141 replies to this topic

[EatNopales]

Trip to Lola's Market on Petaluma Hill Rd. in Santa Rosa, CA


I pic is worth as thousand words, so I will let them speak for themselves but please don't hesitate to ask questions about any unfamiliar items etc.,

[EatNopales]

I will post produce department, spices, chiles, herbs & prepared foods in a bit.

[EatNopales]

[EatNopales]

Edited by EatNopales, 04 September 2011 - 04:35 PM.

[Katie Meadow]

EN, fascinating blog, I'm really enjoying it. A question about Oliver's markets: do all three have grills and serve up cooked ribs and corn? I've never been. When we go to Dillon Beach (as we will be this month) we usually take our own food up but use Petaluma for supplemental shopping; by default that means Petaluma market, partly because we can pop in on my SIL, who works two doors down. But Oliver's sounds intriguing, and Cotati isn't too far out of the way.

Could you elaborate on the elote preparado? Do you make your own with takeaway grilled corn or does Oliver's do the whole number to go?

One more question: do you make your own cajeta or do you buy the stuff in the plastic bottle? If you can get your hands on fresh corn ice cream, cajeta and a bit of salt makes an amazing topping!

And of course, happy anniv.

[LindaK]

Wow, what a tour. I was struck by the bin of huge dried shrimp (camaron seco) and the enormous fillets of dried fish above them. How are they used in Mexican cooking?

[EatNopales]

Teaser photos for tonight's dinner

[Chris Hennes]

In your market photos, are those de-spined nopales for sale, near the regular nopales?! If so, I am very jealous.

[EatNopales]

Alright dinner pics are here! Thank you Kalypso, Linda & everyone for the warm wishes, and also for your questions... I will address them and pontificate some tomorrow.


Horchata de Melon Canario (remember those seeds?)


The kids enjoyed the Horchata as is... I improvised a take on the regional Cabo cocktail of choice which is Cantaloupe juice, Tequila, Damiana Liqueur & Squeeze of Lime... I went Horchata de Melon, Tequila, Meyer Lemon, Clover Honey... probably wouldn't win any awards but it was light, refreshing, tasty & not intrusive to the food that would follow.



Garbanzos al Vapor

A classic appetizer currenly in high season throughout Central Mexico... best way to describe them is a much better version of Edamame (at least compared to the typical waterlogged Edamame you get in Sushi joints around California)





Xitomate Criollo over Nopal Asado with a dollop of Guacamole Verde (It is the tail end of the Nopales season and the paddles weren't perfect but I had to honor my handle... besides it is one of the most delicious salads you will ever taste).





Pan Seared Duck Breast, Mole Verde, Tamal de Elote

(Muscovy Duck & Turkey were the two primary domesticated proteins in Pre-Hispanic Mexico... one of my favorite places in the world is the area west of Mexico City.. Valle de Bravo etc.,... the town of Almoloya del Rio is situated on the Rio Lerma watershed that was famous even in Aztec times for its duck & today is a primary purveyor of ducks to Mexico City markets. Pato en Mole Verde served with an Avocado Leaf scented Tamal is not only my favorite Mexican dish of all... but is also the most iconic, traditional & special dish to that region which is deep in my heart. P.S. As I alluded earlier... Frog Legs in Mole Verde is the more common & iconic way to consume Mole Verde in the river & lakes regions around Mexico City but I couldn't find Frog Legs around town... other versions are made with Trout, Quail & other game birds).







store bought Chocolate Dipped Coconut Paleta

[andiesenji]

That duck is beautiful and I love the nopales. I've heard from my Mexican friends about the numerous recipes for duck and turkey in the regions where sheep and cattle are not as plentiful.

I remember when I was in Chiapas that we were strongly urged to shoot all the ducks and turkeys we wished because those non-domesticated fowl were so damaging to the local farmer's crops. The turkeys we found were different from the wild turkeys in the area where I was raised and were much more agile flyers.

[Jenni]

Aha, fresh chickpeas! In India they are probably most often roasted and salted and eaten as a snack. You buy them from a street vendor and they will still be in their little green jacket. Best thing to do is sit outside your house with some friends and peel and eat them at leisure. I think the season for them is January, February or something like that. That's when I've had them anyway.

