Charles
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Posts by Charles
Candied walnuts: Nueces garapiñadas
Feb 11th
Candied nuts are a favorite treat in Mexico, and may be made with walnuts, pecans, almonds or peanuts. Walnuts are most prevalent during the winter holiday season. This sweet is one of the things we can’t resist while walking around Cholula’s December fair, with its booths of candy, ornaments, and decorations of every description.
Ingredients
2 cups walnut halves1 ½ cups sugar½ cup water¼ teaspoon cinnamonbutter
Combine all ingredients in a large heavy skillet, set over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar has melted and turned a brown color. It should coat the nuts evenly.
Drop the nuts onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and allow them to cool completely and harden. When hardened, remove them with the aid of a metal spatula, breaking up nuts that have stuck together. This is the traditional method for making candied nuts in Mexico. Alternatively, the syrup-coated nuts can be spread out on a lightly oiled cookie sheet as soon as the sugar has melted, and baked at 375º F until brown. Serves 8 as a snack.
Link to source articles
Mexican Christmas menu ideas: Posadas, Noche Buena, Navidad
Mexican holiday sweets: Cookies, candy and more
Jicama and mandarin orange salad: Ensalada xec
Feb 10th
This refreshing Yucatecan-style salad uses winter fruit in season. It comes to us courtesy of Chef David Sterling of Merida’s Los Dos cooking school.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips1 lime¼ cup naranja agria (sour orange) juice or substitute 2 parts lime juice, and 1 part each grapefruit and sweet orange juice1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely diced5 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned, seeds removed3 small, dried chiles, finely chopped3 tablespoons cilantro, choppedsalt to taste
Step 1: Peel jicama. The skin of this root vegetable will peel right off after you insert a knife between the skin and the flesh. Remove any traces of brown or remaining skin with a vegetable peeler. To keep the vegetable from discoloring as you work, rub it liberally with lime juice. Cut jicama into julienne strips. Toss in a large bowl with orange juice.
Step 2: Peel cucumber, seed and dice. Meanwhile, peel oranges and separate into sections, removing any seeds. Toss oranges and cucumber with jicama.
Step 3: Add chile and cilantro. Toss and check for seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Link to source articles
Mexican Christmas menu ideas: Posadas, Noche Buena, Navidad
Cooking in the Yucatan: Bright flavors and unique ingredients
