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http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/...tabla=articulos Chiles en nogada is probably my favorite non-antojito. I had my first one at Hosteria de Santo Domingo in el centro historico. I need to try them sometime when Cafe Azul is making them here in Portland. (I should call them up; it should be seasonal now.) Generally I just make them for myself when pomegranates are in season. Problem is, it's hard to find good poblanos this time of year. And even good ones here aren't near as plump and large as what you find in Mexico. The best ones here are a mere shadow of what you find there. Last Thanksgiving I made them with smoked turkey in the picadillo. They were a big hit even with lots of conservative eaters.

I'm going to be driving down from Portland to Sacramento, picking up my little brothers, and heading down to Disneyland and then visiting some family in San Diego. So, what I'm wondering is what are the best taco stands/taquerias throughout California along I-5/99/101. I haven't decided which route to take between Sacramento and LA and back. Maybe two routes.

Good evening. We are newcomers to this forum. Our question does not address Mexico per se, but we hope it will engender responses from fellow tamale enthusiasts. We live in an isolated community on the far northern California coast (Eureka is the largest town). There is virtually no good Mexican cuisine in local restaurants, although the Chicano community is sizeable. A couple of the multitude of cheap restaurants provide decent tapa-style tacos, but little else; the vegetarians have intimidated them. Our own home is the only place we can expect such routine fare as frijoles de olla, refritos, carnitas, chile verde, etc. [We render our own lard, whereas local restaurants use only vegetable oil; accordingly, their food is overwhelmingly bland.] Recently I bonded with a couple of Spanish language teachers at the local college where I teach. We agreed that we are starved for real tamales, since all we can get is tasteless, dense, and flavorless. So we decided to do a "tamale project" in January, after all the holiday stress is over; we booked a small "boutique" bakery that has an industrial mixer for the masa/lard/broth, and we've agree that we're going to bring our own fillings, and conduct a Tamale Assembly that will produce freezable and delicious tamales. And if we run out of fillings, we'll generate a bunch of "tamales de casa," fillingless dumplings that can be used to make the Mexican version of "tamale pie." The last time my wife and I made tamales, we were totally successful, except that we struck out on corn husks: our "Achilles Heel" was the husks, which were Safeway, hence small and old (prolonged soaking tended to have little effect - they remained stiff, and using 2-3 husks per tamal was tedious and time-consuming). The supermarket stuff doesn't cut it. Since so much quality will be going into this project, does anyone have a source for high-quality corn husks? (I'd welcome ideas for fillings too, although one of our 5 participants is a visiting Guatamalan mama, who has some entirely different recipes.)

This has now opened, and I would like to hear any reviews of the sister spot in NYC, located at Mulberry and Prince. Here is the address of the Hudson Location MEXICAN RADIO 537 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-7770. OPEN DAILY 11:30AM ~ 11PM. Mexican Radio woodburner

Twice this week I've made guacamole according to this recipe - no lime juice and no tomatoes but truly delicious. As I'm an ignoramus regarding Mexican cuisine (albeit an adoring and curious one), I have an almost ethical problem I'd love to know the solution to: unfortunately I tend to love most freshly-made guacamoles I try, whether genuinely Mexican or downright dubious. With or without garlic; with or without tomato; with or without lime juice; whether the avocado is fully ripe or half-ripe; Hass or another variety; with different kinds of peppers (even Portuguese dried "piri piri" powder or Tabasco, at a pinch, though only in an emergency); even with a tiny drop of olive oil... As long as it's got good avocados, really fresh coriander (though some purists even shun this); firm, new onions (or, shockingly, shallots) and, until this latest recipe, tomatoes (whether ripe and summery or tangily autumnal) and, above all, the best "fleur du sel" or natural sea salt crystals, I'm happy. I draw the line at mayonnaise and hate all the industrial versions I've had the misfortune to taste - but that's about it. Well, I'm tired of being such a slut. I would dearly love to know whether there is a basic "canvas" for guacamole (a Mexican friend of mine says it's just the avocado pulp, salt and a squirt of lime juice) and what the acceptable "palette" of addable ingredients is. Is there a real Mexican guacamole? Is there a real Tex-Mex version? You know, like the original Genovese basil, pinenut, garlic and olive oil pesto, which continues to be made properly in the same way, despite all the pseudo-versions that have since used its name. Any help would be much appreciated.

