La Cocina Tradicional de Zihuatanejo | PREVIEW

La Cocina Tradicional
de Zihuatanejo
A Cook Book
Well Loved and Traditional Mexican Cooking From the
Kitchens of Zihuatanejo
By Rebeca Ambriz
Table of Contents
1) About the Author Page
2) The Importance of the Corn Tortilla Page
a. How to Make Hand Made Tortillas Page
3) Tortilla and Corn Masa Dishes Page
4) Salsas Page
5) Pollo (Chicken) and Others Page
6) Carne de Res (Beef) Page
7) Cero (Pork) Page
8) Papas, Arroz, y Pasta (Potatoes, Rice, and Pasta) Page
9) Verduras and Ensaladas (Veggies and Salads) Page
10) Caldos (Soups) Page
11) Local Cheeses (Quesos) Page
12) Chilies Page
13) Chili Rellenos Page
14) Mariscos (Seafood) Page
15) Langosta (Lobster) Page
16) Paella Page
17) Brochettes Page
18) Tamales Page
19) Frijoles (Beans) Page
20) Pan (Bread) Page
21) Las Frutas Tropicales – The Tropical Fruits Page
22) Postres - Deserts Page
23) Beverages Page
Appendix I - Kitchen Spanish Page
Appendix II – The Art of Cooking (article) Page
Index Page
Inside Back Cover - Acknowledgements
5
6
6
10
22
32
42
49
61
68
78
86
90
94
99
118
122
124
126
130
136
142
147
152
157
162
164
1) About the Author:
Rebeca (spelled with one “c”) was born and raised on this 160 mile long stretch of
coast, the Costa Grande of Guerrero, of which Zihuatanejo is located in the upper 1/3.
Coming from a typical poor family, trying to make a living off the land, with her father
and brothers also picking up odd jobs for cash money from time to time, life was very
difficult. Young girls grow up quick under these conditions; having to start pulling their
“fair share” at a very early age.
However, with her Mother, she had a teacher of excellent qualifications for making
a small quantity of food become an excellent, nutritious and filling meal for the family of
eleven.
By the time Rebeca was 6 years old, she was already making the hand made
tortillas for the family and also helping her Mother to make tamales to be taken each
day to Zihuatanejo to be sold by the street vendors there.
And, with a fishing line
wrapped around an empty beer can,
she became an accomplished fisherman. She would help provide the
family with fresh fish she caught
from the nearby river which outlets
at Valentin, usually catching more
fish than her older brothers.
All of the family cooking was
done outside the home, on a
chimenea, a wood burning fire place
made of clay, under a shaded
cabaña. She had rarely cooked on a
gas stove or used a microwave oven
until she was 21.
Rebeca feels the need is
there; to get the traditional recipes
of this coast written down, before
they are lost to the future
generations.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 5
2) The Importance of the Corn Tortilla:
The natural nutritional benefits of corn tortillas, low in fat and sodium, and
containing calcium, potassium, fiber, iron and B vitamins, are the ingredients for a
healthy and beneficial food. When the meal is complimented with beans, as most meals
usually are in Mexico, especially among the poor, the corn and beans have
complimentary amino acids. This is a very important relationship as amino acids are the
building blocks for protein, a very essential element for the body to survive.
Combine that with the ease to convert common corn to a very inexpensive masa
(dough), and it is no wonder the masses of the poorer people in Mexico make the tortilla
the most important staple in their diet. Plus, each tortilla has about 55 calories, and the
human body needs calories to survive. For a hard working poor person, who cannot
afford many meals with high calorie meats, the tortilla is an excellent option.
