Bread Pudding..... Do you know how many kinds you can have?

Bread Pudding.... What does it mean to you? Did you know that most cultures on this earth have their own version of this popular comfort food? From Creole to French, Italian to Mexican and Spain, everyone developed a tasty way to deal with left-over hard bread. Bread has always been considered "the staff of life" so cultures of old showed its respect by never throwing out the bread, instead transforming it into everything from salad, like the Italian Panzanella, to soup as is used in Spain with Gazpacho and their version of the pudding called "Migas".... Mexico has the ever popular "Capirotada" which is a traditional dish containing both sweet and savory flavors for the holidays.... in other words, and in all languages, the trick is to conserve, recycle, make do and fix it up but under no circumstances is it a good idea to throw food out.

Bread Pudding, while most people think of it like a dessert, doesn't have to be sweet at all, but since we're starting with the sweet let's talk about it a while. Using a thick egg based custard base, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice, a lot of times raisins, nuts, fruits and liquors of all types become part of this as well. Ice cream can be seen topping it as well as heavy cream, Pastry Cream, Vanilla Sauce, Bourbon Sauce and on and on and on.....like Lemon Curd or Dulce de Leche or Chocolate Croissant with Nuts..... what's your favorite? Do tell.....

While Bread Pudding doesn't have to be sweet, the savory brother of this hearty and flavorful dish can be quite a creation too. How about a Baby Spinach, Cream and Garlic Bread one? or a Spinach - Shitake one? How about Mushroom, Leek and Parmesan Bread Pudding.... or a Artichoke Heart, Asparagus & Mozzarella one? A Spring Onion and Goat Cheese one? Any combination you can come up with will make a great one. The base is very much like the one used for Quiche, except that it fills the spaces in between the bread and jells in the same firm-soft manner, so any accessories that you add to it are enhanced by the amalgamation that happens in the oven. Love that word because it's so perfect for what happens here.

So which kind will you make? Here's some prime examples for you to try......

GOAT CHEESE AND SPRING ONION BREAD PUDDING.- Tangy, lemony and very satisfying. You can make it ahead of time in either a casserole dish or in individual ramekins and have them ready when you are!

1 lb sourdough bread, crust removed, cut into cubes
5 tablespoons butter
3 bunches of green onions, cut into 1/2-inch portions
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1- 10 oz log of goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400F. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden.

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and garlic and cook, keep stirring until the scallions are beginning to get tender, 2- 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the heavy cream and sour cream. Gently fold in the bread cubes, green onions, basil and half the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Let rest until the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Pour the bread pudding into a baking dish and sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top. Put the baking dish inside a roasting or larger pan and add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the side of the baking dish. (like when making custard, in a bain marie).

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pudding is set and the top is golden brown. Serve hot or warm.

NOTE: The unbaked bread pudding can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking. Take into consideration the size of the vessel you're using, it can either add to the baking time or reduce it substantially.....
******************************

LEMON CURD BREAD PUDDING.- Oh so lemony and fresh, you must try this one!

1 loaf of brioche, about 1.4 lbs, crusts removed, bread sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 quart whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon Curd
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom and sides of a 12-by-16-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Arrange the brioche slices in the prepared pan, fitting them in a snug single layer, insuring a good fit.

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the milk with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the eggs, then whisk in the remaining hot milk until thoroughly blended, tempering the mix. Add the lemon zest and slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the brioche and soak for 10 minutes.

Bake the brioche on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, turning the pan after 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the bread pudding cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, 1 hour.

Line a 10-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 3 inches of plastic to hang over the edge. Lightly coat the inside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray. Trim 1/2 inch off the edges of the bread pudding. Cut the bread pudding into three 5-by-11-inch strips. Gently press 1 strip of the bread pudding into the loaf pan, on the bottom. Spread 3/4 cup of the Lemon Curd evenly over the bread pudding. Repeat to form a second layer of pudding and top with more curd, making a second layer. Press the last piece of bread pudding on top, sealing the whole thing. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd. Uncover the bread pudding and turn it out onto a serving plate; remove the plastic wrap. Using a hot knife, slice the bread pudding 3/4 inch thick, top with a dollop of the lemon whipped cream and serve.
NOTE: You can fold the whipped cream with other flavors that complement the Lemon Curd as well, I like blueberry compote but I've also used Apple and Pear Compotes too which work beautifully. You could also leave a plain whipped cream or add some sugar to it, you could also add some Vanilla Sugar or Cinnamon as well.
**********************************

So next time you're wondering what to do with that loaf of bread that's too hard to use.... and you're about to toss it out, remember this post and look in your fridge or pantry.... you could have your own little masterpiece right before your very eyes. It's very satisfying to come up with an amazing dish made from scraps or leftovers you thought was done..... go ahead and enjoy it.

Whether it's a Bread Pudding, Quiche, Pizza, Casserole, Pie, Calzone, Pasta or Rice Dish that will integrate those "odds and ends" is up to you, but there are so many creative and wonderful ways to make use of it all, you'll need a long time before running out of ideas..... go ahead and give it a try, you'll be glad you did!

Wouldn't some of these make excellent additions to your Holiday Table?  MMmmmm.......

The Spice of Life.... Ahhhh, chiles!

What do you think of when you hear "chile"? A hot & spicy ingredient that occupies a principal place within Latin cuisines and is beloved by many "chili heads" around the world? You bet! Even if you can't take a lot of heat, you don't have to because there are so many chiles out there that you can adjust the spiciness of your dishes to suit your taste just by choosing different chiles or even by handling them differently. Did you know that chiles are addictive? I should say the effect they have on people's bodies is the addictive part and duplicates the effects given by drugs, sex and other addictive actions on our pain and pleasure centers.... interesting isn't it? Chiles are also a great antioxidant that can bring health benefits to you as well, so flavor, spice, pleasure and pain are not the only benefits you can get from chiles. Lately studies have also shown that chilies help people loose weight, since it requires more energy to balance you out while eating hot foods and that helps in loosing weight.

But let's talk about what "chiles" are, how they are used and how to impart extra flavor into dishes with these amazing elements, shall we?

Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. There is archaeological evidence at sites that chili peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago, and is one of the first cultivated crops in the Americas that is self-pollinating.

Christopher Columb

us was one of the first Europeans to encounter them and called them "peppers" because they, like black and white pepper of the Piper genus known in Europe, have a spicy hot taste unlike other foodstuffs. Upon their introduction into Europe chilies were grown as botanical curio

sities in the gardens of Spanish and Portuguese monasteries. But

the monks experimented with the chilies' culinary potential and discovered that their pungency offered a substitute for black peppercorns, which at the time were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries.

Chilies were cultivated around the globe after Columbus. From Mexico, at the time the Spanish colony that controlled commerce with Asia, chili peppers spread rapidly into the Philippines and then to India,China,Indonesia, Korea and Japan and became incorporated into the local cuisines.

