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Post by imec on Nov 17, 2011 15:32:51 GMT
imec, an acquaintance of ours, Lesley Tellez, leads Taco Tours in Mexico City. They are not cheap. Wow! You're not kidding! And I suspect the high price has nothing to do with the cost of the food. I'll opt for the self guided version.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2011 2:22:53 GMT
I think you should get a free tour for finding the damned price, Imec. I never did! You might be interested in this book, which is a great companion for any trip to Mexico. Probably some of the recommendations are outdated now, but the basic info about which foods are specialties of various regions and cities is really useful. I xerox pertinent pages to take on trips. Just to keep the info & pics flowing until DonC gets back from the Cuevas Cave with more of his amazing collection of food photos ........... Oaxacan quesadillas are bigger than the examples Don Cuevas has show from other areas. Here's a video of the tortillas being made for quesadillas, with some quesadillas also cooking on the comal.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 10:02:21 GMT
Bixa, very cool video of quesadilla Oaxaqueña being made. By the way, I think molotes, tlacoyos and bocoles are essentially the same type antojito, except that the tlacoyoyos are flattened bobbins of filled masa. The different names reflect the regions where they are made. Undoubtedly, Oaxaca has the biggest tortillas I've ever seen. I went shopping yesterday in the Pátzcuaro Mercado and took a few hasty pics of antojitos. The biggest concentration of food stands is at the "Explanada", the front end opening down a few broad steps to the Plaza Bocanegra, locally known as the Plaza Chica. We'll start off with couple of shots of a lone taquero preparing for the day's rush of customers. Why he already didn't have any yet is a mystery, as just a few yards away, Tacos Nacho's was already doing a good business and employing 4 or 5 taqueros. (Location, location, location. Tacos Nacho"s has a prime location on the corner of the Explanada. But this taquero's ingredients looked good. As did his "ensaladas" (fresh vegetable garnishes and pickles) and salsas: More... The cazuela de barro (clay dish) on the left contains sliced onions and chile perón or manzano, a larger, somewhat less picante cousin of the chile habanero. But picante enough. The middle cazuela has a salsa Mexican or cruda, of chopped chiles, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Very typical through La República Mexicana except that here chiles perón are used instead of serranos or jalapeños. Finally, the right dish has sliced cucumbers, to soothe the savage flames of the chiles and add some crunch. More "salad bar" items: Those are self service condiments, but this huge molcajete (volcanic stone mortar) holds the salsa roja that that taquero splashes onto the tacos. (Tacos Nacho's offers both a salsa roja and a verde.) Unfortunately, I wasn't yet hungry, so I had to defer a tasting until another time.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 10:29:31 GMT
A little further inside the covered central part of the mercado is what I call "Quesadilla Row", a series of quesadilla stands. These hold less appeal for me as they all fry their products and some fry ahead for "the rush" and then reheat the antojitos. Sometimes a smoky haze of cooking oil fills the corridor. Prefried quesadillas ready for the rush. Below, you see various popular quesadilla fillings; some traditional, others modern adoptions. (Eg, the long strips of salchichas or hot dogs. Mexican hot dogs are among the most tasteless, blandest processed foods imaginable. This could be a thread of its own.) Other fillings are pollo, rajas and chicharrón en salsa. Finally, at the inner end of Quesadilla Row, after several intermediate, humble Cocina Económicas, often specializing in whole fish soup, is the only quesadilla stand in the mercado we've tried, Quesadillas Monce. Note that they have a 2-compartment, stainless steel sink. The quesadillas we ate there weren't bad, but not sufficiently good to make us want to have them again. IMO, the Pátzcuaro mercado type fried quesadillas lack the character of the cooked-on-the comal type, thicker quesadillas, as pictured up thread.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 10:52:35 GMT
After shopping in the mercado, and a stop at our favorite carnicería, as well as enjoying a single hamburger and freshly squeezed orange juice next door, I landed at a table of the sidewalk cafe La Surtidora, a very popular spot under the Portal Hidalgo, on Pátzcuaro's Plaza Grande (Officially Plaza Vasco de Quiroga). There suddenly appeared the tacos dorados cart which had been mentioned earlier in this thread. The cart paused to prepare some crunchy, folded shell tacos for a couple of customers. I didn't get in closer because I wasn't prepared to eat any after that recent hamburger. I was also studying the hygienic practices or lack of, and though they weren't severe, there were some gaps. Given the popularity of this snack with so many customers, I'll inevitably sample some one day. Finally, just so I don't forget, there are the so called tacos al vapor (steamed tacos) AKA tacos sudadaos (sweated tacos) in which already prepared little steamed snacks are served up out of a steamer in a cart. These tacos more resemble little steamed savory puddings than tacos as we usually think of them. They are quick, hot, and relatively safe, but not, IMO, especially distinguished. The condiments and salsa add a lot. There's almost always a big jar of pickled sliced carrots and a little jar of what I know as "salsa macha", a deadly hot, dark, oily paste of roasted chiles de árbol combined at times with garlic and sometimes peanuts and sesame seed. Some ingredients for home made salsa macha. This concludes my contribution for today.