For my family, with usually about 8 to 10 people present, I always made at least 2
kilos (4.4 pounds) of tortillas for each meal. But, even if the family is not poor, the
versatility, flavor, and low cost of the tortilla has become so ingrained into our lives,
even a small family of 4 will consume about a kilo (2.2 pounds) a day.
a. How to Make Homemade Tortillas -
(Reprint of an article published in the December 2003 edition of Another Day In
Paradise)
By Ed Kunze
Tortillas have been used as a staple food source in Mexico since at least the days
of the Aztecs. Corn (maiz) is native to the Americas, with wheat and other grains not
arriving until after the Europeans. It is well documented how the Aztec Indians would
boil the corn kernels, add a little pulverized limestone to release the hard shelled skin
from the surface of the kernel, dried, and then grind them to make flour. The flour,
called harina (ah-reena), was then mixed with water to make a dough, called masa.
Other than mass production with machines, today’s methods have changed very
little. From this masa you can make what we call “tortillas” (derived from the Spanish
word torta - meaning a small round cake). Also, from this same masa, you can make
tamales (masa wrapped in corn or banana leaves and steamed) and sopes (masa made
into a smaller diameter, yet very thick, and fried).
North of the border, the tortilla is gaining a lot of popularity. Even though most
Americans and Canadians prefer the flour tortilla, corn and flour tortillas are more
popular than any other ethnic bread, such as bagels, English muffins, and pita bread. A
recent article in the L.A. Times stated the tortilla industry in the U.S. has a 9% annual
growth. That is warp speed in the bread industry. In Mexico, the flour tortilla’s
popularity is mostly confined to regional preferences in the Northern Mexican Border
States and the Baja Peninsula. The average Mexican views a flour tortilla as you would
compare a slice of white Wonder Bread to a good French bread
The corn tortilla is a basic food staple in Mexico, with over 300 million a day
being consumed in the Republic.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 6
The corn tortilla is high in nutritional value (especially calcium, potassium and
fiber) and, combined with some rice and beans, may be the only nutrition many very
poor families eat for several days running.
Most small towns, and all of the cities, have a small neighborhood factory which
mass produces corn tortillas by machine. They sell the tortillas by the Kilo (2.2 pounds),
or a fraction thereof. You can always spot one of the small tortilla factories around
dinner time, because there will be a long line of kids who have been sent to get the
fresh hot tortillas, just before Mom
places the food on the table.
However, in many parts of Mexico, especially in the rural areas, there are no
machines to make tortillas. To make tortillas by hand is a daily occurrence. Plus, there is
not a single Mexican who will tell you a hand made tortilla is inferior in taste to a
machine tortilla. In the cities, wives who make their tortillas by hand are revered and
respected. Restaurants that serve hand made tortillas do a better business than one
who has just as good of food, but the tortillas are not hand made. Hand made tortillas
simply taste better, and are very much a part of Mexican cooking.
For you, in your kitchen north of the border, it is not difficult to make very good
tortillas in your home. Most supermarkets today carry a line of Mexican foods, and corn
flour is stocked in most of them. Quaker makes a decent corn flour called Masa Harina,
but usually corn flour is packaged as “harina de maiz”. Be sure you use corn flour,
because corn “starch” or corn “meal” will not work.
A regular iron skillet or griddle is just fine. Tortillas are best made when
using a higher heat than you would normally cook with. With a lot of use, the higher
heat will eventually warp a thin Teflon coated griddle, so a thicker metal one is better.
The griddle that works best is one like Rebeca Ambriz has been making
tortillas on since she was 6 years old. Rebeca prefers a wood burning chimenea (clay
stove) with a fired clay comal (griddle). It takes a higher heat for the clay comal to get
hot, but unlike the metal comals, no oil is needed to keep the tortilla from sticking.
Rebeca’s family recipe and way the way she makes her tortillas (delicious,
outstanding, etc.) are as follows:
For 6 tortillas (or 5, if you like them a little thicker)
* 1 cup of water, with a little salt dissolved in it
* 1 cup of harina maiz (corn flour)
* ½ cup of regular wheat flour
Add all the ingredients together and knead the masa to make a consistent dough. Then make
about 6 small balls and set them aside.
The tortilla press is a very simple device made of aluminum, steel or wood.
