tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46799935621073356792024-03-18T22:00:30.908-07:00Confessions of a FoodieWhole food recipes with a pinch of Mexican spice from a San Diego kitchenAni L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-61135831844540232432024-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:002024-01-10T07:00:00.131-08:00Black Bean & Queso Fresco Enchiladas VerdeOnce, while making enchiladas, my grandmother stood over my shoulder, watching. Like so many foods, how a dish is prepared differs by region. In some parts of Mexico, the tortillas are dipped into the sauce and then fried in hot oil or lard. In other parts of the country, they're fried first and then dipped. My grandmother's family followed the former, and my father's family followed the latter, Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-48685822183230941352024-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-03T03:00:00.127-08:00Herb Chicken Flatbread with White Beans and SpinachLike with chocolate, I'm a bit suspicious of people who say they don't like pizza. I mean, what's not to love? You've got freshly baked bread that's crispy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside and slathered with sauce. I love mine topped with veggies and sausage or chicken. And seriously, who doesn't love gooey, melty cheese? I'd eat it weekly if it weren't for all those carbs.It's Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-53083212650476015692023-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T07:00:00.124-08:00Step-by-Step: Cinnamon Pinwheel BitesIf there were a spice that reminded me of my youth, it would have to be cinnamon. Cinnamon is the thread that binds many of the comfort foods my family embraces. Like Mom's coffee cake, she made whenever we had company. Or Grandma's spice cookies at Easter and sweet tamales at Christmas. There were te de canela (cinnamon tea made from Mexican cinnamon), churros, buñuelos (cinnamon-sugar-topped Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-49369215308916595432023-12-13T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-13T03:00:00.122-08:00Tips for a successful Tamalada + Mom's Pork Filling for TamalesOver the years, I have invited countless friends into my home for tamaladas (tamal-making parties). Similar to my family's tamal-making marathons of my youth, these parties are a great way to gather with people you care about, catch up on gossip and, after a few hours, have delicious little packets of corn goodness to take home and share with their families.Editor's note: I first published Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-28783049500957695312023-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:002023-12-01T05:00:00.130-08:00Mom's Easy Red PozoleEditor's note: I first published today's recipe for my mom's pozole in 2009. At the time, I rarely took step-by-step photos, so today, I'm resharing the recipe with updated photos and a slightly tweaked recipe.Like so many recipes passed down from generation to generation, the staple recipes that my parents made when I was a child were never measured. The success of recipes relied on their Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-60938297492456103652023-08-23T04:00:00.039-07:002023-08-23T11:06:00.365-07:00Costillas con Calabacitas (Mexican Pork Rib Stew with Squash)Costillas con calabacitas (pork rib stew with squash) is a childhood favorite, and today, I'm showing you how to make my version of this classic dish with step-by-step photos so you can replicate this simple, hearty meal in your kitchen. This dish beautifully highlights summer produce like tomatoes, corn and squash, especially Mexican squash, which, though available year-round, is in season from Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-59399532429079229112023-07-14T02:30:00.014-07:002023-07-14T02:30:00.126-07:00Çilbir, also known as Turkish Eggs{This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases that help to support this site.}The smell of garlic swirled around me as I passed it back and forth along the Microplane, grating it directly into the bowl of thick Greek yogurt. Less pungent since I poached it, but still strong-smelling. I picked up the lacy dill and gave it a Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-71815480313378386562023-07-02T04:30:00.033-07:002023-07-03T11:10:21.433-07:00Summertime Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette {#VegetarianRecipe}Take a big whiff of a ripe tomato just picked off the vine, still warm from the sun's kiss and tell me it doesn't scream, "Summer is here!"Freshly picked garden tomatoes, summertime and my childhood, are intrinsically linked. Mom and Dad kept two areas of our backyard for growing vegetables year-round to help feed their growing family. Tomatoes were prominent in their garden, from Mom's large Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-64750847383655511362023-05-15T03:00:00.014-07:002023-06-21T16:48:26.175-07:00Black