With Chef Kalla Jordan 2013 .
What an amazing experience to have Kalla with us for 5 days! Every morning she would arrive and we would head out to the local street markets to shop for the day! One morning she surprised us with fresh caught fish form that morning. Most people wouldn’t’ t think cooking on vacation would be a vacation but for me it was! She was an absolute delight to be around and sharing her moms recipes with us were so touching. Unfortunately I didn’t receive the translation for them (but John on another trip found her with her new restaurant Rocoto Hux) but I will reach out to her and share an update with you. First must learn recipe was mole which is John’s favorite thing in the world. Two days to make but worth every minute of it! The ingredients are different there so recreating is a bit tough.
I did learn and brought back with me a lot of principles. Mainly….nothing is wasted!!! Every bit of food is either used one way or another in different forms. My misconceptions of Mexican food (especially it had to be hot) were shattered with all the fresh ingredients, attention to detail and respect of all that was local to their community. I always wondered and was nervous on how you could safely eat the chickens hanging in open air a the markets… they bathe and rub in lime!! The lime not only neutralizes bacteria but tenderizes the chicken. I still today wash my chicken with a fresh lemon or lime. My all time favorite dish is Chile Relleno! I grow my poblano peppers now and have my version as close to hers as I can remember. Oh, the other thing Kalla taught me was when I cook my rice to put an entire jalapeño pepper in with it while its cooking! You can remove the entire jalapeño when done. The rice has a fabulous aromatic flavor to it…not hot or spicy at all!
que tenga un bien dia!
I have to admit, Mexican food was not my favorite cuisine as I was introduced to it in the United States. However, it is truly different in Huatulco. The freshness of ingredients and beautiful flavors have made me a true fan and cook my version of Mexican food in my kitchen with the principles she taught me to embrace.
