It’s possibly nervy thinking I have anything to serve up Southern California’s community in terms of a Mexican rice recipe, but I absolutely do. I might not have an abuela who passed down authentic Mexican recipes, but I grew up in Southern California, and know what good Mexican rice tastes like. The standard for me was set years ago at Carlsbad’s Fidel's Mexican Restaurant. It’s now called Norte, but to some of us, it will always be Fidel’s.
Thumbing through the yellowed recipe cards from years back, I can see glimpses of times gone by — the ingredients, the lingo, and the simplicity. I loved the stains and crinkles on the cards, thinking of busy hands pulling them out of the box, hurrying to get dinner served on time. My grandmother ate poor man’s soup, but there is only a richness in the care, creativity, and even worry people faced, and still face today, about nourishing their families.
I like to challenge myself in taking a vegetable my family doesn’t like and making it irresistible, so I decided to take on tomato soup. The result was a creamy, aromatic, tomatoey treat. Even my daughter, who has declared she hates tomatoes, quietly begged with her eyes as I proceeded to warm the last bit of leftovers for myself the next day.
Fall is my favorite season, so I jumped on the pumpkin wagon. But instead of buying something pumpkin flavored, I wanted to cook something with actual pumpkin — something fresh and creative.
It’s a canning mother’s lament — finding the perfect pickle kids will like. In the past, they have been too sour, too sweet, too soft or too spicy, according to my children. Just giving them the first bite of my pickle experiment is like watching a stressful sporting event. Will they pucker? Will they run for the faucet because of spice? And could this be the one ingestible item they refuse because it’s too sweet?
I love California’s abundance of citrus. I’ll never forget driving through the back roads of Temecula with the windows down as the fragrance of lemons filled the air. Growing up, my friend Veronica had several orange trees in her Escondido backyard, and it always seemed kind of magical to me.
My eggnog drinking experience reminds me of the “Three Bears” story — one is too sweet, one is too rich, and the other one is devoid of any warm notes of spice. Until making eggnog myself, I hadn't...
One of the biggest challenges for the holiday host is spending time with guests while still meeting all the expectations of a holiday meal. And certainly, if you have out-of-town company, you aren’t...
My family doesn’t like store-bought salad dressing because it just tastes like oil with some flavoring. It drags the freshness of salad down, and there never seems to be enough flavor. I’m sure there...
It’s been said the best part of camping is the memories. My family loves to camp, but the hassle that goes into getting everything there, and back, is frustrating. Remembering everything from dish soap...
When you buy produce in bulk, you have to get creative. This is especially true when you buy 17 pounds of something which is used sparingly, such as jalapenos.
My husband likes his food ultra-spicy,...
It’s always been my challenge to take a vegetable someone in my family doesn’t like and discover how to change their mind via an interesting recipe. I call them gateway recipes. For instance, I introduced...
