Mexico: One Plate at a Time

Guacamole\ Was there ever a fruit as sensual as an avocado? So rough-hewn, dare-to-touch-me masculine on the outside, so yielding, inviting, soft spring green and feminine inside? Writers have proclaimed that the avocado, tomato and chile are among Mexico's gifts to the world. And they name guacamole, where all three come together, as a perfect work of art.\ It's no wonder that this perfect fruit begs to be mashed to enhance its melting, naturally spreadable quality. Early Spanish settlers called guacamole "the butter of the poor." The Aztecs recognized its possibilities when they coined the word "guacamole": "guaca" for avocado and "mole" for sauce.\ Mashed avocado invites you to add flavors — think flavored butters here. Yet, considering how perfect it is in itself, the challenge is to exercise restraint. There are Mexican purists who stop at a sprinkle of salt on their avocado mash and call that guacamole. But I think you can employ a little creativity, setting some limits: no mayonnaise or sour cream. Avocado flesh by itself has an unctuous quality and subtle flavor — no need to dilute it. As for the add-ins, these flavor pinpoints seem more welcome when the guacamole is intended for chips. On the Mexican side of the border, guacamole's role is more as a salsa, something you spread on a taco. A smooth version blended with tomatillos can be a delicious drizzle over practically anything edible.\ The second recipe here, the contemporary one, produces guacamole that is boosted with roasted poblanos, roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic. Roasting heightens sweetness, yielding a deeper-flavored guacamole. Though this contemporary version is good in and of itself, it is a perfect sauce for salmon steaks or grilled chicken. Whether you choose traditional or contemporary, feel free to pare these recipes down or add to them. They're yours to make your own.\ Traditional benchmark: In my opinion, the best guacamole is a simple one — one that glamorizes the flavor of really delicious avocados, plain and simple. That starts with hand-mashing thoroughly ripe avocados to a chunky-smooth texture, then underscoring the avocado's natural richness with a little tang from lime juice, perhaps a little perfumy cilantro, maybe some crunchy onion and a hint of hot green chile. And tomato, too, might go in to boost the flavors with sweetness — though that's not always necessary.\ When to think of these recipes: Guacamole is tremendously versatile. It almost defines the phrase "casual party food," but it's so simple to make that there's nothing to keep you from whipping up a batch for Wednesday night dinner, to spoon, say, onto a simple soft taco or over grilled chicken or fish. Guacamole in a warm corn tortilla is a favorite (if not totally balanced) lunch of mine.\ Advice for American cooks: Decent avocados are quite readily available, but they're not always ripe. You may have to buy them a few days before you need them to ensure that they'll be soft-ripe.\ Classic Guacamole\ Guacamole Clásico\ Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serving 6 as an appetizer, 8 to 10 as a nibble\ Fresh hot green chiles to taste (about 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed\ 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup),\ plus a little extra for garnish\ 6 ounces (1 medium round or 2 plum) tomatoes (you want\ these ripe, though absolute red ripeness isn't as important\ here as it is, say, for chopped tomato salsa)\ 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus a little extra\ for garnish\ 3 medium-large (about 1 1/4 pounds total) ripe avocados\ Salt\ 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice\ A few slices of radish for garnish (optional)\ 1. Roasting the chiles. Lay the chiles in a small ungreased skillet set over medium heat. Turn them every minute or so until they have softened (they'll darken in spots), 5 to 10 minutes. Mash them into a coarse puree, using a mortar, or finely chop them. Place in a large bowl.\ 2. More flavorings. Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water; shake off excess water and add to the bowl with the chiles. Chop the tomatoes into small bits — skin, seeds and all is my preference. You should have a scant cup. Add to the bowl along with the cilantro.