Articles by Stephen Randall
Citi Pushes Treasury Beyond the Banker’s Hours
By PYMNTS | December 22, 2025 | Highlights Citi is combining tokenized internal transfers with 24/7 USD clearing for real-time cross-border liquidity control. Stephen Randall, Citi’s global head of liquidity management services, says tokenization is moving from pilots to live treasury use cases that automate funding decisions. Interoperability will require standards, collaboration and legal clarity to prevent fragmented liquidity, Randall tells PYMNTS.
Citi Puts Tokenization and Real-Time Clearing to Work for Global Liquidity | PYMNTS.com
By PYMNTS | December 22, 2025 | Highlights Citi is combining tokenized internal transfers with 24/7 USD clearing for real-time cross-border liquidity control. Stephen Randall, Citi’s global head of liquidity management services, says tokenization is moving from pilots to live treasury use cases that automate funding decisions. Interoperability will require standards, collaboration and legal clarity to prevent fragmented liquidity, Randall tells PYMNTS.
What should you expect on Labor Day in Mexico?
On May 1, Mexico celebrates Labor Day, or as the locals call it, Día del Trabajo. This is not to be confused with Cinco de Mayo, which is also in May and which you may be familiar with as involving U.S. beer commercials and confused Americans in sombreros. May 1 is the day Mexico honors people who work with their hands, their backs and, very often, without thanks. The plumbers. The bus drivers. The street sweepers. The teachers who still show up even though their schools have no chalk.
Adios Taco Bell: Steak and queso crunchwrap sliders that take the 'Tex' out of Tex-Mex
There are better things to eat. I know that. You know that. God knows that, and He’s probably a little disappointed in both of us. There are Michelin-starred restaurants, hand-crafted empanadas from abuelas with flour-dusted hands, organic blueberries and kale. But when I visit family in the United States, my plane lands and within 10 minutes, I’m begging my brother-in-law to pull over at Taco Bell. Before you judge, dear reader, understand this: I know it’s not “real” Mexican food.
Haute Mexican at home: Make your own Cosme-style duck carnitas
Cosme, a restaurant on East 21st Street in New York City’s Flatiron District, opened in 2014. It’s Mexican, yes, but not the kind of Mexican of the Midwest that’s actually Tex-Mex and is smothered in cheddar cheese and sour cream. It’s the kind of Mexican that wears black and doesn’t explain itself.
Who were the stars of the golden age of Mexican cinema?
There was a time when Mexico made movies better than just about anybody. Mexico calls it La Época de Oro, the Golden Age, which makes it sound like everyone involved was rich and handsome and having a hell of a time. Some of them were. But most of them were sweating under hot lights in makeshift studios, turning heartache and tequila into art, because that’s what you do when history won’t let you take a break.
No dinner reservations? Make your own Contramar-style salsa grilled snapper instead
Mexicans don’t just love red salsa. And they don’t just love green salsa. They love both at the same time, as if to prove that life is never just one thing, never just hot or cold, happy or sad, spicy or mild. It is everything, all at once, and that’s why Contramar’s famous red-and-green grilled fish in Mexico City is one of my favorite dishes of all time. It is a dish of balance, of opposing forces colliding deliciously. One side wears a dark, smoky adobo, rich with guajillo and ancho chiles.
Korea meets Mexico in the kimchi quesadilla
Mexico has never been afraid of taking something foreign and making it better. Ask the pig. Ask shawarma. So why not kimchi? Why not throw fermented cabbage, born in Korean winters, into a hot pan with melted cheese and a tortilla, the Mexican comfort blanket? And while we’re at it, why not drop in a little anchovy to tie it all together with that quiet, briny punch for delicious kimchi quesadillas? Let’s back up. Fish has always been part of Mexico’s cooking story.
Happy Birthday, Benito Juárez, Mexico's greatest president
Every March 21, Mexico celebrates the birth of Benito Juárez, the Zapotec boy who became a president, hero and symbol of just about everything Mexican. Schoolchildren memorize his words, politicians invoke his name, and his stern face stares down from statues across the nation. If you have a peso, you probably have Benito Juárez in your pocket right now. Juárez was born in 1806 in the small village of San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca, a place so quiet you could hear a tortilla flip from a mile away.
Goodbye Patrick, hello Guinness birria
The thing about birria is that it takes time. Real time. The kind of time that separates a disappointing meal from an experience that makes you want to weep into your plate. And yet, here we are, living in an era of 30-minute meals, air fryers and pre-packaged sadness. But if you are reading this, you have chosen patience. You have chosen devotion. You have chosen birria.