It has two flat surfaces and a handle to press down on the upper surface. Rebeca cuts
two circular pieces of plastic out of a couple of clear plastic bags. One piece goes on the
bottom surface of the press, then place one of the small masa balls, with the second
plastic sheet on top.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 7
A typical small tortilla
making machine, which
can be found in almost
every neighborhood in
Mexico.
The tortilla making
machine has a large
hopper on top, which the
masa is placed. A worm
drive gear measures out
the correct amount from
the bottom of the hopper
and feeds it to a device
to flatten the masa into a
tortilla.
From there the conveyor
belt takes over, sending the
tortilla through a gas fired
flame and onto the
discharge hopper.
Just push the lever down on the top of the press a couple of times and a perfectly
round tortilla will be between the plastic sheets.
Be sure to pre heat the comal till it is hot. If you are using a metal or non Teflon
griddle, put a little salad oil on a paper towel and lightly wipe the surface for the first
one, and then for every third or fourth one thereafter.
It is almost an art in itself to place the tortilla on the comal so it will lay absolutely
flat, and not fold over onto itself. The pressed tortilla will be in the palm of Rebeca’s left
hand. She will peel the plastic off and transfer the tortilla to her right hand. Then, she
more or less sweeps the back of her hand over the comal. The lower edge of the
tortilla catches the comal, and the resistance helps pull the rest of the tortilla off her
hand, as she follows through with the sweep and rolls her hand away at the same time.
It will take a couple of times for you to get it right, but Rebeca has been doing it for 22
years, and has developed a very smooth and fluid motion.
The tortillas are done when they start to get a little browned on each side. The
first time you turn them, like a hotcake, if they want to tear, just wait a little longer for it
to cook more. Place the cooked tortillas in a container made to keep them hot, or wrap
them in a towel. Serve and enjoy.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 8
A tortilla
making
“factory”
Note the
bags of
whole
kernel
corn on
the left.
A typical hand
tortilla press for
making hand made
tortillas. The masa
is separated into
similar sized balls,
improving the
“roundness” just
before placing on
the press.
The sales counter at
a small neighborhood
tortilla factory.
Note the young woman
has also made up and
sells chicharrón in a
plastic bag, refried
beans, and salsa in
plastic cups.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 9
3) Tortilla and Corn Masa Dishes:
a.
Enchiladas Page
11
b. Huevos Rancheros Page
13
c. TacosPage
15
d. Quesadillas Page 15
1. Pierna Page 16
2. Gringas Page 17
e. TostadasPage
18
f. Sopes Page 19
g. Chilaquiles Page 20
h. Taquitos Page 21
Sopes with sliced chicken breasts lightly fried in butter with salt and pepper, and then shredded. Plus,
refried beans, sliced white cabbage, tomato, sour crème, and queso fresco. And you have a choice of
either the green chili jalapeños or the red sauce. The red sauce was made by frying about 30 chilies de
arbol in oil, adding some salt and 2 gloves of garlic. The whole thing was then put in a blender. It is almost
pure chili, and not recommended for the casual chili eater.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo -
Page 10
a. Enchiladas (Rojo): Red enchiladas make a great meal when you have
leftover chicken or turkey….Especially if you also have leftover mashed potatoes. You
can then make a complete meal by making three different types of enchiladas; chicken,
potato, and zucchini.
Most families and restaurants just boil the breast of a chicken in water, because it
shreds easily. But white meat dries out quickly, so it is best to not use the white breast
meat. Nor should you boil the meat, because it will have no flavor. it is best to cook the
skinned chicken legs and thighs ahead of time in a skillet with canola oil and maybe
even a little bacon, using salt and pepper seasoning and a little garlic. Drain the oil and
let the chicken cool down enough so you can take it apart by hand.
Degree of difficulty – Medium: Mostly because you have a lot of things going on at the
same time to cook a complete meal.
