65 replies to this topic

[Darienne]

Made some Tomatillo and Lime Jamfrom Pati's Mexican Table. Very delicious. I did not have any fresh tomatillos so used the same weight from the freezer where I had simply bagged the whole fresh tomatillos from a couple of months ago. (We cannot buy tomatillos where I live and it is only very recently that we have been able to buy poblanos [with fear that they will suddenly disappear.)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Darienne, would you like some Tomatillo seeds? They can be grown very successfully in pots up in the frozen north (I have a friend in London ON that does it), year-round.

[Darienne]

Darienne, would you like some Tomatillo seeds? They can be grown very successfully in pots up in the frozen north (I have a friend in London ON that does it), year-round.

That would be lovely. I haven't seen seeds here...which is not to say that they don't exist. Richter's sells only the plants and right now (today) the staff person said the place was a mess from shipping and she didn't know if they had any. Plus the Mexican Oregano will not be ready for two weeks at least.

And I have this lovely south-facing window in my studio in which I have grown many things before (in my own inept fashion...I am NOT a gardener...but I do have a growing Calamansi tree now).

I don't know about mailing seeds...the legality of it all. ??? But thanks.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

100% legal, as I'm not shipping you enough seed for you to start your own nursery - small quantities of seed are exempt under both Ecuador's and Canada's trading laws under an heirloom preservation convention between the two countries. PM me! I can also send you tree tomatoes (must be tried to be believed!)

[gfweb]

Tree tomatoes?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Solanum betaceum. You see them less in Mexican cooking, but as soon as you cross the Panama canal, they're everywhere. The tree is native to Ecuador, and the fruit is used in both desserts and savoury sauces, as well as being a very popular juice. In fact, if you ask for a tomato (tomate) in the market here, this is what they'll hand you, and certainly if you order tomato juice this is what comes. If you want a "standard" red beefsteak tomato, you have to specify "tomate de riñon" and nobody can fathom why you might want the juice of those things....



This is my absolute fave fruit for desserts - it's excellent stewed whole without its peel in a heavy cinnamon-anise panela syrup.

[gfweb]

What's it taste like?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

A tree tomato. There are hints of regular tomato, but think of the cultivars that are sweet and subacid - more like a golden cherry tomato than, say, a Roma. Alongside that is a pleasant semitropical flavour reminiscent of sweet melon, and a flavour that can only be described as tree tomato, since nothing else tastes like it. The whole shebang makes for extremely good eating just sliced raw onto sandwiches, but generally the fruit is used either in sauces (I replace up to half of the regular Roma tomatoes with Tomate de Arbol in my red sauces) or as a juice (blanch, shock, peel, and toss in the blender with a bit of water.)

The things are incredibly pectin-y, which means that I never have to thicken any sauce I make with them. A friend of mine makes a dynamite jam from the red-seeded type.

[kalypso]

PC. thanks for posting this information and the photos. I've heard about tree tomatoes for years but have not had a chance to ever eat one.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Racking my brains (and ye olde google), I find that in the US and Canada, tree tomatoes are sold as Tamarillos and usually come from New Zealand. They're coming an awful long way, though, and I recall that the ones I used to see in Canadian specialty markets were always pretty sad little fruits, all wizened and squishy.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Darienne - on to more desserts!

[Darienne]

Racking my brains (and ye olde google), I find that in the US and Canada, tree tomatoes are sold as Tamarillos and usually come from New Zealand. They're coming an awful long way, though, and I recall that the ones I used to see in Canadian specialty markets were always pretty sad little fruits, all wizened and squishy.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Darienne - on to more desserts!

Hijack away. It's all grist to the mill. And I have eaten said wizened and squishy Tamarillos this past winter, bought from Peterpatch's Super Store (aka Loblaws).

Anything you can add to the mix is most welcome. Thanks PanCan (sorry about that one ).

Edited by Darienne, 05 June 2011 - 03:01 PM.

[Jaymes]

I must say, Darienne, you really are on quite the journey of discovery here. I cannot possibly tell you how much I admire your adventuresome spirit and curiosity, your persistence, enthusiasm and determination. In fact, you are positively inspiring. And you make me appreciate the abundance of foodstuffs I find all around me down here in Houston.

I'm following your adventures with a big smile on my face.

Thanks for taking us all along!

[Darienne]

I must say, Darienne, you really are on quite the journey of discovery here. I cannot possibly tell you how much I admire your adventuresome spirit and curiosity, your persistence, enthusiasm and determination. In fact, you are positively inspiring. And you make me appreciate the abundance of foodstuffs I find all around me down here in Houston.

