My husband's aunt, Megan Montiel, makes a big batch of tamales every Christmas to send home to family members. It's a tradition she learned from the Mexican-American family she married into when she met her husband Michael over 40 years ago and still maintains today.

Here is the basic recipe Montiel uses, though the measurements are never exact:

Tamales
4 1/2 cups corn flour
4 to 5 cups warm broth mixture, plus more as needed (see recipe below)
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
shredded beef or other meat
olives, drained
tortilla husks

Making Dough
Place corn flour in a large bowl and add 4 cups of warm broth. Beat with a wooden spoon or with your hands until the dough is smooth. Use a little more broth if necessary, but the mixture should not be loose. Add vegetable oil.

Begin adding corn flour mixture a handful at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Alternatively, beat in tamale mixture using your bare hand as a whipping and folding tool. If the mixture becomes too stiff to beat, add up to 1 cup broth a little at a time. When done, the mixture should be light and delicate, the texture of butter cream frosting. Beat in salt.

Making Filling
Shredded beef is typically used, though any kind of meat, seasoned, works. We even made some tamales with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Stew cooked meat in beef broth or water, chile powder, garlic and salt. This liquid will also be used to make the dough.

Assembling the Tamales
On an open corn husk, spread the dough at the top of the husk. Place a spoonful of meat in the middle of the dough. Place two olives and the base of the dough and wrap the husk around the filling, folding the bottom up. Place tamales in a steamer and let them steam for 60-90 minutes.

Flavors Without Borders

Over November 20-21 was the first public event introducing the new Sabores Sin Fronteras/ Flavors Without Borders alliance, which hopes to document, celebrate and revitalize the farming, ranching, foraging and food folkways of the southwest region.

On Thursday and Friday there were symposiums in Amado, Ariz., and on Saturday was a food festival in Tubac, Ariz., which I attended. Vendors and booths set up by local food producers served up Mexican fruit drinks and horchata, Sonoran hot dogs, Native beans and seeds, a new Community Supported Agriculture group, and other groups promoting sustainable agriculture and food practices.

We bought a corn bread mix from the Native Seeds/SEARCH booth and plan on making it for Thanksgiving. Here is the recipe from Native Seeds:

Blue Corn Amaranth Cornbread

10 oz. (2 1/2 cups blue corn baking mix
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil

Stir milk, egg and oil together in mixing bowl. Add baking mix, stirring only until moistened. Pour into lightly greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees.

Chile Cheese Cornbread Pudding

14 oz. can creamed corn
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped
2 large eggs
8 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese
two 4-oz cans chopped green chiles
Blue Corn Amaranth Baking Mix

Combine all but baking mix in large bowl. Add baking mix and stir until just moistened. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until deep golden brown. Best served warm. Recipe may be cut in half and baked in an 8x8 baking dish. This is a very rich, very moist cornbread.

The Santa Cruz Chili Co., which has been in business in Tumacacori, Arizona since 1943, is a small gift shop and museum devoted to all types of local chilis and chili products, herbs and hot sauces.

The chilis are grown in the fields of Pierce, Arizona and packaged in Tumacacori for store purchase or shipping and distribution to individuals and larger food procesors.

The company has been working in plant genetics, for instance, taming the heat of the famously potent habenero pepper while retaining its flavor. Chili farmer Ed Curry and can even develop a requested flavor, or "profile" of chili for customers.

I was impressed by the shop's wide variety of spices and mixtures of spices, already packaged, which could be applied to meats for some easy, healthy and flavorful dishes. Here is one example of a recipe using their chipotle paste.

Tinga de Pollo
Chicken and Chipotle dish
6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 lb of bacon strips
1/2 lb of chorizo*
1/2 cup Santa Cruz "Chipotle" Chili paste
1 cup of chicken broth

Cook bacon over medium heat and drain off excess fat. Add the chorizo and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Mix Chipotle Chili Paste in chicken broth. Mix together with bacon and chorizo and add shredded chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.