Ingredients –
* Two strips of bacon (optional)
* Canola oil
* Celery
* Onion
* Garlic
* Tomato sauce
* Chili Guajillo sauce
* Cumin
* Tortillas
* Chicken legs and thighs
* Mashed potatoes
* Zucchini squash - sliced lengthwise in quarters
* Butter
* Queso fresco (A Mexican non-melting fresh cheese)
* Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese
* Sour Crème (optional)
* Salt and pepper
Cook the zucchini in butter al dente so it just needs to be warmed up with the
cheese when inside the enchilada to be perfect.
Shred the chicken (in small chunks) and set aside with the mashed potatoes.
Red Sauce: Fry a small amount of chopped bacon in a bit of canola oil and add ¼
of a diced onion, 2 stalks of diced celery, and 1 clove of sliced garlic, salt and pepper. Using the same pan, add 1 can of Guajillo sauce, and add 1 box of fried tomato
sauce (a regular can of tomato sauce in the States or Canada). Add ½ of a teaspoon of
cumin. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. (See the Guajillo sauce recipe on page 100)
Individually warm the tortillas in a small fry pan with some sauce added, but not
too much sauce. Turn the tortilla over once and fry them just enough to coat both sides
with sauce. Add a bit more sauce to the pan, and quickly fry the next tortilla.
Place the tortilla in a glass ware baking dish and add the shredded chicken, sliced
zucchini, and mashed potatoes to the individual tortillas.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 11
You can now either add diced onion and cheese or, from each side, just fold the
torilla over to seal it up.
Cover with the balance of sauce you made, diced onion, and a melting cheese
(Oaxaca white cheese is best). Warm in the oven long enough to melt the cheese, or
cover with a plastic wrap and warm in the microwave.
An optional item is to sprinkle a bit of Queso Fresco over the entire thing and just
before serving.
Another option is to place a non-melting cheese inside the enchilada. Panela and
quesos fresco fall in this category. A small amount of sour crème can also be added to
each serving portion.
Below left to upper right
– Monterey jack cheese,
onion, sauce, cheese,
zucchini, Shredded
chicken (thighs and drum
sticks), mashed potatoes,
corn tortillas inwrapping
paper. This is a huge
meal in the making, and
after dinner, most of it
will be concentrated to
one pan and will go in the
freezer.
Enchiladas Verde: Enchiladas in a green sauce, made from green tomatillos, is
another very popular dish in Zihuatanejo.
The sauce: On a dry comal (skillet) place 10 medium sized green tomatillos, 1 or
2 chili serranos, and a couple of wedges of garlic. Cook everything, turning occasionally
until the tomatillos darken on a couple of sides. When ready, transfer everything to a
blender or molcajete, add a little water, and pulverize.
In a separate pan, using a little olive or canola oil, add ¼ a teaspoon of oregano,
¼ a teaspoon of cumin, salt and pepper, and fry up some diced onion. When the onions
are about ½ cooked, add the green sauce from blender or molcajete and simmer until
done.
Prepare the enchiladas the same way as described above for Red Enchiladas.
Note: The real Mexican flavor of enchiladas comes through the spice Cumin. If
you take a shortcut and use a packaged enchilada sauce, add a little more cumin to the
sauce to enhance it. Three or four good shakes will do.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 12
Left to right:
Chicken, potato,
and zucchini
(barely seen)
enchiladas.
Enchiladas
covered with
melted cheese
are called
enchiladas
gratinada.
Author’s Note: Lard (manteca) is traditionally used in frying foods on the Costa
Grande, imparting a deep flavor very necessary to Mexican recipes.
