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Best Recipes To Celebrate Mexican Independence Day In Sacramento

California and Mexico have a deeply intertwined history. Let's look in at the state capital to see what's cooking in America's "Farm-to-Fork Capital" in observance of Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, 2015. An annual highlight is Sacramento Restaurant Weeks, presented by Lexus, on Sept. 10-27. When the Sacramento region is showcased as a culinary powerhouse, with area restaurants hosting special events, menus and opportunities to meet the farmers, winemakers and brewers who make Sacramento America's Farm-to-Fork Capital.

Related: Best Ice Cream In Sacramento

Kurt Spataro

Kurt Spataro
Executive Chef
Centro Cocina Mexicana
2730 J St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 442-2552
www.paragarys.com

Centro opened in 1994, with tortillas and tamales from freshly ground corn, moles and seasoning pastes for grilled and roasted meats made from scratch. Chef Kurt Spataro shared this recipe as well as his story.

"The story of Centro Cocina Mexicana actually begins over 50 years ago when a young British woman followed her husband, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, on an assignment to Mexico. It didn't take long for Diana Kennedy to fall in love with her new home, and to make it her life's work to record and document the regional cuisines of Mexico.

Sometime in the mid-80s, I began studying Diana's Cuisines of Mexico. Until then, my experience with Mexican food consisted of what was available to us in Sacramento; mostly Mexican/American restaurants serving combination plates of northern Mexico specialties. Diana's book introduced me to a world of Mexican flavors, ingredients and techniques.

When I read about a culinary tour of Mexico that included classes given by Diana, I jumped at the chance. My first trip was to Oaxaca, the land of seven moles. I was instantly immersed in the food, culture and gracious hospitality of the indigenous cooks. Other trips followed to Michoacan, Veracruz, Tampico, Hidalgo, Yucatan and Campache. All the trips began and ended in Mexico City, giving me an opportunity to experience cosmopolitan Mexico as well."

Corn and squash enchiladas

Corn & Squash Enchiladas With Roasted Tomato-Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients for Sauce

  • 2 lbs roma tomatoes
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 3 dried chipotle chiles
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • salt

Ingredients for Enchiladas

  • 8 six-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • ¼ cup roasted poblano chile (cut into thin strips)
  • ⅓ cup yellow bar squash (chopped into small ¼ inch cubes)
  • ¼ cup white onion (chopped into small ¼ inch cubes)
  • 1.5 tbsp canola oil
  • 1.5 tbsp epazote (coarsely chopped)
  • salt
  • sour cream
  • Oaxacan cheese

Instructions For Sauce

  1. On a stovetop grill pan over medium heat, grill tomatoes, chiles and garlic until charred on all sides.
  2. Rehydrate the chiles by soaking them in hot water until soft. Once soft, scrape the seeds out of the chiles.
  3. Peel the garlic.
  4. Blend tomatoes, seedless chiles and peeled garlic in a blender until smooth.
  5. In a medium pot over high heat, add oil and fry the blended mixture for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  6. Add salt to taste.

Instructions For Enchiladas

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large sauté pan on medium heat, stew the corn kernels in 1 tbsp canola oil until soft. Keep the pan covered with a lid and cook slowly.
  3. In a separate large sauté pan on high heat, add the remaining oil, onions and squash. The squash should cook quickly and brown lightly. Season with salt.
  4. Combine the corn, squash, onions, chiles and epazote in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt.
  5. Drizzle a small amount of the Roasted Tomato-Chipotle sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Briefly fry the tortillas in oil to make the soft and pliable.
  6. Divide mixture amongst the eight corn tortillas and add desired amount of Oaxacan cheese before rolling up each tortillas and setting them in the baking dish, seam side down.
  7. Pour desired amount of the Roasted Tomato-Chipotle sauce on top of the tortillas.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes.
  9. Once enchiladas have baked, remove them from the baking dish and garnish with sour cream and cilantro. Serve with whole black beans and steamed rice. Serves 4.

Related: Best Pizza In Sacramento

Laurie Jo Miller Farr loves walkable cities. A tourism industry professional and transplanted New Yorker by way of half-a-lifetime in London, she's writing about the best of the bay and beyond for Yahoo, USA Today, eHow, and on Examiner.com.
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