Hi, old friends! I haven’t been here in a while, mostly, because like for so many of you, my kids are (still) home around the clock, and it’s been snowing non-stop for weeks—big fat flakes that just accumulate in piles, first eagerly played in and later neglected for the solace and warmth of the indoors.
Snow always makes me want to bake—full on. Our bread box and cookie jar has been brimming over. But sometimes our savory kitchen gets neglected in times like this. Exciting meals feel like too much effort, too many dishes. Work.
Last night, though, we made fish tacos with my dear friend Anna, who we’re safely podded with—a celebration of her finishing her first solo cookbook just this week (a book we’re all going to want!). We both had half a fridge worth of food, and, as she pointed out—two half fridges are far better than one. It forced us to get creative, to mix textures and flavors in a way that is almost certainly interesting, if not completely delicious (it was!). We threw in all the things—cilantro, scallion, radish and lime into an herb salsa; then: cabbage and grapefruit and pea shoots into a zingy slaw. Pickled onions, and beautiful, flaky chunks of line-caught cod and wild shrimp, smothered in paprika, chiles and lime were layered into tortilla—soft and crispy—with beans and avocado. My palate came alive again, and this morning I woke up with a distinct craving for another big-flavor favorite: POZOLE.
Above all the (many!!) recipes, meals and traditions I’ve adopted from Mexican culture, Pozole has my heart. It’s one of the most satisfying stews that I know: fortifying and deeply flavorful. It was once considered sacred in certain parts of Mexico and is still often found at celebrations and holidays.
There are a few types of pozole, but the one I like best is Pozole Verde (green pozole) with chicken (though, traditionally it would be pork), tomatillos and hominy. This method piggybacks on having some good poached chicken and chicken stock on hand, which you can find in both my most recent books—on the stove top —in Every Day is Saturday—and in the Instant Pot—in Instant Family Meals.
Whenever I poach a chicken, it is almost always with this soup in mind. But even if you haven’t, there’s always rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chicken or pork) and a good prepared broth; both come beautifully to life with roasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos and poblano, which you can quick broil for instant charred flavor.
Though it would be a stretch to say this nourishing stew is a breeze to make, it’s always, always worth the work. As with most of my favorite soups or stews, the toppings—-avocado, radish (any kind!), scallion, cilantro and cotija cheese, to name a few—are what make the finished dish explode with flavor. Just like last night’s impromptu feast, the mixtures of flavors and textures are enough to bring you back to yourself, to the pursuit of flavor and feeding the ones you love.
RECIPE, BELOW.
