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"Oaxaca al Gusto" by Diana Kennedy

theabroma

By theabroma
in Mexico: Cooking & Baking

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janeer

janeer

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Posted

Book arrived today. It is a tome. I am just starting to go through it. Don't think we have the flying ants (chicatanas) around here.

I notice that farther back in the book there are more subs offered. I also notice that many of the pictured chiles very closely resemble other kinds of chiles that are available, and so it will be worth asking her about subs. For example, the chilhuacels look a lot like poblanos. Earlier recipes do not offer this alternative, but some later ones do. It would be worth asking if a sub is offered only when it would not make a real difference, and not offered when it would. The differences among chiles can be dramatic, but also quite subtle. Some subs matter more than others.

This weekend I will get serious with the book when I have time.

Jane

Little Compton Mornings

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Jaymes

Jaymes

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Malarkey and I went to a book-launch reception and dinner at Hugo's here in Houston on Monday night. A sold-out house of 150 dined on recipes from several of DK's books.

Speaking of cuitlacoche, one of the biggest hits was the Empanada de Cuitlacoche, on page 57 of the Oaxaca book. Terrific.

Also well received were the Duck with Oaxacan Black Mole (page 89, Oaxaca) and Coffee Caramel Custard (page 394, Art of Mexican Cooking).

A lovely and gracious evening for a lovely and gracious woman.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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heidih

heidih

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I picked up mine today from the mail center. Foolishly I put out one hand as the guy handed me the package- had to drop what was in my other hand to catch the book - weighty gorgeous tome. Even if I do not cook from it I am fascinated by the creative use of local ingredients, and will surely be spurred to sample some of the touted examples of Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles.

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heidih

heidih

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I am planning to attend the book signing and Q & A in Long Beach, California on November 13th. The info for the event allows questions to be pre-submitted by email. Perhaps some of our questions could be answered in that way. If you post them here I will submit them and post any answers I get after the event.

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budrichard

budrichard

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What a remarkable tome!

I don't think I will ever be able to cook each mole recipe in this book but the fantastic variety of recipes and information certainly are exceptional. Most of the pictures are credited to Diana Kennedy and they are very well done.

The basic problem is that many of the specific chilies and other regional ingredients will just not be available to us Norteamericanos.-Dick

Edited by budrichard (log)
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janeer

janeer

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I am planning to attend the book signing and Q & A in Long Beach, California on November 13th. The info for the event allows questions to be pre-submitted by email. Perhaps some of our questions could be answered in that way. If you post them here I will submit them and post any answers I get after the event.

I think the question on everyone's mind, based on previous posts, is substitutions. For me, I am interested in chile substitutes primarily.

Jane

Little Compton Mornings

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heidih

heidih

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Great clip Kalypso. I love her comments about getting the "men who make these treaties" into the kitchen and the dig at genetic engineering

Those of you who do not have the book should visit the clip to get a look at a few of the evocative photos.

Now I am really looking forward to the Q & A in my area in November.

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heidih

heidih

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Just got it. What a remarkable book at first glance. What recipes are people going to start cooking?

I am still on my first slow thumb through. The recipe that is stuck in my mind is "Tamales de tichindas" on page 163. I will be able to find the yerbasanta leaves, but the tichindas are small inch long mussels from mangrove areas. They are left whole. I love the concept of the shellfish opening in the tamale and the juices being captured. I will be doing some research on possibly using a very small clam. I do not think I will be attempting this for at least a month or so. The chile sub needs research as well.

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janeer

janeer

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I don't know how many of you have seen this video of Diana Kennedy talking about Oaxaca al Gusto but thought it might be a good idea to pass it along

"How many chef-y cookbooks do we really need?...I can't see that sort of cookbook lasting 20 or 30 years." Hear hear, Diana.

And she lapsed into Spanish at one point with a "tambien" (also) by mistake: "some of their moles, tambien."She's wonderful.

Jane

Little Compton Mornings

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janeer

janeer

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NPR talks with Diana Kennedy:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130271914

There's a couple of recipes as well.

I heard it. They raised the critique of the (non) index, one I share. It is really a table of contents at the back of the book. A highly unusual decision for a university press to make. But hard to complain, given its other assets.

Jane

Little Compton Mornings

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kalypso

kalypso

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I tend to agree on the index piece. I actually cooked from this book over the weekend. I knew the recipe I wanted to do but couldn't remember where it was in the book. When I flipped to the back and saw how the recipes were indexed, I was a bit crestfallen at the thought of having to comb through all those sections just to find one recipe. Luckily for me, it was on page 11 so I didn't have to comb far.

Edited by kalypso (log)

Kalypso

San Diego, CA

http://thediningdiva.typepad.com

http://www.astrofood.net

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janeer

janeer

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I tend to agree on the index piece. I actually cooked from this book over the weekend. I knew the recipe I wanted to do but couldn't remember where it was in the book. When I flipped to the back and saw how the recipes were indexed, I was a bit crestfallen at the thought of having to comb through all those sections just to find one recipe. Luckily for me, it was on page 11 so I didn't have to comb far.

So, don't leave us in suspense. How was the arroz con pollo?

Jane

Little Compton Mornings

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heidih

heidih

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Just an update for anyone planning to go to the book signing and Q & A on November 13 in Long Beach, California - I just called to RSVP and the time in not as shown in a post above. It is 3 to 6 pm.

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  • 3 weeks later...
rancho_gordo

rancho_gordo

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Just a heads up for my fellow Diana freaks in the bay area, we're hosting a party for her here at Rancho Gordo in Napa. It's free and you are welcome to come enjoy Ms Kennedy's company, some great food from us, Fatted Calf and others, wine from Ceja Winery and mezcal from Encantado. We'll also have some adorable ballet folklorico by grade schoolers at the Napa Language Academy and the Mayor is coming by to declare DK day here in Napa! It's going to be hoot and I'd love to see you here!

POSTCARD.jpg

No need to R.s.v.p.

HOST'S NOTE: Click here for the terms under which this is listed on the eG Forums.

Edited by LindaK
added host note (log)

Visit beautiful Rancho Gordo!

Twitter @RanchoGordo

"How do you say 'Yum-o' in Swedish? Or is it Swiss? What do they speak in Switzerland?"- Rachel Ray

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rancho_gordo

rancho_gordo

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To follow up briefly, it was a hoot. And a half.

IMG_4562.JPG

DK was in a great mood. The party started at 2p and it was packed until the end, at 5pm. What a I loved most was it was such a great mix of people from the local Napa foodie scene to our regular customers to the parents of the kids who danced and even the mayor who came by to declare it Diana Kennedy day in Napa. There were some very sweet older ladies who were from Oaxaca and drove all the way from Sacramento!

Ceja Wineries poured their excellent wines and the food included 2 bean dishes and the beef sausage from the book, all made by Fatted Calf. We made a jamaica aqua fresca and a friend made some chili peanuts like you eat on the square in Oaxaca. The local tamales were excellent and now I plan to get them every Saturday. 6 jugs of Encantado mezcal were drunk! We think we had nearly 250 people!

The sweetest thing was seeing DK address the Oaxacans who came. "You should be very proud of your cuisine!" and they'd just melt. I was on the verge of "happy" tears the whole day.

We ran out of our 50 books withing an hour and a half. A friend had 19 more copies and those were gone withing minutes. It was a roaring success!

Visit beautiful Rancho Gordo!

Twitter @RanchoGordo

"How do you say 'Yum-o' in Swedish? Or is it Swiss? What do they speak in Switzerland?"- Rachel Ray

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