This week Zarela and Aarón welcome their friend Paula Lambert, founder of The Mozzarella Company , to guide them through the world of Mexican cheese. Paula's shares how Mexican ingredients permeated the Texas food scene and sparked her interest in Mexican cheeses decades ago. Together they cover the creation and uses of a number of cheeses, including Requesón, Panela, Cotija, Queso Oaxaca, and more. Plus, they tell the true - Mexican - origins of the Caesar salad, Paula and Zarela reminisce abou...
Apr 21, 2021•49 min•Ep. 18
On this episode, Zarela and Aarón welcome their first return guest to the show - Anne Mendelson. Anne is an unbelievable resource, a culinary historian and author who co-wrote three cookbooks with Zarela. This time, they're together to discuss the history and uses of lard. First, Anne guides us through the history of lard's introduction to Mexico, and she even ties it back to their first episode together (#4 - "The Triple Bounty of Squashes") by discussing how squash seeds were one of the only i...
Apr 14, 2021•51 min•Ep. 17
On this episode Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to present another parent-child duo who dedicate their lives to preserving their culture through food. Juan and Jonathan Zaragoza’s family-run Chicago restaurant Birria Zaragoza is known as the best birria in Chicago and, according to Aarón, Chicago is the best Mexican food town in the country. Juan started making birria at his restaurant in 2007, and since then he’s garnered national attention for his version of the Jalisco comfort food. Their birri...
Apr 07, 2021•47 min•Ep. 16
On this episode, Aarón and Zarela welcome their friend and colleague, Rick Bayless , a pioneer in traditional Mexican cuisine at the highest level, to discuss rice in Mexican cuisine. There isn’t much Chef Bayless hasn’t done or an award he hasn’t won. Owner of a restaurant empire in Chicago, most notably Frontera Grill and Topolobambo, he’s written 8 cookbooks, hosted two PBS series’ Cooking Mexican and Mexico:One Plate at a Time and numerous TV appearances including winner of season 1 Top Chef...
Mar 31, 2021•51 min•Ep. 15
Today Zarela and Aarón take a deep dive into the delicious delicacy of edible bugs in Mexico with "Doctor Bugs" himself, Mark Moffett . Mark is a biologist, author, lecturer, and adventurer who knows his way around the insect table. Mark received his Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University and is a Research Associate in the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History in the Smithsonian Institution. Zarela, Aarón, and Mark discuss the most commo...
Mar 24, 2021•44 min•Ep. 14
In this Season 2 premiere of Cooking in Mexican from A to Z, Zarela & Aarón explore the layered flavors and history of mole. There is a different mole for every palate and protein, from negro to colaradito to rojo. Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome another mother-son duo, Susana Trilling and Kaelin Ulrich, to help ensure they cover it all. Susana Trilling is a chef, teacher, author and director of Seasons of My Heart Cooking School in Oaxaca. A renowned authority on Oaxacan cuisine, S...
Mar 17, 2021•54 min•Ep. 13
Today Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome Steve Sando, the founder of Rancho Gordo . In this episode they delve into the wide world of beans; covering the differences between heirloom and commodity beans (and how each has a role in the market), assessing different methods of preparing beans, exploring the spices that might accompany beans in your kitchen, and much more. Plus, Steve makes a pitch for why you should start your parties with shots of bean broth! Photo Courtesy of Rancho Gordo F...
Jan 15, 2021•45 min•Ep. 12
On today's episode Zarela & Aarón welcome Robert Schueller, Director of Public Relations for Melissa's Produce. Robert takes us on a world tour of fruits that are newer to the U.S. market, while Zarela & Aarón tell us how they're used in Mexican cooking. From Avocados to Quince, they cover storage, processing, recipes and family stories. Photo Courtesy of Melissa's For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is a listener suppo...
Jan 06, 2021•44 min•Ep. 11
Today Zarela & Aarón welcome Dona Abramson, long-time Operations Manager at Kalustyuns in Manhattan, to talk about Smoked Chiles. Dona brought along a grab bag of smoked chiles from around the world as inspiration, and Zarela and Aarón share how they each use smoked chiles in their own cooking. Plus they tackle a variety of related topics like mole and tips for growing chiles at home. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com Heritage Radio Network is ...
Dec 30, 2020•46 min•Ep. 10
Today Zarela and Aarón welcome Andy Coe, author and scholar of culinary history, to discuss cacao and chocolate. They start with the history; how it was first consumed as a drink, and then made its way around the world after the Columbian Exchange. They share stories of how cacao was used as currency and, possibly, an aphrodisiac, and Andy leads Zarela and Aarón through the process of making modern chocolate bars. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com ...
