On this episode of Cooking In Mexican From A to Z, Aarón and Zarela sit down with Lori Flores . Lori is an associate professor of History at Stony Brook University, where she teaches classes in US Latino, labor, immigration, and food history. They discuss Lori's background growing up in rural Texas, her migration to the East Coast, and how Mexican food arrived in East Coast cities like New York. Lori is the author of the award-winning book Grounds for Dreaming: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigra...
Nov 16, 2022•45 min•Ep. 48
On this episode, Sandro Canovas sits down with Aarón and Zarela to discuss Sotol, the state spirit of Chihuahua. They outline how it is made from plants of the dasylirion genus, close relatives of the onion, it's significance to the state of Chihuahua, and it's popularity in the United States. Sandro is a bi-national third-generation brick maker turned adobero. Raised in Mexico City, aka Tenochtitlan, he immigrated to Oregon in 1995 and began working with earth-based construction techniques. Aft...
Nov 08, 2022•42 min•Ep. 47
As a woman whose first sip of whisky created the female doppelganger of a Mr. Yuk sticker, Shelley Sackier ’s view of the spirit changed on a trip to Scotland. After completing a short course in Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery , she began writing about — and working within — the world of whisky. For the past twenty-five years she has devoted her efforts toward creating a plainspoken, easygoing, and humorous grasp on the subject to welcome more into this realm. As the Director of Distillery E...
Nov 02, 2022•42 min•Ep. 46
Bill Esparza is a James Beard award winning food writer, author of LA Mexicano , and on screen talent for food TV shows like Street Food: USA, Immigrant Kitchen, and Bizarre Foods. He talks with Zarela and Aaron about aquas frescas, his grandmother from Aguas Calientes, and his first taste of Mexico. Later, he discusses how he learned about regional variations in aquas frescas while touring around Mexico as a young musician. Bill gives Aaron and Zarela examples of regional aquas frescas food pai...
Oct 26, 2022•34 min•Ep. 45
This week Aarón and Zarela are pleased to be joined by Benito Molina to talk about seafood in Ensenada and beyond. Chef Molina is the owner and chef of multiple restaurants in Ensenada, Baja California including Manzanilla , and he was thrilled to represent his people on MasterChef Latino. Working together with his wife Solange, their cuisine stands out for using fresh local seafood and for their focus on sustainability. Benito shares how his uncle, who worked in Shrimp farming, inspired him to ...
Oct 19, 2022•45 min•Ep. 44
On this episode Zarela and Aarón are back for a second round of bugs! This time they are chatting with Carlos Leal , the creator of several culinary companies in Mexico that include: Compañía de Sales, Mortar and Sons, Loyal & Febre Destilados de Agave and Dodo el Vino. His interest in culinary experimentation led him to enroll in Masterchef Mexico 2018, where he made it to the semi-finals of the show. Both of Carlos' parents are biologists, so his interest in insects was instilled at an ear...
Oct 10, 2022•32 min•Ep. 43
For this episode Aarón and Zarela were thrilled to have Fany Gerson return to the show. Fany launched the acclaimed La Newyorkina , an artisanal Mexican frozen treats and sweets business, and is also the chef, founder and co-owner of Fan-Fan Doughnuts . There could not be a more knowledgable guest for an episode all about Mexican sweets! Together they illuminate how Ice Cream is just as regional as every other component of Mexican Food. They touch on specialties from Oaxaca, Veracruz, Campeche, ...
Sep 24, 2022•40 min•Ep. 42
On this episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Lesterloon Sánchez to dive deep into the topic of Edible Flowers. Hailing from the state of Veracruz, Lesterloon is on a personal quest to discover new edible flowers across his home state. As a chef and restaurant owner, Lesterloon uses these flowers in an eclectic variety of recipes across restaurants, which he shares with Aarón and Zarela. Plus, Lesterloon shares stories of the symbolism related to specific flowers in Mexican culture. F...
Sep 07, 2022•47 min•Ep. 41
On this episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Mariana Barrera to dive deep into the topic of Mexican Charcuterie. Mariana and her family run Humo y Sal , a charcuterie in Monterrey, where they prepare a wide variety of meat products as well as mustard, honey, and more. She shares how she got into the business, how she gathers inspiration from the way each Mexican state has their own regional specialties and seasonings, and how the local environment affects what they can produce in the...
May 26, 2022•44 min•Ep. 40
On today's episode, Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome Chef Rodolfo Castallanos to talk about how traditional Mexican foodways are being reinterpreted in the contemporary Mexican culinary scene. Rodolfo starts by sharing his cooking philosophy - beginning with inspiration from the seasons and culminating in his return home to open Origen . He discusses how French culinary education has been incorporated by Mexican chefs, and Zarela asks him to share some Oaxacan culinary building blocks. F...
