caroline

This is Theabroma's territory--she's worked with terrific people on this. Wish we had them here, R

Shelora, So far as I know leche quemada is just another name for/minor variation on cajeta/dulce de leche etc. If you google the Mexico Google, right up front pops an article on how it got that particular name in the remote northern center of Linares. Mexico Desconocido (Unknown Mexico) is usually pretty reliable. But not entirely. as SusySushi's search shows. It is a mystery where dulce de leche in general comes from. Boiled down milk doesn't seem to appear in early Spanish cookbooks--which could mean it didn't exist or could mean it was so common it wasn't worth writing about. SusySushi, anyone from Hawaii is a friend of mine specially if they stray on to this thread. Cheers, Rachel

Hey thanks all of you. This is great. And of course the map will be available to all. May take a year or so. But meanwhile I am just awash with metate ideas and questions. But here are a couple of teasers. 18th century well-to-do Mexican households had about eight. Yes eight. One for maize and other grains, one for fish, one for fruits, one for meat, one for almonds, one for chiles, etc etc. They were dizzy with what they (aka their servants) could do with them. This opens up all kinds of questions about pre-hispanic uses. Much more than just maize and chiles I suspect. One analogy is to think of a great metate pre-19th century as like a fine sports car--very high prestige. Think of the cost of moving the things around. The richer you were, the more likely you could get (aka pay for) the kind of metate that fitted your needs. Don't get me started! Rachel

Well, you're ahead of me Esperanza. I have yet to cook much of this. But what intrigues me are the possibilities that a variety like this might open up. If I were an inventive chef I would seize on it. specially if I were Mexican. Our local rice . . . And it does look great. Chefs love that too, Rachel

What interesting replies. Red potatoes. Hmm. do you conclude they are dyed because the color goes when you cook them, Esperanza? In any case, I shall view them differently. Imported potatoes. Mabelline, that's really interesting because it does show that some potatoes are coming in even given the enormous Mexican production. Papas fritas. Shelora, I have mixed views about papas fritas. About ten years ago they all seemed to be undercooked to me. Eventually I decided that was local taste. Just as English chips (as in fish and chips) are not badly made french fries but something different, I decided that the Mexicans liked their chips with a real bite to them. Am I imagining things, those of you who have been here a while? Now they seem to be usually cooked to a level that I enjoy. The influence of American chains? Potato statistics. Like Shelora, I can't follow your link Esperanza. But I do know that there are acres and acres of them grown around here. But it tickled my memory and off I went to my books. Yes, this is new. When Rockefeller came in the 1940s to effect the Greem Revolution with maize, wheat and beans, one of their three secondary crops was the potato (the others were soy and sorghum). According to Stakman et al's history, Campaigns against Hunger, potatos were only 6% of cropland (all round León where I live) and grown mainly for foreign residents and tourists. They needed high quality imported seed and were subject to blight. So they worked on a blight-resistant variety, and crossed it with local wild varieties (note that Theabroma). Yield per acre doubled, area planted went from 87,000 acres in 48 to 137,000 in 53. And since then, given your statistics Esperanza, it's been onward and upward. Quality. Nickarte, I don't remember the quality problems a decade ago. But I stick to my guns that there's something wrong now, at least where I live. It is, incidentally, the opinion of Mexican friends too: expensive and poor quality. I shall search out some potato growers and try to follow this up. Innovation. Interesting to see how Mexicans have incorporated potatoes so happily into many dishes. But they remain a vegetable not a staple, if that distinction makes sense, Rachel

Thanks for the thoughts Jamie and Theabroma. Maybe the coastal cities are supplied from some other source. I suspect our potatoes are grown around here, then sent to the Central de Abastos in Ixtapalapa in Mexico City. I've tried buying mine from the two markets to which I have easy access (Guanajuato which I would not recommend to anyone and Silao which is much better). I've also tried them from various supermarkets: Comercial, Gigante, Wal-Mart and Costco. Always the same. By the way, Theabroma, I keep my potatoes in a covered Oaxacan basket (pampered I must say) in normal house conditions which means not very cool but usually very dry. I have to use them within the week or they sprout. None of this applies to the tiny red ones which as you say are great with garlic and chile or herbs. Trouble is they are not much good for potato soup, for baked potatos or for the scalloped potatoes you mention Jamie. I'm about to throw out last night's batch. After getting one good potato out of four, I said oh what the hell and threw in some of the dubious ones. A mistake! Rachel

