Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez-Rejón

In the years before the Civil War, many enslaved people found freedom in Mexico, where slavery was abolished 36 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. In the first of a two-part series on Freedom Fighters, Eva and Maite explore the Southern route of the Underground Railroad and meet Silvia Webber, often referred to as the Harriet Tubman of Texas. They welcome Dr. Maria Hammack, a scholar and historian whose work bridges histories of liberation and abolition, Sofia Bravo and OJ and Leslie Treviño of the Webber Family Preservation Project to the show. http://wfpptx.org/projects.html#/https://mariaestherhammack.mehttps://digital.sfasu.edu/digital/collection/RSPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When people plant their flag in a new country, they do it first though food. In this episode, Eva and Maite talk about the often painful history of Chinese migration to the United States and Mexico and celebrate the rich Chinese contribution to both country’s food-ways. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite take a dive into the history of raw fish consumption from ancient Peru and Japan and its possible introductions to Mexico. They explore how ceviche developed into the dish we love today thanks to Japanese immigration to Peru which led to the development of the country’s Nikkei cuisine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Birria Ramen to Esquites, Eva and Maite kick off 2025 exploring the fusion of cultures that can be found when enjoying street food that you can eat in a cup! Plus - Los Angeles based food writer, Bill Esparza, joins the show to discuss how food can build community especially for immigrants planting their flag in a new country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Hungry for History from the beginning! Enjoy this rewind episode from Season One. Eva and Maite take a trip down memory lane as they explore the unique past of Tex-Mex food. From the unknown history of the San Antonio Chili Queens to the difference between Tejano and Chicano, the ladies dive into the rich cuisine that is Tex-Mex. Maite's Chili Queen-Style Chile con Carne See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Hungry for History from the beginning! Enjoy this rewind episode from Season One. Eva and Maite travel to Papantla, Mexico - home of vanilla. Founded by the Totonacs, vanilla's first cultivators, the city of Papantla is the perfect place to explore the history of this edible orchid native to Mexico. Plus, Maite attends a Voladores de Papantla rain ceremony and Eva pollinates a vanilla bean at a farm called, Gaya Vanilla. Vanilla Chicken Recipe Ingredients: Instructions: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite ring in the new year by popping open a bottle of sparkling and diving into the history of Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava! Happy New Year, ya’ll. See ya in 2025. - Eva and Maite See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Hungry for History from the beginning! Enjoy this rewind episode from Season One. ____________________________________________________________________ Eva and Maite kick off the series with the tortilla, a staple in Mexican cuisine and the source of a centuries-long conundrum... corn or wheat? The women taste test Eva’s homemade flour tortillas and try some from Sonoratown, a casual destination for Northern Mexican-style tacos in Los Angeles. Maite visits Acapulco Mexicatessen in East LA to experience the nixtamalization process. Plus, Jorge Gaviria, founder of Masienda, shares his thoughts on the corn vs flour debate. Check out Jorge Gaviria’s new book! MASA – Techniques, Recipes and Reflections on a Timeless Staple Learn more about Sonoratown here. Find out all about Acapulco Mexicatessen here. Eva’s Flour Tortillas aka HEB - Mother's Flour Tortillas Ingredients: Instructions: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Eva and Maite dive into the origins of buñuelos! You’ll also discover where the Christmas tree tradition came from and delve into the history of funnel cakes, churros and the Hanukkah jelly donut. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To some people, desserts are more than a sweet ending to a meal, they are the main reason for the meal! With sweets in our holiday midst, Eva and Maite delve into the history of some of our favorite north and south of the border desserts including flan, arroz con leche, cheesecake and pecan pie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite, buds in all things tasty, enjoy a special treat from Tamales Olmeca, while also diving into the tradition of making tamales this time of year. Here's a short bonus clip about tamales! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's caldo season! Warm soups and stews are the perfect cure for a cold, a broken heart, or a cruda. Eva and Maite kick back in the kitchen to make white pozole and tortilla, soup two of their favorite comforting dishes. Tortilla Soup from the cookbook: Eva's Kitchen White Pozole from the cookbook: My Mexican Kitchen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite enjoy salt rimmed margaritas while exploring the history and origins of salt, a mineral-turned commodity harnessed by some of the most powerful ancient civilizations, including Mexico! Plus, did you know that the turkey ("America's bird") is actually Mexican? That, and so much more on this special episode of Hungry for History. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the holidays upon us, this time of year is one of the busiest for markets. On this episode, Eva and Maite go back in time to explore how early communities centered around one thing - mercados! The soul of every community, mercados provided people with gossip, entertainment and, of course, food! Plus, Chef Bryan Ford joins the show to talk about his new book, Pan y Dulce: The Latin American Baking Book. The cookbook is filled with the yummiest recipes from Latin America and explores breads and ingredients that would have been sold in pre-Hispanic markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beyond a source of nourishment, for centuries food has been used as a form of protest and activism around the world. From cookbook writing during the American Civil War to Mexican revolutionaries who helped empower women through the kitchen, Jose Andres’s World Central Kitchen and Meymuna Hussein-Cattan’s kitchen with a mission, Flavors from Afar, in this special episode Eva and Maite discuss the different forms of food for good. Links from today's episode: https://wck.org/ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/25631/25631-h/25631-h.htm https://www.flavorsfromafar.co/ https://www.tiyya.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Eva and Maite explore the histories of the Milanesa and Chicken Fried Steaks of their childhoods. They uncover legends and early recipes including where the term “golden brown” may have come from. Plus - Maite welcomes a very special guest, her mom (!), to the podcast and together they travel through time and make the Milanesa she grew up with. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of the most celebrated holidays in Mexico. Here's a short clip on Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), a pastry made for this special day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate Halloween Maite and Eva sip Vampiros, a blood red Mexican cocktail, while exploring vampire-like characters in Mesoamerican mythology. The ladies dive into history and uncover the connection between chocolate and witchcraft in colonial Latin America. Plus, host of Susto and South Texas native, Ayden Castellanos joins the show to share scary stories from the Texas/Mexico border! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garlic lovers, Eva and Maite take us back in time to unravel the mysteries of Garlic, a vegetable with medicinal properties used mostly to flavor food. Eva attempts to convert non egg eater, Maite, into a fan by making a garlicky egg dish from her cookbook, Huevos con Jocoque! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate the launch of Eva’s new cookbook, Eva and Maite talk about how cookbooks can serve as windows into cultures and histories. They discuss the first published cookbooks (one of which involves a plagiarizing scandal!), cookbook history in Mexico, and how recipes can serve as a form of activism. Books discussed in this episode include: Libro de cocina de Fray Geronimo de San Pelayo, 18th century Libro de cocina Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, 17th century UTSA’s Mexican Cookbook Recetario para la memoria See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.