Esquites (Mexican street corn)

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Esquites

There are as many styles of flavored corn (esquites) in Mexico as there are regions of Mexico. Corn may be served on or off the cobb and grilled, boiled, or steamed. One common mode for street vendors is to serve the loose kernels in a cup topped with mayo, chile powder, and hot sauce. This basic recipe is common on the streets of Mexico City – simple, satisfying and delicious.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Small Bites
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 cups

Equipment

  • Chef knife
  • Wide bottomed fry pan
  • 2 large mixing bowls

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of corn (3 cups of kernels)
  • 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbl unsalted butter
  • 1/3 Cup water
  • salt

Toppings

  • 1/2 Cup Mexican crema or mayonnaise casera (Substitute sour cream or mayo if you are unable to buy the Mexican versions.)
  • 4 Tbl finely chopped epazote, if available
  • 1 serrano pepper, finely minced
  • 1/2 Cup cotija cheese crumbled (Substitute grated pecorino or parmesan, if you cannot buy cotija.)
  • 1 lime, sliced in wedges
  • Dried piquin chile powder
  • Salt

Instructions

Mise en place

  • Husk corn and cut corn kernels off the cobs.
  • Finely chop the onion.
  • Finely mince the serrano pepper.
  • Finely chop the epazote.

Cook

  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet.
  • Add the onion and saute until it is transparent.
  • Add the corn, epazote, serrano pepper and water to the pan, stir and cover. Cook 6 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The corn kernels should be a little firm but cooked through.
  • Season with salt to taste.

Plate

  • Serve in glasses and top with the crema/mayo and cheese. Sprinkle some chili powder and add a squeeze of lime.
  • Also consider pairing esquites with fish and seafood for incredible flavor and presentation. (Dish and photo by Chef Carlos Gaytan.)

Notes

Jamie Kelly is an American marketing professional turned gastronaut. She is eating her way through a full-spectrum exploration of food culture in Spanish-speaking lands and staging ambitious re-enactments of her finds in her own kitchen. To join the expedition, follow at FB: gastro-curious, IG: jamie_gastrocurious and www.gastro-curious.com.

Simple Vinaigrette

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Simple Vinaigrette

Bottled salad dressing can be convenient but also over-priced and full of salt, sugar, and chemical additives. Fortunately, making a simple vinaigrette is one of the most basic techniques taught in culinary school. Once you know the formula, the possibilities are endless. The only trick is to remember 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. You will find yourself using it on salads, cooked vegetables, pasta salads, grilled chicken - anything that can use a little kick.
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Sauces
Servings: 4 cups

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tbl salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbl water

Instructions

  • Put the vinegar, salt, pepper and water in the blender and pulse to combine until the salt is entirely dissolved.
  • With the blender on high speed, little by little drizzle in the oil to emulsify.
  • To test the flavor of the dressing, dip a piece of lettuce in, shake off the excess and taste. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Stored in glass jars or plastic squeeze bottles in the refrigerator, simple vinaigrette will last for several weeks.
Jamie Kelly is an American marketing professional turned gastronaut. She is eating her way through a full-spectrum exploration of food culture in Spanish-speaking lands and staging ambitious re-enactments of her finds in her own kitchen. To join the expedition, follow at FB: gastro-curious, IG: jamie_gastrocurious and www.gastro-curious.com.

Creamy Lime Pasta Salad with Seared Salmon

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Creamy Lime Pasta Salad with Seared Salmon

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Salads
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Dry Penne Pasta
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes, de-stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 8 Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
  • 2 Carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 Cucumbers, Sliced and seeded
  • 1 Head of Romaine rough chopped
  • 3 Tbsp Simple Vinaigrette
  • 1 lb Salmon Filet, 1-inch cubes

Dressing

  • 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, separated
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Mise en place

  • Trim and cut all vegetables; place carrots and asparagus in one bowl and cucumber, tomato and romaine in another.
  • Skin, de-bone, and cube the salmon filet into 1-inch pieces

Cook

  • Add salt to pasta water and bring to a boil. Cook penne until al dente (approximately 9 minutes)
  • While pasta is cooking, blanch the asparagus and carrots for 5 minutes until they lose their crisp, then shock in cold water and return them back into their bowl.
  • In small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, 2 Tbl of olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Coat pasta, carrots and asparagus in yogurt sauce, reserving ¼ cup.
  • When ready, strain the pasta and and cool it by rinsing in cold water.
  • Dress lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes in simple vinaigrette.
  • In 1 Tbl of olive oil, sear salmon cubes on high heat until outer edges are opaque but inside remains pink (2-3 minutes.)