Having said that my Dad, living in the UK, is growing some kala chana (small, dark Indian chickpea) that I started to sprout and promptly forgot about. They are doing quite well, as seen in the following pic, so I guess the season varies by country and climate!



In your picture it looks like they are slightly damp so have you steamed or boiled them?

[brucesw]

Lovely pictures and a fascinating and informative blog this week. I was particularly glad to come across the discussion of jocoque. I had come across a recipe on MexConnect some time ago calling for it that I wanted to try but have never found it in local mercados, carnicerias, etc. I am looking forward to the rest of the week.

[Peter the eater]

What does one do with aloe vera?

[nikkib]

Ive had it very successfully in cocktails before now

[kayb]

Just caught up on the blog -- fascinating! Have always wanted to try nopales. Perhaps the salad prep you showed will be my entry point!

[Shelby]

Just caught up on the blog -- fascinating! Have always wanted to try nopales. Perhaps the salad prep you showed will be my entry point!

That's exactly the same thought I was just having. Now, if I could only find some nopales.

[Darienne]

The only kind of nopales that we can get in the far frozen north, and then only when friends bring them in from NJ, are either canned or in jars. Are they worth eating at all? Or are they about the same as canned versus fresh asparagus?

[Shelby]

I swear, I have these nopales looking things growing on the edges of our field out here. Maybe I should experiment.

[andiesenji]

The only kind of nopales that we can get in the far frozen north, and then only when friends bring them in from NJ, are either canned or in jars. Are they worth eating at all? Or are they about the same as canned versus fresh asparagus?

They are more like canned green beans. Some stores in the northeast are beginning to carry the frozen ones, which again, are like green beans.


The ones grown around here are the same that produce the prickly pear fruits (tuna).

[EatNopales]

Update... a last minute business trip has me in Arizona for 24 hours... don't worry... I brought my passport


Today's meals...


Brunch... Quesadillas with Organic Jack, homemade Cabbage Escabeche, Sambal Oelek, Bacon Chocolate Bar, Coffee


Lunch... Airport Steam Table Chinese (Brocoli Beef, Steamed Rice, Thai Iced Tea)


Dinner... "Gourmet" Convenience store bought Chicken Ceasar Salad garnished with Pork Chicharrones, cup of Straweberries & Blueberries, Chocolate Covered Cherry.

Edited by EatNopales, 05 September 2011 - 09:00 PM.

[EatNopales]

EN, fascinating blog, I'm really enjoying it. A question about Oliver's markets: do all three have grills and serve up cooked ribs and corn? I've never been. When we go to Dillon Beach (as we will be this month) we usually take our own food up but use Petaluma for supplemental shopping; by default that means Petaluma market, partly because we can pop in on my SIL, who works two doors down. But Oliver's sounds intriguing, and Cotati isn't too far out of the way.

Could you elaborate on the elote preparado? Do you make your own with takeaway grilled corn or does Oliver's do the whole number to go?

One more question: do you make your own cajeta or do you buy the stuff in the plastic bottle? If you can get your hands on fresh corn ice cream, cajeta and a bit of salt makes an amazing topping!

And of course, happy anniv.

Thanks Katie... yes I do believe all the Oliver's have a grill setup. In fact everybody and their abuela seems to have a grill setup even lame old Whole Foods... the big summer attraction though are the Bodega Bay grilled Oysters (also offered at Oliver's, at the farmer's market and really anywhere you see a smoker). And although Santa Maria style Tri Tip is not originally from Sonoma County you will find competent versions through out the area (although I haven't seen anyone offer Santa Maria Pinquito beans around town yet).

No Oliver's doesn't have Elote Preparado, sorry about the confusion.. the corn I dressed up was leftover from the Sopa de Milpa. However, Lola's does offer Elote Preparado on the weekend and they have an outdoor grill / smoker setup with split chickens, carne asada, ribs & other goodies offered.

Also, I have never made my own cajeta... my dad (who used to make it often in the 60's) thinks it is hard to improve upon the better bottled version unless you are willing to go all the way.. fresh unpasteurized milk, clay pots etc.,

[EatNopales]

Wow, what a tour. I was struck by the bin of huge dried shrimp (camaron seco) and the enormous fillets of dried fish above them. How are they used in Mexican cooking?

