Blue Corn Stories

The First Blue Corn Express- Oct 2-9, 2010!

The Blue Corn Express Culinary Trip   An Authentic Copper Canyon train trip with a huge taste of the delicious Norteño foods October 2-9, 2010    The incredible train experience in Copper Canyon plus much more– <<click here for itinerary…or call Dave today at 217.369.9897 for info. ·       Many food treats and experiences including an [...]

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Huitlacoche…don’t ask, just eat it!

This delicacy is really just corn smut- not exactly what one might consider fine cuisine. Yet in Chihuahua and through the Copper Canyon area, this black oozy stuff is served as a fine food. My first experience was in the home of friends in Chihuahua City. Our hosts beamed with pride as they served us [...]

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Orange Flan from Diana Kennedy

Diana Kennedy’s regional dishes cookbook has a great recipe for flan, actually orange flan. You can get flan in several places in the Sierras- sometimes though it is a bit manufactured. One place I remember getting it and enjoying it was at “El Supremo” off the square in El Fuerte. El Fuerte is a fine [...]

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Taquitos…in Champaign, Illinois

People wonder why if I am a guide in Copper Canyon Mexico…why do I live in Champaign, Illinois? Three good reasons: 1. Champaign Urbana is a cool place to live…one of the truly “micro-urban” spots- the term was coined here. This video is a great intro to the Champaign Urbana vibe . 2. I like mountains [...]

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Harina Tortillas and Heat

The northern areas are where the harina tortillas originated (the yellow corn ones are Aztec in origin and are preferred in other areas). In Chihuahua they tend to be a bit smaller and thicker. In Sinaloa they are larger and thinner. There is a trick to getting them rolled out thin…I have watched novices there [...]

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Christine Dimacali on Channel 10, Philly

This last week, Christine Dimacali of Clean Your Plate in Philadelphia called me about a post I had done on a delightful veggie dish from Copper Canyon called Rajas con Crema. She was prepping for a Cinco de Mayo show and wanted to get some insights from the Mexico on this authentic dish. What ensued [...]

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Sotol…the brew of Chihuahau.

Chihuahua has few functioning wineries and in the spirits department is best known for sotol production…actually it is known as the state drink of Chihuahua. This rare spirit is similar to the mescal-type drinks of other parts of Mexico, but this one is produced from the core parts of the stem of the desert plant, [...]

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Rick Bayless Advice on Avacados

Rick’s book, “Mexico, One Plate at a Time’” has a very helpful section on avacados (aguacates): 1.What types to use…California or Haas are best, and be sure they are ripe. 2.Good stuff on gualcamole flavoring 3. Keeping guacamole without overdoing the lime…thanks Rick! We enjoyed this guac and veggies with tacos at “Mi Casitas” (a [...]

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Fresh Papayas on the Urique River

We call this thing “AUTHENTIC”  and it means you will have a real experience in real Mexico. Like picking papayas along the chattering Urique River. Is this photo sideways? I don’t think so…Robert (a guest from PA) was balancing there to grab the ripe ones. Getting papayas involves turning them for a bit until they [...]

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Vegetables with Taquitos in El Fuerte

El Fuerte has many charms- the river and its wealth of wildlife, the petroglyphs, the architecture and so much more. And one real draw for this lovely colonial town is the food. The proximity to vast vegetable production areas makes this place and its market a real find for those who love their greens and [...]

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