It’s not raining today, but I can feel it coming. We’re supposed to have a rainy weekend here in Los Angeles, so I’m preparing early. The ingredients for caldo de pollo have been bought and ready to take to Eagle Rock, where I will be spending a long weekend with the grandkids. We’ll make the soup, bake some cookies and make champurrado.

Here, at home I’ve already got a pot on the stove. There’s nothing like it for chasing the cold away. Think hot, cinnamon-flavored chocolate that is thick and creamy, with a slight undertone taste of corn. Yes, corn as in the masa we use to make tortillas or tamales. We use it to thicken our champurrado until it is almost porridge-like. The result is creamy, chocolatey goodness that both fills and warms your belly. It keeps you WARM.

When I was a kid, as soon as it got to be a little cold my grandmother would whip out her atole/champurrado pot; a battered and heavy old metal thing with a wooden handle. Nothing said comfort like seeing that familiar pot on the stove. She’d start by boiling water with cinnamon sticks in it. Soon the house would be redolent with the spicy scent and that was comforting as well. The water would turn a deep, dark red – almost black and the cinnamon smell would overpower any other scent in the house. Even the heavy-scented roses climbing up the kitchen window would bow down to the spiciness of that water.

Once the water was dark enough, she’d fish out the cinnamon sticks and start her base for the champurrado. She’d use either flour or Maseca depending on her mood or what was handy. The Maseca went into a cup or bowl with hot water and she whisked it briskly so that it would be smooth. Whisk in hand, she’d stand over the pot and slowly pour in the slurry of Maseca and water, while whisking super fast. The dark red water would swirl and turn almost pink with the addition of the masa. I’d watch, peering over my chair and it seemed magical. I think I fell in love with cooking at moments like that.

When the masa cooked into the water and thickened it, she’d add scoops of dark chocolate powder and whisk that in too. Now the mixture was dark again and the smell of chocolate married the cinnamon; producing something decadent and rich. Once the chocolate was fully mixed in and no stay lumps appeared, she’d pour in a couple of cans of evaporated milk, then regular milk – about half and half (I make mine with just evaporated milk – it’s creamier).

Finally, she’d add the sugar. She never measured except with a new recipe, and with her champurrado, she knew that pot so well that it was almost automatic the amount she poured in from the cup I handed her. By then, my anticipation was almost frenzied. I was dying for that first cup. She’d taste the champurrado, stir it a few more times, then ladle out cups for my grandfather first, then me and Aunt Jessie, then herself. She always served herself last, but she was first in all our hearts.

I always burned my tongue. I couldn’t wait until it was cooled enough to drink. Matter of fact, I still do that.

Quieres un tésito?

If you are Latino, you’ve probably heard those words many a time from a grandmother, aunt or your mother. It means, “do you want a cup of tea?” In Mexican households at least (I can’t speak for other Latinos), té or tea fixes everything. You have a stomach ache? Yerba buena. Period cramps? Canela and sometimes canela con semillas de cilantro (it totally works). Can’t sleep? Manzanilla. Headache? Flor de tila. The list goes on and on and by virtue of the Mexican spice sections of my local stores, the tradition of herbal teas in Latino houses is still going strong. No self-respecting Mexican house or apartment is ever without yerba buena, ruda, romero, and other herbs growing in and around it.

My grandmother Lupe was an expert on all things herbal and plant-related. In another life, she could have been a doctor. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t heal and make feel better without a few leaves of something from her massive gardens. I remember one time I was there visiting for the summer and got sick. Not sure what was wrong with me but I had a very high fever and was almost delirious from it. My grandmother looked at me worriedly, left my Aunt Jessie to watch over me and walked out to her garden.

Mmmmm cafecito!

What is it about Latinos and our love affair with coffee?  Could it be that we’re basically weaned from the bottle on it?  I remember being a little girl in my grandparent’s kitchen stealing sips of my Papa Chava’s cafecito and loving it.  Even knowing better, I’d give my kids cafe con leche (mostly condensed milk with a few drops of coffee on occasion.  They loved it.  Don’t judge me!

Needless to say I’m a total coffee addict.  I grew up on Bustello and MJB (useful for it’s brightly colored green cans that served as containers for marbles) and graduated to exotic roasts, organic beans, my beloved Trader Joe’s Sumatra and Zapatista coffee because I support indigenous rights any way I can.  I’m not myself until that French press is sitting in front of me on the table steeping while I make my current obsession for breakfast, the toasted bagel with nutella and fresh strawberries.  Nothing gives me more pleasure than adding my coffee creamer (I love Hazelnut) to my cup, then gently pouring in that hot stream of strong coffee and letting the intoxicating smell rush up and tell me good morning.  Yeah, I’m in love.