An Irish michelada that might drive the snakes out of Mexico
It is a truth universally acknowledged that human beings will put almost anything in their beer, provided they are given a good enough reason or enough peer pressure. Take St. Patrick’s Day. A perfectly fine Catholic feast day that, thanks to some transatlantic shenanigans, turned into an excuse for Americans to dye their beer green and pretend to be Irish for exactly 24 hours before retreating to their usual national pastimes of arguing about egg prices and misunderstanding soccer.
5 unmissable food festivals in Mexico in March
March in Mexico brings the kind of heat that melts ice cream before you’ve paid for it and makes cold beer at bustling food festivals feel like an act of divine intervention. But the heat doesn’t keep people apart: it pulls them together, huddled under food stalls, bonded by shared shade and mutual respect for a properly made taco. Everywhere you look, there’s something sizzling, bubbling or being dunked in chili and lime.
Smoked salmon rugelach: The ultimate comfort food
Rugelach is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish pastry, something like the French croissant’s Eastern European cousin. Made by rolling dough around what has traditionally been a sweet filling, the sweet’s name means “little twists” in Yiddish. They’re generally thought to have developed in Poland, but a more colorful version of the story has rugelach as a descendant of a pastry of Central Europe: the Viennese kipferl, another crescent-shaped sweet.
Start your day with a breakfast pambazo
The pambazo is one of Mexico’s great culinary contradictions. There isn’t just one pambazo recipe. There are at least two warring factions, and they probably don’t talk to each other at family reunions. The version most people know — the Mexico City pambazo — is a sandwich that barely holds itself together. It starts with a perfectly good roll, only to be dunked in guajillo chili sauce, fried in oil and then asked to hold a mountain of potatoes, chorizo, lettuce and crema without collapsing.
Buttermilk is dead: Long live Mexican Fried Chicken
Buttermilk is dead in Mexico. You won’t find it. You can beg for it, bribe someone for it, describe it in your best Spanish — no dice. The cows don’t make it. The people don’t drink it. If you mention it, someone will hand you a cold bottle of Yakult and pat you on the shoulder like you’re lost. This could, then, be a bit of a challenge when it comes to making yourself a delicious batch of Mexican Fried Chicken. So what do you do? Give up? Move back to Kentucky? Cry into a bowl of dry flour? No. You adapt.
Who needs to warm themselves by the fire when you have this Mexican meatloaf?
The first recorded recipe for meatloaf appears in “Apicius,” a Roman cookbook dating back to the 4th or 5th century A.D. The Romans, ever the innovators in weird food and conquest, mixed minced meat with bread, wine-soaked grains and seasonings, then shaped it into a loaf-like dish. It wasn’t quite the knees-deep-in-ketchup classic of today, but it was the foundation. Fast forward to medieval Europe, where meatloaf-like dishes became a way to stretch precious meat supplies.
A hearty jalapeño cornbread recipe that's perfect for winter evenings
Chilly weather and early sunsets have a way of making the world feel smaller and just a little lonelier. The light fades faster, the “chipi chipi” rains down softly, and everything seems to whisper, “Stay in bed, watch more Netflix.” That’s where jalapeño cornbread comes in — a dish as comforting as a warm blanket on a wet evening and perfect for sharing with friends. You need food that hugs you back, and this cornbread does just that.
Warm your mornings with this horchata rice pudding recipe
Winter is when the world feels like it’s holding its breath, a chilly pause between the chaos of fall and the hope of spring. And in this frosty intermission, we crave warmth — not just from radiators or fireplaces, but from something tender and sweet that whispers, “It’s okay, you’re human, and you’re safe.” Warm desserts don’t hurt either, I think a piping hot horchata rice pudding would do the trick.
Dark beer and Parisian intrigue meld in Mexican French onion soup
Beloved Caramelized Onions, You are the poetry of patience, a triumph of time’s persuasion. My malted mysteries cry for your golden complexity; together, we will dominate Sunday suppers and late-night dinner parties. I envy the skillet that makes you sweet, the wooden spoon that stirs you tenderly. You make the mundane divine, turning every kitchen into a teary eyed canteen. I ache to deglaze you, to mingle our essences until those diner guests fall silent in awe.
Tacos gobernador: The consumate Sinaloa taco
Legend has it that the taco gobernador was born in a Sinaloa restaurant, created for a visiting governor. Whether that’s true or not, it feels right. This dish is political in a way: like a politician building an unlikely coalition, tacos gobernador takes seafood and cheese, two foods most people don’t dare to combine, and makes something extraordinary. Shrimp, those marvelous little sea bugs, take center stage.
