Recipe: Chiles en Nogada
Victor M. Martinez
Mexican flag. Some say it was created to honor Agustin de Iturbide.
As usual, I'm eyeballing quantities, feel free to adjust for taste.
Cook 1 lb pork and 1 lb beef loins in water with herbs (bay leaf,
marjoran, thyme), salt and all-spice berries. Roast 4-5 roma tomatos in a
hot cast iron pan (or broil in oven) and then puree in blender. Heat some
oil in a dutch oven and add tomatos. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Add chopped fruits, one of each: peach, apple, pear; add chopped almonds,
raisins. Let cook down a bit. Add the meat, shredded and cook until most
of the liquid is gone. It's best if you let the stuffing sit overnight in
the refrigerator and warm up the next day.
For the nogada (nut cream sauce) blend 1 cup of mexican crema (not sour
cream, substitute heavy whipping cream if you must) with 1 cup of pecans
or walnuts (you can peel the walnuts after soaking in milk for a few hours
to make a white sauce). Add a bit of sugar and season with salt. If too
thick, dilute with milk, it should flow freely, but be fairly dense. You
can make this a day ahead as well.
Roast 4-6 poblano peppers (use a gas range or a torch), put them in a
plastic bag to sweat, then peel and devein. Stuff the peppers, use a
toothpick to close the seams. Beat a couple of eggs. Dredge the peppers in
flour, then the egg, then fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Serve the peppers with the nogada and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top
(don't think it's just garnish, they add a key dimension to the dish).
Enjoy!
Victor M. Martinez | The University of Texas at Austin
mar...@FAKE.che.utexas.edu | Department of Chemical Engineering
http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv | Austin, TX 78712
If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?
Marcesent
news:Pine.OSF.4.40.030101...@fred.che.utexas.edu...
Serve the peppers with the nogada and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top
> (don't think it's just garnish, they add a key dimension to the dish).
> Enjoy!
>
>
> Victor M. Martinez | The University of Texas at Austin
> mar...@FAKE.che.utexas.edu | Department of Chemical Engineering
> http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv | Austin, TX 78712
> If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?
>
So I can get all the rest of these ingredients, but where is the best place
to get pomegranate seeds? Or do you buy the pomegranates and scoop out the
fresh seeds therein? :)
---marce
Ray Shea
>
> I guess Americans don't really get into that because there aren't many
> blue foods.
Cherry pie, blueberry pie, vanilla ice cream.
Oops, now I'm hungry again.
ray
Victor M. Martinez
>So I can get all the rest of these ingredients, but where is the best place
>to get pomegranate seeds? Or do you buy the pomegranates and scoop out the
>fresh seeds therein? :)
That's what I do. :)
--
Victor M. Martinez
>Victor, whenever anyone asks me what kind of food I like, I always
>say "Anything but Mexican". (I'm not a fan of hot food, and I don't
>like corn tortillas.)
You've never had a freshly made hot-off-the-comal corn tortilla then, with
nothing more than a bit of salt. It's a religious experience!
>Now, a restaurant in California and Fonda San
>Miguel have convinced me that this is an unreasoned prejudice, so I
>know there's more to Mexican food than tacos and enchiladas. But I've
One of my pet peeves is people calling "mexican" stuff like what's served
at Serrano's or Taco Bell. It's not mexican food, it's tex-mex.
>never been anxious to explore Mexican food. However, this recipe just
>upped my appreciation several notches.
I'm glad it did. The 3 grand cuisines of the world are French, Chinese and
Mexican. Too bad too many people haven't tasted but a pale imitation of what
those grand dames are.
--
suzilem
news:3E133FCD...@spamola.edu...
> Karen Kay wrote:
> >
> > I guess Americans don't really get into that because there aren't many
> > blue foods.
>
> Cherry pie, blueberry pie, vanilla ice cream.
>
Ruth Shear
Yum. That's a keeper thanks Victor. I wonder if there's a version that
doesn't use meat (my bit'o'fluff won't eat red meat).
