EatNopales

A good plain yogurt is pretty universal... if you don't like it with x food... more than likely it is failure of imagination to find the way to tie the flavors together than it is about anything inherent to yogurt. For example, I generally agree that Yogurt & Citrus is a tricky combination.. but combine the yogurt with some orange blossom honey & chopped bergamot mint (mentha citrata)... spoon that over sliced oranges and I challenge you to not like it. Chocolate Yoplait strange & unlikeable... but 2% Fage with my homemade chocolate sauce = delicacy I take all challengers.. you give me a food... and I will figure out how it can pair with yogurt

So Saturday's at Noon PST... you can also watch La Cocina de Alejandro (see a few posts prior)... and 12:30 PST follows Viajes a Traves del Espiritu de la Cocina Mexicana... another interesting show to documents culinary traditions among Mexico's minority & remote communities. In the last episiode they were in an Afro-Mestizo community in the Oaxacan "small" coast where they harvested mussels from the mangrove & prepared them several ways including a Puya chile broth & the following raw cocktail: http://www.myspace.com/esaugcarpio/photos/21986855 This is from their Aguascalientes episode:

Funny you should mention the nopales (lol). I had shopped the week before and picked up everything for the recipe, then got delayed in making it. I had gone to one of the Fiesta's with a booth in the produce section with someone trimming the nopales and slicing and packaging them but I had always avoided buying one of the bags because I didn't think I could get through it before it went bad - they're 2# I think. I went ahead and bought one but when I went to get it out to complete the dish, I thought the ones left at that point were too far gone. I don't know - I doubt they would have killed me but I think they would have looked pretty pathetic on the plate. Maybe I could have rinsed them well and been okay but I didn't try. I've gone back to buying the paddles. So I reached for some calabacita and it too was a little gamey. It's a problem, living and cooking alone, using up fresh produce before it goes off. So I added some vegetales to the plain rice and - well, you know. Hey! I like both rice and tortillas. Re: the deshebrada. I recently had a version very much like this at a new carniceria that was much better than mine. Looking back over the recipe I think I made a mistake I never caught before. I was paring the recipe down since I didn't have 3 lbs of skirt. I see now I used only 2 guajillos and should have used 2 ozs. Uh oh. My bad. I used roma tomatoes, stove-top 'broiled' on a plancha, actually. The other issue was texture. The version I am fond of is shredded beef in broth, with bits and pieces of the tomatoes, onions, even peppers, I think, apparent. I get it as part of a platillo; it would have to be drained to be used in tacos or burritos. This was shredded beef heated up in a pureed sauce. I prefer the brothy variety. So which is it supposed to be? Yes, I tried watering down the gravy and liked it better. Will try it again. Ah... the version you like, I believe is what in the Southern part of the country is known as Carne en su Jugo to disambiguate from other versions of Carne Deshebrada... in Mexico City (one of the cusines I am most familar with).. Carne Deshebrada is eaten in four primary genres: Tacos... the shredded meat is kept in its broth, then the moment you order the taco they pull it from the broth & put it on the griddle with some already cooked down onions for.. the juices from the meat sear into the onions & meat in that finishing step. Guisados... the shredded meat is warmed in a fried sauce (much like your recipe) Platillos... the shredded meat is pulled from its broth & plopped on a plate with whole beans & salad En Su Jugo.... served in its broth with a few whole beans, some pan fried onions, herbs, chopped chiles or salsa etc., In the highlands of Jalisco where my parents are from... it is prepared a la Ranchera.. which is kind of what you ended up doing... you cook the meat with aromatics then shred it... meanwhile add chopped tomato, potato, chiles, herbs etc., to the broth... cook that down a bit until the potatoes are tender.. then add the meat back to the pan to warm etc.,

Is that Dinaguan... or what is the ethnic context of the recipe?

Kim... indeed that is baked chicken. All Purpose flour to coat the chicken, Milk + White Vinegar + Paprika + Cumin + Dijon for the bath, ... straight up crushed corn flakes + salt (no butter or other fats) for the outer crust, sprinkling of Parmesan once the pieces were on the cookie sheet.... 425F for 20 minutes, then 375F for 35 minutes

The recipe for deshebrada looks reasonable enough (unless you used canned tomatoes that would ruin it)... what didn't you like about it? P.S.... Rice AND Tortillas... we are going to have a talk.. where are the Nopales?