Wow! So Pancho's is still around! Some of my favorite childhood memories are of eating at Panchos with my huge (20 cousins) family. Do they still have the little flags on the table that you raise when you want more food? And those sopapillas! You folks down in Texas don't know how good you have it. Y'all can turn up your nose at Panchos and go to any number of better Mexican restaurants, but I'm a Texan living in Canada now, and Panchos is much better than the Mexican I've tried up here. Sorry to veer off the candy topic. Just had to wax nostalgic. All right, I'm convinced that this place needs its own thread. They're making a comeback, apparently. There's a new one in Round Rock. And one in, of all places, downtown Austin -- at 6th and Congress. This was the place where my Hoosier parents first learned to eat Mexican in the 60s. And I was weaned on the stuff. All important family gatherings took place there. As far as decent Mexican food goes, well, it's not really up for consideration. But I have to admit, I asked my folks to take me there during my visit to TX during xmas. They asked me how the food was. I said, "It's disgusting, but I'm loving it!" Mmmmmm, sopaipillas! Plasticky chile rellenos! It's like baby food! What's wrong with that? Here's some PR: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PRN/2...1/article.jhtml

I'm wondering what tools others think are essential for Mexican cooking. I wouldn't live without my handheld lime squeezer, my blender, my big round wooden spoons from Guadaljara + the tight weave seive (although I often think a chinois might be more handy), my bean masher (for guacamole mostly) and a comal. I've heard that a copper pot is essential for making carnitas. Has anyone had experience in this? Do you have great sources in the US? I saw some in a market in Mexico but they were so cheap I was suspect that they might be plated rather than solid. I use a Cruset pot now but I love a new toy.

A local (Northern NJ) Mexican restaurant claiming to serve Sonoran cuisine covers a good number of their entrees with what they call "Monterey sauce" Is this an authentic Sonoran sauce? How do I make it?

Well, here goes. I found this recipe in Adela Fernández' bilingual La Tradicional Cocina Mexicana published in 1985. It produces a spectacular result. And thank you for posing the question because this will be my house gift for the next umpteen years. AF is an interesting person. Her father dominated Mexican cinema during its glory period in the 30s, 40s and 50s. She grew up in a well-to-do household in Mexico City with lots and lots of servants. But like others in that group, the best known in the US being Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo, they decided to celebrate the mixed heritage of Mexico. They put on self-consciously indigenous dinners, wore indigenous costumes, and generally broke with the class structure (well, sort of). Ludja, it's a more complicated version of Zarela's recipe. And she is one of my absolute favorite people writing in English on Mexican food. So here's AF with my voice over. It's a Mexico- City type recipe. There is no one Pan de Muerto. I lb flour 1/2 oz yeast 4 oz sugar 4 oz lard 3 whole eggs 7 egg yolks Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons orange blossom water 3 tablespoons strong anise tea 1 tablespoon grated orange rind So, OK, this is the modern world. I set my bread machine to the dough cycle and put in 3 whole eggs and 7 egg yolks. Ludja, do you agree that this looks like a richer version of Zarela's recipe? Voiceover. This has to be a convent recipe. They always had egg yolks to spare because the white was used to glue silver and gold leaf on the altars. Not quite indigenous. And never in my life have I made a bread where all the liquid was egg. Then I make the anise tea. I put three tablespoons of anise seeds in three tablepoons of water and zap them in the microwave. Should have known. The dry seeds soak up all the water. Add more and zap again. The kitchen smells wonderful. Add all the ingredients to the bread machine (strained anise tea, and lucky I have some terrific fresh white lard because I was going to make pastry) and orange blossom water (the modern pantry). Turn on and let it rip. Turns out that this is really liquid, about like gravy. Can't imagine that firming up over the cycle. Add about a quarter again as much flour and start over. A great smooth, yellow dough. Take it out, nip off perhaps one eighth and divide the rest in two. Shape into flattened rounds and put on a greased baking sheet. Make two knobs to put on top with part of the extra dough and use the rest for tear drops and femurs arranged in a cross pattern. Glue them on with---yes you guessed, egg yolk. Leave to rise. AF says for 10-12 hours. Maybe she was in one of these dark, windowless Mexican kitchens. In my bright kitchen it would have hit the roof and flattened long before ten hours were up. So after a couple of hours I bake it. Here AF's instructions are to the point. Use a 250 degree oven. I did and given the high egg count anything else would have burned. I take out the bread after half an hour. Meanwhile following her instructions I have mixed 1 tablespoon of flour with 2/3 a cup of water and cooked it into a creamy mixture. This I brush over the bread. I'm not sure but I think this annointed of cooked breads with a flour and water paste is very Mexican. Lots of the "frostings" in mexico are colored flour and water pastes. In any case this is thinner and dries instantly. Then this must be brushed with, you'll never guess, beaten egg, and then sprinkled with sugar. AF does not say but I return it to the oven for a few second because the egg is still a little liquid. It's a quite spectacular light feathery bread. It will go stale instantly I am sure. And I can no longer taste separately the But it's disappearing at an amazing rate as everyone in the household cuts slices. Mexican are sure I ordered it from a bakery. I'm dancing with triumph though the credit should go to AF, Rachel P. S. And here, for comparison, are the proportions offered by Canaipa (Cámara Nacional de la Industria del Pan): I kilo flour, 12 grams salt, 20 grams sugar, 150 grams margarine, 159 grams lard or butter, 10 eggs, 100 ml of milk, 30 gms of yeast, flavorings of sugar, cinnamon or vanilla.

