556686 Thu Sep 11 16:56:40 -0700 2008 38 31 Home Cooking 0 4027811 This is my first time living someplace without a significant Mexican community. As I adapt to life in Hawaii... I go out for Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Hawaiian Fusion... my wife cooks mostly Italian, Southern French & California Cuisine (with a Southern Euro bent)... and I primarily cook Mexican & California Cuisine (with a Mexican & Silk Road bent). This thread documents my effort to use indentifiable Mexican techniques & foundational ingredients... to cook food that is Mexican in integrity but which takes advantage of ingredients available here on the islands. There is an additional shade in that... while Hawaii might not have as much of an obvious Mexican influence as the mainland... there are many things in common developed over the last 500 years of indirect contact... as well as the fact that Hawaii lies at the same latitude, and shares an ocean with Mexico. > Several Native Hawaiians upon meeting me told me about the Paniolos (of which I had never heard of). It turns out that in 1832 King Kamehameha III's ambassador traveled to Mexico and brought back 3 vaqueros / charros to teach the locals how to become cowboys. Consequently, the Hawaiian slack key style of music was derived from Trova Ranchera. Also, the Ukelele (which is also associated with the Portugese immigrants) is very closely related to the Jarana guitar evolved in Mexico over the last 400 years. http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/hawaii.htm > Then of course you have many plants that originated in Southern Mexico & Central America that were introduced to Hawaii in the last 500 years and have come to be an inseperable part of Hawaiian identity... Pineapple, Papaya, Guava, Hawaiian Peppers, Avocados etc., > And there are many aspects of Hawaiian / Polynesian origin that have become an inseperable part of Mexican identity... Coconuts, Palm Thatch Roofs etc., As well as 3rd party influences that have simultaneously become part of both identities... Sugar Cane, Macadamia Nuts etc., etc., > Hawaii and Western Mexico share many species of sea life... Mahi Mahi (Dorado), Yellow Fin Tuna, Marlin, King Mackeral etc., Thu Sep 11 16:56:40 -0700 2008 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4027907 First up... Luau (Taro) Leaves. http://www.canoeplants.com/kalo.html Vegetables are expensive in Hawaii. Vegetables are fairly rare when you dine out in Hawaii (as many might know Macaroni Salad is considered a veggie here). A couple of weeks ago I made some Collard Greens and spent $8 on 4 servings. Collards like other vegetables considered Peasant food on the Mainland & in the Old World is a luxury here. One thing that I am optimistic about is the fact that there are several Mexican vegetables that have infiltrated the East Asian diets such as Amaranth greens in Vietnamese cooking & Nopales in one of China's regions... so I am hoping to locate Asian markets that will have some of these. And I also expect to better learn how to cook widely available, relative inexpensive Asian produce such as Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy etc., For now... Luau / Taro leaves are a homerun. R Fields, a local purveyor of haute ingredients, offers very nice looking, locally harvested leaves @ $3 for a 1 1/2 pound package.... one of the most affordable & sustainable ways to consume veggies in Hawaii. One of the most popular traditional preparations is Lau Lau (in fact you see a # of hand scribbled road side signs on the Windward side of O'ahu near Waimanalo advertising homemade Lau Lau for sale) http://gohawaii.about.com/od/luaurecipes/r/lau_lau.htm My first attempt at Cooking Mexican with Luau leaves.... Coconut-Green Mole A) Make the Sauce 2oz of Pumpkin Seeds 2oz of Sesame Seeds 2oz of Peanuts 2oz of Almonds 12 Tomatillos 2 Serranos 1 handful of Cilantro leaves 2 Radish Leaves 4 Mint Leaves 1/2 Onion 2 Cloves of Garlic Pinch of Allspice Pinch of Ground Anise Seed 1 1/2 Cup of Chicken Broth (maybe more) 1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk 1) Boil the tomatillos & serranos until they are relatively soft 2) Toast