Mexican Cooking

[djar007]

Thanks mardoo. That is indeed what i was looking for. I do miss these and don't seem to get them at any Mexican restaurants I have been to here.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My local pub makes a nice nacho..heaps of chilli.

Stupid barman reckons that there should be no beans in nacho......

 

[djar007]

There should be banana according to some. Gives it a great creamy butteriness.

 

[Mardoo]

There should be banana according to some. Gives it a great creamy butteriness.

OK now that's just weird

 

[Phoney]

Was ******* delicious - I couldn't get the mesa tortilla dough to hold together properly so that's a trick i need to work on but the flavour of proper cornbread is outstanding.

Anyway one more thing to get obsessed by.

If it's too wet they'll fall apart. Start dry and add water bit by bit until you can start to kneed it. Then keep kneeding it for 10 mins minimum.

 

[manticle]

Thanks. I'll have another crack sometime soon. Flavour and aroma were tops. I followed a recipe to the letter and tried a couple of times but will follow your advice next time.

When making bread in commercial kitchens, I always reserved some of the liquid from recipes to get the dough the right consistency as absorption does sometimes seem to vary a tad.

 

[aussiechucka]

If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit
We do a far bit of Mexican cooking and use this book from time to time. I also bought two book when we were in Mexico last, COCINA YUCATECA AL CHINGADAZO which is in Spanish but they do have an english version. It is mainly food from Yucatan too. And a similar book but for food from around Mexico. Cocina Mexicana al Chingadazo.Cocina Mexicana al chingadazo. These are probably the other books we use recipies from and very traditional.

Best meal we always like to eat is a couple of nice steaks cooked on the BBQ sliced thin after cooking, Blackbeans made at home Cebolla Cambray (which is Spring Oinion cooked on the BBQ/grill slightly burnt) and home madeg guacamole on home made corn tortillas. YUM YUM. Put some Chipotle sauce on them even better.
Cheers
Chucka

 

[Mardoo]

Yum, Thanks. PM sent!!!

 

[OzPaleAle]

If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit
We do a far bit of Mexican cooking and use this book from time to time. I also bought two book when we were in Mexico last, COCINA YUCATECA AL CHINGADAZO which is in Spanish but they do have an english version. It is mainly food from Yucatan too. And a similar book but for food from around Mexico. Cocina Mexicana al Chingadazo.Cocina Mexicana al chingadazo. These are probably the other books we use recipies from and very traditional.

Best meal we always like to eat is a couple of nice steaks cooked on the BBQ sliced thin after cooking, Blackbeans made at home Cebolla Cambray (which is Spring Oinion cooked on the BBQ/grill slightly burnt) and home madeg guacamole on home made corn tortillas. YUM YUM. Put some Chipotle sauce on them even better.
Cheers
Chucka

Thanks Aussiechucka, that looks like a winner to me.

 

[brewologist]

Looks like a good book Chucka. I love the authentic stuff. None of that TexMex for me.

I picked some chilli's from the garden this arvo and have a good supply till next season.

And a hop Hog on hand too

 

[aussiechucka]

When making corn tortillas you need the correct maize flour. We use San carlos I think fireworks sells it. The dough should feel like playdough.

 

[Mercs Own]

Rick Bayless - Authentic Mexican is one of my all time favourite cook books.

Pacos Tacos in Melb is a neat place to pop in for a couple of tacos and a Beer.

 

[Mardoo]

If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit

I just got this book and it's a dead-authentic, great little book if you're already keen on Mexican cooking. I'm really looking forward to cooking these recipes as I have little experience with food from this particular region of Mexico. Plus aussiechucka is a truly awesome bloke judging from my experience. Thanks!

 

[pk.sax]

Only good taste I had was off a burrito truck in Bern. Yummy street food. Being veg doesn't help too much with Mexican food but I love the flavour. This is something I like making every now and then, been a hit with the crowd as well, housemates polished off anything I left in the pan.

Apart from the obvious, the chopped chilli ain't that hot, the heat is from the oodles of chilli flakes. The only other spice is salt.
I toss in the tomato and onion right at the end try to not cook it all.

