26 Style | Feature

n a Wigram kitchen, Citlalli ‘Ally’ While Ally no longer feels the need IFernandez Anaya tells tales of a to bring food-filled suitcases back with childhood in City, where food her from Mexico, she is very specific has its place in the heart of the home. about which ingredients are used – Her six-person audience has come particularly in the she together to absorb the lessons she creates for us. If you haven’t found learnt alongside her grandmother, achiote paste (a Mexican condiment mother and sister (now a Le Cordon made from annatto seeds), do not Bleu chef), and gain an understanding even consider making the pork of what authentic Mexican food is marinade that’s essential for this really like. recipe. Another sin would be to skip “I cannot remember a time I have topping the with pineapple. not been in love with food,” says Authenticity is key to what Kahlo is Ally. “From the time I could reach my all about. Ally’s classes offer a chance grandmother’s and mother’s apron I to learn about the staples of Mexican was on a stool in the kitchen making cuisine (chillies, lemon, lime, salt and The real masa [maize dough] for tortillas, an garlic) and how they work together everyday staple.” – not to create the Tex-Mex recipes Ally created Kahlo, her Mexican we are more used to consuming at deal cooking school, to pass on her our ‘Mexican’ restaurants. culinary secrets, off the back of Take, for example, Ally’s signature Kate Preece’s taste some rather successful Mexican . It includes no tomato Independence Day celebrations. or red onion. There is white onion buds journeyed to Ally would spend days preparing in the recipe, but it’s blended, not Mexico via a food food in the kitchen in the lead- diced, into a smooth dip that has up to the annual event, which extra silkiness due to its milk content. trail led by Citlalli saw her friends treated to a feast We can all attest to its taste – chips that commemorated Mexico’s were constantly diving into the Fernandez Anaya. independence from Spain. Being moreish green mix as the rest of the Photos Catherine able to present an evolving range menu unfolded over the course of of dishes to households around the evening. Ericson Christchurch seemed just the way to My favourite dish was the grand extend the party. finale to our night of Mexican street With Mexican ingredients more food. Corn cobs were boiled in a available than ever before, a good mix of herbs and spices, before being supermarket is a Kiwi’s pantry for a coated in lashings of mayonnaise, favourable range of dried and tinned rolled in grated white cheese, and chillies, and the tomatillo that’s key to sprinkled with cayenne pepper. It was a true verde. Alongside frozen not only delicious, but brought to life chillies found at Asian supermarkets, Ally’s anecdotes – the real seasoning we have little excuse not to follow on this insightful experience of life in Ally’s lead. Mexico City.