Mely Martínez - The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico

1. 1. Caldo de Pollo
      Chicken Soup
   2. Caldo de Res
      Beef and Vegetable Soup
   3. Crema de Elote
      Cream of Corn Soup
   4. Crema de Papa
      Cream of Potato Soup
   5. Sopa de Lentejas
      Lentil Soup
   6. Sopa de Fideo
      Mexican Noodle Soup
   7. Menudo
      Mexican Tripe Soup
   8. Pozole Rojo
      Red Pozole
   9. Pozole Verde de Pollo
      Green Pozole with Chicken
   10. Sopa de Tortilla
       Tortilla Soup
2. 1. Tacos de Bistec
      Steak Tacos
   2. Flautas de Papa
      Crispy Rolled Potato Tacos
   3. Barbacoa de Lengua
      Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos
   4. Albondigas
      Mexican Meatball Soup
   5. Albondigas en Chipotle
      Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce
   6. Calabacitas con Puerco
      Pork Stew with Squash
   7. Carne con Papas
      Beef and Potatoes
   8. Asado de Puerco
      Pork Stew
   9. Milanesa de Res
      Beef Milanesa
   10. Camarones en Chipotle
       Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce
   11. Bistec a la Mexicana
       Mexican-Style Steak
   12. Chicharrn en Salsa Verde
       Fried Pork Skins in Green Salsa
   13. Discada Nortea
       Northern-Style Mixed Meats
   14. Empanadas de Queso
       Cheese Empanadas
   15. Empanadas de Carne Molida
       Ground Beef Empanadas
   16. Tostadas de Pollo
       Chicken Tostadas
   17. Enchiladas Rojas
       Red Enchiladas
   18. Enchiladas Verdes
       Green Enchiladas
   19. Costillas en Salsa Verde
       Pork Rib Tips in Green Salsa
   20. Ensalada de Pollo
       Chicken Salad
   21. Ensalda de Coditos
       Macaroni Salad
   22. Filete de Pescado Empanizado
       Breaded Fish Fillet
   23. Frijol con Puerco
       Pork and Beans
   24. Pollo a la Veracruzana
       Chicken Veracruz-Style
   25. Tinga de Pollo
       Chicken Tinga
   26. Pollo en Salsa Verde con Calabacitas
       Chicken with Squash in Green Salsa
   27. Pollo Entomatado
       Chicken in Tomato Sauce
   28. Ropa Vieja
       Shredded Beef in Tomato Sauce
   29. Tamales de Pollo en Salsa Verde
       Chicken in Green Salsa Tamales
   30. Tamales de Puerco
       Pork Tamales
   31. Tamales de Rajas con Queso
       Cheese and Vegetable Tamales
3. 1. Salsa Roja
      Red Salsa
   2. Salsa Roja Rostizada
      Roasted Red Salsa
   3. Salsa Taquera
      Taqueria-Style Salsa
   4. Salsa Verde
      Green Salsa
   5. Salsa Verde Rostizada
      Roasted Green Salsa
   6. Salsa Verde Cremosa
      Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
   7. Arroz Blanco
      White Rice
   8. Arroz Rojo
      Red Rice
   9. Arroz Verde
      Green Rice
   10. Frijoles Refritos
       Refried Beans
   11. Frijoles de Olla
       Beans from the Pot
   12. Frijoles Pintos Cremosos
       Creamy Pinto Beans
   13. Calabacitas con Crema
       Mexican Squash with Cream
   14. Calabacitas con Queso
       Mexican Squash with Cheese
   15. Ensalada de Repollo
       Cabbage Salad
   16. Nopales con Oregano
       Cactus Paddles with Oregano
4. 1. Arroz con Leche
      Rice Pudding
   2. Budn de Pan
      Bread Pudding
   3. Crepas
      Crepes
   4. Gelatina de Mosaico
      Mosaic Gelatin
   5. Pastel de Cumpleaos
      Old-Fashioned Birthday Cake
   6. Pastel de Tres Leches
      Three Milks Cake
   7. Tamales Dulces
      Sweet Tamales
   8. Tamales de Pia
      Pineapple Tamales
   9. Agua de Horchata
      Horchata
   10. Agua de Jamaica
       Hibiscus Iced Tea
   11. Agua de Tamarindo
       Tamarind Drink
   12. Atole Blanco
       White Atole
   13. Atole de Arroz
       Rice Atole
   14. Caf de Olla
       Mexican Spiced Coffee
   15. Chocolate Caliente
       Mexican Hot Chocolate
   16. Ponche Navideo
       Mexican Christmas Punch

Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico

Mely Martnez

INTRODUCTION

My mom used to say that I was born with one foot already in the street. She was referring to my penchant for getting out of the house to go visit my friends, aunts, and neighbors around town. For some reason, since a very young age, I liked to go out and visit other peoples houses, hoping that they would invite me in to eat some of their food. My mother completely disapproved of this, as she was afraid that people would begin to think that we didnt have any food at home!

The reason I loved doing this was because I always wanted to try new flavors. I always wondered why things like sopa de fideowould taste different from one house to the other, or why some people would add lime juice to their soup and others wouldnt. So many of these questions about food and how it was prepared often kept my mind busy, and to this day, I still think about food constantly.

I come from a large family, and am the second child in a family of five girls and three boys. As with many families back then, the older siblings were introduced to household chores at a very young age, and that included buying groceries at the market and helping out in the kitchen.

In the summertime, my mom used to send my siblings and me to my grandmas house, which was on a ranch along the Pnuco River in the state of Veracruz. We always saw those trips as fun times; there was so much to do there during the long days of summer. Even though there was no electricity and toys, my siblings and cousins always found ways to have fun. Our afternoon pastimes included playing hide-and-seek and sticking chicken feathers into the top of a dried corncob so we could spin it in the air like a helicopter.

Most of the morning-to-midday hours at the farm were spent cooking. It was a process that involved all the women in the family, each with a specific job in the kitchen. One would be preparing the salsa in the molcajete, another would be grinding the masa on the metate, and another would be making the tortillas while my grandma was cooking the main dishes.