What is so great about a taco truck? It seems like every time somebody discovers one they jump up and down until they achieve orgasm. How is this any different than a hot-dog truck or a soft-pretzel truck or any other kind of truck?

Is Maya the consensus or are there other contenders?

Any suggestions for great tacos in Philadelphia? Near the airport, or just off 76 a plus, but not necessary. I'm thinking about real ethnic stuff (cabeza, lengua, etc), not American fast food versions.

Ok; so we’ll look at cheeses. As anyone who has traveled in the country knows, cheeses are found everywhere. More often than not they are soft, fresh, and used in various dishes of the “corn kitchen.” No doubt about it, after cattle and goats were introduced following the Conquest, not only the criollos but also the indigenous took up cheese with a passion. But because most of these cheeses are soft and fresh, they have been distributed locally until recently. If you have ever tried to get an idea of where and what the cheeses are, you’ll know it has been just about impossible. They just weren’t recorded. Now, hurrah, we have something informative: a terrific full page color map of Mexico with the thirty most important cheeses located, photographed, described, and with the commonest uses identified. This is thanks to Abraham Villegas de Gante, an expert in agricultural engineering at the National Agricultural University in Chapingo to the north of Mexico City and Carlos Pereza, a distinguished artisanal cheese maker in Querétaro who has been promising a book on Mexican cheeses for some time. And just to give credit where credit is due, the article was put together by Angel Rivas who talked to various other historians and agricultural researchers. It was published on September 10th in Buena Mesa, the food page of Reforma. I wish I could just scan the page. But here’s the list of cheeses. I haven’t put in the details because it would take hours. Chihuahua menonita, Chihuahua no menonita, asadero, de tetilla, adobera, jococque, panela, cotilla, chongos, sierra, de epazote, tipo manchego mexicano, de tenate, morral, guaje, trenzado, de rueda, ranchero de Veracruz, de hoja, Chapingo, de cincho, molido de aro, molido y cremosa, oaxaca, de aro, bola de ocozingo, crema tropical, de sal, de poro, sopero. Some random comments: This doesn’t quite map on to the standard grocery store categories (have to think about this). I think of jococque as yoghurt (whole mystery here about which came first, jococque or the Lebanese with yoghurt). Chongos are always served in syrup as they say. A sort of dessert cheese. The researchers are trying to get denominación de origin for some of them. Cotilla, a mature grating cheese from Jalisco and Morelia, is more or less ready to go. They make passing reference to the Mennonite origins of northern harder cheeses and to the Italian origins (aka mozzarella) of Oaxacan cheeses, something that can drive Oaxacans bats. They give dire warnings about imitations which (I suspect) are most of the cheeses in the grocery stores. These include cheeses with vegetable fats, milk powder, casein). They don’t include foreign cheeses made in Mexico commercially such as Gouda. Nor I note do they include two other very important and growing cheese-making enterprise. (1) goat cheeses (will the world sink under the weight of goat cheeses?); and (2) wonderful cheeses such as the range of what I used to call Italian cheeses but now have learnt to call Italian-style cheeses by the cheese-make Remo who sells to the Italian Embassy. But what great news that Mexican cheese is finally being studied. Now I have to track down and try all these cheeses! What a great chance to explore the country! Cheers, Rachel

