Jaymes

Congratulations to Austin's own FOODIE52!

You'd be better off with "some sort of" chiles rather than "hot sauce." Ask if they contained beans, undoubtedly cheese, maybe some pico or salsa, onions, etc. Perhaps they had something they dipped the quesadillas into. Edit: thought I'd expound a bit on this. I've had many different types of appetizer quesadillas - but the most common ones are made with flour tortillas. You smear them with refried beans or a paste of some sort (can be minced vegetable paste - like mushrooms, etc.) - and then add cheese (Mexican white cheese being the most popular and best to my taste), and then some sort of seasonings: pico, chopped chiles, either fresh or smoked or roasted or chipotle, tomatillos, chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro - you get la pictura. You can also add cooked meat - machaca, carnitas, chicken, chorizo, ground beef, shrimp, fish - whatever. And salsa - red sauce or tomatillo or whatever -- though typically, pico de gallo or other chunky salsa crudas are added but the runnier cooked salsas are usually served alongside to dip the quesadilla into - and sour cream is also popular for this. But whatever you choose to add, the whole thing shouldn't be too thick - certainly not more than about 3/4" or so. Now you put another flour tortilla on top and fry the whole thing, both sides, as you would a grilled cheese sandwich. Of course the "authentic" thing is lard - but you can use a plain vegetable oil. Fry on one side, then turn over and fry the other side until the tortillas are crispy and have some brown spots. Take your quesadilla out and cut it into small pie-shaped wedges - big enough for two or three bites per wedge. You can also do this with just one tortilla. Put your fillings on half, then fold over and fry on both sides. Again, cut into pie-shaped wedges. Just enough for one person for a nice lunch. Serve immediately with salsas and sour cream alongside for dipping (try mixing the two for a special dip). Obviously you can make them with any or all of these combinations (although you do need something "sticky" like cheese to hold the thing together). Perhaps just cheese and pico and avocado chunks, for example - my personal favorite.

Yeah, think of it like 'tapas.' Tell him to be more specific and get back to us.

Zatarain's is much zippier than Old Bay. Think cajun... lots more red pepper. Zatarain's puts out lots of great NOLA-style products. If you cook your shrimp too much, they turn to mush and it makes the peeling much more difficult. It's exceedingly difficult to undercook shrimp. I myself have never been able to accomplish it.

I think it's the type of shrimp. No matter how fresh they are, some varieties have thinner shells - ergo, harder to peel. I've heard some speculation that there are more thin-shelled shrimp around these days due to pollution of their waters.

Wow, fifi. What a great link. Even if one will never in one's life set foot in a Houston Mexican restaurant, there was LOTS of really good information there. Thanks.

me me me When and where. Call me.... Oh never mind, I'll call you

I understood just exactly what you meant. And it's something I've contemplated myself for years. I think that it has to do with the spirituality of the inhabitants. It seems to me that whenever you are in a location where the people place a high value on the spiritual world - however they perceive it - it affects the overall culture. I believe, for example, that New Orleans also has a high measure of that ephemeral and impossible to define quality; as do Sedona, AZ, and Southeast Alaska - to name a few. I've never been to India, nor to Egypt - but think they might as well, although the Egyptians do not seem to have as much of their spirituality wrapped up in food - as do the Indians, and the Mexicans. The Mexican people have an intimate and ancient relationship with the gods, the rituals, the physical elements of wind and rain and fire, the earthquakes and volcanos, the mysteries of things like corn that grow from the earth... Anyway - just speculating here. Will read the piece and get back.

Add France and Africa to the mix. I'm going to wait until I see the issue to comment more. Me, too. Hopleaf - don't get discouraged. I think this is an excellent topic and will spawn some marvelous discussion. However, when I first read your intial post, I thought to myself that I needed to buy the magazine and read the article before commenting. Which I plan to do either today or tomorrow. Although I make no promises about being able to capture the "soul" of Mexico. It is so elusive. For one thing, anyone interested in that aspect of the country should see Frida. The soul and spirit of Mexico is really what the movie's about. And although it is, as with all human endeavor, imperfect and incomplete, it still gives insight into the heart of that great land and its incomparable people. Not to mention that it shows some really, really great food.