\ 3. The avocados. To cut an avocado in half, you have to negotiate the large egg-shaped pit in the middle. Make a cut down the length of 1 avocado straight through to the pit. Continue cutting all the way around the pit until you wind up where you started. Twist the two halves in opposite directions and pull them apart. Scoop out the pit (the hueso, or bone, in Spanish) with a spoon. Then scoop out the avocado flesh from the skin and add to the bowl. Do the same with the remaining avocados. Use an old-fashioned potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the avocado flesh into a coarse pulp, mixing in the other ingredients as you go.\ 4. Seasoning the guacamole. Taste the guacamole and season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon, then add some of the lime juice and taste again. Continue seasoning with lime until the guacamole has enough zip for you. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.\ 5. Serving. Unless you're serving guacamole dolloped on tacos or the like, the classic way to present it to your guests is in a Mexican lava-rock mortar (molcajete), sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Sliced radish, if you have it, looks pretty here, and to the Mexican eye completes the very popular, patriotic red-white-and-green motif.\ Working Ahead: Guacamole is good when freshly made, but, in my opinion, it tastes even better when the flavors are allowed to mingle for about half an hour before serving. If well chilled, it'll keep for several hours. After that, the flavors get out of balance and the avocado starts to turn brown.\ Copyright © 2000 by Rick Bayless

Introductionix1.Starters, Snacks and Light Meals1Guacamole2Ceviche (Lime-Marinated Seafood)11Queso Fundido22Sopes (Corn Masa Boats)31Gorditas (Corn Masa Pockets)40Quesadillas51Tostadas62Tamales71Taqueria Tacos with Grilled and Griddled Fillings (Tacos al Carbon y Tacos a la Plancha)89Home-Style Tacos with Casserole Fillings (Tacos de Cazuela)108Enchiladas118Chilaquiles (Tortilla Casserole)1292.Soups, Stews and Sides139Mexican Chicken Soup140Tortilla Soup150Mexican Seafood Stew157Pozole (Pork and Hominy Stew)164Rice172Beans1843.Entrees193Chiles Rellenos194Turkey with Red Mole204Chicken with Green Pipian (Pumpkin Seed Sauce)216Chicken Adobado (with Red Chile Marinade)224Fish a la Veracruzana (with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Herbs)235Fish in Escabeche (Brothy Vinaigrette with Herbs and Vegetables)247Seafood in Mojo de Ajo (Toasty, Slow-Cooked Garlic)256Pork in Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Sauce)266Beef a la Mexicana (with Roasted Tomatoes and Green Chiles)276Carne Asada (Mexican-Style Grilled Steak)283Barbacoa (Slow-Cooked Meats, Pit-Style)2934.Desserts and Drinks305Flan306Rice Pudding314Cajeta (Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce)319Mexican Chocolate328The Quintessentially Tropical Mango339Tequila, Margaritas, Beer and Wine347Mexican Culinary Glossary353An Internet Guide to Mail-Order Sources for Mexican Cooking362Bibliography364Index365

\ From Barnes & NobleOur Review\ Having grown up on California-Mexican food, I've always been reluctant to acknowledge that Mexican cooking could go beyond the familiar burritos and tacos that I loved. These drippingly delicious snacklike foods were so satisfying that I never felt the need to venture further into the cuisine. Rick Bayless, one of America's most brilliant chefs and a staunch proponent of classic Mexican cooking, has written his latest cookbook, Mexico One Plate at a Time, for people just like me. It was written because, as Rick recently told me, "most (North) Americans aren't at all familiar with the real cooking of our next-door neighbor Mexico, and I realized that we would have to take a big step to become acquainted with their classics -- like we began doing with Italian food about 25 years ago." \ "Is this a book that Mexicans will also enjoy?" I asked. "Most definitely," answered Rick. "In Mexico One Plate at a Time we cover a broad spectrum of the classics of Mexican cooking -- the types of food that people know from one end of the Republic to the other. These are all recipes that would make a Mexican's mouth water at their mention."\ Being a cookbook writer myself, I was particularly taken with the layout of Mexico One Plate at a Time: and I think that it will also have great appeal to home cooks. With each recipe, we are given an informative introduction, then the absolute best recipe possible, followed by Rick Bayless's contemporary take on the recipe, and finally a Question and Answer section that brings together any queries that the recipes might have provoked during testing. This came about, said Rick, because "I have spent over 25 years studying Mexican cooking, visiting the country, and reading cookbooks (some of which go back to the 1800s). All of this studying has made it possible for me to understand how to put together some perfect dishes. Sometimes we tested a recipe over 20 times, as I wanted to make sure that anyone cooking from Mexico One Plate at a Time would end up with the exact dish that I had created in my kitchen."