EatNopales

Pue un salsero abrazo con acento mexicano pa' una linda boricua.

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.

Mexican cuisine, expectedly, has 100s of dishes based on vegan corn broth (using fresh corn or dried corn).. I think I know the effect of what you want... you should cut (a portion or all) of the corn kernels & juice them.... also use the cobs in the broth. Also skip the white wine & chicken broth (or reduce quantities).. particularly if you are using a baroque Euro style chicken broth with lots of strong herbs & vegetables (thyme, oregano, carrot) etc.,

Yes & No... PR cuisine is very distinct from the cuisine of the Central Mexican highlands but shares LOTS in common with the cuisine of Southeastern Mexico. Just about every PR dish I have encountered has cognates in Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan etc., And it makes sense on many levels... the original pre-Awarawak inhabitants of Puerto Rico (and Cuba, Hispaniola etc.,) were Proto-Mayans explores who migrated from The Yucatan to Western Cuba around 2,000 B.C. (that is why Taino culture has many Proto-Mayan influences... the astronomic based religion, ball courts, pit cooking etc.,). Later on the Arawaks moved in from the Orinoco basin & then the Caribs... Taino culture today is more identified with the later migrations but its the Proto-Mayan roots that result in many of the distinctions between Taino & other Arawak cultures of South America. Then of course you have essentially the same Spanish clans that settled in the Caribbean & Southeastern Mexico, plus the Africans were from the same ships. You also have similar climate & native foods plus extensive trading.. in Prehispanic times the Mayans of the Yucatan controlled well established trade routes through the Caribbean down to the Orinoco basin... and then up until the last 100 years there was a very tightly integrated trading between New Orleans, Tampico, Veracruz, Campeche, Havana, San Juan etc., such that the cuisine in all those places was highly influenced by each other... it wasn't until roads emerged, tying port towns more to their inland national cities that the relationships subsided a bit.

Other "Fruity" applications for Cucumber in Mexican tradition: Agua de Pepino (Cucumber-Key Lime Agua Fresca) Nieve de Pepino (Cucumber Sorbet might include Chile) Paleta de Pepino (Cucumber Popsicle) Dulce de Pepino (Cucumber cooked in Raw Sugar - Cinnamon syrup until ) Cucumber Lollipops ( http://nuecesydulces.mx/tienda_2/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=692 )

Yeah that is the classic Mexican street vendor fruit salad... they will offer some chile powder, lime juice & salt along with it if you desire... also part of Mexican fruit salads are things like jicama, fresh coconut & a variety of vegetabely or "cheesy" fruits (Mamey, Zapotes, Nances, Jocotes etc.,)

Good stuff! What was the typical reaction of your customers? Did they enjoy the pancita as well etc.,? Any Nopales with the meal?

Regarding Pig Skin... did they mention what sauce it is simmered in? Based on the hue, it looks like it might be tomatillo, arbol, garlic to me. Your thoughts on the flavor, as well as texture? Do you think other Egulleteers might enjoy them?

Pasteleria.MX is a Mexican baking series with pastry chef Paulina Abascal. It runs on VMe (available in California through U-Verse & Comcast Spanish Language packages). Trailers available on You Tube & recipes on their webiste: http://www.vmetv.com/pasteleria_mx

Today's Lunch Tamal of Chicken Breast & Hoja Santa served with Nopales in Adobo (Diced Cactus sauteed with white onion & simmered in an oil seared sauce of Guajillo chiles, vinegar, garlic, onion, oregano indio, cumin, black pepper, coriander & a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon) & Pioppini mushrooms roasted with Shallot. Chicken = Rosie Organic (Petaluma) Nopales = Organic (Sebastopol)* Pioppini = Organic (Sebastopol) * The Nopales can be procured at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Farmer's Market at the stall of the "Berry Abuelita"... the sweet old lady from Michoacan who grows the best berries in the area. There was also an experiment with a corn masa based custard that needs some work. Over the weekend I also bought fantastic, organic Requeson (a ricotta style cheese that is very popular in Mexico) locally made in Petaluma by a gentleman from Jalisco who also makes a raw milk, aged Chihuahua. So I made some Central Mexico* style Quesadillas with a side of Requeson & salsa. The misnamed Central Mexican "Quesadillas" which are often cheese-less... are really more of a griddle baked empanada in that you make them with corn masa instead of a baked tortilla so the fillings are trapped in the dough... which ends up with a much silkier texture than Tortilla based Quesadillas.

