May 2009
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May 26, 2009 10:30 PM
I have come to realize a couple things regarding a group get together around here...
For one thing pot lucks are so popular. Maybe it's because they can make entertaining easier and promote a warm feeling of collaboration. I don't remember many pot luck meals growing up in Mexico. It was generally assumed that the host was in charge of the whole meal and guests arrived with a box of chocolates, a bunch of flowers, or maybe a bottle of wine or tequila too. So that pot luck pitching in element, has been such a nice surprise.
Secondly, no potluck seems to be complete without a salad, which seems to represent the wholeness of a meal and that higher degree of healthfulness. They aren't always that fat-free. But in any case, they help reduce the guilt we all may feel after indulging in a couple of servings of whatever decadent dish may happen to be there too.
Continue reading A salad to dress and impress
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COMMENTS (1)
Jícamas are one of the many Mexican ingredients that luckily, have become readily available outside of the country. Also known as Mexican yams or turnips, they are also a root vegetable. But they are far from the latter in flavor, texture or cooking uses.
They are mostly (and as far as I know also successfully) eaten raw. No need to try to cook them, for many of the qualities they are loved for would be lost. They have a similar taste and crunch as the water chestnuts, but in my view, jícamas are more refreshing, crispy, sweet and watery (continue for more information and photo).
Continue reading Jícama
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May 21, 2009 12:00 AM
To say that Patricia Jinich comes from a family passionate about food may be an understatement...
"In my family, cooking is the main thing that everybody talks about," the Bethesda resident says. As she was growing up, she recalls, "cooking was a big, exciting production -- always...Food was the main, happy topic"
Click here to read the entire article
May 19, 2009 12:00 PM
I am so surprised tostadas haven't become wildly popular in the US. Here are some reasons for my surprise...
They can be assembled in a couple minutes, as ingredients can be prepared beforehand or store-bought. They can be eaten anytime of day, depending on what you layer on them. They are a wholesome one stop meal, for proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates happily mingle in there. They are accommodating, you can decide how much to add of each topping. They are forgiving, choices can vary from one tostada to the next. Moreover, they are fun to prepare, eat and share.
In a sense, they are the perfect dish for casual entertaining. So much of Mexican food just lends itself to being in a Fiesta mood.
In a sense, they are the perfect dish for casual entertaining. So much of Mexican food just lends itself to being in a Fiesta mood.
Continue reading Tostada Buzz: To infinity, and beyond!
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COMMENTS (8)
Tostadas and chips are very versatile ingredients to have in the kitchen. If you don't want to make them at home, you can buy good quality already made tostadas and chips in the stores these days.
You can make your own tostadas and chips with home made corn tortillas or store bought corn tortillas. In either case, spread the tortillas outside of the refrigerator, in your counter, baking sheet or tray for a half hour and up to a couple hours, so they will dry out a bit before baking, toasting or frying. This helps achieve a nicer crispness as they bake, toast or fry.
If you are going to make chips, cut them into 6 triangles before letting them dry.
If you are going to make chips, cut them into 6 triangles before letting them dry.
Continue reading Making Tostadas and Chips
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May 12, 2009 9:00 PM
"Bandido!" My late grandfather would scream, with his wide smile and the most endearing eyes, to my youngest son, if he were here to see how Julian messes up the kitchen. As soon as a thought of cooking appears in my head, he drags a chair, climbs on top, asks what are WE going to make, and without waiting for an answer announces that it is "yo, yo, YO...," who will cook and experiment. I shall be of assistance.
Needless to say, it takes much longer than needed and the kitchen looks messier than my husband likes to see it. But if you ask me, it is worth every extra second and extra spoonful of crumbs on the floor.
Needless to say, it takes much longer than needed and the kitchen looks messier than my husband likes to see it. But if you ask me, it is worth every extra second and extra spoonful of crumbs on the floor.
Well then, what cake to make for his birthday? Of course chocolate! His brothers tell me with a tone of disbelief. However, I know it has to be spongy, fluffy, gooey, sticky, moist, extra messy, sweet and truly decadent to be worthy of the three candles in its middle.
Continue reading Juju's Chocolate Birthday Cake
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COMMENTS (10)
May 8, 2009 10:12 AM
Rolled, sauced and oozing with melted cheese, enchiladas could be called the Mexican equivalent of an American burger or an Italian lasagna: a familiar dish that nearly everyone likes to eat.Click here to read the entire article.
Charring/roasting ingredients is a way to concentrate and deepen their flavor. It also somehow gives the dishes where they are being used an interesting and rustic feel.
Continue reading Charring ingredients
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The molcajete is a cooking tool that although not absolutely necessary this day in age, it does have its uses, benefits and looks. Mexico's version of the mortar and pestle (the pestle being called tejolote) it has been used for thousands of years to pound, smash, grind and mix ingredients such as herbs, spices and chiles, create rubs, pastes and sauces.
It it is traditionally made of basalt volcanic rock, which is very porous and rough and it makes it very heavy. There are however, newer versions of lighter material, that I am not so fond off. When new, there are many takes of how to "cure" them, so they can begin to be used. Some people grind white rice, while others grind peeled garlic cloves. I like to do both. So just take either one or the other, or both, and grind them with the pestle. Then just wash with a soapy sponge and rinse under cold water (continue for more information and photos).
Continue reading Molcajete
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Yes you can buy them already made at the store... but there are few things that can compare to the nurturing and filling sensation of homemade corn tortillas.
And the great thing is: We can buy the premade corn tortilla flour of extraordinary quality in the US these days. So you don't have to nixtamalize the corn kernels (dry in the sun, cook and soak in hot water with lime, peel and grind to a paste) through a process of more than 36 hours to make your own fresh corn tortilla dough. Here is how you make them:
Continue reading Making Corn Tortillas
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Chipotles in adobo sauce are one of my favorite Mexican ingredients. They are ready to be spooned on top or inside of almost anything: quesadillas, tacos, sandwiches, grilled meats... Yet, they are also a wonderful cooking ingredient to use for making a wide range of dishes, from soups to moles, from salsas to stews and even mashed potatoes. Chipotles have truly unique layers of flavor that come together in a most wonderful way: smoky, sweet, deep, rich and pleasantly spicy (continue for more information and photo).
Continue reading Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
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May 1, 2009 10:15 AM
"En la reunión de redacción previa a la edición del Cinco de Mayo surgió la idea de reunir a un grupo de mexicanos que vivieran en el área y que representaran acción pura, que destacaran en sus trabajos, que reflejaran los valores, las ganas, la rebeldía y la fuerza del inmigrante que se abre camino y alcanza una meta. Surgieron nombres a borbotones. La lista final se consolidó en seis: Ricardo Juarez, activista; Patricia Jinich, chef; Gustavo Velasquez, director de la Oficina de Derechos Humanos en DC... "Click here to download article (en español)