My sister has about a 20 foot bed of Hoja santa that is reaching the eaves of the house. We had a mild winter last year and it never froze back. I am looking for some inspiration on using it. Check it out here. We have used this in a rough chiffonade to make a bed for baked chicken thighs and as a pan liner/wrapper for a tamale pie type thing that I got out of one of my Zarela Martinez books. Zarela has a charming story about the plant... It seems that the Virgin Mary, being very poor, had very few diapers for the Baby Jesus. There was this big leafy bush growing in her yard and she would spread the washed diapers on the big leaves to dry. God blessed the bush and to thank it for helping the Virgin Mary in her time of need, he named it Hoja santa.

It's been so long since I've lived in Fort Worth that I forgot what a mad-house Joe T. Garcia's is on a Saturday night. The line snaked from well outside the building through to the inner patio, into a raucous sea of customers. A word to the hostess that we were there for Lanny's, and we were led past the noise, mob, and Tex-Mex, ending up in a cozy room near the back of the patio where chef Lanny Lancarte II does his work. There we met fellow e-Gulleteers who had also converged in Cowtown with high hopes for the seven-course Nouvelle Mexican degustation menu Lanny had planned for us. On to the food... First Course: The evening's opener was an elegantly presented lobster and crab "napoleon." The bottom layer consisted of lobster ceviche with lime, mint, and coconut milk. Above it lay a thin layer of guacamole. The top layer was a tangle of peeky-toe crab, dressed with caviar. All of this rested on thinly sliced rings of cucumber, garnished with a zucchini blossom. Some of these crustacean layer cakes were triangular (as above), while others were pear shaped: Regardless of shape, this was a delicious course. The dominant sweetness of the meats (and coconut milk) was accented nicely by the acid lime and refreshing mint. Second Course: Next up was a huitlacoche crepe plated with a smooth tomatillo sauce and roasted corn. The crepe, tied shut with a scallion, was stuffed with huitlacoche, along with a touch of epazote and some meltable cheese (Oaxaca maybe?). The tomatillo's tanginess was softened by a touch of cream, making for a mellower contrast to the crepe's earthiness. A solid preparation of a Mexican fine dining classic. Third Course: The third course--probably my favorite of the night--consisted of skate wing sauteed in a chipotle beurre noisette, topped with fried capers, served over a cassoulet of cannellini beans. Lanny knocked this one out of the park, maintaining a perfect balance between the flavor elements in the dish. Fourth Course: This was a shiitake and nopalito risotto, served with roasted duck breast, garnished with a parmesan tuile. Though it was probably the least Mexican-influenced course of the evening, the sweet duck morsels and able risotto made this very popular at the table. Fifth Course: The concluding entree was prime beef tenderloin carne asada with a mild guajillo demi and chanterelles, served with a banana-leaf-wrapped tamal, and baby haricot vert. The beef was very good, but I loved the tamal (filled with queso fresco and roasted poblano rajas) both alone and with the sauce. Another winner. Sixth Course: Dessert was a warm chocolate cake, garnished with a pineapple gooseberry, whipped cream, and a tuile, plated with a thin Kahlua anglaise and raspberry sauce. A simple- sounding course, but it was so well executed that even the lone chocophobe at the table (who will remain nameless) fell for it. Seventh Course/Mignardises: Earlier in the evening, some of us had been reminiscing about El Moro, Mexico City's legendary churreria. This course couldn't have come at a better time. The churritos, warm, fluffy, and lightly cinnamon-sugared, were as perfect an example of that dessert as I've ever seen. The thin, but delicious, goat's milk cajeta had an unexpected dimension that we puzzled over for several minutes before Lanny came to the table to help us out. (It was brandy.) The cajeta was so enjoyable that, when some still remained after dipping the churros, I had to throw back the leftovers as a shot. Good stuff. Service was polite and attentive throughout the evening. There were no unreasonable delays as we moved through the menu. And Lanny emerged from the kitchen shortly after the arrival of each course to explain and field questions. Lanny Lancarte is the real deal. And, if this meal is indicative of what he's doing every night, Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana should be regarded as a destination restaurant. I will go back for more. Scott

