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Post by imec on Aug 10, 2012 13:09:43 GMT
(impersonating someone who knows their shit)...
Possibly imec, although I can't find anything to support that when I google Sangrita. The literal translation is "little blood" and as Sangrita is typically based on a mixture of juices including tomato, it certainly seems to make some sense. Do you make/drink Sangrita yourself?
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Post by imec on Aug 10, 2012 13:10:58 GMT
(back to being the dummy... )
Yes! A Cuban American introduced me to it while in Cancun one time. It helped me gain a whole new appreciation for fine tequila. I make a small batch each time I feel like a good tequila either before or after dinner.
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Post by imec on Aug 10, 2012 13:11:15 GMT
(clever fellow again...)
And imec, did you know that the original vision did not include tomato juice but rather pomegranate juice?
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Post by imec on Aug 10, 2012 13:14:04 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 10, 2012 18:58:33 GMT
(Bixa, the method actor, accurately portraying someone who knows diddley-squat about sangrita...)
Gosh, Imec, the first & only time I ever had the stuff was when my sister served me some bottled stuff after she found out about it from a Panamanian friend. I didn't care for it, but have always found bottled mixed drink additives icky.
I'd rather hoped that a knowledgeable person would have jumped in & illuminated the subject for all of us. However, I think this particular thread only appeals to the adventurous few.
The recipe you linked sounds great. What's the protocol on drinking it -- knock back a lime shell full of tequila, then follow it with a lime shell full of sangrita?
(Bixa, on slightly less shaky ground, gives a convincing performance as an insufferable pedant .....)
Re: "little blood" ~~ the -ita/-ito suffix doesn't always mean "little". It's also used to indicate familiar affection. For instance, the Virgin Mary here is often called la virgincita, which doesn't mean little virgin, but more like dear virgin. A better example in this case would be changing Robert or Bob to Bobby, which somehow sounds more affectionate. So sangrita might be something like "bloodsy".
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Post by Don Cuevas on Aug 11, 2012 8:42:59 GMT
I suppose that a discussion of sangrita on a Tacolandia thread isn't too off topic. Back in the U.S., with little previous exposure to Mexican drinking customs, I would make a sangrita from orange juice, lime juice, tomato juice and a little hot sauce. It wasn't bad. Then in Mexico, it seemed that much sangrita served was a bottled preparation which I didn't like very much. Por ejemplo.Interesting web page here: tequilasource.com/sangrita/On our first visit to La Mesa de Blanca in Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán, we were served a house made sangrita that was distinctly different. I would guess that besides the usual ingredients, it may also contain tamarindo. Whatever, it is a thicker than usual, purplish red brew with a mildly picante kick. It's my accompaniment of choice to a glass of their mezcal, served brim full in a glass. I just happened to find a photo of this all important nutritional supplement. L—R, clockwise: Pickled carrots and cauliflower, glass of mezcal, sticks of jícama with salsa chamoy, glass of sangrita, plate of limes.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 12, 2012 5:00:06 GMT
That does look appetizing. *drumroll* I have an answer for the original sangrita question, i.e., what is it in the context of the assorted offerings at a sheep & goat taco stand. Apparently, it's moronga (blood sausage), but called sangrita because it's not pig blood. I got this info from a Mexican friend today as we passed that very stand shown on the previous page, except at its Saturday location in Parque Madero. I wanted to stop and do some mouth-on research, but she had her little boy with her, plus we were schlepping two puppies. In attempting to ascertain whether or not moronga is ever made with beef blood, I came across this fun fact ~~ blood pudding in Korea is called "sundae". This information came from the charmingly titled Wikipedia article, "Blood as food". Black pudding thread: anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=discussion&action=display&thread=5809
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Post by imec on Aug 13, 2012 16:37:43 GMT
A nice bit of sleuthing there bixa, thank you! And, yes the sangrita is meant to follow the tequila - although I leave the "knocking back" of said libations to college kids in pursuit of the quickest route to oblivion in favor of the sip and savor approach. When I was introduced to this, the particularly fine tequila was actually served in a small snifter.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 22, 2012 15:34:03 GMT
