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How about this one, gang? In an ever-growing attempt to gain round-the-clock customers, I guess, Taco Bell has come up with... 'fourthmeal, that meal between dinner and breakfast'. How's that for genius?

Coming from Queens, NY, there were a number of authentic tacos served out of mobile trucks - but usually parked in the same area all the time. The key is that they served authentic Mexican tacos (the kind you get when you cross the border into Tiujana), not like the ones you have to suffer through at Taco Bell, Jose Tejas or Chevy's. Does northern NJ have any of this type of eatery? I've been to Los Tapotios on Main street in West Orange but their tacos are quite empty and they skimp on the contents. Suggestions welcome!

where do people in chicago like to go for good mexican food, excluding the usual rick bayless lineup? i'm particularly interested in hearing your tex mex preferences, from street carts and taco shacks to upscale, and everything in between. i searched and couldn't find anything, but if this is a redundant post, just please connect me to the proper thread. thanks!

hihi,i need you guys's help again,now i am doing 1 project,it is about introduce food,i need to do a 5~8 course meal,all about mexican's food,hope u all can share me some nice recipe.My budget is USD5 per person can more than that also.

Does anybody have any recommendations? We'll be in Colo Spgs for a few days this month visting from California. We know something about Mexican food from here and also from several trips to New Mexico. We surely don't need fancy, just real food. Any suggestions?

Who's got suggestions for one Mexican meal in OC. I'm bringing my girlfriend down from Vancouver who has never had good Mexican food in her life! We're flying into John Wayne, but are willing to drive anywhere in OC. Maybe as far as Long Beach, but not south to San Diego. I was thinking you can't get any better than the Carne Asada Burrito from Alberto's, but I don't want fast food to be her first mexican experience. What are your opinions of Las Brisas (owned by El Torrito.) I loved it in high school, but that was before I knew any better. The view is unbeatable, I know, but we are all about the food. I'm thinking of an authentic divey hole in the wall (Santa Ana?) Thanks for any input.

Mise En Place Leftover steak. Heat the steak thru with the onions, remove from pan, then toast up the tortillas in the pan. Stack them two by two on the serving plate. Put steak/onion mixture on tortilla stacks, hit with chopped cilantro, chopped chile (jalepeno, serrano or habenero) and thinly sliced pink radish (rabano). Squeeze lime juice and some of your favorite hot sauce on the tacos. Serve with cold lager-style beers and Mexican soda pop.

A lovely new book has appeared here in Mexico: "Del Mercado A la Mesa: El Mercado de San Juan" (from the market to the table: the San Juan market). For those who don't know, the Mercado San Juan is considered the queen of markets, located in the historic center of Mexico City; it specializes in high quality, imported and exotic foods - from wild mushrooms to armadillos to radichio and, ahem, the occasional raw milk French cheese, unofficially "brought in".... It is a beautiful coffee table type book, with photos, a history of markets in Mexico City, and of the San Juan in particular. Then there are portraits of individual vendors (all my favorites are included) with a recipe provided by each one. The problem and a big one: full page promotional photos of Pepsi cola, obviously a sponsor, are placed throughout and within the text. This abomination, as far as I have seen, has set a new precedent for shameless hucksterism, and I´m sure the author, José Iturriaga, must not be happy, but such is the state of economic affairs relating to culture here, and they undoubtedly had no choice but to make this Faustian decision to get it published (by Landucci, an Italian publisher specializing in art books). It goes for around $45 USD, (despite the ads) and is in Spanish only. I would include photos but I can't for the life of me figure out how....

Looking for the "make-up" of the sandwich? Traditional to un-conventional?

My mother in law is seeking the wisdom of Egullet. She is looking for a mexican restaurant serving Margaritas. It can be in the Morristown, Summit, Madison, Millburn, Montclair etc area. Already discarded is Mexicali Rose in Montclair. Any idea? Thanks!

