This image is from a 16th century Florentine codex. Common lore says it portrays an Aztec woman blowing on maize as she pours it into a cooking pot so the maize won’t fear the heat. This is very pleasant and I do so love myths, but she is obviously spitting on the maize because her Sexy Beast is late coming back from the daily hunt.
Maize and Soy Chorizo
Maize, a large, colorful corn is finding quite a following on trendy dinner tables. Developed by prehistoric people from a wild grain native to Southern Mexico, Maize was known by the ancients as a “gift from the gods.” While it may be faddish today, the Aztecs and Mayans friended maize thousands of years before anyone thought to dedicate a Facebook page to it: on.fb.me/oECavw.
I particularly like Teasdale’s (bit.ly/oBP2vO) Maiz Morado brand, which you can buy in big 29-ounce cans. If you can’t find Maize on your grocer’s shelf, hominy is an acceptable substitute.
Soy chorizo, with 60 percent less fat and less than half the calories, is an outstanding substitute for regular chorizo.
Ingredients:
Maize or hominy (canned): 9 ounces (1 cup) —180 calories
Soy chorizo: 2 ounces —90 calories
Part skim milk mozzarella cheese: 1 ounce —72 calories
Total: 12 ounces —342 calories
Instructions:
Crumble soy chorizo into a non-stick frying pan. Add the drained Maize or hominy. Cook over high heat until the chorizo is brown and slightly crisp. Dump the chorizo and maize on a plate and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
Wine:
Syrah or another big red wine.