Hi Linda,


The dried fish is bacalao (salt cod).. the most famous application are Bacalao a la Mexicana and Bacalao a la Vizcaina which are served at most Mexico City tables on Christmas eve.

No one I know cooks with it regularly, but my understanding is that in Xalapa they commonly stuff Cuaresmenos (a large varietal of Jalapenos) with Bacalao a la Mexicana or a la Veracruzana to serve as a Botana (Mex equivalent of Tapas) throughout the year. There is also a famous Torta street vendor in Coyoacan known for Bacalao a la Mexicana sandwiches.

The Dried Shrimp are one of those ignored items that are vital to understanding Pre Hispanic Civilization. A quick review of Pre Hispanic history finds that Ancient Mexicans were leery about establishing large population centers along the coasts... hurricanes, tsunamis, scarce arable lands, strategically vulnerable positions, excessive heat & humidity... the high altitude central plateaus were the preferred home-base for all of Mexico's major cultural groups. Nonetheless they did establish coastal communities and today you can find thousands of pre-hispanic towns along the coasts but a little digging quickly unveils that they existed primarily as satellite posts to provide something of strategic value to the power centers in the highlands.

I think most people in the U.S. & Canada think of Mexican cuisine as highly dependent on ag products like corn & beans + some dairy, beef, pork & poultry. However, for most of Mexico's history the native people of the country have established their communities around lagoons, rivers & lakes.. and their daily cuisine reflected that. For example, Mexico City only a few hundred years ago was still a city floating on lakes & water borne protein foods where the primary non veggie component of the diet... frogs, fish, crawfish, salamanders, fresh water eel & snakes, duck & other water fowl (in Xochimilco a famous district in the city's south water born proteins are still the norm & reflected in the market foods).. and perhaps surprising to most... Spirulina was an important pre-hispanic food in the Mexico City area.

Earlier we talked about Jocoque.. which is a hot contemporary topic among the anthropoligical-culinary literati in Mexico today. If Jocoque came with Lebanese immigrants, the Spanish or some other European group why is the name derived from Nahuatl? The general theory is that foods whose names are derived from Nahuatl existed before European contact.. and science has proven this out time & again. Take for example the Peanut... early on it was believed to have originated in Africa (given that Africans brought it with them to the U.S. & Canada were it was largely unknown) but science has proven that Peanuts are native to the North Amazon and Archeologists have found proof that Peanuts were being harvestws in Mexico for more than 1,000 years before the Spanish arrived.. so the fact that peanuts are overwhelming referred to by their Nahuatl name Cacahuatl as opposed to the Spanish name Mani was an indication that they existed before the Spanish.

Similarly Jocoque is derived from Nahautl meaning something to the extent of Bitter & Pungent Earth (Rock) which is interesting given that the Spanish chroniclers, such as Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, described the Aztec spirulina cakes as something akin to pungent cheese all while making it clear they never touched the stuff and they knew no Spaniards who would eat it! According to something I watched on Once Mexico recently.. the prevailing theory is that the Aztecs, Xochimilcas and other Nahautl speaking peoples that lived around Texcoco Lagoon were mixing the Spirulina cakes with Atole or Fresh Corn "Milk" to create a soured, cheesy / pungent, creamy substance such that when modern day cow / sheep milk Jocoque was introduced from abroad they just decided to give it the name of something they were familiar with.


Ah yes... my point. Dried Shrimp trade was serious business in Pre-Hispanic times... today the dried Shrimp continues to be used in indigenous communities (presumably in similar ways as it was 500 years ago) to add a seafood flavor for broths, moles, sauces, tamales & even beans that are served with small quantities of fresh water foods. Today among the river & lake communities you will find that the overwhelming majority of mid morning meals comprise a small amount of fish or shell fish in a sauce flavored with dried shrimp or dried fish (particularly charales), served with a side of beans that are also flavored with the dried shrimp or fish, tortillas & atole.

I should note that shells from dried shrimp & bones from dried fish comprised a major source of calcium in pre-hispanic Mexico... it is hard to imagine how pre-nutritional science societies figured these things about.. their traditions seem to indicate that they did.