Plate

  • Place a bed of dressed lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers on plate. Top with pasta mixture then seared salmon cubes. Drizzle with remaining yogurt lime dressing.
    Serve with a crisp white wine.

Notes

Simple Vinaigrette takes only minutes to make can can be kept in refrigerator for weeks to dress salads and cooked vegetables.
Jamie Kelly is an American marketing professional turned gastronaut. She is eating her way through a full-spectrum exploration of food culture in Spanish-speaking lands and staging ambitious re-enactments of her finds in her own kitchen. To join the expedition, follow at FB: gastro-curious, IG: jamie_gastrocurious and www.gastro-curious.com.

Hazelnut Lava Cakes

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Hazelnut Lava Cakes

Course: Desserts
Servings: 8 cakes

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 240 g Hazelnut nut butter
  • 16 Egg yolks
  • 160 g Sugar
  • 240 g Melted butter
  • 5 Egg whites
  • 2 tbl Butter (to grease molds)

Supplies

  • 8 3-inch circle ring molds (2.5 inch deep)
  • Parchment Paper

Instructions

Mise en place

  • Make hazelnut butter.
  • Separate 16 egg yolks and reserve 5 whites.

Cook

  • In a bain marie over low heat cook egg yolks and sugar whisking until they get pale and thick. It must reach 140°F/60°C. Remove from heat.
  • Melt butter.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk nut butter into warm melted butter.
  • Little by little mix the nut butter mixture to the egg mixture until combined.
  • Let the mixture cool until it reaches 113°F/45°C.
  • Whip 5 egg whites to soft peaks. (Hint: egg whites must be at room temperature)
  • Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment. Butter 8 ring molds and the parchment.
  • Add 120 g of batter to each mold and refrigerate for at least 1½ hours.
  • Bake at 350°F/190°C in a preheated oven for 7 minutes or until the edges are cooked and golden.

Plate

  • Serve lava cake with a scope of vanilla ice cream.

Gazpacho (Andalucian Style)

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Gazpacho (Andalucian-Style)

In the southern tip of Spain, Andalucian Summer is marked by a cold soup made with fresh, raw vegetables. Gazpacho recipes made with bread and oil date back to Roman times but the trademark version from this region more recently sprung from the introduction of tomatoes from the new world. The only secret to this refreshing, nourishing dish is to take your time with the emulsification. If you do, you’ll get a result so thick and rich that you might swear cream is added. There is saying in Spain, “de gazpacho no hay empacho” -- there’s never too much gazpacho. I have found this to be the case when I make it. But plan ahead, you'll need to start 2 days before you want to serve the dish.
Prep Time40 minutes
Hands off Time2 days
Total Time2 days 40 minutes
Course: Soups & Stews
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • Chef knife
  • Peeler
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1/3 Baguette Dried for 2 days
  • 5 Tomatoes
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Red onion
  • 1 Green Bell pepper
  • 2 Cucumbers Peeled & seeded
  • 100 ml Water
  • 75 ml Aged Sherry Vinegar (Critical ingredient: buy as high-quality sherry vinegar as you can find.)
  • 50 ml Ketchup (A secret: Ketchup is not traditional but it works wonders to balance the flavors.)
  • 60 ml Olive oil per quart of soup mixture

Instructions

Mise en place

  • Rough chop the bread and all the vegetables.

Prep

  • TWO DAYS BEFORE serving, dry 1/3 of a French baguette. Retain the rest for croutons.
  • ONE DAY BEFORE serving, combine in a large, shallow container the vegetables, bread, water, sherry vinegar, and ketchup. Mix until well-coated and marinate, covered overnight in refrigerator.
  • Blend ingredients in batches in a blender and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • In a blender, emulsify 1 quart batches with 60 ml of olive oil per batch.
  • Cut slices of baguette. Rub with garlic and olive oil. Toast in the oven at 350 for 7-8 minutes.

Plate

  • Ladle into a bowl or cup. Float a crouton on top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or herb infused oil. A celery leaf or parsley leaf can add a nice pop of color as garnish.

Notes

Jamie Kelly is an American marketing professional turned gastronaut. She is eating her way through a full-spectrum exploration of food culture in Spanish-speaking lands and staging ambitious re-enactments of her finds in her own kitchen. To join the expedition, follow at FB: gastro-curious, IG: jamie_gastrocurious and www.gastro-curious.com.