She grew up in Mexico City and moved to Sydney to help her father, a chef, but found herself craving the tastes of home.
"I have always loved Mexican food. Food is very important to Mexicans. It reconnects us to our past, our families and our feelings; it touches emotions that are always in our hearts, from the memory of our grandma’s pottering in the kitchen to mother’s teaching their children how to cook."
Finding local restaurants to be lacking, her father and Cienfuegos set up their own Mexican restaurant. She helped her father out, becoming his sous chef. But the restaurant was not successful.
Using the contacts built up through that venture, Cienfuegos began a catering company, which led to a pop-up food stall, La Casa Latina, at a local market.
It became very popular and her father even invited his mariachi band to play to people while queued for food.
That venture led to Cienfuegos opening Sydney’s first tamaleria where she makes fresh tamales every weekend along with other authentic street food.
"It makes me proud to know I have contributed towards the understanding of what real Mexican food tastes like in Sydney."
She also includes a reference to specific Mexican ingredients she uses in the book, which is broken up into chapters on snacks — an important part of Mexican life, carnachas or "little bites" sold on the streets of Mexico, tacos, her specialty, tamales, tortas or giant sandwiches, seafood, desserts and basics.
"Tamales are a culinary expression of dedication, patience, art and ancestral rituals all rolled into one. They are an integral part of Mexican cuisine that pre-date tortillas and there are over 400 registered recipes in Mexico."
In Mexico, freshly-made empanadas are sold at "panaderias" (bakeries) morning, noon and night. Perfect for feeding a crowd and with a range of fillings, they are a popular, cheap and tasty snack that everyone loves. This recipe comes from my mum, so, of course, I think its the best. It also makes a great taco filling.
Tuna empanadas are traditionally eaten at Easter but I like to enjoy them all year round!
Tuna empanadas/Empanadas de atun
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
500g tinned tuna, drained
350ml salsa de chipotle (see recipe)
pinch dried oregano
5 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
To serve
guacamole (see recipe below)
Chipotle salsa/Salsa de chipotle
Makes about 750ml
200g dried chipotle chillies
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ white onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
1 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Guacamole
Makes 500g
5 ripe avocados (the bigger the better)
15g table salt
3 green chillies, such as jalapeno, serrano or cayenne, finely chopped
100g coriander leaves, finely chopped
3 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Throw in the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the tuna and stir for 1 minute. Add the salsa de chipotle and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until heated through. Stir through the oregano, then remove the pan from the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 200degC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Drain the tuna to remove the excess liquid (we need it to be as dry as possible).
Cut each pastry sheet into four 12cm circles, then divide the tuna mixture evenly among the pastry circles.
Fold the pastry in half over the filling, brushing the edges with the beaten egg to help them stick. Use a fork to crimp and secure the pastry edges, then brush the tops with beaten egg.
Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Chipotle salsa/salsa de chipotle
Chipotle chillies have long been loved in Mexico, but today they are hugely popular the world over. Chipotle chillies are dried jalapenos and their fragrant aroma and smoky taste make a wonderful addition to any number of dishes. Its definitely my favourite chilli and a must-have in my pantry. This salsa recipe is very simple to make and goes well with tacos, as a marinade for meats or as a base for more complex dishes.
Place the chipotle chillies and 500ml (2 cups) water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until soft, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool a little.
Place the chipotle chillies and their cooking water in a blender with the tomato, onion, garlic and salt. Blend until you have a smooth, runny salsa.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the salsa and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Guacamole
When I was a child, I remember my dad loved to eat guacamole and chicharron rolled up in a taco.
Now, of course, guacamole is everywhere, most commonly eaten as a dip with tortilla chips.
It’s actually extremely easy to make; it just depends on the avocados you use.
In Mexico, we are lucky enough to have a huge variety of avocados at our disposal, but outside of the country there is less choice. I recommend using hass or fuerte avocados, as they are large, creamy and easy to peel.
Gently mash the avocado in a bowl and stir through the remaining ingredients.
Your guacamole is ready!
Guacamole is best eaten on the day it is made, as the avocado will start to discolour once peeled. If you do have leftovers, it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Out of all of Mexico’s sandwiches, torta de milanesa is undoubtedly the best. I often dream of visiting my favourite torta stall in Mexico and devouring this giant sandwich, which is extremely hard to eat because of its ridiculous size. It’s super easy to make and you can swap out any of the ingredients with your favourite fillings — just grill and layer them up.
