ELEXIS RUIZ
Often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (actually on September 16th), Cinco De Mayo commemorates the unlikely defeat of the French by the Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla. This win represented renewed hope, a sense of unity, and strengthened resistance. It became a day marked with parties and festivals, filled with food such as tacos al pastor, tamales, chilaquiles, and elotes; and plenty of drinks, from horchata to Mexican Coke to mezcal- and tequila-based cocktails. The celebrations happen wherever there’s a place to cook: in restaurants, on street corners, and in homes.
In Chicago, the Mexican community is a vibrant, integral part of our cultural makeup. It provides some of the best food that has come to represent Cinco de Mayo, including tacos. If you haven’t taken a trip down to the Pilsen neighborhood, for example, you’re missing out. So, as we imbibe tequila and nosh on Taco Tuesdays, it’s a great time to think about how and where it all started.
If you didn’t have a chance to frequent a local taco spot on Cinco de Mayo this year, fear not, you’ll only need to leave your home to shop for a handful of ingredients to make this dish: chicken tinga tacos, originating from Puebla. This smoky, spicy, shredded chicken taco, paired with a bonus recipe for a refreshing strawberry-lime margarita, is sure to have you celebrating all month long.
I am often asked at the end of a class at The Chopping Block, “What is your favorite class to teach?” and my answer is always the same. I love any class that has a global theme. Why? Food has the power to bring people together through conversation, overlapping use of ingredients, and the passing down of recipes from generation to generation. I love playing with spices, learning new techniques, and appreciating the knowledge and perspective gained from recipes that hail from different parts of the world.
This week, I was craving a recipe from Northern Africa: a comforting tomato sauce dish with warm spices, fresh vegetables, topped with poached eggs and garnished with fresh herbs and cheese. Shakshouka.
The title of this post says it all. With the yo-yoing weather we’ve had over the last few weeks, I am doing my best to feel the warming of spring the only way I know how - through cooking. If I can’t have a proper spring outside, I can at least have one in my kitchen.
If you’ve followed along on my adventures on this blog, you may know that growing up in a Hispanic household has had a big influence on my perception of food. Food is a love language, and being half Puerto Rican and half Dominican, that language is comfort, comfort, comfort. That being said, in these negative wind chills, all I’m looking for is a warm hug. That brings me to chicken and rice stew or asopao, which essentially translates to ‘soupy’.
The morning after a holiday, I open my fridge and am immediately overwhelmed by the abundance of Tupperware stuffed with leftovers stacked three to four high on each shelf. So one year, I started a tradition that is typical of our British friends: making a Boxing Day pie.
This tradition usually happens on the day after Christmas. British families will throw together a savory pie of dinner leftovers such as roasted turkey, glazed ham, seasonal veggies and savory stuffing, baked in a golden pastry crust for a slice of holiday goodness.
I thought to myself, why just Christmas? For the most part, when we celebrate a holiday, we pair dishes together that we feel will go well, flavors that will have their ‘Ratatouille’ moment, so theoretically they should all play well in a golden brown pie.
Roma Norte's history began as a 19th-century residential development for Mexico City's finest, named after the old town of "Romita" which was connected to Chapultepec by a tree-lined road similar to one in Rome.
After these elite residents started to move on, coupled with a devastating earthquake, the area started to see some economic decline. By the early 2000’s, however, artists and entrepreneurs began to populate and breathe life into the space, creating a thriving art and food scene that has kept the area bustling today.
I recently came home with a few extra plantains from my Tasting Table demonstration that I hosted at The Chopping Block a few weeks ago, which I admittedly left on the counter too long. The peels turned brown and black, so take a wild guess at what I decided to make.
I grew up eating Dominican food, and I am excited to share some of those dishes - in an elevated version - during my upcoming Tasting Table on Tuesday, August 26. They are inspired by my late grandmother, who didn’t write down any of her recipes but let us grandkids watch, listen, and learn.
Bayan Ko, featuring a Filipino-Cuban fusion tasting menu, sits just outside of the Montrose brown line stop, a bright neon pink sign inviting you in. The restaurant neighbors its original, more casual concept - Bayan Ko Diner - where you can walk in, carry out, or dine in. It was date night, and my partner and I decided to splurge on the reservation-only seven-course tasting menu, which features an incredible array of Asian and Latin American flavors.
Summer approaches, and I am immediately in “keep cool” mode. For me, this means citrusy, refreshing, crisp, palate-cleansing food.