Pati's Mexican Table

Quesadillas — the perfect marriage of heaven and earth, where the basic, simple tortilla meets the ecstasy of cheese, and to the surprise of many, many other fillings! Pati will look at Mexican quesadillas prepared three completely different ways.

If you're fighting a war, how do you cook food on the run? What sort of meals can you make around ranches, porches and rustic bonfires? What might Pancho Villa or Emiliano Zapata have eaten? This episode looks at the culinary legacy of the Mexican Revolution.

Pati shows us how to pick and prime the perfect avocado then walks us through three great recipes.

Meet the tomatillo — this small, plump, green fruit was a favorite of the Aztecs and stars in any number of Mexican dishes today. Its tart flavor is worlds apart from the taste of tomatoes, but is just as juicy and unforgettable. In this episode, Pati will show you where to find tomatillos, how to cook with them and offer tips and tricks for creating amazing dishes.

Aren't convents supposed to be austere, dull places? In Mexico, everything's a little more colorful — including the food of Catholic nuns. Delicious, labor-intensive mole is probably the most well-known food to come out of the convents, but Pati will explore some easier, but just as tasty recipes.

In Mexico, it's not uncommon to find both food and water deliciously flavored with hibiscus flowers. Commonly known as jamaica, they have an intensely herbal, fruity taste. Pati shows viewers where to buy these flowers and then shares a few recipes using them.

What's on the menu at a typical Mexican picnic? Are some foods, like hot dogs and hamburgers, universal? Turn your backyard into a little slice of Mexico by tweaking some old stand-bys.

A Mexican brunch is the perfect way to ease into the weekend. This episode will look at what a late breakfast/early lunch in Mexico might look like and what recipes you can prepare in your own home.

Who doesn't love sausage? Chorizo, the Mexican version, is a deep-burnt-reddish explosion of fresh, moist, exotically seasoned flavor. When it's fried, it becomes crisp and incredibly savory. This episode will explore the difference between Mexican chorizo sausage and its Spanish, Central American and South American cousins.

Mexico is now the largest importer of cinnamon in the world — but how is it used there that's so special? Just how different is the Ceylon cinnamon used in Mexico from the Cassia cinnamon of Southeast Asia? This show will look at how cinnamon traveled from Asia to Mexico and how you use it in delicious foods today.

Immigrants from Lebanon, Syria and Israel have left a tasty influence on Mexican cuisine over the years. Pati will look at how and why they came to such a far-flung — but fascinating — country and what kind of legacy they've contributed.

Vanilla only comes in a bottle, right? Oh, it's a bean! Where on earth do I find vanilla beans, and how do I cook with them? Do I crack them open or something? Wait, vanilla comes from Veracruz, Mexico — not Madagascar? This episode will explain all of that, plus share a few amazing vanilla-infused recipes.

Mexicans have been wrapping and cooking their food in leaves for a long time, and this episode will look at the reasons why. Pati will also offer some shortcuts and tips for cooking wrapped foods in your own kitchen.