28 replies to this topic

[EatNopales]

Since we have some brave souls passionately cooking Mexican dishes, sometimes without having ever seen a particular dish, and I keep running across interesting stuff that might be valuable... I thought why not put links to Cooking & Travelogue videos for the comrades?


First up Yessica Perez aka La Receta de la Abuelita (Grandmother's Recipe)... she is a prolific contributor on You Tube.

(How Make Stuffed Calabacitas aka Mexican Zucchini aka Courgettes):

[Darienne]

Thank you for setting up this very useful topic, EN.

Puerco Pibil is a favorite in our house. I have never eaten it anywhere but in my own house, cooked by my very inexpert hands, with no on-site mentors, following this video made by Robert Rodriguez director of "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" starring Johnny Depp and countless others.

The movie is pretty awful, IMO, and the video contains language early on which might make a maiden lady blush but probably no eGers, but it did it for me as far as the Pibil was concerned.

Any comments from the resident experts?

Edited by Darienne, 12 September 2011 - 04:26 PM.

[EatNopales]

Thank you for setting up this very useful topic, EN.

Puerco Pibil is a favorite in our house. I have never eaten it anywhere but in my own house, cooked by my very inexpert hands, with no on-site mentors, following this video made by Robert Rodriguez director of "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" starring Johnny Depp and countless others.

The movie is pretty awful, IMO, and the video contains language early on which might make a maiden lady blush but probably no eGers, but it did it for me as far as the Pibil was concerned.

Any comments from the resident experts?

Honestly I am neither a huge fan of Robert Rodriguez (I think he peaked on the original El Mariachi) or that Pibil recipe... although I do think that if you can't get Banana leaves or any other type of green leafy that has some kind of anisey, burnt aroma it can be challenging. As others have mentioned.. Pibil in the Yucatan style (sounds funny but Pibil is now so widespread throughout the Mexican mainland that there really are diverging styles)... in the Yucatan they like a very subtle, but tasty approach... and of course the destination worthy versions are cooked in a pit... I am not 100% sure what kind of wood they use there but I would venture to say it is Almond.


The one thing I do like about Rodriguez is the inclusion of Tequila to provide that green, slightly burnt element in absence of banana leaves... although I would probably include a little anise seed as well.

[EatNopales]

[EatNopales]

Carlos Hernandez, a self described admirer of Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods is a very popular show in Mexico), is based out of Mexico City and has posted well over 100 videos of Street Food vendors on You Tube

http://www.youtube.c...er/teknoshopmex


Here is his video on Tacos de Mixiotes estilo Hidalgo (in this occassion Lamb & Pork are tossed with a secret recipe dried chile paste, put inside a pouch made up "paper" pulled from Agave leaves & steamed to perfection)





Unlike the Taquerias that are typical in the States... Mexican taco stands are highly specialized and have small menus, everybody tries to differentiate themselves as much as possible while delivering the highest quality at competitive prices. All this particular stand does are Mixiotes... either by the Taco or by weight for family style dining.

[Darienne]

Dear EN,

A small minority of Canadians speak fluent Spanish and I am foremost among them. I would be grateful if you could also post some videos in English language or perhaps with English subtitles.

Thanks.

[Darienne]

Dear EN,

A small minority of Canadians speak fluent Spanish and I am foremost among them. I would be grateful if you could also post some videos in English language or perhaps with English subtitles.

Thanks.

Too late to fix my obvious error:

I don't speak Spanish.

[EatNopales]

Alright Darienne here we go...


Nick Zukin is the force behind extramsg.com a Portland, OR centric website focusing on street foods which has brought Nick on a couple of trips to Mexico... you can find his YouTube videos here: http://www.youtube.c...tlandfoodDOTorg


His footage of Super Tacos Chupacabras in Coyoacan (South Mexico City). They are trying to differentiate themselves with the name Super Tacos but really what they are Tacos Placeros (Plaza Tacos).. these are a bit different than classic Street Tacos.. in that they are larger and have extensive, often strange toppings. For example, in Xochimilco (further south & east of Coyoacan) one of the specialty Placeros is Pit Roasted Beef Barbacoa tacos with whole fried Charales (a smelt like fish) & Nopalitos as toppings.

At Super Tacos Chupacabras their available toppings are Nopales, Whole Beans, Carmelized Onions, Pickled Onions & Pan Fried Potatoes (all self serve) and of course salsas.. always. You can get those toppings over Biztec (Top Round Steak), Chorizo, Cecina (salted, partly sun dried paper thin beef leg).

[EatNopales]

Here we go with some actual English language clips.. these are from Facebook friend Patricia Jinich (who now has her own syndicated show & has pulled her You Tube channel but you can still find the videos if you are bit crafty):

http://patismexicant...clips/02-clips/

Edited by EatNopales, 13 September 2011 - 04:45 PM.

