Spanish Jews fleeing the Inquisition arrived in Mexico in the early 1500's. This recipe owes its origins to the Jews of Spain. The almond and orange flavor combination is southern Spain, but when it meets New World ingredients, chocolate, vanilla and red chile, the result is historic and delicious.

In Mexico the forty days before Easter are filled with special foods representing simple meatless dishes. This dried fish recipe is exquisitely Mexican with its flavorful red chile sauce, tangy nopales and the tasty, mild, dried small fry from the lakes of Mexico.

A salsa technique almost forgotten, but one that is efficient in realms. It is efficient, rather quick and offers extraordinary flavor. It is easily learned and can and should be customized to the cook's desires.

In a time when bacon runs the gamut from brownies to candy bars, bacon seems to get all the pork love. This Valentine's Day consider an elegant plate from a less trendy pork cut: the hind shanks. Make it romantic with a hint of heat, from a two-step adobo treatment. It's still all about the love.

A staple for over a 120,000,000 Mexicans, beans offer excellent nutritional value. A basic pot of beans presents a myriad of opportunities for slow cooked or quick meals. Beans are a cinch to make. Traditional clay pot cooking delivers extra flavor and may make beans your staple too.

From sweet to savory dishes, clay pot cooking imparts a delicious and unique flavor to food. An ancient secret, consider making an entrance into clay pot cooking with Mexico's hauntingly delicious sweet brew, "Cafe de Olla." A sweet coffee that is easy to make and wonderfully satisfying to drink.

Until January 6h, the greeting remains Merry Christmas in Mexico. The season does not come to a close until the Wise Men deliver their gifts to the infant Jesus. The holiday bread, Rosca de Reyes, carries the promise of another party, as it hides a small figurine of the Holy Infant. It's delicious.

In Mexico the New Year marks special treats and the countdown to Three Kings Day. Buñuelos, a crispy fried treat, are among the season's favorite sweets. An old recipe from Mexico's colonial north makes a light and distinctively flavored bite. A perfect companion to coffee or hot chocolate.

Lamb's neck is not a typical tamale filling, but it is a show stopper. The meat will be tender and flavorful and the chile warming and stimulating to the palate in all the right ways. This recipe is not quick, but it's easy and worth the planning to pull off an uncommonly exquisite tamale.

Tamale recipes vary throughout Mexico, reflections of different regions and tastes, but the common point will be in the “masa” or dough. A fluffy and flavorful batter is essential to delicious tamales. As we enter tamale season, we have a primer on the substance of a tamale, the dough.