How many kids of chilies are there? From the 5 basic families of

the Capsicum Cultivars there are hundreds of different type

s of chilies around the world. Chilies are measured by their heat on the Scoville Scale but for most, it's either mild, medium or hot.

Chili pepper pods are berries, are used fresh or dried and so are a fruit. Chiles are often dried or smoked to preserve them for long periods of time. Preserving may also be done by pickling fresh chilies. Dried chilies are often ground to powders, although some Mexican dishes may use

whole reconstituted chilies, and others may reconstitute dried chilies before grinding to a paste. Chilies may be dried using smoke, such as the chipotle, which is the smoked, sweetened yet dried form of the jalapeno. Many fresh chilies such as poblano have a tough outer skin which does not break down on cooking. For recipes where chilies are used whole or in large slices, roasting, or other means of blistering or charring the skin are usually performed so as not to entirely cook the flesh beneath. When cooled, the skins will usually slip off easily. Dried chilies are soaked or reconstituted in liquid before using to make them more flavorful and easier to handle.

Chili pepper plant leaves, mildly bitter but not nearly as hot as the fruits that come from the same plant, are cooked as greens in Filipino cuisine. In Korean cuisine, the leaves may be used in"Kimchi". In Japanese cuisine, the leaves are cooked as greens too, and also cooked in a style for preservation. We all know about Sichuan cooking and their spicy dishes and in India the spicy Curries are beloved as well.

Chili is the most important fruit in Bhutan, in fresh and dried form and is an important ingredient in almost all curries and food recipes in the country. Even in Italy where chilies are not usually found, the use of hot pepper flakes is common. The Middle East has "harissa", Japan has "la yu" and Thailand the ever present "sriracha". Now, you can find chilies in almost every corner of the world.

Since there are too many chilies to name, we'll deal with the most prevalent and the easiest to

find in your local A&P, we'll touch on the different names for each depending on their preparation and give you an easy reference, ok?

Chile Poblano.- Called this when fresh. (on the left) Used for Chiles Rellenos (we don't use Anaheims at all). In it's dried form it's called Pasilla or Ancho and it develops sweet flavors that make excellent pastes and sauces. (on the right) Good for stuffing, making "rajas" (dried or fresh) and topping soups, quesadillas or anything else.

Jalapenos.- Very well known, used in salsas, can be pickled easily, stuffed or roasted too. In its dried state it becomes a Chipotle, although it would get processed with piloncillo and then smoked. (left side)

Serranos.- Another favorite found all over. Smaller and hotter than the jalapeno, it can also give you plenty of flexibility on its uses and can be left to "redden" for a milder flavor. Can also be smoked or dried. (on the right).

Chilaca.- A favorite in Zacatecas, with great flavor and used roasted. When dried then it turns into a Pasilla looking chile that's not very hot at all. (left side).

Guajillo.- This is the dried version of the Mirasol pepper

which is hard to find in this country, but the dried Guajillo is the major chile to use as a paste for sauces. Great flavor and texture, Zacatecas is known for them and we use them often. (right hand side).

Habanero.- From the Mayans comes one of the hottest peppers around, yet its flavor is amazing. Used for pepper spray so you know it's deadly, chili heads adore it! In Merida, it was THE chile for all things spicy. You can find it dried or smoked too. Hottest when green colored, then it becomes yellow and then orange which are slightly less hot but use with care. (left side)

Chile de Arbol.- Can be fresh or dried, more prevalent in its dried form when it becomes "red pepper flakes" and usually paired with vinegar in hot sauces. Hot & spicy with great flavor. (right side)

Chile Ixcatic.- Found in Yucatan, this medium hot, wonderfully flavored chile is perfect for the Mayan dishes. Used fresh and stuffed or sometimes made into a velvety sauce, it's just amazing!

(here on the left)

Chile Guero.- Easily available and preferred for use in seafood soups and stocks where it lends just the right touch. Mild and interesting, can be used like a jalapeno in many preparations. (on the right)

There are others that are frequently used, like" Mulato, Negro, Puya (used in moles for extra dimension), Cascabel, Mortia and the non-spicy ones mainly used for cooking, like: red/green/orange bell peppers, Manzano and others and while you can find some at the market, you'd need to visit one of our famous Mexican regional markets to get a good appreciation of the varieties available as many aren't exported.

Now with so many gourmet food vendors, retail and online, it's possible to find these and more easily shipped to you. They also carry the dried forms of these in ground or even paste form which make them even easier to use. Try D'Allesandro Gourmet Ingredients and see if they're in your area.....

I realize that most people think it's crazy to roast, peel, de-seed, de-stem and grind chiles to a paste just so you can make a basic sauce, but to us it's the only way to obtain true and authentic flavors that will make a difference in whatever dish is being prepared. It DOES make a difference and the satisfaction derived from these time-tested preparations is amazing. Truly makes a meal into an event, believe me.

I hope you will consider trying some of the chiles I've mentioned and making your own traditional dishes. Look for recipes on this blog and try to change the ingredients in recipes for others so you can discover how changes affect a dish. Cooking is an art and a voyage of discovery. There is no better way to get to know a culture than through its food.... plus the results are incredible! Enjoy.....

Classic Mexican Cuisine for a cold and rainy day.... Just perfect!

I first began making "Birria Estilo Jalisco" in Puerto Vallarta. We had just moved there, gypsies that we are, and thought it would be easy to find since now we were in the state of Jalisco. Now, Birria is usually made out of goat meat but it's a stronger tasting meat and doesn't work for most people so I wasn't surprised to find it made out of beef or pork yet the only people offering this classic Mexican dish were carts on the street and while not bad (you think I didn't try this?) it didn't hit all the flavor notes I was looking for and the more I looked around and spoke to people, it became increasingly clear that "modern times" had hit Vallarta too.

Vallarta, as it's known to the locals, is a sleepy little beach town that was discovered way back when Elizabeth Taylor decided to have an affair with Richard Burton (yes, all that...) and this "scandal" brought the world's media in (along with the filming of the "Night of the Iguana"). The director, John Huston, had a particular preference for Vallarta since this is where he lived. While during those years it didn't have the infrastructure it has today, no fancy hotels, discos, restaurants or anything else for that matter, the natural beauty of the beaches, the jungle vegetation and tropical climate made converts of everyone and so the invasion began and Vallarta was "discovered".

The state of Jalisco is among the prime examples of the better known Mexican Cuisine since it's responsible for Tequila, Birria, Pescado Sarandeado, dishes using Maguey and it's derivatives, Pozole and many others. The state is among the richest and most progressive and having Guadalajara as its capital, offers the best medical care and Universities too. The climate is compared to an eternal Spring, local products are first rate and its women are considered among the most beautiful. Charros are from Jalisco and many traditions began here as well. So, it's a nice place.

