30 replies to this topic

[Lars]

My brother and I just got back from our trip to Mexico City, and while in Mexico, we also visited Oaxtepec, Tepoztlán, and Taxco. We stayed with my friend Michelle, who lives in Col. Anzures, about two blocks from the entrance to Chapultepec Park, and so visited friends in Col. Condesa. Because we were staying with my friend, one of her maids prepared most of the meals for us, all of which were very good, and I'll post pictures soon. For one meal, I had the maid make a special green mole sauce, reducing the sweetness, and I liked it much better that way.

The only major restaurant we went to was Ligaya in Col. Condesa, and I had

huitlacoche pasta, which does not appear on the on-line menu, but was very good anyway.

I was happy to find mamey and chico zapote at the market (I think it was San Carlos market), although the mamey was a bit out of season. The chico zapote was extremely good, and I generally ate one each breakfast, although sometimes mango instead.

Here's my brothers webpage describing the trip. He wrongly identified a chico zapote as a mamey, but I have the correct ID on my page, although I have not yet put up most of the food pics yet. Some of the best pictures were the ones Kevin took at the market Michelle took us to, where she finds the best fish mongers.

[Jaymes]

Terrific, Lars. Is there any chance of getting a recipe for that green mole?

[tanabutler]

Man, oh man, those beans and spices are going to give Rancho Gordo a seizure.

Nice work!

[Scorched Palate]

Ooh, the chilaquiles on your brothers' site are making me weep. I continue my quest to find them here in Seattle... (making them myself, at least as regularly as I care to consume them, seems beside the point)

~A

[Lars]

To make the green mole, you have to first buy the green mole powder, which should be available at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles. However, I'm not sure what you need to add to it, and so I will have to wait for the recipe from Michelle in D.F.

Here I am buying huitlacoche quesadillas.

[Jaymes]

Ooh, the chilaquiles on your brothers' site are making me weep. I continue my quest to find them here in Seattle... (making them myself, at least as regularly as I care to consume them, seems beside the point)

~A

My friend in Queretaro makes "quicky microwave chilaquiles" every morning for her family.

She often makes them with Fritos and yes she's a born and reared Mexican and yes I do mean Fritos and no she makes no apologies.

Here's her recipe:

CHILAQUILES:

Salsa verde (tomatilla sauce); torn tortilla chips (or Fritos in a hurry); queso manchego (or asadero, or ranchero, or fresco, or any other Mexican white cheese that you like); and sour cream.

In bottom of microwaveable dish, spread a little tomatilla sauce, then layer of tostadas or Fritos, then more sauce, then sour cream, then "bastante queso." Repeat, until dish is full or ingredients are all used up, finishing with cheese. Microwave one minute, or till chilaquiles are heated through and cheese is melted. You'll probably have to experiment a time or two in order to get all of the proportions just right. Use as much salsa verde as you wish in order to get it as 'wet' as you like.

TOMATILLO SAUCE:
1 tsp or so cooking oil (just enough to cover botton of saucepan)
6 or so whole tomatillos, paper skins removed
jalepeños, or other chile peppers, to desired "pica"
water to cover
Put tomatillos and chiles in saucepan and water, just to barely cover. Bring to boil and cook just till tomatillos are soft (not too long, don't want them "mushy"). Put tomatillos and peppers (do not discard cooking water) into blender or food processor along with:
2 small cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped onion
"handful" cilantro
2 tsp "caldo de pollo" granulated chicken boullion,

Blend in food processor very well. Add cooking water to reach desired "sauce" consistancy...you want it fairly liquid, but flavorful and not "watered-down" tasting, so use your own judgment.

Most of the time she's got her own homemade salsa verde in the fridge but says when she's really rushed and out of salsa she opens a jar of Herdez salsa verde.

[extramsg]

Nice stuff, Lars. I'm not a fan of zapotes. Okay, but for some reason don't do much for my palate. I like mamey a lot as a licuado or helado or paleta, though. Don't know why. It's really a stranger flavor, but it works for me.

My wife and I have decided to do central Mexico for our 10th anniversarry this year. Screw savings. We have a $17,000 limit on our credit card. Mexico City => Puebla => Oaxaca for about 12 days total. Anyone on opinions whether we should get a car or just bus it? What about returning to Mexico City through Morelos?

My friend in Queretaro makes "quicky microwave chilaquiles" every morning for her family.

She often makes them with Fritos and yes she's a born and reared Mexican and yes I do mean Fritos and no she makes no apologies.

Jaymes, you're a slow foodie nightmare. Frito pie chilaquiles fusion in a microwave?


Scorched, I'm surprised you can't find chilaquiles up there. They're common in taquerias here (Portland) that are open in the morning, which are many. Even some downtown.

[Jaymes]

My friend in Queretaro makes "quicky microwave chilaquiles" every morning for her family.