I'm following your adventures with a big smile on my face.

Thanks for taking us all along!

Thanks for your kind words, Jaymes. And thanks to you and all the other regulars in the Mexican forum for being such great mentors to me. It has been great fun.

[Darienne]

Now last week's Tomatillo-Lime Jam is filling for the latest crop of Empanadas for this morning's human (and dog) play date. Turned out very nicely for that purpose. I can guarantee that today's company will never have eaten Empanadas nor Tomatillo-Lime Jam.

[kalypso]

Those look great, I wish I had a couple of them right now with my morning coffee

Did you use the empanada dough from the Empanada de Jitomate recipe in Fany's book? I'm really enamored of that dough, it's so pliable, so forgiving, so delicious.

[Darienne]

Those look great, I wish I had a couple of them right now with my morning coffee

Did you use the empanada dough from the Empanada de Jitomate recipe in Fany's book? I'm really enamored of that dough, it's so pliable, so forgiving, so delicious.

Quick answer: yes, I did use her dough.

Longer answer: I added one more tablespoon of sugar to the dough because the jam was quite tart and it made a nice contrast. I have very little experience baking much of anything and I found the dough excellent for a beginner to work with. Also I don't have a 4 - 5" cutter...my biggest is 3 1/2" so my empanadas are a bit smaller than they might be. But that's OK. You can have more.

I froze most of the first batch I made...the Jitomate filled ones...and we ate them slowly. The freezing part was fine. And so I'll freeze these also.

[EatNopales]

Alright... I am seriously considering buying this book... and I am not even the baker of the house!

[Darienne]

Alright... I am seriously considering buying this book... and I am not even the baker of the house!

I do have a couple of quarrels with the book...although I am willing to live with them.

Maybe not all books, but MY book is not well constructed and the back is beginning to break. It has that crinkly sort of noise when I open it that makes me think the glue is not holding.

Secondly, the instructions are not what you would call excellent for beginners. I still can't figure out how to fill and fold the Huachibolas and am going to ask one of my Mexican mentors for more detailed directions...but then maybe that's just me.

Otherwise, I am having a wonderful time with this book and am quite determined to make as many of the recipes as I possibly can.

[kalypso]

I havne't had the same experience with the binding, but I agree with you on the instructions, some of them are not clear. I think I've noted that in a number of reviews I've done on the book, maybe not on this site, but on others, and I think it is an issue. I think that is more an indication of a poor editor who didn't understand the product than a problem with the recipes. I think the book is better for someone who has some baking experience or understands how baking recipes usually work.

The first time I make a recipe, I make it strictly as written so I can figure out what the authors intent was (or was supposed to be). So I made Fany's Pan de Muerto as written. I thought it was odd that it didn't call for the water in which the yeast was activated to be warm. The bread was delicious, in fact, I thought it was one of the better versions I've tried, but it was pretty clear early on I wasn't going to get the proofing out of the batch that I should have, which I attributed to not proofing the yeast in warm water. Then I moved on to the Huaciboles and sure enough, there were the directions for proofing the yeast in warm water and I got good rise out of them. To me a competent baking editor should have caught that and asked Fany to clarify.

[Darienne]

I havne't had the same experience with the binding, but I agree with you on the instructions, some of them are not clear. I think I've noted that in a number of reviews I've done on the book, maybe not on this site, but on others, and I think it is an issue. I think that is more an indication of a poor editor who didn't understand the product than a problem with the recipes. I think the book is better for someone who has some baking experience or understands how baking recipes usually work.

I would be interested in reading those reviews. I do like the book immensely and your point about the work of the editor is well taken.

[kalypso]

Darienne, I think those reviews are on Chowhound where I post under the screen name DiningDiva. I believe I posted them in Home Cooking. Here's one of the links

I think there is another thread, but I can't find it.

[Darienne]

Thanks for the link, kalypso. Found it.

Today's production was something simple, but still delicious. Right in tune with my current discovery of the taste of piloncillo. So amazingly complex. Makes brown sugar look like a mere piker.

Nogada de Nuez / Piloncillo Candied Pecans from Fany Gerson's My Sweet Mexico.



Out they go tomorrow.

[kalypso]

I made the Tomatillo & Lime Jam Darienne mentioned above, yummy, tho' I thought it tasted more of lime than tomatillo. It was very good.

I made the empanada dough recipe from the Empanadas de Jitomate in My Sweet Mexic and used the jam as the filling. I did not egg/cream wash them before baking, I did glaze them with a powdered sugar and lime glaze after they had cooled. Fantastic, I'd make them again in a heartbeat.

