Darienne

I have exactly one source to buy it from. But thanks for all the information, as usual.

Is it worthwhile to buy dried epazote? That's the only way I can get it. Thanks.

Thanks for the thought Kalypso, but I can't run the videos from this website. Some American videos cannot be run in Canada.

Just caught up with this topic. We don't have stainless appliances but we do have stainless lidded garbage cans all over the house now...puppy with raccoon instincts...and I have to clean the smudges more often than I would choose. As for white appliances being boring. White never dates. And it's very versatile. Our kitchen walls have always been white also. But that's where the white stops. I have added color accents which shine out in a white kitchen. You can change these whenever it hits you to do so. (Same with bathrooms.)

The photo essay on Street Eats is quite fascinating. Thanks, Baroness.

Good point about the lemon juice. The streusel would be fine for dessert...but I am eating mine first thing (I mean FIRST THING) in the am with some pills I have to take which require food and streusel would be beyond my palate. I forgot to add that I did use one blood orange and one honking big Navel. Did not remove any membranes. Oh, and orange juice from the fridge because I didn't want to use another orange. Lots of zest. (I orange and lemon zest) Pulsed them in the processor. Oh, and I added one cup of chopped pecans. They baked for 30 minutes in large muffin papers in old dark large muffin pans.

And for different surfaces...a plastic or a stainless taping knife (which is also called by many other names: trowel, scraper, mudding knife, patching trowel, dry wall spatula, etc). I have little ones and big ones. Stainless for stuff which doesn't scratch and plastic for stuff which does.

Someone asked for photos. Here are most of the muffins. They are delicious although they don't look very exciting at all. (Not to mention a tad fuzzy.)

OK. In answer to your question: I do not like and have never liked iced tea. Not unsweetened or sweetened. Could be the Canadian thing. Now...iced coffee buzzed in the blender. That's delicious!

I have Fany Gerson's My Sweet Mexico which has an entire section on the confections and pastries of Puebla. Thanks.

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. I will return to your post when I have some sitting time. I was disappointed that the dancers were so 'fuzzy'. Their headdresses were spectacular and it would have been nice to see them up close. An additional problem is that I have no Spanish and could not read the Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Puebla ZACAPOAXTLA. I might try to figure out how to get the title back to the stage where I can ask for a translation. I'll check out those foods later. I am happy to say though, that I did know about the holiday from before. Thanks again.

It's still an unknown quantity to me, but I suspect that it's not much. The fresh and refrigerated sections in Perola's didn't have much. Most of the store was canned, packaged, etc, etc. According to the City of Toronto (googled) stats: the Latin American population is 64,860 or 2.6 per cent. Don't know if that is Toronto only or the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Haven't done the math. BUt stil, not a lot of Hispanics of any kind. So you wouldn't expect to find a lot of Hispanic type foods say compared to Chinese ingredients. Even in my small city, 60,000, we have three or four Asian markets. Nothing Hispanic at all. Thanks for all the information. You are really a big help to me.

Reviving this thread...well, just because I am on such a Mexican roll these days. I'll make something suitable. I want to try a new ice cream recipe from Gerson's My Sweet Mexico, Helado de Queso / Requeson Cheese Ice Cream. Never had cheese ice cream. Does anyone celebrate this unusual holiday and what are you making/eating?

As for Rancho Gordo and beans...you'd pretty much have to package beans. I was speaking more of stuff that you would rather get unpackaged. Meant to mention the brand El Paso. It's the most common brand of 'Mexican' foods where I live. And so incredibly expensive you can't believe it. Never buy the stuff...so I can't comment on it. I brought home with me from Utah Herdez tomatillos and Hatch chiles but have nothing to compare them with. Since then a major Canadian grocery chain, Sobey's, has started to carry poblanos and I was able to buy fresh tomatillos in Toronto. However, we seldom get to Toronto and less often to the very heart of the city where Kensington Market is. Going on Saturday tho... I must say that canned chiles and canned tomatillos are about the same as canned asparagus vs fresh...

I've heard that all of the Rancho Gordo products are pretty good. I think I've heard of that place....

Because we cannot get a lot of fresh Hispanic type ingredients in Canada, we can end up buying a number of ingredients which are as noted: boxed, bottled, canned, plastic-containered and packaged. Oh, and dried and frozen... And my generous friend from NJ brought me a fair selection of said from NJ last summer. Right now I am looking at a bottle of Goya Sofrito, and Rogelio Bueno both Adobo and Pipian, both in glasses. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Do Mexican cooks use a lot of pre-packaged stuff the way North Americans increasingly do? Obviously Mexican cooks in North America must. Are there any good products? Brands to look for if you must buy pre-packaged? Brands to avoid?

Thanks for all the information. I do have a Salton scale and inexpensive as it was, it appears to be accurate. Two American nickels weighed 10 grams on it yesterday. And I am working up to larger amounts of vitamin C, not a 1/4 of a teaspoon only. 1/4 teaspoon is the amount listed on the container. And powdered C costs a fraction of the tablets or capsules. And I have a huge bottle of it purchased for a dog who is no longer with us. So none of this is critical...I was just shocked at my discovery, which obviously, the rest of you knew all about. Not to forget that taking an unaccustomed large dose of Vitamin C can cause a very significant problem, one which I, when still an ignorant lass, suffered many years ago and which I will NEVER forget. If I could ever get my hands on the health store employee who gave me the advice...

Just went back to look at my crockpot with the frieze of vegetables. Is it old!!! It has NO controls at all. Just plus it in. That's it. My four crockpots come from four different eras and are three different sizes and that one is the least sophisticated. Perhaps I haven't used it for meat...can't truly remember. I wasn't thinking when I answered yesterday. However, the one I do use for small roasts has a non-removable pot and only 'on' and 'off' and it's fine.

Sorry, had to go look. They're Cuisipro. Got on the recommendation of other people here a few years back. Thanks, PR.

I have that exact crock pot and while I have never done beans in it, I have done a lot of other dishes, including pulled pork. And on low, and without any problems. I think Heidi is correct.

And your better ones are....

Thanks, natasha1270. Fortunately I have a cache of US coins.

Dhardy dropped me a post yesterday about a new confectionery cookbook just out: Sugar Baby: Confections, Candies, Cakes, & Other Delicious Recipes for Cooking with Sugar. Gesine Bullock-Prado. Found it this morning in Chapters while looking for May's Saveur (thanks Pierogi) on Mexican food. It looks like a pretty useful book EXCEPT (and I did read this in the Amazon review) it has ALMOST NO PHOTOS. ARRRGGGHHHHHH! I didn't have much time to look at it and I wasn't going to buy it at full price. Has anyone looked at it? David, have you looked at it extensively? What do you think of it? Thanks.

An idea although I'm not sure where to get one where I live. It might be something which I'll get around to...or not. Thanks.

Vitamin C crystals. And the one spoon was off by about 1/4 I would say.