OK, I probably shouldn't be worrying about potatoes in Mexico. But I like to eat them from time to time. But if I buy regular size potatoes (the little red ones are fine) they are full of problems. When you cut them open, the texture, instead of being smooth, is ridged and lumpy. When you smell them, they have a strong smell that I would call earthy if that weren't an insult to earth. And when you cook them they go sweetish. I have the sense this means that if not frosted, they have been stored at too low a temperature. Does anyone else have the same experience? Or an explanation? Or a solution? Rachel

I am currently trying to put together a map of all the metate-making (and hence also molcajete-making) centers in Mexico. So I wonder if I can enlist the support of people on this list? When you are buying these in the markets, could you ask where they come from? And if possible find out the exact village name, not just something vague like Puebla, though the vendor may very well not know since she may have them from a middle man. And other comments would be most welcome (prices, sizes, numbers sold, description of type of rock and so on). It might be best to pm me. And Esperanza, I have your comments, thanks so much, Rachel

Welcome, Will. And a great blog. Loved the article on cecina, Rachel

Kristin, I can't help I'm afraid. I've not seen anything like this in Mexico. But you can bet I'll be on the lookout for it now, Rachel

Right on, Nick. And while you are at it Esperanza, don't let's forget Suburbia for clothes, and Denny's look-alikes El Portón and Vips attached to almost all Wal-Marts it seems. Though they do serve Mexican food. Add Carlos Slim for Tower Records and Mix Up, Sears (I think), the El Globo bakeries that are expanding like mad, and Sanborns and you've got Mexican shopping largely wrapped up. Well, that's an exageration. Good look putting this month's issue to bed. And I wait to see what you think. Best, Rachel

You might also try Karno Books. http://www.karnobooks.com/cgi-bin/karno/ They specialise in Latin America but are very helpful and knowledgeable, Rachel

Milagai, Yes, queso fresco and paneer are very similar. I don't think panela (a skim milk cheese) is similar to khoa which as I understand it is a boiled down milk fudge. But there are things that are similar. Cajeta is like a thick rabadi. And there are lots of milk fudge sweets with various names that are equivalent to khoa. This is all a bit of a mystery because these come, I believe, more from Hindu cooking than Muslim, hence the connection I posit may not work for these parallels. Cumin and coriander certainly occur in both. Cumin is not as common in Mexican food by a long shot as it is in Tex-Mex. Coriander is enormously widely used fresh though I have never seen coriander seeds used in Mexico. And this gives me the chance to respond to Touragsand's comments that had escaped my notice earlier. Agreed that many of the Moors were Arabs and Berbers from North Africa. And granted that thanks to this the cooking of al-Andalus was distinct in various ways that scholars are still working out But I hold out for the connection to the Mesopotamian-Persian tradition of Islamic cooking. The Ottoman connection is too late and Ottoman cuisine comes largely from the Turkic tradition of Islamic food. It is not similar to what we see in Mexico. On the other hand the court cuisine of Cordoba of the (say) late eighth century looked to the eastern Mediterranean, to Syria and ultimately to Baghdad. For example, the musician and style-setter Zyryab, introduced the customs, including the culinary customs of his homeland. I'd welcome debate and comments, Rachel Edited for typos again

Well, for most cheese around here they seem to use little (or big depending on the operation) plastic bottles of "cuajo microbiano" (microbian coagulant) which a quick google shows to be an alternative to rennet. You might try it. there's a whole world out there we don't know about. Anyway, I would suspect the same with Oaxacan cheese, specially the commercial varieties that are not made anywhere near Oaxaca. There are some web sites that give more information. I don't have them bookmarked but do have them printed out and will try to locate them later. Rachel