Hello there, Excellent image Theobroma of the smokin' chilies in Nayarit. For purposes of clarification, is a chile mora a mini jalapeno or another variety? Is a chile morita an even smaller version of a jalapeno? The very brown and crinkley looking dried jalapeno (chipotle) looks very different than the dried chile mora and moritas I have staring at me. The cans of chile chipotles in adobo are quite small and plump. I assuming they are mostly chile moras or moritas? Why is chilie identification so complicated? s

Many of us on this list are used to seeing Mexican food through the eyes of those who interpret it for the United Status: Diana Kennedy, Rick Bayliss, Zarela Martínez, and so on. Wonderful interpreters, all of them. But their focus is cooking, not the culinary scene. And since the culinary scene is fascinating, very different from the US, and essential to understanding Mexican food, I thought a series of observations might be of interest. And where better to start than with the Mexico City Culinary Establishment? I don’t think there’s any US equivalent. Mexico City is a world unto itself in highly centralized Mexico. For those who live there, it’s the only place in the country that matters (think Paris for a comparison). Within Mexico City, a core circle of thirty or forty people make up the Culinary Establishment. Among them, in no particular order, are Cristina Barros, José Iturriaga, Patricia Quintana, Jorge De’Angeli and his wife Alicia Gironelli, Lula Bertán, Sonia Corcuera, Luis Vargas, Maria Dolores Torres Yzabal, Lila Lomelí, Victor Nava, Janet Long, Silvia Kurczyn, Graciela Flores, Margarita Carrillo, etc. So who are these people? These are people whose first second language is as likely to be fluent French as English, who have a parent or grandparent from Catalonia, Poland, England, France or Italy, who grew up eating a Mexican version of French or Spanish food. ("What you must understand, Rachel, is that we never ate Mexican food at home," said one, a staement that actually needs some teasing out). They are part and parcel of the rest of the Mexican establishment. To get some sense of this, imagine if in the US, the director of the National Endowment for the Arts, a few Harvard faculty, a fifth-generation Rockefeller, the wife of Alan Greenspan, and assorted poets and novelists were all involved in researching, cooking, and promoting American food. I know the mind boggles, but that’s the way it is in Mexico City. Given their international connections, it is not surprising that this is the group that represents Mexican food internationally. They are the people who sit on Slow Food Committees, try to find chefs for “internal” Mexican restaurants in the US, shepherd around and/or cook for a lot of the visiting tours from the US, in many cases provide contacts for US cookbook writers, go to IACP conventions, sit on Premios de Gourmand committees, and are promoting Mexican food as a UNESCO Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Ironically, they have probably had much less impact on the Mexican provinces, except perhaps Puebla which is reachable in a day trip from MC. Given that essentially no newspaper food pages reach the provinces, that there are no nationally distributed Mexican culinary magazines with a half life of more than a year or so, no major chains of bookstores, much of their impact is at present restricted to Mexico City. But what an impact! This group has done an amazing job promoting Mexican cuisine. Among their accomplishments: • a series of stunning (and often stunningly expensive) Mexican cookbooks, many or most of them unavailable in English • opening of high end Mexican restaurants (traditionally high end Mexican food was found in clubs, corporate dining rooms, or homes) • the investigation and publication of scholarly studies of middle class and “popular” Mexican food across Mexico • scholarly culinary histories and anthropologies at a world class level • excellent glossy illustrated culinary histories, studies of individual foodstuffs, foreign influences on Mexican cooking written in understandable ways at affordable prices for a more general audience • incorporation of a serious culinary component in the Mexico City Festival and lots of other public events • reprints of classic Mexican cookbooks and manuscript cookbooks at affordable prices • cooperation between high end restaurant and university academics to offer hands on training in Mexico’s culinary heritage • support and training for mayoras (traditional female cooks in Mexican restaurants) There’s a whole lot more that could be said but this is already a ridiculously long posting, Rachel

