Cooking with Chef Marcela

Back on Track with the Taco Light!

September 1st, 2009

Hola! I promised you a recipe this week so here it goes. This is so simple, so delicious, very healthy and so perfect for this time of year. Summer tends to get me and my son (the rat) terribly off track. He goes to bed and wakes up way too late, I don’t get to exercise properly because of his summer camp hours and we eat out a lot more than I’d like.

It’s September already and it’s time to get back on schedule! If you have kids you know what I’m talking about. Next week, hopefully, everything settles down a bit as the school year starts. Enjoy the taco! Beso, ciao!

Taco Light (Beer-marinated Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps)

Ever since that South Beach Diet came to be, poor little tortillas (and pasta) have been through hell. This is not my attempt to convince you of not using tortillas, my other religion, for tacos. This just happens to be a really light dish that is great for food network cooking and happens to taste really good. This little guy started showing up in “taquerias” a few years ago and has become a staple at my house and my family get-togethers. Instead of the traditional salsa, a light lime-and soy sauce pair perfectly with the beer-and-orange marinated steak. And what to drink? An ice-cold cerveza.

1 cup light-colored beer (preferably lager style) 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 orange, thinly sliced with peel
½ onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, halved and smashed
1 2 1/4-pound flank steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced, seeded Serrano chile
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated for wraps

Scatter half of the orange slices, half of the onion slices and half of the garlic pieces on the bottom of a glass dish large enough to hold the flank steak. Sprinkle the flank steak all over with salt and pepper and placed in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining orange, onion and garlic over the flank steak and pour the beer over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Meanwhile mix soy sauce and remaining ingredients except butter lettuce in a small bowl. Transfer the grilled flank steak to a cutting board and cut crosswise into strip. Make tacos using slices of flan steak and avocados and drizzle with soy salsa.

Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

Finally! Fresh Mexico hits bookstores…

August 24th, 2009

I’m on a Jet Blue flight from San Diego to JFK watching Paula Deen cook Tinga Chicken Taquitos with Salsa Verde with a chef from Mexico City named Paty. I usually close my eyes and visualize what I want to happen on my trip or try and meditate (because sleeping on planes is not on option for me) but I really want to watch Paula Deen from Albany, Georgia cooking Mexican food. There’s no question about it; Mexican food has hit the mainstream.

On Tuesday August 25th, Fresh Mexico; 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor hits bookstores and I’m on my way to the Today Show to cook a few of my favorite recipes from the book. Game hens in Chile California, Apricot and Tequila Salsa, Golden Beet Carpaccio with Gorgonzola and Chile Oil and My Mom’s Strawberry Tartlets! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am or how long I’ve been waiting for this week to arrive. I signed that freakin’ contract with Random House in December of 2007 for crying out loud!!!

Next week I promise to put up a yummy new recipe but this week I have to tell you a little of what it was like to write this book. Fresh Mexico has been in my head since I was 19 years old and worked as a Recipe Stylist for Bon Appetit Magazine. My dear friend Joslyn Mathews, back then a fact-checker for magazine, was the very first person to look at the proposal. I still have it and I think she was just being a good friend when she told me it was good because it’s a jumbled mess.

But after 10 years of polishing the proposal, I’m so proud of the book you’ll find at bookstores on Tuesday. I’d heard writing a cookbook was difficult but honestly, it was such an easy process for me. With the help of Valeria Linss, my faithful assistant/baby sitter/ party buddy, the recipes for Fresh Mexico were a breeze to put together. It was extraordinary how after just one conversation my photographer, Amy Kalyn Sims, knew exactly what I wanted visually for this book. Rica Allanic, my editor at Random House, let me do my thing and because of it Fresh Mexico is not only a book of recipes but a detailed account of what it was like growing up on the US/Mexico border with a family of both Mexican and American cultures, traditions and styles of cooking.

Charlie Dougiello (friend first, publicist second) and the folks from thedooronline.com put me and my book in more places than I ever thought possible. It’s been the most incredible ride of my life!

So many people were so willing to contribute recipes, test the food, watch Fausto while I was cooking or writing (especially my sister Carina and his grandma Olga), help me pick photos or just cheer me on. My mom passed away last year just as I was beginning to test recipes and for a day or so I really thought I wasn’t going to be able to focus as much as I wanted to on my first book. But with all the support from my friends and family and literally feeling her strength, presence, and push, everything just came together in perfect harmony.

Hopefully this is the first of many books and I really would love your feedback on Fresh Mexico on what other Mexican or Mexican-inspired recipes you’d like to see in a cookbook.

In the time it’s taken me to write this entry, Paula is done with the Chicken Taquitos and now I’m watching gorgeous Giada stuffing some peppers with a mixture of onions and cheese. Who knows… maybe someday when you get on a Jet Blue Flight you’ll turn on that tiny little TV and find me cooking Ceviche on one of the food channels!

In the mean time, I’ve got a book to promote. Take a look around the site, I’ve added a couple of videos and a few new things. Don’t forget to watch the Today Show on Tuesday August 25th and to go get your copy of Fresh Mexico. Wish me luck my friends. Beso! Ciao, Marcela

Posted in From the Book | 6 Comments »

Welcome to my blog!

