December always feels like a time arc. Going home to México and being in all the places that will always feel like a blanket being put over me is always a bittersweet ordeal. It’s a time of conclusion and reflection, as the new year eases in. No matter what happened in the year, I always get to go home and welcome a new year on one of my grandparent’s sofas. Let’s begin:
1
Friend-mas Dinner
2
Papas Asadas con Carne - Tacos Atarantados
First things first after a 17 hour trip to Mexico City: a taquería with my parents. They took me to this new taquería chain brought from Monterrey, and they insisted we get their french fries with meat. Thank god we ordered them because they were addictive. The fries are marinated in a zesty sour sauce that definitely had valentina in it but also made your glands go funny. Topped with some pieces of grilled beef and spring onions, these were definitely a great way to be welcomed home.
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3
Taco Delgadito - La OnceMil (followed by a taco de canasta)
On an errand run with my mom, we went on a little side quest at La OnceMil. Apparently one of the new ‘it’ spots in the city, these overpriced but delicious tacos were interesting to try. With a little glass of complimentary beer and a bowl of papas preparadas (also complimentary) you can convince yourself the price of a taco is worth it, but if that doesn’t work, the taste sure will. Unfortunately, no Bad Bunny in sight so we walked down the road to get a taco de canasta from the stall that has been there for as long as I can remember. Some things don’t need to change ;)
5
Pozole de Tita
My grandma has gotten into the habit of making the same dish every time we come visit: pozole verde. She used to call the night before we’d drive up to Guanajuato to ask what we would like to eat when we arrived, and eventually the calls stopped because the answer was always the same. There are few foods as comforting as this one, in my opinion. I’m sure she uses some secret ingredients she’d be hesitant to expose, but here’s a recipe from my mexican cookbook that I have yet to make in London (sadly, I haven’t managed to find maiz pozolero in London...yet):
1. water
2. chicken stock
3. chcken breast
4. tomatillos
5. one onion
6. poblano and serrano peppers
7. garlic
8. cilantro and oregano
9. bay leaves
10. maíz pozolero
11. cumin, salt and pepper
for toppings:
1. sliced avocado
2. chopped onion
3. dry oregano
4. shredded lettuce
5. lime juice
eat with tostadas (toasted tortilla)
1. Add chicken breast to a large pot and cover with broth. Add bay leaves, quartered onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook partially covered until chicken is cooked through.
3. Discard the quartered onion, garlic and bay leaves, leaving the broth.
4. Take the chicken out of the broth and shred the meat.
5. Lightly spray a tray with cooking oil. Wash all of the peppers and cut them in half from stem to end. Remove veins and seeds. (Leave some of the veins and seeds if you want the soup spicier). Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Broil for about 10 minutes or until the skin is charred. Immediately place peppers in a plastic bag and tie the bag. Allow them to steam for some minutes, and then peel off their outer layer of skin (should be easily removeable).
6. Add the peeled peppers, cilantro and tomatillos to the blender. Add 3 garlic cloves and around ½ cup chopped onion. add around a cup of the broth from the chicken and blend until smooth. Integrate blended sauce into the broth.
7. Add maíz pozolero, shredded chicken, oregano, cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Let cook on ow heat for 5-10 more minutes.
8. serve and top with toppings listed. Use a tostada to spoon up the maíz and toppings.
6
Tacos ‘El Pingüino’
As many in my family like to joke about, going to eat in this taquería is all there really is to do in Irapuato. While there is a small small truth in that, I still think that if there were a billion more things to do in the town this would still be the best thing to go do. These are probably my favorite tacos al pastor ever. Not exaggerating. They have been running for as long as I can remember, and still taste the same year after year (glorious).
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Enchiladas Navideñas
A new rising tradition in my family is to have enchiladas the night we have the posada at my grandparents. The first time we had them was in around 2016, when a team of 2 women came to make us probably the best enchiladas on earth. Now my grandma hires them every two years, and I hope this tradition continues for a long time because I salivate thinking about how good these are. If I manage to perfect a recipe in London, I’ll be sure to share.
8
Esquites
There’s something about driving up to a street-side stall at night to get a snack that brings a deep feeling of comfort and feeling ‘at home’ that I can’t replicate anywhere else. Looking for elote stalls is one of my favorite parts of going to Mexico, and in Irapuato we have found our go-to esquite stall. The man that sells them not only adds all the classic toppings (mayonaisse, sour cream, salsa and cheese), he also adds peanuts and small crispy tortilla chips to really seal the whole thing. One of my favorite snacks, and easy to make in London too if you have the right stuff:
1. white corn kernels
2. butter (or oil)
3. garlic cloves
4. onion
5. bay leaf
6. epazote
7. water
for toppings:
1. mayonaisse
2. sour cream
3. fresh cheese (cotija cheese)
4. tajín or chilli powder
5. salt and pepper
6. lime juice
1. In a large saucepan, add the butter and finely chopped onion and sauté over medium-high heat until softened.
2. Add the corn kernels and sauté them for five minutes to awaken their flavor, stirring frequently.
3. Add about a cup and a half of water (it should reach the surface of the corn; if not, add more until it does) the bay leaves, the garlic, epazote, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and let it simmer for around 20 minutes.
4. Drain the corn (save a bit of water that the corn was cooked in) and serve into a cup or bowl. Top the kernels with mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice, and the rest of the toppings to your liking. Add two tablespoons of the cooking water and mix well, creating a creamy sauce that coats the corn. Then top with the chilli powder, cheese, mayonaisse and everything else you’d like again.
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New Year’s Eve
Homemade food, wine, beers, grapes, a Banda Norteña playing live on my grandparents driveway, and all 21 of us in the family eating and dancing together. There couldn’t be a better way to end the year. Here are some of the last glasses that remained during communal clean up.
To wrap up 2025, all I want to share is this chapter from one of my favorite books, a gift from Mina and Valentina from some years back: Slices of Life.
The book asks different strangers based in London to share a significant recipe of theirs, and then to describe why they picked that recipe. The author’s aim is for the reader to cook and try the different recipes and therefore ‘ingest the Other’, like a type of cultural or emotional anthropophagy.
Here is the chapter I’ve chosen to share (resolution is better on a laptop):
A chapter that brings me lots of comfort, in knowing I am not alone in navigating difficult feelings about going back home and feeling at home, while also going back to London and feeling wistful yet purposeful. Both sides of the coin are a blessing nonetheless. I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.