Raisin Sauce for Ham Steaks 3/4 c raisins 1/3 c brown sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (can add any other similar spices you like, nutmeg, cloves, etc.) 3 T vinegar 1 T cornstarch small saucepan bring raisins, sugar, cinnamon, vinegar and 1 1/2 C water to a boil; turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes. In small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1/4 C water until blended; stir into raisin mixture. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Simmer one minute longer, or until thickened. In skillet, lightly brown ham steaks. Pour sauce over, cover and simmer until ham is heated through. Keywords: Sauce ( RG445 )

And we all know how unsettling that can be.

I agree. 'Curmudgeon' was probably not the correct word. It's certainly not the one that came to my mind.

Yessir. I did pay attention. Close attention. First: No good seafood? You obviously haven't tried T&S Seafood Restaurant on North Lamar. Second: Bluebonnet Cafe in "Burnet, Texas"??? You sure about that, Big Fella?

Everyone's favorite? Maybe, maybe not - but certainly the favorite of a lot of folks. And like spaghetti sauce, there are as many recipes for guacamole as there are people willing to stand there and make it. Regional influences seem to play a substantial role. I've lived places where "guacamole" means nothing but avocado, lime and salt. Elsewhere, it often had cottage cheese stirred in. Some locales routinely include sour cream or mayonnaise. One restaurant, lost to memory, offered guacamole as a smooth green paste to accompany a fish dish. The avocado had been blended with heavy cream, hot chile peppers and lots of roasted garlic. It was heavenly. I posted my own personal favorite guacamole recipe in the eGullet Recipe Archives. So now I want to know.... What's yours?

Peach Sangria A particularly prudent choice of Sangria to serve when entertaining guests upon one's brand new light-colored carpeting. 2 ripe peaches, peeled & sliced (in winter, I use frozen) 1 lemon, sliced thinly, seeds removed 1 orange, sliced thinly, seeds removed 3 T sugar (or to taste, depending on size of lemon) 1/4 c Peach Schnaaps 750 ml dry white wine (about the size of one standard bottle) Combine all and chill well, at least one hour. Serves two very jovial people at two generous glasses each. As is immediately apparent, there is no brandy, so this is a pleasant, light, fresh-tasting summertime drink. And on occasion I have, at the end of the evening, fished out any remaining peaches (now wonderfully marinated) and served them over pound cake and ice cream for dessert. ( RG433 )