I use coffee for other things too in my kitchen.  It’s absolutely perfect in chocolate frosting on banana nut bread.  Instant works for this.  You boil a small amount of water, put in A LOT of instant and dissolve.  It becomes this syrupy, sticky mess that gets poured into my chocolate buttercream frosting and then spread thickly over my bread.  Oh yeah. Total ecstasy.

I worry though about growing conditions, the rights of coffee bean growers and farmers and am wondering what my addiction is costing others.  What is the best way to drink responsibly and no impact our world for the worse.  Must I give up my beloved cafecito?  Even more, now that the economy and my budget is suffering, how to feed my need for the addictive bean without damaging my wallet.  The more ethically responsible coffees are really darned expensive!!  Are we more inclined to care more about the world around us in a better economy?

So tell me…what coffee are you drinking and are you drinking responsibly?  What brands are the best?  What’s in your cup of Bustello?

I just came from the train station at Beverly & Vermont where I bought some champurrado and a tamale.  The champurrado brought back memories of growing up in my grandmother’s warm kitchen, the sweet smell of cinnamon wafting through the house.  I loved when she made champurrado or other flavored atoles.  There was just something so comforting about the hot, sweet and thick drink.  It not only warmed my belly but filled me.  My grandfather would tell me stories about a little lady in his town in Mexico that would sell tamales out of her kitchen window with the matching atole.  Strawberry tamale and a strawberry atole.  Yummy.

Atole is a traditional drink made with masa, a type of corn flour.  The word comes from the Nahuatl word “atolli” and back in Aztec/Mexica times it was a staple made with water, maize and lime which helped soften the maize.  To find out more about the foods of the pre-conquest Mexica, click here.

Atole can also be made with pinole, a toasted corn flour.  The drink is often made for breakfast and on cold days when it makes it a comforting way to keep warm.  It’s Latino comfort food.  I grew up drinking mostly the chocolate kind or champurrado, but I also had strawberry, coconut, pineapple, guayaba, the white unsweetened atole that was made special with bunelos, and atol de nuez which was made with nuts.  In the part of L.A that I live in, there’s a huge Salvadorean, Guatamalean and Honduran population and their versions of atole have made their way onto my palate, repertoire and heart.  Atol de elote, atol de chuco, chilate and more found their way into my kitchen and recipe files.  Some of the recipes are my grandmother’s and others I’ve accumulated and adapted over the years from various people who’ve shown me their favorites.

There’s nothing better on a cold morning or coming home from work on a chilly night than a steaming cup of atole and I’m lucky enough to live in L.A where its readily available at the train station on my way home.  It’s easy to make, the ingredients are usually easy to find and for the gluten-free crowd, you can find gluten-free masa on a few websites.

Atol de Elote – Corn Atole

15 ears of corn
8 cups of water
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of cinnamon
2 3/4 cups of sugar
3 tsps of salt

Cook 5 ears of corn in about 4 cups of water with teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  When they are cooked, cool them off then remove the kernels of corn from the ear and set aside in a small bowl.
Strip the other 10 ears of corn of their kernels and chop them up then add to the blender.  Liquefy them until they are very, very smooth.  Little by little add in the 4 cups of water.  Strain in a fine sieve using cheese cloth to line it so that the liquid is very smooth.
In a large pot add the strained corn liquid, 4 more cups of water, cinnamon stick, salt, sugar and heat on medium flame stirring constantly.  Keep stirring until it thickens.  Keep on heat for about ten minutes.  Once it’s thick, its done.
Serve in cups adding a little of the cooked kernels of corn on top and dusting it with powdered cinnamon.

Atol de Platano – Banana Atole
6 bananas
5 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sugar

Wash the bananas well and put them (whole, peels and all) to boil in three of the five cups of water  for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Once cooled, peel the bananas and put the pulp into a blender with the water it cooked in.  Add the other two cups of water and blend until smooth.

In a large pot, add the banana mixture, cinnamon stick and sugar and heat on the stove on low heat for 10-15 minutes.  If the mixture is too thin, heat a little longer so it thickens.  Serve hot.