The movie "Like water for Chocolate" shows a lot of the preparation of
this dish and since seeing that I've always wanted to try it. Do you
know if anywhere makes this dish in all it's glory ? Does Fonda ever do
it? The long departed and much missed Ay Chiwawa did have a version of
this dish - not as fancy and no pomegranites involved. It was good, but
just made me want to try the real thing even more some day.
Speaking of real corn tortillas - my sister-in-law made tamales with our
left over christmas turkey. They were great. She left me with some left
over masa (bought fresh not mixed from flour). How long does it last? I
thought it would be fun to try making some quesadillas from scratch but
I need a tortilla press. Anyone recommend a place to pick up a good but
cheap one. I've seen the wooden ones at Changos and read about metal
ones. Any thoughts?
Thanks
DrRuth
Jerry Jungmann
news:q9n61vs2l02enf0be...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 1 Jan 2003 19:59:25 +0000 (UTC), mar...@che.utexas.edu (Victor
> M. Martinez) wrote:
>
> >The 3 grand cuisines of the world are French, Chinese and
> >Mexican.
>
> be Chinese, Vietnamese, and anything ala Esteban.
>
> Besides, wasn't the Italians that taught the French how to cook? ;-)
>
> -sw
>
>
"La Cucina Madre"
Victor M. Martinez
>Yum. That's a keeper thanks Victor. I wonder if there's a version that
>doesn't use meat (my bit'o'fluff won't eat red meat).
You could always use duck...
>this dish and since seeing that I've always wanted to try it. Do you
>know if anywhere makes this dish in all it's glory ? Does Fonda ever do
I don't know if Foda prepares it during season, but IMO Fonda has gone
downhill since Roberto Santiba~ez left.
>left over christmas turkey. They were great. She left me with some left
>over masa (bought fresh not mixed from flour). How long does it last? I
Not too long, better use it soon.
>I need a tortilla press. Anyone recommend a place to pick up a good but
>cheap one. I've seen the wooden ones at Changos and read about metal
>ones. Any thoughts?
I've seen them at Fiesta. Metal is better than wood.
--
Mark Montgomery
Mark
"Victor M. Martinez" <mar...@che.utexas.edu> wrote in message
news:auvhat$cho$1...@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu...
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
he! that and "that other thing" Victor said is enough to get some
nationalistic juices flowing...
> I was talking about Mozzarella alla Caprese with a friend the other day, who
> mentioned that it contained the Italian flag colors: green, red, white.
I had "Italian" on New Years Eve: antipasta, lemon chicken, gelatti
Vic, you got no idea... ;-)
(ignoring Italian, Austrian, Hungarian, Greek, Persian, Indonesian...)
> I guess Americans don't really get into that because there aren't many blue foods.
Black Forest Cake -- use a blue napkin (or whatever it takes to complete
your national flag colors... and ignore the rest! :)
--
Timely Reading (tm): War at Home. Covert Action against US activists and what
we can do about it. 1989 - Bryan Click - South End Press. ISBN 0-89608-349-7
Uff maim Nachddisch jedsd: Heidelberg--in alten und neuen Reisebeschreibungen
Ausgewaehlt von Sabine Underwood, Droste 1993
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
> is there's a version that doesn't use meat?
you mean a tofu version? I have no doubts...
> The movie "Like water for Chocolate"...
if I ever get around to organize that "AF movie evening at Ararat"
that's definitely on the list of candidates...
...and here I'm looking at a "Chocolat" movie poster on the wall
of my niece...
> anyone/where make this dish in all it's glory ?
you may have to go to San Antonio...
> The long departed and much missed Ay Chiwawa did have a version of
> this dish - not as fancy and no pomegranites involved.
I'd stop by CM and bring my own... Chiwawa really did have some
unnecessary, nearly unforgivable short-comings. Like what they
tried to sell as Sangria...