Week in and week out, we use the recipes in this book for our personal dinners,
so we usually use canola oil. However, lard in refried beans is almost a needed given,
as well as a few other recipes. If you only make Mexican food about once a week, by all
means use lard. It will be so much more flavorful and satisfying.
b. Huevos Rancheros: Huevos Rancheros are a couple of eggs, generally
cooked sunny side up or turned over once, sitting on two or three tortillas, with salsa
covering everything. (Normally a red sauce is considered to be the traditional method,
but as in most Mexican cooking, there are many variations and many different types of
sauces can be used)
Degree of difficulty- Easy
Ingredients – For two people
* Eggs
* Tortillas
* Sliced Ham (pre-sliced, Canadian bacon, or off a large pre-cooked ham)
* Cheese (Oaxaca, jack, or any white cheese which melts easily)
* 4 tomatoes
* 1 chili Serrano
* ½ a chopped onion
* 1 clove of garlic
* Canola or olive oil
* Butter
* 1 tablespoon of Knorr Caldo de Pollo or a cube of chicken broth bullion
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 13
The 3 steps for
Huevos Rancheros
1) Fried ham and
melted cheese on a
tortilla.
2) An egg laid over
the top
3) Add the salsa and
(not shown) queso
fresco
Huevos Rancheros
taste much better and
are more filling using
the thicker home
made tortillas Vs. the
thin ready made kind.
The red sauce:
On a dry comal (skillet) place 4 medium sized red tomatoes, ½ or 1 whole chili
serrano, and a wedge of garlic. Cook everything, turning occasionally until the tomatoes
darken on at least a couple of sides. When ready, transfer to a blender or molcajete, add
a little water, and pulverize.
Or, cook the tomatoes and chili in a little bit of boiling water. Then transfer
everything to the blender.
In a separate pan, using a little olive or canola oil, fry up some diced onion. When
the onions are about ½ cooked, add the red sauce from blender or molcajete, the caldo
de pollo or cube, and simmer until done.
Author’s note: There is no need to add salt, as there is plenty of salt in the ham,
cheese, and the bullion.
Slice the ham or Canadian bacon into about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick pieces, or four
slices of thin pre-sliced ham, cook in a 1/8 to 1/4 inch stack. On a comal (skillet), using
just a little bit of oil, fry up the ham and set aside.
Place the tortillas on the same comal you cooked the ham, with the ham on top of
the tortilla and a slice of cheese on top of the ham, and heat until the cheese starts to
melt.
On a medium heat, using a small amount of butter, cook up two eggs in an egg
pan, flipping once.
Spoon a bit of the sauce on a plate, then remove two or three tortillas from the
comal, and place on the sauce. Slide the eggs from the pan on top of the ham slices,
spoon sauce over the eggs, sprinkle on some queso fresco, and serve.
Note: For a green sauce, cook everything exactly the same, except substitute about 8
tomatillos for the red tomatoes.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 14
Another version – Very popular among locals here in Zihuatanejo for a quick
and nutritional breakfast for the kids. It tastes great for the parents too. Lay down 3 or
4 tortillas on the plate, and ladle a small amount of beans from the warmed up pot of
beans over them. Fold the tortillas in half, and cover everything with more beans. Top it
off with couple of fried eggs and queso fresco or seco.
c. Tacos – What can I say? There are so many different types of tacos; it would
take an entire book by itself to list the various ingredients and how to cook them. Here
is a sampling: Tacos made from shredded beef, carne asada, fish, tripas (chopped and
fried small intestines), suadero (chopped beef brisket), carnitas (deep fried pork),
rajas (slices of onion and poblano chili in a crème sauce), egg and rice, cabeza (meat
from the head of the cow), barbacoa, potato and chorizo, potato and bistec, chicharrón,
chicken in a mole sauce, chicken, aporriadillo (red or green sauce), lengua (tongue),
egg and chorizo, potato and chorizo, pierna, barbacoa, shredded beef with chipotle, etc.
Let it suffice that any meat, fish, poultry, and most vegetable dishes in this book can be placed
on a tortilla, folded over, and be called a taco.
In Ixtapa, at 9:00 every
morning , Chay and
his wife bring their
prepared taco fillings
to their small local
located on the corner
and diagonal across
from the street from
the Holiday Inn.
Each day
they feature cabeza,
barbacoa, chicharrón,
lengua, shredded beef
with chipotle,
tripas, rajas, potatoes
with chorizo,
requesón, potatoes
with bistec, suadero,
and aporriadillo.
