The Mexican Corn Kitchen

11/04/20 • 44 min

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 Chihuahua and shares her recipe for tamales. To read the piece Zarela wrote on corn for the Daily Meal, click here.

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Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast.

Plus, Zarela tells stories from her childhood growing up on a cattle ranch in Chihuahua and shares her recipe for tamales. To read the piece Zarela wrote on corn for the Daily Meal, click here.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member!

Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast.

Previous Episode

Getting to Know Mexican Green Chiles with Aarón and Zarela

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 includes being the first mother-son team to cook at the White House), and developing their own culinary styles.

Then, they let the ingredients guide the conversation. Aarón and Zarela dive into regionality, flavor principles, and food history. They share where the jalapeño gets its name and explain why you should never rinse a roasted chili. They also cover ways of growing, roasting, and drying chilis and suggest methods for eating them stuffed or in dips, soups, marmalade and much more.

To find some of the recipes and videos they talk about, visit zarela.com

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member!

Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast.

Next Episode

The Great History of Vanilla

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 savory recipes using vanilla, Pollo Papantla (chicken with orange juice and vanilla), and some family memories of growing up around the precious vanilla production.

Photo Courtesy of Evan Sung

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Cooking in Mexican from A to Z by becoming a member!

Cooking in Mexican from A to Z is produced by HotDish Productions and powered by Simplecast.