How authentic is using a little wet masa as a thickener? I have seen it used in mostl recipes for Mole Amarillo but then it's absent in a few. I made a stew of leftover vegetables and pozole and it was too thin so I mixed as little Maseca with cold water and then dribbled it into the stew. It thickened a bit but what I really love is the taste. It's like adding fresh tortillas! Is this done often?

Whenever I'm in Mexico I hunt down this snack made from popped amaranth seeds and I assume either honey or piloncillo water. I have a recipe in one of my cookbooks but I have a lot of trouble popping the amaranth. I love the taste, texture and the fact that it's loaded with protein. I have a few pounds of unpopped amaranth seeds and wonder if anyone has made this at home? Any techniques? I'm going to try a wok today and see how that goes.

Oh Shelora, Your remark about huazontle relleno hit home because I made it for myself last night (and had it again for breakfast this morning). It is one of the most heavenly vegetable dishes in the world I think. The texture of the green seeds, the way they make your mouth water, the cheese, the batter. yum. And I was wondering if this could ever become a popular green in the States. It's time-consuming and difficult to prepare and messy to eat (if that bothers you). Do you have any hints on cooking it? I could learn a thing or two about making the little bundles stick together, Rachel

Well, there I was pushing my cart around the Mega Commercial in León and what should I spot but a bottle with Ferran Adria's photo on the label hanging round its neck. Or a series of bottles of flavored olive oil produced by the firm Borges. So seven bucks later, I am the proud owner of 200ml of chile and cardamom flavored oil. The web page suggests I try it over spinach. All in the interests of culinary research! I'll be curious to see how they sell, Rachel

On Monday 4th October in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City there will be a function to move ahead the recognition of Mexico's food as an oral and non material patrimony of humanity (forgive the unintentional puns in translation) of UNESCO. The title is ¨People of Maize: Mexican Ancestral Cuisine. Rites, Ceremonies and Practices of Mexican Cuisine." The current president of Conaculta (the Advisory Board on Culture) will start the proceedings, long-term commentator Cristina Barros and Gloria López Morales will present the case, and various others unknown to me will comment. I think all the food establishment of Mexico will be there, Best, Rachel

OK. Three questions: 1. I've just bought a mexican cookbook (rick bayless) and I am somewhat perplexed that I can't think of anywhere to buy the variety of fresh chillis the book talks about (serrano, jalapeno, habanero etc) I know you can get a lot of dried ones at Borough, but any ideas on fresh? Also, tomatillos. Any ideas? 2. Answers to the first might suggest what the answer to this one is....But why are there no good Mexican places in the UK? Have you eaten any good Mexican here? 3. The chilli's that you get in the supermarket, the ones they sell loose. What type of chilli are they? I'm assuming jalapeno, but am prepared to be very wrong... Help. Please. :-)

As a sous chef in a NY kitchen I find myself learning a lot about Mexican food from the other cooks as they make family meal. With the summer being slow, I feel like we could get even more complicated, and none of the guys seem to know how to make cecina from scratch. Anyone have a recipe, or recipes? Maybe we could even start a back-of-the-house Mexican food thread.

I'm doing the Mexican cooking class for the the eGullet Culinary Institute. If anyone would like to assist/watch, they are welcome to come. I'm going to do the cooking on Sunday, August 17. I can accommodate up to 8 people in my kitchen. Volunteers will get to sample the food we are making .