Are the tacos
good? 1,000 to 1,200
tacos are completely
sold out by 12:00.
d. Quesadillas – Most people north of the border think a quesadilla is a flour
tortilla, folded in half, and heated on a skillet with cheese and maybe a slice of ham
inside. While it is true this is a “type” of quesadilla, it is only one of many options. They
are like tacos; you can put anything in them. On this coast corn is king, and most
quesadillas are made from corn masa.
In fact, about the only thing differencing a taco from a quesadilla is the quesadilla
uses cheese as its basis (hence the name), and is larger and more elliptical than a
standard tortilla. It is also preferable to use a larger press (usually wooden) to flatten
the masa, rather than with a standard size tortilla press.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 15
Quesadillas on a
large comal being
reheated to melt the
cheese. Also note
the corn tortilla
masa being cooked
for the next order of
quesadillas.
1. A local favorite recipe is Quesadillas de Pierna (leg of pork)
Degree of difficulty – medium
Ingredients – For 6 to 8 quesadillas
* ½ kilo (about a pound) of pork leg
* Canola oil
* 4 dried Guajillo chilies
* 3 cloves
* 1 teaspoon of white vinegar
* ¼ of an onion cut into slices
* 2 wedges of garlic
* Oaxaca cheese
* Queso fresco or seco
* 1 sliced tomato
* Sour crème
* Salt and pepper
In a covered fry pan, brown in oil and cook the salted meat in water until tender
(about 30 to 40 minutes). Drain, and set aside to cool. Once cooled, shred the meat by
hand into a small container with a lid. Keep covered to not dry out.
To prepare the chilies, cut open with a knife and use a spoon to take out the
seeds. Wash the chilies and put in a small pot of boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes, until
softened. Drain off the water, retaining about ½ a cup. Place the water and chilies in a
blender, along with the cloves, vinegar, and garlic. Blend well, and then strain through a
fine meshed colander into a receiving bowl. Discard the residuals from the fine meshed
colander.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 16
In a separate fry pan, put in a little oil and partially cook the sliced onion. Add the
shredded meat and the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes. Taste to add
more salt if preferred.
To prepare the quesadillas, you will need 6 to 8 large corn tortillas made fresh
from the masa, about a half pound of Oaxaca cheese (Monterey Jack can be
substituted), about a half cup of grated queso seco, sour crème, ¼ of a sliced onion,
and 1 sliced tomato.
Flatten the masa in a tortilla press so the resulting tortilla will be somewhat
elongated. Remove and cook on the skillet, turn and when done, remove to a towel and
cover to keep warm.
Near the center, but on one side of the tortilla, fill each quesadilla with a little
meat in its sauce, Oaxaca cheese, onion, and tomato. Over this spread a bit of sour
crème and sprinkle on some grated queso seco. Close the other side over like a taco,
heat it up again on the comal (skillet) and long enough to be sure the cheese melts. It
is then ready to eat.
Quesadillas de
pierna – with hand
made tortillas,
Oaxaca cheese,
lettuce, tomato,
avocado, and sour
crème.
2. Gringas – Gringas are a quesadilla, using either a corn tortilla, or as a couple
of versions here on the coast use, a flour tortilla.
This is a great way to have tacos al pastor one night (see the separate recipe in
the chapter for Pork), then as the meat freezes well, a few nights later have a gringa.
Heat the taco al pastor meat and place on a warmed up flour tortilla. Lay in some
Oaxaca or other melting cheese, cilantro, a little well diced onion, and some cooked
white rice. Fold over and heat both sides on the comal, and serve with the standard
salsa fresca, guacamole, limes, etc.
