Cooking from "Fiesta at Rick's" by Rick Bayless

[DanM]

What I have noticed, starting with Mexico: One Plate at a Time is that his recipes have become more and more Americanized and less and less traditionaly Mexican.

I agree with this assessment: my argument is that's not such a bad thing. I really enjoy seeing how Bayless takes a traditional Mexican approach, or ingredient, or dish, and twists it around into something "contemporary." As far as I am concerned, Kennedy "wrote the book" on traditional Mexican cuisine. Once you've documented it, there is limited new ground to tread, so I welcome the innovation in OPT. Of course, I'm also waiting impatiently for the English translation of DK's Oaxaca!

Ditto. Bayless did a wonderful job with Mexican Kitchen, Authentic Mexican, and Mexico One Plate at a Time documenting traditional Mexican fare. I'm glad that he is not regurgitating these books and exploring contemporary concepts. The one book I would love for him to write is a tome on moles, much like he wrote about salsas.

Dan,

I know I used zucchini, yellow squash, and onions.. but there was another one, I can't remember.

Your combination sounds good, I think the eggplant will balance the sweetness of the others. i didn't really take that into account when I made mine the first time. I'll make it again, the sauce is wonderful.

I'm not that smart and did not put any consideration into what I put in it. I just grabbed whatever hearty veg was available at the farmers market, with the exemption of the white onion. One great find at the market were the purple tomatillos I used for the sauce.

We were very happy with this dish. The mango guacamole was also well liked. It would be even better if I had a riper mango.

[Chris Hennes]

White Chocolate–Mezcal Ice Cream (p. 310)

The trouble with using white chocolate in ice cream is that is basically tastes like a very rich vanilla. Except it costs ten times as much. Add to that the small amount of Mezcal, which adds an odd almost chemical note to the tail end, and you have a recipe for something... mediocre. I was using pretty nice white chocolate (E. Guittard) and a decent mezcal (Del Maguey), so I don't think ingredient quality is the culprit here. It may just be that the recipe needs more mezcal: I'm not sure it would read as a chemical note if there were enough in there for it to be recognizable as mezcal.

[Chris Amirault]

Which DM mezcal?

[kalypso]

Chris, I think your ice cream looks delicious. It is a food group right

I had the first same reaction as the other Chris, which Del Maguey did you use. I think I'd be inclined to use the Crema which has a high sugar content and isn't quite a sharp (for lack of a better descriptor) or maybe the Pechuga, tho' ice cream would not be a good or cost effective use of Pechuga. I've tasted all the Del Magueys and own 3 or 4 different bottles of them, as well as having the great good fortune to taste them with Ron Cooper at his facility. The Del Magueys are not all created equal and some of them do have a harder, mineral-like taste than others and, IIRC, one of them is pretty lean and austere.

I like Mezcal...a lot...but I also think it's something of an aquired taste. Right now I'm really taken with the Los Danzantes reposado which I think is a little smoother and has a little less edge than the Del Magueys. The LD silver is also pretty good too, had that in Baja a while back. Either of the LDs - reposado or silver - would probably be good in the ice cream. Unfortunately, I don't think either is readily available in the U.S., or at least not in my neck of the woods.

[Chris Hennes]

I used the Crema, since it's the only one I've got. I like mezcal (though I find this one challenging to mix with), my problem is that when you only get the faintest trace of it it does not seem to read (to me) as mezcal. It's just an indefinable "strangeness" lingering on your palate at the end of a bite of otherwise plain-vanilla ice cream: a strangeness that I didn't care for.

[kalypso]

So the Crema didn't work, good to know.

I agree Mezcal isn't the best mixer in the bar, doesn't always play well with others. I usually drink it straight, but then I drink most of my liquor straight, or darn close to straight. I have used mezcal in Oaxaca Old Fashioneds which are pretty good, nice smokey notes to the cocktail. But that's about the only cocktail I've used it in with good results.

[Jaymes]

Atún en Escabeche de Chile Jalapeño (Tuna in Jalapeño Escabeche) (p. 129)

I made this for lunch today, thinking it would be sort of like a tuna salad with some pickled jalapeño in it, which sounded pretty good. But what it actually turns out to be is a jalapeño salad with a little tuna in it. Also good, but not what I was expecting. I personally found there to be too much onion, and the pieces of onion to be too large, but that's just a personal preference, I think. Also, make sure you use chunk light tuna here, not white: you need the added flavor in order to taste the tuna at all. I don't think I'd serve this at a party (it's probably a little too weird for most of my guests), but I'll probably make it for lunch again. I served it as a salad atop the dregs from a bag of tortilla chips.

I made this for dinner last night. Served with fresh corn tortillas: "Tuna Tacos." Sides were a big pan of fried corn made with what might likely be the last ears of the season, and a plate of sliced avocados and homegrown tomatoes.

It was really very good. Not fabulous, but especially when you factor in the ease of preparation, and the low cost of tuna, we all decided it's a winner, and we'll make it again. Probably won't serve it to dinner guests as a main, but it might be a good side. And sometimes I have taco parties where I make several different taco fillings. Think it'd be terrific for that party, along with other choices.