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Post by imec on Nov 18, 2011 14:12:05 GMT
This is making me crazy! What amazing food!
bixa, those things are huge!
Here's the copy from the "Taco Tour of Mexico City" page...
Time: 3 1/2 to 4 hours Held: Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4:30/5 p.m. Cost: $85 USD per person for groups of 2 to 6; $145 for one person traveling alone
You can’t come to Mexico City without trying some of its fabulous tacos. On this tour, we’ll introduce you to some of the best of what D.F. has to offer — including tacos al pastor, guisados, árabes, carnitas and cochinita pibil. While we eat, we’ll discuss the history and context of each taco we try.
Bring comfortable walking shoes.
Before you book this tour, read our Terms and Conditions first.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 14:50:00 GMT
imec: you come here, I'll give you a taco tour. All you have to do is buy my food and treat me to a cerveza. Nada más.
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Post by imec on Nov 18, 2011 15:04:36 GMT
Deal!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 16:36:51 GMT
When?
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2011 17:15:03 GMT
Oh -- you men are making deals? I was going to suggest to Imec that he show up with $42.50 and I'll show up with $42.50. On that budget, we can eat tacos until our eyes bulge out and probably get really drunk, to boot. Thanks for the compliment on the video, rather murkily made with my old camera. Here's the link to the thread where it appears: anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pictures&thread=4309&page=1 It's not a food thread, but there's a brief tour through some antojitos. By the way, I think molotes, tlacoyos and bocoles are essentially the same type antojito, except that the tlacoyoyos are flattened bobbins of filled masa. The different names reflect the regions where they are made. I have to disagree with you on their similarities. I'd say tlacoyos are really in the sope/memela class. However, the ones you show are more of an empanada object, which demonstrates the slippery nature of local names. Bocoles, as far as I know, are just gorditas under a different name. Molotes actually have the masa molded around the filling. We can probably assume there are other bibbety bobbins elsewhere in the country under other names, though. Your pictures remind me again of a) how much I love Pátzcuaro and b) how much nicer looking their stands are than the ones here. Ick-o on the pre-fried empanadas. I can't even find a web picture of the alarming bright orange ones sold on the side of the Benito Juárez market here. They look as though they were fried in chorizo grease. I've never even been tempted to try one, although I probably should in the interests of research. Love both photos of the chile perón & onion relishes (#62, pics 3 & 4, far left), a real classic of the taco experience. Because I'm an annoying pedant, I'll point out that those chiles are not really a cousin to the habanero except in the sense that all chiles are kin. The habanero & its cousin the scotch bonnet & all that ilk are Capsicum chinense. Perón is Capsicum pubescens. It's the only chile to have black seeds. In Oaxaca, it's called chile canario and in other parts of Mexico can be known as chile manzano. People who like to grow chiles should try this one, as it's meaty & tasty, plus the plant & its fruit are quite ornamental. That's a gorgeous red sauce and an equally beautiful molcajete. I've always wondered how they wash those monsters at the end of the work day. Re: salsa macha, here's some discussion on that -- anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=recipes&thread=4392&page=1
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 18, 2011 20:31:15 GMT
