egFoodblog: EatNopales

[EatNopales]

Your kitchen is exquisite and I like those words from Julia Child above the sink. What are your thoughts on Rick Bayless?

Thanks.... yeah my wife picked that out (she has a Master's in Nutritional Sciences and counsels people with Eating Disorders so it is a very meaningful statement for her).

Rick Bayless has been a pioneer in promoting Mexican cuisine north of the border and one of its most successful advocates. I have to admit his personality is a little strange and his show is kind of hard to watch (besides I end up watching cooking shows straight from Mexico on Once TV & Canal 22 where I get a deep sense of what is actually going on there as the country rediscovers & redefines itself).

On the other hand... Mexican Kitchen is a GREAT cookbook in my opinion. He really gets Mexican cuisine, something that I think most food personalities in the U.S. don't.

In many ways Mexican is philosophically the polar opposite of French. France had a history of very simple cooking... the some messianic chefs like Escofier came around and dictated to people how they should cook, with very specific recipes & terminology... very much a top-down pyramid. Mexico on the other hand is a great cuisine built by many common cooks over 8,000 years there is no exact agreement on what anything should be. Cooking is taught by example and rarely with recipes.. when your grandma teaches you a dish and she puts in a handful of herbs and you ask which & how much of each... she gives you a look like you are a silly bunny and tells you to make it your own.

In Mexican Kitchen he tells how to make some foundational pastes & sauces... and how you can turn that into a variety of dishes, and how you can riff upon that based on what you have. That is EXACTLY the spirit behind Mexican cooking. As a contrasting example, our tendency in the states is to define the definitive version of something.. the Martinez cocktail 1 part gin or 2 parts? Well why a definitive? The genius is the magical combination of 3 or 4 flavors.. and they can be combined in many interesting ways along a continuum... we are all slightly different tasters and our ingredients vary... so yes Bayless has done a lot of good by trying to transmit these concepts in his shows & book.

[EatNopales]

love that amaranth crust on the tomatoes!

EatNopales, you will forever be the guy who inspired me to make amaranth pancakes. One of the best things I've cooked in a loooong time. Looking forward to the rest of this blog.

Your pancakes are beautiful, and your toppings compelling. Congrats on making them all your own

[EatNopales]

As other parents know, having young kids can put quite the damper on your culinary achievements.. right now we are in a very picky phase, and they have a small number of dishes & foods they will actually eat consistently.

After taking them to the redwood forest for a hike and a little drive around the Sonoma Coast we got back home in time to prepare one of their easy favorites.

Pan Fried (thin & fast cooking) Pork Chops; Rice Pilaf from a box (Near East brand nice short, all natural ingredient list); Steamed local Broccoli (although sometimes it takes more work to not buy local when you are so close to the Ag centers of California), homemade Escabeche of organic Carrots, shredded conventional cabbage & onions.

Escabeche is very important to my cooking. Where my parents are from there is always some vegetables in Escabeche sitting in a clay pot... Cauliflower, Zucchini, Broccoli, Carrots, Jalapenos, Potatoes, Nopales, Green Beans.. whatever is in the garden can usually be prepared quite tastily as an Escabeche.

Instructions...

Sautee sliced onions & carrots with some good pinches of Salt, Oregano, Black Pepper, Coriander + Thyme, Marjoram & Allspice.

Remove the onions when they are a bit translucent... keep sauteeing the carrots until they are Al Dente. Add the cabbage & garlic & sautee for 30 seconds or so. Finally deglaze the pan with a solution of (1/4 Vinegar 5% acidity, 3/4 Water + Salt)... then pour over your vegetables in a non-reactive, covered container & refrigerate.

Within 4 hours they should be good to eat... they keep improving and peak after a couple of days.

For dessert:

Some Fage blended with Mexican Vanilla & Condensed Milk, organic local Strawberries & some of the homemade chocolate sauce.

Those who have a Mexican Fruiteria near by probably already know that Strawberries & Cream or Jocoque is a food group when in season.. as well as the more baroque Escamochas & Bionicos. This is a combination of the two. Simple tasty, quick dessert based on fruit.

[Jenni]

In many ways Mexican is philosophically the polar opposite of French. France had a history of very simple cooking... the some messianic chefs like Escofier came around and dictated to people how they should cook, with very specific recipes & terminology... very much a top-down pyramid. Mexico on the other hand is a great cuisine built by many common cooks over 8,000 years there is no exact agreement on what anything should be. Cooking is taught by example and rarely with recipes.. when your grandma teaches you a dish and she puts in a handful of herbs and you ask which & how much of each... she gives you a look like you are a silly bunny and tells you to make it your own.