I was in Coatesville at a hearing today when on Bus. 30 I noticed two mexican grocery stores and a Mexican restaurant. Anyone know anything about them. Must investigate further....

A very resourceful individual decided to remake the Taco Town offer, sans bag of salsa. http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/17/real-l...cake-chili-bag/ Completely unappetizing, yet worthy of applause.

I bought a pound of this, because I cannot pass on a vegetable or herb in this part of the country that I have never seen before. It looks like rosemary, but is soft. The leaves are smooth. It may be soft because it may be old, I don't know. The folks at this Mexican grocery store did not speak English, and my Spanish is poor, but I did interpret something about it being used in Mole sauces. Any clues? And if you know exactly what I am asking about, what do I do with it? I figured I'd steam it and douse it with some sort of sauce. None of my four Mexican cookbooks seem to describe this.

I've been wondering about this for a few weeks, but haven't had any luck finding answers. Our neighborhood garage sale is coming up in a few weeks (the neighborhood association does the advertising, and anyone who wants sets up in their driveways with their own garage sale, and the neighborhood association publishes maps marking where the houses participating are located). Anyway, I'm thinking about trying to get rid of my junk, but thought it would be fun to make things like breakfast tacos or lunch tacos and sell them as well, along with bottled water and sodas, etc. I'm also watching this thread for additional ideas. Anyone know if this is allowed by the city or state or whoever governs food matters?

So, I have a tradition of having a huge feast for Cinco de Mayo every year. About 25 people come to my house for food, conversation, and drinking. Some things stay the same - I always make tamales with pork/raisins/almonds/chiles. I always make a spiced sangria. I have been told I must always make Tres Leches cake. Other things vary. I started out the first year going more Tex Mex along with a huge bowl of ceviche. The next year I made quesadillas with non-traditional fillings such as beef tenderloin and blue cheese, or curried duck and mango chutney, or turkey, cranberries, and brie. The next year I made Chiles en Nogada (which was not well accepted) and chilaquiles. Two years ago I made a green pumpkin seed mole with chicken and a oaxacan red mole with lamb shanks. Last year I made about several different taco fillings (mostly from the Rick Bayless books) including bacony beans, garlicy greens, smoked chicken with tomatillo sauce, shredded beef with chipotle sauce, seasoned ricotta cheese, a huitlacoche filling...I also made some condiments like pickled onions, pickled chipotles, guacamole, crema, and several salsas. Lastly, I made both corn and flour tortillas from scratch. This year, I am totally blanking! i am looking for some ideas that are different from what I have done before. I know I want to try empanadas this year, and would appreciate some help locating a recommended recipe or any tips or techniques. I thought about doing the pork and chicken dish from All About Braising by Molly Stevens, and maybe another mole. Since both of those could be used as taco filling, I thought about doing the flour and corn tortillas again, as well as making a spicy shrimp filling. I also thought about going a different direction and doing one-pot dishes like soups or casseroles. But again, I'm blanking on ideas! I'm also looking for ideas for other tamale fillings, and some other desserts. I've done flan, and I think I'll do that again this year, but I really feel like I want to add another dessert. I am also hunting for cookbooks that might inspire me, so any suggestions there would be greatly appreciated, too!

Next month, I will be embarking on a culinary/travel adventure with my best friend in the state of Yucatan. I'll be taking a day course at Los Dos Cooking school and then doing other travel around Merida. Over the years, my cooking has focused on Central Mexico, Oaxaca and Veracruz. My experience with Yucatecan cuisine has been very limited. I have been using my Diccionario Enciclopedico (thanks, Ricardo!) to map out all the primary dishes and referring to my other cookbooks (DK and others) to really find the dishes not to be missed. I have now over 5 pages of handwritten notes! Since I will only be in the Yucatan 1 week, I can't possibly try everything. So here is where I need some guidance. What is your favorite Yucatecan dish? Is it a must try in Yucatan? Any restaurants/fondas in Merida and environs that cannot be missed? I'd love to hear any recommendations/warnings people have. Provecho! Caarina

Have recently enjoyed horchata on the streets of PV. Got a recipe for original horchata and any variations?

