CAFÉ DE OLLA      Right mouse click on icon and save Acrobat recipe file.

This is a great early-morning energy booster, as well as a rich soothing beverage at the end of a meal. Café de olla at its best is boiled in an earthen pot “olla de barro” with raw sugar “piloncillo” and spices like cinnamon, anise or cloves. Many traditional city restaurants offer the dark, delicious drink served in old-fashioned earthen mugs “jarritos” at the end of the meal.

Cafe de la olla used to be served at funerals in some small towns throughout Mexico, sometimes it was also served with a “puiquete” (pinch) - small amount of alcohol, like rum or tequila, to help resist the cold at night.

ARROZ ROJO     Right mouse click on icon and save Acrobat recipe file.

This flexible dish is one of the most popular dishes next to “frijoles” (beans) in the basic Mexican cuisine.

Sometimes you will find it served with either a fried egg on top or with fried platains (a type of banana, originally a Cuban dish that has become part of the culture in Veracruz and the rest of Mexico).

CHURROS     Right mouse click on icon and save Acrobat recipe file.

Churros originated In Spain many years ago. As its popularity grew, churros quickly spread throughtout Argentina and Mexico.

Normally eaten with “champurrado”, an Aztec drink that has been modified through the years, which consists of corn paste and chocolate.

You can also find churros (thicker than your normal churro) filled with cream, jam, chocolate and cajeta (caramel) throughout Mexico as special weekend treats.