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 17
INDEX
Appetizers, Snacks
Aguacate Relleno
(Stuffed avocado) 104
Ceviche 92
Cóctel marisco
(Seafood Cocktail) 102
Guacamole 26
Tiritas 92
Tostadas 14
Appendix I (Kitchen Spanis) 145
Appendix II (The Art of Cooking) 149
Appendix III (Acknowledgements) 151
Beverages 141
Aguas de Sabor
(flavored waters) 144
Atoles 144
Cubitos 144
Horchata 144
Hot chocolate 142
Ponche 143
Brochettes 115
Beef 116
Chicken 116
Shrimp 116
Caldos (Soups) 71
Caldo de Albondigas
(Meatball Soup) 77
Tortilla Caldo de Pollo
(Tortilla Chicken Soup) 72
Caldo de Pescado 73
Pancita (Menudo) 74
Pozole (Tamale Any 76
Carne de Res (Beef) 37
Albondigas (Meatballs) 40
Aporriadillo 38
Birria (Roasted) 42
Carne Asada 38
Cecina (Dried Beef) 38
Lengua (Tongue) 39
Machaca (Shredded Beef) 42
Picadillo 41
Cero (Pork) 41
Campechanas Doña Licha 46
Carnitas 51
Chicharrón (Pork Cracklings) 48
Chicharrón in Salsa Verde 49
Chorizo y Longaniza 45
Chorizo y Huevos 45
Chorizo y Longaniza 45
Molletes 46
Queso Fondito 47
Chuletas en Salsa Roja
(Pork Chops in a Red Sauce) 47
Costillas (Pork Ribs) 50
Costillas La Fondita 50
Costilla BBQ (Ribs in Salsa Roja) 51
Costillas y manitas
(pork ribs and feet) 52
Cuche Asado
(Whole barbequed pig) 54
Milanesa 48
Queso Fondito
Relleno (Stuffed Pork) 52
Tacos Al Pastor 48
Chilies 82
Chilies Relleno 85
Chili Moron Relleno
(Stuffed Bell Peppers) 87
Jalapenos 88
Salsa Créme 87
Salsa Rojo 86
Frijoles (Beans) 120
Causuela de Frijoles
(Pot of Beans) 122
Frijoles Negras (Black Beans) 123
Frijoles Naval, Rojo, Pinto o Lima
(Navy, Pinto or Lima beans) 123
Frijoles refrititos (refried beans) 121
Fundamentos (Basics) 121
Las Frutas Tropicales (tropical Fruits) 130
Aguacates (Avocados) 26
Coco 131
Mangos 131
Papayas 131
Piña 133
Plátanos (Bananas) 132
Fruta en el Vaso (Fruit in a cup) 133
Ensalada de Frutas (Fruit salad) 134
Maricosas (Seafood) 89
Aguacate Relleno (Stuffed Avocado) 104
Stuffed with Shrimp and Octopus 104
Stuffed with Tuna or Smoked Fish 104
Atún Ennegrcerse (Blackened Tuna) 93
Atún filete Asado (BBQ Tuna Fillets) 106
Azucéna’s Dorado Burritos
(Mahi Mahi Burritos) 99
Azucéna’s Simplified Fish Burritos 100
Boiling and Steaming Lobster
and Seafood 111
Empanizado (Breaded Fish Fillets) 90
Filete Rapido del Dorado o Atún
(Quick Dorado or Tuna Fillets) 90
Huachinango Al Mojo de Ajo 91
La Talla 100
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 164
Lety’s Restaurant Special Seafood Recipes
95
Lety’s Camarones al Chipotle en Pasta
(Shrimp in a Chipotle Creme Sauce) 98
Lety’s Camarones al Coco (Coconut
Shrimp) 97
Lety’s Camarones o Pulpo Al Mojo de Ajo
(Shrimp or Octopus in garlic oil) 105
Lety’s Chiles Rellenos con Maricosos
(Seafood Stuffed Bell Peppers) 97
Pescado ahumado (Smoked Fish) 106
Seafood Cocktail 102
Sushi 107
Tiritas (Ceviche) 92
Langosta (Lobster) 108
Boiling & Steaming 111