Getting back to the "Birria", I found if I was going to get what I was going after I would have to make it myself and I set upon finding the real Jalisco style Birria recipe. I spoke to mothers and grandmothers who were the only ones cooking anymore (women here are out of the kitchen and in the workplace, younger generations no longer cook and fast food or take out are very popular, just like other places on the planet which means traditional cooking methods and foods will suffer) and pretty soon I had a good idea what I was after. This is my usual "modus operandi" when it comes to obtaining "true" recipes, I investigate, talk to the older people and reach a consensus on what the "real" version of dishes is all about; I insure I've got the "real" techniques and ingredients and once I produce an acceptable version do I consider "tweeking" to suit our individual preferences. It's worked in the past and I've been very successful doing it like this so I must be on the right track.

Here is an excellent version of "Birria Estilo Jalisco" that is perfuming my kitchen at this very moment. It is wonderful.....

1 lb lamb stew meat (you can use goat, beef or pork)
1 1/2 lamb ribs, cut in 1-2 inch pieces
2-4 chiles de arbol, dried, de-stemmed and de-seeded
2 chiles pasilla, dried, de-stemmed and de-seeded
2 chiles anchos, dried, de-stemmed and de-seeded
3-5 garlic cloves, peeled, roasted
2 lb tomatoes, roasted
1/2 large onion, cut in large dice
5-7 large peppercorns
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
2 oranges, juiced
1/2-1 cup white vinegar (optional)
salt to taste
lard or oil for frying, your choice

Garnishes:
1 large onion, finely diced
2 tbl oregano, dried and crushed
2 tbl cilantro, finely minced
2-4 Persian lemons, cut in quarters
Hot sauce, your choice (optional)
Fresh tortillas

All the dried chiles are roasted on a dry pan until fragrant, turning. Then they are placed in a large bowl and covered with hot water where they will remain until soft. You can do this in a pot on top of the stove and simmer gently for at least 1/2 hour, test and decide if more simmering is needed. Roast the garlic and the tomatoes and place them along with the softened chiles into a blender (save the soaking liquid) along with the spices except for the marjoram. Add the orange juice and vinegar if using. Process very well and then run through a sieve (so no seeds or anything else is included) and in a large pot (I use a pressure cooker) with 2-4 tbl of lard or oil, brought to a hot temperature, you add the sauce and you cook it slightly so it's not completely raw.

To the sauce you will add the meat and the marjoram. The traditional way is to stop at this point and allow the meat to sit in the sauce overnight. I skip this step and proceed to cooking, your choice to wait or not but I don't feel it's truly necessary. You cook the meat until it is soft. About 30 min in the pressure cooker for me, might be 1-3 hours of regular cooking and some people bake it in a 375 degree oven, covered with foil really well too. Just watch it so it doesn't go dry and add chicken stock or make additional sauce to have on hand.

Have the garnish ingredients ready when you are going to serve since these are used as needed as a topping for the "Birria" which is traditionally served in soup bowls, with the toppings, hot tortillas and cold beer for a taste of Jalisco!
***************************************

Chalupas.- Nothing says "Puebla" to me like these little wonders. Nothing fancy, very simple... yet full of flavor and tradition. If you're in Puebla, go to "Memelas en la Calle 3", the best in town!

1 lb masa dough (you can make your own or store bought)
1/2 lb shredded pork meat
1/2 lb shredded chicken meat
1 cup pork lard (manteca, yes.... won't taste the same)
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups Salsa Verde
2 cups Salsa Roja


Salsa Verde:
2 tbl manteca
1 1/2 cups green husk tomatoes, clean
1/2 onion, cut in quarters
3-4 garlic cloves
1-2 tbl cilantro leaves
1-3 chiles serranos (optional and depends if you want it hot or not, for taste only use 1 serrano)
salt & pepper to taste

Salsa Roja:
2 tbl manteca
1 1/2 cups Roma tomatoes
1/2 onion, cut in quarters
3-4 garlic cloves
2 dried chile moritas (seeded and deveined / toasted and soaked in hot water to soften)
salt & pepper to taste

Make the sauces: Green: Put all ingredients except the lard, cilantro and salt and pepper in a pan, cover with water and cook until the tomatoes have changed color. Put everything in the blender, adding the cilantro and salt and pepper and blend well. In another pan, get the lard hot and then pour in the blended sauce and cook about 5 min on med-low heat. Reserve

Red: Once the dried chilies are soft, put all ingredients (except the lard, salt & pepper) in the blender and blend well. You might have to run through a sieve if pieces of the dried chile remain), in another pan put the lard and get it hot, pour in the salsa and add salt & pepper. Cook 5 min and reserve.

If the masa is not soft, add very little warm water and work the dough (adding very little water) until it's workable. Make small tortillas which are put on a "comal" (or large pan) with some lard on it, already hot; the tortilla is cooking so dribble some more lard on top, now put some sauce on top followed by meat and finally some onion; more hot lard goes on top right before serving.

Comes with half green and half red and while these are considered appetizers, I used to have these as dinner along with a big glass of fresh squeezed orange juice! MMMMmmmmm!!!!
*************************************

Tlayoyos.- Another traditional "tidbit" that is second to none when it comes to flavor!

3 lbs masa for tortillas (make your own or store bought)
1 lb peas
Salt to taste
2 Avocado leaves
1/2-1 cup lard or oil
Red Sauce
Green Sauce
1 lb fresh Mexican Cheese (Cotija for instance), grated

Cook the peas with a little salt and the avocado leaves until very tender, drain and process until a paste is obtained. Add a little lard and mix well. Work the masa well until it's soft yet firm and make small tortillas which are filled with the pea paste, you fold so the filling is well encased and they look like elongated half moons.

Cook in some lard in a hot pan until golden and serve covered with sauce, half in green sauce and half with red sauce and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Enjoy!
**********************************

If you've read more of this blog then you know my penchant for "street food" anywhere in the world I happen to be, I love it! While Birria is not commonly a street food, Chalupas and Tlayoyos (or Tlacoyos as known elsewhere) are most definitely along with about a millions other offerings. I was talking to Rene about all this while typing and we recalled our favorite places while living in Puebla and we remembered "Sushi Itto", if you're ever in Puebla, make a point of going there to sample some of THE best sushi anywhere. They do a fussion of Japanese and Mexican ingredients that is not only flavorful but perfectly paired to deliver amazing products, you'll see! But do make a point to walk around the downtown area of Puebla and see the sights along with tasting the incredible traditions that this city/state offers the world, it's worth the trip...... Do use the search bar on top and look through all the Puebla info posted here..... Talk soon!

Finally some time to sit and reflect..... and cook too!