Atole de Pina – Pineapple Atole

5 cups of masa harina
4 1/2 cups of water
1 ripe pineapple
12 cups of milk
1 pinch of baking soda
Sugar to taste

Mix the water and the masa, taking care that its mixed well and all the lumps are out.  Strain through a sieve to get the last of the lumps out and bring to a boil in a large stockpot then lower heat.  Stir frequently and let thicken.
Peel and cube the pineapple, then put it in a blender and blend until smooth.  Strain and add to the simmering masa mixture stirring till its mixed through.  Add the milk and baking soda and sugar to taste and simmer another 15-20 minutes, stirring often to keep from boiling over.

The atole should be served hot.

Atole de Guyaba – Guava Atole

1 can evaporated milk
5 cups of water
3 medium sized guyabas (guavas)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dissolve the corn starch in a glass of cold water, stirring until all the lumps are gone and you have a smooth liquid.

Boil the guyabas in 5 cups of water, the cinnamon stick and sugar until the guyabas are fully cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Once cooled, remove the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture into a blender and liquify until smooth.  Strain and pour back into the pot and turn on the heat to low.

Slowly add in the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly until it is all incorporated.  Continue stirring while the atole simmers and thickens.  Once the atole is thickened, slowly pour in the evaporated milk and simmer another 10-15 minutes before serving.

Atole de Galletas de Maria – Atole made from Maria Cookies

7 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp. Almond extract
1 packet of Maria cookies (galletas Marias)
1 pinch of baking soda

In a food processor grind the cookies until they are powder and set aside.

In a large stockpot bring the milk to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.  Add the baking soda, almond extract, powdered cookies and sugar.  Stir constantly until the atole thickens.

Serve hot.

Atol de Coco – Coconut Atole

5 cups of milk
2 cups of masa
1 cup shredded coconut
1 stick of cinnamon
1 cup of finely ground almonds
1 cup of sugar
Powdered cinnamon to taste

In a large stockpot, bring the milk, shredded coconut and cinnamon stick to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer.

Dissolve the 2 cups of masa with water (about 3 cups) till it is smooth with no lumps.  Slowly add the masa mixture into the simmering milk mixture.  Stir constantly until thickened then add the sugar.  Simmer another 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot with a little powdered cinnamon sprinkled on the top of each cupful.

Atol de Tamarindo – Tamarind Atole

1/2 cup of masa
5 cups of water
2 tamarind pods
1 cone of piloncillo
1 peppercorn
Pinch salt

Soak the tamarind pods in a bowl of warm water for about two hours before starting the atole.  Once they are well softened, you can knead them until all it is all pulpy and pick out the seeds and shells.  Blend the pulp in a blender until smooth.  Strain well and set aside.

Dissolve the masa in 2 cups of the water, making sure its smooth with no lumps.

Bring to boil the remaining water with the cone of piloncillo and peppercorn then lower the heat.  Stir in the masa mixture, the tamarind pulp and pinch of salt.  Keep stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.  Fish out the peppercorn and simmer for another 10-15 minutes before serving.

Atole de Arroz – Rice Atole

1 cup of long grain rice
1 can of condensed milk
10 cups of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar

Bring the rice to boil in 4 cups of water with the two cinnamon sticks, lower heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

In a large stockpot add the condensed milk, the regular milk, sugar and vanilla.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let simmer.
Remove the cinnamon sticks from the rice and add the rice to the cooking milk.  Stir constantly and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is almost dissolved.  Serve hot.  The rice will still have its shape but will be incredibly soft and melt in your mouth.

Atole Negro – Black Atole

2 cups of cacao shells
1 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of anise
Piloncillo to taste
10 cups of water

In a frying pan toast the cacao shells until they are very dark.

In a food processor, grind the cinnamon, anise and cacao shells until they form a powder.

Bring the 10 cups of water to boil then lower the flame and add the powder.  Add the sugar and piloncillo and stir until thickened.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring constantly.  Serve hot.

Atole de Cacahuate – Peanut Atole

5 cups of peanuts, shelled and cleaned
6 cups of water
2 cans condensed milk
2 cups of masa
2 discs of Mexican chocolate (like Abuelita)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups of sugar

Bring the water to boil with the cinnamon sticks and milk.  Once it has brought to a boil, lower the flame and simmer adding the two discs of chocolate.  Stir.

