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EatNopales

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  1. My grandfather was a pig farmer back in the 1950's... and in that era & culture (with most of the diet based on grains, legumes & vegetables), lard was essential and practically the main purpose for raising pigs, it fetched a great price and the objective of pig farming was to raise pigs that rendered lots of lard, and which also had fattier meat. At some point he adopted a practice of providing corn masa disolved into water as the only liquid the pigs could drink.... the thirstier they got, the more they drank, the fatter they grew & the thirstier they got.... etc., The practice is apparently incredibly effective.. the pigs grow abnormally large... unfortunately they are also likely to experience Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver & Gluacoma... almost all the pigs are immobile, blind, constantly "overheating", breathing very hard etc., and the last weeks prior to slaughter. My grandpa could not take doing that to the pigs & decided to abandon the practice, making the very tough decision to forgo some much needed extra cash (which might be the difference between buying new clothes or patching up the old ones... buying a sack of oranges or sticking to foraged prickly pears all year etc.,) I am interested in knowing whether the practice described above should be considered humane or inhumane?
  2. Out of curiousity I wonder how many in the very vocal "don't take tell me what food I can choose to eat" camp are also very vocal supporters of the Defense of Marriage Act, those who terrorize Abortion clinics etc., Seems to me everyone is a Libertarian until its an issue they are ideological about... and just about everyone is ideological about something and wants to force everyone else to follow by that more.
  3. EatNopales

    Dinner! 2011

    Hosted the King of Beans for dinner last night. Started off with a "Farmer's Market" Salpicon... To the traditional base of lettuce, citrus macerated red onion & herbs (Hoja Santa, Pepper Mint & Parsley on this occasion), I added Parsnip & Watermelon Radish "croutons" aka diced vegetables roasted way longer than I intended... and instead of leftover shredded meats we have pan fried muscovy duck breast. The dressing is a version of Salsa Endiablada (a standard in Mexico City taquerias that specialize in Lechon & Beef Head Barbacoa tacos)... it is made by roasting Arbol chiles & garlic clovers in plenty of oil over very low heat then pureeing with some roasted tomatillos, salt (and sometimes herbs)... the results are a fully emulsified, smooth salsa that is also used to dress raw vegetables. Second course was a poached Duck Egg served in Rancho Gordo's midnight black bean caldillo (itself scented with onion, garlic & avocado leaves) The duck eggs were accompanied by handmade Sopes of slow cooked Watermelon Radish Quelites (Greens), Queso Fresco & dab of the Salsa Endiablada Dessert not pictured was fresh blackberries and "Bean Nog".... Dulce de Frijol based on a university of Michoacan recipe... a traditional pudding made from an heirloom bean... I used Rancho Gordo Bolita beans (as that they seem similar based on the description on the U-MICH website).. but my version ended up being more of a Nog than a Pudding... it was truly delicious & rich.. although the bean flavor was not obvious. There are thousands of versions of "Dulce de...." made from almost anything you can think of Pineapple, Peanuts, Pumpkin, Cactus Pears, Nopal Paddles, Tomato, Tomatillo... it is an infinite list... but basically you cook something until its soft, you liquify it with some milk then strain it through cloth.. merge it with a spiced heavy syrup (Piloncillo + Cinnamon as a basic example)... bring it to a gentle boil until it reduces in half... add egg yolks & cook long enough that it will set. The bulk of produce was from farm's within a mile of our home, herbs from our garden, the Duck Breast (Salmon Creek Farm), Duck Eggs (Triple T) & Cow Milk from within 25 miles. The Queso Fresco was from Dacheva (a cheesemaker from the Highlands of Jalisco now making a wide range of Mexican & European cheeses in Petaluma using local, organic milk... including raw milk aged Chihuahua cheeses)
  4. It always blows me away when something I take for granted is news to other people! Fork, Knife & bottle of Salted Chile Dust is standard operating procedure for eating Mexican oranges. (The juice bursting green exterior Valencias with super sweet flesh grown in Tampico & Veracruz)
  5. In what planet can taking a moral / ethical stand be confused with political correctness? Political Correctness is using diplomatic euphemisms in describing something that is deemed less than by the group doing the judging. For example, Political Correctness: American tourists are very exuberant & insightful. Translation: Geez these Americans are loud, obnoxious & opinionated. If someone decides torturing a Goose to obtain an easily substituted cut of meat is not something they want to take part in (and yes I like Foie but have abstained for years... btw people blood sausage is a great substitute)... that is taking a morale or ethical stand. Would you tell someone of Judeo Christian faith that their 10 Commandments are "Political Correctness"... oh those politically correct nuts in the middle east always wanting to ban things like people murder & stealing. What I agree with other people is whether a legal ban is effective. Cultural Norms are far more effective than Laws & Punishment... you rarely see Americans going to Haiti and flaunting our riches and our big bellies to starving kids... no laws against it... just cultural norms. Yes, in California we have a greater share of people who tend to see humans as part of the planet and not as its masters... and by extension we are more likely to be on the tree hugger side of things. And no banning Foie is not a slippery slope towards enforced Veganism... the suggesting is ridiculous.