Moving is all over with and we're finally installed in our new place. It's been so surprising to all of us to feel and see the momentous differences between the East Side of town and the West where we now make our home and it's affected us all in positive ways.... kind of like finding a place where you belong and comfortable again, and it is. Definitely a good move but it took it's toll on all of us, even though we thought we'd rested, we hadn't and it showed in this last week's daily grind, we just couldn't get our energy back and we dragged all through the week.... until it came to Friday afternoon when we collapsed, exhausted and not being able to even move.....

But today is Sunday morning and we're feeling much recharged and much, much better. School is still good and our grades reflect it. YAY! It's been a punishing week with complicated dishes on the menu but came out of it with flying colors and very tasty food to enjoy. I've still got some Roast Duck in the fridge whispering to me.... except in school the sauce was "au natural" while I cooked up some Orange-Tamarind Glaze instead to pump it up. It was awesome and lent just the right touch of sweet/sour to hit your taste buds in the right way. MMMmmmmm!

Something amazing happened to me Friday at school when talking to one of my Instructors at Le Cordon Bleu when discussing sauces, come to find she loves Mole and she was surprised I make my own (but of course!...) and one thing led to another and discussing Mexican Food I come to find that she had been a customer of mine at "Quinta Belina"! Amazing! (yes, she was very impressed....). More amazing is that I still run into people sometimes that remember our little place and were customers..... so satisfying and a great ego boost as you can imagine. Anyway, made my day.....

More than ever and as I delve more into the French way of things since the school is all French technique that I find my appreciation for good and authentic Mexican Food grows. There is also a sadness there when I realize that it's not easy to find and what there is mostly a poor version and people come to believe this is what Mexican Food is.... You'd think that with all the Mexicans in the US we would have better representation, right? But it seems they get amnesia as soon as they cross the border! So it's up to those of us that believe we need to present, maintain and conserve the true cuisine of Mexico, done the old way following the classic preparations and techniques along with whole, natural ingredients so we can show how wonderful our food is and why we can't let it die out. Heavy duty Mexican Food is where it's at.

Yesterday at school it was Canard Poele Aux Navets or Roasted Duck with Turnips, and while it was scheduled to be served with a natural sauce, I was given permission to improvise and so I came up with a sweet apple cider vinegar glaze that had citrus undertones and was absolutely perfect with the richness of the duck. Also made Sole Meuniere which was amazing yet to me, it doesn't hold a candle to my very favorite, duck. I got an extra duck to bring home and while I was debating whether to make Duck Confit or another roasted duck, I settled on a crispy skinned duck with an Orange-Tamarind Sauce plus a Duck Mole with hints of Cinnamon, Cumin and Cardamom. As I write this the aromas of the sauces waft over the kitchen giving us anticipatory feelings of our soon to be devoured meal...... I love food!

So, going back to Mexican Food and that Mole I created I thought you'd appreciate a different take on this classic dish. Don't worry if you don't like duck (OMG!) since you can use Chicken, Turkey or even Pork instead, ok? Make enough so you'll have leftovers to use later with "Enmoladas", Nachos, Chilaquiles, over refried beans, on top of Huevos Rancheros, as a dipping sauce, with potatoes......

For those of you that think Duck is not a very Mexican ingredient to use in this dish let me tell you that our Spanish invaders found Mucovy Ducks happily living in Mexico when they got here, the Europeans had a larger duck type to use for foi gras and the smaller one was replaced by a larger species from Spain. You'll find plenty of duck recipes in Mexico (I've got a great tamale recipe I'll post soon) but turkey was used mostly in Mexico so Mole was originally conceived with wild turkey, the bird guys, not the drink, ok?

Mole de Pato (Duck Mole).- A rich sauce for a decadent dish.... satisfying and amazing!

1 Duck, rinsed and pat dry (you can use whole, thighs & legs or magrets)
Sat & Pepper the outside well

For chicken:
1 large chicken, cut up
About 8 cups of water
1/2 onion, in quarters
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 celery rib, cut in half
salt to taste

Sauce:
6 mulato peppers
4 ancho peppers
6 pasilla peppers
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon anis seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 inches of a stick of mexican cinnamon
1/2 cup of raisins or prunes
1/2 cup almonds, peeled
1/3 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
3 small roasted tomatoes
3 garlic gloves, peeled & roasted
1 large ripe dark-skinned plantain, peeled, thickly sliced (or more, to taste)
1/2- 1 cup smooth Peanut Butter, optional
1/2- 1 cup sugar, optional
1 Tablet of Mexican Chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita Brand), cut in pieces
Chicken broth from cooking chicken or make your own
1/2 cup of oil or lard to fry the ingredients
Salt to taste

If using the duck, stab it with a knife all over (little holes so fat will drain out) and place on baking pan in 400 degree oven and cook until done or 170 degrees with a thermometer. About 1 1/2 hours. Baste with the fat in the pan after 45 minutes and about every half hour after that to crisp the skin. If you're using duck then don't use lard or oil for any of the steps below, use the rendered duck fat to add more flavor (or save for french fries...OMG!)

If using chicken or turkey: Put the ingredients in a large pot, cover with water and cook, simmering until done, about 45-60 min. Skim foam off the top as you see it, keep it clear.

If using pork, cut it up in cubes and sear until golden brown in a pan with a little lard or oil over med-high heat. Reserve.

To make the sauce: Take the dried chiles, split them open and remove the stem, seeds and veins, flatten down. In a large pan on the stove, over med heat, toast the chiles (you could dip them in oil if you wanted to) until fragrant, turning so both sides get done. Once done, place them in a bowl or pan with hot water and allow them to soak until they are soft, about 1 hour or so. Toast all the spices in the pan until they become fragrant, turning them to prevent their burning. If you have a food mill or coffee grinder, once toasted grind them well and reserve in a bowl until ready to use them. In the pan with a little oil in it, roast the fresh produce like the tomatoes and garlic, you can throw in the raisins or prunes here too.

Now, in your blender, place the soaked chiles along with their soaking liquid and blend them until you obtain a smooth puree. Then you will add the toasted and ground spices to this, incorporating so everything is smooth and velvety. Then add the tomatoes, garlic and plantain. As you blend things and need to empty the blender glass, add more stock as you need it to help the blender along, have a large pot ready with a little lard or oil (unless using duck) over med heat ready to receive the smooth puree, add to this as ingredients are processed and mix, mix, mix.

The plantain is here to thicken and lend some sweetness to the party, while the peanut butter adds a nutty undertone while thickening as well. Depending on your preference, you can add more or leave without, but a lot of people thicken mole with toasted tortillas or pieces of bread and to be honest, these don't inspire me since they don't bring much flavor. I also don't like to thicken my sauces with flour or other "thickeners" as a rule if I have something that can thicken naturally while imparting their own flavors and textures.

