On a night so cold I could feel my bones rattle, I followed the smell of burning wood to a distant hue of gold. The only sounds were my every breath and step. I came to a tall wrought-iron gate, its handle icy cold, and it wailed an eerie cry…

More than 3,000 miles away, deep in southern Mexico, Elena asked me, “Do you know Juan?” I just smiled and shook my head. But she was right to wonder. Outside the beautiful city of Oaxaca is the tiny Zapotec village of Etla San Lorenzo de Cacaotepec. Most of the men…

One minute you are on top of the world; the next you are not. Resigning from the New York Stock Exchange is not the answer (or maybe it is), but perhaps a little working vacation in Phoenix would help ease your stress. Come on, Martha Stewart, get away to my…

Recently, a seemingly innocent question about Southwestern cuisine has made me think more closely about the differences between Southwestern and Mexican food. I am sure there are many chefs and foodies who have different opinions. This is only my opinion based on my experience, studies and travels. Besides, I am…

If I judged most of the Mexican and Latino eating establishments in the Phoenix area based on their outer appearance, I would hardly ever eat out. The expression “Never judge a book by its cover” is true at Restaurante Centro Americano in Phoenix. Turnoff Number One: Located just south of…

I decide to go grocery shopping on a Sunday. And for a minute, I forget I am in Arizona. In the largest open-air marketplace in North America, Mercado de la Merced, located just a short distance from the original Aztec Tenochtitlán market in Mexico City, you stand among a sea…

As you enter the backdoor entrance of Durant’s restaurant in Phoenix, you cannot help but notice the hardworking cooks trying to hide their sweat and fatigue while giving you a friendly smile and muffled hello in broken English. The Valley’s kitchens are full of these men and women in white…

For chain Mexican restaurants, it’s bigger than New Year’s in terms of revenues. Their budgeting depends on it. Special events and promotions are brought in, the bartenders get ready to sell tons of Coronas and shots of Cuervo Gold tequila, and the local police are on extra alert. Welcome to…

Infamous Van Buren Street is notorious for prostitutes, dilapidated hotels and a quick drug deal. Or at least I hear it is. But next Sunday, when you are done mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool and reading the paper, load the family into the SUV and take an excursion to…

The sky is partly cloudy, the sun teasing me with its warmth on this chilly Sunday afternoon. There is a melodic murmur of vendors selling their goods, and buyers inspecting and haggling prices for future purchases. The feel of the hustle and bustle of a busy Mexican mercado, or marketplace,…

It was one of those beautiful Arizona nights. The sunset was doing its magical and colorful dance upon the Phoenix skyline, and the weather was perfectly inviting. Being indoors was unappealing to me. Like a comic-book hero, I hurriedly changed, leaving a trail of chef clothes on the floor for…

I’d been trying to write a cookbook. One day, just as I was on a roll, my fingers dancing on the keyboard, thoughts pouring from my head, I heard a thumping at the door. “Not now,” I muttered as I walked toward the demanding knock and opened the door. Sweat…

You think you know Mexican food? Think again. As diverse as its land and people, Mexico’s food is an endless tapestry of variety. You could spend a lifetime in one state alone and never completely know its entire cuisine. Chimichangas and fajitas are cute names for dishes invented on this…

The challenge was on. Aged by wear and the daily illumination of the hot Oaxacan sun, the poor 2-by-6 board sat precariously over two upside-down five-gallon buckets. “My butt is getting too big for this,” I thought. I could almost hear the decrepit board cry in pain and feel the…