One of the first things I did when I started Rancho Gordo was to offer free calendars every year featuring almost exclusively the art of Jesús Helguera. I love the idealized, often policially incorrect, images of post-revolutionary Mexico. There are some real problems but there's a clear sense of Helguera's patriotism, and loads of campy good fun. I asked Karla from our customer service department to do some research on Helguera so we all could know a little more about him. She used an uncredited book I have, Jesus Helguera (1989, Galas de Mexico) for much of the information. -...

A vegan salad to be enjoyed on its own or served with traditional Easter dishes. I don't think of Easter as an inspirtational meal but that's changing. I grew up with industrial hams in cans and lots of bad chocolate. I was invited to my friends' Easter celebration and when I heard that there'd be both ham and lamb, a lemony vegan side dish seemed in order. Raw, they have almost no taste. Roasted in a low oven, they become delicious jewels. It's clearly too early for good tomatoes but I've been craving them after the long winter, which seemed...

I don't know if this is a tradition anywhere in Mexico, but this strikes me as a generous, somewhat easy to execute Christmas dish. I've been making trial runs, and my family has loved it. I guessed that this recipe would serve 4-6 people, but this made my mother laugh. I reminded her that not everyone would be having seconds and thirds like she was. I think it would feed 6 normal people just fine. It's handy to keep a box of salt cod in your fridge. It needs to soak and be de-salted before you cook but this is...

Go Team, GO!!!!! I have to pretend to care about sports, but my enthusiasm for the parties, friends and food is real, so we came up with this little guide, The Rancho Gordo Big Game Day Food Companion.

This is the recipe that switched me from passive Black Eyed Pea consumer to a true advocate. It's very simple, traditional and delicious. New Years Day will be a happy one with this going on in the kitchen. Our Black Eyed Peas were harvested this autumn and when we run out, that's it until next year. You can order Rancho Gordo Super Lucky Black Eyed Peas today.

It seems that for a lot of people, 2016 wasn't a great year. As 2018 approaches, it seems as if we need all the help we can get. Eat Black Eyed Peas on New Years Day for luck. Please. Just do it, just in case. We're counting on you. It may mean nothing or it may be the key to success in the new year, but either way, eating Black Eyed Peas couldn't hurt! I was searching the New York Times for Martha Rose Shulman's excellent vegetarian Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens recipe when I stumbled upon all of...

Gabriel and his lovely daughter, getting a kick out of climbing a tree. When my friend Ruth Alegria told me I needed to meet Yunuen and Gabriel, I shrugged my shoulders and thought, why not? I didn't understand the work they were doing to promote the sour prickly pears known as xoconostle and even if I had, at best, I would have thought it was interesting. I couldn't have dreamed that our lives would be intertwined for the next 9 years. Together we've created a market for traditional Mexican farmers to grow their heritage beans (and not give in to...

As I think I've told you in the past, much of my youth was spent in Italy. I had good friends in Liguria, Tuscany and Rome. I ended up living in Milano for a spell and would spend the weekends visiting, eating, drinking and in general, living the Good Life. I would love to go back and tell my younger self to lay off the cigarettes but otherwise, my 20s were enchanted for the most part. Italy will always be a key part of what made me who I am. I still am smitten. Even though I'm obsessed with Mexican...

Please don't ask me to tell you the name of my favorite bean. It changes daily! I love all the heirlooms we grow for different reasons. But if I were to be sent to a desert island, these are the five varieties I couldn't do without, even though I'd probably have a different list tomorrow. This is one of our most popular gift boxes and with good reason. I would be happy to be alone on an island with these five beans. SANTA MARIA PINQUITO: A very small, chili-type bean that is loaded with a delicious pot liquor and meaty...

If there's a better Christmas Eve dish, I don't know what it is. Posole is the essential nixtamalized grain, from rare heirloom corn, for hominy stews and more. Dried hominy/posole is superior to the canned version in every way. In very limited quantities, we have gorgeous, colored heirloom corn dried hominy. These rare corns only need to be soaked and simmered to be enjoyed. Cacahuazintle is cherished in Mexico for the very best traditional pozole. The extra large kernels and white color are preferred. The Blue is hearty and also works well in salads. The Red corn has less natural...

It's such a cliche to get hot sauces for That Special Guy In Your Life but after doing the farmers markets for years, and now hanging out in our stores, I think it's safe to say there is a certain fellow who just loves hot sauces. He uses them and he collects them, obsessively. What's even funnier is that I am that fellow. Our set of four sauces includes La Paloma, mild and flavorful, Rio Fuego, full of fire and thickened with toasted pumpkin seeds, Gay Caballero with cinnamon and clove, and Felicidad, with chipotle chiles and fruity vinegar. We're...

Normally this blog is personal and about what I'm cooking up or playing in the dirt. Please indulge me a little as I show off some of our newer and more interesting items for the holidays. I'm not giving up on the chatty entries, but I know a lot of you like knowing what we're up to. I've talked about it already but the hot ticket this season appears to be the Cassoulet Gift box. This sampler features two pounds of new-crop Cassoulet beans, grown in the USA from French Tarbais seed, and a copy of the new book, Cassoulet:...