Gorgeus dishes Dcarch! Particularly the Skate Wings with Shimeji mushrooms.

EatNopales, on 19 September 2011 - 10:56 AM, said: LindaK, on 19 September 2011 - 04:42 AM, said: EatNopales, that's a really interesting and varied list. I'll do some research but in the meantime I hope you'll try some of them for us. The only salt cod recipe from Mexico I'd run across was the traditional Christmas recipe you mentioned in your blog, chiles rellenos de bacalao. I posted on them uptopic here, really delicious. One thing I noticed in that and other recipes was how beautifully salt cod paired with chilis. Truly a magical combination. I should take Jenni's advice and learn more about Caribbean use of salt cod, which I imagine makes good use of habaneros. Hi Linda, without getting to deep into the complexity of Mexico's socioeconomic webs, I do want to provide some context to the following statement.... Mexican cookbooks, whether they be authored by Diana Kennedy, Rick Bayless, Patricia Quintana or Monica Patino... tend to be a very superficial / poor source for interesting / deep / regional Mexican dishes. The culinary message to the outside world tends to be manipulated by people of Upper Middle Class & Wealthy background... not because of anything nefarious... just that they have the communication tools to dominate the discussions. When I read Diana Kennedy's books & she relates how she finds these various cooks there is always some very wealthy woman involved in making the connection. These connections are almost always the result of... Diana is introduced to someone who has a cook who happens to be from x placed and introduced her to a dish she wasn't familiar with. The economic structure of Mexico is such that even Middle Class people can afford to hire help. My cousin Ibis, in his early 30's, is a public accountant in Aguascalientes he is making $3,500 USD a month.. not a whole lot of money but he owns a small townhome outright, they have a newish car, his wife stays at home, they don't own many widgets but they have a full time domestic employee who does all the cooking. This brings me to the fact that very few Middle & Upper Middle Class Mexicans actually know how to cook... some of Mexico's lauded "chefs" really just hire a crew of working class Mexicans to do all the cooking, the chef might have the business know how & might have some talent at plating & producing a stylish dining environment but they aren't strong, volume tested chefs who came up the ranks of the cutthroat restaurant world. I just saw an interview with Monica Patino where she talked about the culinary culture that predominated upper crust Mexico in the early 70's... chefs & ingredients were imported from France... she was part of the vanguard that "introduced" the Upper Middle Class & Wealthy of Mexico to Mexican cuisine... she literally did not know how to make tortillas when she started her first Mexican restaurant. We are now in the 4th decade of the Re-Mexicanization of cuisine in Mexico but you can see how everything on press, famous restaurant menus etc., is really based on the limited knowledge of a small number of these Upper Middle Class people who love what they are doing & are doing a good job but there are inherent limits. With that context in mind... I want to mention the Mexican cooking magazines.... the working classes of Mexico generally don't buy cookbooks, definitely not hardbound, beautiful, coffee table type books that are the staple in the U.S. Instead they buy inexpensive, highly focused resources that range from a post card with a couple of recipes, to inexpensive magazines such as those by Editorial Mango that either focus on a dish genre (for example I own the issue "40 Chiles Rellenos" from the series Caprichos y Antojos... there are many series with names like Cocina Facial, Cocina Economica, Cocina Regional etc.,). The 40 Chiles Rellenos has 35 traditional, regional specialties & 5 original recipes... that is a common balance. These magazines, and the CONACULTA series covering rural areas etc., is where you find a more true representation of the bounty of Mexican cooking. $ for $ these magazines provide much more interesting, deep rooted, regional dishes than even the most lauded cookbooks around. I pick up the Editorial Mango magazines at my local Mexican market, and vaguely remember seeing an issue on Bacalao... I looked up their website & sure enough 25 recipes with Bacalao & Romeritos (a native Mexican green that has a vague rosemary flavor & is in season at the same time that Bacalao consumption surges... Christmas through Easter) Link to Editorial Mango cooking magazines 25 Bacalao & Romerito Dishes Full Blown Traditional Mexican Christmas Dinner A typical Christmas Eve dinner in Mexico City involves a first course of Bacalao & Romerito based Apps. Second course is some version of a baroque winter salad, Third course is baked pork loin or leg. Fourth course is Turkey. After that comes a fruit based salad. Lastly comes Bunuelos & Rompope (homemade rum laced eggnog). White Wine is served with the first course. Alcoholic punch with Salad, Pork & Turkey. Coffee spiked with Tequila, Rum or Moonshine is served afterwards. BTW... dinner begins around 1:30AM (the time people typically get back from midnight church service) at ends at the crack of dawn. There is lots of music & dancing between courses... and bohemias (singing along to guitar accompaniment) after dessert.