May 19, 2022•44 min•Ep. 39
On this week's show, Zarela & Aarón welcome Sagrario Cruz Carretero to explore the history and cultural legacy of Afro-Mexican cuisine. First, they set the stage with some context about the past and present demographics of African immigration to Mexico. Sagrario shares her personal story of how a trip to Cuba - and her own family history - ignited her interest in this topic. Together they document various Afro-inspired ingredients including plantain, yucca, malanga, rice and beans, gandinga,...
May 11, 2022•39 min•Ep. 38
For our Season 4 launch of Cooking in Mexican from A to Z, Zarela & Aaron sit down together to discuss the most-requested topic from their listeners: Tamales. Together they detail every part of the tamale-making process, including tips like: what lard does for tamales, why you shouldn't overfill your tamales, and how you could repurpose your smoker or pizza oven to mimic the traditional sacahuil technique. Plus, they discuss different regional styles of tamales and the role they play in wake...
May 04, 2022•42 min•Ep. 37
For our final episode of 2021, Zarela & Aarón are thrilled to welcome Mauricio Velázquez de León to discuss his relative, Josefina Velázquez de León . Josefina was Mexico's first celebrity chef: she was on the radio, television, and published dozens of cookbooks popularizing traditional Mexican cuisine. Together they dive into Josefina's legacy: she championed new technologies, promoted Mexican cooking both at home and abroad, and celebrated women throughout North America. Though Mauricio wa...
Dec 16, 2021•40 min•Ep. 36
On this week's show Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome their longtime friend Stephan Pyles to discuss all things Tex-Mex and Southwestern Cuisine. Stephan is a 5th generation Texan and a founding father of Southwestern Cuisine, who created 23 restaurants in 6 cities over more than three decades of cooking. Stephan and Zarela have known each other since the earliest days of Zarela's career, and they recently traveled to Oaxaca together. We hear all about the most surprising meals from their...
Dec 08, 2021•39 min•Ep. 35
On today's episode Aarón and Zarela welcome Carlos Yescas to talk all about Mexican cheese. Carlos is the founder of Lactography and LACTEO Network, and an incredibly knowledgable global cheese advocate. He is also a fellow HRN Host, on the show Cutting the Curd ( Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS ). Carlos guides us all through the dairy making process, moving from milk to crema to requeson to cuajada to panela and more. At every point in the cheesemaking process his primary concern is ...
Dec 01, 2021•45 min•Ep. 34
On this week's episode Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Rafael Mier, the Founder and Director of Fundación Tortilla , to guide us through a deep dive on Corn. Rafael's mission is to preserve and popularize the many, wonderful heirloom varietals of corn that can be found all over Mexico. Together they pick apart the differences between various types of corn, and how that impacts their use. They also discuss what the Mexican government is doing to protect heirloom corn varietals, how some ...
Nov 17, 2021•38 min•Ep. 33
On this week's show, Aarón and Zarela discuss Sonoran cuisine with their friend Regina Schrambling . Regina grew up in Arizona, across the border from Zarela's native state of Sonora. Together they reminisce about the meals and treats of their respective childhoods. Along the way they try to spell out how Sonoran cuisine is distinct from Tex Mex, how Pozoles vary indifferent regions in Mexico, and how the advent of refrigeration has changed how we consume meat. Plus, Aarón shares his traditional...
Nov 10, 2021•35 min•Ep. 32
On this week's show Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Pati Jinich . Pati is a chef, author, and TV personality, and she joins Aarón and Zarela to discuss the traditions of The Day of the Dead. They start with the origins of Día de los Muertos as a 3 month long pre-hispanic celebration, and proceed to explore its significance in Mexican culture. Along the way, Pati covers a variety of recipes for Pan de Muerto, from her favorite traditional recipe to more modern takes she has found in Mexi...
Nov 03, 2021•43 min•Ep. 31
On today's show Aarón and Zarela are joined by Cristina Potters to talk about pasta in Mexican cooking. Cristina has lived in Mexico for over 40 years, and shares her knowledge of Mexican home cooking through her work as an author and tour guide. Together they cover food history, Aaron and Cristina point out ties between Mexican dishes and their European and Arabic influences, and Cristina discusses the spread of ramen noodles in Mexican since the late 80's. They also each share several recipes:...
Oct 27, 2021•40 min•Ep. 30
On today's show, Aarón and Zarela are joined by Neal Fraser, the chef and owner of Red Bird in Los Angeles. Neal is a lifelong Angeleno, and longtime friend of Aarón's, and together they explore the modern intersections of Californian and Mexican cuisine. They explore a number of unusual ingredients from insects to corn fungus, as they map out regional influences from San Cristobal de las Casas to The Valley. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Herit...