This is an excellent point. Actually I think it's something that can be said of many cuisines - what you use and how you cook it can depend on the season, available produce, how you feel that day, personal preference...and let's not talk about pinning down specific quantities! To me it makes a lot of sense - a specific ingredient can vary hugely in taste and how it behaves depending on factors such as weather or what that particular crop was like so it doesn't really make sense to fix a recipe with rigid quantities.

[EatNopales]

Ingredients for breakfast this overcast, crisp morning:

I cannot overstate the importance of Atole (corn masa based drinkable gruel with infinite variety) in Mexican civilization. It is literally what the fuel behind the country's farming & enterprises for thousands of years. A stick to the bones, body warming, caloric meal that you can have on the move while you get that early jump on farming or modern day labors.

Those that haven't traveled into the heart of Mexico very much probably think of it as either a hot arid desert or hot humid tropical beach. But most of the country, its population today, and its cumulative population throughout its history has lived on the central highland plateaus formed by two major mountain chains that run up & down its coasts.... even at tropical latitudes mornings tend to be chilly when you are 7,000 feet above sea level. And although Mexico is a much warmer place than it was 200 years ago (chronicles from the 19th century mention that the volcanoes ringing Mexico City were perpetually snow capped except for a few weeks in the spring... today its the opposite the snow cap has been reduced to very short season in the winter).... in the winter months if you leave a bucket of water out at night, you will have ice in the morning.

[EatNopales]

Directions:

1) Boil Cinnamon Sticks for 5 minutes - 2 sticks for every finished cup of hot beverage - this should reduce in half.

2) Add Dark Chocolate - I use 100 calories of 72% chocolate for every finished cup (which is 8 gms of fat and is the key for translating between different levels of purity)

3) Add your sugar of choice - I use 1 tablespoon for every finished cup

4) Bring it all to boil, whisking rapidly until the chocolate has melted into a silk

5) Add Fresh Ground Masa (by far the superior choice) or 1 Tbspoon Masa Harina per Finished Cup that has been diluted with 1/4 cold water per Finished cup, bring to a boil then let it simmer until it is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon

6) You can have it dark or remove it from the heat to add some Milk of your choice (including Corn Milk)

[LindaK]

I cannot overstate the importance of Atole (corn masa based drinkable gruel with infinite variety) in Mexican civilization. It is literally what the fuel behind the country's farming & enterprises for thousands of years. A stick to the bones, body warming, caloric meal that you can have on the move while you get that early jump on farming or modern day labors.

As usual, EatNopales, I learn something new almost every time you post. I'm looking forward to seeing how you integate these traditions with your daily cooking, especially with kids. Thanks for blogging!

[EatNopales]

I cannot overstate the importance of Atole (corn masa based drinkable gruel with infinite variety) in Mexican civilization. It is literally what the fuel behind the country's farming & enterprises for thousands of years. A stick to the bones, body warming, caloric meal that you can have on the move while you get that early jump on farming or modern day labors.

As usual, EatNopales, I learn something new almost every time you post. I'm looking forward to seeing how you integate these traditions with your daily cooking, especially with kids. Thanks for blogging!

Here is what I made for the girls' lunch today.. Poached Eggs over Trader Joe's cracked wheat sourdough toast all mixed up is one of their favorite meals & a great way to get protein & fiber into a picky kids.

Ingredients for the Adult Lunch:

[heidih]

I am a fan and convert to Rancho Gordo's piloncillo. Pricier than the cones I used to get at the market, but a much smoother and richer taste without that burnt edge.

I think it is cool that the kids enjoy soft eggs. Gives you lots of options.

Thank you so much for the straightforward escabeche recipe. I keep small batches of several quick pickles around at all times and this will round out the selection. I have enjoyed it when offered in restaurants and taco stands, but never made it myself.

Looking forward to lunch - I really really want to know what the floater and liquid in that jar are!

[EatNopales]

Rick Bayless has written something to the effect that Soup is the most important course in a Mexican meal, and that in every kitchen in Mexico there is always a whole chicken boiling in a pot. Of course he is exaggerating to make a point but Mexicans adore soup and have it almost everyday at one meal or another... which brings me to a discussion point of "Authentic" Mexican restaurants in the U.S... what they serve, how they plate and their course progressions are generally not representative of what restaurants in Mexico do, they are not representative of what people in Mexico do in their homes, and not representative of what U.S. Mexicans cook at home.

I will discuss these discrepancies more as the week progresses. U.S. Mexican restaurants tend to follow a pattern adopted in 1950's when El Torito & Taco Bell, two Southern California chains owned by non-Mexicans, popularized Mexican cuisine. Ignoring their ingredient missteps & inability to season & prepare the food authentically... in their effort to present Mexican food in the format of the "traditional proper American meal" (while keeping food costs down) they latched on to the concept of serving a large plate with a main dish occupying half the plate then two to three sides... so a template of Meatloaf flanked by Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Vegetables became Beef Chunks in Chile Colorado flanked by Rice, Beans (and then later the addition of Chips & Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Lettuce etc.,)... as "Authentic" Mexican restaurants have became popular they have adopted this caloric dense format which crowds out any possibility of a substantial soup.