I hope I have the right name for this side dish. It is a popular "salsa bar" item at taquerias in California and I would like to know more about it. Is escabeche a standard brine that is used for many things or is it specific to these pickles? The ones I am familiar with are usually a mixed pickle with red skinned or yellow skinned waxy potatoes, onions, carrots, jalapenos, and bayleaf in a sour sweet brine. The potatoes appear to be partially cook, I'm wondering if this is from the brine or are they par boiled. I found this recipe but I am seeking clarification.

I found pepitas in my local market and decided (knowing nothing about it) to make some pipian. I looked on the internet and in the Bayless cookbook I have, and I ended up being more confused than ever. From a few hours of reading, the best explanation I can find for the distinction between mole verde made with pepitas and pipian is simply a difference in regional terminology. Can the experts please help? Are there differences between pipian and mole verde? How is pipian traditionally served? Does anyone have a wonderful recipe to share? Thanks- Linda

I'm having a debate with a colleague about this. I maintain that green olives are an authentic, though not indigenous, ingredient in some Mexican dishes, particularly from Veracruz. He says I'm nuts and green olives don't belong anywhere in Mexican cuisine, that the presence of green olives in a Mexican-style dish would make it Spanish. But if olive oil is used so much in Veracruz, why not green olives? I'm sure I've heard about this before, but of course I can't think of any particular Mexican dishes right now that would include green olives. Whaddaya think?

I was surfing for a recipe to use up some spinach, and came across several versions of this recipe for "Mexican Spinach". It's a quick side dish of steamed spinach with a little cream & horseradish, which I quite liked, but I have to wonder: Is this in any way shape or form related to Mexican cuisine?

I'm looking for a great, and I mean great Mexican restaurant in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I want the kind of place where one finds Mexican Americans in the front of the house eating and not just in the back cooking. I'm willing to travel as well so if it turns out that the best burrito in the Twin Cities is in Anoka (yeah right) I'll not be deterred.

Today's NYTimes article by Lawson on comfort foods got me thinking about our family's latest: chilaquiles. Thanks to Rick Bayless' "Mexican Kitchen," we have discovered the joy of turning pureed tomato & tortilla chips into homey, Mexican comfort food. My 14-yr-old likes to add fresh spinach, grated cheese (he likes Monterey Jack, I say sharp cheddar), mashed chipotle & adobo sauce, and roasted garlic smoosh into the tomato sauce. Then the magic: you pour in a big hunk of tortilla chips (we use Tostito's Bite Size) and wait for them to soggify. Honestly, it's delicious, quick, easy, and you can dress it up a zillion ways, if so inspired. Lucas just finished his leftovers for breakfast. Yum. Anyone else into this Mexican comfort food?

I understand that the cinnamon used in Mexico is Ceylon cinnamon (not Sri Lanka). I cart big bags of it home every year. It is much more aromatic and with a softer bark than the usual variety available up here, is easily ground. But one thing I have forgotten to ask in the market is whether it is imported from Sri Lanka or is it being grown in Mexico. Anyone know?

While we have a plethora of hole in the wall burrito joints, taco stands, and pupusa restaurants, San Francisco has always been a bit short on well prepared regional Mexican and Latin American cuisine. Last year saw the closing of Mom is Cooking and Cafe Marimba. Two new, fairly upscale Mexican restaurants, Tres Agaves (SOMA) and Mamacita (Marina), have opened in the last few months. Have you been? I've been to and enjoyed Panchitas No. 3 (Mission), Platanos (Mission), and Charanga (Mission). What are your favorite places for decent "Pan Latin" or Mexican food? edit - Oh hey! They even use Rancho Gordo heirloom beans at Mamacita. Getting very hungry looking at that menu.