Yeah and a couple more issues that make sweeping generalizations a problem: 1) There are at least 3 major HFCS producers in the U.S. and they follow very different processes. One of them has been found to leach Mercury into the HFCS (this came to light in a study on child behavior where the researches found that even though sugar shouldn't theoretically affect behavior.. the presence of mercury in mainstream U.S. candy & snakcs would alter & deteriorate brain function sufficiently to cause such observed behaviors)... in short... maybe the aftertaste is trace amounts of mercury or who knows what. How do we know what HFCS is purchased by which U.S. regional coca cola bottler? 2) How does the water supply in a locale afect the final product? In Mexico some bottlers use micro-regional sugar... others use a global blend. etc., etc.,

Mrs Nopales planned to prepare some child friendly comfort food with local high quality ingredients last night but due to scheduling changes it wasn't going to happen... so I volunteered to cook it which got two looks in quick succession... first a "but you only cook Mexican, Ethiopian, Indian etc.," why are you interested... then a "I don't trust you to not screw it up look" After she retrieved the mashed potatoes from the toaster oven where they were being kept warm.. I heard a "I have never seen mashed potatoes so fluffy" I showed her. It is sad to me when people don't value their own traditions, it is nearly impossible to find a quality comfort meal in Wine Country because the local petty bourgeoisie are too busy with their pallid caricatures of Italian, French or Spanish cuisine to slow down & pay respects to their traditions .... I like traditional American comfort food... and when utilizing great ingredients with care it makes for great eating. Everything (except for the corn flakes & seasonings) were produced within 25 miles of our home (well to be fair the chicken is "Grocery Free Range" not real Free Range so I don't know where the feed was grown.... but potatoes, carrots, english peas, butter, chicken... all from Sonoma County

I think her version is reasonable, and falls within the continuum of traditional recipes... personally I would use a higher ratio of syrup to sauce... I like the end result to be more like sticky buns, I like to add Pecans in addition to Peanuts, Dried Cheese instead of Fresh.. and I am not a fan of raisins... I utilize other crystalized fruits & veggies I can get at the local Mexican markets (3 inch thick pineapple slices, whole figs, whole xoconostles etc.,)... I might also add Cloves and/or Cardamon and/or Allspice The last version I made had dried pineapple & pecans in the body - no cheese, cinnamon & allspice in the syrup, then I put quartered slices of preserved orange on the top... baked & served with slices of aged Mexican manchego.... it was muy nice.

You go white girl... join Tina of Married To A Mexican on her explorations of traditional Mexican home cooking on her extensive You Tube contributions.

La Cocina de Alejandro is a show with chef Alejandro Ruiz of the highly regarded Casa Oaxaca restaurant that is produced by Oaxaca TV which streams for free on the Internet.... it currently airs on Tuesdays at 8:30 AM PST

So, you prefer uranium and lead to melamine? Doesnt everybody? Weren't the old ways always better? I dunno, EatNopales, about leaves. Be careful which ones you choose. Those lovely broad rhubarb leaves will hold a lot of food, but they arent as pretty as the little trio of red leaves so common around here in spring. <editted to correct typo> These are kind of what I am talking about: http://compostablegoods.com/product_info.php?products_id=214

So, you prefer uranium and lead to melamine? I am telling you its all about making your own from leaves

Without being xenophobic or anti trade vis-a-vis China... the breakneck industrial growth, inability of governance to keep up, and the country's recent record.. I think justifies being very leery of Chinese made products & a bit more trusting of domestic manufactured items or those coming from places with a good track record. Nonetheless... it would still be hard to trust Melamine products made in the USA for a couple of reasons.... 1) While the mentality of making profits at all costs & "Frontier Capitalism" might be more blatant in China.. it is still a very big problem in the U.S. and corporate lobbyists have gained greater & greater control of government & society. 2) Thousands of new polymers & chemical compounds have been introduced to the U.S. markets in the last 30 years without much scrutiny. The onus is on people who are injured by the new chemicals to file lawsuits & prove the products are harmful... not for manufacturers to prove they are safe before putting them on the market. Given Melamine's known potential for synergistic toxicity... I think unfortunately we have gone so far in the direction of unbridled industrialization & chemicalization... that rather than benefit from advances... it almost seems like we should all go back to making our own dinner ware. I recently saw disposable plates made out of dried leaves... might have to learn how to make them

