rancho_gordo

This is an intriguing site and product but I don't quite get how you use it. Can you explain it a bit?

Can I also add that it's hard to be in a bad mood at the Zuni? It's such a great room and there's a good "air" about the place. We used to eat in the bar a lot and ran in to many friends and it was more like a nightclub than a restaurant. The first time I ate the chicken I was stumped. What was that nostalgic flavor? Turns out it was chicken itself! And the margaritas are made like maritnis and they are gorgeous....

I know a few people who use the little packets and I find they often have an off sense of what is sweet and what is not. I have one friend who drinks GALLONS of Diet Coke but reacts with disdain if offered a Diet pepsi, as if it were made with dingleberries. I think they all taste nasty. Outside of diabetics, can a little sugar be worse than these chemical sweeteners? How much sugar does one need to consume? For the record, I did try a soda with Splenda and it wasn't spendid. There was a distinct aftertaste.

The canned has a rubbery quality that is a little off-putting. The dried is much better, like a dry bean. You cook it 3 hours in water and then it explodes like damp popcorn. The leftovers freeze well (still better than canned) and you can grind it in the food processor for great grits. I am addicted to the stuff.

I could be wrong, but I think Sauza bought Hornitos and now the bottle has both names.

I find the trick is to drink only 100% agave tequila. After that, a lot of it is a matter of taste. Hornitos seems to be the cheapest 100% agave and it's fine. We've been drinking Don Eduardo but it's over $50 a bottle. Hornitos seems to be around$18, although before the "boom", it was about $14.

Can you share the trick? I ussually score and then scoop with a spoon. But I'm a messy "rustic" cook!

I used to disdain the pressure cooker but lately I've been getting pretty good at it and actaully enjoying it. I find for beans, if you add unsoaked beans, sauteed onion and garlic, and water, cook under pressure for 20 minutes, release the pressure, then finish stovetop for another 20 minutes (when you might want to add some epazote), the beans are divine. And in less than an hour you have cooked beans after thinking about it. I also find it's great for making stock and broth in a snap.

I actually just add them about 10 minutes or so before serving. The flavor gets lost if you cook them too much. But they are pretty strong so I'd start with just a bit and add as needed. I read the same thing about the avocado leaves, probably same source. I have to deal with frost a few times a year so citrus and avocados are a real hassle I'd rather avoid, especially since this is an occasional dish for me, not something I do everyday. The "mint" is easy and pretty and you even get flowers at the end of the summer. it's a funny herb, though, isn't it? It's so strong and distinct and it doesn't look like it should have that aroma and flavor!

I'm a new member catching up on all the old posts. It's a gas! I feel like I just entered a really great party. My useless gadget is the new avocado slicer. What was I thinking? Most avocados are too big and it leaves lots of valuable pulp in the bottom and the slices start to fall apart as you take them out of the slicer. Small, unripe fruit wold be perfect for this piece of junk.

Rancho Relish If you like chiles, this is a great way to prepare them. Almost like sundried tomatoes, only using chiles. Great as an ingredient for quesadillas. Or toss with steamed vegetables. 1/2 white onion, chopped fine 6 Ancho Chiles 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Mexican Oregano 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c rice vinegar (or other light vinegar) If chiles are stale, heat them on a dry skillet to soften, but not toast, them. Cut chiles into strips with kitchen scissors. Toss all ingredients well. Wait at least 6 hours before using. Keywords: Sauce, Condiment, Easy, Mexican ( RG828 )

Rancho Relish If you like chiles, this is a great way to prepare them. Almost like sundried tomatoes, only using chiles. Great as an ingredient for quesadillas. Or toss with steamed vegetables. 1/2 white onion, chopped fine 6 Ancho Chiles 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Mexican Oregano 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c rice vinegar (or other light vinegar) If chiles are stale, heat them on a dry skillet to soften, but not toast, them. Cut chiles into strips with kitchen scissors. Toss all ingredients well. Wait at least 6 hours before using. Keywords: Sauce, Condiment, Easy, Mexican ( RG828 )

Like almost every other herb in Mexico, they often use it for an upset stomach. It's a little sweet as a tarragon substitute but it works great as an avocado leaf sub in Oaxacan black beans.

If you are in San Francisco, Las Palmas sells very gorgeous vats of brown lard with bits often on the bottom. I think I was told once these were the carnitas drippings. A large tub used to be about a buck and would last me most of the year. A spoonful to saute' onions and garlic for beans is customary and essential in this house! I know next to nothing about nutrition but I understand lard is high in oleic acid and I applaud that, whatever it is!

I'm wondering what tools others think are essential for Mexican cooking. I wouldn't live without my handheld lime squeezer, my blender, my big round wooden spoons from Guadaljara + the tight weave seive (although I often think a chinois might be more handy), my bean masher (for guacamole mostly) and a comal. I've heard that a copper pot is essential for making carnitas. Has anyone had experience in this? Do you have great sources in the US? I saw some in a market in Mexico but they were so cheap I was suspect that they might be plated rather than solid. I use a Cruset pot now but I love a new toy.

Thanks for saying this! I've been to Pto. Vallarta many times and almost every time I try this place and end up being confused by its popularity. It's not horrible but nothing justifies the queues waiting to get in. This trip I finally ate the fish chunks on a stick, BBQ'd on the beach, smothered in lime and Huichol sauce. 20 pesos and a little bit of heaven. I also tried Pacifico Grill. What a weird concept. It's "tasteful" along the same lines as Fajita Republic (I think owned by the same) and "all you can eat shrimp". But before you get to the shrimp, you get tons of old fashioned gut-busting comfort food so you're too stuffed to eat much shrimp. The food seems odd in the tropics and when the shrimp finally comes, you get 2 each of coconut, deep fried and boiled shrimp. If you want more, you have to tell them exactly how many. It's all very ungenerous and odd.