Throwback days - Anna's cooking career...

Between 2009 - 2016 I had the privilege of working as the Food Editor and Food Stylist on four cookbooks for Gourmet Pilgrim Publishing - Italy, Spain, Germany and our award winning Mexico. This cookbook was awarded an International Gourmand Award in 2017 for the Best Latin American Cookbook in the world produced outside of Latin America (a team effort by some very talented Aussies). An exciting day this email landed in my in box.

For one month a team of three of us travelled around Mexico, with a specialised local guide. Together we explored the colourful markets of Mexico, ate in locals homes/villages & met many extraordinary cooks and chef's. We tasted, we wrote draft recipes & prop shopped for the beautiful images that we created. I snuffled away biscuit wrappers, bottles and many traditional pieces that were shipped home for the food styling of the cookbook. I will never forget making fresh tortillas by hand from women that still ground their soaked fresh corn husks to make flour everyday, to then make into tortillas. In their words "Thank you for telling the world our story".

I was so inspired by so many cooks I met over my years travels from Mexico to Spain to Germany - our aim was to uncover the very best of local food history, recipes and stories for our cookbooks.

Below are two favourite recipes from the Mexico cookbook. The first delicious taste of Mexico on a warm weekday afternoon was the freshness of a Zucchini blossom & Oaxaca fresh milk cheese (we substituted buffalo fresh milk cheese as it was a must that our cookbook had ingredients that could be found in Australia - however now in 2023 you can source Oaxaca cheese in Australia as we have some amazing authentic Mexican Restaurants). If an ingredient wasn't available outside of Mexico that recipe didn't make our book and if we could have a substitute that's how we tested the recipe back here in my home kitchen.

Zucchini flowers and Fresh Cheese Quesadillas - Serves 4

Ingredients

12 male or female zucchini flowers or squash blossoms (see note)

12 x 20cm fresh corn tortillas or cooked store bought tortillas

125g Oaxaca cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese, pulled into fine shreds

100ml vegetable oil

Salsa of choice to serve

Method

1. To prepare zucchini flowers, firstly remove the stem or young zucchini if attached and use in another recipe. Carefully open flowers and remove the stamens or pistils (depending on whether they are male or female flower) from the centre of each flower and discard. Cut zucchini flowers lengthways then into quarters.

2. Heat a tablespoon of the oil on a barbecue plate or non-stick frying pan on high heat. Place a tortilla onto the greased plate and top with some zucchini flowers (and sliced zucchini if using), placing them lengthwise along centre of the tortilla; top with some of the cheese. Fold over to enclose.

3. Hold the top down with a large spatula and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom side is lightly browned and crisp. Turn and cook other side for a further 1-2 minutes or until the cheese in centre has melted and the filling has heated through.

Serve hot with salsa.

Note: Zucchini flowers are often sold on their thin stem (males flowers) or with the young zucchini attached (female flowers). If the young zucchini is attached, slice them thinly and add to the filling.

Salsa Pico de Gallo - known as Mexican salsa as it is the colours of the Mexican Flag

Ingredients

100g ripe red tomato, finely diced

¼ medium white onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1 fresh green Jalapeno chilli, halved lengthways, seeded and finely chopped (see note)

¼ teaspoon table salt, or to taste

Method

1. Place tomato, onion, coriander and half the chilli in small bowl and stir to combine.

Taste for balance of heat and salt. To add heat, gradually add more chopped chilli, stirring between additions to taste. Season to taste with salt.

2. Transfer to serving bowl, cover and set aside for 30 minutes, allowing flavours to develop before serving. Salsa can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving for best flavour.

Note: for extra heat add some of the white seeds from the chillies to taste.

BBQ Prawns with Adobo

Ingredients

1kg whole large green prawns

2 tablespoons adobo paste (see note)

60ml vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon table salt

Lime cheeks, to serve

Warm tortillas, to serve

Method

1. Peel shell from body of prawn leaving tail and head intact. To remove vein, use a skewer and insert into the flesh just behind the head and locate the vein; gently pull to remove.

2. Place adobo, oil and salt into a large bowl and stir until well combined. Add prawns and stir until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours to marinate.

Heat a barbecue plate or non-stick frying pan over high heat until hot. Cook prawns for 5 minutes turning once during cooking, or until orange in colour and the flesh looks cooked through.

Transfer to serving plate and serve hot with lime cheeks.

Note: Adobo is a paste made from smoked jalapeno chillies and is now readily available in the Mexican section in supermarkets. Don't forget to squeeze on the lime juice and serve with soft corn tortillas.

Enjoy until next time - please leave a comment if you cook and try these recipes.