Eva and Maite travel to Papantla, Mexico - home of vanilla. Founded by the Totonacs, vanilla's first cultivators, the city of Papantla is the perfect place to explore the history of this edible orchid native to Mexico. Plus, Maite attends a Voladores de Papantla rain ceremony and Eva pollinates a vanilla bean at a farm called, Gaya Vanilla. 

Vanilla Chicken Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets
• 2 vanilla beans, spilt lengthwise and seeds scraped
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 a cup of ricotta 

Instructions: 

• Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and, using a mallet, pound to 1/3-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, sauté the onion until soft and transparent.
• Add the vanilla seeds to the onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Place the vanilla infused onions and butter in a blender along with the heavy cream and ricotta. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the sauce back into the skillet set over low heat and cook for about 3 mins.
• Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer over low heat for about 5 mins.
• Enjoy with corn tortillas and fried plantains. 

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In honor of all the Thanksgiving holiday cooking, Eva and Maite celebrate home cooks by highlighting two culinary figures in Mexican history who revolutionized the idea of recipes and cookbooks – Vicenta Torres de Rubio and Josefina Velázquez de León. Also, Maite visits a San Judas Tadeo celebration of thanks in Montebello, CA organized by Chef Elsa Chan, one of the founders of Ek’Balam Yucatan Cuisine.

Learn more about Chef Elsa Chan here.

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By far, the greatest gift Mexico has given the world is chocolate. While Eva and Maite eat fresh cacao beans, they explore the rich history of the 4,000-year-old cacao tree which the Mayans believed was the bearer of all life and the reason their civilization came into existence. Plus, Amelia Gonzalez Garcia - Founder and CEO of Casa de Chocolates, shares why supporting fair-trade products is so important.

Learn more about Casa de Chocolates here.  

In Los Angeles? LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes has a new exhibition - The Legacy of Cacao. Curated by Maite, you can visit it now through April 30, 2023.  

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Eva and Maite discuss the history of sugar and dive into the brutal aspects that are rarely discussed when talking about Mexican history. Maite walks through the streets of La Huaca, a neighborhood in Veracruz, Mexico. Plus, Melanie Lino, baker and owner of Made By Lino, talks about pan de batata.

Find out more about Melanie Lino and her bakery here. 

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Dia de Los Muertos wouldn’t be the same without pan dulce. Our hosts explore the history of wheat and pan dulce, with a focus on the ubiquitous concha. Mexico City baker and instructor, Eliceo Lara, shares his childhood recipe for rebanadas. 

Eliceo Lara’s Rebanadas Recipe  

Instructions:  

• Cut a loaf of bread into thick slices. Sourdough or brioche work great.  
• Make a simple buttercream by incorporating 1/3 cup of room temperature butter and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar.    
• Spread buttercream on your sliced bread.  
• Separately, add a layer of regular granulated sugar to a flat plate.  
• With the buttercream slide facing down, press your sliced bread to the sugar on the flat plate.  
• When you lift it - the top of your bread (the side with buttercream) should be left with a thin crunchy layer of sweetness.  
• That’s it! Enjoy with your coffee or tea in the morning.  

Want to take an online cooking class with Eliceo? Learn more here.  

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Eva and Maite celebrate Halloween by talking about the evolution of Mexican candies. From ceremonial pre-Hispanic treats to Baroque confections developed in colonial convent kitchens, to modern spicy chamoys, these treats trace Mexico’s complex history. Plus, Maite visits a candy museum in Michoacán, Mexico and Art Historian, Dr. Elizabeth Morán, tells us about the ancient treat, Alegrías. 

Maite’s Recipes:  

• Alegrías 
• Cajeta  

Learn more about el Museo del Dulce (Candy Museum) in Michoacán, Mexico. 

Check out Dr. Elizabeth Morán’s book: Sacred Consumption: Food and Ritual in Aztec Art and Culture 

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In Aztec mythology the fertility goddess, Mayahuel, is the personification of the agave plant - the source of some of the most delicious spirits in Mexican culture. Eva and Maite talk about the ritual significance of pulque, a fermented drink, to the introduction of distillation techniques post-conquest and the first mezcal, all while drinking margaritas! Ivan Vasquez, owner of Madre Restaurant in Los Angeles, shares his thoughts on mezcal. 

Learn more about Ivan Vasquez and Madre Restaurant here. 

Click here to try Chica Salte! 

Maite’s Margarita Recipe 

Ingredients:  

• 2 ounces of Tequila Blanco 
• 1 ounce of lime juice 
• ½ an ounce of triple sec 
• ¼ ounce of agave 

Instructions: 

• Fill a cocktail shaker up halfway with ice.  
• Add lime juice, tequila, triple sec and agave. 
• Cover and shake until your fingers feel like they have frostbite.  
• Serve in a glass with a salted rim. Enjoy!

Try Casa Del Sol.   

Check out Rejon Tequila.   

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Eva and Maite kick off the series with the tortilla, a staple in Mexican cuisine and the source of a centuries-long conundrum... corn or wheat? The women taste test Eva’s homemade flour tortillas and try some from Sonoratown, a casual destination for Northern Mexican-style tacos in Los Angeles. Maite visits Acapulco Mexicatessen in East LA to experience the nixtamalization process. Plus, Jorge Gaviria, founder of Masienda, shares his thoughts on the corn vs flour debate. 

Check out Jorge Gaviria’s new book! MASA – Techniques, Recipes and Reflections on a Timeless Staple  

Learn more about Sonoratown here.

Find out all about Acapulco Mexicatessen here. 

Eva’s Flour Tortillas aka HEB - Mother's Flour Tortillas 

Ingredients: 

• Recipe makes 12 Servings 
• 2 cup(s) All Purpose Flour  
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder  
• 1 Tsp Iodized Salt  
• 1/2 cup(s) Crisco All Vegetable Shortening  
• 2/3 cup(s) water, warm 

Instructions: 

• Mix flour, baking powder, salt and shortening in bowl. 
• Add warm water, knead with one hand until dough is well mixed. 
• Form into medium size balls. 
• Roll out each ball into a thin circle. 
• Place on hot griddle, cook one side for about 1 minute, then turn and cook the other side completely until well done. 

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