One thing I'll do differently in the future is to buy a different brand of escabeche. The one I bought didn't have nearly enough carrots, etc., in it. A local mercado has escabeche in big glass jars so that you can select whichever veggies you want. Next time, I'll go that route.

[Chris Amirault]

So at this point what are the stellar taco fillings for a crowd? I'm doing the sous vide carnitas in a couple of weeks and would like to grab another protein or two.

[Jaymes]

So at this point what are the stellar taco fillings for a crowd? I'm doing the sous vide carnitas in a couple of weeks and would like to grab another protein or two.

Well, I just make a selection of Mexican meats/mains that I put out, and then folks build their own tacos. It's a lot like going to a Mexican restaurant. You order your main, and tortillas come alongside. It's more like that than any specific kind of "taco filling."

I make whatever protein I'm in the mood for - Cochinita Pibil, some sort of chicken - maybe mole, lengua (and since I usually try to mix up dishes that are more work with some easy stuff, I do the lengua in a crockpot), fajitas, either green or red chile stew, carnitas, etc. Anything, really. I don't make the typical hamburger stuff, but I do make picadillo quite often.

Sometimes I do shrimp, or fried fish.

And then the sides and condiments: frijoles charros, guacamole, salsas, etc.

______________________

Edited September 16, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[DanM]

So at this point what are the stellar taco fillings for a crowd? I'm doing the sous vide carnitas in a couple of weeks and would like to grab another protein or two.

Although it is from his other book, Everyday Mexican, I highly recommend the chorizo, mushroom, and zucchini tacos. The chorizo is optional and we make it without in our household. The chorizo and mushrooms are cooked and then simmered with the zuchinni in a tomato chipotle sauce.

Dan

[Chris Hennes]

Crispy Shrimp Tacos (pp.192–193)

Basically your prototypical "taquito" (at least, that's what they call them in those boxes in the frozen foods aisle): some kind of saucy filling wrapped in a thin tortilla and deep-fried until crisp. In this case the filling is shrimp in a tomato sauce. Honestly, these tasted a bit "white bread" to me: good, but not interesting. I also made the savory tomato broth on the following page as a dipping sauce, which was OK, though I left it too thick, I think: it was a bit heavy. I really think these would have been MUCH better served exactly the way he mentions in the description, plated with the broth poured over them and topped with pickled vegetables. I'd very strongly recommend going that route if you decide to make them.

[Pierogi]

So at this point what are the stellar taco fillings for a crowd? I'm doing the sous vide carnitas in a couple of weeks and would like to grab another protein or two.

Soft fish tacos in fresh corn tortillas are always a hit with me, although I prefer them with battered, fried fish which is problematic for a crowd. However, I *have* had perfectly acceptable ones made with grilled, firm white fish like snapper or halibut. Make a cabbage/cilantro slaw with a lime juice/oil dressing, some red or sweet onions, extra cilantro, some thinly sliced radishes and a drizzle of crema, all of which go on top, and it's pretty much taco nirvana. Put some appropriate herbs/chile powder on the fish before you grill and so much the better.

[Chris Hennes]

Cocadas Horneadas (Golden Fresh Coconut Candies) (pp. 326–327)

Ah, fresh coconut: nature's most annoyingly inaccessible ingredient. I mean, I love any excuse to use a hammer and a drill in the kitchen, but damn if I don't make a mess doing it. The recipe says you can use dried coconut flakes, but where's the fun in that?! The ingredients list is pretty short here: these are basically just sweetened coconut mounds held together with the smallest amount of binder possible. They are flavored with just a touch of cinnamon, and were not overly sweet, which I definitely appreciated. I'm not terribly fond of the texture of coconut on its own, but "it is what it is."

[DanM]

I just finished filling 40 roasted garlic, ricotta, and swiss chard tamales. As Chris mentioned, I ran out of swiss chard before anything else. I probably have a quarter of the masa dough left over and about a third of the ricotta. I have more than enough for the party on Tuesday, so I am going to store the remaining masa dough. How long can this stuff sit in the fridge? Can it be frozen?

Dan

Edited September 26, 2010 by DanM (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Short answer: not really. Longer answer here. That was for tortilla masa, but my guess is that the issues that the frozen masa presented -- mediocre texture both before and after cooking in particular -- would apply here as well.

[DanM]

Thanks Chris.

I am also going to make the Chocoflan, aka Impossible Cake tonight. I am a bit worried given the comments here about it not baking all the way though. Should we start a separate thread on this in the Pastry section of the site?

Dan

[kalypso]

Thanks Chris.

I am also going to make the Chocoflan, aka Impossible Cake tonight. I am a bit worried given the comments here about it not baking all the way though. Should we start a separate thread on this in the Pastry section of the site?

Dan

Dan, I think you can just make the cake. The recipe is fairly forgiving, so even if you need to bake it longer you probably won't end up with a cake that's too dry.

All ovens are different and yours might be exactly right for this cake, but you won't know til you try

[DanM]

Thanks Chris.