  6. Yup use your hands you usually eat the corn towards the end when it has cooled off a bit.
  7. BTW, according to APEC the U.S. had greater Per Capita Seafood Consumption in stats compiled 1993-1995 than the suppossed seafood eating superpowers of U.K., Australia, Denmark & Germany... and right in line with that skinny little peninsula shaped like boot http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/trade/Consumption1.PDF
  8. Who is buying seafood in the U.S? http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st5/seafood/documents/who_is_eating_seafood.pdf Apparently Americans are more likely to grab seafood at a restaurant than cook it. There are some regional differences with the Northeast consuming it more frequently, and Midwest consuming it less frequently... There are ethnic differences with Asians, Pacific Islanders etc., consuming it in greater frequencies & Whites & Hispanics bring up the rear* * With Hispanic consumption there could be a generational / language bias... if the polls are telephone interviews conducted in English it would exclude most recent immigrant households which in my own particular experience in East L.A. seem to consume much more seafood than say 3rd Generation Mexican-Americans etc., It is very clear when you eat at Mexican-American restaurants which almost never have any seafood on the menu vs. Authentic Mexican restaurants which often have a wide range of seafood preps (Ceviche, Shrimp in various Sauces, Fish & Mollusk soups etc.,)
  9. How about we attempt an empirical approach to gauge the broad interest Americans have in seafood. U.S. Catch in 2009: 10.4 Billion Pounds Imports in 2009: 5.5 Billion Pounds Exports in 2009: <2.7> Billion Pounds Total US Consumption: 13.2 Billion Pounds Global Consumption: 318.8 Billion Pounds US Consumption %: 4.1 % US % of World Population: 4.5 % Overall it seems the U.S. consumes a tad less seafood per capita than the average. However, without having Median stats, and Human Consumption vs. other uses stats it is too difficult to draw many conclusions... Does China's love for seafood so dramatically skew the average that the U.S. is actually in the Top 25% Are small scale fishing activities in lesser developed countries even included? I.e., is the Global Consumption figure really much higher than reported because there are not reliable stats on traditional communities along the coasts of Latin America, Africa & Asia? The number two species harvested for U.S. consumption, Menhaden is almost entirely used to make Fish Oil & Fish Meal Nonetheless... we can safely say the U.S. is not exactly a seafood eating super power... but also not seafood abstainers either. Although based on the Species caught & consumed we may be Seafood "prudes"... Fish Stick & Tuna Salad sandwich lovers seem to dominate the rest of us... as Pollock is the number species (by far) consumed in the U.S., while canned tuna is the #1 import (by far) All stats available at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/fus/fus10/highlight2010.pdf
  10. F- the French twists... French food is just incomplete Mexican dishes Sorry I didn't see the thread earlier... those pumpkins receive two important traditional treatments. 1) Ayomole (Pumpkin Mole)... with these types of Pumpkins.. remove the seeds & roast them, meanwhile bake the Pumpkin, seperately... dry roast onions & garlic on a grill (or sweat them alternative), toast & hydrate dried chiles (Costenos if you can find them... otherwise a blend of 2 parts Anchos, 1 part Pasilla Negro would work fine), toast & grind allspice (or blend of black pepper, cumin, coriander & cloves), finally trim some Epazote leaves. Bring these ingredients (roasted seeds, toasted chiles, spices, epazote etc.,) together in a blender & puree with water & salt (or broth)... to a thickness like pancake batter. Strain through a sieve.. and incorporate with the baked pumpkin flesh in the blender pureeing in batches if needed. You can serve the Mole with a wide range of dishes.. although bitter, slow cooked greens, heirloom whole beans & corn tortillas is one of the classic combinations. 2) Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkins)