the Seeds, Nuts (seperately one after the other) in moderately hot, slightly greased skillet 3) Sautee the Onions...add Garlic & spices to bring out their flavors 4) Process into a puree adding Chicken broth as needed until you have a creamy paste 5) Add the tomatillos, serranos & herbs & puree until smooth 6) Sear the sauce in oil/high quality lard for 5 minutes 7) Add remaining Chicken broth, Coconut milk... taste & adjust seasonings, liquid, salt as needed and simmer on low heat B) Boil the Taro leaves in salted water & teaspoon of vinegar for 20 minutes... then drain and add to the Mole. Simmer on low heat for at least 40 minutes. Serving Suggestions > As a side dish to Pan Fried or Grilled Fish > As a Taco filling with some hard boiled eggs or Smoked Poultry or Smoked Fish Or to make a Hawaiian Papadzul... instead of simmering the Taro leaves in the Mole... bake them with a lower proportion of the sauce.... saving at least a Cup or 2 of Mole. Then flash fry some tortillas, coat them with the sauce, fill them Mole flavor Taro.. roll up like an Enchilada... then top with sliced Hard Boiled Eggs and a mild Tomato salsa: http://kitchenkathleen.blogspot.com/2008/03/papatzules.html E Komo Mai Thu Sep 11 17:36:00 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4028092 Oye, E N, you've gone from LA to Hawai'i (where half of my family is rooted). While you think vegetables are expensive, they're simply priced more like they are in many, many parts of the world outside of the US and much of Latin America. You ended up finding Mexican cognates in Hawai'i. Make you a deal, next week I'll look for Mexican in Tajikistan! Will report back Thu Sep 11 18:38:40 -0700 2008 4027907 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 4028112 Good luck with Tajikstan... of course after having read about the improbable existence of Tex-Mex & Cal-Mex in Ukraine & Uzbekistan.... I guess anything is possible. Thu Sep 11 18:48:13 -0700 2008 4028092 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4028832 sounds really really good. did you happen to take a picture of your creation? Fri Sep 12 06:17:21 -0700 2008 4027907 57890 KaimukiMan 3 4029692 No... it wasn't particularly pretty... it kind of looked like Creamed Spinach... next time I prepare it, I will do something flashier... perhaps the "Hawaiian Papadzules" Fri Sep 12 10:58:24 -0700 2008 4028832 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4040769 There is no dish more Mexican than Chile en Nogada (Roasted Poblano stuffed with Braised Meat, Nuts & Fruit and bathe with a fresh/tender Walnut Cream sauce & sprinkled with Pomegranate seeds). It was concocted in 1821 for the table of the country's first president, and since has come to be intimately associated with Independence Day dinner tables and widely prepared throughout the month of September (because of course when others celebrate an Independence day... we being the drab, boring, fun hating people that we are... chose to celebrate an Independence month....) http://micasarestaurant.com/albums/album02/ChileEnNogada01.jpg With the opening of Whole Foods in Kahala mall, we now have a steady supply of blemish free Poblanos. Mexican Crema is harder to source... Vermont Cheese Company's version of Creme Fraiche absolutely pales in comparison to a good Crema... but its the closest we are going to get). Tender Walnuts are a problem but unroasted Mac nuts make a good substitution (and take advantage of a high quality local ingredient). Here is a baseline recipe that you can choose to use: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000114chiles_en_nogada_chilies_in_walnut_sauce.php I keep it a little simpler: (1) Roast the Poblanos & peel them (that is the most challenging step)… (2) Prepare the Picadillo… brown some ground meat seasoned with Pepper, Allspice, Cinammon, Dried Oregano, Thyme, Salt etc. (3) Remove the meat & reserve… add chopped onions & brown then add dried fruit of your choice (I hate raisins and do cranberries instead)... chopped celery & carrots, tomato sauce… add back the meat & simmer low & slow for 30 to 60 minutes. (4) The sauce is simple.. grind the unroasted Mac nuts until