Boiling 112
Steaming 111
Crema (creamed) 110
Ensalada (Salad)111
Estufa (stove top) 110
Parrilla (on the grill) 109
Paella 113
Pan (Bread) 124
Pan de Calabaza (Zucchini bread) 127
Pan de Platino 127
Rosca de Tres Reyes
(Traditional Christmas Bread/Cake) 128
Talera y Bolillos 125
Tortas 126
Pollo (Chicken) and Other Fowl 27
Barbacoa de Pollo 28
Codorniz (Quail) 35
Fajitas 34
Camarón (Shrimp) 34
Pollo (Chicken) 34
Huevos Mexicana (Mexican Scrambled
Eggs)34
Pachuga (Chicken Breasts) 29
BBQ 29
Cacciatore 29
Estufa (Stovetop) 29
Relleno (Stuffed with Cheese)30
Pato (Duck) 36
La Parilla (On the Grill)36
Salsa ROjo (In Red Sauce) 36
Pollo con Salsa Jitomate (with Red Tomates) 35
Pollo Asado (Chicken on the Grill) 31
Ajo (Garlic) 32
Limón 31
Soya 33
Papas, Arroz, y Pasta
(Potatoes, Rice, and Pasta) 56
Arroz Mexicana (Mexican Red Rice) 59
Camote (sweet potato) 57
Casserole 57
Tradicional 57
Ensalada de Macarrón (Macaroni Salad) 58
Espaghetti Mexicana (Mexican Spaghetti) 59
Fidellos 61
Linguini Alfredo de Casa Bahia 60
Papas de la Parrilla (Potatoes on the grill) 61
Papas Fritas con Epazote
(Fried potatoes with epazote) 62
Tortas de Papa 58
Tortillas de Harina (Flour Tortillas) 62
Postres (Deserts) 135
Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milk Cake) 137
Pay de Queso Crema (Cheese cake pie) 136
Pay de Calabacero
(Pumpkin or yellow squash pie) 138
Plátanos Frito (Fried bananas) 137
Rebeca’s pie crust 139
Quesos (Local Cheeses) 79
Fresh Cheeses 80
Queso Blanco 80
Queso Fresco 80
Queso Panela 80
Requesón 80
Hard Cheeses 81
Anejo Enchilado 81
Queso Seco 81
Melting Cheeses 80
Asadero 81
Chihuahua 81
Manchego 81
Oaxca 80
Salsas 18
Adobado Sauce (Mild) 25
Chile Verde (Green Sauce) 21
Jalapeños con Verduras
(Jalapeños with Veggies) 22
Guacamole y Aguacates (Avocados) 26
Mole 24
Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo) 21
Salsa Picosa (Hot Sauce) 21
Salsa Rojo (Red Sauce) 21
The Molcajete 19
Tamales 117
Masa 118
Tamales de Carne 119
Tamales de Elote 119
Tamales Dulce 119
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 165
Tortilla and Masa (Corn Dishes) 6
Chilaquiles 16
Enchiladas Rojo 7
Enchiladas Verde 8
Huevos Rancheros 9
Quesadillas 11
Quesadillas de Pierna (Leg of Pork) 12
Quesadillas Gringas 13
Sopes 15
Tacos 11
Taquitos 17
Tostadas 14
Verduras y Ensaladas
(Veggies and Salads) 63
Calabaza Amarrilla (Yellow squash) 68
Calabaza Chayote (Chayote squash) 69
Applications 70
Chayote de Ruben (Ruben’s Hamburgers Restaurant/Ixtapa) 69
Calabaza Italiano Relleno
(Stuffed Zucchini) 68
With Epazote 68
With Smoked Tuna 68
Elote (Corn on the cob) 67
Ensalada de Esárragos (Asparagus Salad) 70
Ensalada de Cole (Cole slaw) 67
Ensalada de Cole Morado
(Purple Cabbage Salad) 66
Ensalada de Jitomate (Tomato Salad) 65
Ensalada de Nopal (Cactus Salad) 64
Rajas (Creamed poblano chilies) 70
Las Cocinas de Zihuatanejo - Page 166