2019-05-01 Better Homes and Gardens

May 2019 | 103

But for Kate Ramos, creating

untraditional dishes with Mexican

flavors is a way to celebrate the

culture’s vibrant and varied foods.

Kate, who lives with her family

in Southern California, became

enamored with Mexican cooking

while working in restaurants

in Northern California. But it

wasn’t until she met her husband,

Armando, a first-generation

American, that her connection to

the cuisine became deeper

and more personal.

On her blog, ¡Hola!

Jalapeño, Kate shares

recipes that are both

a reflection of her

multicultural family

and her Midwestern

background. “For my

kids (Louisa, 10, and

Hiro, 7), I think of it as a

running recipe box of all

the things that I’ve made.

I want them to honor

their Mexican-American

heritage and, for me, that

starts in the kitchen.”

Kate has a knack for

presenting authentic ingredients

in fresh, new ways. “Often when

we think of Mexican food, we

default to the same dishes over

and over,” Kate says. “But the

gem lettuce

salad

with chamoy

dressing

Chamoy—a fruity,

savory Mexican

hot sauce—inspired

the flavors of

Kate’s dressing for

a platter of gem

lettuce (a miniature

romaine variety).

She mimics

the condiment by

blending apricot

preserves, lime

juice, and chiles.

spicy pickled
eggs & beets
Kate reinvents
her grandmother’s
recipe by adding
chiles to the
spice mix for more-
complex flavor.

Fried chicken

probably

isn’t the first

thing that

comes to mind

when you

think of a

Mexican menu.

pickled-

jalapeño

fried chicken

“The pickled

jalapeño brine is

insurance for

moist chicken,”

Kate says. “I like

to brine overnight to

guarantee the

result is juicy and

flavor-packed.”

RECIPES

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