Wal-Mart in León Mexico, Shelora. Yes, Sam's and Wal-Mart are the same company. But I doubt they will have the rice in either in the US. Both have a lot of Mexican products down here. Whether this is because Mexicans demand them or because it is negotiated as part of the deal of opening stores I don't know. Does anyone? Esperanza, look for a white box with a colored triangular virgin. I'll be curious to know what you think. The recipe on the box is for arroz con leche and I bet it is wonderful. In any case, given that most Mexican rice is pretty pedestrian (although Mexicans do great things with it), I was pleased to find this, Rachel

I was just checking a facsimile of an 18th century cookbook for other reasons. they were using pulpa then for boneless meat. So I guess it goes back a way. Does anyone have ready access to the Corominas etymological dictionary? Rachel

In Wal-Mart I just bought this rice. It's grown in Morelos and Guerrero apparently. It claims to have the thickest grain in the world. I can't vouch for that but it certainly is thick. It makes a great risotto-type dish. Has anyone else tried it? I am enthused. This company's web site is www.covadonga.com.mx They also offer arborio, whole, jasmine and sushi rice though I have not tried those. to understand the name, google covadonga for catholic iconology. But do try the rice. Apparently the US is importing it to create crosses and hybrids, Rachel

Hi lldubois 2, Interesting question because it touches on lots of differences between Mexican and Mexican-American food. So here's how I see it from a Mexican perspective. You can buy american-style tortilla chips here in the supermarkets. I don't, and I don't know who does. Mexicans in general do not eat salsa and chips, as I am sure you know, and so far as I can see guacamole remains primarily a sauce and only secondarily a dip, at least in home cooking. So chips are used primarily to decorate beans and to make chilaquiles. The common wisdom among Mexicans is that the worst tortillas (that is the thickish machine-made ones) make the best chips. And here I have one of my few differences with Theabroma because I agree with this judgement. If a little stale, they fry up nice and flaky. So buy some of these, cut them up, heat your oil, dump them in, and leave for about five minutes. You will know when they are done because they stop sizzling. These are great with just salt. I would prefer them with salsa to the very thin and to my mind tasteless bagged chips. And they have the heft to absorb sauce, turn meat, and make great chilaquiles. In Mexico the big supermarket chains sell their day-old tortillas prepared this way. They are pretty good. Rachel

Kathleen, It sounds as if it is going to be a fascinating book. I asked one of my friends here in Guanajuato about this today. She had never heard of such a custom. Since she is the most social individual you can imagine with contacts all over central Mexico, I take her seriously. She said perhaps in the south, in Oaxaca or Chiapas. But not around here. Or perhaps as Sharon suggests in a big city. It would be useful to know where your Mexico City informant comes from. It also sounds as if this is a middle class custom wherever it is from. It does not sound to me like something the poor or indigenous would do. And one more thought. Was this reported as a Day of the Dead or a funeral custom? The two are distinct around here, Best wishes with your project. And I think I might adopt this custom in any case! Rachel

Welcome besos-foods. Your business looks fascinating. If you're interested in fresh foods, you are going to love lots of the places you can visit in Mexico City. It's a great place for the food explorer. Perhaps the way to get off to a flying start is to google this forum. Lots of people have posted reports of their experiences in Mexico City. That might give you some ideas about places you want to ask more about. And then we can try to fill you in, Rachel

Glad to hear that Wal-Mart is not intrusive. I had the feeling it would not be. And the pyramids are a bit of a culinary desert. The one suggestion on that front is to head off behind the museum away from the entrances. A few hunded yards' walk away there is a two-story restaurant going down into a huge lava tube. I only had a light taco-type snack so I can't say whether the main meals are good. But it is blessedly cool and dark after the blinding light outside. And there are evocative period photos of Porfirio Diaz, the late nineteenth-century Mexican president who authorized the initial excavations, and all his entourage having a meal in the very same place. All are in full dinner dress. Rachel