it’s a fine powder… then blend with Crème Fraiche salt, a little nutmeg etc., until it’s a fine sauce (strain if necessary to remove grit)… stuff the peppers with the meat & garnish… Tue Sep 16 20:31:59 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4040900 sounds great. Most of the grocery stores here sell little packs of dried tropical fruit (pineapple, papaya, etc - thought i had some still around). It may be too sweet, but take a look perhaps. I would make a mess, but i can manage to roast and peel the poblanos, but how do you grind the macs? Tue Sep 16 22:00:39 -0700 2008 4040769 57890 KaimukiMan 3 4042097 Yup... I think pineapple & papaya would certainly work... I do like to keep something sour like Cranberries in there to take the place of Acitron, Candied Limes or Xoconostles. Grinding the Macs... start in a food processor & pulse the Macs alone... they will gradually crumble into a fine poweder. Then you can either add the Creme or transfer to a Blender... and whip it up at high... finally strain with medium mesh to get rid of any grit left over. Wed Sep 17 11:21:13 -0700 2008 4040900 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4041076 this assortment and you have gripes? "Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Hawaiian Fusion... my wife cooks mostly Italian, Southern French & California Cuisine (with a Southern Euro bent)... " golly. as far as the Tex-Usbekhs thing goes I have made an interesting Borscht/Jalapeno thing served cold. Cilantro happened. Wed Sep 17 02:31:53 -0700 2008 4027811 163722 hill food 2 4042140 In spite of being in Tajikistan, we went out for Ukranian last night. Delicious, including salad of incredible flavor and texture dense tomatoes, small flavorful cucumbers, fresh dill, a dark Thai-like basil, thin perfect leeks, and several other delicious greens; a dish that held an incredible sauerkraut, cucumber pickles. and pickled tomato; a cubed beet and potato salad with pickled herring; a plate of pate and thinly sliced tongue; and, for my "main", a bowl of borscht with small dumplings. My friends had nice coffees and dessert while I had a Tajiki vodka. All fresh and delicious. Not a misstep anywhere. Well, maybe the surly service. Wed Sep 17 11:35:32 -0700 2008 4041076 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 4053230 Chayote (aka Mirliton) Althought Chayotes are not grown locally... there are always good looking specimens at the Supermarkets every week, and a relatively good deal (compared to other fresh veggies here). When I think Chayotes... I particularly think about the cooking of Veracruz where its probably the single most important, most commonly consumed vegetable... or rather vegetable-ish fruit. Veracruzanos eat it raw, they make it into Sauces... and most commonly they simply poach it in Broth or Water... sometimes it gets a little butter & brown sugar... voila dessert. For my weekend cooking experiment I prepared Veracruz style Tinga with Chayotes... > Poach some Chicken Breasts with halved onion, halved garlic cloves & your typical herbs (Marjoram, Thyme, Laurel, Oregano etc.,)... when the chicken is cooked & tender you shred it between two forks... reserve & strain the remaining liquid. You might want to include some fatty chicken to improve the broth's flavor... speaking of Chickens... you should use Free Range to approximate the assertive flavor of Mexican yellow chickens... otherwise add some "Better Than Chicken" bouillon or a good quality Chicken broth to make for the lack of flavor in our conventional, fatty, overly hormone-d chickens. > Poach a handful of inexpensive tomatoes in the remainingbroth until the skins begin to peel.... remove & peel and transfer to a Blender > Add a couple of Canned Chipotle Peppers (or Dried Reconstituted Chipotles), a couple of peeled cloves of garlic to the blender and just enough broth to blend into a smooth puree. > Brown a small amount of Chorizo in a skillet, then remove leaving the fat in the pan. > Sautee a diced white onion in the Chorizo until it carmelizes... then pour in the Tomato-Chipotle sauce until it reduces & changes color (about 5 minutes)... finally add the shredded