> Speaking of real corn tortillas... left-over masa, how long does it keep?
not long. Use it up soon, you can freeze the tortillas once made...
> thought it would be fun to try making some quesadillas from scratch...
good idea!
> I need a tortilla press, but where to pick up a good but cheap one?
there's a little restaurant/store at the corner of 19th block
east on Caesar Chavez (First) Street which is an interesting
place to go for lunch or dinner, and they do sell such necessary
utensils, if not right there then in any of the neighborhood
hardware stores there... the HEB on East 7th nearby surely sells
them, as does the Third World one on Rundberg and N. Lamar, I bet.
get a metal one, it loves dishwashers, and you will love it!
(you know about the problem with wood utensils, and you have a kid
you need to protect, even if your bit of fluff does't need any
special protection.... ;-)
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
> I don't like Black Forest Cake.
'not enough Kirschwasser!'
...or 'more for me' -- whichever....
Victor M. Martinez
> get a metal one, it loves dishwashers, and you will love it!
Why would you want to wash it? It doesn't get dirty, if used properly that
is. You need to use a plastic barrier between the masa and the metal.
--
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
>> get a metal one, it loves dishwashers, and you will love it!
> Why would you want to wash it? It doesn't get dirty, if used properly that is
hmmm...
> You need to use a plastic barrier between the masa and the metal.
sounds like a strong plastic one would be best (if there was such a
thing to be had); may I rephrase? "I'd not want a wooden one!"
Victor M. Martinez
> sounds like a strong plastic one would be best (if there was such a
> thing to be had); may I rephrase? "I'd not want a wooden one!"
I use a freezer ziploc bag cut to fit.
Skamandrios
> I'll take your word for it. I don't like corn chips or corn bread,
> either, though, so I'm not sure I'd convert.
>
Next time you're at Fonda San Miguel, at least try one of their fresh
corn tortillas. IMHO, a single bite is to know what the angels in heaven
eat (to borrow a phrase from Mark Twain's rhapsodic description of
watermelon). These fresh tortillas have nothing in common with the
rubbery things you get at the grocery store or in a round box with yer
average #2 combination plate.
> But when 99% of the restaurants are serving that, how do you
> distinguish? That's why it's just safer for me to say that I don't
> like Mexican food. Unless someone is itching to take me to Fonda
> San Miguel...
>
99% of so-called "Mexican" restaurants do serve Tex-Mex. It's not
Mexican food. I grew up in Austin and didn't discover the difference
until I was in my twenties. Tex-Mex is occasional comfort food for me,
but Mexican cuisine is truly a higher plane.
If you like Fonda San Miguel, try Curra's Grill and Las Palomas. La
Calesa in San Antonio. None of these are as fancy as FSM, but they serve
mostly authentic Mexican food.
-S
Ruth Shear
Victor wrote:
> You could always use duck...
mmm. And now you've got me thinking about the Fonda duck dish with the
yummy green sauce.
> >over masa (bought fresh not mixed from flour). How long does it last? I
>
> Not too long, better use it soon.
How long is too long? We bought it Dec 23rd. It says nothing on the
packet. Is there a way to tell that it is off?
> >I need a tortilla press.
>
> I've seen them at Fiesta. Metal is better than wood.
I went to Fiesta. The metal one had a label that said something about
there being lead in the paint and cautioned not to use it for food
production because of lead poisoning concerns. Bizarre! Despite your
warnings, I bought the wood one.
Stay tuned for reports of corn tortilla success (hopefully)
DrRuth
Victor M. Martinez
>How long is too long? We bought it Dec 23rd. It says nothing on the
>packet. Is there a way to tell that it is off?
Smell it. If it smells like there's been fermentation, toss. Or make an
alcoholic drink, your choice... :)
>warnings, I bought the wood one.
You know those paranoid US regulations regarding carcinogens. Anyhow, I
prefer metal because they're smaller and stronger, but wood is just fine.