Thanks for all the comments. Nickarte and Shelora, I think something could be done with web pages to set this up. Get a list of people, phone numbers (most of the people who would do this can speak English I suspect), perhaps sample menus and then leave it to visitors to set this up. But when I get back to Mexico, I'm going to be talking to various friends about possibilities. One of the things that interests me is that Guanajuato (both capital and state) is often supposed to be a culinary desert. That has never fit with the descriptions of cooking I hear from my friends every morning as we march along our accustomed walking route. It just goes to show once again that judging the cuisines of a particular region by restaurants and/or by street food can be misleading even if necessary. Oh and by the way, this meal ran $24 a person including beer, agua fresca and coffee. To be honest, I think that was probably a special rate. Yes, Shelora, you're right that the xoconostle is a sour fruit of a certain variety of nopal (it's not, as often suggested, an unripe tuna, the sweet fruit of other varieties of nopal). It much used in this part of Mexico and is a wonderful addition to the world of souring agents. Lars, so pleased that you had the chance to experience Mexican home cooking. I was a bit puzzled about the sweet moles. Some are sweetish from dried fruit, others are not. And Marlena please make good on your promise to come back to this part of the world for a visit. We can swoon together, Rachel

Glad it sounds as good as it tasted. I am just closing down my computer to go to Texas for a month. When I return I will work on the recipes. But for now, I am toying with an idea. There are so many skilled cooks in the Mexican provinces. some would like to make some money. Is there any way of setting up a way of putting them in touch with visitors who would love nothing better than a chance to experience fine home cooking? Of course, most could not open for just one or two people. Any ideas? Rachel

Esperanza and I constantly return to the realm of private dining in Mexico. as it's hard for visitors to find their way in to private houses, I thought an example might help. A couple of weeks ago, Ricardo Muñoz, one of Mexico's leading chefs and food authorities, brought a culinary tour to Guanajuato. He asked if I could arrange a traditional family meal in a home. This is what we were able to come up with, thanks to my neighbor LuzMaria Gonzalez de Cárdenas. She's the leading caterer in town but on occasion also uses her house as a restaurant. We asked her to leave to one side the "muy elegante" meals she prepares for catered events. What we wanted was a tasting menu of traditional regional family dishes. This is what she prepared. (Of course families would have only one dish in each course). I won't editorialise right now except to say that I was thrilled by the group's reaction. Rachel Sopas Sopa de acelgas con papas (Chard and potato soup) Capon (soup of xoconostle with chicharron) Sopa seca de fideo con frijol negro y queso fresco (thin noodles with black beans and fresh cheese) Entradas Chile ancho relleno de frijol y chorizo bañado con jocoque de la sierra (Dried red chile stuffed with beans and chorizo and served with buttermilk from the sierra) Tortitas capeadas de coliflor en salsa de jitomate (Cauliflower fritters with tomato sauce) Penca de nopal rellana de nopalitas y flor de jamaica (Penque of nopal filled with sliced nopales, cheese and flowers of Jamaica) Platos Fuertes Carne de cerdo en salsa especial de mi abuela (Pork in my grandmother’s special sauce-hot) Las pacholas (thin patties of spiced beef served with a green salad) El mole de mi abuela con arroz y pollo (My grandmother’s mole served with rice and chicken) Postres Ate de membrillo con queso (quince paste with fresh cheese) Gelatina de cajeta Nieve de coco con xoconostle (coconut water ice with xoconostle)

I've learned such a lot from this thread. the D-70 sounds great and I'm saving up. But right now I'm looking for something slightly different. I'm after a small camera to use to record what I see when I am doing culinary exploring in artisanal workshops, villages, occasionally markets. So what I want is something unobtrusive, something that I can whip out at a moment's notice, that doesn't need a flash in low lighting, that has a quick response time and (if such perfection can be achieved) something that takes pictures good enough to post on a web, use in publications. Several people have suggested the Canon Elph 4 or 5 megapixel. Does anyone have experience with this? I'd really appreciate input and alternatives, Rachel