Chicken Breast & Chorizo and simmer on very low for 5 to 20 minutes so that the flavors meld.... you should have a fairly thick "sautee" > Meanwhile quarter your Chayotes, removing the pit/seed in the center. And poach over medium heat in the remaining broth for about 15 to 20 minutes until fork tender but not mushy. Serve the Tinga with your quartered Chayotes, perhaps a wedge of Queso Fresco or French Style Feta and some hot corn tortillas. (The local Sinaloa brand isn't too bad if you brush them with a little melted lard or olive oil and heat them on an iron griddle). If you want to go the extra step... blister some Serranos or Jalapenos in oil until they are wrinkled & slightly blackened. Tinga can also served with Veracruz style Green Rice (which I will leave for another day) Mon Sep 22 15:23:35 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4054173 E_N- Don't forget to visit the Farmer's Market at Kapiolani Community College on Saturday mornings. Many of the offerings are just amazing. You might also contact the people who own that small Mexican joint on Piikoi across from Ala Moana (at least I think they're still there). They've got to be ordering their supplies from somewhere and you might get lucky. Until then, I'm enjoying your adventures adapting local ingredients into Mexican cooking. Mon Sep 22 23:40:50 -0700 2008 4053230 84765 onocoffee 3 4054225 Hopefully this weekend! Saturday we went to the Portugese festival at Ala Moana park... I should post about Tostinhos =) Tue Sep 23 01:01:39 -0700 2008 4054173 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4054191 You probably already know this, but growing chayote in a place like Hawaii would be a walk in the park; in fact, one vine would probably cover most of that park... Mon Sep 22 23:58:01 -0700 2008 4053230 64003 bulavinaka 3 4054226 Thanks... we are in escrow on a house on the windward island... we hope to get a vegetable garden set up.... Chayote would be a great idea. Tue Sep 23 01:02:29 -0700 2008 4054191 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 4054613 I wish you smooth sailing through your escrow in paradise. Good luck! Tue Sep 23 07:06:45 -0700 2008 4054226 64003 bulavinaka 4 4070624 I know I can't loose you EN, you are too ubiquitous but I haven't been following your posts because I've been away from home. Now that I'm catching up on your whereabouts and adventures, I'll stay in touch. I'd like to know if Mamey and sapote are grown in Hawaii (should be, right?). And if so, how they are used in cooking. If not, plant some on the homestead.?? What, in particular, will you be growing? I just returned from CA central valley and the produce here at home looks rather anemic. But we sure can't complain about availability compared to the rest of the planet. Mon Sep 29 15:01:11 -0700 2008 4054226 23178 P Macias 5 4073040 I haven't seen Mamey, Sapote, Zapote Blanco or Zapote Negro in Hawaii... but I am just starting to scratch the surface... Pitahaya (locally known as Dragonfruit) are plentiful... but unfortunately the samples I've had basically sucked... but they were from a Supermarket not from an Ethnic market or Farmer's market so take it with a grain of salt. So far I placed an order on Gourmet Sleuth for: > Calabacita Redonda (Ronde de Nice squash) > Verdolagas > Cilantro (Santo) > Epazote > Huazontle > Amaranth > Czech Black Chiles > Tomatillos I will dry my own seeds of locally available stuff (Chayotes, Serranos, Papaya etc.,). I wasn't able to find Hoja Santa seeds online so I did some research and found that it is an invasive throughout Polynesia (including Oahu)... so I am going to have to do some foraging (I also plan to transplant some Nopales the same way). I have no idea what will stick... and don't really know what I am doing. But my parents are visiting in January and they have a beautiful Almarcigo in East L.A.... so I imagine they will get stuff to grow. Tue Sep 30 16:28:25 -0700 2008 4070624 42572 Eat_Nopal 6 4074377 Jeeze, Juan, you could start any number of fun businesses, ethnic food classes, cooking classes, horticulture and agriculture, inventions. I hope you have a good sized plot of land and get a