Serve with tortillas and fresh lettuce for a wonderful, spicy meal.

*Can substitute 1 tablespoon Santa Cruz Chorizo Spice

Sonoran Seafood at El Mezon del Cobre

Tucson's El Mezon del Cobre, a family owned restaurant on 2960 North First Avenue, serves up Sonoran-style shrimp and fish plus the typical Mexican fare of enchiladas, fajitas and tacos.

The dishes are a bit pricey, ranging from $7.50 to $20 or more for seafood, but it's tasty. I ordered the Camarón Fantasia, which is jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon, served with rice and tortillas. My husband had Pargo Frito, a red snapper that's brought in from Guaymas, Sonora three times a week.

Calaveras y Día de los Muertos

During the Mexican festival known as Día de los Muertos on November 1st and 2nd, Mexicans celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones by having picnics at gravesites or erecting altars, known as ofrendas, in homes.

An ofrenda is a traditional altar created on Día de los Muertos and decorated with flowers, pictures, fruits, food, sweets, and drinks to welcome back for a day the souls of departed family members and friends.

Sugar skulls or "calaveras," are also made before the holiday and placed on the ofrenda.



How to Make Sugar Skulls
Ingredients:
1 lb. powdered sugar
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
pinch of salt
cornstarch to dust rolled balls with

Makes approximately four small skulls.

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, beat four egg whites, slowly adding cream of tarter and a pinch of salt until peaks form.
2. Add powdered sugar and work with hands to make a semi-firm paste. If mixture is too dry, add a small amount of water. If too moist, add more powdered sugar.
3. Roll into balls and dust with cornstarch.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
5. Form skulls and facial features either by hand or with sugar skull molds.
6. Allow to air dry overnight before applying icing or decorations.
7. For colored skulls, add food coloring to the water before adding to dry mixture.

Making Icing for Decoration
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

Directions:
1. Using electric mixer, add cream of tarter to egg whites and mix until icing peaks.
2. Fold in powdered sugar.
3. Keep in a tightly covered container until used.
4. Add food color if desired.

To decorate the skulls:
Handle skull carefully while decorating. For piped icing, snip corner of quart-sized food storage bag and fill bag half-full of icing and softly squeeze to make designs.

Pan de Muerto

"Bread of the Dead"

This sweet bread, according to Alejandro's Tortilla Factory in Tucson, is made fresh by bakeries on or before the Day of the Dead on November 1. It is placed on altars for departed loved ones during the celebration. The bread is often shaped to resemble bones and sprinkled with colored sugar.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
5 to 5-1/2 cups flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole anise seed
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs

In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.
Meanwhile, measure out 1-1/2 cups flour and set the rest aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with "bones" placed ornamentally around the top. Let these loaves rise for 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.

Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest

Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then apply to bread with a pastry brush.
If desired, sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still damp.

This past Saturday morning I set out with my family to Patagonia, Arizona, about 50 miles southeast of Tucson, to visit the Native Seeds/SEARCH conservation farm. The drive is beautiful and the landscape of the Sonoita-Elgin-Patagonia area is very different from Tucson's desert, with rolling grassy hills and cooler temperatures.

The conservation farm is a 60-acre piece of land sown with native crops such as tepary beans, chili peppers, native varieties of corn and tomatoes, all grown organically.

The organization was having a Fall Harvest Celebration, with live bluegrass music, farm tours and a potluck lunch of foods made with native ingredients. I tried some squash cake, blue cornbread with cheese and chiles, and quinoa pasta.

I also spent some time talking with Benito Gutierrez, who works on the farm full-time. He can be seen in the slideshow roasting chiles. He lives in a travel trailer behind the farm's massive green barn. Gutierrez enjoys the peaceful surroundings.

"All I can hear at night is the coyotes," he says.

Here's a recipe using tepary beans, the variety grown by the Tohono O'odham Indians here in Southern Arizona. The beans can be found at the Native Seeds/SEARCH store on 4th Avenue.