>Stay tuned for reports of corn tortilla success (hopefully)
I'm sure you'll have fun. The best quesadillas I've ever had were in the
Embajadoras market in Guanajuato. Freshly made corn tortillas stuffed with
oaxaca cheese (Fiesta has several brands). Open and spread a generous serving
of a good salsa (roasted tomatos, serranos, and onions, roughly chopped and
seasoned with salt) and you're in heaven!
Ruth Shear
> Stay tuned for reports of corn tortilla success (hopefully)
Well the masa didn't smell alcoholic, so we gave fresh quesadillas a try
last night.
I made poblana rajas and some mushrooms with ancho and garlic to use as
fillings along with chihuahua cheese, and a roasted tomato chipotle
sauce to dip them in. I have to admit to buying some tamales and some
tortillas so if my fresh masa attemps were a failure we would still have
a good meal.
I was using Rick Bayless's description of making quesadillas by making a
corn tortilla, putting it on the griddle/skillet, covering half of the
top with filling, folding it over and cooking both the filling and the
tortilla at once. He has a pretty detailed description of how to make a
fresh tortilla too, so I felt prepared.
Things I need to work on for next time include
- my arm strength for pressing those tortillas (it ends up being a good
upper body workout)
- figuring out the right size chunk of masa to use to get just the right
size tortilla
- figuring out the right thickness to stop at (I think in general mine
were a little too thick - a bit too much soft masa inside the
quesidallas)
- figuring out the right temperature for the skillet (I think I was
getting it better by the last few.)
- adding more cheese
- limiting the number I cook (those things are VERY filling!)
Bottom line - I have always preferred wheat tortillas for anything other
than enchiladas when the corn tortillas are smothered in sauce anyway. I
could get to like corn tortillas I think, making my own. Maybe part of
what I liked was the soft masa on the inside of the quesadilla.
Fun experiment. Lots of quesadillas in the fridge. And untouched tamales
and purchased tortillas.
DrRuth
Victor M. Martinez
>I made poblana rajas and some mushrooms with ancho and garlic to use as
YUM!
>Things I need to work on for next time include
>- my arm strength for pressing those tortillas (it ends up being a good
>upper body workout)
DrRuth! Haven't you been carrying around a kidlet lately? That should be
more than enough to give you great upper body strenght! :)
>- figuring out the right size chunk of masa to use to get just the right
>size tortilla
Should have mentioned that. But it depends on how thick you like them.
>- figuring out the right thickness to stop at (I think in general mine
>were a little too thick - a bit too much soft masa inside the
>quesidallas)
I'd say about 1-1.5mm is the norm.
>- figuring out the right temperature for the skillet (I think I was
>getting it better by the last few.)
Which kind were you using? A cast iron one would probably work best if you
don't have a comal. One day I hope to have a clay comal in my kitchen.
>- adding more cheese
Cheese is good.
>- limiting the number I cook (those things are VERY filling!)
<hint> Or inviting more people to dinner... </hint>
>could get to like corn tortillas I think, making my own. Maybe part of
>what I liked was the soft masa on the inside of the quesadilla.
The flavor difference between a freshly made tortilla and one from the store
is like the difference in flavor between homemade bread and store-bought
bread. Going for the tortillas as a kid right before lunch was a favorite
activity for me. The tortilla lady would always give me an extra tortilla,
hot off the machine with a little salt. Man, those things are good! :)
Cheers.
Ruth Shear
Reheating/cooking a bit more the leftover quesadillas made them even
yummier the next night.
Victor wrote:
> DrRuth! Haven't you been carrying around a kidlet lately? That should be
> more than enough to give you great upper body strenght! :)
Hmm. Maybe it's because my body is worn out from the not-so-little
anymore guy.
> Should have mentioned that. But it depends on how thick you like them.
> I'd say about 1-1.5mm is the norm.
From memory, Bayless warns that if its too thin it will tear. My problem
was probably that I couldn't press down any harder on the tortilla press
8-( Or that I had too much masa.
> >- figuring out the right temperature for the skillet (I think I was
> >getting it better by the last few.)
