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I was at my local Fresh Fields (a variant of Whole Foods) today, and saw that they had fresh "Mexican bay scallops" at an amazing $6.99 a pound. They are "in season". The fishmonger said they were fresh, dry scallops when I asked, and they sure look like it. Has anyone ever heard of this seasonal variety before? I tried searching the I'net, and came up empty. And I have not seen them anywhere else. Any info on this variety would be welcome. Thanks.

I will be traveling to Mexico City at the beginning of September to judge a coffee competition and was thinking about staying on a few more days to see if I can join a cooking class in the city. I have some basic experience making simple Mexican fare such as guacamole, tacos, quesadillas, mole almendrado, but I would like to take a class that gets deeper into the cuisine and was hoping someone here might have some recommendations. Ideally, the class would run between 1 to 3 days and be taught in English (my Spanish comprehension is decent but by no means fluent). Group or individual instruction is fine. Thanks!

I don't *think* there's a thread devoted to this yet. This looks like it has great potential (from Chicago Dish): Can we just fast forward to April 2009?

I have some clients going to London in August and are asking for recommendations for a good Mexican restaurant. They are staying in Kensington, but anywhere in London would work. Thanks Patti

Made ropa veja with flank steak and it was deliciously but so tough that my wife joked the ropa obviously means rope. Given that flank steak ain't known for being tender, is this pretty much it? I assume skirt steak would be similar.

Not from the area. Could anyone tell me where it is? Thanks!

I was in my local Fiesta Mart this weekend and decided I ought to pick up some Maseca as I've seen it called for as an ingredient in some things, even if it wasn't to make dough for tortillas. So, looking at the shelves, I spied a small bag. It said "Amarilla" on it, along with a proclamation that it was "NEW!" Not knowing exactly what that meant, I compared that bag to the larger bag of Masaca. I couldn't tell the difference. Since I have limited storage space at home, I decided to just pickup that smaller bag. Now, I am not totally sure what I have. Here is what I got. http://aztecamilling.com/OurBrands.aspx?ID=139 How exactly is this different than the other stuff? If it's a little different, can I use it as a direct substitution for any recipe that simply calls for Maseca (or instant masa harina)

This article claims that there has been a "great Mexican tortilla crisis" due in large part to an increased price of corn secondary to the use of corn as a biofuel. Has there in fact been such a "crisis" in Mexico? If so what are the perceived causes? Has the promotion of corn based ethanol in gasoline been a factor?

Welcome to eG Cook-Off 46! Click here for the Cook-Off index. We spent the last Cook-Off perfecting french fries, delightful yet leaning toward the one-dimensional. This time we're shifting gears and making the multi-dimensional Mexican dish, enchiladas. The variations on enchiladas are endless-there doesn't seem to be one "definitive," classic, enchilada recipe. They can be filled with beef, pork, chicken, smoked duck, smoked turkey or steamed octopus. An enchilada might be slathered with melted cheese, sprinkled with queso fresco, or have no cheese at all. It seems as though the only thing that enchiladas have in common is that all versions are wrapped in some type of tortilla. There are lots of possibilities for saucing an enchilada, everything from what one finds in a can on the supermarket shelf to homemade salsas using dried chilies. And of course, the variety of dried chilies to use for the sauce -- from mild to devil hot -- is also endless. In her definitive Art of Mexican Cooking, Diana Kennedy describes the two methods for making enchiladas. In one, you lightly fry the tortilla before dipping it into sauce; the process is reversed in the other. For both versions, you then fill the sauced and fried tortilla and roll it up. Kennedy's enchiladas placeras are sauced with a garlic, serrano, and tomato salsa and then filled with shredded beef; her enchiladas de Santa Clara uses an ancho and garlic sauce and an egg and cheese filling (and sounds delicious). Enchiladas benefit from corny, lardy homemade tortillas but also can mask mediocre ones to good effect, and they are an excellent way to showcase a perfect salsa. The previous main enchilada topic can be found here. You can also find topics on making tortillas at home here and a pictorial topic on Making Mexican at home is here. I've eaten hundreds of enchiladas in restaurants, but I was never able to duplicate that "restaurant-quality" enchilada flavor at home. My tortillas were either mushy or were too cold and broke when I rolled them with the filling. I also didn't want to serve my enchiladas with the requisite mushy beans and marginal "Spanish rice." What would be a unique side dish for Enchiladas? And what tortilla recipes would best stand up to the abuse of enchilada manufacture?

I read online articles in the New York Times and LA Times about kimchi tacos. Has anyone here ever eaten them, and if so, would you have any idea on how to make them? They sound delish but I probably won't have the chance to eat at these taco trucks anytime soon because I live in Hong Kong. From the descriptions, it doesn't sound as simple as just putting kimchi and kalbi in a corn tortilla. If anyone can help with a few clues on how to make these, I'd be grateful. Here are the links: http://www.latimes.com/theguide/restaurant...0,4560062.story http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25taco.html TIA

It's on the menu of pretty much every Tex-Mex joint. Even Mex joints and joints that aren't really either. I would much prefer to make this with real cheese and not Velveeta or whatever. I can even be white instead of yellow. In fact, white would be nice as I have a block of Chihuahua in the fridge and some tortilla chips in the cupboard. Is it like make a bachamel based cheese sauce? Flour and butter to make roux. Then some milk. Then add in grated cheese? What do I do to "spice it up"?