Sorry for taking so long to respond, Imec. Thanks for the answer and also thanks for pointing out that good tequila -- or mezcal -- is meant to be savored in the same way as any other carefully crafted liquor.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Aug 31, 2012 9:23:37 GMT
Yesterday, I walked in from the outer peripheral Libramientp highway to Centro Pátzcuaro. It's about 6 to 8 blocks. On the corner of Calle Ibarra at Libramiento is this busy, popular taco stand. The taquero tried to entice me by saying they were serving tacos de venado (deer). But another customer smilingly shook her head. I exclaimed "¡¡Bambi! Ay, pobrecita!". They really were tacos de cabeza. I didn't eat any as I wanted to go to Menudería Tere, have some menudo, and take a few pics of the staff. Tere's is my place to revive my tired body with a steaming bowl of spicy menudo. The combination of collagen rich broth, fresh lime juice, chopped raw onion, and my choice of chiles or potent salsas make it a true restorative. That there are attractive women at work there doesn't hurt at all. En route, I saw this other cute juice cart, with baby carriage alongside. When I arrived at Tere's and sat down, they immediately brought me a large bowl of menudo, without me ordering. Photo from an earlier visit. A "small" bowl. (True, these are not exactly tacos, but stretch your mind a bit...) Tere and Juhúe SUGEY (spelling?) were seated across from me, so I requested permission to take their photos. They seemed puzzled why I would want to, but they granted my wishes. Sugey left, Tere right. Sugey is Tere's niece. I paid her $12 pesos—about 90¢— for my large orange-papaya juice separately from the menudo ($40 pesos). This is Sugey at her stand with juicer in hand. More photos of Tere's family here: Daughter Gaby on left. NIECE Gaby, on left. Yes, there are two Gaby's, cousins, both working at Tere's. This concludes this episode.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 31, 2012 17:37:50 GMT
Oh, thanks for taking us to Pátzcuaro! (True, these are not exactly tacos, but stretch your mind a bit...) Ack-shully, the title of the thread is "tacolandia", so it's right & proper to include foods & beverages from taco land even beyond tacos, no? What pleasant & beautiful ladies and that looks like a fine, fine bowl of menudo besides.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 1, 2012 1:02:14 GMT
I stopped by there today to give them some prints of the photos. That was my fastest turnaround to date. Of course, they liked them. Daughter Gaby was not there today.
They were eating homemade caldo de res y verduras, not menudo. Can't blame them.
They wanted to know if I wanted to eat, but I told them I was meeting my wife and a friend at Mariscos La Güera. More, later on that.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 1, 2012 1:30:17 GMT
Before that, I was getting a shoe shine at la Plaza Chica. The view was in the direction of the Portales straight ahead, and the Mercado slightly to the left RIGHT. During the nearly 10 minute shine ($15 pesos), I caught a few things on digital "film". This seafood cart, one of several around Plaza Chica, but I have sworn not to eat at any as I've seen what I consider lax hygiene. Here's a closer shot, showing the array of bottled salsa available to patrons. The shoeshine man next to us catches up on the news. Along comes an ice cream vendor, with her wares. Next, a vendor with a wheelbarrow full of bread. Next, the cacahuates man (peanuts) with his tricycle cart. But we headed out to Mariscos La Güera, where we tried their Ancas de Rana (frogs' legs) for the first time. They were excellent. Followed up by Doña Cuevas's favorite, Camarones Para Pelar. Our friend, JJ, had a large fried Mojarra al Mojo de Ajo. It's an ugly but very tasty fish. I didn't get a picture of that. But, here's one from the Archives of the Mariscos La Güera: Surprisingly, JJ had never been to Mariscos La Güera before, although she's an old Mexico hand. She was quite pleased with her meal, as were we. (Although my Salmón a la Plancha was a little dry this time.)
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Post by mich64 on Sept 1, 2012 1:50:58 GMT
Don, the photos show an excellent looking meal! I have never had frog legs, I wonder what they taste like? The sliced avacado looks delicious!
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 1, 2012 5:00:24 GMT
One of your best photo series to date, Don Cuevas! You know my intensely warm feelings toward Pátzcuaro, so I think you can imagine how much I enjoyed seeing this.
Wow, has the traffic there increased a bunch in the last few years? Even so, the place has not lost one iota of its charming specialness. You should do a little riff on how the bread comes out and takes over a section of the arches every afternoon, just one of the many things that make that town delightful.
Just super pics. Somewhere you semi-promised to do a tutorial on taking pictures of food. I think your credentials for that shine through here beautifully. So, like, when?