Papago Tepary Soup

2 cups tepary beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
4 slices bacon, diced or 1-2 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, diced
3 cups tomatoes w/juice
1 tsp mixed oregano and cumin
Dry red chile pepper (optional)

Drain soaked beans and bring to boil in big pot with the six cups of water. When the beans are tender, fry bacon until limp then remove it from pan. If not using bacon, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat; add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add bacon, tomatoes with their juice, and the oregano/cumin mix. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add vegetable mix to the beans. Cook another hour until beans are mealy-tender. Dried red chile pepper may be stirred into pot during the last 10 minutes. Serves 6. Serve with flour tortillas.

Indian Fry Bread

On Saturday night I attended Tucson's annual downtown music, art and food festival Tucson Meet Yourself, which of late has acquired the nickname Tucson Eat Yourself, because of the wide array of international food booths at the three-day event.

It was difficult to make a choice as to what to try, but we decided to brave the long Indian frybread line.

It's generally served either plain, with honey or powdered sugar as a sweet treat, or covered in beans, lettuce, beef, cheese and salsa as an "Indian taco" or "Navajo taco."
Here's a short history of the bread, courtesy of whatscookingamerica.net.

Although considered a "traditional food," Navajo fry bread actually evolved in the mid-19th century. Beginning in 1860, approximately 8,000 Navajos spent four years imprisoned at fort Summer, New Mexico and were given little more than white flour and lard to eat. American scout Kit Carson and his troops drove the Navajo people from their lands by destroying their means of survival. They killed sheep, goats, and horses; poisoned wells; burned orchards and crops; and destroyed shelters and anything else that was of value to the Navajo. Carson and his troops then rounded up thousands of starving Navajo and sent them on the "Long Walk" to Fort Sumner at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. This was truly one of the saddest events in United States history.

The U.S. government provided those on the reservation with wheat flour as part of a commodities program. Because of this, lard and wheat flour became the main ingredients in the making of Navajo fry bread. The Navajo women had to make the best of what was often considered poor-quality rations in reservation camps and the varying availability of government-issued commodities. They thus created fry bread.

Here is a recipe from Tucsonan Amber Brandt

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry milk powder
Oil for deep frying

Combine first 4 ingredients; pour 3/4 cup warm water on top. Use hands to combine; knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 1-1/2 inch rounds; roll each out into a flattened circle. Heat 1/4-inch depth oil to 365 degrees in a 10" skillet; add dough, heating until golden. Turn to heat other side; drain on paper towels.

Janos Wilder's Apple and Walnut Rellenos

Janos Wilder is a renowned Tucson chef who strives to use local ingredients in the dishes served at his restaurant at the Westin La Paloma Resort and J Bar, a more casual eatery, that serves Latin, Southwestern and Caribbean-inspired food.

Some of Wilder's sources for local foods in Tucson are Native Seeds/SEARCH and the Food Conspiracy Co-op on 4th Avenue, the 17th Street Farmers Market, and FlavorBank for local salts and spices.

This recipe, a holiday version of Chile Rellenos, is from Wilder's newest cookbook.

From the chef:

We created this recipe as a vegetarian variation of Chiles en Nogados found in Like Water for Chocolate. We use dried apples rather than fresh in stuffing because they have a more intense flavor and we find that with the juice from the grapes we don’t want any more liquid in the stuffing. This is a great Autumn and Holiday dish because the flavors are festive and bright and the walnuts and apples signal the change of seasons. The fig garnish reinforces the sweet fruitiness of the dish and is also a great little snack it its own right. Pomegranate seeds sprinkled over the rellenos and sauce look like beautiful little jewels on the dish and add great flavor and a little crunch.

