Eating FIsh and Seafood in Puerto Escondido
My last trip to Oaxaca was mostly spent in the car, driving to markets and to meet potential farmers. It was very productive and it's always a pleasure for me...
The Rancho Gordo Blog
Grinding Chiles with Clay
I've seen these clay bowls with lines before and I knew they were some kind of mortar. In Hidalgo and Oaxaca, they seem to be called molcajetes, just like their...
Beans From Oaxaca
I've just returned from a quick week in Oaxaca. What a wild state! You round a mountain and the next thing you know you're in a completely different terrain with...
Random Shots
Mexican movie poster, from the saying of Pancho Villa that he'd rathr die on his feet than live on his knees. A seafood stew from the coast of Veracruz
Women's Folk Arts in Berkeley and Sonoma
My friend Peggy Stein and her family import all sorts of off-beat treasures from Mexico into the US but I think her most important work is with lead-free pottery, making...
Playing with Fire: Polenta and Beans from the Fireplace
It's been freezing here in the Napa Valley and the fireplace has been very busy. My Inner Puritan can't enjoy the fireplace without thinking I'm not worthy and I should...
The Famous Rancho Gordo Calendar
It's that time of year when some of our more wonderful customers are driving us nuts. Calls and email about our calendar start about now. How to get one? When...
Mole Verde Revisited
New friends over for dinner means new chances to perfect a favorite dish. Again I made Mole Verde but this time I played up the verde, adding romaine lettuce, epazote,...
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a Bean Dip
We like to sample beans now and again in our retail store here in Napa. The problem is that sometimes the beans are so fresh that we blink and suddenly...