In a blender pulverize the peanuts with about enough water to facilitate the blending.  Add the sugar and blend more, adding more water if it gets too sticky and hard to blend.

In a bowl mix the masa with water until it is smooth with no lumps.  Mix into the peanut mixture and blend more until it is well mixed.

Slowly pour the peanut/masa mix into the simmering chocolate mixture, stirring constantly.  Keep on the heat for about 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

Atole de Ciruela – Plum Atole

5 cups fresh plums
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 clove
2 cones of piloncillo
1 cup of masa
10 cups of water
Pinch salt

In a large saucepan add the plums, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer, covered for a 1/2 hour.  Set aside and let cool.  Once cooled, break the plums apart with your hands, removing the seeds.  Blend the plums and water until smooth.

In a large stockpot, bring to boil 10 cups of water with the cinnamon sticks, the clove and piloncillo.  Once it is boiling, add the plum mixture and stir.

Mix the masa with water until it is smooth with no lumps and slowly stir into the stockpot with the plum mixture.  Lower the flame and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring constantly.

Atole de Naranja – Orange Atole

12 cups of milk
12 cups of water
7 cups of orange juice (fresh squeezed)
4 cups of masa
2 cups sugar
Sugar to taste

Wash and squeeze enough oranges to yield 7 cups of juice.  Strain out seeds.

In a large stockpot add the orange juice with 2 cups of sugar and heat till it comes to a boil.  Lower the flame and let simmer for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile dissolve the masa in the 12 cups water until it is smooth and with no lumps.  Strain and pour into the simmering orange juice.  Stir constantly until thickened, then add in the milk little by little still stirring constantly.  Let cook another 10-15 minutes before serving.

I like to garnish this with fresh orange blossoms when in season and a little orange zest.

Atol de Nuez – Walnut Atole

3 cups of milk
4 tablespoons of Maizena
1 cup of ground walnuts
2 cups of water
1/2 cup sugar

Bring the milk to the boil, then lower the flame and simmer.  Add the ground nuts and sugar and stir.

Dissolve the Maizena in water until it is smooth without any lumps and slowly pour into the simmering milk, stirring constantly and not allowing the mixture to lump up.  Keep simmering for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts on top.

Atol de Habas – Fava bean Atol

1 pound of toasted habas
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
Sugar to taste
5 cups of water

Toast the habas on a griddle then soak them in a few cups of water for about 3-4 hours.  Once they are softened, put into a blender with the water they soaked in and blend until smooth.

In a large stockpot add 5 cups of water, the cinnamon sticks and pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer.  Add the habas mixture and keep stirring until it thickens.  If it is too thick add in more hot water and stir well.  Serve hot.

Atole de Pinole – Pinole Atole

10 cups of milk
5 cups of pinole
2 sticks of cinnamon
Sugar to taste

Heat the milk with the cinnamon sticks and just as it begins to boil add the pinole, stirring fast to avoid lumping.  Lower the flame and simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.  Add sugar to taste and serve hot.

Atole de Piñón – Pine nut Atole

1 can of evaporated milk
8 cups of water
1 cup of pine nuts (pinones)
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of maizena

In a large stockpot bring 6 cups of the water to a boil.

In a blender pulverize the pinenuts with a cup of water until smooth.  Strain through a sieve.

Add the milk to the boiling water and lower heat.  Stir in the maizena swiftly so that no lumps form.  Add the pinenut mixture and stir.  Cook for another 10-15 minutes on simmer, stirring constantly.

Champurrado – Chocolate Atole

12 cups of milk
2 cups of masa
1 cup of sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
1 disc of Mexican chocolate

Bring to a boil the milk with cinnamon sticks, then lower heat and simmer stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t boil over.

Mix the masa with a cup of water until smooth and without lumps.  Strain and add slowly to the hot milk, stirring quickly to keep it from lumping up.  Add the chocolate and sugar stirring the mixture the whole while.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Serve hot.

Atole de Nopal – Cactus Atole

12 cups of milk
2 cones of piloncillo
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of masa
1 1/2 cups of water
10 nopales (cactus paddles), cooked and washed

Bring the milk to a boil with the piloncillo, vanilla and cinnamon sticks.  Lower the heat and simmer stirring constantly.

Dissolve the masa in the water until smooth with no lumps.  Strain.

Add the masa mixture to the milk mixture and stir constantly until the mixture thickens.

