Down the canyon road from our house in Southern California, I pass the only remaining vestige of an old rancho -- an ancient cactus fence. I admire it and note that the tender buds and thin paddles ...

Nopales, also known as prickly pear cactus pads, are vastly versatile, antioxidant-packed succulent plants. While these spiny cactus paddles are staples in Mexican cooking, their uses are endless and ...

The scent of chiles toasting hung low like a sweet, spicy cloud swirling around the kitchen. I worked with one or two dried chiles at a time for the most control, flipping, then flattening them with a ...

Cactus might look intimidating, but once you learn how to clean and cook it to make nopales, you’ll be looking for ways to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into more dishes Walk around almost ...

While many see versatile maiz as the foremost plant in Mexican cookery, cactus occupies a more symbolic role for many Mexicans. You can literally see this by examining the Mexican flag, which depicts ...

Called nopales in Spanish, edible cactus paddles come from varieties of prickly pear cacti — which also bear the orb-shaped, rose-colored fruit, famed chef Rick Bayless notes in "Rick Bayless's ...

Here’s how to harvest, prep and cook the cactus pads. Remember the shmoo? This animal was invented by cartoonist Al Capp and introduced in his comic strip L’il Abner in the late 1940s. Shmoos were ...

The history of Cinco de Mayo is a David-and-Goliath story — it commemorates the triumph of an ingenious Mexican army over a formidable enemy, France, in the Battle of Pueblo on May 5, 1862. Four days ...

Instructions: Trim the prickly part of the cactus by scraping them off with a knife. Cut the paddles into 2-inch cubes and place in a large saucepan. Add the turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt and roughly 4 ...

Prickly desert cactus sounds like the last thing you’d want to eat. But -- surprise! -- once the spines are off, cactus is juicy and tender, great in anything from salads and soups to main courses and ...