Piperade, with one “r” for the Gascon and French or two “rr” for the Basque and Spanish, is not as complicated as its spelling might imply. In its simplest form, piperade is a saute of peppers, onions and tomatoes seasoned with a touch of cider vinegar and ground piment d’Espelette (a specific pepper from the French Basque region). This concoction makes an excellent pintxo on toasted bread or accompaniment spooned over fish, eggs or steak.
Memelas, or memelitas, is a regional term in Oaxaca for antojitos of fried or toasted corn cakes, like sopes or huaraches. They are made of masa and topped with fresh ingredients such as black beans, shredded cabbage, mole negro, guacamole, cheese, salsa and seasonal treats like squash blossoms. However, in Honduras and Guatemala, a memela is entirely different. The toasted masa cake is made with cinnamon and cooked in banana leaves. It doesn’t really seem like you could go wrong.
Julienne, also known as allumette or French cut, is 4mm x 4mm x 5cm. For the metrically-challenged, you should be shooting for ? x ? x 2 inches piece, like a thick matchstick. If you are really feeling frisky, turn those Julienned sticks 90 degrees and finely dice them into a proper brunoise cut.
Hamachi is the Japanese name for Pacific Yellowtail. These beauties can be caught off the Pacific Coast from Hawaii all the way down and into the Sea of Cortez, although most Hamachi is farm-raised in Japan and exported across the globe.
Keeping the various types of fish from this family straight can be a challenge. Steal a memory trick from your college entrance exams: Hamachi is to Yellowtail as Kanpachi is to Amberjack – closely related cousins with bi-lingual monikers.
Chepiche is whispy aromatic herb, also known as Pipicha, that is related to papaloquelite. The slender, grass-like plant grows wild. The cuisine of the Puebla and Oaxaca states in Mexico is heavily influenced by this herb. It is normally eaten raw with tlayudas, in tacos or tortas (sandwiches), and can be incorporated into sauces and soups. The peppery, tarragon-like flavor also made for an excellent cocktail at Pasillo de Humo in Mexico City.
Cabrales is an artisanal blue cheese made with traditional methods in rural Asturias, Spain from pure, unpasteurized cow’s milk or a blended of goat and/or sheep milk, which produces an even stronger, spicier flavor. All of the milk used in the production of Cabrales comes exclusively from animals raised in the mountains of the Picos de Europa. Delicious in any form, I most often crave a thick, pungent Cabrales sauce served over a grilled loin of beef or pork.
Birria is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. This spicy stew marries goat, mutton or beef with dried chiles, onion, garlic and seasonings. The dish is central to family celebrations and holidays across Mexico.
My first birria experience involved a 3-foot-tall stew pot, the better part of a cow quarter, and an overnight stewing process that left my house heaven-scented for a week and my dog gleefully gnawing on a femur. More than 200 people ate tacos from that pot, topping the shredded meat with white onion and cilantro and dipping their corn tortilla-wrapped treat into the deep red birria broth.
Speaking of the broth, don’t ever let a drop go to waste. An excellent day-two reincarnation is clams steamed in birria broth with grilled bread for dipping. You are welcome.
Criollo is a term that originally referred to Latin American people who were of full or near full Spanish descent, distinguishing them from the mestizo hodge-podge of the post-colonial populations of the Americas.
However, over time, the word has taken on additional meanings, such as “local” or “home-grown”, as in the case of “comida criolla” to mean “local cuisine” or “aguacate criollo” for the thin-skinned native avocados of Mexico. It is in this vein that Salsa Criolla is used to describe a South American condiment composed of sliced onions seasoned with ingredients such as cilantro, boiled or pickled beets, boiled potatoes, avocado, chili peppers and tomatoes.
As a rule of thumb, I encourage you to embrace anything edible that includes the word Criollo. Please report back if you find that recommendation to be ill advised.
Caja de china is a cooking device used primarily for roasting pork. Literally translated as “Chinese box”, the insulated cooker employs centuries-old technology and can be thought of as and above ground and portable “pib” or cooking pit. Inside the box is a metal liner, a grate to hold a whole or half pig (or multiple suckling pigs), a metal tray located over the pig to contain coals, and a lid that seals in heat.
The name is a matter of debate but some believe that it may have originated in Cuba. The word “china” was often used across the Hispanic Caribbean to mean something ingenious or clever. Thus, caja de china was an appropriate name for a cooking method that reduced the traditional roasting time for a pig by half.
Churros are a fried-dough pastry popularized in Spain and Portugal has become the go-to sweet treat anywhere these European explorers ventured including the Philippines, Latin America and Mexico. The doughy wands are extruded from a star-shaped die directly into the frying vat and manipulated by the churrero to form straight or curved pieces. The simple dough formed with flour, water and salt, remains soft inside but is surrounded by a crisp outer crust and often sprinkled with sugar. Generally eaten for breakfast dipped in champurrado, hot chocolate, dulce de leche or café con leche, churros are equally appropriate for snacking throughout the day.