Mexican goods

[Mabelline]

My dear FIL and his lovely lady will be going to Yuma, AZ next week to show some vintage pickups at a show down there. Since they are driving, I got an enthusiastic "Sure, you bet," to bringing me back some Mexican goodies to use cooking. I'm limiting my choice to 5 things. They'll be going across at San Luis, a big town. Please list what you'd like, so I can get ideas. Remember it has to enter into AZ, so no fresh stuff that'll go in the barrels. No alcohol, got plenty up here.

Edit to say, yeesh, barr eels.

Edited February 21, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Jaymes]

I always get cajeta, cheese, vanilla, achiote paste, prepared mole. And I know you said "no booze," but the Mexican amaretto is cheap, and since I dump it with a fairly generous hand into lemonade in the summertime, that's a huge plus. I just simply couldn't and wouldn't do that with expensive Italian Amaretto. Also, I like Xanath, which is a vanilla liqueur, and I've not seen it for sale in the U.S., although that's not to say it isn't.

[Mabelline]

Affirmative on the cajeta. I don't mess with the Mexican vanilla anymore, unfortunately, because the coumarin produced when it's processed has too unpredictable an effect on my coumadin. But I love the stuff.

Amaretto lemonade. hmmm, interesting.Achiote paste--cool. I could make some of that pollo loco. I was thinking Tamarind paste as well. Thanks, Jaymes. I could walk around and find a million things if I were there, but sending someone else, I hesitate to ask for anything bulky,or difficult to tote around. But I have been thinking of asking for a cool-looking pinata.

[Jason Perlow]

Cajeta is awesome stuff.

Interesting Trivia Tidbit: Celaya, Guanajuato, is the largest Cajeta producing city in Mexico. In fact I am pretty sure the stuff originates from there.

I only know this because I lived in Celaya for an entire summer, and toured (and worked in) some of the cajeta factories.

[Jaymes]

I only know this because I lived in Celaya for an entire summer, and toured (and worked in) some of the cajeta factories.

Wow. Interesting. I'd never really thought about cajeta factories, but that would be an interesting tour.

[ExtraMSG]

Viagra. It's much cheaper there.

Honestly:

* A good molcajete

* Big corn husks

* Mango and chile powder candy (the ones where you dip the candy in the powder)

* A big wood tortilla press

[Mabelline]

Tortilla press! Absolutely, and I'd never have thought of it. I have no idea what became of mine.

[marlena spieler]

those mango and chili lollipops are terrific--as is the cool pinata:

a few months ago i carried a big pink dinosaur pinata from san francisco to nyc for daughters fiesta; the mexican security staff at sfo were hysterical and so friendly to me with my big purplish pinky dinosaur, and then when they found the mango and chilli lollipops i had friends for life.

managed to find an empty seat on the flight and got to sit next to my big pinky purpley dino-pinata, both of us strapped into our seats.

i like the little individually wrapped caramelly sweets too, both soft and hard ones. mexican candies are so varied and yum! and sometimes strange and yum. and sometimes just strange.

[Mayhaw Man]

Citrus Squeezers (the cast aluminum kind, get a couple of sizes, irreplaceable)

Wooden Spoons, stirrers, pushers

Vanilla

[Mabelline]

Oh and the cocoa thingy with the rings on it !

[Jaymes]

Oh and the cocoa thingy with the rings on it !

Molinillo

[Mabelline]

Thanks, Jaymes. I got on their list.

[theabroma]

Cajeta is awesome stuff.

Interesting Trivia Tidbit: Celaya, Guanajuato, is the largest Cajeta producing city in Mexico. In fact I am pretty sure the stuff originates from there.

Cajeta is, in fact, so associated with Celaya and fine qualilty sweetness that the town gave its name to the oldest sweet shop in Mexico City: the Dulceria de Celaya on Cinco de Mayo in the Centro Historico. Although their candies and bonbons are made in the DF, they do sell cajeta de Celaya.

Anyway:

have you considered dried chiles, especially mulatos which can be hard to find here (they're usually mixed in with the anchos). Good, leathery pasillas (instead of brittle and dry), and little round chile cascabel.

Beans: flor de mayo, peruanos, bayos, flor de junio, ayacotes, and azufres.

Corn husks for sure - if you can get those big, round ones.

Maybe two molcajetes - fine textured basalt, deep bowls, one real big?

An aluminum and a big wooden tortilla press

Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) and Mexican canela sticks

A comal de barro

Theabroma

[Mabelline]

Theabroma, that's great---I've been messing with the comal idea, and although I've got my gram's big ol' molcajete, there are some things I don't do with it because I don't want to mess the seasoning of it's surface up. Absolutely about the mulattos esp., I haven't gotten a good one up here. And the tortilla press is decided on, too. The molinillo, too. And the cool pinata. FIL has a double cab dually, so I'm only worried about them carrying too many things; I will keep on refining this.

THANK YOU to everyone for helping me !! It is sure appreciated.Barkeep, shots all around!!

[Mayhaw Man]

It's funny how things work out.

I got home from the parades tonight and there was a message on the machine from my Mom. My parents have decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Harlingen, Tx (by way of Austin where my one year old nephew currently reigns as the king of the grandchildren, but I am sure this has nothing to do with the trip ) to visit her Baylor roomate. She called to see if I wanted anything from across the border, as they go over for lunch and dinner a couple of times during these trips (and my Dad has a bootmaker there who is amazing and he usually orders a pair. Nothing like fitted cowboy boots to dress out the well fitted gentleman farmer ).

I said, "Well, oddly enough I was just discussing this on egullet......."

I ordered a quart of vanilla, a large citrus squeezer (they break eventually), a new tortilla press (aluminum), and a case of Penefiel (sic) Agua Mineral (I know it's just soda, but I love that stuff).

Thanks for the suggestions, even though they weren't exactly for me.

[Mabelline]

Yep, my daddy told us to buy the best boots, hat, and saddle you could afford, then the rest would take care of itself. And you know, it always did. Bravo for the goody run!!

Edited February 22, 2004 by Mabelline (log)