August 18th, 2009

So this very first all-by-myself post will just help you better get to know who the heck is writing this stuff.

I live in beautiful San Diego with my young son Fausto and my shih-tzu Yogo. I love food (obviously), traveling, Yoga, reading, being with my sister Carina and her girls, and have an unhealthy obsession with shoes. I grew up in Tijuana, Mexico and still cross the border into Tijuana a couple of times a week to visit my dad who still lives there. When I’m not traveling for work and am home in San Diego, I really just spend most of the time with my sister Carina, my brother Antonio and their kids. Maybe this is information best kept to myself but the truth is, I am my best, my very happiest, when I’m with my family. And when I’m not with them I’d rather stay home and read a book. To be completely honest, I need to work on being a little better at socializing.

People are always asking me what my favorite foods are and, surprisingly, my diet (and my son’s) consists of very simple foods. Local and seasonal ingredients lightly seasoned and grilled (be it meat, fish, poultry or veggies) are standard weeknight dinners at my house. Weekly visits to the farmer’s market with my boy (aka the rat, for future reference) are a must. He is an absolute Gastrokid (you must purchase this book by Hugh Garvey, he started at Bon Appetit Magazine as I was leaving for Paris.) He’s 5 and has a liking for sea urchin, octopus sashimi and salmon roe.

So this blog here is a little experiment. I want to know what you’d like me to write about. Mexican food will inevitably show up. So will my adventures as a single working mom feeding a kid with a palate of a 3-star Michelin chef. I’ll leave the dating part out because it makes me nauseous just thinking about it. I’ll let you know about the best places to get a REAL Mexican meal in town and which shoes I allowed myself to purchase to reward myself after signing some new contract.

I’ll be here, stuck on my computer as always, waiting for your feedback. Next week, the blog is all about my book Fresh Mexico; 100 simple recipes for true Mexican flavor (Random House) which comes out August 25^th 2009. Hope to hear from you…Beso amores! Ciao!

Posted in Marcela Everyday | 51 Comments »

Slow Cooked Ribs in Easy Mole Sauce

April 21st, 2009

When I tested this recipe it disappeared from the platter before the platter made it to the table. You need a slow cooker for this one and it’s especially easy if you forgo making the Easy Mole sauce from my book and purchasing the paste. The natural oils from all of the nuts in the mole sauce tend to separate so you can take the ribs out, give the sauce a whisk and season, then put the ribs back in.

4 servings

2 ½ cups Easy Mole from Fresh Mexico book
Or 1½ cups low-salt chicken broth and ½ pound purchased mole paste
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 disk Mexican chocolate, diced
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
Mexican crema
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Corn tortillas

Heat Easy Mole over low heat or Whisk broth and mole paste in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until paste is dissolved.

Place flour on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle ribs all over with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat (or if you have a heatproof slow-cooker insert you can heat the oil there). Add ribs in two batches and sear until brown, about 6 minutes per batch. Place ribs in slow cooker insert (or place insert in slow cooker base) and pour mole sauce over. Cook according to manufacturers instructions.

Spoon fat from atop the ribs and discard. Stir in chocolate until it melts.

Transfer the ribs to a platter . Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and drizzle with crema and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas for soft tacos.

Tags: mexican food cook book, mexican food recipes
Posted in Recipes | 4 Comments »

Mom’s Strawberry Tartlets

April 21st, 2009

My mom made a variation of this dessert from the time I was a little girl. I’m not exactly sure where she got the recipe, but I know it came from one of my aunts in Guadalajara. You just need to know that my uncle Ernesto would drive from his house in San Diego across the border into Tijuana to go to my mom’s house when she announced she was making strawberry pie. It’s not traditional or very Mexican, especially in its original form. She used to use a store-bought graham-cracker pie crust (which you are free to use), but I have concocted a much tastier crust using the traditional Maria cracker and piloncillo (unrefined solid cane sugar, usually found in the shape of small truncated cones). What I absolutely left alone is the filling—a fluffy, creamy, perfectly sweet filling that I could eat an entire bowl of if given a spoon. The amounts given will also work with a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom if you don’t want to make individual tartlets.

Makes 6 tartlets

1½ cups hulled quartered strawberries
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Nonstick cooking spray
5 ounces Maria crackers (about 32 crackers; see page 205) or graham crackers (about 10 whole crackers)
¼ cup (packed) minced piloncillo (about 2 ounces) or dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream

Mix the strawberries and the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl to combine. Let the strawberries macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place six 3½ x ¾-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. Spray the tartlet pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the crackers and piloncillo in a food processor, and process to form coarse crumbs. Add the butter and process until the crumbs come together. Press the crumbs into the prepared tartlet pans. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tartlet shells are golden brown. Let them cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl until fluffy. Add the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and whip until well combined. Drain the strawberries from the macerating liquid, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Fold the strawberries and the reserved liquid into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon the strawberry filling into the tartlet shells, dividing it equally. (The tarts can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Tags: mexican food cook book, mexican food recipes
Posted in From the Book | 1 Comment »

Isabella’s Chile-BBQ Ribs

April 17th, 2009

My niece Isabella happens to be one of my favorite persons in the whole wide world. She’s a finicky eater so I was ecstatic to find that she loved these ribs. They are fairly simple to put together. Add half or none of the chile to keep them simply sweet.