Blend the cooked nopales in a blender with a little water until smooth.  Mix the nopale puree into the milk mixture and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Atole de Fresa - Strawberry Atole

1 pound of fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 cup of masa
2 cups of water
Sugar to taste
1 stick of cinnamon

In a blender, blend the strawberries with a little water until smooth.

In a large pot boil the two cups of water with the cinnamon stick, lower heat and simmer.

Mix the masa with water until smooth then strain and add to the simmering water little by little, stirring constantly.  Add the strawberry mixture.  Simmer for another ten minutes, then remove from heat and let sit for another ten minutes.  Serve.

It’s kind of cold outside but I am thinking of summer and everything that is sunny and bright.  On a day when I should be thinking longingly of hot chocolate, I am imagining the rows of big glass jars with ladles filled with a rainbow of colored liquids and ice.  Aguas frescas or fresh waters translated into English. Fresh waters.  Tamarindo, chia, horchata, jaimaica, agua de melon, sandia, lima, limonada, fresa, pina…the list goes on and on.
We didn’t drink Kool-aid, Hawaiian punch or soda.  We drank aguas frescas in the summer and they were all so good and refreshing.  On hot summer days the icy taste of an agua made with cucumbers quenched my thirst like nothing else and I still make that agua whenever I get a chance, along with a variety of others.  Many have medicinal purposes as well as being thirst quenchers.

I know that if you’re an Aztec dancer like I am, there is nothing better to drink after a long five mile parade in the sun than jamaica, that dark red drink made from hibiscus flowers.  It hydrates, keeps the headaches away and gives you just enough energy to get through the next couple of hours of dancing.  Water’s great but jamaica kicks it up a notch.  Stomach troubles?  Then how about some agua de chia, a water made with lemon juice, sugar and the seeds of the chia that most Americans know as the thing on Chia pets.  We soak the seeds, then mix with water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar and ice to make a restorative drink that will help your digestion.

Some of our aguas are made with milk too so go figure.  We still call them aguas.  If grains or nuts are pulverized and mixed in, then it becomes an horchata.  We make aguas of fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, flowers, grains, seeds and leaves.  They are all excellent and so much more than the usual trinity of tamarindo, horchata de arroz (most just call it horchata) and jamaica.
Here are a few of my favorite aguas frescas recipes for your enjoyment.  Imagine each sitting and sparkling in a heavy glass jar filled with ice, an old metal ladle and sunshine bouncing off the glass on a brilliant summer day.   Come explore!  On all the aguas, make sure you stir before each serving as the pulp tends to go to the bottom and the drink will lose it’s full flavor.

Buen provecho!

Agua de Tamarindo - Tamarind Water

Agua de tamarindo is my personal all-time favorite and while it requires a little work, it’s worth every squishy minute of it.  The taste is sweet-sour and oh so refreshing.

6-8 tamarind pods
Water to boil tamarindo in
8 cups Water
Sugar to taste (bout 1/2 cup)
Ice

In a saucepan, boil the tamarind pods on a low heat for about 20 minutes.  Take off heat and let steep for about 2 hours.
Here’s the fun part and my grandkids love doing this.  Knead (yeah that’s right knead it like dough) the tamarind pods in the water until all the seeds and pulp separate from the shells.   Kinda squishy work but its lots of fun for the little ones.  Pour the mixture into a strainer and push the pulp through.  I usually strain it again just to make sure I don’t get in little bits of the shells.
Pour off strained mixture into a glass jar or pitcher.  Add cold water to almost fill the jar then add sugar to taste.
Add ice and stir.

Agua de Platano - Banana Water (thanks to @veronica3000 for the suggestion)

3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
4 cups of water + 1/2 cup water
1 stick of cinnamon
Ice
Sugar to taste

Boil the cinnamon stick in a 1/2 cup of water on medium heat till the water is dark red and smelling of cinnamon (about five minutes).  Set aside and let cool.
In a blender add the mashed bananas and 4 cups of cold water and liquify until completely blended.
Strain the banana mixture into a glass jar or pitcher and stir in the cinnamon infusion, making sure to remove the stick.
Add sugar and ice to taste.
Stir and serve.

Agua de Horchata – Rice Water

My way of making horchata de arroz takes a little longer (overnight) but the flavor of the cinnamon really gets into the rice and makes for a delicious horchata.  You can find shortcuts, but I prefer this method.