Bean Soup with Masa Dumplings (Sopa de Frijol Negro con Chochoyotes)Spring might be here, but the temperature is still chilly enough that I find myself craving the warmth of soup. I'm also really into beans right now, especially black beans. Enter today's recipe for Sopa de Frijol Negro con Chochoyotes – or Black Bean Soup with Corn Masa Dumplings. Heart-healthy black beans are earthy-tasting and slightly sweet. They're sturdy and meaty, making them a great Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-707580279881342902023-03-22T08:00:00.022-07:002023-03-22T08:00:00.136-07:00Arabic Cucumber and Tomato Salad I know we are in the middle of yet another atmospheric river, and as I type this, I can hear the rain pounding on the sides of the house just outside my home studio. Yes, this weather screams soup. But this gal cannot exist on soup alone. Sometimes, I just want something fresh to remind me of warmer weather. That's when this Arabic cucumber and tomato salad comes in to save my lunchtime doldrums.Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-61553246723440415382023-03-18T03:00:00.039-07:002023-03-21T13:16:26.908-07:00How to make Albondigas en Caldo Editor's note: I first published today's recipe for albondigas in 2010. At the time, I rarely took step-by-step photos. I recently had to rephotograph the recipe for publication at the newspaper where I work as a designer and art director. Since April 2020, I have been licensing content from this blog for use in the food section weekly. I had my sister Ellie over to help, which made the day both Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-55943896643004143342023-03-13T04:00:00.014-07:002023-03-13T04:00:00.132-07:00Cold weather comfort: Caldo Tlalpeño So far, 2023 has felt abnormally chilly. Although I can eat soup all year round, something about cold, rainy days makes me crave it even more. I have several go-to soups like kale with sausage, albondigas and pozole, to name just a few. A few months ago, my youngest sister and I were chatting, and she asked if I had ever had "tlalpeño." Not only had I never had it, I had never heard of it. She Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-87976894707475804132023-03-03T05:00:00.027-08:002023-03-03T05:00:00.145-08:00How to make Mexican red riceI have four sisters. They are four, five, ten and seventeen years younger than me. My mother calls us her ABC girls because we're named alphabetically according to age. When Barb, Cat and I were still young yet old enough to appreciate it, my parents began taking us and my two aunties to Disneyland, a 2-hour drive north. Mom would get up hours before it was time for us to leave to make fresh Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-27152880296696199562023-02-15T05:00:00.032-08:002023-02-15T19:27:51.931-08:00How to make tender barbacoa in under 2 hoursOne of my earliest memories involves finding the head of an animal staring at me at eye level upon opening the refrigerator door. I wasn't yet of school age. My father had asked me to get him a cold drink from the fridge. My memory is fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure it was a pig. What I do remember is opening the door and screaming bloody murder. My father, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing. Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-6826851279366530982023-01-26T08:00:00.050-08:002023-01-26T08:00:00.136-08:00Mexican Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Of all the plant-based proteins, quinoa is near the top of my favorites list. I make it often to bulk up a lunchtime salad or to serve alongside a main at dinner. I also love it as a base for vegetarian patties and "meatballs." Though botanically classified as a seed, the fact that it is gluten-free, cooks and eats like a grain has many people reaching for it in place of otherAni L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-30325242104288852792023-01-23T06:00:00.046-08:002023-01-23T06:00:00.133-08:00Eggplant Imbottiti Step by Step: Pesto Pasta Stuffed Eggplant with Rustic Tomato SauceEditor's note: This is an updated version of a post that originally published in 2007. It now includes step-by-step photos, expanded eggplant tips and a recipe for arugula pesto.When I get busy, cooking becomes less creative and more a means to an end: it's simply easier to toss something together that you don't have to think about because you've done it a hundred times before. When I'm Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-14484495429285195272022-05-24T15:00:00.009-07:002022-07-05T12:09:22.630-07:00Tamales de Pollo con Mole en Hojas de Plantano {Banana Leaf-Wrapped Chicken Mole Tamales} I don't hold to the notion that we're supposed to reserve certain foods for specific times of the year. If I want to eat hot soup during the summer, an ice cream sundae during a rainstorm, or