For the Stuffing:

Yield: 4 Anaheim Chiles
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup yellow onions, finely diced
3 oz dried apples, cut into small pieces
1 ½ oz walnut pieces
4 oz queso casero (or queso fresco or panela)
2 oz cream cheese
15 green grapes, cut in half lengthwise
4 Anaheim Chiles prepared for rellenos

Procedure:
1. Saute the onions with the apples seasoning with salt and pepper so that the onions caramelize and the apples are soft.
2. Toast the walnuts so that their oils come out and the flavor is pronounced.
3. In the mixer, blend the cream cheese with the queso casero then fold in the yellow onions, apples and walnut pieces by hand
4. Gently fold in the grape halves by hand so as not to break them.
5. Stuff the prepared chilies and wipe them so they are clean on the outside.
6. Bake the peppers at 350 degrees about 5 minutes until hot throughout.

For the Walnut Sauce:

Yield: 2 Cups
Ingredients:

1/4 yellow onion, diced
3 oz toasted walnut pieces
2 oz dried apples
8 oz apple juice
2 oz cider vinegar
8 oz heavy cream

Procedure:
1. Saute the onions.
2. Add the walnuts, dried apples, apple juice and apple cider and reduce by half. Puree and strain.
3. Return the puree to the stove.
4. Wisk in the cream and reduce by 1/3.

For the Fig Garnish:
Figs Stuffed with Whole Roasted Walnuts, Queso Casero and Agave Nectar Glaze

Yield: 4 Mission figs
Ingredients:

4 whole roasted walnut halves
2 TBSP queso casero (or queso fresco or panela)
4 fresh Mission figs
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp agave nectar
½ oz rosemary leaves

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1. Slice each fit into quarters from the tip stem end towards the bottom, stopping a little before you reach the bottom so that the fig remains intact and you can open the quarters with your fingers
2. Stuff each fig with a walnut half and about a ½ TBSP of queso casero and secure them with toothpicks.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, agave nectar and the rosemary leaves and bake in oven for about 12 minutes as the cheese melts and the figs cook.

To Assemble the dish.
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Pomegranate seeds

1. Divide the sauce equally between four plates and and place relleno on the sauce on each plate
2. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds on the relleno and in the sauce.
3. Place each fig as a garnish for each relleno and drizzle a little bit of the agave nectar-olive oil glaze over each fig.

Micha's Mexican Restaurant

South Tucson's Micha's restaurant is another favorite of mine. Micha's has been owned and run by the Mariscal family since 1976 at its location on 2908 South Fourth Avenue.


There is something reassuring about returning to a restaurant and always seeing the same friendly staff. The restaurant has a wonderful, casual atmosphere, consistently great service and a great mariachi band on Friday evenings. They do close early on Mondays, at 3 p.m.

I enjoyed a chicken chimichanga with rice and beans while my husband had the chile rellenos. I also like their chicken fajitas, but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Here is a sampling of the menu and prices:

Chief Sixto Molina's Low-Carb Favorite
(bowl of Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Sliced Avocado, and Cheese with Machaca, Carne Asada or Chicken) $8.65

Chimichanga, Rice and Beans (choice of carne asada, machaca or chicken) $9.95

Chile Relleno, Rice and Beans $8.95

Chicken or Beef Fajitas $10.50

Hours
Monday 6:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Tuesday - Thursday 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Friday - Saturday 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Phone (520) 623-5307

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Ahhh, homemade corn tortillas. They are easier to make than you might think and will be well worth the effort for the freshness and flavor they will add to your Mexican dishes. Corn tortillas
are also much healthier than their flour counterparts, as they have less fat.

All that's needed for corn tortillas is masa harina, or corn flour, salt and water. The amounts are very forgiving, as you can always add more flour or water if the dough is too dry or too wet. Mix and knead it by hand, then begin to form it into balls. If the dough is too dry, you will see cracks. Just add more water.

Then you can begin forming the tortillas with a tortilla press. These can be found at any grocery that specializes in Mexican goods, such as Food City in Tucson, or can be ordered online.

Use two sheets of wax paper, one on each side of the dough, to keep it from sticking to the press. When closing the press, do not press too hard or the dough will stick to the wax paper.