Hi Bruce... in Veracruz & Southeastern Mexico there is a specialty called Huevos en Acuyo (aka Hoja Santa, Hierba Santa, Piper Auritam) which is an egg poached in the center of the complex anisey bouquet of the Hoja Santa plant... it usually done right on a comal & covered with a clay bowl... some cooks put a banana leaf under the Hoja Santa. Incidentally, I just added some Hoja Santa & Nopales to the garden: I trimmed the Hoja Santa plant & have some Chicken, Hoja Santa, Banana Leaf tamales steaming for tomorrow's lunch Today's lunch prepared by Mrs. Nopales was Delicata Squash from the Garden, with Bacon + Bacon Fat + Parmesan + Corn Flake topping, roasted Serranos, and a little Italian style "salsa" with heirloom tomato, lemon cukes, basil, vinegar, lemon, onion etc.,

What an effin awesome blog. BTW, SB you might enjoy that there cantinas in Mex City that specialize in "Chicharrones" made with everything from Chicken Skin to Fish Skin (with bits of meat attached) to Cotija cheese

That is cool, and I don't mean to dissuade you at all.... the problem with botulism, as far as I understand, is not so much ingesting the bacteria but their waste which is a toxin that does not break down at cooking heats. If Botulism were to be present in an anaerobic environment it would produce deadly levels of toxins over time... and it is supposed to be impossible to detect by humans etc.,

Costco here in Santa Cruz carries Christopher Ranch Organic tubs, and Gilroy is just down the road. It's always fresh, so it's possible that your bad stuff is a result of improper storage during shipping. Im jealous, being that close to Gillroy ,,,The produce around here comes from who knows where,lotsa stuff from Mexico, I assume that gilroy would be "the"place to get it but around here, who knows,,, Bud I hope Santa Cruz / Watsonville are different but in Sonoma County it seems that Chinese grown Garlic are the common "fresh" garlic product available unless noted otherwise (there are some local, heirloom garlic varieties available if you look hard enough)

Hi Linda... I had not seen this thread when you asked about the pics of dried fish I took at my local Mexican market: The last I went back I asked around the market what people do with the Salt Cod... I should mention at this time that a disproportionate amount of Mexicans in Sonoma County come from either Eastern Michoacan (near the border with Mexico State) or from the Lower Mixteca in Oaxaca. Apparently, Salt Cod is a bit of specialty in that region of Michoacan because all the employees & customers overhearing were quick to tell me about their favorites... as best as I could I jotted down about half a dozen dishes I personally had never heard of: Croquetas de Papa y Bacalao con Salsa de Molcajete (Potato & Salt Cod Croquettes served with a chunky, roasted tomato-jalapeno salsa) Bunuelos de Bacalao (The name intrigued me a bit but after asking about the technique it sounds identical to the Croquettes but without the Tomato Sauce) Bacalao en Petate (Salt Cod on a Sleeping Mat = Sliced Potatoes & Onions interlaced in a baking dish, then a thick Tomato-Ancho Sauce spooned over the, on top of that is the Salt Cod with some kind of bread crumb topping, everything baked off until the bread crumb mixture toasts) Aporreado de Bacalao (Flaked Salt Cod in a similar sauce of Tomatoes, Chiles, Olives, White Wine... as with Bacalao a la Veracruzana, Bacalao a la Mexicana etc.,) Caldo de Bacalao (Salt Cod & Potato Soup with Spicy Tomato Broth) Bacalao Tamales (Similarly seasoned tomato paste applied to fish wrapped in Masa) Bacalao en Hojaldra (Salt Cod in Pastry) Bacalao en Frio (Salt Cod desalted, rehydrated then chilled served in layers with Mushrooms en Escabeche) Garbanzos con Bacalao (Salt Cod & Chickpea Salad with Pureed Roasted Poblano, Olive Oil, Vinager & Garlic dressing) I was struck by the number of potato dishes, and remembered how much potatoes this store sells.... I should note at this time that the natives of what is now the Eastern Michoacan highlands around Patzcuaro & Morelia etc., are a people known as the Purepecha whose Purhe language has puzzled linguists because it is closer to Andean languages than to Mesoamerican languages. The leading food historians of Mexico assert that potatoes were common in Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest of the Andes ... perhaps this puzzle pieces fit together.

