Salty Xoconostle Strips
Cactus plants produce fruit. Prickly pears are sweet and tropical but xoconostle are super sour. When they're dried and salted, they make a perfect pal for tequila and mezcal. We...
The Rancho Gordo Blog
Deviled Eggs with a Touch of Stardust
The family was invited to a great Easter party at my friend Geraldine's and with our bounty of eggs, thanks to our flock of chickens, it seemed like a natural...
Eye of the Goat Beans with Ricotta Salata
Eating simply is my idea of heaven. Use the best ingredients and then stay out of the way. I remember reading about ricotta salata in La Cucina di Lidia by...
A Simple Soup with Bean Broth
I'm so glad to have chickens again! You just can't beat fresh eggs. I get a wee bit frustrated by the prices at the farmers markets here in the Bay...
Something Easy and Different: Runner Bean and Raw Asparagus Salad
Like almost everyone else, I have been enamored with Joshua McFadden's Six Seasons. At first I resisted. Seasonal market cooking. Really? Again? Yes, really. The story is the seasons but...
Good Things to Keep in Your Pantry
Sun-dried tomatoes sound dated but they'd probably be very good to have on hand. I have to remember that the next time I go shopping. I do keep salt-packed capers...
Simple Stuffed Poblano Chiles with Rio Zape Beans
We all know the indulgent version of chile rellenos, filled with gooey cheese or picadillo, deep fried in a delicious egg batter. But all chile relleno really means is "stuffed...
A Clay Cazuela from Oaxaca with Shrimp, Acuyo Sauce and Pasta
A few years ago I was on a road trip through Oaxaca with my pals Yunuen and Gabriel of the Xoxoc Project, as per the usual, hunting for beans and...
Cecilina: Italian Chickpea Dip
I saw this recipe in the old Dried Beans and Grain book from the the seminal Good Cook series by Richard Olney with Jeremiah Towers, among others. It seemed a...
Stuffed Chayote
This is adapted from the book Frida's Fiestas and you can clearly improvise beyond the basic recipe. Ground meat of some kind would be great but chayote are a mild,...
Winging It: Pasta e Fagioli with Morels and Bacon
Sunday night after the holidays and not much left in the house. What to do? I had a sample of the new crop of Caballeros from Peru and in cleaning...
Yellow Indian Woman Beans with Shallot Pickle and Goat Cheese
I hadn't cooked Yellow Indian Woman beans for quite awhile. They're small and dense but somehow creamy at the same time. I think they'd be great in a chili but...