Adding good nutrition to your family’s table starts with flavor. After all, if your food doesn’t taste great, no matter how healthy it may be, no one will eat it. That’s why I like to shake things up with my recipes by turning to interesting cuisines and countries from around the world, including Mexico. Avocados, beans, chicken, eggs, mangos, and chile peppers (some are surprisingly mild!) can be found front and center in Mexican kitchens, and each brings a world of possibilities to the table. Joining me on this week’s show to demystify Mexican cooking and share some of her family’s favorite recipes is Pati Jinich. She’s a cookbook author, PBS cooking show host, and the mother of three boys. I hope you’ll tune in for a taste and travel adventure Pati. Pati Jinich is the host of Pati’s Mexican Table on PBS. Each season she explores the culture and cuisine of a different region of Mexico and then turns those culinary experiences into recipes home cooks everywhere can make for their families. Here in the U.S., when we think about Mexican food, tacos and tortillas come to mind, but there is so much more to this diverse and beautiful cuisine as you’ll learn after hearing Pati’s story. On the podcast, Pati and I talk about the foods from her childhood in Mexico and how her experiences shaped how she feeds her family today. She shares her favorite guacamole recipe, and we talk about two recipes that I made from newest cookbook, Mexican Today: Meatballs in Guajillo Sauce with Zucchini and Asparagus, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Enchiladas with Pine Nut Mole Sauce. Did you know there are hundreds of ways to make mole sauce? Me neither! Show Highlights: Pati shares how she balanced her Mexican heritage and foodways while raising her sons in the U.S. Tips for drawing your teens back to the table with delicious food. How I met Pati on Nantucket this past summer! She’s such a delight. Defining the fascinating and wondrous cuisine of Mexican. Pat’s recipe for Mexican mac and cheese and her family’s favorite guacamole. How her TV show, Pati’s Mexican Table, explores the rich history and cuisine from different regions in Mexico. Mixing European flavors from Patty’s immigrant grandparents with the traditional spices and flavors of Mexico. How her family adds a Mexican twist to traditional matzo ball soup. Substitutes for cilantro (for all you cilantro haters out there). Pat’s recipe for Asparagus and Mushroom-stuffed Enchiladas with Mole Sauce. How it’s easier today to find the chiles and ingredients you need to make authentic Mexican food at home. Pati gives us an update on Mexico after the earthquakes. How Mexican food can be flavorful and healthy.   Links: My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com Connect with Pati: Get Pati’s Book: Mexican Today: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens  Pati on Twitter Pati on Facebook You can read the full show notes at www.lizshealthytable.com.