Sriracha & Good Salsa.. should not be on the same sentence... in my humble opinion. The garlic is very harsh, it is too sweet... its like having Worcestire sauce as a table condiment. Oh well... of the bottled, versatile hot sauces I am partial to another Vietnamese sauce... Sambal Oelek (I have known quite a few Vietnamese born foodies... none would consider Sriracha as a table sauce)

Suppossedly Melamine is not toxic to post-infant humans on its own.. however when it combines with Cyanuric Acid (a commonly used water disinfectant) it can create havoc on the kidneys (which ultimately is what killed all the pets). Unfortunately, the FDA allows for Cyanuric Acid to be added to Drinking Water & Animal Feed... and of course has no control of what goes into Pools or Cookware. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050601034.html All signs point to not trusting Chinese made Melamine cookware & dinnerware.

Gracias! I think the recipe is a keeper.

Stumped!

For my b-day over the weekend... Mrs Nopales baked individual 3 Leches cakes according to the Paulina Abascal recipe (Pasteleria.MX)... we are taking sponge cake (Cake Flour, Sugar, Egg Yolk, Vanilla Extract... no milk, butter or fats, or baking powder)... soaked in 3 Leches.... dressed in Chocolate ganache, wild blackberries & chasers of home-made Rompope (Eggnog Liqueur)

Nice... did you get to try them? Funny that you mention the soup & the popsicle... in Morelia there is a dish they call Gazpacho (very little resemblance to the Spanish dish)... which is very finely chopped Jicama, Cucumber, Pineapple and/or Mango tossed with very finely diced onions, ground piquin chiles, citrus juices, pineapple vinegar & grated fresco cheese. http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=gazpacho+moreliano Sweet, Sour, Salty, Spicy, Pungent, Umami, Colorful I do remember eating that gaspacho - and being surprised at what appeared on the table when I visited Morelia. I do remember making a pig of myself eating corundas for breakfast. Our host prepared a wonderful beef stew and I simply can't recall the name. We also had cucumbers that had been cored and stuffed with cheese, Cotija, I think. I've been to Morelia for dog shows when several of us took our motorhomes all the way to Mexico City, with stops in Guadalajara and Acapulco which also hosted the World Dog Show that year (1984). We stayed in Morelia on the way down and again on the way back because we knew a judge who lived there and had a huge lot where we could park our rigs overnight. We got a tour of the Governor's Palace and I took a lot of pics of the murals. Also toured the cathedral but weren't allowed to take pics inside. Very cool! The stew was probably Churipo. Cukes with Cotija... nice.. I like them... in my version I add sauteed fennel to the core.

Nice... did you get to try them? Funny that you mention the soup & the popsicle... in Morelia there is a dish they call Gazpacho (very little resemblance to the Spanish dish)... which is very finely chopped Jicama, Cucumber, Pineapple and/or Mango tossed with very finely diced onions, ground piquin chiles, citrus juices, pineapple vinegar & grated fresco cheese. http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=gazpacho+moreliano Sweet, Sour, Salty, Spicy, Pungent, Umami, Colorful