4 servings

1 cone piloncillo
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons asian sesame oil
1 california, stemmed, seeded, finely minced (by hand or in a spice grinder)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 pounds St. Louise-style pork baby back ribs
¼ cup minced green onions

Whisk piloncillo, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile, garlic, ginger and ¼ cup water in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat until piloncillo dissolves. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. Add ribs and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 450 F. Remove ribs from marinade and place curved-side up on a rack set over a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the marinade in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

Flip the ribs and cook, basting frequently with reduced marinade, until ribs are tender, about 20 mire minutes. Transfer ribs to platter and sprinkle with green onions.

Tags: mexican food chile bbq ribs, mexican food recipes
Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

Date and Mexican Chocolate Ricotta Fritters

April 14th, 2009

marcela-selects_dsc9891 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated mandarin peel
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
¼ cup minced pitted dates
¼ cup minced Mexican chocolate
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Vegetable oil, for frying

Confectioners sugar for dusting mixed with a little bit of grated Mexican chocolate to taste

Whisk together flour, baking powder, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk together ricotta, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another bowl, then whisk in flour mixture. Mixture will be coarse.

Preheat enough oil in a heavy medium saucepan to come half way up the sides to 360 F.

Working in batches, gently drop tablespoons of the batter in the oil and fry, turning occasionally, until deep golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Dust generously with confectioners sugar-grated chocolate mixture.

Tags: mexican chocolate recipes, mexican dessert recipes
Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

Game Hens in Apricot, Tequila, and California Chile Sauce

April 14th, 2009

This recipe is one of my favorites ever. It comes from my aunt Marcela, a chef who inspired me to enter the magical world of the culinary arts. We not only share the same name and the same career, we also agree that sweet and spicy is one of the best combinations when preparing Mexican food.

Store-bought apricot preserves, used here, work well; just be sure to buy the best you can find. A kitchen syringe is a useful tool for injecting the hens with a flavorful mixture of broth, butter, and tequila. The result is a moist and succulent dish.

Serves 4

3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons golden tequila
Two 2-pound Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen
3 California chiles, stemmed and seeded
½ cup apricot preserves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh apricot halves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix ½ cup of the chicken broth, the melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the tequila in a small glass bowl. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the mixture all over the hens, about ½ inch deep into the flesh. (If the butter in the mixture solidifies, warm it in a microwave.)

Put the chiles and 2 cups of the broth in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the chiles. Then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the chile mixture into a small bowl, pressing on the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard whatever is left in the sieve.

Mix ¼ cup of the preserves and ¼ cup of the chile mixture in a medium bowl. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the hens, working some of it between the skin and the breast. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add the remaining ½ cup broth to the roasting pan.

Roast, basting with the pan drippings every 20 minutes, for 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 160°F. Add more broth if the juices begin to dry out.

Transfer the hens to a platter. Strain the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons tequila, ¼ cup apricot preserves, and chile mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the hens, garnish the platter with fresh apricot halves, and serve.

Tags: mexican food game hens, mexican food recipes
Posted in From the Book | 4 Comments »

Huitlacoche Raviolis with Poblano-Corn Relish

April 14th, 2009

These are a show stopper. Huitlacoche is an acquired taste so substitute with sautéed wild mushrooms if you can’t find or don’t want to use huitlacoche. Basically it a fungus that attacks corn kernels making them swell and turn charcoal black. They are absolutely delicious when paired with poblanos and this browned butter-pepita sauce. Pair with a dry Riesling.

Makes 6 servings

4 poblano chiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
Cornmeal for sprinkling
1/3 cup canned or fresh huitlacoche 1/3 cup sauteed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons grated queso fresco plus additional for sprinkling
36 wonton wrappers
1 small egg, beaten to blend
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
Toasted pepitas
Chopped fresh green onions

Char poblanos over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in paper bag; seal and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Peel and seed peppers; chop.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn and cook until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook until vegetables are very soft and onion is brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add chopped poblanos. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly sprinkle rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Mix huitlacoche and queso fresco in a medium bowl. Arrange 10 wonton wrappers on work surface. Place 1 heaping teaspoon huitlacoche filling in center of each wrapper. Using pastry brush, paint edges of wrappers with beaten egg. Top each with an additional gyoza wrapper. Using round cookie cutter, cut raviolis into rounds. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Cook butter in large skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in pepitas.

Cook ravioli in pot of gently boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well. Transfer ravioli to skillet with browned butter. Toss over medium heat.

Meanwhile, re-warm bell pepper mixture; divide among 6 plates. Using slotted spoon, top peppers on each plate with 3 ravioli. Drizzle with any remaining browned butter. Sprinkle with additional queso fresco and green onions and serve.

Tags: mexican food raviolis, mexican food recipes
Posted in Recipes | 9 Comments »