Mexican Food: Simple Salsa Recipe

Born and raised in southern Arizona, I developed a sense of what is considered good Mexican food at an early age. My mother, especially, was important in this development as she was one of the finest Mexican cooks I had ever known. Her keen sense of flavors and textures enabled us to eat very well. She also allowed us to assist her in making many meals and learning her secrets as it was her hope that her three sons would always have the ability to cook for themselves. 

I now live in NYC and have had some trouble finding what I consider to be adequate Mexican food and, in particular, the lack of knowledge in the preparation of what is commonly known as salsa. There have been a couple of instances where I wasn’t completely disappointed, but overall there hasn’t seemed to be a restaurant that has gotten it “just right”. Because of this lack of satisfaction I have begun making my own salsas in order to satisfy my particular palette. It’s not that the salsas I have tried here are all that terrible, but needless to say, they are lacking that special touch. I would like to share an example of a simple salsa that is extremely easy to make and also very satisfying. It can be toned down for the faint of heart or made extra spicy for those that enjoy sweating a bit while they snack.

First, make sure to get the freshest ingredients possible. This recipe will make about 1 pint of salsa and the following ingredients are needed…

1.  4 ripened tomatoes. Make sure they are red, shiny and soft to the touch, though not squishy. Slightly squeeze the tomato to make sure it is not too firm or too soft. Your fingers shouldn’t leave any permanent indentations or else the tomato is overly ripe.

2.  About 3 tablespoons of minced garlic.
3.  About ½ cup of chopped white onion
4.  1 large or two small green chilies
5.  1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
6.  2 teaspoons of salt
7.  1 teaspoon of sugar