on a somewhat unrelated topic. Have you ever gotten sick from any of these vendors? Something about fruit vendors gives me the creeps( maybe its just in LA), but I would NOT partake in any cut up fruit from a street vendor. Your loss ... their product are usually FAR superior to getting cut fruit at any of the chic, casual eateries in L.A. The street fruit vendors usually practice very good food handling... you at least watch what they are doing in the open.. at a restaurant you have no clue. I'm thinking of the vendors that offer already cut up fruit in large plastic cups. According to my spouse( who is LAPD), in general, the food handling is not very sanitary. She has written numerous tickets for that. They often dont even have a license to sell. I am surprised she would know if it is sanitary or not. Most of the street fruit vendors come in to genres.. those who chop the fruit on the spot and those who only sell pre-chopped fruit. The later.. typically don't own their carts.. they lease them from a centralized processing plant that does all the chopping and sells through the vendors in sort of a franchise method. The former chop the fruit into big slabs at home or commercial kitchen, keep it in an ice box.. a chop to order.. although sometimes they might get ahead of traffic surges.. in any case everyone who eats from street vendors typically watches their process.. if they touch money & fruit you don't buy from them. If you actually go & observe them up close you will note the customers have trained the vendors to either put on disposable gloves each time to they handle food.. or each time they handle money... the more successful carts have multiple people working them.. on handles money the other food.... a good cart always keeps a couple of containers of water to rinse knives & a clean stock of towels. The whole attraction of street vendors is the impossibly fresh results & you can observe their every move. Vendors who make people sick get a bad reputation and go out business very quickly. In restaurants on the other hand.. if they drop cut fruit on the floor.. how often do you think they actually throw it away?

I just wanted to clarify that the word Plancha actually means Iron or Press not the griddle. To cook a la Plancha you need to have the weighted press keeping the dish flat. I am not sure about the history of A la Plancha in Spanish cuisine... although from my reading of Spanish gastronomic cuisine it was not present 500 years ago. Cooking on a griddle of course is a fundamental technique in Pre-Hispanic cooking and basic to present day Mexican cooking. There is an entire genre of Taquerias in Mexico City that specialize on Tacos a la Plancha.... we are talking thin chicken cutlets, fish fillets, butterflied shrimp, mushrooms, cheese "chicharrones" & much more.. all seasoned very simply, cooked on the griddle with the press, plopped on a tortillas then dressed up with several salsas (no onions or cilantro typically in these types of delicate tacos). Another genre of are Taquerias are the Tacos de Albanil (Construction Worker Tacos)... these taqueros also only do griddled, plancha style tacos with thin meats & vegetables howowever they also have onions, peppers, chorizo, bacon & ham on the griddle... you can order your taco with any combination of those items with or without Asadero cheese.. voila Tacos de Albanil. However where the griddle really shines is in indigenous cooking... I spent 2004-2005 cooking almost every dinner on the Comal (Mexican for griddle)... with the following styles of cooking: "Water Frying"... a common lower class pre-hispanic technique (only the wealthy & producers cooked with animal lards or rendered pumpkin see oil)... you put something like say a Crawfish right on a very hot comal (that is cured with mineral salt).. and you pour a very light but steady stream of water around it constantly moving it around to keep it from sticking... when you are a few seconds from being done you pour in a thin but flavor intensive salsa and let it sear onto the dish. This technique was used on anything that could be cooked quickly & wouldn't stick. "Pouch Steaming"... the other basic pre-hispanic technique is to place your "sticky" ingredients in a pouch with chopped aromatics and maybe a little salt.. seal it tightly and cook right on the hot griddle. The wrapper was typically dried corn husks, agave leave "paper" aka Mixiote, green corn leaves or hoja santa leaves. The link below show how indigenous people in Valle de Bravo (area west of Mexico City where trout farming is the primary way of life).. cook trout in this style called Tlapique http://oncetv-ipn.net/rutadelsabor/capitulo02/a_galeria.html

Looking good! Please don't give up on the tostada.. but next time try a white corn tortilla with less assertive flavor. Also, your tuna slices are a bit finer than are used for the tostada prep. Agreed tuna is basically sweet, buttery & a little hint of fresh ocean water. Texture & sweetness I think are the big appeal.

I really like her idea of doing mini tres leches with different flavorings in them. I think that would be a great idea of a party or buffet. I have Paulina's pastry cookbook that's pretty decent. I once saw her demonstrate a tart filled with a rich almond pastry cream and then topped with jamaica poached pears on El Canal Gourmet. The recipe is in her book and it's pretty tasty If I were to prioritize between Fanny's My Sweet Mexico & Paulina's which would you suggest? I am liking her show.. although she is one of the most controlled, uptight, fresa Mexican women ever... which is probably a good thing for a baker. On the latest episode she froze bavarian cream in a tube to produce a very nice looking composed Strawberries & cream type dish...