1 cup of white rice
2 sticks of cinnamon
4 cups of water
1/2 cup milk
Tsp of vanilla
Sugar to taste
Powdered cinnamon to taste
Ice

Wash the rice.
Soak the rice refrigerated overnight in 1 cup of milk and the two cinnamon sticks in a covered container.
In a blender, liquify the rice, milk and cinnamon with some of the water until its completely ground and blended.
Strain in a fine sieve.  I usually strain a couple of times, using cheesecloth to line my sieve.

In a large glass jar or pitcher, add the strained mixture, the vanilla, sugar to taste and the rest of the cold water.  Stir well and add ice.

Serve in tall glasses with a dash of powered cinnamon on top.  

Agua de Tuna – Prickly Pear Water

4 red and 4 green tunas (prickly pears), peeled, and chopped
Sugar to taste
1 quart of cold water
Juice of two lemons
Ice

In a blender, blend the 4 green tunas with about a 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water until well blended.  Strain.
In a large glass jar or pitcher mix the chopped red tunas, the rest of the water, juice of the two lemons and stir well.  Stir in blended green tuna mixture and add ice.

Serve into a tall glass, making sure to add a few chunks of the red tuna to each glass.  Part of the fun of some of these aguas is eating the fruit on the bottom of your glass after the drink is all gone.

Horchata de Nuez – Walnut Horchata

1  can condensed milk
1 cup of cold water + more cold water
1 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
Sugar to taste
Ice

In a blender, add the chopped walnuts, about 1/4 cup of sugar, the powered cinnamon, condensed milk and the cup of water.  Blend well until all the nuts are completely pulverized.  Strain using a fine sieve.

Pour walnut mixture into a glass jar or pitcher, add in more cold water if needed.  Add sugar to taste and ice.

Stir well and serve.

Agua de Avena – Oatmeal (yes that’s right, oatmeal) Water

1 cup regular oatmeal, none of that Quaker instant stuff.  Just oats.
1 1/2 quarts of cold water
1 1/2 tsps of vanilla extract
1/2 can evaporated milk
2 cloves
2 sticks of cinnamon
Sugar to taste
Ice, lots of ice.

In a large sauce pan, add half of the water, the oatmeal, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil, then lower heart and let simmer about five minutes, stirring constantly to keep from boiling over.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Strain through a sieve into a large glass jar or pitcher.   Add the milk and the rest of the water, sugar to taste and plenty of ice.  Stir well.

Make sure this agua is served very, very cold.

Agua de Jamaica – Hibiscus Flower Water

2 cups dried jamaica flowers
Sugar to taste
Ice
10 cups of water

Bring the dried flowers to a boil in about four cups of water, then simmer on low heat for ten minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.
Strain out the water from the cooked flowers into a large glass jar or pitcher, pouring the rest of the water over the strained flowers to get the rest of the flavor out of them.
Add sugar to taste and plenty of ice.  Stir well and serve in a tall glass.

Agua de Chia – Chia Seed Water

1 cup chia seeds (you can find these in the Mexican spices section of your supermarket, usually in a little pouch)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Sugar to taste
2 quarts of water
Ice

Soak the chia seeds in two cups of water for 2-3 hours until they are soft and gooey. Chia seeds have a lot of gooey almost gelatinous goop on them when they are soaked.  That’s part of the fun. Think Boba in a very tiny form.

In a large glass jar or pitcher add the 2 quarts of water, the lemon juice and the now spongy, wet chia seeds.  Stir well and add sugar to taste and plenty of ice.  Before serving make sure to stir it well so that the chia seeds are floating throughout the whole jar.

Agua de Pepino – Cucumber Water

6 cups of water
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
Juice of two lemons
Sugar to taste
Ice

In a blender, add the chopped cucumbers and 2 cups of the water.  Blend until smooth, the strain out in a fine sieve.

In a large glass jar or pitcher add the lemon juice, strained cucumber mixture, sugar to taste and ice.  Stir well and serve in a tall glass.

Agua de Sandia – Watermelon Water

1/2 a ripe watermelon, peeled, chopped and de-seeded ( I cheat and buy seedless now)
8 cups of water
Sugar to taste (you won’t need much)
Ice
More chopped watermelon

In a blender, add the chopped watermelon and 2 cups of the water.  Blend well and strain.

In a large glass jar add the watermelon mixture, sugar, the rest of the water and ice.  Add more chopped watermelon to the jar.  Stir well and serve, making sure you ladle in a few chunks of watermelon in each glass.