You should have a thick like paste at this point that needs to be fried in the pan with lard, oil or duck fat. Mix, scrape off the bottom and be sure you cook it well. You will have something akin to a bubbling cauldron by now, taste it again so you are sure you're on the right track, you can add some of the reserved chicken broth to get the consistency you need, thick so it's really coats the back of a spoon and has "body". Now add the chocolate if you want and mix to allow to melt. You should be tasting all the while so you know whether or not you will be wanting to add more chocolate, some sugar or not, more plantain, peanut butter, your choice.

You need to let this sauce come together, over very low heat, mixing every now and then so it doesn't burn or stick on the bottom. Adding more broth if you need to and tasting. Once the duck is done, allow to rest and split it in 6-8 pieces, reserve the back portions which you will put in the sauce as it cooks to give it even more flavor. If you're using Pork, now is the time to add it to the sauce and let it finish cooking along with the sauce. The meat will release juices which will flavor the sauce. Let the meat get very tender before eating, ok? Or you can use a pressure cooker to speed things along. Allow this to cook at least 1 hour (or more in a regular pot, the pressure cooker will be less) or come to this point and turn off the heat, save it and finish it the next day to allow for even more flavors to come through. This gets better with age and turns into "recalentado".....

When I made this in Puerto Vallarta I used a huge "cazuela de barro" (glazed terracotta pot) which is THE thing to use with wooden spoons, it also allows more flavors to develop and the glazing makes them better than non-stick while being great heat retaining vessels. My neighbors would walk by to try and guess what was cooking on the three large cazuelas bubbling in my outdoor kitchen (usually Asado de Boda Zacatecano, Mole y Salsa de Cacahuate).... aromas of our homeland, fragrant and full of flavor!

Your sauce will gel and become a paste which you can then store for future uses like Enchiladas or whatever, all you need to do is add some broth to it for it to come back. It keeps a long time in the fridge so you have an amazing meal ready in no time at all. Or you can freeze in individual servings (zip lock bags) so you can just boil in hot water or nuke it and an ordinary meal becomes extra-ordinary. This will be amazing!

Now make a lovely Frisee salad with a nice vinaigrette, some crisp veggies and some rice pilaf and you've got one incredible meal! Impressive for company but a guilty pleasure for a night of staying in.....

I hope you will at least try this one time so you can see what I'm talking about.... There are so many variations to mole you'd have a hard time keeping up with all of them, but it's fun to try. I've got some incredible fruit based moles which I'll share soon too. But in the meantime, savor every spoonful.... talk soon....

Still Christmas Season but different traditions this time..... now it's Yucatan!

Still bearing down on Christmas Holidays (or is it PC to say Winter Holidays or what?) but this time we're in a different area of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula that is filed with warm memories of our time lived there. Although we went all over this extensive area of land, for the most part flat and vast, Merida the capital, was home base and what a wonderful city to live in! Due to it's close association in the past with the French and other Europeans like the Spanish, they all left their contributions here and so you have a lovely city with wide avenues and majestic buildings speaking of their regal past, but the Mayan Empire is still very much evident and not just in the museum either and you've got hundreds of archeological sites within an hour or less to show you exactly what this means. The Mayan language is an everyday thing as well with radio stations giving bilingual accounts of their programming (Spanish and Maya Kiche) and billboards are also in both languages.

We had an assortment of neighbors in our part of town, old Santiago, and while some were Yucatecan, others were definitely Mayan leavning us the lone representation of what they used to call "huachos"....or something definitely neither Yucatecan nor Mayan. They seemed to be intrigued by these tall, white people not "gabachos".... speaking a different Spanish too, wonder what we were? They finally got around to asking and got a kick finding out we were Mexicans or "brothers from another mother"..... I say tall (and I'm not), because Mayan are a very small race and we tower over them, kind of like at the ending of Close Encounters of the Third Kind when Richard Dreyfuss is taken by the small aliens into the ship with them. Once, we were at the local Walmart (inside a Mayan looking pyramid building no less) which is rare for me, but Rene was with me and he'd walked away looking at something else. He stands 6ft tall and I could see him across the store easily, talking to some locals who came to the middle of his chest only, it was a sight to see. You should see their babies, like little dolls, but very friendly and courteous.

Anyway, back to the food. Yucatan has a very special culinary heritage due to the influence of the Mayan, European, New Orleans and Cuban people who came to this hard to access land way back then, causing a marriage of styles that remain to this day. Nothing is like Yucatecan cooking and it's not Mexican (and they don't like to be called it either, why, they would still like to secede from the country and keep their own flag and refer to the area as the "Yucatecan Nation", kind of like the south, huh?. They've got their own style for sure and while some things might sound weird, we enjoyed it all! So let me give you a sampling of what you could find at a Yucatecan celebratory event.

This is the land of the "deer and pheasant" as it's been called since ancient times and their food reflects this fact with exotic fruits, special varieties of chiles and spices, vegetables not available in other parts of Mexico and a prevalence for pork and turkey. They love their hot salsas and I mean hot, as Habanero Chile is a traditional side dish and served with your food but not as a salsa like everywhere else, these are pure chiles with just a touch of bitter orange juice and some finely shredded onion- full blast and potent! Once again, use the search bar at the top of the blog to search for recipes and more information on this most enigmatic and mysterious land.....

Pavo en Relleno Negro (Turkey in Black Stew)- Before I give you the recipe for this elaborate Mayan dish, you need to know the significance of this preparation and it makes an interesting read:

TURKEY – A new world native, has been an important part of the diet throughout Mesoamerica for at least 3000 years. Meleagris gallopavo– the species we still use – was domesticated in Mexico’s central plateau as early as 200 B.C. and is indigenous to Yucatán and is the wild turkey still preferred by the Maya. It is the first turkey tasted by Europeans, and soon became the rage of royal banquet halls in the Old World. This turkey cannot be domesticated, but archaeological evidence shows that the Maya captured chicks in the wild and caged them to fatten them up for feasting. Turkeys played and still play a vital role in Mayan ritual, and were important components for worshiping the rain god, for curing and for planting ceremonies. Pavo en Relleno Negro originated as such a dish. Traditionally, the dish was prepared by forming a ball of chopped, seasoned meats (known in Mayan as "but" around the yellow of a boiled egg, stuffing the turkey cavity with the balls, then simmering in a broth of charred chiles(Recado Negro) overnight as grandma kept vigil from her hammock slung in the cookhouse. The post-conquest introduction of "alcaparrado", a Moorish/Andalusian mix of capers, olives, raisins and almonds – later enriched the but. Highly symbolic to the Maya, Pavo en Relleno Negro refers to the Creation and to resurrection: the intense black color of the burned chiles represents death or “no life” while the eggs buried deep inside represent hope and new life. To eat Pavo en Relleno Negro is to cheat death: having it right in front of you, but surviving and being nicely sated at the end.

