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shelora

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Posts posted by shelora

  1. I even sang Happy Birthday to Kofi Annan and made him a cake.

    I love that!!

    You said that you hadn't had any decent sushi while you were there, what, on the other hand, has been the food or ingredient highlight of your stay there?

    What market do you shop in or do you just make a list and someone else does the shopping for you?

    s

  2. Thanks for the hot tips Nickarte. Will be in D.F. in December and always stay in the Centro Historico, so can check out your recommendations on Isabel la Catolica.

    So sorry to hear you are leaving Cooking Fire, I so enjoyed your mercado adventures and photos. But, I know you'll be back.

  3. I had a job when I was 14, serving foot long hot dogs at the exhiibition. The dogs started out fine and dandy, showcased glistening in the front window of the stall.

    If business was a little slow, the hot mid-day summer sun turned them green. We served those puppies, regardless. Smothered in onions, who could tell?- except later, when the suckers were whirling about on the Zipper.

    The only thing I loved about the exhibitions like the PNE, were the well seasoned, fast talkin' carnies, hawking the latest rip off kitchen tool. Watching those guys was mesmerizing.

    My girlfriend had a job that same year serving cotton candy. Her boss - a snaggle-toothed chain smoker - did most of the twirling. One evening under the make-shift lights, my friend observed a moth fluttering, oops, right into the cotton candy. Boss lady kept on twirlin. Stunned, my friend politely told her what happened. The boss never missed a beat and said, "we're charging 50 cents extra for the meat!"

    I admire your enthusiasm quattroporte. Bon appetit!!!

  4. I shall be happy to go to La Merced, where I suspect one can buy chilcoztlis and shop for the group.

    Yes please!!!!!!!

    I'll gladly reimburse you for the chiles and postage.

    Thanks, for the cantidad clarification.

    It would be fun to do a back-to-back tasting for this mole.

  5. Great bit of sleuthing as usual Theobroma!

    I managed to track down a thistle rennet cheese through a cheese purveyor in Vancouver. Queijo de Azeitao, is a raw milk sheep's cheese from Portugal.

    One of the problems with finding cheese using plant rennets, is the labelling, or lack thereof.

    The azeitao cheese has thistle rennet right on the label.

    I've heard that stinging nettle is another plant coagulent, but have yet to find the corresponding cheese.

    F.Y.I. - To bring this back to Mexico via the U.S., Topolobampo in Chicago makes all their fresh cheeses with lime juice.

  6. I love little parcels of food. Steamed, fried or poached, the variations on the theme of dumplings seem endless and figure in many cuisines of the world.

    Lately I'm smitten with Chinese pork and watercress dumplings. I'd like to hear about your favourites, no matter what style, and if anyone has theories or facts as to where the first recorded dumpling might have come from. China? Japan? The Ukraine?

  7. I'm a little miffed at the moment. What I thought were chilcoztlis, were chilhuacles.

    And I'm looking at my guajillos and they are all on the small side - any cantidad that you can think of for this recipe???

    Shall I proceed or wait until I get chilcoztlis??? (Not until next year).

    I'm steamed.

    s

  8. I swear by stainless bowls, in varying sizes. You can't put them in the microwave, but every other place, no problem.

    You can use them right on top of a heat source, in the oven, freezer, they take a lot of abuse and stand up to all of it.

    If and when I make tamales, I use a big old pyrex bowl - I love big bowls, but for everyday and everyway, its stainless.

    There are flimsy weights of stainless steel bowls out there, but if you can find a good source for restaurant quality stuff (as in good price), buy them up.

    I would steer you away from the plastic stuff, I'm sure you've consumed enough bits of plastic by now.

    :smile:

    Plastic is so porous as well, not the best thing for beating eggs.

  9. David Peake of Peake of Catering is a friend of my wife's in-law's family (how's that for disclosure?) - he did our wedding and my BIL's wedding and did them well. They tend to do larger functions, but 25-30 wouldn't be a problem I'm sure.

    Wait a sec. Is this the same David Peake that used to have ViVa restaurant in the late '80's??

  10. I love the brown Paul Robeson tomato and the red pleated varieites I can buy in Mexico.

    There is another that a friend is growing for us in Canada. Teeny tiny wild tomatoes from our other friend's cactus patch in Oaxaca. This powerful little tomato is killer in a roasted salsa - can hardly wait until they are ripe.

  11. A barista here is soley pulling shots from what he refers to as a "crotchless" - the bottom half of the portofilter has been removed (sawed off). Have you heard of this technique?

    He claims much sweeter shots, but I've always found his espressi sweeter, regardless of the crotchless flourish.

    The current trend here is for double shots, but I'm sure once we all get used to this, we shall be craving triples. Ristrettos are definitely in favour over the usual espresso.

    Good bit of info, phaelon56.

  12. Theobroma,

    You have made my day! A million thanks for this recipe. I've printed it off to use this week. In reading it over, I have a few questions that hopefully you can clarify.

    Toast, seed, and grind 20 chiles chilcoztlis

    The chilies are not soaked? How did you grind them? In a molcajete? Should the resulting mix have texture?

    Put some of the chicken broth into a small pot and add 18 hoja santa leaves; cook for 10-15 minutes, strain the leaves out of the broth and discard it, and puree the leaves

    This is intriguing. Is the resulting broth so overpowering that you throw it away?

    The recipe looks like it makes enough for a crowd. What did you serve it with? Rice? Tortillas?

    Salad?

    Finally the sexual abstience rule is odd indeed. Is the dish worth the wait? :smile:

    My hoja santa is coming along nicely, but may look too bare for the 18 - 20 leaves required. I will probably halve the recipe.

    Again, thanks so much.

    Shelora

  13. One of the two comals were from her place. It was wrapped in bubble wrap, and cardboard, and was heavily cushioned between soft shawls, a table cloth, and other soft items, and near the rigid reinforcing bar of the suitcase to protect it from external jabs.

    Comals are extremely low fire - so fragile. Mine did not make either with all the fragile stuff I bring home. I think you'd almost have to carry it in your arms.

  14. The sound of the coffee grinder in the morning is enough to immediately coax me from deep slumber.

    Food hitting hot oil - music to my ears.

    There are also tactile sensations I enjoy. I love the feel of penne pasta on my flesh. Let me explain.

    When I worked in restaurant kitchens, there would be big bus tubs filled with dry pasta. I would enjoy running my hands through them. It felt cool against my flesh and the sound was like water running over pebbles. I've often fantasized about how it would feel to have the same sensation over my entire body - like part of a spa treatment for foodies.

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