In contrast one of the more common course progressions in Mexico (particularly among indigenous communities) is to start with a filling masa based Anotojito & follow that with a large, but low calorie, soup. A variation on that is to serve the Soup at the same time as the Antojito. And I should note that most Antojitos served with soup are of the sturdy / crunch griddled or fried variety not soft like Tamales for example... the duality of liquidy & crunchy is much respected if not codified in books.

One of the most popular & prevalent soups in Mexico is the Sopa de Milpa (Cornfield Soup)... although other names like Sopa de Guias, Sopa de Quelite, Sopa de Elote, Sopa de Verduras is used.. but basically you take whatever is growing in the Milpa (Corn, Tomatoes + any combination of Zucchini, Squash / Pumpkins, Blossoms, Green Beans, Wild Greens & Herbs, Chiles & other aromatics)... if you have Chicken stock you can use that.. but it is also very delicious & common to make it vegan.

Sopa de Milpa was basically a pantry item at our house, and my parents would riff by adding Brocoli, Bean Sprouts, Napa Cabbage or whatever else was cheap & tasty at our neighborhoods stores.

My parents choice Antojito is Quesadillas stuffed with Cabbage Escabeche & Roasted Tomatillo-Arbol Chile sauce (I use Sambal Oelek as a substitution when I don't have time to make salsa)

The two sided quesadilla is given the fancy name Sincronizada (Synchronized Ones) and they have a somewhat interesting story. My mom grew up making tortillas by hand everyday... soaking the dried corn over night, waking up to grind it with a hand cranked molino, patting the tortillas by hand & cooking over cast iron comal over mezquite fire. But, the reality is that few people in Mexico hand make tortilas on a regular basis. Now people go to the Tortillerias which generally make something fairly close to hand made (far superior to what we get at the supermarket here)... they are made & sold earlier in the day, with no preservatives so by afternoon they are too stale to fold for quesadillas without rupturing so entrepreneurs making the best of what they have invented the sincronizada.

Directions for Sopa de Milpa

1) Score & briefly boil tomatoes, peel & puree

2) Simmer the Corn with Tomato Puree & Salted Water or Stock (the flavor of Corn Cobs is enough to make a fragrant & tasty stock)

3) After about 20 minutes of simmering start adding your other vegetables respecting their cooking time so you get an Al Dente texture. Add the Pumpkin Blossoms and particularly delicate Greens at the bowl so they barely wilt a bit.

[EatNopales]

I am a fan and convert to Rancho Gordo's piloncillo. Pricier than the cones I used to get at the market, but a much smoother and richer taste without that burnt edge.

I think it is cool that the kids enjoy soft eggs. Gives you lots of options.

Thank you so much for the straightforward escabeche recipe. I keep small batches of several quick pickles around at all times and this will round out the selection. I have enjoyed it when offered in restaurants and taco stands, but never made it myself.

Looking forward to lunch - I really really want to know what the floater and liquid in that jar are!

Frozen, homemade Chicken stock

[heidih]

So the "ball" is the fat? Love the soup and love all soups. I come from a soup culture.

[ScottyBoy]

I love Mexican hot chocolate. Also love the history lessons I'm getting!

[EatNopales]

So the "ball" is the fat? Love the soup and love all soups. I come from a soup culture.

No it was just not fully defrosted when I took the pic. The broth was definitely de-fatted.

[kalypso]

EN, what a delightful surprise!! I've been away from eG for a few days and I come back to find you're el blogger de la semana Love what you've done so far and looking forward to the rest (or at least until Thursday when I leave for Veracruz)

[PopsicleToze]

That soup you made looks fantastic, and I love that carved wooden tool you use for masa. You clearly know/love/respect your culinary culture. I am looking forward to learning a lot this week!

Thanks! And PM some soup if you have any left.

[EatNopales]

EN, what a delightful surprise!! I've been away from eG for a few days and I come back to find you're el blogger de la semana Love what you've done so far and looking forward to the rest (or at least until Thursday when I leave for Veracruz)

Have a great trip... you gonna rub it in?