>
> Which kind were you using? A cast iron one would probably work best if you
> don't have a comal. One day I hope to have a clay comal in my kitchen.
Which sent me scurrying to google to find out what a comal is. The first
10 pages or so showed a flat, low-lipped, cast iron skillet. What is a
clay comal? The same idea but made of clay? I have several cazuelas that
I love to cook with because they can go from the stove top into the oven
then to the table. I would be a little uncertain whether they could be
made as hot as I think they would need to be for tortillas. Well of
course they go in the oven, but I mean put them over a high gas flame?
hmmm.
I used my large non-stick skillet. I do have an old rust-spotted cast
iron one somewhere in storage. One day I'll make the effort to find out
how to get it back into condition.
> >- limiting the number I cook (those things are VERY filling!)
>
> <hint> Or inviting more people to dinner... </hint>
My first reaction to this was "Yikes", along with a small smile. Along
with your YUM comment. I can't imagine I, a mere aussie pretender, ever
daring to produce mexican food for you Victor. And I mean that in the
nicest way possible. Since I've been in the states, especially in TX,
I've become quite attached to cooking and eating "real" mexican in the
way you talk about it. I love making moles and such. I love complicated
recipes with lots of ingredients. They usually turn out tasting pretty
good, at least the people who eat them think so. But I'd be oh so
worried to let some one who eats the real thing taste my cooking. Which
is silly, now I come to write it. OK. At the appropriate austin.food
gathering, I will dare to make something mexican if Victor comes!
But before that gathering, we need the one where I make the cheesecake
and Victor makes the icecream.
DrRuth
Victor M. Martinez
>10 pages or so showed a flat, low-lipped, cast iron skillet. What is a
>clay comal? The same idea but made of clay? I have several cazuelas that
Yes. They are wonderful to cook with because they always have just the
right temperature for tortillas and gorditas (and chalupas, pellizcadas,
sopes, etc.)
>My first reaction to this was "Yikes", along with a small smile. Along
>with your YUM comment. I can't imagine I, a mere aussie pretender, ever
>daring to produce mexican food for you Victor. And I mean that in the
One of my closest friends, a great cook in his own right, had the same
reservations. The first time he cooked something mexican for me, another
friend commented he was a brave man for doing so. I smiled and said, why?
Worst case scenario I won't like it, but I'm not likely to complain. :)
>is silly, now I come to write it. OK. At the appropriate austin.food
>gathering, I will dare to make something mexican if Victor comes!
And maybe I'll cook something aussie... :)
>But before that gathering, we need the one where I make the cheesecake
>and Victor makes the icecream.
Ok, I'm game. Tonight I'm baking the traditional "rosca de reyes" but I'm
still debating what to use instead of a plastic baby jesus since I don't
have any. I'll be serving that with an incredible hand-made mexican
chocolate from Patzcuaro, Michoacan. The rosca recipe is from Patricia
Quintana's "Las Fiestas de la Vida" and it looks really nice (lots of
eggs and butter).
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
>> and Victor makes the icecream.
now, I don't mind you guys practicing, but don't you DARE to
start the real thing without me...
...otherwise, I'll torure you with photo reports of my current
travels in snow and ice DAILY... like this one:
<http://www.schwobaleit.de/20030105-a&p-dreffa.html>
hell, come to think of it, I'll do that anyways...
(I won't have to do more than take one photo each day, of the
breakfast table; that would be enough! :)
Victor M. Martinez
> <http://www.schwobaleit.de/20030105-a&p-dreffa.html>
Ich verstehe nicht! I thought you were much younger than that... :)
What on earth is that scary device anyway?
It's 61 degrees in Austin right now... :)
--
Victor M. Martinez
mar...@FAKE.che.utexas.edu
http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
surely, that's not my fault... ;-)
> What on earth is that scary device anyway?
you mean this?