  11. Follow up... in general the Mexican spirits universe is open for the taking. Ron Cooper is just covering a tiny fraction of what there is to be promoted. As I see the obsession over classic Cocktails made with Bitters etc., I am thinking there is a huge opportunity to market the strong herbal "unintentional bitters" produced in Veracruz... and similarly the stone fruit producing regions of Veracruz have fantastic fruit liqueurs, while the coastal regions produce stunning Rum etc.,
  12. Technically Sotol & Tequila are both genres of Mezcal.... drinks currently labeled as Mezcal are made from dozens of distinct species... which is why the Oaxacan producers have been working hard to get a NOM established (I don't recall the status on it.... but there has been a push to get NOMs for Espadin, Tobala & some of the other prized agaves. If the disperse groups of distillers, growers & wild plant collectors could get organized in an ideal world they would establish at least a dozen distinct NOMs maybe more for each sufficiently differing genre of agave distill. Even in Jalisco which is so overran by the shadow of Tequila there are dozens of micro-regional distills that are called Mezcal made from agave that is neither Blue Webber nor Espadin, and are not Smoked as in Oaxaca. Any bottles from these micro-distillers that manage to make their way into the States? I am always willing to try something different! Other than the Sotol and the Del Maguey Tobala I believe everything I have is either Blue Webber or Espadin based spirits. My understanding was that mezcal did have a NOM now although it included several species of agave in addition to Espadin under the same NOM. Several of my newer mezcals have a NOM on them although I have an older bottle of Los Danzantes (imported by Del Maguey and now labeled Los Nahuales apparently) that does not have a NOM or the green and white COMERCAM seal described here. The Del Maguey Tobala I purchased recently doesn't have a NOM or COMERCAM seal on it either interestingly although I suspect it has been around for a few years. The dates on the label are older than those on the bottle of Chichicapa. Had never paid that much attention to them before but noted that the Sombra has the same NOM (041X) as the Del Maguey Chichicapa. Del Maguey seems to have their finger on a number of mezcals. Yup, I knew about the broad NOM for Oaxacan mezcal of specific regions... but now there is a big push from mezcal producers in Guerrero, Michoacan & Morelos who want to be able to export their stuff... but the Oaxacans want to keep a seperate NOM that distinguishes them... and even within Oaxaca there are apparently some rifts because mezcal being distilled in the Mixteca & Tehuantepec regions is being restricted from the current NOM etc, Tobala is a great example as it its production is concentrated around the town of Tobala in the municipality Santiago de las Minas which is not part of the Mezcal NOM... yet the trendy mezcal bars in Mexico City are falling over themselves to serve it, Del Maguey is shipping it, the local producers are currently being paid a pittance for it and they want a bigger slice of the pie... similar story with the Pechuga mezcals As far as mezcals from Jalisco or Zacatecas or any other state... no one is really importing them in an organized way if you go into small grocery stores in Mexican communities where the immigrants tend to be from the same towns you will see a few bottles for sale (in Chicago I've spotted mezcal from Guerrero, here in Sonoma County you see bottles from Michocan & the Oaxacan Lower Mixteca region show up)... or friends & relatives just bring them back when they travel.