And since I'm coming up with stuff for you to do ~~ your mission, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to get the story on the huipil the woman in the first pic in #136 is wearing. You may of course press Doña Cuevas into service on this task.
Mich, I really, really hate to say this, but frog legs do sort of taste like chicken.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 1, 2012 8:56:47 GMT
Don, the photos show an excellent looking meal! I have never had frog legs, I wonder what they taste like? The sliced avacado looks delicious! Frog's legs are usually mild in flavor, sort of like chicken, but with a tinge of the aquatic environment in which they lived. These frog's legs were milder than the fishier ones I first tried 30 years ago, imported from Malaysia, I think. Avocados are a common and welcome garnish here. Presently, they are selling in the mercado for $20 pesos (a little over $1.52 USD) a kilo. They are inexpensive here, usually, as they are grown in the many hillside groves around Uruapan, about 30 miles south of Pátzcuaro.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 1, 2012 9:56:39 GMT
One of your best photo series to date, Don Cuevas! You know my intensely warm feelings toward Pátzcuaro, so I think you can imagine how much I enjoyed seeing this. Wow, has the traffic there increased a bunch in the last few years? Even so, the place has not lost one iota of its charming specialness. You should do a little riff on how the bread comes out and takes over a section of the arches every afternoon, just one of the many things that make that town delightful. Just super pics. Somewhere you semi-promised to do a tutorial on taking pictures of food. I think your credentials for that shine through here beautifully. So, like, when? And since I'm coming up with stuff for you to do ~~ your mission, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to get the story on the huipil the woman in the first pic in #136 is wearing. You may of course press Doña Cuevas into service on this task. Mich, I really, really hate to say this, but frog legs do sort of taste like chicken.* Thanks for the compliments, Bixa. I am no photography expert. I don't even know what some of the terms mean. I have a pretty good camera, I see, I point, I shoot. Later, I edit in Picasa, and usually, that's not much editing. ¿Huipil? Neither Doña Cuevas nor I have a clue. You may have to visit here and investigate on your own. I do know that Fridays are the big market day here, and more indigenous women dress in their traditional traje to come to town. They also seem to wear bustles under their embroidered skirts, or they are just amply hipped. There can be a lot of traffic in Pátzcuaro at certain times of day, and a queue of vehicles forms at key intersections in the Centro. Other times and places it's quiet. Queue of vehicles approaching Las Siete Esquinas, Centro. The bread sold under the portales of the Plaza Chica is, for the most part, pan corriente, or ordinary bread. However, one can find exceptions. Yesterday, while finishing our meal at La Güera, Águstin, the roving bread vendor for a bakery up on Calle Pueblita, in a non touristed barrio of Pátzcuaro, came with his basket of breads. Most are pan dulces or sweet breads of various kinds. He also had some attractive empanadas de atún (tuna fish), it being Friday, I suppose. But we loaded up on sweet goods to take home. We have never been to his employer's bakery, as it's both a bit out of the way and not open to the public in general. But they make perhaps the best quality and most varied pan dulce of all bakeries in Pátzcuaro. To buy their breads is usually a matter of casualidad, or coincidence. When you see Águstin carrying his large basket and scissor stand, ¡Aproveche!. Take advantage of the moment. I suppose one could learn his route, which I think is always the same. He, in turn, could learn where his regular customers are. We just catch him on the fly. By the way, he speaks pretty good English. Most items are expensive by Mexican panadería standards; $5 pesos each. (~38¢ USD) Here's a photo of Águstin, when I first met him in March, 2011. Another pic, closer in, of his basket of wares at that time. The selection then was meager compared to yesterday's at La Güera. (One of the truly cool things about life in Mexico is that in less formal restaurants, such as La