10 Mexican regional coffee drinks you need to try
Mexico’s coffee is a reflection of its land. Each growing region — Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and beyond — brings its own character to the cup. High-altitude mountains, rich volcanic soil, and distinct climates create flavors that range from bright and floral to deep and chocolatey. The myriad types of Mexican coffee offer equally diverse flavors for connoisseurs to enjoy in every cup. These coffees aren’t just beverages; they’re expressions of place, shaped by the people who grow and brew them.
The touching meaning of the 12 lucky grapes in New Year's Eve
It’s the last night of the year in Mexico, a country as alive as its sunsets and as unpredictable as its fireworks. The clock ticks toward midnight, and everyone’s armed: not with champagne flutes or noisemakers, but with grapes. 12 of them, fat, green, juicy and symbolic of the year to come. How many months of good luck do you want in the new year? Try to eat that many before the bell is finished tolling. The scene looks like a surrealist painting where time and fruit collide.
Celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional Ensalada de Nochebuena
Home for the holidays always feels bittersweet, like stepping into a sitcom you love but you’d never audition for. There’s the warm chaos of mismatched decorations, the faint buzz of a football game no one’s actually watching, and then there’s Uncle Jed. Every family has a Jed. Ours just happens to have a taste for bourbon and the political subtlety of a bullhorn. Dinner starts out innocent enough.
Veracruz's La Rama is a Christmas tradition from across time
I’ll never forget the night La Rama ambushed my quiet Guinness. There I was, at an Irish pub in Veracruz, smugly cradling a pint, convinced I’d escaped the Christmas chaos outside. Then they burst in — kids wielding a glittering tree branch like it was Excalibur, tambourines shaking like the prelude to a medieval battle charge.
Add a spark of Mexican joy to your good old pork chops with apple chipotle purée
Pork and apples: two unlikely companions whose history reads like an epic spanning centuries, a tale of necessity, taste and a bit of serendipity. It all starts in medieval Europe, where pigs roamed freely in apple orchards, gobbling up fallen fruit like the cute oinking vacuums they are. The apple-infused pork wasn’t just a happy accident; it was efficiency at its finest, a lesson from nature herself: waste not, want not. Or as the pigs might say, when life gives you apples, eat them.
Try a Mexican spin on Southern comfort with these corn fritters and homemade aioli
Corn fritters, as we know them in their Tex-Mex glory, are the kind of food that feels like it’s been around forever, but in truth, they’re a fairly recent remix. Think of them as a culinary handshake between the U.S. South and the Tex-Mex borderlands: a marriage of crispy indulgence and bold, Southwestern flair. It all boils down to corn, the backbone of Tex-Mex cuisine. From tortillas to atole, corn has been the star ingredient in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking for centuries. But fritters?
Warm your frozen heart with a hot morning champurrado
Long before friends started to over-analyze your Spotify Wrapped top 10 list and Black Friday deals flooded your feed, there was champurrado — a rich, velvety drink that wrapped you in warmth, like the embrace of a grandmother who always knew when you needed one.
How to make the perfect poblano corn chowder from scratch
The perfect bowl of poblano corn chowder satisfies any chilly fall craving — science meets soul, and “tex” meets “mex”. This tasty soup is designed to deliver warmth, texture, and Tex-Mex magic, especially as winter creeps in. First, let’s talk about the poblano pepper, the star of this dish. Roasting isn’t just for the pyromaniac in you. That charred skin? It’s the Maillard reaction in action, creating layers of smoky, yet sweet flavor.
A night under the stars on the most pristine beach in Veracruz
We arrived in Los Pinos, a beautiful pine forest with cabins hugging the ocean, next to the hidden coastal town of Palma Sola in Veracruz that barely registered on the map. Perfect, I thought — a place with no Wi-Fi, little cell service, and not a single hotel chain in sight. I was looking to get off the grid, somewhere untouched, and this beach didn’t disappoint. The first thing I noticed was that it had more crabs than people.
Spice up your sandwich game: Mezcal glazed turkey torta recipe
Your leftover turkey is sitting in the fridge, dry and uninspiring, begging you to give it a second chance. Enter the mezcal glazed turkey torta — a way to transform that turkey from a dull piece of meat to a smoky masterpiece. Here’s the trick: You take that leftover bird and glaze it with a mix of mezcal, honey, chipotle, and lime. Toss it in a skillet until it’s shimmering and coated, smoky and spicy, practically begging to be sandwiched.
