77 replies to this topic

[heidih]

Oh my there are 2 within an hour of me- decisons...

[rancho_gordo]

Mine just arrived! Tee hee!

[Chris Hennes]

Mine too. Haven't been getting much work done this afternoon...

[janeer]

Amazon says mine has shipped.

[heidih]

I was a later pre-order and Amazon says my ship date is Sept 20 to 22! Should I torture myself listening to your joy or just wait.....

[rancho_gordo]

Any initial reactions?
I'd never given the Spanish an intense going over but they do seem to very similar, with the English version a bit tighter in the design department.
I was laughing thinking about the new Bayless and how his book is all about getting you into the kitchen with easy ingredients and recipes and even music and Kennedy's is basically "Here is what I saw. And here's how they make it" with no compromise. I often say there was an era when strong women wrote great books for the ages: Julia Child with Mastering, Kennedy with Cuisines, Wolfert with COuscous and Hazan with Classic. There was no compromising and their books can be used today, which you can't always say about their contemporaries and certainly not about many books today, which seem like extended magazine articles. (I think the Bayless book is fun and inspiring and worthwhile, by the way.)
I think there's room for everyone and I'm thankful for most of them but I do want to raise a special little shotglass full of mezcal in Kennedy's direction for this amazing book.

[janeer]

Mine has shipped but not arrived. I fully expect to cook from it when it does. I have total faith in Kennedy dating back to first publication of Cuisines.

[Chris Hennes]

I'm still working out sourcing issues: apparently we don't have a large Oaxacan community here in OKC. As rancho_gordo mentions, this is really a no-compromises book.

[kalypso]

Any initial reactions?
I'd never given the Spanish an intense going over but they do seem to very similar, with the English version a bit tighter in the design department.

I think there's room for everyone and I'm thankful for most of them but I do want to raise a special little shotglass full of mezcal in Kennedy's direction for this amazing book.

RG, I have the Spanish version and my English version just arrived today. I thought I did a decent job of reading/understanding the Spanish version, now I know just how much I missed Oh, well.

If I thought it was amazing in Spanish, I am even more wowed with the English version. I'm planning to put the 2 English and Spanish books side by side next weekend, but at first blush they do look to be very close mirror images. The one thing I'm discovering right off, is that more of the recipes are actually doable than I thought and I can source more of the ingredient than I had originally anticipated. That may change as I go through the book in much greater detail but I'm really encouraged by my first pass through it.

I can hardly wait to see how many of the recipes are really possible.

[kalypso]

I'm still working out sourcing issues: apparently we don't have a large Oaxacan community here in OKC. As rancho_gordo mentions, this is really a no-compromises book.

Chris, would you post a list of what you can't find? I might be able to help. My copy arrived today and I've been pleasantly surprised at how much I can actually do. I've got access to more ingredients than I thought, plus some are probably available on-line somewhere.

[heidih]

Yes Chris- let us know what you can not find. Los Angeles has a large Oaxacan community. My book still has not shipped...

[kalypso]

Yes Chris- let us know what you can not find. Los Angeles has a large Oaxacan community. My book still has not shipped...

I should add that I have some Oaxacan smoked chile pasilla that I brought back from a recent trip to Oaxaca that I'd be happy to ship to anyone for the cost of shipping.

It's looking like I will probably be back in Oaxaca at Christmas time and I'd be happy to bring back supplies. As long as it's dried, I can bring it back (and that includes bugs)

[percival]

I know nothing of Oaxaca cuisine, but it sounds interesting. Found a good interview of her here.

[Chris Amirault]

Can someone list the Oaxacan ingredients that you're finding difficult to source? I'm considering buying the book and, though I have have source issues here in RI for many Mexican items, will be heading to Arizona in a few weeks and expect to load up on a few things there.

[rancho_gordo]

This should help!

[Chris Amirault]

Seems like that'd help with, um, several things.

[Chris Hennes]

Here are some of the ingredients that I can't find locally (yet!):

• Chilcosle chiles
• Yerbasanta
• Chilhuacles negros
• Avocado leaves (fresh)
• Hierba de conejo
• Chiles de agua
• Cuitlacoche
• Taviche chiles
• de Onza chiles
• Chapulines
• Piojito
• Costeños chiles
• Iguana
• Moste leaves
• Chilpayas
• Chiltepines
• Chayote leaves and vines

Some of these chiles may be hiding in plain sight, but other stuff, like the iguana or chapulines, I have no expectation of being able to get locally. The Chilhuacles negros in particular seem to be a pricey and difficult-to-source item. Anyone have a good place for getting their hands on those? Presumably to get things like chayote leaves and vines you pretty much have to grow the chayote yourself: has anyone seen these in any markets, even in Oaxaca?

[Jaymes]

You should be able to find cuitlacoche in cans at a local Mex market.