  13. Sotol is a completely different species from the agave plant although it is in the same family (the same family includes asparagus of all things). Sotol is generally distilled and produced in a similar fashion as mezcal but to me it has a much lighter taste. But enjoyable all the same. I have the Hacienda de Chihuahua añejo and have tried the reposado (the only brand I find in my area routinely) and find them pleasant to sip on their own merits. In a mixed drink they typically do not come through as strongly as tequila or mezcal does to me. Technically Sotol & Tequila are both genres of Mezcal.... drinks currently labeled as Mezcal are made from dozens of distinct species... which is why the Oaxacan producers have been working hard to get a NOM established (I don't recall the status on it.... but there has been a push to get NOMs for Espadin, Tobala & some of the other prized agaves. If the disperse groups of distillers, growers & wild plant collectors could get organized in an ideal world they would establish at least a dozen distinct NOMs maybe more for each sufficiently differing genre of agave distill. Even in Jalisco which is so overran by the shadow of Tequila there are dozens of micro-regional distills that are called Mezcal made from agave that is neither Blue Webber nor Espadin, and are not Smoked as in Oaxaca.
  14. A little Pan-Mexican "Fusion" for lunch today. On the upper left.. a little guisado of Acelgas con Habas Verdes - a seasonal specialty in Mexico State where Lima beans are HUGE - (Chard & White onion cooked low & slow, fresh green lima beans boiled to tender then tossed in with the Chard for a minute) Pan fried Smoked Porkchop slices sitting on top of the chard. On the side a little Cucumber salad in the Sinaloa tradition (drizzle of mayo whipped with dried chile salsa) For dessert some Tecojotes en Almibar (native crab apple in the hawthorn family cooked down in spiced syrup) sitting on top of my very first homemade Jocoque (thick Mexican yogurt / cream, schizophrenic cultured dairy thing-a-ma-jig) with a little drizzle of Agave syrup
  15. Hi Kouign... Rubio's popularized that notion.. the truth is that exact origin is unknown. The proponents of the "Japanese influence" make the argument that the battered fish taco was a cross pollination of Tempura & taco traditions... that a Japanese immigrant fishing village lies just south of Ensenada (there are no Japanese communities along the other Baja coast) and because Ensenada is the major fishing & trading port of Northern Baja that the most likely occurrence of the fusion would have been at the fisherman's wharf there. Another current of thought points out that Tempura is of Iberian origin not Japanese (entered its cuisine through the Portuguese colony in the Japanese islands)... that battered fish dressed with homemade spicy mayo is a common dish in Sonora & Sinaloa where many of San Felipe's residents come from... and the taco is just a logical market vehicle for what is a classic dish. In the end there are many styles of Fish & Seafood tacos throughout Mexico (in Southern Baja it is smoked Ahi or Marlin stewed with tomato, onion, jalapenos & olives, in the area around Acapulco its fresh, meaty deep sea fish stewed in a similar sauce put into an uncooked tortilla, folded & sealed like an empanada & deep fried, in Yucatan they like sauteed baby octupus in its ink, in Campeche its all about Cazon shark etc., etc.... they are all good. But the concept of fish tacos go back millenia... the Spanish explorers describe them at the market in Tenochtitlan.. and in Xochimilco you can still get the same type of tacos they described 5 centuries ago.
  16. Grilled Fish tacos are not untraditional.. in fact they are more common throughout Mexico than the battered / fried style.. which makes the Ensenada style a bit more "special" or "exotic". There is no coastal village in Mexico where char grilled fish, thrown on a tortilla with a local salsa & condiments isn't one of the most common things to eat.
  17. EatNopales

    Lamb Shank

    So the sear is to add the charred flavor? It sounds delicious. I am still nibbling at mine from yesterday (praise for microwave reheating) Yup... the word tatemar is to char or blacken... and of course the mesquite ain't bad either
  18. EatNopales

    Lamb Shank

    I think I might prep Lamb Shank Birria Tatemada soon... you marinate the Lamb (or Goat) Shank in Adobo for Birria (Dried Ancho, Guajillo & Arbol Chiles, Vinegar, Cloves, Ginger, Mex Oregano, Thyme, Marjoram etc.,) over night. Then you drain them & sear them over a very smokey mezquite grill... or to be very traditional you set them right on the hot mezquite coals... while you do that fry the drained Adobo for about 5 minutes until it reduces to a velvety texture.. put the smoke seared shanks in a tightly covered clay pot with adobo & bake for 4 to 6 hours at 225 to 250F... the searing step will toughen the meat but even the fibers will loosen up & fall off the bone.