I am also going to make the Chocoflan, aka Impossible Cake tonight. I am a bit worried given the comments here about it not baking all the way though. Should we start a separate thread on this in the Pastry section of the site?

Dan

Dan, I think you can just make the cake. The recipe is fairly forgiving, so even if you need to bake it longer you probably won't end up with a cake that's too dry.

All ovens are different and yours might be exactly right for this cake, but you won't know til you try

Do or do not... there is no try.

I baked it for a little over an hour and the tooth[ick came out clean. It sat in the fridge overnight only to found that the center caved in... I unmolded it and found the flan a half cooked soupy mess and it looks like the cake absorbed some of the flan mix . I coaxed it back in the pan and it is back in the oven for another 30 minutes. At this point, the cake is probably a loss so anything is worth trying.

Dan

[kalypso]

And try you did...A for effort?

My oven has both conventional and convection settings. When baking - which I do frequently - I usually use the conventional setting. So that is what I used the first time I made the Chocoflan recipe. I had to bake it 20 mintues more than the recipe indicated in order to get it done. The second time I made it I used the convection setting on the oven and it only took 10 extra minutes.

I did get a little sagging of the center, but I was using a 10" springform pan and thought it might be because of the breadth across the pan. It makes a cake that is pretty wide, and I kind of wondered if there was enough support (i.e. internal structure) for the 10" cake.

[LindaK]

A useful tip: the creamy tomatilla sauce from the roasted vegetable enchillada recipe freezes really well.

I had leftover sauce from my effort a month or so ago, and popped it in the freezer. A couple of nights ago I pulled it out to make some last-minute enchilladas and was really surprised at how fresh and vibrant the flavor still was. If I can find some end of season tomatillas at the market, I plan to make a big batch and freeze in small portions. It will be a great antecdote to dark, cold winter nights.

[DanM]

And try you did...A for effort?

My oven has both conventional and convection settings. When baking - which I do frequently - I usually use the conventional setting. So that is what I used the first time I made the Chocoflan recipe. I had to bake it 20 mintues more than the recipe indicated in order to get it done. The second time I made it I used the convection setting on the oven and it only took 10 extra minutes.

I did get a little sagging of the center, but I was using a 10" springform pan and thought it might be because of the breadth across the pan. It makes a cake that is pretty wide, and I kind of wondered if there was enough support (i.e. internal structure) for the 10" cake.

In the end it turned out pretty good, but could be better. I'm not sure if it was the double baking, but the chocolate cake portion was very dense, almost brownie like. Is this what it is supposed to be like?

The biggest hit was the Soft Drink recipe in the book. I really don't know how to describe it, except very refreshing and delicious! I really recommend it.

Dan

Edited September 29, 2010 by DanM (log)

[DanM]

Chris. You haven't posted any updates in the past month. Have you stopped cooking from this book for a while? I hope you will revisit it. The information here is very useful.

I am thinking of making the chipotle chicken and butternut squash tamales out of thanksgiving leftovers. I saw your comments about the watery nature of the tamales due to the moisture in the squash. I was thinking about making them a little different by cooking and pureeing the butternut squash with some chipotle. I could then mix it with the chicken or pipe it onto the tamale batter. What do you think?

Thanks!

Dan

[kalypso]

This is just an update on the cooking times for the Flan Imposible (ChocoFlan).

I made 6 of these yesterday at work for a function we're having today. We've got Montague double convection ovens at work and these things really rock, they are some of the best commercial ovens on the market. They also oeprate at a pretty high BTU rating.

The first 2 flanes went in the oven at 350* with the convection feature on. They cooked in about 40 - 45 mintues, which is less than the time in the recipe.

The next 2 went in the other oven at 350* with the convection feature off. These took 50 mintues, which was the time in the recipe.

The last 2 went back into the first oven with the convection feature off. Unfortunately, my employees were at the end of their shift and kept turning the oven off without looking inside as they thought all the baking was done for the day Once we got the oven turned back on these took about 45 mintues +/-.

My guess is that this recipe was probably originally developed using a commercial oven, whether in a test or restaurant kitchen. On the positive side, this recipe is pretty sturdy/flexible and can stand up to the variables of home kitchen ovens. The recipe works regardless of the oven used, tho' cooking times may vary considerably

I've now made this recipe about 15 times, for home use my recommendation is to use an oven thermometer to verify the temperature and then monitor the cake for doneness beginning at about the 45 - 50 mintue mark and adjust the cooking time to your oven. If your oven has the ability to do convection cooking, use it. This does speed the cooking time and it does not affect the appearance or quality fo the finished product.

DanM...think about actually mixing your puree of butternut squash and chipotles into the masa para tamales and then just filling with your leftover turkey

[Chris Amirault]

DanM...think about actually mixing your puree of butternut squash and chipotles into the masa para tamales and then just filling with your leftover turkey

Now that's a fascinating idea....

[DanM]

I made the tamales last Friday to great success. I roasted the butternut squash and then mixed 1/3 in with the masa and the remainder with the chipotle and shredded turkey leftovers. There were no problems at all with moisture.

Dan