Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine March 2025

Who said it’s difficult to have a meat-free diet in Mexico? And why do most locals obey a meat-free month of March? Mazatlan’s markets are bursting with fresh produce for a bargain price. After Carnival locals are preparing lots of vegetarian dishes, because catholic tradition requires a non-red meat diet during Lent.
A favorite vegetarian dish in Mexico is Chiles rellenos: Poblano pepper with cheese filling. But have you ever tried stuffed cauliflower or zucchini? Cauliflower isn’t an indigenous vegetable in Mexico. It was introduced by the courts of the French Archduke Maximilian who was emperor of Mexico between 1864 and 1867. These fritters can be eaten all year round, but especially during Lent.

Ingredients:

• 6 small zucchinis
• 1 small cauliflower, divided in 6 pieces
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 kg (4.4 lb) ripe tomatoes
• ½ onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 250 gr (9 oz) Chihuahua cheese
• 5 eggs, split egg yolk and white
• ½ cup flour
• Vegetable oil to fry

​Preparation:
Cook the zucchinis and cauliflower separately until firm to the bite; add the milk to the cauliflower. Strain the vegetables and set aside.
Puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic and water. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and sauté the tomato puree for five minutes on a high heat. Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste and simmer softly for another 8 minutes. Set aside until serving.
Cut the top end of the zucchinis and hollow out a ‘canal’ in the middle. Fill with grated cheese and set aside. Press cheese into the cauliflower pieces and set aside.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold in the egg yolks, one by one. Sprinkle the flour on a large flat plate and roll the vegetables in it.
Heat oil in a large skillet on a high heat. Make sure there is at least 1 cm (0.5 inch) of oil in the bottom of the pan.
Dip the vegetables into the whipped egg mixture until completely covered. Add two pieces at a time to the hot oil and fry until brown on all sides. Leave to drain on plate with paper towels.
Heat the tomato sauce right before serving. Put the vegetable fritters in the sauce and heat up for five minutes. Served with cooked white rice.
​
SERVES 6 PEOPLE.

If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.
 

Published in the Pacific Pearl February 2025 

Mazatlan’s winter months might seem like summer to some. But for those of us who spend most of the year in tropical temperatures, February is the month of northern winds, Carnaval and hot chocolate or Atole corn custard. So what is our winter comfort food? You may have heard about Pozole (pork hominy soup) served at local diners, but do you know Asado a la plaza?
Asado a la Plaza could be considered the middle brother of Sinaloa cuisine, forgotten between seafood and grilled fish, Machaca dried beef and shrimp tamales. However if there is one dish that represents Sinaloa, it’s this dish of fried meat and potatoes topped with vegetables and a rich bone broth which locals mothers prepare with much love. This satisfying dish highlights the region’s agricultural abundance: carrot, zucchini, onion, potato and tomato. Let’s cook like a local and make Asado a la Plaza with Doña Cuca Cardenas’ recipe.

Ingredients (serves 8 people)

• 1 kilo (2.2 lb) tenderloin (cuete or gusano at local butchers)
• 4 cups water
• 10 peppercorns
• 6 cloves garlic
• ¼ onion
• 1 tbsp salt
• 450 grams (1 lb) zucchini or shredded lettuce
• 1 kilo (2.2 lb) potatoes
• 1/3 cup vinegar

Add the water, pepper, garlic, onion, salt and meat to a pressure cooker, insta-pot or large pan. If you use a pressure cooker, cook for 40 minutes or cook until tender if you are using a regular pan. Leave to cool down, slice the meat into small cubes and set aside.
Meanwhile cut the zucchini in small cubes and boil in a pan with one cup of water until half cooked. Strain and leave to cool down in a bowl and sprinkle with vinegar. You can also use finely sliced lettuce as a topping.
Wash the potatoes, prick 4-5 times with a fork and cook in the beef broth until half cooked. Remove from the broth to cool down. Peel the skin off, cut in small cubes and set aside.

Pickled onion for Asado

• 1 large red onion
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Boiling water

Remove the outer skin from the onion. Cut in half, slice thinly and place in a heat-proof bowl. Add the lime juice, vinegar, salt and cover with boiling water. Put a lid on top and leave to cool down.

Beef tomato broth

• 3 large ripe tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/8 onion
• 1 ½ cup beef broth
• Salt, pepper and oregano to taste

Cook the tomatoes in the pan with beef broth for 5 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the pan, let them cool down and peel off the skin. Add to a blender with the garlic, onion and 1 ½ cup beef broth until smooth. Then season to taste with salt, pepper and oregano.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet, fry the meat cubes and season with salt and pepper. Make sure to stir continuously until lightly fried. Remove from the oil and keep warm. Then fry the potato cubes in the same oil until golden.
Divide the fried potatoes and meat between eight plates and top with zucchini or shredded lettuce, pickled onion and crumble Cotija cheese on top. Serve with tostadas and the hot beef tomato broth in small cups, so every person can add their broth.
Note: you can use chicken or tuna instead of beef for this recipe.
​
If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.

Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine January 2025

First of all: feliz Año Nuevo, happy New Year! Most of us start the New Year with fresh plans of exercise and diet. In Mexico many dieticians incorporate nopales cactus leaves in their nutritional recommendations. But what are nopales, how do you prepare them and where can you buy them?
​
Did you know that nopales have been part of the Mexican diet for thousands of years alongside corn and beans? The Opuntia cactus was domesticated 9000 years ago by the Chichimeca hunter-gatherer civilization in the central northern plains. From there it spread southwards and it was known in Nahuatl as Nohpalli which means tree with fruits. Currently there are over 100 different nopales varieties. Nopales have multiple uses: you can eat its flat oval-shaped leaves or its tuna cactus fruit and it is even used as a garden ‘fence’.
In Mexico the nopal is more than just food. It is also an important national symbol. The Mexica tribe, who lived in the mythical city Aztlan, migrated around 1000 AD from northern Mexico in search of fertile soils to found their capital Tenochtitlan (currently Mexico-city). The indicated location would be where an eagle sits on a Nopal cactus devouring a snake. You can find this symbol in the center of the Mexican flag. A fun Spanish saying is that somebody with very Mexican features, is said to “have a nopal on his forehead”.
So what are the health benefits of nopales? First of all nopales have few calories (15 kcal/100 g) and it is helpful for people with diabetes. Nopales are usually consumed cooked and mixed with a Pico de Gallo salad or in guacamole. Should you be worried about the cactus leaf thorns? Not at all: at local markets or supermarkets you can find thorn-less nopales. You will often see the vendors do this slow and meticulous labor of removing the thorns. Can you eat nopales raw? You won’t see anybody eat nopales like celery sticks, but it’s a common ingredient in our famous Jugo Verde (green juice). Let’s get the blender off the shelf and give it a try!

Jugo Verde recipe (for 1 glass)

• 1 nopal cactus leaf, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• ¾ cup pineapple, diced
• ½ cup orange juice or water
• Fresh parsley, optional to taste

Add all the ingredients in a blender and mix until you get a smooth consistency. You can add more orange juice to make it less thick. If you prefer, you can strain out the fiber and serve in a glass.

If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.
 

Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine December 2024

In December Mexico is flooded with scents of cinnamon and piloncillo sugar, which comes from Buñuelos a traditional dessert that brightens up local homes around the holiday season. Buñuelos are fried pancakes that have a long cultural and culinary history in Mexico. You might see them stacked up at street vendors with their essential piloncillo syrup. You can enjoy them as a sweet treat or serve them at Christmas or New Year’s dinner.
The origins of Buñuelos trace back around two thousand years to the Middle East, where they were consumed as fried dough balls with honey. Then they spread to Spain and transformed into Buñuelos. The Spanish Conquista and its cultural exchange, made it available in Mexico as early as the 16th century. Spanish Buñuelos de viento are stuffed with cream, while the Mexican Buñuelos look more like a fried wheat flour tortilla. Convents were the first places where Buñuelos were made. The famous Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz wrote a recipe book in the 17th century including three buñuelo recipes.
Do you want to add a Mexican touch to your holiday celebration? Let’s get hands-on with Buñuelos.

Ingredients:

• ½ - ¾ cup water
• Anise seeds
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cold butter or vegetable shortening
• 2 cups vegetable oil to fry the buñuelos

Bring the water to a boil, add the anise seeds and boil for 3 minutes. Leave to cool until lukewarm. Strain out the anise seeds and set aside.
Place the flour in a large bowl, create a hole in the middle and add the egg, sugar and butter. Mix with your fingertips until you get a crumbly texture. Add the anise water one tablespoon at a time and knead for 5 minutes until the dough has a smooth texture.
Leave the dough to rest in a covered greased bowl for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in 12 balls. Roll the balls on floured surface to an 18 cm or 7 inch diameter. Stretch the dough as much as possible, using your hands, without tearing it.
Meanwhile heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add one buñuelo, fry for 15-20 seconds and turn over. Make sure to press it into the oil and fry an additional 30 seconds until it’s golden. Leave to drain on a plate with paper towels and fry the next.
 
 
Sugar syrup: 

• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 12-oz piloncillo sugar cone or 12 oz. Caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Peel of ¼ orange
• 4-6 guayabas (optional)

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan and add the anise seeds, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel and guayabas. Boil on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir, lower the heat and cook on a gentle heat for another 5 minutes. The sugar syrup can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. Strain before serving on the buñuelos.
To serve the buñuelos, pour some sugar syrup on top and serve warm or at room temperature.
FOR 12 BUÑUELOS
 
This holiday season, don’t miss the Buñuelos and have it with Mexican spiced coffee or hot chocolate. It doesn’t matter where you are in Mexico, Buñuelos are the perfect mix of tradition, culture and history.
If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.
 