Praise your inner Olmec with this chili chocolate martini
The Olmec Dragon wasn’t actually a dragon, of course. He was a ruler, a god-king. People called him “the Olmec Dragon” because he liked the name, and no one dared to argue. He sat on his stone throne, a steaming cup of dark cacao and crushed chilis in his hand, his nightly ritual. The brew was bitter, hot, and powerful, just the way he liked it. Each sip, he felt, brought him closer to the gods. But lately, the stars had been acting strange.
Give thanks for Mexican food with pumpkin pie chimichangas
Thanksgiving, the holiday where everyone enjoys a feast and every stomach takes on a challenge, is the perfect time to shake things up. In these hours of turkey carving and cranberry sauce arguments, there is room for a little Mexican twist on tradition. That’s where you come in, ready to amaze your family with pumpkin pie chimichangas. Not the usual slice of pie they’ve had forever, but a crispy, cinnamon-flavored, pumpkin fiesta.
Melt-in-your-mouth Chamorro: The ultimate Mexican comfort dish!
This chamorro en salsa de adobo recipe works like a dream, but it’s not just because pork tastes good (it does). It’s because the soul of the recipe — the adobo sauce — has traveled centuries to land on your plate. Chipotle peppers and achiote seeds, smoky, bitter, and rich, have been used by the ancestors in Mexico to preserve, flavor, and, some say, to tell stories. The sauce is no simple sauce; it’s a mechanism for time travel.
Honor your forebears this Dia de los Muertos with a fresh pan de muerto
Pan de Muerto, or “Bread of the Dead,” isn’t your everyday loaf; it’s a sweet offering that embodies the tradition of honoring the dearly departed. Its origins trace back to the Aztecs: they made a flatbread made from amaranth seeds, offered various foods to the dead, much like our Day of the Dead altars have today. Ancient civilizations were not squeamish when it came to the dead, what with all the human sacrifices and such.
Celebrate fall with these roasted vegetable Enchiladas Suizas in chile ancho Sauce
Sanborns, the place where you can get a coffee, a pair of socks, and a full meal all under one roof, is a Mexico City institution. Founded in 1903, it’s the go-to for everything, from a casual bite to wondering why you’re browsing electronics in a café. Sanborns reminds me of the Cracker Barrel gift shop randomness up north, but they need credit where credit is due. Enchiladas Suizas, or “Swiss Enchiladas,” were created in the 1950s at the iconic Sanborns café in Mexico City.
Why you need to eating suadero tacos and how to make them
When it comes to the mighty suadero taco, underrated is an over statement. Slow cooked in pork fat, the tender texture reminds me of a falling apart brisket. Often overshadowed by more popular options like carnitas, al pastor, or barbacoa, it’s time for suadero to get some shine. A cut from in between the belly and leg of the cow, when slow-cooked or braised, it transforms, like a beefy butterfly, into a melt-in-your-mouth explosion of goodness.
How to add achiote to the mix for 'out of this world' wings
In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, Hun Hunahpú, the maize god, is tricked and killed by the lords of the underworld, the Xibalbá. His head is placed in a calabash tree, and from it, the twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué, were born. The twins grow up to be cunning and skillful warriors, eventually avenging their father’s death by defeating the lords of Xibalbá in a series of epic trials.
What's better than campfire chilli? A campfire chilli with dark Mexican beer, of course!
The story of this Mexican chilli with beer begins a long time ago. I discovered my love for cooking along the Cumberland River, surrounded by mossy fallen trees and the cavernous rock formations, the Moonbow Trail was always one of my favorite places to hike and camp. Moonbow Falls in Kentucky, with its rare and mesmerizing nighttime rainbow, was the backdrop to many of our outdoor adventures with family, scout troops, and friends.
Mix some cinammon, spice and all things nice for a Horchata cocktail with a kick
We’re coming to the end of summer, but for a lot of Mexico, the heat is still on. For my money, horchata has to be the most refreshing drink ever conceived in this hemisphere. At the same time, the cinnamon, spice and everything nice in this drink is the perfect segue into the fall season. Thinking in this vein, I’d like to share a classic horchata recipe, along with a bourbon horchata cocktail.
Transport your tastebuds from Tenochtitlán to the Taj Mahal with this queso Oaxaca naan bread
Naan is hands down my go-to bread to make at home. Endlessly versatile, it’s a blank, fluffy canvas to experiment with. Today I want to share my version of naan stuffed with queso Oaxaca. This surprisingly easy to make naan would work well for a giant taco — just pick your favorite filling.
