Chicano Eats

Sopa De Caracól

I’m spending a few days in Northern California visiting family this week and it has me feeling all kinds of nostalgic. Billy and I spent 4 years living in Humboldt County while we both finished our Bachelor’s, and driving through the lush landscape really just reminded me how much I missed the sights, the weather, and the small town living. We actually got to experience the seasons change here!

In the spirit of nostalgia and because most of us are experiencing chilly temperatures, I’m sharing a recipe for sopa de caracól today. Sopa de caracól is essentially shell pasta in a thin tomato broth. My mom would typically make this for us on cold rainy days, and she’d always accompany it with quesadillas overflowing with melty mozzarella cheese. It was heaven for us but now that I’m older, I like my soups to be in between a chowder and a bisque, so my take on this is going to be a little thicker, and I’m adding sour cream to my bowl for those tomato bisque vibes.

Whenever I think of Sopa de caracól, the song with the same name also comes to mind. It was one of those songs that would always be played at parties growing up and even though you didn’t really understand what they were saying (apparently they say “What a very good soup”), it always stuck with you!

Stay warm and cozy, and if you need something to bop along to while you’re cooking..go ahead and hit play.

Nos vemos!

Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

This post is sponsored by Cardenas Markets, thoughts and opinions are my own.

New Year’s is just days away, and it feels like we were just ringing in 2017. As my siblings and I have gotten older, we’ve all started our own traditions and New Year’s Eve has become a day for me to relax, and reflect on all of my successes and losses in the past year.

This year I’m planning on doing the same, and kick starting the year with one of my favorite breakfasts; french toast. Occasionally, when Billy and I both have the day off he’ll make breakfast for the both of us and I always ask for french toast. It’s so easy to make, and you can dress it up in so many ways, and infuse it with just about anything!

I’ve partnered with Cardenas Markets, to share 3 recipes with you to help you prep for a festive New Years breakfast! I’ve been visiting Cardenas for years, but now that I live just down the street from one of their locations, I’m a regular shopper now! Everyone is always so friendly there, they have a lot of specialty items you can’t find at other super markets, and their selections grow even more during the Holidays. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured their delicious conchas on my feed (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), they really are my one stop shop for everything I make on the blog.

Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

Today we’re going to be adding horchata and rompope to our french toast for a kiss of flavor and we’re also going to be making ponche navideño. I know what you’re thinking..ponche navideño, after Christmas? SI! In my family, ponche shows up on Thanksgiving and we have it up till el dia de los reyes magos! For those who are new to ponche, it is a tea infused with fruits and spices that we have in Mexico during the Holidays. Everyone has their own version, and the one we’re making today is a small-batch version with notes of tamarind, hibiscus and cinnamon! It’s sweet, it’s tart and you get to add your favorite fruits..and if you’re old enough, a shot of tequila!

I hope this new year brings you lots of love, laughter, good food and great memories.

Have a happy New Year!

Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

Ensalada de Fruta (Tropical Ambrosia Salad)

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making her ensalada de fruta (or ambrosia) for Christmas. It’s become one of her signature dishes for the season, and if she brings some over, she will not leave me with any leftovers because she takes them all home–She loves it that much! I always enjoyed how every bite was different. You’d get the tartness from the pineapple, the crunch from the walnuts, and the sweetness from the peaches. I originally shared the recipe on Instagram for a sponsored post with Dole, but because I love the recipe so much and many of my Instagram followers also said this was also a staple during the Holidays I figured I’d share it on the blog as well! I have a few other recipes I’ve shared on Instagram, like the sopa de caracól and the cinnamon pineapple mezcal mule so I’ll be adding those to the site soon!

Have a great Holiday season!

How to Make Traditional Buñuelos de Viento

We’re less than a week away from Christmas, and I’m just about ready to finalize our menu!

For appetizers, I’m going to be serving: Sambal Chicken Skewers, Honey Mole Glazed Wings, Crema Mexicana Pickled Jalapeño Deviled Eggs, and pico de gallo. For dinner, I’m going to be making tamales (recipe coming soon!), my moms’ favorite beer braised ribs and some rice pilaf. For dessert, I’m going to make the Horchata Tiramisu, Ensalada de Fruta, and the buñuelos I’m sharing today!

Buñuelos de viento are these crispy, airy, fritters covered in sugar that are very popular during Christmas time in Mexico. There are two popular variations of buñuelos found in Mexico, buñuelos de rodilla which use a a dough, are flat and circular in shape and are typically drenched in a piloncillo syrup and then there are buñuelos de viento which use a batter and an iron rosette mold. (Be sure to head over to my instagram page for a chance to win a rosette mold!)

These fritters are pretty easy to make, you just have to remember to dip your mold into the batter about half way, so when it starts to fry, the buñuelo slips right off the mold. You also need to be aware of the temperature of your oil while you’re frying. If the oil is too hot, you run the risk of them browning on the outside very quickly and being raw in the center.

My mouth is watering just thinking about these fritters, so I’m going to fix myself a warm cup of chocolate abuelita and eat the rest of these buñuelos. Have a great Holiday season!

Find the recipe in my new cookbook Chicano Bakes!

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