I'd love some suggestions on vege mex options

 

[cripple469]

This thread is making my mouth water. I never truly understood Mexican food until I went to the US and ate some authentic Mexican. Until that time, I thought Cactus Jacks (a nasty nasty chain restaurant, microwave style in Queensland) was actual Mexican. I was very wrong.

My kingdom for a tamale.

 

[kevo]

Was in Sydney a while back and went to this tiny restaurant Chica Bonita in one of the arcades off the Corso in Manly.

I'm no expert on Mexican food, but it was the polar opposite of the microwaved stuff in red sauce I've had elsewhere.

Lots of beans, coriander, pickled cabbage all washed down with Sierra Nevada PA...yum yum yum.

I would guess the place would sit 40 people tops - and was always chockablock.

Kev

 

[Mardoo]

I'd love some suggestions on vege mex options

There are a lot of options for vego food in Mexican cooking. Hell, with a lot of the country living in poverty a lot of Mexicans don't see meat all that often.

I'll scrounge for a few recipe links for you. Are you vegan? Please say no, that makes Mexican much harder.

In the mean time if you're in Melbourne (sorry, on mobile so I can't tell where you are) try Trippy Taco in Fitzroy. They're all vego, last I checked.

 

[pk.sax]

Okie, I'm not vegan btw, a friend who turned tried to turn me but I like butter and cheese too much
I'm always wanting to come down, will be definitely going there whenever next.

I kinda had the same feeling about both SE Asian food and South American food, it's a rich land with lots of vegetation and poverty, but restaurants are amazingly boganised... Hence why my try at mex is that 2 spice n basics bean fry. I'd be glad if you link me up, looked up tamale mentioned above, would be trying my hand at that.

 

[Mardoo]

Yep, I was going to suggest sweetcorn and cheese tamales with a bit of oregano and garlic. You can use frozen corn if you want. Heat a frypan very hot, add a bit of oil and char the corn a bit. Turn the heat down and add the garlic towards the end and then the oregano at turn off. Salt it. Use to fill tamales.

See my earlier links about tamales for masa dough process and how to wrap. You can use banana leaves (any SE Asian grocer will have some) if you have trouble finding corn husks. Really you can make the filling with fresh sweetcorn and then use the husks to wrap the tamales. If you can find it some achiote added to this is nice. Adds an interesting astringency against the corn.

Anyways, I'll find you some good links.

I was vegan for three years. Then this one day I was standing in front of KFC...

 

[Spiesy]

Love Mexican food... just ordered "The Art of Mexican Cooking" cookbook recommended on the 1st page, thanks.

 

[Spiesy]

This sounds pretty good, although I must admit I'm a little wary of coffee and chocolate in the recipe, but I'll try to keep an open mind:

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2009/02/more-precise-texas-chili-recipe.html

 

[aussiechucka]

I just got this book and it's a dead-authentic, great little book if you're already keen on Mexican cooking. I'm really looking forward to cooking these recipes as I have little experience with food from this particular region of Mexico. Plus aussiechucka is a truly awesome bloke judging from my experience. Thanks!

Hope you enjoy the book and are able to propagate some plants from those seeds. Just let me know if you need help with any of the ingredients. Probably the only one you will have a hard time tracking down is chilmole paste but Fireworks Foods has it http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=243&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53
This is the best with home made tortillas.

If anyone else is keen on the book it is available for $15 includes shipping. Just PM me and I will pass on details.
Cheers
Mardoo and enjoy the book.
PS the Queso relleno is also one of my favorites. A bit fiddly but worth it.

PPS
For any one that is looking for true Mexican ingredients we buy ours from Fireworks Foods. ( no marketing ties to them) Just vey happy customers.

 

[bum]

Fireworks Foods.

Chipotle in adobo? SOLD!

Also, webrings still exist?

 

[Airgead]

*grin* actually Fireworks host with us. Yes webrings do still exist. Kind of.

We are working with the guy to upgrade his site and make it a little less... you know... early 90s. He likes it just fine the way it is though *sigh*.

He pays partially in chilli though which is very cool.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Airgead]

Actually guys... if you do hop onto the fireworks site, can you shoot me a quick PM with anything you like/don't like about it. It might help us convince him to do a refresh if we have some feedback from his customers...