[EatNopales]

That duck is beautiful and I love the nopales. I've heard from my Mexican friends about the numerous recipes for duck and turkey in the regions where sheep and cattle are not as plentiful.

I remember when I was in Chiapas that we were strongly urged to shoot all the ducks and turkeys we wished because those non-domesticated fowl were so damaging to the local farmer's crops. The turkeys we found were different from the wild turkeys in the area where I was raised and were much more agile flyers.

I would love to hear your Chiapas / Palenque excavation food anecdotes.. any chance you have written about them... or can be persuaded to do so?


BTW.. the idea that duck and turkey dish exist where sheep & cattle are not as plentiful would be a completely Spanish biased phrase (which I am sure the land owners you were dealing with probably had very well defined & "pure" Spanish ancestry).

I think if you ask an indigenous person in Mexico.. particularly around Mexico State, Eastern Michoacan, Puebla etc., I think they would say they eat Beef and Sheep where Duck & Turkey are not plentiful. Maybe its more ideological than empirical but certainly around Mexico City, the more indian the person the more they talk about Duck, Turkey, Venison, Frog Legs, Crawfish, Trout etc., in almost spellbound, magical tone wheras Beef, Pork, Chicken & Lamb are pedestrian foods.


Another a Bayless quotes is something to the effect that once you come across a bright yellow chicken in a Mexican market you know you are not in Kansas anymore... as you noted the Turkeys are quite different than the birds most Americans know. I don't think once can understand the Central Mexican obsession with it until have a properly raised native Guajolote

[EatNopales]

Aha, fresh chickpeas! In India they are probably most often roasted and salted and eaten as a snack. You buy them from a street vendor and they will still be in their little green jacket. Best thing to do is sit outside your house with some friends and peel and eat them at leisure. I think the season for them is January, February or something like that. That's when I've had them anyway.

Having said that my Dad, living in the UK, is growing some kala chana (small, dark Indian chickpea) that I started to sprout and promptly forgot about. They are doing quite well, as seen in the following pic, so I guess the season varies by country and climate!



In your picture it looks like they are slightly damp so have you steamed or boiled them?

Beautiful.. I have never seen the plant before.


The typical cooking method in Mexico is to rinse them leaving some of the water on them, then salting the damp chickpeas, putting them in a covered clay pot & cooking over low for about 10 minutes... in this way the "steam roast" to an al dente texture and don't get soggy like typical Edamame served at Sushi joints. Can you elaborate with your take on their flavor?

[andiesenji]

That duck is beautiful and I love the nopales. I've heard from my Mexican friends about the numerous recipes for duck and turkey in the regions where sheep and cattle are not as plentiful.

I remember when I was in Chiapas that we were strongly urged to shoot all the ducks and turkeys we wished because those non-domesticated fowl were so damaging to the local farmer's crops. The turkeys we found were different from the wild turkeys in the area where I was raised and were much more agile flyers.

I would love to hear your Chiapas / Palenque excavation food anecdotes.. any chance you have written about them... or can be persuaded to do so?


BTW.. the idea that duck and turkey dish exist where sheep & cattle are not as plentiful would be a completely Spanish biased phrase (which I am sure the land owners you were dealing with probably had very well defined & "pure" Spanish ancestry).

I think if you ask an indigenous person in Mexico.. particularly around Mexico State, Eastern Michoacan, Puebla etc., I think they would say they eat Beef and Sheep where Duck & Turkey are not plentiful. Maybe its more ideological than empirical but certainly around Mexico City, the more indian the person the more they talk about Duck, Turkey, Venison, Frog Legs, Crawfish, Trout etc., in almost spellbound, magical tone wheras Beef, Pork, Chicken & Lamb are pedestrian foods.


Another a Bayless quotes is something to the effect that once you come across a bright yellow chicken in a Mexican market you know you are not in Kansas anymore... as you noted the Turkeys are quite different than the birds most Americans know. I don't think once can understand the Central Mexican obsession with it until have a properly raised native Guajolote

When I was at Palenque in 1971, it was still very remote and the roads were marginal at best. There were no large farms in that area, known as the Lancandon Jungle the local native population was mostly Lacandon people and the farms were fields here and there cleared from the jungle and they hunted as much as they could to supplement what they grew.
There have been tremendous changes since I was there.
In 1988 the area was protected under the Biosphere Reserve act to stop wholesale deforestation and slash and burn clearing for farms. Also some organized revolts.