mule. I'm real anxious to hear how you combine the indigenous foods with your Aztec foods. Get down to Hana on Maui and check out the native stuff there. They will love you. Great that the folks are visiting. Please post some pictures of the homestead. Wed Oct 01 09:24:09 -0700 2008 4073040 23178 P Macias 7 4075387 Thanks P.... I have an edit... above I said I got my seeds from Gourmet Sleuth... that is incorrect... its Seeds of Change and they have very cool stuff: http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/browse_category.asp?category_id=3 Wed Oct 01 16:04:45 -0700 2008 4074377 42572 Eat_Nopal 8 4075536 I hope that you consult with the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture before you or aquaintances bring in any seeds/cuttings etc. The islands have far too many invasives already, and many native species are endangered as a result. Locals e.g., Frankie's Nursery (tropical fruit tree specialist, 41-999 Mahiku Place, 259-8737) should be considered first. Wed Oct 01 17:15:53 -0700 2008 4075387 10483 Joebob 2 4187037 Try using green papaya instead of chayote. My mom uses chayote for a substitute for it in Tinolang Manok (Chicken and Papaya) a filipino dish. It has a very similar texture, but a more distinctive flavor than chayote Wed Nov 19 14:36:43 -0800 2008 4053230 227302 kirinraj 1 4071426 I too live in Hawaii and there are quite a few Mexican restaurants here in Kauai. While not nearly as good as the restaurants I have experienced in Arizona or SoCal, they still serve passable Tex Mex fare... There is a considerable amount of puerto ricans in the islands and we almost always have pasteles at our parties....my best friend's grandfather immigrated here from PR and therefore she always has an assortment of PR foods for me to eat. Just some rambling. Mon Sep 29 22:26:43 -0700 2008 4027811 70884 Mag454 1 4089677 I have fallen behind and its time to start catching up.... Cochinita Pibil. The iconic Mayan dish from The Yucatan is easy to prepare on the Islands... and trust me, its a big hit with the locals. I had trouble finding Banana Leaves (tried Foodland & Don Quijote)... so I remembered at old man in Valladolid, Yucatan explaining how he cooked lots of Chaya (a spinach like plant that grows prodigously in the jungles there and shares some similarities with Collards & Luau leaves)... with a bit of Pork in the Pibil style... so I tried my luck with Collards and they were absolutely delicious. > 4 Pounds of Pork Leg > 1 to 2 bunches of Collard Greens > 2/3 Little Box of Achiote Paste (Available at Mercado de la Raza) > 4 Garlic Cloves > 2 Handfuls of Key Limes (Available at Foodland & Whole Foods) > 1 Valencia Orange > 1 Grapefruit > A few splashes of Champagne Vinegar > A couple of big pinches of Dried Mexican Oregano (Available at Foodland, Mercado, Don Qi & other stores), Allspice, Black Pepper, Salt to taste > High Quality Pork Lard (Mercado has an okay version... but its white lard... if you can find Brown lard with little pieces of fried pork in it... that is the way to go) 1) Dissolve the Achiote Paste with fresh squeezed Key Limes (the rustic Mexican citrus juicers are the most efficient & effective at the task), if you can juice the Garlic... then do so & add to this mix. Also add the Spices & Oregano 2) Salt & Pepper the pork chopped into 2inch cubes then marinade it overnight in the Achiote-Citrus marinade. 3) Drain the pork, reserving the marinade & toss it with chopped Collard Greens, put in an Oven Bag... add back most of the marinade & seal it. Back at 325 degree for about 2 hours. Remove the bag & let it rest so that it cools... then shred the meat... put in a dish with the juices... then pull out mounds of meat & collards draining fairly well... put on a griddled corn tortilla... spooning a little bit of juices as necessary... topping of with Citrus Marinaded Red Onions & Habanero Salsa. To make the Onions.... slice 2 large Red Onions very thinly, salt, pepper, allspice... then drown them in the juice 1 Valencia Orange, 1 Grapefruit, 1 large handful of Key Limes, 2 splashes of Champagne vinegar... macerate over night. To make the salsa... boil 4 habaneros & 1 