[EatNopales]

I hope its not against the rules for the guest blogger to have a guest blogger, but tonight's dinner was my wife's killer meatloaf and she wanted me to post the following on her behalf:

"A good part of the reason Juan and I got together is that we’re both foodies at heart. Having kiddos has changed our eating and cooking life dramatically, though, so that many days we look shamefully like the typical American eaters. For one, we used to cook together, or each cook about half the meals in a week. Now I cook most dinners, while Juan plays with our girls after work. The other huge change? If I want to make one meal for the whole family, I am drastically restricted by the very picky tastes of a skinny four-year-old and the chewing capacity of a less-picky two-year-old. Spicy food? Out. Mixed together foods? Freak-out-waiting-to-happen. Kid food? The love of their lives! So I make homemade macaroni and cheese with whole wheat pasta, gruyere and local sharp cheddar, turkey burgers sweetened with mango chutney and moistened with sour cream, and tender meatloaf & ketchup sandwiches, our meal tonight. It seems anything in sandwich form paired with ketchup is kid-friendly, just like anything called pickles must be yummy (so when I make Sunomono, I call it Japanese pickles, now a house favorite).

Unlike Juan, I almost always cook from a recipe. I was uninspired by most meatloaf recipes I perused, but this brief clip I found while searching online seemed promising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kcrjQqT_Q

Here’s the recipe I’ve made up based on the clip:

1 medium carrot, grated on your cheese grater

2 stalks (organic!*) celery, chopped

1 c chopped yellow onion (about 2 small or 1 med)

1 1/3 c chopped mushrooms

1 tsp fresh thyme, if you have it handy

¾ c ground beef (local, organic if possible)

¾ c ground pork (local, organic if possible)

1 c homemade** bread crumbs (made from 4+ slices of bread, crust removed, cubed & food-processed)

2 eggs, beaten (humanely-raised locally and organically)

3 T Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

2 t kosher salt

½ t freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a food processor, puree the prepared*** carrot, celery, onion, mushrooms & thyme. Dump into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly (hands do it best). Press into a meatloaf pan or shape into a loaf on a parchment covered sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour.

*Conventionally-grown celery has one of the highest pesticide residue levels; see the full ranking at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/

**The ingredient list on store-bought breadcrumbs is truly frightening. Don’t do it, people!

***I do all that grating and chopping of the veggies beforehand because I don’t know how to get my Kitchen Aid Food Processor to successfully puree the raw veggies (particularly the carrot) if I don’t. If you have tips, let me know!"

The meatloaf is resting on a slice of warm sourdough roll side of romaine salad with homegrown tomatoes.

A minor announcement here... tomorrow is our anniversary, rather than going out I will put on the chef's hat and put together a little something.. stay tuned! More pontificating before then, I am sure

[heidih]

Welcome Mrs. EatNopales -

I sympathize with the child eating issues. At some point I channeled short order cooks and just cooked quick things that worked in terms of nutrition and taste. Coming from an eating disorder background I was bent on not forcing food or making it an issue. It all worked out and in the long term the 20 year old prefers the taco truck to Taco Bell and does cook often. You are just at the beginning of the adventure. Looking forward to more of your meals.

[KatieLoeb]

Happy Anniversary to you both! This blog is a delight. I'm gaining a perspective on Mexican cuisine that is like no other. Thank you for your insights. Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Since you're a fan of Mescal you simply must try a Oaxaca Old Fashioned, one of my very favorite cocktails, created by Phil Ward, phlip here on eGullet. It's a classic. It's not so easy to mix with mescal, but this cocktail really does it justice. Apologies for the thread hijack, but I thought you'd appreciate the cocktail recommendation...Carry on!

[Peter the eater]

I don't think I've ever made a meatloaf probably because of unpleasant childhood memories. You have inspired me to move on.

Happy Anniversary to you both. Are there deep-rooted cunilary traditions from Mexico we can look forward to?

[EatNopales]

I don't think I've ever made a meatloaf probably because of unpleasant childhood memories. You have inspired me to move on.

Happy Anniversary to you both. Are there deep-rooted cunilary traditions from Mexico we can look forward to?

Thanks and yes it will be a Mex centric dinner

[EatNopales]

Happy Anniversary to you both! This blog is a delight. I'm gaining a perspective on Mexican cuisine that is like no other. Thank you for your insights. Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Since you're a fan of Mescal you simply must try a Oaxaca Old Fashioned, one of my very favorite cocktails, created by Phil Ward, phlip here on eGullet. It's a classic. It's not so easy to mix with mescal, but this cocktail really does it justice. Apologies for the thread hijack, but I thought you'd appreciate the cocktail recommendation...Carry on!

This cocktail sounds great... will make it soon.

[Darienne]

Happy Anniversary to you both and many more!

I don't know the equivalent in Spanish of "doo doo doo doo" but along comes your meatloaf recipe. Haven't made a meatloaf in more years than I can recall and have been thinking about it on and off for two months now.

Now we will have meatloaf this week. Thanks.

Am loving the blog, sir and madame.

[kalypso]

Happy Anniversary and continued happiness

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you treat Sra EN to today. I'm sure it will both interesting and delicious.