Oct 20, 2021•42 min•Ep. 29
On today's episode, Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to speak with Mauricio Euresty, an expert on cattle and butchery. Together they tackle the subject from tip to tail, covering differences between the preferred Mexican cuts versus American cuts, the effect of terroir on beef, how ribeye is the key to cattle grading, and trendy cuts in high end Mexican restaurants. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonpr...
Oct 15, 2021•46 min•Ep. 28
On today's show Zarela & Aarón are thrilled to welcome James Oseland. James recently released his book World Food: Mexico City: Heritage Recipes for Classic Home Cooking , which Zarela & Aarón absolutely love. While these three could talk about any aspect of Mexican cooking, for today's episode they've decided to focus on Soups. They set the stage by discussing the importance of soup in the average Mexican diet and outlining the difference between caldos and sopas. Then they each share t...
Oct 06, 2021•46 min•Ep. 27
On this week's show, Zarela & Aarón welcome Aarón's close compadre, Manny Hinojosa . Manny is a global ambassador for Tequila Cazadores , and he has a passion and deep knowledge of both tequila production and mixology. He kicks off the show by sharing his story of coming to the United States and finding his way into the bartending scene. Along the way he shares insights on cocktail competitions, the history of the earliest tequila producers, and firsthand experience of how the growing condit...
Sep 29, 2021•44 min•Ep. 26
On the season 3 premiere of Cooking In Mexican from A to Z , Zarela and Aarón go back to basics. They sit down together, mother & son, to discuss the foundational principles of the cooking. These are flavor principles they use every day in the kitchen, in a wide variety of dishes. They also sprinkle in a love letter to hatch chiles, memories of what Aarón was like as a child, and some previews of what's to come on this season of the show. Some of the flavor principles they focus on include: ...
Sep 22, 2021•38 min•Ep. 25
This week Zarela and Aarón go on a culinary tour of Baja California's Valle de Guadalupe with their guide, Colman Andrews. Colman has been writing about food and wine for decades and is currently a senior editor at 24/7 Wall St . He has traveled extensively throughout baja california, and his passion for the Valle de Guadalupe region fuels our tour! Together, they cover how wine came to the region for use in religious services, and the particular qualities of the grapes grown there. They discuss...
Jun 02, 2021•46 min•Ep. 24
In this spirited episode, Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome their close friend Maricel Presilla to talk about recados and spice blends. Maricel is a chef, restauranteur, and the author of Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America . Together the three dissect the essential Mexican spices, and how they are used. They explain the differences between Recado Negro and Recado Rojo and give some tips for doctoring up store-bought versions in the home kitchen. Marisel also polls the room abou...
May 26, 2021•52 min•Ep. 23
Today Aarón and Zarela are thrilled to welcome Víctor Macías-González to talk about the culinary exchange on the border between Juarez and El Paso. Victor is a professor who focuses on Mexican and Latinx histories, as well as the history of gender and sexuality. All 3 share memories of their early lives in the region; including Aaron's Saturday shopping and barbershop trips in Juarez and Zarela's memories of the dance culture. And, of course, they discuss the food! They list local favorites, dis...
May 19, 2021•47 min•Ep. 22
Today Zarela and Aarón are joined by their friend Yira Vallejo . Yira spent ten years as a brand incubator in the wine and spirits industry of New York City, before returning to Oaxaca in 2014. Now she works to preserve the cultural and biological diversity of Oaxaca through a number of projects, including a documentary film and the production of Mexican Corn Whiskey. Together Aarón, Zarela and Yira outline the history of corn whiskey, tell us about the system of seed exchange that has preserved...
May 12, 2021•42 min•Ep. 21
On this episode, Aarón and Zarela welcome Bricia Lopez for a love letter to the food and culture of Oaxaca. Bricia and her siblings run Guelaguetza, the restaurant her father started 27 years ago. Bricia believes that Oaxaca's most unique asset is its diversity of chiles, spices and herbs, so they've started an online marketplace to sell those products as well. Together, Zarela, Aarón and Bricia share their insights into the Oaxacan ingredients, traditions, and personality. Plus, they explore th...
May 05, 2021•35 min•Ep. 20
On this episode, Aarón and Zarela are joined by their friend Jeffrey Pilcher to talk about the development of Mexican Cuisine; from indigenous, pre-hispanic cultures up to its spread in the United States. Jeffrey is a food historian who teaches at the University of Toronto and has written numerous books, including " Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food ." Together, they discuss how food cultures develop, from childhood on, and how individual chefs push the evolution of a cuisine. They c...
Apr 28, 2021•42 min•Ep. 19
