La Piña en la Cocina - Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

Empanadas de Queso(Cheese Empanadas)

June 2, 2018

I love empanadas! I love fried empanadas filled with stringy Oaxaca cheese and jalapeño! Little did I know how many of these tasty little pockets I would prepare by my own hands these past couple of years. Once I learned to prepare a home-style empanada dough years ago, the premade disc went by the wayside. What brought me back to giving these flaky disc another try? My foodie friend, Norma, prepared her delicious Puerto Rican beef picadillo empanadas for us and I was instantly obsessed with ...

Aguachile de Camaron Con Mango(Spicy Shrimp with Mango)

June 1, 2018

For this chilehead, I hear the word aguachile and it stops me dead in my tracks! Aguachile translates to chile water. In this case it is fresh chiles blended with fresh lime juice. Right up ...

Pork in Tomatillo Salsa

May 29, 2018

Pork in tomatillo salsa! It's, as they say, a no brainer! I grew up garnishing pork tacos with tomatillo salsa(salsa verde). The next best thing, for me, is pork in tomatillo salsa! The bonus part of ...

Pork Chilorio Tacos

May 29, 2018

Pork chilorio tacos! Where have you been all my life? My favorite of the mild dry Mexican chiles, chile ancho, paired with fresh orange juice, vinegar and spices. It's a win, win situation for me! The ...

Roasted Tomatillo Habanero Salsa

May 15, 2018

Roasted tomatillo habanero salsa! Ready for tacos! Are you still to intimidated to try fresh habanero peppers in some of your salsa recipes? I will be honest and tell you that I have encountered ...

Cemitas (Mexican-Style Rolls)

May 10, 2018

My first experience with cemitas is the pan dulce(sweet bread) from la panaderia(bakery). That delicious sweet bread, is similar, but not. Not always, but the sweet variety may have sesame seeds on ...

Milanesa de Res(Beef Milanesa)

May 8, 2018

Milanesa! Beef, chicken and pork can be used for this delicious recipe. In my family, cracker meal was traditionally used to bread the thin sliced beef, but breadcrumbs work well too. Many plated ...

Carne Asada-Grilled Skirt Steak with Longaniza

May 1, 2018

It's carne asada season! I know for many, they grill year round. Here in central New York, it's a bit too cold for my liking to be standing outside tending to a grill. No thanks! The perfect carne ...

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