One of the reasons that garlic isn't preserved in oil more often & extensively is that it makes a perfect environment for botulism. Do any of the resident food safety experts have an opinion on the likelyhood of botulism in a peeled garlic product & whether the freezing temperatures would reduce the rate of reproduction etc.,?

This Tuna was hanging out in Baja... I think it would like to be treated to some classic Baja preps Tostada de Atun (tuna sashimi & avocado slices mounted on a tostada with topped with crispy onion & garlic) http://eatyourworld.com/destinations/mexico/mexico-city/what-to-eat/tostada Toritos de Atun (Roasted Chile Guero stuffed with mushy raw tuna, fried tempura style, served in a brothy blend of Soy Sauce, Key Lime, Green Onion & thin sliced Serrano chiles) http://www.streetgourmetla.com/2010/05/cebicheria-erizo-tijuanabc-top-ceviche.html Biztec de Atun A simple mezquite grilled tuna steak served with some nopalitos & a chiltepin salsa

I am surprised some of the women here think it is weird... don't you ever.. uh put some Barry White on the stereo in that period before the kid is weaned? Guess what your significant other is drinking (inaverdently although maybe some purposely) during the.. ummm Barry White jam session? It is definitely sweet... I hope I don't ruin it for everybody but melted, room temp, "American" style Vanilla Ice Cream (the stuff without bits & pieces of Vanilla or a strong, large quantity of extract in it)... is what comes to mind for me at least.... well maybe not that sweet but getting there.

Katie.. you probably already know this but if you are open to buying them online you can get them from Williams-Sonoma http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/2632644/?catalogId=43&bnrid=3180501&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Froogle&cm_pla=Food&cm_ite=2632644 You might also have some luck in Indian markets as it is grown & used in the regional cuisine of Hyderabad (where many Indian immigrants in the IT industry are from)

Today's Lunch at Tortilleria Jalisco in Sonoma "Mexican" Coke... btw there is no such thing as Mexican coke.. there are more than a dozen regional bottlers who manufacture Coca Cola in Mexico (each with their own version of the recipe / regional ingredients etc.,)... today's was from the bottler in Mexicali Warm Nopalitos with a little Tomatillo Salsa & Pico de Gallo Tostada de Pata (Warm Pig Feet <not pickled though>, Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Pickled Jalapenos, Salsa & nice & funky Cotija cheese)

Yes Manoa Lettuce is a strain of Green Mignonette developed by University of Hawaii that is well adapted to the tropical climate.

With regards to Salicornia, I used them as my local substitute for Nopales... toss them with some white onion (or Maui Onion) macerated in lime juice, cilantro, tomato & fresh chiles etc. (no salt of course). Salicornias are also popular in Contemporary Baja cuisine... so I tried using them with local seafood to replicate dishes created by Benito Molina, Javier Plascencia, Jair Tellez & gang etc, I am a big supporter of Salicornias because they could become an important vegetable in a water scarce, warmer planet (just like Nopales etc.,)

Hi Katie... yes Achiote Paste typically has a little vinegar, allspice, garlic & Yucatan oregano*. Typically what you would do with the paste is dissolve it in a strong acid... Seville Oranges, Yucatan Limes, Key Lime etc., and use it to macerate things namely Pig, Chicken, oily fish etc.,... I suppose you could cook it in olive oil low & slow & strain. My guess is that achiote seed used as an oil is really for color rather than flavor or aroma. Most Achiote seeds I have purchased from Filipino or Caribbean sources are very old & have lost all aroma... my guess is that is mostly considered an inexpensive, abundant substitute for Safron. The pastes from the Yucatan which typically have more of an Achiote flavor to them are still quite subtle in the grand scheme of flavors.... think of it more as using Bay leaves than say a strong herb... its absence is noted as "something is just not quite right" when you are used to using it in a recipe but a hard flavor to discern... more of an earthy, clay like bass note. I am completely speculating here.. but the pit cooking of the Yucatan differs from that of the Mexican mainland in that in "Mexico" it is usually a deep underground pit dug out of clay soil.. whereas in the Yucatan we are talking shallow / above ground pits (I don't think there is much clay on the largely limestone littered peninsula)... it is possible the Achiote evolved to provide that "missing" clay aroma. * Oregano is used loosely in Mexico.. none of the various regional Oreganos are related to Old World Oregano... the Spanish were just a bit careless in their taxonomy... the flavors are similar but different plant family altogether.