Although you will not find these turkey burgers at a local cantina in Oaxaca, I can vouch that they certainly did conjure up fond memories of the flavors in dishes I ate on some of my many journeys to Oaxaca. I could even imagine these burgers served at one of the open air market’s concessions. I tip my hat once again to Steven Raichlen, my grilling hero, for yet another impressively creative and delicious burger. Minus some personal modifications to the recipe, this is the recipe that appeared in Burger. Make Ahead: The salsa makes about 2 cups and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 2 days. Beer Recommendation: A rich malty, roasty beer that absorbs the heat and provides a great counterpart to chipotles and grilled meat is a good choice to pair with these burgers. If you happen to find a Noche Buena, a great dark beer from Mexico, this would be my first choice. Second would be Negra Modelo, a slightly sweet brew with some fruitiness, it’s malty for a Mexican beer and goes well with chipotles.
This is a classic Oaxacan dish, served with rice. Each family has their own version, this one is made by the Restaurant La Olla, Oaxaca México. A little information: Oaxaca is to Mexican food lovers and cooks perhaps what Florence is to art aficionados. Walking through any village market, or just down the street in Oaxaca is a aromatic as well as visual delight. In Oaxaca, it is difficult for one to walk for very long without ending up in a market and passing a dozen little restaurants. Not only has Oaxaca made significant contributions to the flavors of the world – especially with its extraordinary mole (mo-lay) sauces: sharp, thick, sweetly complex, with top notes of smoke, sometimes clove and citrus and always undertones of dried-chile heat, but the Indians from Oaxaca invented two of the cooking utensils that are still essential in Mexican cooking: the molcajete (stone utensil used to crush and mix spices) and the comal (metal utensil for heating and baking). Oaxaca is justly famous worldwide for its vibrant, inventive, and diverse cuisine. The markets and restaurants produce their succulent, rich moles for which Oaxaca is famous. There are at least seven basic varieties of mole made in the region. Here are nine: negro (black), amarillo (yellow), coloradito (reddish), almendrado (with almonds), verde (green), rojo (red), Manchamanteles (tablecloth stainer) and chichilo negro. There is always mole being served in Oaxaca, such as the coloradito; with its brick-red color of roasted chiles, sautéed spices, and ground, charred bread, it is elusively spicy and with a slightly tangy sweetness, a little smoky, with the fullness of toasted grain and a bit more pungent than the negro or the amarillo, which is especially mild, with its clean chile flavor, a strong top note of cumin and a slightly oily texture.
These unusual, luscious lentils are a traditional Lenten meal of Oaxaca, Mexico. Pineapple, plantain, cloves and allspice give this dish a tropical feel – plus there’s plenty of garlic for zip. Garnish with fried plantain slices.
Ole!!! Flautas are similar to taquitos, which are rolled tacos. These flautas use flour tortillas to give them light crispiness! The perfect accompaniment is chunky guacamole, with many of the same flavors from the flautas–enjoy!
My friend Charlotte (thanks C!!) gave this to me…it is SO easy and just delicious! She likes corn tortillas, I like flour, and it tastes great with both…whatever your preference!