[Darienne]

Thank you EN for those posted and those to be posted. I have been following Pati's Mexican Table for some time but didn't realize that there had been videos in the past.

That soup looked good. Could you tell me please what are the accompaniments in the various dishes? No rush.

[EatNopales]

Thank you EN for those posted and those to be posted. I have been following Pati's Mexican Table for some time but didn't realize that there had been videos in the past.

That soup looked good. Could you tell me please what are the accompaniments in the various dishes? No rush.

The garnishes for the soup? Counter clock wise... Avocado, crumbled Queso Fresco / Panela, shreds of dried Ancho chile, Tortilla Chips, Crema Michoacana (a very thick yellowish, nutty & slightly sweet type of Creme Fraiche)...

[EatNopales]

For those who do understand Spanish.. some of the best food show clips on the interwebs are those from Once TV IPN (Public TV) their You Tube channel is: http://www.youtube.c...er/CanalOnceIPN


They organize videos into playlists for each show. The following are the food related ones:


El Comal Que Marca Las Horas





En Materia de Pescado

[EatNopales]

Sabores de Mexico

[EatNopales]

El Nuevo Rincon de los Sabores

[EatNopales]

La Ruta del Sabor

Edited by EatNopales, 14 September 2011 - 08:23 AM.

[EatNopales]

Pasteleria.MX is a Mexican baking series with pastry chef Paulina Abascal. It runs on VMe (available in California through U-Verse & Comcast Spanish Language packages). Trailers available on You Tube & recipes on their webiste: http://www.vmetv.com/pasteleria_mx

[kalypso]

Pasteleria.MX is a Mexican baking series with pastry chef Paulina Abascal. It runs on VMe (available in California through U-Verse & Comcast Spanish Language packages). Trailers available on You Tube & recipes on their webiste: http://www.vmetv.com/pasteleria_mx

I really like her idea of doing mini tres leches with different flavorings in them. I think that would be a great idea of a party or buffet.

I have Paulina's pastry cookbook that's pretty decent. I once saw her demonstrate a tart filled with a rich almond pastry cream and then topped with jamaica poached pears on El Canal Gourmet. The recipe is in her book and it's pretty tasty

[EatNopales]

Pasteleria.MX is a Mexican baking series with pastry chef Paulina Abascal. It runs on VMe (available in California through U-Verse & Comcast Spanish Language packages). Trailers available on You Tube & recipes on their webiste: http://www.vmetv.com/pasteleria_mx

I really like her idea of doing mini tres leches with different flavorings in them. I think that would be a great idea of a party or buffet.

I have Paulina's pastry cookbook that's pretty decent. I once saw her demonstrate a tart filled with a rich almond pastry cream and then topped with jamaica poached pears on El Canal Gourmet. The recipe is in her book and it's pretty tasty

If I were to prioritize between Fanny's My Sweet Mexico & Paulina's which would you suggest?


I am liking her show.. although she is one of the most controlled, uptight, fresa Mexican women ever... which is probably a good thing for a baker. On the latest episode she froze bavarian cream in a tube to produce a very nice looking composed Strawberries & cream type dish...

Edited by EatNopales, 23 September 2011 - 12:52 PM.

[kalypso]

If I were to prioritize between Fanny's My Sweet Mexico & Paulina's which would you suggest?


I am liking her show.. although she is one of the most controlled, uptight, fresa Mexican women ever... which is probably a good thing for a baker. On the latest episode she froze bavarian cream in a tube to produce a very nice looking composed Strawberries & cream type dish...

They are 2 different styles of books.

Paulina's book is a Larousse book. It's split into different "flavors" such as chocolate, caramel, fruits, coffee, and so on. Each recipe has a difficulty designation. If one's baking skills are weak, this may not be the best bet. There are some easily doable recipes such as the chocolate mousse, cookies and fondue, but there are some really fancy desserts in the book. Apparently Paulina competed on the Mexican National pastry team in 2001 at the world competition in France. One of their creations is in the book. It's pretty spectacular. My baking skills are pretty good - better than my Spanish skills - and I can only aspire t make the Pastel de la Copa Mundial...sacher torte base, orange mousse cream, chocolate mousse from a sabayon base, topped with a "sheen" of ganache that has been stablize with geletin. Most of the dishes are fairly contemporary. Someone with baking and dessert skills could probably do pretty well with this book.

My Sweet Mexico is more for the home baker and sticks to traditional Mexican sweets from breads, to nuts, to cookies, puddings, etc. Only the last chapter is devoted to contemporary Mexican desserts. My only caution with MSM is that some of the recipes could have stood a little better editing but if you know 1) how to bake and/or 2) what the Mexican recipe item really is, as long as you read the recipe through 2 or 3 times before starting you'll do just fine.

[Darienne]

My only caution with MSM is that some of the recipes could have stood a little better editing but if you know 1) how to bake and/or 2) what the Mexican recipe item really is, as long as you read the recipe through 2 or 3 times before starting you'll do just fine.