[Darienne]

Received my copy of Fany Gerson's Paletas and made my first paletas: "paletas de coco rapidas" . A bit soft...new to us freezer may be able to be adjusted...a bit too sweet for me...I'm not much for sweet, my DH is not too much for tangy...I like lime: he likes sweet cream. However, still delicious.

It's a very sweet, creamy pop. Contains coconut milk, condensed milk, & half and half. No water or juice. Might explain why it is so sweet and not frozen very hard. Next I'll try the lime which is condensed, half& half, but with a good wallop of lime juice too. Should freeze more solidly.

[Darienne]

Have not made the lime paletas yet but have made the coconut again with great success and praise, including a few with Tequila added.

Then made the recipe straight into ice cream which worked out well, adding sufficient Tequila to please the grown up faction.

I found the entire ice pop event a bit too fiddly, the making, the careful placing in our always crowded freezers, and the decanting. Then just yesterday I FINALLY located some small 3 oz plastic cups...the kind the dental hygienist gives you to take a sip and spit...and with popsicle sticks, at least the decanting will be given over to the one who takes the pop only, and one at a time. I am speaking crowd control here. Plus you don't have to keep track of those piddly little plastic cover and stick thingies.

I have two sets of ice pops given to two sets of friends and now they have to make sure I get back all the stick thingies. Nuisance. Green, but a nuisance.

[threestars]

I tried a Mexican sweets just once all my life. I never get the name of that sweet but I liked it.

[Darienne]

I tried a Mexican sweets just once all my life. I never get the name of that sweet but I liked it.

Give us a description and someone...not me I wouldn't guess...will be able to tell you what it was.

[Jaymes]

Have not made the lime paletas yet but have made the coconut again with great success and praise, including a few with Tequila added.

Then made the recipe straight into ice cream which worked out well, adding sufficient Tequila to please the grown up faction.

I found the entire ice pop event a bit too fiddly, the making, the careful placing in our always crowded freezers, and the decanting. Then just yesterday I FINALLY located some small 3 oz plastic cups...the kind the dental hygienist gives you to take a sip and spit...and with popsicle sticks, at least the decanting will be given over to the one who takes the pop only, and one at a time. I am speaking crowd control here. Plus you don't have to keep track of those piddly little plastic cover and stick thingies.

I have two sets of ice pops given to two sets of friends and now they have to make sure I get back all the stick thingies. Nuisance. Green, but a nuisance.

The presentation might be a little too "retro," but if you recall the olden days (and I'm pretty sure you do), you might remember that the moms made popsickles in those aluminum ice trays. You buy some popsickle sticks, pour your mixture into the ice tray, pop a stick into each square, put the whole thing into your freezer. When it's solid, you just take out the tray and give that lever a lift. And voila, popsickles.

[Darienne]

The presentation might be a little too "retro," but if you recall the olden days (and I'm pretty sure you do), you might remember that the moms made popsickles in those aluminum ice trays. You buy some popsickle sticks, pour your mixture into the ice tray, pop a stick into each square, put the whole thing into your freezer. When it's solid, you just take out the tray and give that lever a lift. And voila, popsickles.

Nothing is too retro for this old lady, but seeing as I have a specific popsicle need for the Dog Weekend, and don't own any old fashioned ice cube trays...heck I grew up with an ice box...my current solution will probably do. I'll find a way to steady all the Dixie type cups for pouring and freezing (or get the 'guy' who is steadier than I am) to pour and then folks can get the popsicles for themselves and I don't need to bag them or decant them or anything.

You know when you are hosting a large event, with as many dogs which has a whole other set of considerations, you need to have everyone as able as possible to get coffee, beer, popsicles, etc, as much as possible. For one thing, you ALWAYS have those types who 'need help' as in 'I don't mean to bother you but...' 'here I come bothering you for another thing which I could have asked someone else for or looked for and found myself, yadda, yadda'. Notice how invariably they don't help to clear stuff up.

So the popsicles can be stashed in the garage, in the dog freezer, and thems what wants 'em, can get 'em.

And...we won't have melting extras hanging around.

Edited by Darienne, 04 August 2011 - 07:58 AM.

[rancho_gordo]

Fany Gerson, who wrote My Sweet Mexico and Paletas, will be signing books at the Rancho Gordo store in Napa this Saturday from 2p-5pm. We'll also have Brian Streeter from Cakebread Cellars (author of the Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook) and we'll have snacks and Cakebread wine. Free and of course you can just come and meet Fany and Brian. Both are muy swell folks. 1924 Yajome Street.