Like most New Yorkers, chef Daisy Martinez gets into the spirit of Cinco de Mayo. “I love to make enchiladas, ceviche — and I love to make margaritas,” says the Food Network star. “You invite some friends over and everyone is itching to start entertaining anyway, ’cause the warm weather is teasing us.”
For our celebration she offers a recipe from her new cookbook, “Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night,” which she wrote as a love letter to her kids.
“I have four children, and after my daughter turned 8 and Santa stopped visiting my house, I sat them all down and I said, ‘In the past, dad and I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on gifts that in two weeks are in the back of the closet. And we’re not going to do that anymore,’” remembers Martinez. “I said, ‘From now on what we’re going to do is give memories. The week from Christmas to New Year we’re going to travel to some place we’ve never been before and experience the country through food and culture.’” When the family would return from these journeys, Martinez would head to the kitchen, whip out her pictures and notes and re-create their favorite recipes. The tortillas with rajas and fixin’s is from their trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. “It’s an easy recipe,” says Martinez. “You could fold some scrambled eggs in there or anything else you like. It’s simple and delicious; roasted poblano peppers, cheese, salsa, whatever makes your heart happy in a little taco. What’s better than that?”