to 2 orange or yellow tomatoes... until the tomato skin begins to peel... shock in some ice cold water. Peel the tomatoes.... in a blender combine the Habaneros, Peeled Tomatoes, Salt to Taste & Cold Water (consistency should be thin like a bottle hot sauce). Tue Oct 07 20:43:47 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4089770 Do you have a favorite brand of achiote paste? I tried El Mexicano and it tasted really off to me. Tue Oct 07 22:00:20 -0700 2008 4089677 15001 jsaimd 3 4090873 I like the ones that come from the Yucatan... El Mayab, El Yucateco etc., The best of course, are the artisinal pastes that come from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec... very hard to find, you need to know someone from that region because there is absolutely 0 distribution networks other than people bringing some on the airplane with them. The difference between those homemade ones with recent harvest Achiote seeds & the commercial stuff in the Yucatan is like comparing the best Saffron with Safflower... BUT I do think that with respects to Cochinita Pibil and the flavor melange that it entails... the Yucatecan brands are quite sufficient. El Mexicano is mostly a lowend repackager of processed stuff. Their stuff is generally a notch or two below other mainstream brands... and I say this as a distant relative of the owners. Wed Oct 08 11:12:11 -0700 2008 4089770 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4089895 If you used banana leaves (available at Waipahu Marketplace), how would the recipe change? Line the pot with them and discard them after cooking? Wed Oct 08 00:52:52 -0700 2008 4089677 10483 Joebob 3 4090887 Ah... what you would do is soften the Banana Leaves over a flame so that they are maleable... arrange them like you were wrapping a gift, put the marinaded pork in the center & wrap completely.... then wrap that bundle with foil... or put in a covered Clay Pot. The banana leaves lend a subtle green, slightly anisey flavor that is very nice. Of course if you happen to own a Pit.... by all means cook the bundle in the Pit... after all that is what Pibil means. Wed Oct 08 11:16:04 -0700 2008 4089895 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 4092221 Would a cast iron pot work too? Those I have. To change the subject, I just suggested you as a source for a lengue taco recipe. Could you please post one? Wed Oct 08 19:55:20 -0700 2008 4090887 10483 Joebob 5 4094345 I think an iron pot might work.. but I would worry that the citric acid might cause the lead to leash. Otherwise put everthing inside an Oven Turkey Bag... and sit it on a cookie sheet or baking dish... works perfectly fine. Thu Oct 09 16:54:33 -0700 2008 4092221 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4096348 Good, English language Blogs related to Mexican Cooking: http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com/ http://ranchogordo.typepad.com/rancho_gordo_experiments_/ http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com/ http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/ Some blogs in Paniolo: http://deliciosadas.com/ http://cesarts.blogspot.com/ http://vinosmexicanos.blogia.com/ http://www.vinoypipirin.com/ Fri Oct 10 14:05:26 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4180768 This is another good Blog in English: http://whatscooking.us/ Mon Nov 17 13:07:21 -0800 2008 4096348 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4096488 Since moving to Hawaii... eating pineapples has become a weekly recurrence... as such Tepache making has become a regular ritual: Tepache... what is it? Its a traditional Mexican beverage particularly common on the Central West Coast (Nayarit, Colima, Jalisco) as well as in Mexico City (where there are immigrants from all over), that is made by fermenting pineapple leftovers (rind, core etc.,). Its lightly fizzy like a spritzer, refreshing with hints of alcohol, pineapple & woodsy flavors. It is a brilliant way to get full use of all the fruit, & it poses endless chowish possibilities... from a refreshing & exotic beverage, to a cool cocktail mixer, Sorbets, Coulis etc., The following link has the most widely available