At a recent party celebrating the publication of chef Geraldine Gilliland’s book The Lula Cocina Cookbook – My Favorite Recipes from Mexico to Malibu, we sampled Mexican dishes that were perfect for the warm weather.
We began our tasting lunch, which took place at Gilliland’s restaurant, Lula Cocina Mexicana in Santa Monica, California, with a light arugula salad with quinoa, lentils and agave lime vinaigrette (see recipe) and a cool spicy Mexican gazpacho flavored with hot pepper sauce and tart tomatillos (green husk tomatoes). The refreshing beverages included a hibiscus cooler called agua de Jamaica and two kinds of sangria, with red and white wines. (See recipe.)
I have known Gilliland since the early 1980s, when we both taught at the same cooking school in Santa Monica. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Gilliland visited the US, fell in love with California and made it her home. Although she had studied French cuisine, it was Mexican cooking that fascinated her. Eventually, she opened her Mexican restaurant, named for a chef who inspired her, Lula Bertran, who was considered one of the top women chefs of Mexico.
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