She often makes them with Fritos and yes she's a born and reared Mexican and yes I do mean Fritos and no she makes no apologies.

Jaymes, you're a slow foodie nightmare. Frito pie chilaquiles fusion in a microwave?

And Nick....I can't get over how you think you're 'more Mexican than the Mexicans.'


It's also obvious to me that you're a married man whose wife does most of the work around the house. You have no idea what it's like to drag yourself out of bed at 5:30am, roust a bunch of kids, and often some lazy-ass-where-are-my-socks big kid called a husband, try to get them all moving, dressed, fed, round up shoes and book bags and homework and projects for history class and push them into the car or out to the bus stop or wherever they're going on time and get youself to wherever you're going on time. And then get up the next morning and do it again. And the morning after that. For years and years and years.

You clearly have the luxury for cooking to be a hobby, a luxury you can indulge in leisurely when you're in the mood. Not just one more daily chore that you've got to jam in amongst a hundred other daily chores.

Do I think that chilaquiles made from homemade corn tortillas that I've left out to go stale and then fried in home-rendered lard are better than chilaquiles made from Fritos? Of course I do, Nick. I'm not a dummy. But when I am in a huge rush, sometimes a gal's gotta make do. And sometimes I'm just in the mood for a quick snack. A quick snack, Nick. A quick, stick-into-the-microwave snack.

That recipe comes from an actual Mexican woman that lives her Mexican-ness in Mexico every single day. I didn't make it up. And it's not from some Londoner that knows nothing about Mexican food.

And PS -- ever try that salsa? I noticed in one of your posts you said something about in winter when you can't get good fresh tomatoes you use the Muir Glen fire roasted ones. I presume they're canned, right? Sounds to me like you HAVE made my salsa whether you'll ever admit it or not.

[Vanessa]

And it's not from some Londoner that knows nothing about Mexican food.

Excuse me?

v

[Scorched Palate]

I like the microwave chilaquiles idea, Jaymes, though I think I've got enough stale corn tortilla chips that I can forgo the Fritos. They'd definitely do in a weekday pinch. If I had any crema, I'd go make 'em right now!

MSG: the MF Seattle contingent has found 4 places that sell chilaquiles here in Seattle, 2 of them certifiably horrid and 2 of them untried due to the fact that they're on the menu at places we already know make terrible food. Only 1 of these 4 places is open for brunch, none for breakfast. Most of our taquerias don't open until lunchtime. We kept our eyes open all throughout our recent taco crawl (I'm too lazy to link to the PNW board, but I am sure you can find it if you're interested) and not a single place we visited offered chilaquiles; only one even had breakfast of any sort.

I wish I could open a Mexican restaurant here, doing San Francisco-style burritos at lunch, regional Mexican food at night, and brunch on the weekends. Gringa though I am, I know I could do a better job than every local place, save La Carta de Oaxaca. Now, if only I had the desire to work 80-hour weeks...

~A

[Jaymes]

And it's not from some Londoner that knows nothing about Mexican food.

Excuse me?

v

You're so right, Vanessa. There are MANY Londoners that know more about Mexican food than I do.

I just got swept up in that silly Tuckerman nonsense.

Forgive me, okay?

I should have said "New Yorker."

[Vanessa]

Thanks.

v

[guajolote]

Mexico City => Puebla => Oaxaca for about 12 days total. Anyone on opinions whether we should get a car or just bus it? What about returning to Mexico City through Morelos?

a car would save you a lot of time, but whenever you get on a mexican bus you always end up seeing a lot of interesting things. i've been looking for the movie mexican bus trip (i tjhink that's the translated title) but so far have been unable to find a place that rents it.

cuernevaca is ok. but not my favorite place in MX. there is a remarkable relais & chateaux resort, las mananitas, that is worth a visit. there restaurant is amazing. also in cuernavaca is the robert brady house.

[extramsg]

Yeah, I generally take buses in Mexico from city to city (and even within cities), but the trip to Oaxaca is farther than I normally travel between cities and my experience is that buses take about 1.5 to 2 times what it takes to go by car, especially on hilly roads like those between DF and Oaxaca. With it being around 350 miles, I'm afraid that it will be a 12 hour bus trip. I've never driven in Mexico and certainly don't want to deal with a car or traffic or worries about theft in Mexico City. So it would really be just for the trip between the cities. I don't know how much I might want a car in Puebla or Oaxaca either.


(Jaymes, I was just teasing. Please don't take it personally. And for the record, I cook two meals a day. My wife does no cooking. Ever.)

[guajolote]

With it being around 350 miles, I'm afraid that it will be a 12 hour bus trip.

they recently completed an autopista between DF and oaxaca which cut the travel time in 1/2. this site says the bus trip on ADO is 5 hours.