How about that? Told you it's a great story and most dishes here have similar beginnings..... but here's the recipe:

Recado Negro.- The black chile paste (also called Chilmole) you will need which can be purchased at local markets or made from scratch: Make the first two in advance so you can have them available at the end.

2 tablespoons achiote seeds (or paste from the market)
3/4 cup bitter orange juice (or a mixture of sweet orange juice and fresh lime juice)
2 lbs. dried ancho chiles, seeded and deveined
2 large whole cloves
4 large whole allspice
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 head garlic, peeled (about 10 large cloves)
salt to taste

Place the achiote seeds in a small bowl, pour the juice over them, and allow to soak 2-3 hours. Or
soak the paste with sour orange juice (or white vinegar) to make a thick liquid

Toast the chiles just until they give off their fragrance, soak them in hot water until they soften,
and drain them well.  Place all ingredients in a spice mill or food processor and process until
they are well blended. They should form a thick paste, the consistency of a chilled cookie dough.

The "But"- Another important piece of this death puzzle:
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine
2 tbl mint or spearmint leaves, finely chopped
1 hard boiled egg, rough chop
1 egg
salt to taste

You combine all the ingredients and wrap them up in a cheesecloth square and tie it off securely.
You place it in stock to cook gently at a simmer for 30-45 min. Once cooked, you allow to cool
and then slice.

The rest of the recipe, you will need:

6 cups turkey, shredded (could use chicken if need be)
9 cups turkey stock (or chicken)
"but", sliced
1/4 cup Relleno Negro (home made or purchased paste)
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

To finish you need to bring the turkey stock up to temperature and add the shredded turkey meat and cook bout 10 min. then add the Recado Negro, breaking it up in some stock first to avoid lumps before adding it to the stock, then add the sliced "but" and top it off with the sliced hard boiled egg.
NOTE: I've given you the shortened version of this dish since the haute cuisine one goes on for pages and pages.....
*********************************************

Pan de Cazon (Tower with Shark Meat)- The Peninsula with so much coastline offers great fish and seafood dishes, "cazon" is baby shark cooked in the Yucatecan / Campeche style and is wonderful.

8 corn tortillas (preferable homemade and tender)
1 cup black beans, refried (typical beans in this area)
1/2 avocado
Oil

For the "cazon"-

2 tbl oil
1/2 med onion, chopped fine
2 Epazote le aves, chopped (available at most latin supermarkets)
1 tomato, peeled & seeded, chopped fine (concase...)
1 lb Cazon (baby shark meat), grilled or cooked with onion and Epazote, shredded

For the Sauce-
1 tbl oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 Epazote leaves, chopped
6 small tomatoes, cooked in water and ground up, strained (or tomato puree)
salt to taste
5 habanero chil es, roasted
salt to taste

For the Cazon-
Saute the onion in some oil. Add the shredded shark, the epazote and the tomato puree.
Add some salt and allow to cook so the flavors come together.

For the sauce-
Saute the onion in some oil, add the Epazote and the tomato puree. Allow to cook until thick. The
original sauce asks for the Habanero Chiles to be simply ground up with some salt and a few drops of water so it turns into a paste, but unless you are able to tolerate this kind of heat, I would sugges t you simply roast 1 chile, make small slits on the sides and once the sauce is done and cooking, lay the chile in it and allow it to permeate it and then remove. Save the chile for those that are truly brave.

Putting it together-

Fry the tortillas in some oil. Once fried, put in a plate and smear it with a small quantity of the black bean

s. Place 2 tbl of the prepared shark meat on top of this and place another another fried tortilla on top, you will now repeat the same procedure as before, two more times (you are building a tower, remember?) and y ou end with a tortilla on top.

Pour the tomato sauce over the tower and decorate it with some avocado slices and maybe the Habanero Chile as well. The hot sauce, if you decided to serve it, is placed on the side. Serve and enjoy at once.
NOTE: This is a pretty great dish and we have enjoyed it often. You can also use the prepared "cazon meat" and instead use it to stuff Xcatic Chilies (a yellow, mild chile which is a local specialty) as shown in the picture. These chiles are also stuffed with the ever popular Cochinita Pibil (the recipe is on this blog, use the search feature), or you can substitute other fish for this as well.
*******************************************

Yucatan and the whole peninsula is well known for it's amazing variety of ice creams and sherbets making the most of all the tropical fruits, and other ingredients, found in the area, but there are also other sweets available as well, such as this version of bread pudding.

Caballeros Pobres (Poor Knights)- To use the stale leftover bread always present in any home, but "dandied up" with ice cream and some spirits, it's not a poor dish at all!

2 cups milk

3 tbl sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 loaf stale French bread, sliced into 3/4-inch thick rounds
6 eggs
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cone piloncil lo, chopped or 1 cup brown sugar
2 whole cloves
5 sticks of canela (stick cinnamon)
1/2 cup whole almonds or pecans
1/4 cup brandy or Kahlúa

Combine milk, sugar and vanilla, dip each slice of bread into the milk mixture, then put bread in a colander placed over a bowl to drain.

Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Beat three of the egg yolks, fold carefully into the meringue, being careful not to deflate the whites. Heat oil in a heavy skillet until hot but not smoking. Dip each bread slice into the meringue to coat, then fry in the oil. When browned, flip rounds to cook the other side. Drain on paper towels.

Add the water, sugar, piloncillo and spices in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar and piloncillo are completely dissolved. Allow to continue cooking until the syrup coats a spoon and reduces. Strain into another small pan; place canela sticks on waxed paper to cool; discard cloves. Add liquor, along with nuts, and continue cooking another 5 min, or until syrup re-thickens.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, in a deep baking dish or in individual soufflé molds, place fried bread rounds in one layer at the bottom. Pour on a large spoonful of the syrup/almond mixture. Repeat with one more layer of bread. Finish by topping with more syrup and almonds. Bake for 30-40 min or until syrup begins to boil and you see caramelization occurring on the top. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 min before serving.

Garnish with the cinnamon sticks and top with a scoop of the ice cream of your choice.
NOTE: I also make bread pudding with egg bread or Panettone which gives a wonderful richness to the dish, I add raisins and almonds too. Here's the Creamy Brandy Sauce to top it with:

Creamy Brandy Bourbon Sauce: What else can I say but MMMMm mmm...... great on any desert.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup bourbon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Place all brandy sauce ingredients in sauce pan. Heat gently and stir often. Don't over cook- only about 5 min. Pour over any dessert and enjoy!
***********************************

What can I say except that the holidays are shaping up to be a very tasty with all these wonderful recipes. I only gave you but a sampling of the foods from Yucatan, these is so much more to try and learn about as dishes usually have a very interesting story to them which you can discuss while having them, but Yucatan is one of the most amazing areas of Mexico and I hope that one day you too will come to see it firsthand......

On Christmas Traditions from Mexico.....

