From “The Essential Cuisines of Mexico” (Clarkson Potter, New York. 2000. $35).

Arroz Verde (Green Rice)
Makes 6 servings

1½ cups long-grain white rice
½ cup cold water, plus more as needed
1 small bunch Italian parsley, large stems removed
1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed
3 large Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
2 poblanos, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
- Salt to taste
1/3 cup mildly-flavored olive oil
3 cups homemade chicken broth, hot

Put the rice into a heavy deep pan about 9 inches wide, cover it with hot water, and set it aside for ?5 minutes. Tip the rice into a colander or strainer, rinse in cool water, and set aside briefly to drain.
While the rice is draining, put the cold water into the work bowl of a blender or a food processor fitted with its metal blade. Add the parsley, two-thirds of the cilantro, lettuce, poblanos, onion and garlic and pulse several times. Use a rubber spatula to push the greens from the sides of the work bowl and pulse until smooth. If absolutely necessary, add a bit more cold water, just enough to allow the blades to turn. Season with salt and pulse again. Set aside.
Pour the olive oil into the pot, set it over high heat, add the rice, and stir well. Continue to cook over high heat, turning the rice now and then, until it is uniformly golden. Tip the pan to one side, holding back the rice as you do, and pour off excess oil; it should release about 3 tablespoons. Season the rice with salt.
Return the pan with the rice to high heat, add the herb mixture and fry over high heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the rice seems quite dry.
Pour the broth into the pan and cook over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and holes begin to appear on the surface of rice; it will take about 15 minutes.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, uncover, set a clean tea towel directly on the rice, covering it completely, and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, during which time the rice will continue to steam.
Chop the remaining cilantro.
Remove the tea towel, taste, and correct for salt. Tip into a serving bowl, scatter the chopped cilantro on top, and enjoy hot.

This “dry soup,” Kennedy explains, is traditionally served as a separate pasta course. This dish is from Central Mexico. You can find fideo in Latino markets, but you can made your own version by breaking angel hair pasta into 1-inch pieces.

Sopa Seca de Fideo (Dry Angel Hair Pasta Soup)
Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon with ¼ cup mildly-flavored olive oil
8 ounces fideo or angel hair pasta broken into 1-inch pieces
1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup homemade chicken broth
- Kosher salt
4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, stems removed
3 ounces Chihuahua cheese or mild Cheddar, grated
¾ cup creme fraiche
¼ cup, approximately, chopped cilantro leaves
Preheat the oven to ?350 degrees.
Use the tablespoon of olive oil to brush the inside of a 1-quart ovenproof dish.

Pour the remaining olive oil into a large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat, add the pasta, and cook until it turns a deep golden brown. Stir the pasta constantly so that it does not burn. Carefully pour off any excess oil. Set aside.

Put the tomatoes, onion, and garlic into the work bowl of a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pour the mixture into the pan with the pasta and cook, stirring all the while, until the mixture seems almost dry. Add the broth, season generously with salt, cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about ?8 minutes.

Tip the pasta into the prepared ovenproof dish. Scatter the chipotles over the top and use a spatula to gently press them into the pasta mixture. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pasta begins to shrink away from the sides of the pan and is bubbling hot, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top, return to the oven, and cook until the cheese has just melted. Remove from the oven and spoon into individual pasta bowls. Top each portion with creme fraiche and sprinkling of cilantro and enjoy hot.

Kennedy calls for either zucchini, cauliflower, or chayote in this traditional recipe from central Mexico. Here, I recommend cauliflower because it is so popular and because zucchini is not in season yet. Use chayote if you prefer it.

Cauliflower Salad
Makes 6 servings

1 small white onion, very thinly sliced
- Sea salt
- Juice of 2 limes
1½ pounds cauliflower florets, cooked (see Note below)
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, cut into thin lengthwise slices
- Green olives, such as picholine, pitted and halved
4 ounces queso fresco, cut into thin slices
Put the onion into a small bowl, season with salt, and add the lime juice. Set aside.
Put the cauliflower into a medium bowl and add the oregano, parsley, and cilantro. Season with salt. Add the vinegar, toss gently, add the olive oil and toss again. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
Toss the salad again and tip it into a wide shallow bowl. Scatter the avocado, green olives, and cheese on top. Drain the onions (save the lime juice for another use, if you like), scatter them over everything, season lightly with salt and enjoy right away.
Note: This is a good time to use leftover cauliflower, but it should not be overcooked; it should retain a bit of its crisp texture.
- Michele Anna Jordan