"MexicanFood" news and stories

Melted cheese! Can I hear an "amen," somebody? Enter the quesadilla, the melted-cheese-lovers' answer to their gooey-themed prayers. Sure, we add all kinds of meats and seafood, and all kinds of chiles, but, really, it's all about the cheese. Blogger Amanda at fakeginger is partial to barbecue chicken, and in this recipe makes the unusual choice of mozzarella cheese instead of the typical Jack or Cheddar.

Everyone has a special quesadilla blend. Kitchen Daily contributor (and wickedly talented cook of all things Mexican) Shelley Wiseman keeps it basic in her recipe for cheese quesadillas, with only jalapeños keeping company with the Monterey Jack inside the tortilla. Curtis Stone combines chicken, avocado and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in his version. Steven Raichlen grills his all-vegetable-and-cheese quesadillas (which feature flame-roasted tomatoes), instead of pan-frying them. Got to have seafood? Try this crabmeat quesadilla recipe, made slightly piquant with chiles and orange zest.

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Grilled corn-on-the-cob is Mexican street food the way street food should be. After it hits the grill, the roasted corn is slathered with a creamy blend of mayo, chile, and white, salty Cotija cheese and the juice of a fresh lime. Cotija is part goat's milk and part cow's milk, it crumbles easily and when aged (anjeo) tastes a bit like parmesan. (You can substitute a good parmesan or pecorino if you can't find Cotija.) If you're ready to barbecue like you're in Michoacán, Mexico, even if you're in Missoula, Montana, try this Kitchen Daily recipe for a version of this grilled corn.

And for roasting tips, and another corn-lime-and-chili recipe, see this Slashfood post.

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One of my favorite Mexican chefs, Roberto Santibañez (of Brooklyn restaurant Fonda), once told me that the nickname for Mexico City natives like himself is limones, because they love fresh lime with almost everything they eat. And rightfully so. Lime adds a crisp high note to simple dishes, from chunks of mango to a margarita, to meats like chicken and fish.

Marinated in lime juice, tomato salsa and Dijon mustard, chicken gets lively, as in this recipe. (If you don't want to grill the marinated meat, you can also pan sauté it.) And once you get the limones thing going, try this robust Mexican chicken-lime soup from Kitchen Daily contributor Caroline Bates.

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'Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates'
by Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy with Mary Goodbody
Photography by Lucy Schaeffer
Ten Speed Press -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon

Antojitos, as Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy explain in their book of the same name, are small bites sometimes eaten as appetizers in Mexican cuisine and sometime just downed as a street snack to satisfy between-meals hunger pangs.

The owners of New York City's La Palapa have written a book that covers all manner of these spicy snacks -- from empanadas and tacos to ceviches and mole. Along the way, they give brief stories about the dishes as well as menus perfect for any fiesta, and colorful pages filled with images of Loteria cards and stock Mexican art that add a whimsical touch to the cookbook.

See what we tested and whether it's worth buying after the jump.

Enchiladas. Photo: purdyinblue, Flickr.

Enchiladas are arguably the most comforting of all Mexican entrees. Perhaps that's because they most closely resemble a casserole -- with protein, grains and vegetables all baked together and topped with delicious, flavorful red sauce and a layer of melted cheese.

Whether filled with beef, pork, chicken, fish, cheese, beans or any combination of those ingredients, enchiladas can often be complicated dishes, like these with homemade sauce and fresh cilantro from Flickr user purdyinblue. But the Mexican one-pot meal is also a great way to feed lots of people with very little effort, especially if you use a Dorito-encrusted recipe from the likes of Emeril Lagasse... or Charlie Gibson, depending on who you ask.

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