Guacamole Guacamole 1 large avocado, just soft to the touch, not mushy 1 large, ripe, flavorful tomato, water removed, chopped 1 small yellow onion, chopped (or half a large one) 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 1 T salsa de jalapeno (see below), or to taste juice of half a lime Salsa de Jalapeño 6 whole pickled jalapeños (buy them in cans - Herdez sells them - among other brands - the label should say something like "Jalepeños en Escabeche" or something similar) 1/2 c tomatoes (I usually just use canned for this) 1/4 tsp garlic salt Selecting the avocado: many people much prefer Hass. Obviously that depends entirely on where you live and what varieties are available to you. Just be sure you select a flavorful variety that you like. If they're hard when you buy them, close them up in a paper bag for a day or so. Slice the avocado in half, lengthwise. Hold the half with the pit in one palm and with the other hand, whack a sharp knife into the pit. You should now be able to easily lift and twist out the pit. Give the knife with the pit stuck to it another whack on the side of the sink, and the pit will drop. No muss no fuss. Now slice your avocado halves lengthwise once again. This will give you four long wedges. Starting with the narrow end, you will most likely be able to peel them just as though you were peeling a banana. Place the peeled quarters on a dinner plate and with a fork or potato masher, mash the pulp until it is "smoothly chunky." If you have a molcajete, obviously you're using that and you already know all about this and don't need any more directions from me. For the rest of us, add the remainder of the ingredients onto your mashed avocados and stir to combine well. Taste for seasonings: salt, "heat," lime, and adjust where needed. Many people put cilantro in guacamole, but I don't. For me, cilantro has a very strong flavor and I think it overpowers the avocado. Also, I invariably serve my own homemade cooked, red "table salsa" alongside, and it has lots of cilantro in it. People can (and do) add some of that to the guacamole if they want cilantro flavor. A few more thoughts: Some people add a pinch of sugar; they claim it brings out the flavor of the avocados and smooths the bite of the chiles. If it's going to be awhile before you serve it, here are some tricks to keep the top from going brown. Remember that it is contact with the air that darkens the avocados, so anything you do to reduce that will reduce the darkening. After the whole thing is ready and in the serving bowl, spread a very thin layer of mayo over the top, and then right before serving, stir it in. Or do the same thing with the lime juice. Don't add it until the end, squeeze it over, rotating the bowl until all the dip is covered with the juice. Stir it in just before serving. But what I usually do is to take some Saran/Glad/Whatever Wrap and place it directly on top of the guacamole, pressing and smoothing until there are no air bubbles. This also works with cut avocado halves. (To me, the "pit" thing is just silly. It's never worked for me and it looks dumb and makes me feel as though if people see it there they'll consider me to be the sort of person that'll believe anything and is probably still looking for Madam Cleo to give me romance tips. So I eschew it.) ~~~~~~ Salsa de Jalapeño Remove stems from peppers. Put whole peppers, tomatoes and garlic salt into your food processor or blender and process until ingredients are thoroughly blended, but do not pulvarize seeds. It'll make it bitter. Note: This is not a "salsa" like you're accustomed to - it's more like nothing but ground up pickled jalapenos. It's really hot - much too hot for most folks to use for dips, etc., but it's great for flavoring foods. You won't use anywhere near all of it for the guacamole, so store the rest in a jar, tightly covered, in the fridge. Use it when preparing other foods like roasts, soups, eggs, etc. And please don't try making my guacamole without it. It only takes a minute and it's just not as good and you'll be upset with me. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Mexican, Salad, Snack, Dip ( RG432 )

Yeah yeah, let's do that. Edit - and I've reread both Roger's post and Jess' post and I can tell you which of the two I'd rather "hand out" with.

King Ranch Chicken My recipe calls for garlic salt which is what I have put here. But, want to point out that the soups and the cheese have a great deal of salt already in them and, as our family is trying to cut back on our salt intake, I use garlic powder instead. So, use your own judgment. IMPORTANT NOTE: Most people chop the chicken. Don't do that. With your hands, tear it into large bite-sized chunks; in other words, so that as many pieces as possible are big enough to get a good taste of chicken, and lots of them are big enough that you have to cut them once with your fork to handle them gracefully. When you just take your knife and chop up the chicken, it all blends into a big gloppy morass with no interesting interplay of textures. Think about it: when you're eating a chicken casserole, don't YOU poke around for the nice big pieces??? So - make your chicken good and tender and flavorful, and then give everyone nice big pieces of it to enjoy. Sometimes, just before serving, I garnish with sliced black olives and fresh chopped green onions, and maybe even a dollop of sour cream. Stewing Chicken 1 fryer - 3-4 lbs 1 bay leaf 1 onion coarsely chopped 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic seasoned salt & pepper to taste Assembly 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 8 oz Cheddar cheese (depending on how much you like cheese) grated 12 corn tortillas 1 onion, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped chile powder to taste garlic salt 1 can RoTel Original Tomatoes w/chiles Stew fryer in seasoned water just to cover. Cool and remove meat from chicken, leaving it in large bite-sized chunks, reserving stock. Combine soups and grated cheese. Soak tortillas in reserved chicken stock until soft, but not falling apart. Arrange half of the tortillas in the bottom of a greased 9x12 glass baking dish. Arrange half of chicken over. Sprinkle with half of chopped onion and bell pepper. Dust with chile powder and garlic salt. Spread with half of soup/cheese mixture. Layer second half of tortillas, then remaining chicken, onion, peppers, chile powder, garlic salt, ending with the remaining half of the soup/cheese mixture. Pour a can of Rotel over all. The juices should come about halfway up the side of the casserole. If not, add a little more stock. Bake uncovered at 375º for 30 minutes or til casserole is bubbly and heated throughout. This is better made a day ahead of time, then refrigerated and reheated before serving. That allows the flavors to meld. Keywords: Main Dish, Chicken ( RG429 )