I am in search of a great Denver Mexican market. I've got H-Mart for Asian, Bombay Bazaar for Indian, Internal Market (on Parker) for Middle Eastern, but I'm not sure what to do for Mexican. I see carnicerias all over the place, but how do I pick the right one? Does anyone have a good suggestion for me? I'd just like to be able to find authentic ingredients to augment the paltry selection at my local Albertsons. Thanks!

I'm doing an aphrodisiac meal for Valentines Day and someone recently mentioned this liquor to me, but I've never heard of it. Can someone fill me in. I hear its orange and sweet. Can I get more details than that? Thanks

We have gone a few times in the last couple of months.. It never has disappointed..Great tacos.. A little table in the back, the place is a small rectangle.. Counter running across the length where you can stand and eat your taco.. Free guacamole, free radish, free salsa verde.. Taco pastor, carnitas, pollo, cecina, lengue, they have it all..A couple of really interesting sandwiches.. The last time I was there these two guys ordered chorizo and cheese sandwiches.. It came with with lettuce, tomato, and some sauce.. Looked pretty awesome.. The tacos are $2.50 instead of the standard $2 bucks at most Mexican Places catering to Mexican's.. But you get a lot more meat then most places.. Really nice lettuce and salsa added on too.. Spinning wheels of meat are always a good sign:

Just wondering if anyone knows of a store that has a good stock of Mexican ingredients? I find it so frustrating having no clue whatsoever, especially seeing as Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines and I'd really like to make use of my Mex cookbook! There must be one somewhere because I do recall watching the Mexican episode of Food Safari and aha! there they were in a Mexican food store. Here's hoping the prices aren't sky high.

If you could only read and use one cookbook on mexican cooking, which author would you choose and why? How would you characterize the difference between these two cookbook authors?

I was in Santa Fe recently, and had this amazing chili at a cafe on the plaza. It was the spiciest chili I ever had, but not just spicy, intensely flavorful too. Just looking for a recipe that might replicate this...I feel like New Mexican chili powder is different from the stuff you buy in like a Safeway.

I just returned from the local Mexican market. While I was there I noticed something I've never seen before - Chorizo Seco. This sausage is darker (almost the color of blood sausage) and drier (hence the "seco") than your average Chorizo, but it is clearly still a fresh sausage. It is in a natural casing and was refrigerated. It does not appear to be cured. Can anyone give an explanation as to the difference? Is it a regional specialty? Do you cook it up the same as regular chorizo? Is it used in specific dishes?

My nephew and his wife are coming to town from NY (after having lived in Barcelona for 13 years) for the opening of his film in LA and they've asked me (Auntie Foodie) to take them to lunch at an authentic Mexican restaurant beforehand somewhere near the theater in Santa Monica. Does anyone have any ideas?

From Pátzcuaro, México: For Friday's dinner, I'm planning on making Filetes de Pescado a la Veracruzana. Our local pescadería offered tilapia, cazón, huauchinango and mero. I haven't used mero before. I Googled it, and it seems to be grouper. How would that work for pescado a la Veracruzana? I like the thick, meaty filets. Tilapia is out of the question, as I find it nearly tasteless and lacking is substantial texture. Cazón may be fibrous, in my limited experience with it. Huauchinago is expensive, over $130 pesos the kilo! Maybe I'll revert to Plan A: fried, breaded fish filets, Southern catfish style, oven-fried potatoes, slaw, tartar sauce, pickled chow chow, and corn bread. Saludos, Panosmex

I had this soup for the first time the other day. Delicious! Beef, broth, avocado, radishes, and bacon- what a great combo. The Mexican version of "Jewish Penicillin" maybe?? Does anyone have a recipe? I'd love to make this stuff at home.

We decided it was time to rejuvenate our AeroGarden. This time around we went with the "South of the Border" selection, which gives us globe basil, thyme, two cilantros, parsley, oregano, and epazote. The plants are all doing nicely, and when it was time to feed them I decided I'd better read the book that came with the seed pods. And in at least two different places, there are prominent warnings that pregnant and nursing women should NOT use epazote. This is the first time I've come across a warning for epazote, as though it's in the same category as, say, cat litter boxes, unpasteurized cheeses, or sushi. Is this common practice? Why haven't I seen warnings in any of my Mexican cookbooks? MelissaH

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I need to get a bunch of ingredients for a mole sauce. Which are the best markets in the Philadelphia area to find them. I prefer not to go to Jersey where I always get lost unless it's absolutely necessary.

My grandaughter has tapped me to help her with her 6th grade class project while studying the Maya. She's volunteered to prepare a mole and found a recipe on Epicurius. Alas, I know nothing about Mexican cuisine (beyond a single empanada recipe I often make), but I'm sceptical that that recipe is historically authentic. Are there easily accessible sources (in English) for both the history of Mayan cuisine and for an authentic recipe? Unfortunately there's only a little more than a week til we produce the mole.