  19. Sorry CaliPoutine I will get out of your way now.. just one last thing... always ask for a double dip (or some au jus on the side)... the lamb legs go into the ovens very early (like 4 AM or so)... they are their best early in the day (11 AM is a good time if you can lunch early) Also their biscuits are pretty good... I don't know what their coffee prices are now but back when my dad still worked there it was 10 cents a cup (for a drinkable cup of Yuban).. yup 10 cents and that was in the current century.
  20. That was kind of a dumb analysis. Orange County, the birthplace of the Wing Nut Movement... err the Modern Conservative movement, would strongly fall on the "liberal" side of food preferences... Oregon, land of the flannel wearing, tree hugging, blue collar liberals who think Obama is a right wing Manchurian candidate would fall squarely on the "conservative" side of food preferences We have a more cosmopolitan, bi-coastal culture that is a bit distinct from the interior of the country... and food consumption patterns are somewhat correlated (not caused) with politically leanings of the coasts vs. the interior.
  21. My theory is that in cultures where culinary skills atrophy... seafood experiences higher rejection than other ingredients. Seafood tends to spoil quicker than say Beef or Chicken so you have to be more diligent about when you buy it.. it can't just sit in your fridge for a couple of weeks waiting to be crock pot Seafood tends to be more delicate with regards to freezing & refreezing Seafood has a reputation that it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing With seafood you have to be a more astute consumer.... look at the eyeballs, touch for firmness etc., whereas red meat & poultry tend to be more forgiving etc., The U.S. is largely a society where people can't cook. A society whose culinary tradition was decimated following the rapid growth, migration & lifestyle changes post World War II. Where several generations largely grew up without learning any culinary skills. I think when you don't feel comfortable in the kitchen, cooking from scratch, sourcing ingredients etc., and you are not particularly located in fishing village with a strong seafood culture... seafood tends to be one of the more challenging foods to attempt. And while we do have some great seafood, and regional chefs that utilize it & promote... save for some regions with strong traditions... New Orleans, Maine etc., our regional cuisines are rather tepid & shallow... not that there aren't distinct regional cooking styles, ingredients & classic dishes... but that the regionality is preserved more in "museum" restaurants & advanced home cooks not in the grassroots / mainstream channels. Almost anywhere you go in the United States the bulk of what is purchased & consumed in any particularly location is overwhelmingly centrally produced ingredients prepared in not particularly regional fashions. For example, here in Wine Country there is definitely a distinct, emerging regional cuisine we have 200+ farms producing all kinds of local ingredients.. but the reality is that the average meal is prepared with ingredients sourced outside of Wine Country, and prepared in a non-Wine Country meal. Another way of saying it... is if you exclude the 5 to 10% of meals prepared with local ingredients in a regional California cuisine style... the restaurant & home cooked meals consumed by 90 to 95% of the people on any given day could basically be had anywhere in the country. Which is a long winded way of saying... that even if we have nationally well recognized oysters lots of people here (perhaps the majority?) have never eaten an oyster in their life.
  22. Congratulations & good luck on your move & relationship! Phillippe's! My dad was the headcook there for 20+ years. The lamb sandwich is by far the best... baked apples are good too.
  23. Hosted a dinner party last night... made some Guanabana Margaritas for the ladies (guys had flights of Cucapa microbrews from Tijuana)... the Margs turned out quite well. 14 oz package of Goya brand frozen Guanabana pulp 6 oz reposado Cazadores Tequila (or some other crappy characterless tequila like Patron that isn't worth sipping ) 3 oz Cointreau 1 Cup Water 6 tablespoons refined sugar (I like the grainy texture in this) Juice of 1 Lemon plus squeeze of the Lemon oil 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (preferably from Veracruz) Dash of organic ponzu (the kind made with real yuzu) Blend the frozen pulp with the other ingredients... freeze in a martini pitcher for about 30 minutes before serving.
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