Agua de Fresa – Strawberry Water

2 lbs of strawberries, hulled, cleaned and chopped
2 quarts of water
Sugar to taste
Ice
1 cup fresh halved strawberries

In a blender, add the 2 lbs of chopped strawberries and enough water to get them to blend easily.  Blend until very smooth. Strain out and pour into a large glass jar, adding the rest of the water, sugar to taste, halved strawberries and ice.  Stir well and serve.

Fresa de Leche – Strawberry Milk Drink

2 lbs of strawberries, hulled, cleaned and chopped
2 quarts of water
Sugar to taste
Ice
1 cup fresh halved strawberries
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a blender, add the 2 lbs of chopped strawberries and enough water to get them to blend easily.  Blend until very smooth. Strain out and pour into a large glass jar, adding the rest of the water, sugar to taste, evaporated milk, vanilla, halved strawberries and ice.  Stir well and serve.  This should be served very, very cold.

Agua de Limon y Menta – Lemon and Mint Water

2 quarts of water
Juice of 3 lemons
1/8 cup fresh mint, chopped
Sprigs of mint
Sugar
2 cones of Piloncillo
Ice

Dissolve the cones of piloncillo in about a cup of water in a saucepan.  Let cool.

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the mint with a few tablespoons of sugar.

In a large glass jar, add the water, lemon juice, crushed mint, dissolved piloncillo and ice.  Stir well.  Add more sugar to taste if needed.  Serve in tall glasses garnished with a sprig of mint.

Agua de Lima – Lime Water

The peel of 5 limes, washed very well and chopped
Juice of two fresh limes
2 quarts of water
Sugar to taste
Ice

In a blender, add the lime peels and lime juice along with a cup of water and blend till smooth.  Strain into a large glass jar and add the rest of the water, ice and sugar to taste.
Stir well before serving.

There are many, many more aguas and I know I’m forgetting a ton.  Maybe in another post I’ll add the others.  I’d sure welcome any of your favorites to add to my collection.

So there was this chocolate sauce just sitting in my fridge, left over from the eclairs.  The chocolate glaze was in there too.  Seriously, they were calling me, begging not to be left in there on their own.  Several times, i walked over and thought maybe I should make more eclairs.  Maybe creampuffs.  No, it’s too hot. Then today it got to be too much.  I finished the chapter in the book I was reading and headed for the kitchen .  I sat at the table with the recipe and my cup of coffee and decided to go for it.

The chocolate glaze had hardened so I set it in simmering water.  I decided to do the same lavender-orange pastry cream since it turned out so delicious and decided at the last moment to pour a little lavender into the chocolate glaze.  I love lavender chocolate.

The pâte à choux was easier to do work with this time.  I’m not sure why but it was.  In fact, the whole thing was so simple, I am worried for my hips.  I could easily make these all the time.

I piped big fat circles onto parchment paper covered baking sheets and set them to bake.  I know!  Baking again in August.  Crazy I tell you.  Estoy pero bien loca.  That means I’m pretty crazy in Spanish.

The circles puffed beautifully, everything went like clockwork.  I decided to scoop the remaining chocolate sauce on the bottom of each cream puff, then load it with the cream and top with glaze.  They were delicious, rich and sinfully decadent.

I think I’m going to live to regret having these in my repertoire…you see my dilemna.

One of the simple things that I make and my grown children go absolutely nuts over and always ask for is my tostadas de atún or tuna tosadas. It’s super simple, but so good and perfect for hot weather when you just don’t want to cook at all. It also a good recipe to make when you have little, hungry kids in the house and they want to help cook. Jasmine and Aiden like helping cook a lot so I chop everything up for them, open cans and then just let them add everything to a mixing bowl and stir. It makes them happy and they get a decent meal in the heat. The recipe also allows for a lot of creativity. It’s pretty flexible. When my kids were growing up, each one had their own spin on it. Albert always wanted me to add canned corn to it, lots of it and no mayo. Bernadette wanted pickles, cucumber and chopped celery. Phillip was the one who drowned it in so much lemon that we made him make his own and Bobby loved it with canned jalapenos and plenty of avocado.

Last Saturday, it was typical L.A. July weather, hot and nasty. We had gone over to Read Books for story time and Jasmine invited her friend Velouria over for an impromptu kiddie pool play date (for all my Twitter friends who commiserated and suggested help for the drowned Blackberry, yes that’s when I dropped it into the pool and thanks to all my Twitterfriend’s advice, it survived and is working).