recipe: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/tepache.htm Notes: > All the recipes in English call for using a whole pineapple. But the ones from Mexico tend to call only for the rind. I am pretty happy with the rind only results... very reminicent to what I used to have in Mexico. > Most recipes call for only 48 hours of fermentation & they suggest adding a beer. My guess is that this is a modern commercial innovation designed to speed up the process & lower costs. However, Prehispanic peoples did not have the luxure of adding a beer so I am going to guess that they just let it ferment for a lot longer. I did 72 hours & I am very happy I did because all the Carbonation seem to have developed in the last 24 hours. > This link is an abstract from Food Science and Technology International on a research study conducted in Mexico City that concluded consumers there preferred a Tepache that had undergone a secondary fermentation. http://fst.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/5/411 > This link is on beer making & describes the secondary fermentation process. Based on this link I am going to guess that fermenting the Tepache for at least 1 week will provide the best results... particularly in eliminating some of the chemical like flavor notes that are produced in the primary fermentation. http://www.allaboutbeer.com/homebrew/ > The receipes all tend to have a lot of water during the fermentation process... but if we reduce the quantity of water, we produce a more suitable anaerobic environment for the yeast to develop. > The Cinammon & Cloves are too subtle in this recipe.. I would suggest crushing them just a little bit so that the flavor is a little bit more assertive. Fri Oct 10 15:33:35 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4096966 I wish I could be you for a week- I'd eat myself silly!! Fri Oct 10 20:04:48 -0700 2008 4096488 227643 Luvfriedokra 1 4106104 Ah I am pissed! Last night I posted on Fideos Secos but the post is gone! Here goes again... but understand my lack of prose or details! Last week I reported that the Japan based grocer Don Quijote carries Mexican Pastas by La Moderna. A few days ago I prepared the Fideos (Bundled or Coiled Vermicelli) in the most common Fideo Seco recipe: > Sautee 1 Med White Onion with 1/2 tsp of ground cumin, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano and optionally a few pinches of powdered bouillon, until the onions are soft & translucent > Boil a handful of tomatoes until the skins loosen up, shock them in some ice cold water, remove the skins & place them in a blender, along with 3 peeled, chopped cloves of garlic, 2 canned chipotles and a tablespoon of adobo, 1 cup of chicken broth.... puree everything until you have a smooth sauce (add salt if necessary) > Brown your vermicelli in the pan where you sauteed onions... stirring often... when you get them nice & nutty... remove to a bowl and pan fry about 4 ounces of Chorizo > Add the vermicelli & sauce, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes or so... let it continue to simmer until the sauce has "fused" into the noodles Plate in a shallow bowl... garnish with crumbled Queso Fresco (available at Mercado de la Raza and Costco), slices of Avocado (optional), and Crema (optional). Since it is difficult to find Crema in HI... you can blend some Sour Cream with Greek or Lebanese yogurt (50 - 50)... then thin with just enough milk to drizzle some squiggly lines over the noodles. This is usually served as an after school snack or as a first course. If you want to make a full meal out of it... you can add some pan fried smoked pork chops, ham, or ham hocks... as well as Mushrooms sauteed with the Chorizo. I tend to prefer the ham hocks over the other additional meats because after you pan fry it, you can scoop the marrow out and eat it over some avocado. Of course... if you really want to go Local, I guess you can use Spam, Kalua Pig, try incorporating Squid or serve it with some Ahi Poke Wed Oct 15 10:25:42 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4117621 When approaching a foreign cuisine... people tend to fall into the trap of only wanting