Hibiscus Margaritas: Because sometimes your cocktail needs a little extra drama
The Hibiscus-infused Margarita cocktail is the perfect way to show off your refined palate and love for floral flavors, along with a bonus of getting tipsy. Tequila, lime juice, and triple sec make up the holy trinity of margaritas, but let’s be honest, sometimes you just want more. Enter hibiscus syrup, the trendy third wheel that spices things up with a tart twist. It’s like the cocktail equivalent of wearing an oversized belt buckle — unnecessary but totally making the outfit.
Bring the heat to your Baja shrimp taco recipe with this Asian twist
Wasabi has always been an this elusive ingredient for me. You see wasabi in the grocery store in a vaguely green box, read the back label, and somehow it’s always horseradish with coloring. It makes me question my reality, what else in my life is a blatant lie!? Whether you’re using the real deal or the fake wasabi powder, the recipe I want to share today is a flavor bomb.
Chow down on some healthy crunch with this chicken tinga lettuce recipe
As a small town Kentucky boy visiting a slightly less small town down the road, eating at PF Chang’s was a culinary revelation. The dishes came in sharable sizes and were placed in the middle of the table like some type of medieval Asian feast. Of course the kung pao was great but the biggest surprise was the chicken lettuce wraps. Ordered as an afterthought, this appetizer became everyone’s favorite, and for good reason.
The Aegean meets Mexico with these Greek yogurt churros
Mixing Mexican and Greek cuisines might sound out there, but if you think about it, there are some strong throughlines. A few weeks ago, I had some friends over for carnitas served on homemade pita bread with tzatziki sauce. They were tacos with a Greek twist — you’ve got a fiesta in your mouth where feta cheese crashes into the dance floor with spicy jalapeños. Picture a mariachi band drinking ouzo or a Greek philosopher pounding some churros.
Beat the leftover piles with this Shepherds pie al pastor recipe
You open the fridge the day after a party and it’s like a crime scene of leftovers. There’s a mountain of al pastor meat looking at you like, “Well, what now?” Sure, you could just eat tacos for the next three days straight, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, channel your inner culinary wizard and whip up something unique. Let’s make some al pastor shepherd’s pie. This recipe works because it takes that leftover al pastor and turns it into something you’d actually brag about.
Take a bite of heaven with this Mexican spicy rice with tuna
I was hungry and scrolling through social media, it’s like the algorithm knows when to start showing you more food videos — like when you’re talking about going camping and the next day you have ads for fancy pop-up tents. One food trend in particular caught my eye, the viral crispy rice spicy tuna recipe. My first thought? I guess regular sushi just wasn’t Instagrammable enough. Second thought?
Get your jalapeños popping with this cheese stuffed recipe
The idea of stuffing peppers has been a part of Mexican cuisine as far back as 6,000 years and dishes like chiles rellenos — are larger peppers stuffed with cheese or meat, battered and fried — have been traditional in Mexico for at least centuries. Today, let’s talk about an incredible recipe for the greatest fusion food of all: Jalapeño poppers.
Molten cheese, please: Why Mexican 'fondue' is far superior
In the Mexican restaurants of my native small town Kentucky, the Tex-Mex version of melted cheese reigns supreme among dips. Deeply flavorful and rich, it’s also quite thin, like a cheesy soup for your unlimited free tortilla chips. After moving to Mexico, I realized this dip still had its training wheels on. There was a much better recipe for this satisfying appetizer right where I was: queso fundido.
Chocolate Tres Leches: Your new favorite dessert
I was always a pie guy before I moved to Mexico. I had found cakes to be miserably dry for my liking, with the generic birthday cake being the most egregious offender. Cut to my late 20’s when I discovered the antidote — the supremely juicy and indulgent tres leches cake! Tres leches cake is soaked in about a liter of a combination of different milks and I was finally in moist cake mecca.
Reinvent Mexico's classic breakfast with these delicious chilaquiles recipes
Normally, I’d preface the recipe with a long story about the history of the dish we’re about to make, but I was inspired by Google’s daily doodle to write this particular piece. So, instead of a history lesson, I just want to share my favorite, alternative recipe for the powerhouse of a dish that is chilaquiles. Chilaquiles is a top tier breakfast/brunch dish in which you, on purpose, make your tortilla chips soggy with salsa in the pan before adding the finishing touches.
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