Schnitzel torta with cheese and chipotle/ Torta de milanesa con quesillo y chile chipotle
1 large telera (torta roll) or French roll
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise
2 Tbsp frijoles refritos (see recipe)
1 avocado, mashed
1 tomato, sliced
¼ white onion, sliced
pinch table salt
50g stringed Oaxaca, Manchego, Panela or American cheese, shredded
To taste
pickled jalapenos or chopped chipotle
chillies in adobo sauce
Veal schnitzel
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
150ml full-cream (whole) milk
1 tsp table salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 veal minute steak or beef
100g dried breadcrumbs
50ml vegetable oil
Frijoles refritos
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ white onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
250g frijoles negros (see recipe)
150ml cooking liquid from the
frijoles negros, plus extra if needed
Optional
pinch epazote, a native Central American herb
Frijoles negros/black beans
Makes 1kg
300g dried black beans
1 dried bay leaf
½ white onion
15g table salt
Optional: pinch dried or fresh epazote
Method
To make the veal schnitzel, combine the egg, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the veal and soak for 3 minutes.
Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl, then add the soaked veal and press the breadcrumbs into the steak, making sure it's completely covered on both sides.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the schnitzel and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until crisp and cooked through. Place the schnitzel on a plate lined with paper towel to drain, then slice into 3cm wide strips. Wipe out the frying pan.
Slice the bread roll in half. Spread the butter on one side and mayonnaise on the other side.
Heat the frying pan over low heat, then place the buttered half of the roll butter side down in the pan, and the other half of the roll mayonnaise side up in the pan. Once the buttered half is lightly toasted, flip it over and spread the frijoles refritos over the top. Lightly toast, then remove both halves from the pan.
Spread the avocado over the mayonnaise and top with the tomato, onion and salt.
Heat the grill to high. Sprinkle the cheese over the veal schnitzel.
Grill the schnitzel and cheese until the cheese melts (the cooking time will depend on the kind of cheese you are using: American cheese melts quicker than Oaxaca cheese, for example), then pile the cheesy schnitzel on top of the onion and add pickled jalapenos or chipotle chilli to taste.
Close the roll halves together so you have one giant torta and dig in!
Frijoles refritos
To make the frijoles refritos, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and tomato and cook for 4 minutes or until softened.
Add the frijoles negros and the cooking liquid and stir through. Using a potato masher, crush the beans until they are half mashed, adding a little extra cooking liquid if the mixture is very thick.
Add the epazote (if using) and stir the beans for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Frijoles negros/Black beans
Throughout my childhood, frijoles negros were a staple on the dinner table. I was quite a fussy eater back then, but I’d never refuse a bowl of warming black beans. Served with eggs or salsa, in a torta, taco, soup or refried, the possibilities are endless!
Rinse the beans and remove any grit or small rocks, then place in a large bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak overnight.
Drain and rinse the beans, then
place in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients and 1.5 litres (6 cups) water. Bring to the boil over high heat and boil for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for a further 40 minutes or until the beans are soft and cooked through. If the pan starts to dry out, add up to 250ml (1 cup) more water. Remove and discard the bay leaf and onion, transfer the frijoles to a bowl and serve or add to your dish of choice.
The frijoles will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This milky cake reminds me of all the "quinceanera" parties I attended when I was a teenager. Fifteenth birthday parties are lavishly celebrated in Mexico and pastel de tres leches always makes an appearance. With vanilla whipped cream and delicious fresh fruit, it’s the perfect celebration cake. Feel free to decorate it with your favourite toppings. Go wild!
Three milk cake/Pastel de tres leches
185g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
pinch table salt
5 free-range eggs
230g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g unsalted butter, melted then cooled,
plus extra for greasing
Milk topping
395ml condensed milk
375ml evaporated milk
30ml brandy
250ml (1 cup) reduced-fat cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
To decorate
200g canned whipped cream
200g strawberries, hulled and halved
50g peaches in syrup, drained and sliced
Method
Heat the oven to 180degC .
Grease a 23cm round cake tin and dust it with flour.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. One by one, add the eggs to the bowl, incorporating each egg before adding the next, then mix using electric beaters on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar and vanilla, beating for 2 minutes or until you have a fluffy, yellow batter. Add the cold melted butter, then reduce the speed to low and beat for a further 5 minutes.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Gently tap the tin on your work surface to remove any air bubbles, then transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the cake has a light golden crust and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
To make the milk topping
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth without any lumps.
Using a spatula, gently loosen the cake, then invert it on to a deep tray or serving plate. Use a fork to poke small holes all over the surface of the cake, then slowly pour over the milk topping, allowing the cake to absorb some of the topping before adding more.
Cover the cake with a thick layer of whipped cream and use a spatula to smooth the surface. Decorate the top with the strawberry and peach slices, then cut into slices and serve.