Gúera, vendors are permitted to enter and sell candy, or bread, or what nots in the dining room.) Basket of Pan Dulce carried by Águstin yesterday (This has made me hungry. I'm going to rummage through the bags and find some rollo de coco e higo —coconut fig bun—, for example. Maybe also one of the rich tartas de queso, a small and luscious cheese cake.) There is an attractive new contender, Panadería La Parroquia, Calle Ibarra #59, Colonia Centro. It has a classy salesroom, open to the public. They mostly make the typically drier type of pan dulce, but also interesting loaves in a traditional style, some large, some smaller, some laced with melted piloncillo (Mexican raw brown sugar, usually available in cone forms.). They have invited me to come and make bread with them one day, but I have been unable to do so as yet. picasaweb.google.com/doncuevas/PanaderiaLaParroquiaPatzcuaroSample of bread at Panadería La Parroquia. I have taken photos at La Parroquia, and hope to accept their invitation. Then I will write about it on my blog, "My Mexican Kitchen". www.mexkitchen.blogspot.com*Frogs' legs taste like chicken because the huge, carnivorous frogs raised for human consumption are fed a diet of raw chicken nuggets rejects. Es todo para ahora.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Sept 6, 2012 23:44:46 GMT
Today we went to the not distant town of Quiroga, Michoacán. Quiroga is famous nationwide for its carnitas de puerco, pork braised in its own fat. But overlooked are other delicious goodies. I was hungry and needed a few things from Quiroga's mercado, so we found a sort of parking spot. I went in search of something to snack on. Just beyond this little plaza is the mercado. It's much smaller than Pátzcuaro's, but Thursday may not be the big market day. Not far beyond that, I came to a stand selling chickens, and next to it, a gorditas stand. This one, operated by Bety y Marta, had a lot more customers than the one next to the chickens, so of course, I got my gorditas at Bety & Martas'. These are gorditas: plump patties of corn dough, filled with your choice of several fillings, cooked on the comal, and then {this specialneverbeforeseentouch CLICK!} ¡ Gorditas al carbon! The gorditas are lifted with tongs from the comal and placed onto the hot charcoal for a moment or so. This has made me hungry. I'll return later with some more details. I will say that I ate 4 gorditas at 12:30 p.m. and it sustained me until now. 6:44 PM. O.k. I'm back. Some of the fillings available for these gorditas are frijol, haba (fava bean), mole, chicharrón, papas con chorizo, queso, in two styles: plain and adobado. (Except, adobado was not the word she used. It's crumbly queso fresco swirled through a thin salsa roja.); and I think the obligatory pollo. There may be more. There are two options for jazzing up your gordita (not that it needs it. They are very good simply as is.) The first option is a salsa roja de molcajete. This stuff is thrillingly and deliciously primal. Plum tomatoes, chiles manzanos and garlic are roasted directly in the charcoal embers. Then they are ground and mashed in a volcanic stone mortar with a knob like pestle, also volcanic in origin. A little salt is added. Note that the skins are not removed from the roasted tomatoes and chiles. I suppose that the garlic skins are removed. Here's the rough, crude and absolutely delicious sauce in its molcajete. I almost forgot about the big bowl of vinegar and water on the table, with sliced cooked carrots, strips of raw onion, strips of nopal cactus and slices of raw chile manzano,all seasoned with vinegar, salt, allspice berries, I think black peppercorns, and oregano leaves. This is free to customers. To me, this type of food is quintessentially Mexican. I firmly believe that some of the best food in México can be eaten at places like this. Of course, you might get a bad meal instead. This one was unusually good. I just can't resist contrasting this meal, in which we ate a total of 6 freshly made gorditas, a total of $48 pesos (about $3.70 U.S.), plus a Fresca soft drink from another stand for $7 pesos with this other side of Mexican cuisine: tinyurl.com/bpa3vohScroll down to Post # 166. Then follow this link to the poster's blog, in which he expounds at length on those Alta Cocina Mexicana meals. www.finediningexplorer.com/Rest_of_World/index.php I call it "Poodle Cuisine".