Carefully remove the tortilla from the wax paper. Place it on the griddle on very high heat, 475-500 degrees. It will take 30 seconds to a minute on each side to cook through. Keep the tortillas warm inside a clean towel.

Taqueria Pico De Gallo

South Tucson's Taqueria Pico de Gallo is, by far, my favorite casual Mexican eatery in town. This taqueria, owned and run by the Delgado family, has been serving Tucsonans from all parts of town at its South-Side location at 2618 South 6th Avenue for over 18 years.

Pico specializes in Sonoran-style food with fresh ingredients and warm tortillas made to order. Their shrimp tacos are incredible, and I am not the only one to think so. They won the 2002 "Best Shrimp Tacos" award from Gourmet Magazine. And Food Network's Alton Brown made a stop at the taqueria for his show Feasting on Asphalt.

The service is fast and friendly, and the food is consistently wonderful. Most plates are under $5, unless you order seafood.

Here is a sampling of some of their menu offerings:

Shrimp Taco Combo Plate (three tacos with rice and beans) $6.50

Tacos (Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria, Chicken or Beans) $1.25

Burros (Carne Asada, Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria or Chicken) $5

Tortas (Carne Asada, Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria, Chicken or Beans) $5

Large Horchata $2.50

Flan $3

¡Flautas!

Let's kick it off with one of my family's new favorites, New Mexican style chicken flautas. These would be wonderful for a party as a main dish or as an appetizer. The recipe is a simpler version of one from the September issue of Bon Appetit magazine. That version, with a chipotle dipping sauce, is served at the Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich, Connecticut. http://www.boxcarcantina.com/

Chicken Flautas

Makes 12.

4 fresh Anaheim chiles
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic gloves, pressed, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 large chicken breasts with skin and bones (1 1/2 to 2 lbs.)
12 6-to-7 inch-diameter corn tortillas
12 6x1/4x1/4-inch strips extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 oz.)
vegetable oil (for deep frying)
guacamole
salsa
sour cream

Char Anaheim chiles over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer chiles to plastic or paper bag; seal and let stand 15 minutes to cool. Peel and seed blackened chiles. Cut chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add 3 pressed garlic gloves and oregano; stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add drained pinto beans and 1/4 cup reserved bean liquid. Using potato masher, crush beans until coarsely mashed, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if too dry. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Cover and chill.

Puree remaining 1 cup chopped cilantro, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder, 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in food processor. Transfer pureed marinade in resealable plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal bag and turn over to coat well. Let marinate at room temperature 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer chicken with some marinade still clinging to rimmed baking sheet. Roast marinated chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Cool. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch strips, discarding bones. Cover and chill.

Stack 4 tortillas and heat in microwave 30 seconds to soften. Spoon generous 2 tablespoons pinto bean mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with 2 to 3 chicken strips. Place 1 cheese strip atop chicken, then top with 3 to 4 chile strips. Tightly roll tortillas around filling, securing with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas, pinto beans, chicken, cheese and chile strips.

Add enough oil to heavy large pot to reach depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat over medium heat to 360-370 degrees. Working with 4 flautas at a time, fry until tortillas are crisp and golden brown, turning often, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place flautas on plates and serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream for dipping.

Culinary Explorations

Hello and welcome to my blog, which explores the diversity of Latin and Latin-inspired culinary dishes.

Since moving to Tucson in 2004, I've come to appreciate the unique and varied cuisine of the Southwest. Tucson has its share of tasty Mexican and Central American food, from great sit-down restuarants and taquerias to quick, delicious fare from roadside vendors.

However, eating out on a daily or even weekly basis, as I and my husband did before the birth of our son in late 2005, takes its toll on the budget. It was then, when I quit my job to stay home with my son and finish college--and the resulting drop in income--that we began cooking.

We began making weekly menus and soon spicy Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes became staples. Eventually we stumbled across some favorite recipes and continue to search for new things to try.

My blog hopes to share with you some of those recipes, so check back for weekly updates.