After some fun time out back with Velouria’s mom Monica and the kids, Aiden and I went inside to fix lunch for everyone. I quickly decided on Tostadas de atún, because it was fast, easy and perfect for the day. I also decided I’d make my Grandma Lupe’s horchata de melon or agua de melon, a very cool and refreshing drink made of cantaloupe seeds. It was always my favorite agua fresca in the summertime and my grandkids love it just as much as I did.

While Aiden and I were working on lunch Monica and the girls came in from outside and Monica very kindly offered to take pictures since my camera is broken and I am not so patiently waiting for my new one to arrive. Thanks Monica!

Tostadas de atún

Tostada shells (store bought like we use or you can make your own)
Canned tuna (we use albacore in spring water)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Lettuce or other green leafy (on this day we used Mache)
Fresh lime or lemon juice to taste
Chopped tomato
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
Finely chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (optional)
Avocado chopped for the tuna and some slices for garnish
Powdered chile limon, sometimes called pico de gallo (optional)
Canned corn, chopped celery, chopped cucumbers, pickles, canned jalapenos (all optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Tapatio or other chile sauce to taste

Add tuna to a mixing bowl and add the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and green onion along with any thing else you want to toss in. Add about a quarter cup of mayonnaise if you want it creamy or just add the juice of one squeezed lemon or lime if you want it plain. I use both.

Scoop it onto a tostada shell and garnish with avocado slices. Add Tapatio sauce if desired and a squirt of fresh lime.

Horchata de melon/Cantaloupe orchata

The seeds of one cantaloupe
Sugar or honey to taste
Ice
Water

Slice a chilled cantaloupe and scoop out the seeds and put into a blender.
Add about a cup of ice and water to almost fill the blender.
Puree for about five minutes, then strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth to get all the seeds out.
Add sugar or honey to taste and more ice if desired. Serve.

One of the things I love most about the cold weather celebrations in Mexican households is the traditional ponche (hot fruit punch). There is nothing like it. The smell is incredible, it’s packed with stewed fruit and has an unbelievable flavor. You can add a dash of tequila for someone who wants an extra kick to hit, but I love it just as it is. It’s one of my favorite things and I look forward to it every year. I knew I just had to make some for my guests at the tamalada.

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In ponche, there are some hard-to-find ingredients but they are absolutely necessary or it just won’t be the same. Fortunately, the ingredients are getting easier to find here in L.A. One of the main ingredients, tejocotes, used to be virtually impossible to get unless you went to Mexico and brought them over canned since you can’t bring fresh fruit across the border.

The tejocote is what gives the ponche it’s unusually delicious flavor and without it, it’s just so-so. I’ve been lucky in the past few years being able to find them (at somewhat high prices) frozen. This year, I hit the tejocote lottery and found them fresh! I paid a high price per pound, but the ponche was amazing and it was worth it.

I’m using my grandmother Lupe’s recipe, originally written in Spanish so the measurements may be a little off. I never measure and I never could translate grams and litres into cups and teaspoons.

Some of my guests came in cold from the weather and a hot cup of ponche was just the thing to warm hands and tummies.

Ponche (Mexican Hot Fruit Punch)

1 ½ pounds Tejocotes
1 ½ pounds Guayabas (guavas), not very ripe
1 pound of apples (I used Gala) sliced into rings so that the star in the middle shows
1 pound of Caña (sugar cane) – you can get it frozen in Mexican specialty stores if you can’t find it fresh. If fresh, chop into 2-inch sections and peel. If frozen you can add it right in, it’s already sectioned and peeled.
10 prunes
1 piece of piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar cone)
1 handful of flor de Jamaica (hibiscus flowers, dried)
1 cup of pineapple chunks or rings (optional)
1 dried piece of tamarindo (tamarind), peeled (optional)
Tequila or rum (optional)

Wash all the fruit, peel the sugar cane and slice the apples.
Soak the hibiscus flowers in cold water for about five minutes and strain.
Put a big pot on the stove half filled with cold water and add the tejocotes and cinnamon sticks. Let come to a boil, then add all the fruit and piloncillo. Make sure that the water covers all the fruit. Cook on a medium heat, covered till all the fruit is soft.

Serve hot with some of the cooked fruit in the cup. Add a dash of tequila or rum if desired.