<http://www.reuchlin.net/schwobaleitdata/2003/20030105-a&p-dreffa/16.jpg>
it's a demonstration of 20,000 volts arcs/sparks... ;-)
> It's 61 degrees in Austin right now... :)
I was told that it was down in the 20's overnight (and that my
papaya and palm tree bit the dust)...
oh, you mean during the day?!? oh well.... ;-)
here I use a snow sled in the morning to get down the hill to
where I had to abandon my car...
(the last time I had to do that was some 35 years ago, I think)
Victor M. Martinez
> I was told that it was down in the 20's overnight (and that my
> papaya and palm tree bit the dust)...
Not in town. It hasn't gone below 32 so far this year. The forecast says
40 tonight.
Some things have frozen as expected, but others are still ok. My serranos
are ripening nicely, actually. Papayas are way too sensitive to cold
anyway... :)
I brought back some seeds of "granada china" which I'll plant in the
spring. I hope it bears fruit, it's a truly amazing fruit.
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
>> It hasn't gone below 32 so far this year. Tonight's forecast: 40F
> Huh. I was away for Christmas and someone told me it was down in the
> 20's when I was gone.
that was last year, Karen...
tss-tss, how fast they forget... <grin>
>> Papayas are way too sensitive to cold anyway... :)
I know, I know. I had been pampering that plant for a couple
of years already, taking it inside for safety every time...
...but it got a cold before Xmas one night already, and was
curling its leaves, so I abandoned it to its fate when I
took off... and it promptly froze again during the next
couple of nights, while 25 degrees further north I had
Austin weather (in the 50's and 60's). But Karen says she
was able to safe the Papaya before it folded up all its leaves,
so maybe I can save it. I had considered planting it next to
pool anyways this fall, it's getting too big for the pot it is
in, but I may give it a bigger pot instead if it lives through
this...
Outside, well, I can help a banana or citrus tree survive through
a moderate cold spell in Austin, but a Papaya, I don't think so.
Maybe if I'd build a glass house around it...
> I haven't lost anything--I still have tomatoes and basil, as well as
> all my lettuces and herbs, including dill. Broccoli and cauliflower
> are coming along.
good. you grow'em... ;-)
> I don't understand the tomatoes, but I'm not asking questions.
Good plan! Tomatoes used to be considered the devil's fruit.
Let's not ask questions (it might turn into a Faustian matter,
and who could resist the temptation of 'fresh vine-ripened
tomatoes year-round.... I know I couldn't, plus I'd have to
believe in the devil then... double-whammy! :)
>> I brought back some seeds of "granada china" which I'll plant in the spring.
>> I hope it bears fruit, it's a truly amazing fruit.
got any extras? let's do a double experiment (I doubt they'd make it
through a frost though, the same...)
> What kind of fruit is it?
pommegranate, I'd assumed....
> It's been a wonderful winter for growing your own food. So far...
...still haven't removed that rats and snakes nest, I bet.
It works kind'f like a wind-braker, and its pretty protected
behind your house anyways. Should it *REALLY* (tm) get cold
some night, you may have good luck covering things up with
crumpled newspapers and an upside-down trash can (or similar).
Growd'em and they'll come...
;-)
p.s. damn city ruined my private bob-sledding run this morning, bastards
threw salt and sand on it... :-(
Victor M. Martinez
>> 20's when I was gone.
If that was the case, your tomatoes would have died for sure. :)
> Maybe if I'd build a glass house around it...
What about one of those portable greenhouses? They're kinda cool.
> got any extras? let's do a double experiment (I doubt they'd make it
> through a frost though, the same...)
I don't know about that, they grow in Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacan, up in the
mountains. It gets damn cold in the winter there. They might be an annual
crop, don't really know.
>> What kind of fruit is it?
>
> pommegranate, I'd assumed....
You would think, but no, it's not pommegranate (those do just fine in Austin,
although mine froze to the ground in the late 17 degree weather we had in March
last year). I think it's related to the passion vine and/or passion fruit.
I know it's a vine for sure.