The Culinary Institute of America

Mexico City’s Barbacoa El Calandrio

Barbacoa is Mexico’s pit barbecue. Wrapped in maguey leaves and slow roasted underground, barbacoa meats are steam-cooked for hours until they are “fall off the bone” tender. Usually barbacoa calls for lamb or goat or beef, even cow's head, but many regional variations occur throughout the Mexican states. Here, in Mexico City, Ruth Alegria and Francisco de Santiago show us the best way to enjoy barbacoa at Barbacoa “El Calandrio” owned by Teresa Jesus Alvarez.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

Pozole in Mexico City

Francisco De Santiago, a.k.a. "Paco," and Ruth Alegria take us on a pozole crawl in Mexico City, and tell us about this traditional Mexican soup, with hominy, meat and garnishes of Mexican oregano, chiles, white onion, radishes, avocado, and lime. Our first stop is at Casa Tixla, a pozolería specializing in Pozole Guerrero. Here Ruth and Paco have green pozole, made with green pumpkin seeds, epazote, and chile serrano. Next, at Poctzin, they sample Jalisco-style red pozole made with chile guajillo and shredded chicken.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

Mexico City Street Tacos with Chef Sergio Remolina

Mexico City native, Sergio Remolina, Chef Instructor and Director of the Latin Studies program at The Culinary Institute of America, takes us on a tour of his favorite tacos stalls in Mexico City’s Tizapan neighborhood. His favorites are Taquería Pedro for tacos al pastor and Taquería Los Arbolitos for sweet bread tacos such as tacos de cabeza, de suadero, de tripa and de cesos.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

Mexico City Taco Tour with Francisco De Santiago

Street food in Mexico City is ubiquitous, and some of the best in the world. The endless array of antojitos or “little cravings” that are sold in street stalls and markets can be daunting. Culinary guide, Francisco De Santiago, a.k.a. "Paco," leads us on a late night taco tour of Mexico City. As he explains, tacos are more than a food, but a way of life. Taquerías are a traditional gathering place for friends and families as well as an important part of nightlife in Mexico City. Stopping at El Tizoncito and Taco "El Greco" we'll sample some of the city's favorite styles of tacos.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

Mexico City Street Sweets with Ruth Alegria

Ruth Alegria, Mexican cuisine historian, and owner of Mexico Soul and Essence, takes us on a tour of sweet street foods in Mexico City’s Coyoacán neighborhood. She shows us coconut-stuffed candied limes, candied apples with chili salt, sugared nuts, pepitas, and much more.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

Mexico City’s Markets

Ruth Alegria, Mexican cuisine historian, and owner of Mexico Soul and Essence, and Chef Roberto Santibañez, discuss the pre-Hispanic tradition of markets in Mexico. Ruth takes us on a tour of the Xochimilco Market to show us an array of Mexico’s lesser known indigenous produce, and to try a thousand-year-old recipe for atole.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!
 

A Culinary Tour of Mexico City

One of the world’s largest cities, Mexico City seems to run on adrenaline. From its rich history as a pre-Colombian metropolis, to its Spanish colonial grandeur, to its now bustling contemporary edge, Mexico’s nearly 500-year-old capital is a synthesis of the old and the new. Mexico City abounds with enticing food, and its ancient and treasured culinary traditions can be enjoyed on almost every street. From the sizzling taquería stall, to a smoky barbacoa restaurant, to a steaming bowl of birria, to a world class fine dining experience, Mexico City’s world of food takes us places beyond imagining. Join us on this appetizing tour of Mexico City, as we discover its culinary traditions that are captivating diners around the world.
Get recipes and watch the full series here!

Red Red Stew: Ghanaian Red Bean Stew with Fried Plantains

Red Red is a spicy bean stew from Ghana that gets its name from its red ingredients: red kidney beans, red tomatoes, and red dende oil, which is a fragrant, bright red oil from the fruit of the African Oil Palm. Red Red is now a beloved stew all around West Africa and the Caribbean with many regional variations. It’s about time American diners got to know this great dish. You will love the tropical flavors of this delicious stew!
Get the Red Red Stew: Ghanaian Red Bean Stew with Fried Plantains recipe here!