[Chris Hennes]

I'd heard that canned brands vary widely in quality: do you have any brand suggestions (if I have a choice)?

[kalypso]

Chilcosle chiles

Yerbasanta - This grows pretty well in CA and some parts of TX. You may be able to find it growing wild in OK. Also check with local nurseries for plants, they often have them here in CA

Chilhuacles negros - Generally not available in the U.S. BUT...if you're willing to try growing them you can get them here - The Chile Woman I ordered from The Chile Woman with good success. All plants arrived in great shape and thrived, as did the tomatillos I ordered from her. You may also be able to find them at the Melissa Guerra store in San Antonio, TX. It's right next door to the new CIA facility in SA. I was in there in April and remember that she had some of the less common chiles for sale.

Avocado leaves (fresh) - Be very careful as the avocados generally grown in the American SW are not the same variety as grown in MX and have some toxic properties. I have dried avocado leaves and can send a small amount.

Hierba de conejo - generally not available in the U.S.

Chiles de agua - Generally not found outside of Oaxaca, even in MX. Gueros can often be subbed.

Cuitlacoche - also spelled Huitlacoche. There are a couple of on-line sources for it frozen, Google search. It is also sold canned in the U.S.

Taviche chiles - This is one chile I've not seen

de Onza chiles - not available

Chapulines - any Oaxacan restaurant will sell them to you. I looked for an on-line source for you but couldn't find one.

Piojito - not avaiable as far as I can tell

Costeños chiles - hard to find outside of Oaxaca and central Mex. I've not found them in the U.S. and I've not seen them in Tijuana

Iguana - See Rancho Gordo's source :-)

Moste leaves - not available

Chilpayas - not available

Chiltepines - I have some of these that I actually got in Veracruz, very tiny, hot chile.

Chayote leaves and vines - I have eaten both vines and leaves and they are delicious. The flavor is very soft, green and somewhat herbaceous and a little grassy. They are not hard to find in Oaxaca (or Veracruze for that matter) as Sope de Guias is a fairly common soup.

[rancho_gordo]

I think she mentions subs for some of these things.
She's here in Napa at on 10/30 (and you are all invited) and we can ask her.

[Chris Hennes]

She does, but you know me... not a big fan of making substitutions if I can help it!

[janeer]

Book arrived today. It is a tome. I am just starting to go through it. Don't think we have the flying ants (chicatanas) around here.

I notice that farther back in the book there are more subs offered. I also notice that many of the pictured chiles very closely resemble other kinds of chiles that are available, and so it will be worth asking her about subs. For example, the chilhuacels look a lot like poblanos. Earlier recipes do not offer this alternative, but some later ones do. It would be worth asking if a sub is offered only when it would not make a real difference, and not offered when it would. The differences among chiles can be dramatic, but also quite subtle. Some subs matter more than others.

This weekend I will get serious with the book when I have time.

[Jaymes]

Malarkey and I went to a book-launch reception and dinner at Hugo's here in Houston on Monday night. A sold-out house of 150 dined on recipes from several of DK's books.

Speaking of cuitlacoche, one of the biggest hits was the Empanada de Cuitlacoche, on page 57 of the Oaxaca book. Terrific.

Also well received were the Duck with Oaxacan Black Mole (page 89, Oaxaca) and Coffee Caramel Custard (page 394, Art of Mexican Cooking).

A lovely and gracious evening for a lovely and gracious woman.

[janeer]

You lucky duck (ha). Those are some of the recipes that I was attracted to immediately. I love huitlacoche.

[heidih]

I picked up mine today from the mail center. Foolishly I put out one hand as the guy handed me the package- had to drop what was in my other hand to catch the book - weighty gorgeous tome. Even if I do not cook from it I am fascinated by the creative use of local ingredients, and will surely be spurred to sample some of the touted examples of Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles.

[heidih]

I am planning to attend the book signing and Q & A in Long Beach, California on November 13th. The info for the event allows questions to be pre-submitted by email. Perhaps some of our questions could be answered in that way. If you post them here I will submit them and post any answers I get after the event.

[Chris Amirault]

Just got it. What a remarkable book at first glance. What recipes are people going to start cooking?

[budrichard]

What a remarkable tome!
I don't think I will ever be able to cook each mole recipe in this book but the fantastic variety of recipes and information certainly are exceptional. Most of the pictures are credited to Diana Kennedy and they are very well done.
The basic problem is that many of the specific chilies and other regional ingredients will just not be available to us Norteamericanos.-Dick

Edited by budrichard, 27 September 2010 - 02:08 PM.

[janeer]

I am planning to attend the book signing and Q & A in Long Beach, California on November 13th. The info for the event allows questions to be pre-submitted by email. Perhaps some of our questions could be answered in that way. If you post them here I will submit them and post any answers I get after the event.

I think the question on everyone's mind, based on previous posts, is substitutions. For me, I am interested in chile substitutes primarily.