There is nothing that fills us with more nostalgia or pride than the way Christmas is celebrated in our beloved Mexico. The variety of traditions which are so complete and satisfying, filling all of your senses completely, from the visual to the tactile, the sounds and most importantly the flavors of the season that many are transported back to childhood or a particular geographical location simply by a certain aroma which floats our way....

It would take much time and blog space to fully describe all of the traditions associated with this time of year, since every region has their own particular way of representing this most important celebratory time (although, Easter is the most religious time of year...), Christmas due to Mexico's long standing devotional ties to Catholicism and all things religious, ties the physical to the spiritual while bringing in some Aztec, Mayan or other traditions together as well... In some regions of the country where we've been able to maintain the Indian costumes, you can see these traditions represented, for instance in Merida, Yucatan or the towns surrounding Mexico City and Puebla, there are so many different descendants of the original settlers that they've managed to remain within the old and new worlds in such a way that is completely mystifying and amazing. We also have the traditions from Spain to include so you can see how rich this season can be for us.

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty culinary traditions, let me say that our country has contributed two of the most important details that conform this Christmas Season: Turkey and Poinsettias or La Flor de la Nochebuena (Flower of the Holy Night) which was also sacred in pre-Columbian times. They called it Cuetlaxochitl (leather petals) and considered it sacred to warriors who died in battle and who, as hummingbirds and butterflies, would return to earth to sip its nectar. Of course this only adds to the list of other items that we've contributed to the world, but since we're focusing our attention on the season at hand, we'll start here, ok?

Let me also say that if you're fortunate enough to find yourself within Mexico at Christmas time you are indeed a fortunate soul. Mexico City is truly elevated into the heights of even more beauty during this time and the foods that can be found there are incredible!!!! But each area has it's own, like in Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco (one of the most florid and rich states around with incomparable food, sounds and sights) I can remember making the procession to celebrate the official kick-off to the Christmas Season on Dec. 12th which is our Lady of Guadalupe's Day, with candlelit walks all along the ocean boardwalk (amazingly beautiful) done by all the unions, businesses and groups in town who end up at the Cathedral (Downtown in front of the square by the ocean) with our Lady's crown on top, to sing "Las Mananitas" to Her accompanied by Mariachi's at midnight..... later, you stay in the area since the square and surrounding restaurants set up tables on sidewalks and open their doors to offer local food specialties to everyone! This is just the start of the season's celebrations which are then open to the "Posadas" or "Pastorelas" which recreate the search for lodging done by the Holy Family (with a real Holy Family making the trip, sometimes with an actual donkey) through song and by knocking on house doors until being welcomed at the last home where a party awaits with popular foods like: tamales (chicken, beef, rajas de chile, pineapple, cinnamon, etc), pinatas, paper flags hung above your head, "ponche" (a dried fruit, alcohol spiced punch), "atole", (a maiz based hot drink with fruit and spices), traditional sweets, "Bunuelos de Viento" (Rosettes, flour fritters with sugar and cinnamon), and every family's special dishes for the occasion with lots to drink and eat, everything culminating until Christmas Eve and midnight mass.

For the most part you will see Nativity Scenes in every home but lately the presence of Christmas Trees has become a custom as well, yet the "Baby Jesus" is the one bringing the gifts and not Santa Claus, while on Jan. 6th, "Dia de los Santos Reyes" or Holy King's Day (the Magi) are the ones that leave nuts and small toys in a child's shoes which are left by the door. You have a "Rosca de Reyes" or King's Bread filled with candied fruit and nuts on a rich egg bread crown where a Baby Jesus is hidden and the lucky (or unlucky) person who finds him (you need to be careful or the loss of a tooth could occur...) has to hold the final party of the season on February 20th. He is also responsible for providing the christening dress for the infant Jesus. El Dia de la Candelaria, also known as the Day of Purification, is when, the obligatory forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph take their new babe to the Temple to be blessed. The winter Holidays are finally over... but watch out for Easter and the rest of the year where many more celebrations await!

But we said we'd talk about the foods of the season, so here are some we love and try to include in our season's celebrations....

My guys aren't big on turkey, but we've been known to make "Pavo en Mole" (Turkey in Mole Sauce) which is lovely. The names comes from the Nahuatl (is a group of related languages and dialects of the Nahuan,traditionally called "Aztecan". Collectively they are spoken by an estimated 1.5 million people, most of whom live in Central Mexico. All Nahuan languages are indigenous to Mesoamerica and are very present today. Mole means "sauce made from many chiles, a concoction". In contemporary Mexico, the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar to one another, including black, red, yellow, colorado, green, almendrado, and pipian, and while this is an elaborate sauce to complete, once it's done it has many applications.

Totol de Nochebuena (Christmas Stuffed Turkey)- Marinate the turkey with an ancho chile sauce before stuffing it with a delicious dressing that contains the classic combination of almonds, olives and raisins.

Lomo de Puerco Mechado (Studded Pork Loin)- Pork is always present in Mexico in all types of dishes and this presentation is a visually attractive one with the loin studded with olives, jalapenos, sweet red peppers and almonds which when sliced, show the colors of the season. This can be served alone with any one of the dozens of sauces available.

Lomo Relleno (Stuffed Pork Loin)- The stuffing is a classic one made from all the dried fruits and nuts which have been macerated with tequila or rum or brandy, then wrapped inside the loin which is then seared and braised. Additional stuffing is made to be served as desired.

Ensalada de Nochebuena (Christmas Eve Salad), while this dish is open to interpretation the basic ingredients are usually beets and lettuce but with the addition of "jicama" and any one or all, tropical fruits. A vinaigrette made with olive oil and lemon with a sprinkling of peanuts over top completes it.

Camotes Enmielados (Candied Yams)- These are done with our "piloncillo" (dark sugar cones made from sugar cane) which we also use for many sweets and coffee.

Pechugas Navidenas (Christmas Chicken Breasts), made from Huitlacoche and Flor de Calabaza stuffed chicken breasts (corn smut and squash blossoms) with a sauce made from poblano chile, white wine, white roux and sour cream which are topped with Pomegranate seeds.

Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Codfish Spanish Style), The Spanish made the most of the New World ingredients they found in Mexico, using potatoes, tomatoes and chiles in this dish, in addition to the olives, capers and anchovies they imported from Europe and the salted, dried cod that accompanied them on ocean voyages. The dried cod piled up in the markets at this time of year undergoes an almost magical culinary transformation from a rather unappetizing looking ingredient to an outstanding dish with an inspired combination of flavors. Always present on our Xmas table yet I try to find fresh Cod which imparts a sweeter flavor to this dish.

Torta Azteca (Aztec Torte)- A lasagna type dish made from breaded corn tortillas dipped in green salsa alternating with cheese and chicken layers, covered in more salsa and topped with cheese and sour cream gratin. This can also be done "red" with a guajillo chile based sauce or any one of a number of chile sauces, spiced tomato or even mole.