the "safe exotic"... they want something "that feels comfortable" yet is festive & different. For example, when it comes to Chinese cuisine most Americans go out to order Kung Pao Chicken, Brocoli Beef, Peking Duck etc., and rarely have the Noodle Soups, Hot Pots, Steamed Fish etc., A similar phenomenon occurs with Mexican cuisine... most Americans want to hover around Enchiladas & Burritos etc., adventurous eaters might try the Deep Fried Whole Fish, the Shrimp Rancheros maybe even the Menudo... and in the process the home cooking tends to get over looked... all the simple Soups, Pot Roasts & Braised dishes. To me its a mistake because Mexico does those dishes extremely well. Today's Recipe... Chicken-Vegetable Soup > 6 Chicken Thighs... remove the skin but don't throw it away... place in a Pot with enough cold water & chicken broth to cover, 1 tablespoon of Mex Oregano, 1 tsp Thyme, 1 tsp Cumin, 1/8 tsp Cloves, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, 1 Onion roughly chopped, 4 Garlic Cloves Minced... heat over Medium High until you have a gentle boil, turn the heat down & simmer for about 15 minutes. > Meanwhile uniformly dice Potatoes (6 small red), Carrots (2 large), Chayote (2 large) & Celery (1 head) > Remove the Thighs & Skins to a plate, strain the broth & discard the herbs, onions etc., > Bring the broth back up to a Boil, add the Carrots, turn down the heat to a simmer... wait 4 minutes then add the remaining vegetables.... simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are Al Dente... taste & adjust with Salt & Cumin as necessary. > Meanwhile shred the Thigh meat > Cool down your broth & vegetables, add the shredded meat and refrigerate. After the fat rises to top & congeals... skim it off & reheat the soup allowing the vegetables to come to your desired texture. > Ladle the Soup into Bowls, in a side dish place very finely chopped White Onion, Chopped Cilantro, cut Key Limes, and Dried Chiltepin Peppers (available at Foodland on Beretania) or other Dried Chile flakes. > If the Soup is main course then its nicely paired with a side bowl of competently prepared Mexican Rice, or with Quesadillas made of Corn Tortillas & Monterey Jack cheese. Oh by the way.... the Chicken Skins... don't discard them! Place them on a cookie sheet.... flat & not touching each other... season with very coarse Sea Salt... and roast at 450 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown & crunchy... then chop up & either put inside your Quesadillas or garnish the soup. Mon Oct 20 20:57:26 -0700 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4202740 Not surprisingly.... Marlin is as plentiful & common in Hawaii as it is in Mexico's Pacific Northwest... as such you see high quality Smoked Marlin available throughout the islands (Foodland, Don Quijote etc.,). Cabo / Sinaloa Style Pescadillas... This simple Antojito was a BIG hit with the locals... > In a bowl blend 1lb shredded Monterrey Jack, 1/2 pound soft Feta, 4 Tablespoons of Pecorino Romano to approximate the flavor of a nice Mexican melting cheese. > Boil 4 Roma tomatoes until the skins begin to peel off, then shock them in ice water... discard the peel & place in a blender... puree. > Sautee 1 medium, diced white onion until well carmelized, add the Tomato puree, 3 canned chopped Jalapenos (I favor the Clemente Jacques brand available at Don Quijote), 1 handful of chopped (pitted) Manzanilla olives (available at R. Fields), 2 Tbs of pickling juice from Jalapenos.... simmer until it is the consistency of thick paste (not runny at all). > Add 3 handfuls of chopped smoked marlin, toss in the sauce, cover & remove from the heat. > Warm store bought Corn Tortillas on an ungreased griddle (local Sinaloa brand is okay) until soft... stuff with about 1 to 1 1/2 oz of Cheese, a few Tbs of the sauced Marlin, fold & griddle until the tortillas are golden brown & the cheese bubbles. Fantastico Tue Nov 25 23:19:57 -0800 2008 4027811 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 4363329 I think the tortillas from Mercado de la Raza on Beretania are much better than the Sinaloa kind. Tue Jan 27 15:01:09 -0800 2009 4202740 260982 tyger