Bixa wrote: "I can't even find a web picture of the alarming bright orange ones sold on the side of the Benito Juárez market here. They look as though they were fried in chorizo grease. I've never even been tempted to try one, although I probably should in the interests of research." Could it be that the masa contains annato? (This annato stuff is everywhere!) Even worse than pre-fried antojitos are pre-fried charales. (Small, freshwater fish about the size of your little finger.) Image from SparksMexico You are undoubtedly right about the chiles. I did know that the chile perón is of the Rocoto clan. About molotes contra tlacoyos, etc; the tlacoyo has the filling wrapped inside the masa envelope and isn't open on any side, as is a quesadilla. The only way to tell for sure is to go and sample as many kinds as possible, in different locations. ;D "I've always wondered how they wash those monsters at the end of the work day." ¿ Lavar? ¿ Que? Seriously, I imagine that they wash them in place, tipping out the suds water before repeating with the rinse water.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 19, 2011 2:52:20 GMT
Ok, what's this? My dinner last night at a new Mexican restaurant in Siem Reap. It was good, by the way, the refried beans in the lower right corner were an eye- opener! I need refried beans now! Quesadilla and tacos with refried beans, rice and salad. And a Pacifico.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 19, 2011 9:12:15 GMT
I am not generally a fan of frijoles refritos (refried beans), preferring the whole frijoles de olla or their more seasoned variant, frijoles charros. But every once in a while we find some frijoles refritos that are riquísimos. Frijoles refritos with Huevos Albañiles at El Rincón de Allende, Morelia. On our recent stay in Morelia we ate there many times, and the frijoles de olla were even ¡ más riquísimos! But I didn't get a photo of them, and so I offer this pic of frijoles charros at Asador La Hacienda. Of course, none of this has anything remotely to do with tacos. But we should discuss cebollitas (roasted knob onions) and papas chicas, (baby potatoes), two common accompaniments to tacos, at least where we live. Oh; and that's a chile toreado, a flame kissed chile (jalapeño in this case) which will set your kisser aflame. I love the idea of chiles toreados, but I can hardly eat them, due to my waning tolerance for their "heat".
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 19, 2011 10:07:04 GMT
New York Times article on "chimichangas", an Arizona variety of a deep fried burrito. tinyurl.com/7h7fsacNot, to my knowledge, found here in central México, but I think that it would be warmly embraced if introduced. It has all the essential elements, mostly fat plus the lavish condimentation and SOUR CREAM!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 20, 2011 1:27:53 GMT
Hmmmm. HW, I can't really give names to the food items you show, except for the obvious salad & beans. (& Pacifico!). I guess the square thing is some kind of a tostada -- crisp tortilla with toppings. In this case, I can't figure out what the big pieces are. Chicken? Potatoes? Was it good?
On the left side, is the thing underneath two tortillas with filling between to make a sort of cake, then cut into wedges? On top of that is an empanada, yes?, with sauce on top.
I love refried beans. If you can't get them in a can, here's how to make them:
Either used beans (black or beige) that have been cooked simply or buy a can of plain beans.
Method A. Get some fresh avocado leaves & toast them on a dry griddle. Toast some dried chile (like a cayenne pepper). Toast a clove or two of garlic. (for a pound of cooked beans, use 10 leaves & 3 chiles, or to taste)
Heat vegetable oil or lard or a combination in pot or pan & put in slices of white onion. Cook the onion until it's getting quite brown, then remove it & set the oil aside.
Strip the leaves from their middle stem & put them in a blender container with the chiles & garlic. Blend with a little of the bean liquid.
Add the beans to the blender container & purée them, adding liquid as needed.
Very carefully, so it won't spatter, add the purée to the hot onion oil & let it simmer until if forms a thick paste, or a consistency to your liking.
Method B. Again start with cooked or canned beans -- undrained. Put them in a frying pan with hot lard & mash with a potato masher or whatever implement works. As they cook & the liquid evaporates, the beans will pull away from the sides of the pan. Use wrist action to gently flip & fold the beans into a loose omelet shape.