Ponche Navideno (Holiday Punch)- In addition to being served in Mexican homes during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, hot ponche is sold at night by street vendors who ladle it out from steaming cylindrical vats. I can recall this being "spiked" with pot stems in the mountains of Oaxaca which made for an even more magical recipe...lol.

Rompope (Mexican eggnog)- This beverage was first made by the colonial-era nuns at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla, and the Santa Clara brand is still one of the most popular plus containing 96 proof grain alcohol so you know it packs a "punch". These are the same nuns which refined the Mole Poblano and were known for the Chiles en Nogada too. They were recognized as having very sophisticated culinary knowledge.

Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)- These traditional cookies, which I don't remember seeing in any weddings, are popular year round but made special during Christmas with the addition of orange zest which is a bountiful tropical fruit in winter.

The sweets, breads and candies associated with any Mexican celebration are far too numerous to mention as anyone who has either been in Mexico or walked into a Mexican bakery or mercado can attest. Plus Mexico's tropical climate contributes mightily to more ingredients usually not found in other countries winter celebrations yet in our country, it's in addition to the vast array of foods, spices and condiments available making such dishes possible. Don't forget that Mexico has all climates within it's borders as well, from snow capped mountains of great elevations to the deserts and from the balmy beaches to the plains, all contribute to the diversity of foods available.

These are but a few of the best known Christmas dishes you'll find in Mexico and usually in the major regions towards the center and north. We have so many vegetable dishes that can also be served that once I start it would be hard to finish and I haven't even touched the foods of the South or the Yucatan Peninsula with it's Mayan roots and exotic ingredients, I'd need a lot more space but maybe this can be my next post and I can assure you it will be most fascinating for this region with it's traditions and history is truly a world all onto it's own.

I hope I have given you an idea of the vastness of the Mexican table and some of the applications that our regional ingredients can contribute not just during celebrations but our daily lives. To me it becomes somewhat of a frustration when seeing the limited selection of dishes found outside of the country and the poor representation made of these. Our culinary heritage is very rich, filled with sophisticated and flavorful dishes served with a never ending list of sauces and condiments that trying to find "the real thing" has gotten harder to find for we are so much more than just tacos, burritos and enchiladas. It would be such a loss to permit this culinary heritage to continue to erode so we must do our best to protect it.

The Michelin Guide and the Best Restaurants......

Almost finished with one of the reports I'm to do regarding Chefs and their never ending quest for perfection in the culinary arena. If you're serious then the only ruler by which this is measured is to obtain a Michelin Star. You can get one, two and the maximum of three Michelin Stars and then you are at the zenith of perfection, in food that is. Should you desire to "take it up a notch" then you'd go not just for the food but for ambiance, service and whole experience and that's measured along with the stars with "knives and forks" for the couverts, and the top is to get five of them, not the black ones mind you but the red. Then there is nowhere up to go, you're at the very top of perfection in all aspects. You could also get as many points as you can from the Gault Millau (20 being the top) and Egon Ronay's or the Good Food Guide, maybe the AA Guide can give you some diamonds, all in all these are lists that Executive and Master Chefs dream of receiving at their restaurants.

The food is never still for it is always evolving, morphing according to traditions and fashion, there are also food trends to consider since the public tends to follow these and in order to keep up one must keep track of where food is heading in order to stay current and "trendy". Now you can say that classic dishes never go out of style and for the most part you'd be right, except that people are fickle and want to try whatever is the taste du jour and with that force change. You can see it to this day, even in Paris, where the classic French standards are hard to find even today, instead being replaced by lighter versions of dishes following the nouvelle cuisine movement that had been going on for eons yet the change was profound when famous chefs made it the norm. The emphasis was on lighter versions, long cooking times were shortened to bring fresher flavors out and more emphasis was placed on presentation. Gone were the heavy sauces and long cooking meats that were replaced with lighter complements with fresh, local ingredients using herbs to bring the best out of a dish.

Today we've got something very similar in the "Slow Food" and "Farm to Table" schools of cooking which mean to once again bring fresh, local ingredients, cooked naturally in a lighter style delivering more nutrition and healthful qualities to all. It seems funny to me, this "new" way of cooking which simply mirrors the way we've been cooking for quite a while. Mexico has long been into fresh, local produce (hence all the regional specialties), organics and slow cooking methods that accent flavors naturally. I remember working this way in our first restaurant in Puerto Vallarta where we even had a local lady growing all our vegetables, beans, herbs and had all our fish directly from local fishermen, straight from the fishing boats- nothing processed, frozen, canned- even our tortillas got fresh masa made daily. I can tell you that it made a big difference and people commented all the time how was it possible that everything tasted so differently..... it was wonderful.

Going back from the tangent I took, while doing my research I came upon an article (after reading through the Michelin Guide) from the Wall Street Journal regarding Mexico City being one of the Greatest Food Cities in the World, if you want to read the entire article go to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215425094092359.html it completely got us thinking of all our favorite places in Mexico City and the nostalgia trip was amazing!!!! While we are familiar with more than a couple of the places mentioned in this article, the others we don't know about will surely occupy a "must see" place on our next visit.

Here again we are presented with a food movement a la nouvelle cuisine in Mexico. Yet there seems to be more restraint in changing the classics around due to the loyalty from everyone plus having to accept that the original classics are pretty darn perfect. How could you make Chiles Rellenos any better? Or how about a traditional Mole or Cochinita Pibil? No can do and you'd be right, these dishes are more than just amazing. How about the perfect Tacos al Pastor? Done right these little bites are a religious experience, believe me, but they have to be right because mediocre doesn't cut it. We still talk about the tacos at El Pastorcito in Mexico City, their taste is permanently etched into our taste buds and anytime we've tried to find replacements, we come away sad and discouraged. There is no substitution for the real thing, done the whole way......

I will continue on my homework project since I don't want to do it tomorrow, still working on a new recipe which I'll need for the Student Competition next week for the most addictive Pizza..... Had a long list last week and by elimination I'm down to two possibilities. I will check with Purchasing on Monday to see if they are able to obtain my needed ingredients, if they can, I can promise a bomb! I'll report next week on the competition and see what the rest have dreamed up. I also want to see who the judges will be since that could influence my choice from something international and a bit more complex to maybe something more familiar that will be more acceptable, but we'll see.....

In any case with the holiday over with I can now settle down to the daily schedule and plan non-holiday menu's. For today and considering the chilly temperatures here (and lots of other places) I will share my version of French Onion Soup we had yesterday..... MMmmmm!

French Onion Soup.- A quicker version to the classic recipe but just as good, easy to make and oh so satisfying.....

6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of beef stock
1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper
8 slices of toasted French bread
1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the caramelization. The onions will reduce considerably, they must be a deep rich brown color but don't burn them.

Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.