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 1, 2012 0:01:36 GMT
On the way home from a shopping trip to Pátzcuaro this afternoon, I was getting a garrafon (large flagon) of water at the little store. I was slightly hungry, so I decided to get a couple of tacos at the shiny, stainless steel clad tacos de birria stand across the street. I ordered two tacos from this guy, Sr. David. He's pretty nice. Really. The tacos were good, but a little under seasoned. But there were two salsas available with which to jazz up the tacos, a mild green and an oily, incendiary red. I went with the green. There were also the requisite chopped onions, cilantro and limes for squeezing. Big note: the tortillas for the tacos and to accompany the platos (bowls) de birria are made right there. That's a plus. Here's the birria (of beef, in this instance.) in its steamer. Other guys at the three folding tables were eating tacos and some good looking birria en su consomé. I ordered a small cup of consomé. It was pretty good, but again under seasoned, but I corrected it somewhat with added condiments. Two generous filled tacos, a cup of consomé, and a Jarritos refresco de naranja. (Orange soda, but a superior brand.) came to $36 pesos. About $2.75 USD. This was not the best birria I've had, but it was tasty enough, generously portioned and the operation seemed to be clean. Considering its convenience to where we buy our jugs of water, eggs and on weekends, the famous char broiled roasted chicken, I'll probably eat there again.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 3, 2012 6:07:10 GMT
I was never going to forgive you for leading me to the poodle cuisine site, but your robust descriptions of real food for real people, plus the great photos (love Sr. David!) made me relent. Really, the Bety & Marta visit sums up everything that is so wonderful about Mexican food. It also highlights things that we don't have over here in the east. Gorditas are showing up at fairs, but fried, for goodness sakes, fried! The al carbon is a touch of genius. And the pic of the roasted tomatoes & chiles is a perfect illustration of so many sublime foods here that are more than a sum of their parts. Very, very nice. Provecho & blessings!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 3, 2012 11:02:50 GMT
Gracias. I may stop by Sr. David's on Sunday enroute to the Feria Alternativa at Uranden, but I think a bowl of spicy menudo might be better for the cold that I've had for two days.
I could pick up a pollo asado at El Tejaban across the street, on my way home.
I just took another peek at that "poodle cuisine" site. Gag.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2012 19:28:23 GMT
Why have so many of these delicious looking items never been exported out of Mexico?
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 4, 2012 15:09:00 GMT
Because they don't travel well?
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 5, 2012 18:41:08 GMT
Stopped by Sr. David's birria stand on the way home. Got a "plato grande de birria para llevar", (to take away). It is a huge styrofoam container of chunks of tender beef and broth. The condiments are baked separately, in little plastic bags. The salsa is a little mild, consisting mostly of tomatillos with enough chile manzano to give it a tingle. Pictures follow, after a nap. The pics are back from the drugstore: Take Out Birria
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2012 16:02:03 GMT
I guess I can stay in Paris after all. We can even put on our masks and wrestle off the excess calories!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 20, 2012 1:34:50 GMT
We were returning home from a couple of days in Morelia, when we stopped to buy jugs of pure water at "Fresno's". I was in the mood for some of David's birria, but when I crossed the highway, he opened the steamer to show me that all that was left was fat and scraps.
"Excepto este..." as he fished down into the consomé and came up with a skinned but nicely formed testicle, with long cord attached. I said, Gracias, pero no. I will wait for another time.
Believe me, there's a vas deferens between a bowl of birria and a ball .
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 20, 2012 1:38:39 GMT
K2, what are "Boeuf Mijote" and "Guarillos"?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2012 6:01:21 GMT
Boeuf mijoté would be slow simmered beef. No idea about the other one.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 21, 2012 2:07:10 GMT
On the way into Pátzcuaro today, we stopped at Birria David's for a bite. The little place was busy, and I had to wait a while to have my order taken. I saw that some, already seated, were eating menudo. While I like (some) menudo, what I really wanted was birria. Fortunately, they had it. I had 2 generous tacos plus a cup of consomé. With the added chopped onions, cilantro and discreet bites of chile Manzano, it was quite good.
The guy to my right finished his bowl of birria, then ordered another. A bowl of birria, chopped meat in a spicy broth is my favorite way to have it. But we were in a bit of a hurry, so I went with tacos, then ordered a third. The "bill" was $26 Pesos Mexicanos, for 3 tacos and 1 consomé.
I didn't take any pics because it seemed rude to be when sharing a table with strangers.
Later, on our way home, after an attempt to drive to Centro, frustrated by a strike or demonstration of combi van drivers, we stopped at David's as they were breaking down and putting up. I gave them a small paper plate with 6 ultra buttery-rich rugalach that I'd baked a few hours earlier.
We went home and enjoyed the rest of a beautiful day.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 23, 2012 5:49:02 GMT
K2, what are "Boeuf Mijote" and "Guarillos"? I strongly suspect that the former is res mixiote & the latter guajillo. "Slow simmered beef" would be a fairly accurate description, as something mixiote would be wrapped in mixiote -- membrane from an agave leaf -- and pit barbecued. I guess it could also be called boeuf en papillote. Guajillos are a type of dried chile.
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