[Darienne]

EN, your blog is fascinating.

And I really do appreciate the fact that you are giving North American familiar equivalents to your Spanish or Nahuatl terms. It makes it easier to read through your text smoothly...and then go to Wikipedia or somewhere to get the full story on the unfamiliar terms.

[Darienne]

Made the EatNopales Meat Loaf today. DH said, and I quote: 'That's the best meatloaf I have ever tasted'.

Quoting from EN: ***I do all that grating and chopping of the veggies beforehand because I don’t know how to get my Kitchen Aid Food Processor to successfully puree the raw veggies (particularly the carrot) if I don’t. If you have tips, let me know!"

I simply dropped large pieces of the various vegetables into the food processor, added the eggs and buzzed it until it was pretty well pureed in my estimation. No work. None. The meatloaf is fantastic. (DH just filched another piece and again extolled its virtues.)

Edited by Darienne, 06 September 2011 - 06:19 PM.

[EatNopales]

Good Morning (Afternoon, Evening, Night) everyone... I am back and ready to cook... my update for yesterday's meals:


Hotel Breakfast (1/2 Waffle, 4 pats butter, honey, banana, coffee)

Corporate Lunch Delivery (Muffaleta & Bottled Water)

Dinner (Oakland airport In & N Out cheeseburger, iced tea)

[EatNopales]

In your market photos, are those de-spined nopales for sale, near the regular nopales?! If so, I am very jealous.

Yes sir.. and the bag just below the de-spined paddles are diced raw nopales

[EatNopales]

What does one do with aloe vera?

Peter... you are referring to the market pictures correct?


If so that isn't Aloe it is Penca de Maguey (Agave Leaves). One of the most fundamental cooking techniques in Central & Southern Mexico (going back to at least to pits carbon dated circa 4,000 B.C.) is the closed pit. Today there are many day trip touristy locations famous for the pit cooked specialties.. such as Texcoco on the eastern outskirts of Mexico City, Actopan in Hidalgo etc., For those familiar with Hawaiian imu cooked pig.. the process is similar.. volcanic rocks are heated over night then placed at the bottom of a clay pit, the beast is (or not) marinated, then is wrapped in Agave leaves that were previously softened over a fire... there is clay pot with salted water, herbs & legumes put over the volcanic rocks, then the agave wrapped beast is set on top of the pot (not touching the water), finally the pit is sealed & the beast cooks for a long time.


Here is a decently produced video in English about a restaurateur from Texcoco bringing his regional lamb barbacoa, mixiotes & other dishes to the San Diego area.. you can see the cooked agave leaves in the warming tray with the meat (warning lots of meat p0rn not apt for all):



This video is from Restaurante Arroyo, Mexico City's most popular barbacoa restaurant (seats 2,000), has the bull fighting equivalent of karaoke (no bulls hurt), music, folk dancing, playgrounds, face painting etc., They have some fantastic shots of the barbacoa process etc., Warning.. real bull fighting scenes at 2:30 for those who object.





Incidentally, I should share one of my earlier "foodie" memories. Food is so central to a huge portion of the Mexico City populace that when you ask someone how they are doing, what they are up to... aside from discussing the family they will usually tell you what they are planning to eat that day. When you ask someone what they are doing for the weekend they don't say I am going to go on a Dia de Campo (excursion to a national park) in Valle de Bravo they say voy a las truchas en Valle de Bravo (I am going to eat Trout in Valle de Brave).. and that means they drive out.. go hike one of the mountains, get back to town, find a Trout restaurant... do some people watching on the plaza etc.. the key is that the regional food specialty defines the trip more than any other activity.

When it comes to Barbacoa... Mexico City residents like Restaurante Arroyo but most make the trek to nearby towns in Mexico State, Hidalgo, Puebla & Tlaxcala for the best.

Edited by EatNopales, 07 September 2011 - 09:30 AM.