They used to teach in journalism class that one must always use the "journalistic 'we'" - but that has recently fallen out of favor. And now, more and more, you see the use of "we" only when the writer actually means "more than one of us." In the olden days, it was "we" that were or were not amused, even if we were all by ourselves at the time.

Harvey Wallbanger Cake For a while there, I couldn't go to a single party that someone hadn't brought this. And it was pretty good, as I recall - all citrusy and boozy. 1 box orange cake mix 1 box (3 1/4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix 1/2 c vegetable oil 4 eggs 4 oz Galliano Liqueur 1 shot Vodka 1/2 c OJ 1 tsp orange zest Glaze: 1 c confectioners powdered white sugar 1 T Liqueur Galliano 1 T orange juice concentrate 1 tsp orange zest 1 tsp vodka Beat together the cake ingredients. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes. Then remove cake from pan and place in center of serving platter. Glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour over well-cooled cake. There are other recipes - including for sheet cake, where you poke holes in the warm cake and pour glaze over it while warm, also layer cakes, that kind of thing. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG428 )

I think it first appeared in a cookbook put out by Galliano with recipes using that liqueur. There are quite a few recipes floating around, but they all basically call for a box of orange cake mix, some pudding, and some booze. For a while there, I couldn't go to a single party that someone hadn't brought it. And it was pretty good, as I recall - all citrusy and boozy. Here's a typical recipe: Harvey Wallbanger Cake 1 box orange cake mix 1 box (3 1/4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix 1/2 C vegetable oil 4 eggs 4 oz Galliano Liqueur 1 shot Vodka 1/2 C OJ 1 tsp orange zest Glaze: 1 cup confectioners powdered white sugar 1 tablespoon Liqueur Galliano 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate 1 tsp orange zest 1 teaspoon vodka Beat together the cake ingredients. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes. Then remove cake from pan and place in center of serving platter. Glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour over well-cooled cake. There are other recipes - including for sheet cake, where you poke holes in the warm cake and pour glaze over it while warm, also layer cakes, that kind of thing. But you get the gist of it here, I suspect. Edit - actually, I am pretty sure I still HAVE that original Galliano cookbook and I can dig it out and look at it if anyone is interested.

"odd" is exactly the word that kept coming to mind last time I was sitting at Kreuz trying to chew my way through that brisket. It WAS "odd" - kind of spongy, even. I kept looking at it to see if perhaps they had cut my portion WITH the grain rather than against it, but that wasn't the problem. It was just weird. Dry and tough and chewy with a very weird, odd texture. Beats me.

I actually did bring some home for a friend of mine. Next time (there's always a next time with family in the area) I'll bring back more. Also, I should mention that it is available online at http://www.kreuzmarket.com -- for the same price as it is at the actual place: $8.90/lb. However, 2-day shipping and materials will run you $48 for up to 16 lbs. Yes, $48. Frankly, I visit Lockhart 'bout once every couple months, and the last few times I've been to Kreuz, I've been VERY disappointed. The brisket was not worth eating, and I'm not kidding. I came home and chopped it up and then whipped it around with some sauce in the food processor before it was edible. That was about a month ago. I don't know what's happened, but I'd suggest you check out Black's in Lockhart. They also ship. I'd post a link if I'd learned how, even though I did get very kind lessons awhile back. Turns out I'm a stupid student. And by the way, if you do order from Kreuz and it's dry and tough and even kinda "spongy" - please don't think that's what Texas 'cue is supposed to taste like. Actually, one of our eGulleteers LIVES in Lockhart. Jess, Hon, where are ya on this one? What's the skinny on the Temples of 'Cue these days?