\ For Rick Bayless, one of the most exciting sidebars to this cookbook is the fact that it is the companion to his new 26-part PBS television series of the same name. Mexico One Plate at a Time began broadcasting in midsummer in some areas but will be seen on almost all public television stations by the late fall. In the series, as in the book, we see Rick (sometimes accompanied by his daughter, Lanie) in Mexico visiting markets, street stalls, restaurants, and home kitchens, and then we find him in his own backyard (often literally) re-creating the dishes he has discovered.\ Both the series and the book, Mexico One Plate at a Time, for the first time truly bring the cuisine of this warm and friendly nation alive in the American kitchen. Rick Bayless has done a masterly job. This is a book that I will read for pleasure and cook from when I want to experience flavorful, fresh, and honest food. I believe that it will be a significant addition to the American cookbook library.\ --Judith Choate\ \ \ \ \ \ Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly\ Rarely has a cuisine been so epically dissected, analyzed, pined over and exemplified in the name of a tasty dinner. Indeed, cookbook is perhaps too tame a description for this latest venture from Bayless, the popular chef and author (Salsas That Cook, etc.). Each recipe begins with a stream-of-consciousness consideration that at times runs a bit too jolly. "No food translates into more carefree fun than a singing dish of queso fundido," declares the author. Following the lead-in, a paragraph provides the "Traditional Benchmark," wherein the ideal version of the dish is captured. Thus, readers learn what makes the perfect flan or Pozole (Pork and Hominy Stew). Next come a few words on "When to Think of These Recipes"--Chiles Rellenos when you're pulling out the stops, Tamales for hanging out with the gang. A third paragraph offers "Advice for American Cooks," such as what peppers you can substitute in your Adobado Chicken. Then, at last, come the recipes. Bayless provides both a traditional and contemporary version of most dishes. Among his many happy surprises are a relatively unknown "street-style" enchilada, which is dipped in chile sauce and quick fried, and a grilled Cactus Salad. Each recipe is followed by answers to Frequently Asked Questions. How saucy should the filling be for your taco? Or maybe just tune in and read along to the PBS version, with one of Bayless's Mango Coolers in hand. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\|\ \ \ Library JournalBayless (Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen) is increasingly seen as America's foremost authority on Mexican cookery, and this book, the companion volume to his currently running PBS television series, should further that reputation. Just as in his previous cookbooks, Bayless communicates the sense of joy, satisfaction, and community to be found in traditional Mexican cookery. But he also delves more deeply into the ingredients and techniques involved in producing a wide variety of dishes, from simple sopes (little "boats" made of masa, filled with salsa and cheese, and shallow-fried in lard) and quesadillas to imaginative ceviches and moles. For each type of dish, he offers both traditional and contemporary recipes, reminding us that the strength of a great cuisine is its ability to adapt and evolve. There are helpful questions and answers at the end of each section, based on questions generated by recipe testers, an addition that may be unique to the cookbook genre. There is much here for both neophytes and experienced cooks. Highly recommended for all public libraries.--Tom Cooper, Richmond Heights Memorial Lib., MO Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\\\ \ \ \ \ Richard CorlissWas there ever a chef as passionate about a cuisine as Bayless is about Mexican food? Now that America is beyond the 'spaghetti-and-meatballs stage" of Italian cuisine, the award-winning Chicagochef is determined to move north-of-the-border cooks beyond the taco. \ — Time\ \