Dec 23, 2020•38 min•Ep. 9
Today Zarela and Aarón welcome one of Aarón's early mentors, Jorge Adriazola, to tackle the many uses of plantains. They share recipes of the various ways in which plantains are prepared throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. Jorge walks through how to prepare Tostones (pro tip from Aarón: the same technique works for homemade french fries as well) and Zarela and Jorge sing the praises of home-rendered lard. Plus, the three of them pay homage to several luminaries of Latin Am...
Dec 16, 2020•44 min•Ep. 8
On this episode, Zarela & Aarón contrast the tomato with its relative, the tomatillo. They invite their friend - and favorite tomato farmer - Tim Stark of Eckerton Hill Farm to join the conversation and explain how he grows his delicious produce. Tim weighs in on how the heirloom tomato landscape has evolved over the past two decades and the effects of farmer's markets on what customers want to eat. Plus, Zarela and Aarón share their processes for working with tomatoes and tomatillos in the ...
Dec 09, 2020•44 min•Ep. 7
On today's episode Zarela and Aarón have the studio all to themselves as they discuss Chile Colorado (the pepper, rather than the dish that shares its name). They walk home cooks through the process of buying, storing, preparing dried chilis and what tools work best. Zarela explains her mother’s traditional method for a Chile Colorado base, and Aarón tells listeners how he has incorporated these flavors at his restaurants. They also share stories from Aarón’s childhood in NYC and Zarela’s at the...
Dec 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 6
On today's episode, Aarón and Zarela are joined by their friend Chef John Mooney of Bell, Book & Candle (NYC) and Bidwell (Washinton, D.C.). John explains how he has incorporated vertical agriculture into his work as a restaurateur, and together they discuss a number of their favorite Mexican herbs and greens. They proceed ingredient by ingredient, sharing how to use avocado leaves in barbacoas; mint in meatballs; plus, they discuss cilantro, culantro, pepicha, papalo and more! For more reci...
Nov 24, 2020•38 min•Ep. 5
Aarón and Zarela are joined by Anne Mendelson, Zarela’s co-author on numerous cookbooks and a long-time family friend. Together they talk about squash - including pumpkins and zucchini - and how to use these vegetables in their entirety. They share ideas for using squash seeds in sauce as well as recipes for Sikil P’ak and Calabasitas Con Queso. Plus, Anne takes us all on a tour of how squash has traveled around the world and Zarela shares memories of the squash dishes she grew up with on the ra...
Nov 18, 2020•44 min•Ep. 4
Aaron and Zarela welcome Chef Fany Gerson of La Newyorkina and Fan Fan Doughnuts to explore an ingredient we all know and love: vanilla. When people think of this universal flavor, they don’t always think of it as a Mexican ingredient. But vanilla is indigenous to Veracruz. We’ll learn all about it – from how it’s produced (hint: it’s not a bean) – to Fany’s love of vanilla in her Paletas (Mexican ice pops) and her new Brooklyn shop Fan-Fan Doughnuts. Plus, Zarela shares one of her favorite savo...
Nov 11, 2020•42 min•Ep. 3
On this episode Aarón and Zarela welcome their first guest: Zack Wangeman of Sobre Masa . Zack was born and raised in Oaxaca and interned with Aarón when he was only a teenager! Together they discuss the ins-and-outs of Mexican heirloom corn, including how it’s been farmed and used throughout history and why it’s different from corn grown in the United States. They also talk about how to make masa and much more! Plus, Zarela tells stories from her childhood growing up on a cattle ranch in Chihua...
Nov 04, 2020•45 min•Ep. 2
In this very first episode of Cooking in Mexican from A to Z , mother-son duo, Aarón Sánchez and Zarela Martínez discuss one of their favorite ingredients: chiles verdes, or green chiles. The traditional Mexican techniques of roasting, drying, and cooking are told through stories of their early days on the ranch in Mexico through their careers as chefs in NYC. They talk about their identity as a family (three generations of cookbook authors!), their personal and professional relationship (which ...
Oct 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 1
They’re mother and son, but also award-winning celebrity chefs, restaurateurs, and cookbook authors. Aarón Sánchez and Zarela Martínez will take you on a culinary journey featuring regional ingredients that are the soul of Mexican cuisine. From chilis to chocolate and everything in between, Aaron, Zarela and special guests will share stories, tips, techniques, and quintessential recipes in spirited kitchen table conversations. Theme Music: "Ella " by Zarela Martínez & Humberto Flores Cooking...
Apr 27, 2020•2 min
