Goat Cheese and Beans
I'm a little late coming to goat cheese. It was everywhere at one point and I always liked it but didn't quite the fuss. Why should I be in love...
The Rancho Gordo Blog
Slow Cooker Pollo Pulquero
I've kept Slow Cookers (Crock Pots) around for years, almost exclusively for beans. I have horrible memories of flabby roasts from the 1970s that just won't quit. But I've been...
Ouch. Our Insanely Hot DeArbol Chiles.
I didn't know I could hit such high notes! I wasn't singing. I was screaming. This year's crop of De Arbol chiles is insanely hot. The seeds come from Jalisco...
My Short Career Making Tortillas
In 2010, I had the notion to open a tortilla factory here in Napa using the heriloom corn we were importing from Mexico. A commercial tortilleria using heirloom corn was...
In Praise of the Tortilla
As a longtime fan of Mexican food, you can imagine it's a little funny and a little irritating watching the great chefs of the world discover Mexican food, and the...
For the Record, Zapata Said It In the 20s
Everyone is sharing the quote "I would rather die standing than live on my knees." and attributing it to one of the Charlie Hebdo editors. It was Zapata who said...
A Potato Galette, Sort Of.
I came of age in the kitchen in the early 1980s. One of my favorite Saturday morning shows was Julia Child and More Company. I missed the French Chef era...
Thanksgiving Leftovers
Every year it seems like Turkey Curry is the featured after-Thanksgiving recipe in most of the newspapers. I suspect most of us just pick at the turkey until it's finished....
Breakfast of Champions
I was visiting my friends Maria and Isidro in their little village called Tepehuaje, right on the Lago Chapala and the first morning they asked if I wanted to join...
Purslane in the Garden and in the Kitchen
I first encountered purslane in the books of Diana Kennedy. In Spanish, it's known as vedolagas and often teamed with pork and tomatillos for a tangy stew that I can't...
Breakfast of Champions
I was visiting my friends Maria and Isidro in their little village called Tepehuaje, right on the Lago Chapala and the first morning they asked if I wanted to join...
Fermented Xoconostle
Being an unbearable hipster, I of course am fermenting almost everything that stands still in my kitchen. Kombucha, vinegar, tepache, chiles, beets-- nothing is safe. My latest victim is the...