those are probably the fondest moments I will have of the early days of our relationship.

So here you go. Get inspired, get in the kitchen, and try to enjoy the process as much as the food. Whether its for a party or a weeknight dinner, youll find plenty of recipes here, from the very traditional to the more adventurous.

And thanks, Dad, because you were right; this womans place is in the kitchen. Only its the professional kitchen, writing books and hosting Emmy Awardwinning shows and developing products and cooking for the president of the United States (twice).

RECIPES

Ceviche de Pulpo

Depending on where you are in the world, there are many different ways to properly cook octopus. We tried it a few different ways because, Im not gonna lie, I buy my octopus tacos. When living in Tijuana, I had access to fresh octopus in the downtown Tijuana fish market, and I really enjoyed making that trip with my mom on Mondays. Rinse octopus thoroughly before you start to work with it, and take some good pictures for Instagram when youre dunking it in the water (a method used to ensure less curling). My favorite part is the tough, smaller tips of the tentacles, and I prefer to chop the body into smaller pieces. Both of my kids, even the baby, love octopus. Its incredibly versatile and mellow enough in flavor that it pairs well in a fresh marinade, like here as a ceviche or with a bold salsa in a taco.

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 (1-pound) octopus, cleaned (see Note)
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 cup cored and finely chopped tomato
• cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeo, stemmed, seeds removed if desired, and finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Corn tostadas, for serving
• Avocado slices, for garnish
• Bottled hot sauce, for serving

Bring 10 cups of salted water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the octopus and decrease the heat. Simmer until the octopus softens and turns purple on the outside and white on the inside, about 40 minutes. Drain the octopus and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, and jalapeo in a large bowl.

Once the octopus has cooled, slice the tentacles into 1-inch pieces and discard the head. Add the sliced octopus to the tomato-onion mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with the tostadas, avocado slices, and bottled hot sauce.

Note: The head of the octopus tends to come dirty (squid ink color), so rinse it with water until the head is white and completely clean. Cut the lower part of the tentacles to make all the tentacles even. Some people suggest cooking octopus for about 13 minutes per pound.

Tip: If you dip the octopus tentacles in the hot water three times before submerging, the tentacles will curl up all fancy and restauranty as they cook.

En el mar la vida es ms sabrosa, en el mar te quiero mucho mas.

Tacos de Lengua en Salsa Verde

Lengua (tongue) is so traditional throughout the streets of Mexico that you can pretty much find it in every taco stand and market. Its a tough piece of meat that requires long hours of cooking, but at the end it is so tender it almost melts in your mouth.

Traditionally, it is not prepared in a slow cooker (obviously), but you would be surprised how incredibly popular this machine has become all across Mexico. In the end, I think we all just love the idea of set it and forget it. You can certainly do this on the stovetop in a heavy Dutch oven. Bring the salsa verde and tongue to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer until very tender.