 

Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine October 2024
​
How can you sum up Mexican spirituality? Nothing reveals more about the national understanding of death than Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). It is celebrated with colorful altars full of candles, flowers, sugar skulls and the long-awaited Pan de Muertos.
The origins of Day of the Dead trace back to the pre-Hispanic civilizations who believed that the dead reside in the underworld or Mictlan. But on Dia de Muertos, which was originally celebrated in August, the dead can return to their homes. The Catholic conquistadores, hoping to assimilate the holiday through their favored tactic of cultural mixing or mestizaje, moved it to coincide with All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd).
How is it celebrated? Many traditional communities still observe it as a religious and spiritual event. For them it might be called Noche de Muertos (Night of the Dead) because families spend the entire night at the graveyard with the departed. In Mazatlan it is a much more joyous affair involving a street parade ‘Callejoneada’, live music and skeleton ‘Catrina’ dancers.
The center piece of the celebrations is the altar that is set up at home or at the cemetery. It’s decorated with orange marigold flowers, salt, water, candles and the favorite food of the deceased. Most people most look forward to Pan de Muerto, which is an orange-infused bread. Its dome shape reminds us of a skull with bones on the top. You can only find Pan de Muerto in the weeks running up to Dia de Muerto. Don’t worry if you’re not in town, because making Pan de Muerto isn’t as hard as it seems. The recipe was provided by the local La Guadalupana bakery who has been serving it since 1972.
 
INGREDIENTS:
3 ½ cups white flour
½ cup water
1 cup butter
2 eggs + 1 egg for egg glaze
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp grated orange zest
2 tsp dry yeast
7 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp aniseed tea (prepared)
3 tbsp orange blossom tea (prepared)
 
PREPARATION:
Heat the water until lukewarm. In a bowl mix two tablespoons of flour, ½ tablespoon sugar and the yeast and stir in the lukewarm water. Leave to rest until it has doubled its size.
On a clean surface place the flour and create a hole in the middle. Add the remaining sugar, the orange zest, salt and butter.
With one hand slowly mix the ingredients, while with the other hand you add the anise and orange blossom teas, two eggs and seven yolks.
Knead until you get a manageable dough and continue the process for about 10 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture to the dough and continue kneading until it gets a smooth consistency and it doesn’t stick to your hands. The dough is ready when you’re able to stretch it out and it doesn’t break.
Place the dough in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rest in a warm place until it has doubled its size.
Knead the dough again and separate some dough for decoration.
Grease a baking tin and sprinkle with some flour. Make 10-cm or 4-inch sized balls and place them on the baking tin with space in between. Make small balls and strips with the separate dough. These will be the skull and bones to decorate the bread.
Whisk the remaining egg and with a pastry brush attach the bones and the skull in the center. Leave the tray with dough balls to rest in a warm place until it has doubled its size, for about one hour.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C or 390°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 170°C or 335°F for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
Leave the Pan de Muerto rolls to cool down. Use a pastry brush to cover them with butter and sprinkle with abundant sugar. Pan de Muerto is best when eaten warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.
 
If you’re ready to learn more about Day of the Dead and its culinary delicacies, make sure to book the limited seats for our seasonal Day of the Dead tour on www.flavorteller.com/bookatour. We will be heading out the last week of October only.
 
 

Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine July 2024

What does food and politics have in common? At first glance you would say ‘nothing’. But at Mazatlan’s seafood restaurants you will find an interesting dish that combines both. So what are Governor’s Tacos and who invented it?
The history of this dish goes back to a famous seafood restaurant in Mazatlan “Los Arcos”. As the story goes in 1987 the then governor Francisco Labastida made a reservation at the restaurant. The owner of Los Arcos found out about the upcoming visit of this important politician, who already was a regular customer, and he was set on making Mr. Labastida’s visit memorable.
Thinking of all the ways that he could surprise the governor, he remembered an anecdote that Mr. Labastida had told him about the delicious ‘machaca’ (Mexican beef jerky) tacos that his wife prepared.
Immediately the owner and head chef of the restaurant started experimenting to find a recipe that they could show off. They came up with shrimp ‘machaca’ with cheese in a grilled corn tortilla. The governor asked what the name of this novel dish was and the owner spontaneously said ‘Taco Gobernador’. Nowadays you can find Taco Gobernador in most seafood restaurants in Mazatlan, where each has their own version.
If you are craving this dish right now, but you are not in Mazatlan: don’t worry! Here is an easy recipe to make your own ‘Tacos Gobernador’ at home.
 
Tacos Gobernador
Ingredients:
10-12 corn tortillas
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Poblano or bell pepper, deseeded in strips
2 cups shrimp, peeled, cleaned and chopped
Salt, pepper and oregano to taste
1 cup tomato, chopped
2 cups Chihuahua cheese or similar melting cheese
 
 
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion, garlic and Poblano pepper strips and sauté for five minutes. Then add the shrimp and season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Stir continuously until the shrimp is browned. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for another five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To assemble the Governor’s Tacos, heat the tortillas one by one in a ‘Comal’ tortilla pan or dry skillet. Add some grated cheese and leave to melt. Top off with a spoonful of the shrimp mixture and fold double to make a taco. Leave the taco on the comal or skillet until it’s crunchy, turning it over occasionally. Served with avocado slices and chopped cilantro.
Buen Provecho! Enjoy your meal!
If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.