Laugh for the morning...

1) not really and 2) no way

[EatNopales]

La Cocina de Alejandro is a show with chef Alejandro Ruiz of the highly regarded Casa Oaxaca restaurant that is produced by Oaxaca TV which streams for free on the Internet.... it currently airs on Tuesdays at 8:30 AM PST

[EatNopales]

You go white girl... join Tina of Married To A Mexican on her explorations of traditional Mexican home cooking on her extensive You Tube contributions.

Edited by EatNopales, 28 September 2011 - 04:57 PM.

[Darienne]

Thanks EN. This old white woman, who is learning to cook Mexican and wishes she could speak Spanish, thanks you both for this video and for the website. Not to mention all the help over the past year.

I tried a couple of years ago to start a topic on Capirotada to find a good traditional recipe for it and received no replies. So many of the recipes I found were simply bread pudding with eggs and milk and other inappropriate ingredients.

Would you make it according to this recipe by Tina?

[EatNopales]

Thanks EN. This old white woman, who is learning to cook Mexican and wishes she could speak Spanish, thanks you both for this video and for the website. Not to mention all the help over the past year.

I tried a couple of years ago to start a topic on Capirotada to find a good traditional recipe for it and received no replies. So many of the recipes I found were simply bread pudding with eggs and milk and other inappropriate ingredients.

Would you make it according to this recipe by Tina?

I think her version is reasonable, and falls within the continuum of traditional recipes... personally I would use a higher ratio of syrup to sauce... I like the end result to be more like sticky buns, I like to add Pecans in addition to Peanuts, Dried Cheese instead of Fresh.. and I am not a fan of raisins... I utilize other crystalized fruits & veggies I can get at the local Mexican markets (3 inch thick pineapple slices, whole figs, whole xoconostles etc.,)... I might also add Cloves and/or Cardamon and/or Allspice


The last version I made had dried pineapple & pecans in the body - no cheese, cinnamon & allspice in the syrup, then I put quartered slices of preserved orange on the top... baked & served with slices of aged Mexican manchego.... it was muy nice.

[AAQuesada]

I will post my grandmothers recipe since she getting older, but was a great cook. I'll admit I haven't made it, but I have eaten it :D. This a pretty much a direct translation from her notes.



Capriotada

7 cups water
3 tomatillos (yellowish)
1 green onion
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
1 ¼ box brown sugar / 5 small Piloncillo

Almonds
Raisins
French bread (10 small or 4 long) ; Day old.
Parmesan / Romano/ Queso seco

Boil first six ingredients for 60 minutes. Strain.
Soak almonds in water for 10 minutes, slip off skins with a towel and slice in half.
Butter a baking dish. Slice and layer bread, almonds, raisins, dry cheese.

Pour liquid over the bread. Bake in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes uncovered.

Notes: Traditionally served during lent.


** I've always thought the inclusion of tomatillos was interesting since they are related to the gooseberry but seem to be mostly used in savory preparations. The recipe is pretty old or course feel free to modify as you will, i love the hand peeling and slicing of the almonds myself. ;^)

Edited by AAQuesada, 29 September 2011 - 02:35 PM.

[EatNopales]

So Saturday's at Noon PST... you can also watch La Cocina de Alejandro (see a few posts prior)... and 12:30 PST follows Viajes a Traves del Espiritu de la Cocina Mexicana... another interesting show to documents culinary traditions among Mexico's minority & remote communities. In the last episiode they were in an Afro-Mestizo community in the Oaxacan "small" coast where they harvested mussels from the mangrove & prepared them several ways including a Puya chile broth & the following raw cocktail:

http://www.myspace.c...photos/21986855


This is from their Aguascalientes episode:

[Darienne]

AAquesada Thanks for the recipe. Very generous of you and please thank your grandmother. The idea of using tomatillos is interesting. I made some Tomatillo/Lime jam and loved it. I would also definitely use piloncillo and not brown sugar. I am trying to convince our local outlet of all things hot and spicy to carry piloncillo but in the meantime a friend from NJ brings me a yearly care package.

EatNopales. I am OK with raisins although not crazy about them. Might use dried cranberries which are scarcely authentic, although I sub them often for raisins. I would also use pecan, or even almonds. I love peanuts, but they don't belong in everything and to me they are not a case of one 'nut' versus another.

[AAQuesada]

Enjoy! To be honest i'm not the biggest raisin fan either. :) I'd sub dried currants or dice up some dried fig

[EatNopales]

AWESOME new food show on Once TV... with the abysmal stupidity & inane ridiculousness of shows on Food Network and its fellow Infotainment degenerates.. trust me it would be worth learning Spanish for this one alone.

It looks like they are going to make all the full episodes available on You Tube at the following page:

http://www.youtube.c...90A9E417FE20C84