Harness the Energy of Herbs for Mexican Cooking

There are two misconceptions you may let go of, due to chef Claudette Zepeda: that beans will make you gassy and that Mexican meals is spicy simply to be spicy.

“We’re very conscious of how herbs work in meals,” the chef says whereas demonstrating her mom’s albondigas recipe, together with corn tortillas and arroz verde, on the 2024 Meals & Wine Traditional in Aspen. “We add herbs to completely different flavors, particularly with warmth, to assist unlock the spice. If chiles provide you with indigestion, we’ll add an herb to the meals, and it truly begins to calm your abdomen.”

She compares the balancing act to the Indian custom of ending meals with fennel seeds to settle stomachs.

“It’s best to by no means have indigestion after consuming Mexican meals if it is made by a grandma — as a result of I assure you they added mint,” she says. “They added some kind of medicinal herb to assist offset that.”

Zepeda makes use of epazote in her beans for a similar impact, with the disclaimer that beans shouldn’t make anybody gassy when cooked correctly.

“Add a bit pinch to your beans and they’re superb, herbaceous, scrumptious, however they’re additionally good to your abdomen,” says the San Diego-based chef behind Chispa Hospitality and two-time “Prime Chef” competitor.

The Mexican tea plant will be bought dry on Amazon and at retailers, or you may order epazote seeds to develop your personal herbs, as Zepeda recommends. “Put up-pandemic, everybody’s rising their very own herbs. In case you can have even a window sill backyard, herbs are your pal,” she says.

To make use of extra herbs in your cooking, begin with cilantro, particularly when making Mexican meals like Zepeda’s. She loves the brightness and freshness that cilantro brings to her cooking, and provides which you can additionally obtain a simple steadiness with mint.

“Open your thoughts to creating a tomatillo salsa with mint,” she says. “In case you’re going to make use of serrano for a extremely spicy salsa, particularly a uncooked tomatillo salsa, add a bit little bit of mint. You’ll really feel the warmth and you then’ll really feel coolness.”

Zepeda additionally provides chopped cilantro and mint to her rice, folding in half a cup of chopped herbs with the rice, after which topping it with extra herbs. She provides that herbs go particularly properly with jasmine rice, which she likes for its floral taste notes.

Claudette Zepeda