At the moment he wants us to rebuild it on a new platform and make it look exactly like it is now. This makes my wife (who does our design work) very sad.

Cheers
Dave

 

[bum]

Honestly, it doesn't look that bad. Yeah, it is dated and a bit cookie-cutter looking but it is cleanish and inoffensive.

A bit of font consistency and flattening of the background would really be all I'd ask for (also that fire at the top is a bit whatevs but is thematically sound). I honestly think the kinda homemade-iness works in its favour - gives a very approachable, small family-business kind of vibe.

 

[Airgead]

Yeah... consistent fonts. That you can read. Top of our list already.

Number two is convincing the owner not to animate the fire at the top (yes really... geocities circa 1995).

A template that will render on a mobile device and stay readable is up there too.

 

[Mardoo]

Okie, I'm not vegan btw, a friend who turned tried to turn me but I like butter and cheese too much
I'm always wanting to come down, will be definitely going there whenever next.

I kinda had the same feeling about both SE Asian food and South American food, it's a rich land with lots of vegetation and poverty, but restaurants are amazingly boganised... Hence why my try at mex is that 2 spice n basics bean fry. I'd be glad if you link me up, looked up tamale mentioned above, would be trying my hand at that.

OK, sorry mate, been busy but here are some pretty Vegetarian Mexican good recipes/recipe sources.

When they talk about nopales they're talking about the cactus paddles from prickly pears, which you will see at fresh markets sometimes here in Oz. I freakin' love nopale burritos and still think regularly about the ones I used to get in my hometown. Here's a description of how to prepare them. Note that you don't slice them until AFTER you cook them. Otherwise you can end up with a goopy mess. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=113 They make great fillings for burritos, enchiladas and tacos.

When they talk about chayote they are the same thing as chokos, which you will find here in most asian stores/market stalls that sell fresh vegetables.

It will not be easy to find fresh poblanos, and other fresh chiles referred to, in Australia. The poblano is a not very hot but really flavorful chile used a lot in mexican cooking. Might be worth it to find some seeds and grow some if you're so inclined. Dried ones will work but will taste quite different.

Honestly, good mexican salsas will turn just about anything Mexican so here is Rick Bayliss' page on salsas. He's a good source for recipes. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=7

Here is his vegetables page which has a few things http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=12

And his tacos and tamales page, particularly the sweet corn tamale recipe and an couple others, although mostly meaty recipes http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=11 Try the Yucatecan tamales towards the bottom.

There are some good ideas on this page http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/how-have-vegetarian-cinco-de-mayo.html

Here are a crapload of vego Mexican recipes. You'lll notice a heavy amount of salsas but there's other stuff salted in there as well http://www.amazingmexicanrecipes.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/#.UfrA-FOWCmx

Here's a good article from the LA Times. It's not so much recipes as it is ideas but it's a good article http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/food/la-fo-mexican-vegetarian-20110407

Hope all that helps.

 

[OzPaleAle]

When they talk about nopales they're talking about the cactus paddles from prickly pears, which you will see at fresh markets sometimes here in Oz. I freakin' love nopale burritos and still think regularly about the ones I used to get in my hometown. Here's a description of how to prepare them. Note that you don't slice them until AFTER you cook them. Otherwise you can end up with a goopy mess. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=113 They make great fillings for burritos, enchiladas and tacos.

Funny you mention that, we used to do an iron chef thing with mates and one of them bought s a big bag of these cactus paddles for the mystery ingredient......
Basically ended up with various flavoured dishes of slime, part of the challenge was that you couldn't look up recipes and we had no idea what to do with them. So cooking first is the trick, I'll know for next time!

 

[Mardoo]

Basically ended up with various flavoured dishes of slime, part of the challenge was that you couldn't look up recipes and we had no idea what to do with them. So cooking first is the trick, I'll know for next time!

They'll still be, uh, "slippery". The way I like them prepared is fried as in the recipe you mentioned (a little charring is nice in my book), then stewed with onion and garlic and Mexican oregano as in this recipe http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2009/06/how-to-cook-cactus-pads-nopalescomo.html?m=1

The key is to drain off the liquid from the stewing. Then you can use them however you like.