roast a turkey in February, then I do. Tamales often fall into the "for special occasions" category even though they're relatively easy to make. The time-consuming part stems from the quantity: Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-79258921100992845482022-05-09T16:30:00.013-07:002022-05-09T16:46:46.279-07:00Sugar Snap Pea & Tortellini Pasta Salad Did your parents have to tell you to "eat your peas" before they'd excuse you from the table?Mine didn't.Peas made weekly appearances in our house. Before frozen vegetables were the norm, Mom would often serve us the canned variety piping hot with lots of butter, salt and pepper. Sometimes, she'd add tomato sauce the way my grandmother made them for her as a child. Mom would also dot our Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-6303006249498358182022-05-03T04:00:00.002-07:002022-05-04T20:18:20.368-07:00Olive Oil Braised Collard GreensI just recently celebrated the first anniversary of my cancer surgery. Yes, cancer. It's the main reason that this site hasn't had a new recipe in more than a year. I spent most of 2020 feeling slightly under the weather. Cooking, styling and photographing new recipes took me three times as long to complete as they had the year before. With the newness of COVID, I chalked it up to the stressAni L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-22664723524370792792021-02-26T04:00:00.015-08:002021-02-26T04:00:05.324-08:00Tuna Salad Tostadas with Chipotle MayoWe've reached the end of this week's series on heart-healthy recipes. Monday, I shared my recipe for Quick Chipotle Black Bean Soup. Wednesday was all about Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Chayote and Radish Slaw. Today, I'm sharing an easy recipe for Tuna Salad Tostadas with Chipotle Mayo. All three of these heart-healthy recipes were brought to you by Smart & Final. Happy second FridayAni L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-31998978109384757282021-02-24T04:00:00.023-08:002021-02-24T04:00:11.038-08:00Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Chayote and Radish Slaw This is part two of a three-part series sharing heart-healthy recipes. Part one, my Quick Mexican Chipotle Black Bean Soup, posted on Monday. Today, I'm sharing an easy and quick recipe for Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Chayote and Radish Slaw. On Friday, I'll be posting part three, a Lenten recipe for Tuna Tostadas. These recipes are brought to you in collaboration with Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-13683343700727361942021-02-22T08:00:00.151-08:002021-02-22T08:00:08.956-08:00Quick and heart-healthy Mexican Chipotle Black Bean SoupFebruary is American Heart Month, and I couldn't let the month end without posting a couple of my favorite heart-healthy recipes: Chipotle Black Bean Soup, Turkey Lettuce Wraps and Tuna Tostadas with Chipotle Aioli. Sponsored by Smart & Final, these recipes are low on fuss but high on flavor. Today, we're spotlighting my Quick Mexican Chipotle Black Bean Soup. Wednesday's post will Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-35556431940392246912021-02-13T08:00:00.103-08:002021-02-13T15:58:32.739-08:00Lemon-Blueberry Scones {reduced carb with no added sugar}I've started the new year trying to be more mindful of my daily meal choices. Working from home since March, I've gained an extra hour and a half in my day from not having to spend time getting ready to go into the office. These days, my daily commute consists of walking from my upstairs bedroom to my studio office on our homes' first floor. And yet, I still feel like there aren't enough Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-7423780774375307262021-01-27T05:00:00.007-08:002021-01-27T05:00:06.329-08:00Queso Fundido with Soyrizo and Mini Flour TortillasThe sound of the onion sizzling the moment it met the hot cast-iron skillet primed my senses for what was to come next. I sliced open the plastic sleeve encasing the Soyrizo. The vinegar, chile, and spices perfumed the air. I inhaled deeply, smiling to myself in anticipation. Holding the Soyrizo vertically over the skillet, I squeezed the plant-based sausage out of its sleeve. Pleasantly Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679993562107335679.post-38931498669966123202021-01-20T06:30:00.011-08:002021-09-14T17:41:50.801-07:00Skillet Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garbanzos and HarissaIt's my first post of the year, and I'm excited to be partnering with Smart & Final to share this super easy one-pan Skillet Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garbanzos that's bursting with spicy harissa flavor!Like most Americans, I eat a lot of chicken, from chicken poached in a bit of salted water to whole boiled chicken with dried red chiles and aromatics, then shredding it to stuff into Ani L. Arambulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095537747803778008noreply@blogger.com0