Method A will give you a dryer result, good for scooping with tortilla chips. Method B is authentic, but to my mind just a little too dry. If you like the beans a little soupier, as shown in your photo, just stop cooking when they're to your liking.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 20, 2011 1:55:31 GMT
Bixa, from what I can see, HW's quesadillas are NOB (North of the Border) style; 2 flour tortillas sandwiching cheese, etc, then browned to melt the cheese and cut into wedges to serve. I've made this many times for a light meal or a snack.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2011 18:58:36 GMT
Before my food horizons expanded, the terms "refried beans" appealed to me as much as if they had been named "regurgitated beans." I'm sure that they will increase in popularity if a new name is found for them some day.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 20, 2011 19:09:22 GMT
Sometimes, unfortunately, they look like regurgitated beans. The better ones, stand up in a little mound or a roll.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 21, 2011 0:57:53 GMT
I don't know about that. More often than not, the frijoles refritos* served in Oaxaca are fairly loose. However, they also have a downright deliciousness that's hard to explain considering the sum of their parts.
* I think we may have had this discussion before, but "refritos" does not mean refried. "Re-" or "rete-" means well or really in Mexican Spanish, as in retebueno -- really good. Frijoles refritos are well or nicely fried/cooked beans.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2011 5:48:59 GMT
Yes, I know you explained that before, but for some reason the language authorities in the United States either missed it or voted you down.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 22, 2011 5:43:29 GMT
Haven't been 'on' for a couple of days, thanks for the educated guesses. They are right! Top right corner are named tacos, lower left corner are enchiladas. Actually, last night I ordered enchiladas at my regular watering hole. They looked like this and were quite excellent. Refried beans might not look that good but they taste good! I also like mashed peas, by the way
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 5:55:59 GMT
Shouldn't they serve that on a place instead of a piece of floor tile? ;D
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 22, 2011 6:24:04 GMT
The floor tile is actually the top of the bar ;D
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 2, 2011 16:06:14 GMT
What Kerouac said. It may be on top of the bar, but it's still a piece of tile. I guess instead of having to chase the last few bites to the edge of a plate, it would make it easier to slide them off the tile directly into your mouth. I went back & looked at your pic of the Mexican restaurant in Siem Riep (#71). That plate appears to be a sort of crimped floor tile. This may not be an area where you want to demand authenticity. In an inside taco place, you're likely to get melmac plates. But almost universally, taco stands use very thin rubbery plates, sometimes with a piece of paper under the taco, sometimes not. You can see one in use in the first picture in #62 & in various other photos in this thread.
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Post by hwinpp on Dec 4, 2011 10:25:44 GMT
They aren't floor tiles, they're actually a little concave and I've never thought I'm eating from a tile. Maybe they think a square plate is more fashionable than a round one? Actually they aren't concave but convex of course
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 4, 2011 17:38:51 GMT
I've never thought I'm eating from a tile I was hoping to start a trend toward more efficient eating -- no utensils, no hands -- simply sliding slippery sustenance directly into our snapping jaws.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Dec 5, 2011 11:04:28 GMT
We went to the Feria Alternativa, AKA the Feria Orgánica, held at the plaza of Erongarícuaro, Michoacán. First Sunday of every month.) Although we didn't try any, there was a stand offering tacos de flor de jamaica orgánica. Here are a couple of pics. Tacos de flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers) Here they are fully garnished, with cilantro and what appears to be pineapple. We ate corundas and a tamal. Not bad, not great. That's a tamal de habas (fava bean mash, quite picante), and a corunda seamed with some leafy green veg; another filled with mashed frijoles. This is perhaps the ultimate in stodge food. There was an option of a shiny, thickened tomato sauce laced with rajas de chile poblano or the salsa verde which I chose.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 6, 2011 16:14:33 GMT
At one time I would have balked at the jamaica tacos. However, when I tasted them prepared as a savory, not a sweet food, it was a happy revelation. They have such a great meaty texture, too.
I think Michoacán may have written the book on tamal stodge, albeit delicious stodge. The fava bean tamal is intriguing, although I think I'd prefer the filling on a taco rather than in a tamal.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 7, 2011 18:07:18 GMT
You said over in the "what's for dinner" thread that you're in Morelia. Here's hoping that you come across some radical tacos or antojitos.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Dec 7, 2011 23:38:35 GMT
So far, I've had no tacos. Just caldo de pollo casero, huevos revueltos con chorizo, and a cheeseburger and fries. Oh, yes: a burrito yesterday morning
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