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01- Introduction |
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Print this Recipe More than thirty years ago, I went to Mexico for the first time as a tourist, but soon after I began to travel there as a cook and a student of the cuisine. During those thirty years, I've traveled fifty to sixty times to various regions of Mexico. The markets, food, culture, crafts, architecture, history, and the people continued to lure me back again and again. There was much to learn and I started in earnest to educate myself about Mexican cuisine. I took my first formal classes in Leon, Mexico under the direction of the school owners, Maria and Richard Merrill. Following that experience, I took cooking classes at every opportunity and began to teach Mexican cooking myself and to lead culinary tours to several locations in Mexico. Over time, I've had the pleasure and privilege to attend classes and travel with many well-known teachers and experts in the field of Mexican cuisine. Their names read like a list of "who's who" in Mexican cooking: Diana Kennedy, Patricia Quintana, Lula Bertran, Maria Dolores Torres Izabel, Carmen Ramírez Degollado, Rick Bayless, Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Susana Trilling, Maria Marquez Merrill, Abigail Mendoza, and Marilyn Tausend, have all contributed to my continuing education. Learning about Mexican cuisine and the country is a fascinating lifelong endeavor. Mexico is vast and varied. The cuisine, too, has enormous variety with many regional forms, as does the countryside, from north to south and east to west. The cuisine is one of the worlds oldest and greatest with native traditions that date back to the pre-Hispanic era, as far back as 1800 B.C. The food reflects both Mexico's ancient past and the foreign influences that have contributed to the creation of its distinctive and exciting dishes. Mexico already had a developed cuisine long before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The foods of the ancient Mexican civilization--of corn, beans, chiles, squash, chocolate, tomatoes, avocados, peanuts, pecans, pineapple, vanilla, sunflowers, wild greens, herbs, and more--were prepared in many ways and cooked with turkey, quail, duck, venison, rabbit, other wild game, and fish. After the Spanish conquest of Mexico new food products such as pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, wheat, rice, olives, almonds, certain fruits and vegetables were introduced and greatly influenced the evolution of Mexican cuisine. Many of the changes occurred during the Colonial Era from 1521 after the fall of the Aztec Empire and continued through Mexico's tumultuous history and their War of Independence ending in 1821. French influences came to Mexico during the reign of Emperor Maximilian from 1864 to 1867. The fusion of Spanish and other European cuisines with native Mexican foods enriched not only the foods of Mexico, but also made a culinary impact on Europe and the rest of the world when tomatoes, chocolate, beans, corn, and much more found their way into European and other world markets. As Old World and New World ingredients mixed a culinary evolution slowly took place in Mexico, but the spicy full-flavored native traditions prevailed, and today Mexico's cuisine remains distinct and recognized as one of the world's greatest. Patterns of change are part of history. A nation's cuisine goes through change, too. Food habits evolve as people move and carry their customs with them, and simultaneously are influenced by new experiences wherever they go. In the United States, as more people travel to Mexico and experience the vibrant flavors of Mexican foods, they often return home with a desire to cook some of the foods in their own kitchens. Studies show that spicy foods have moved into the mainstream, and people are enjoying a wider range of flavors and ethnic foods than ever before. There has also been a noticeable trend in Mexico toward innovative cooking called nueva cocina (the new cuisine). Now, traditional foods are being prepared in surprising and satisfying ways. Many dishes are lightened and cooked with less fat, and more olive oil or vegetable oil is being used in place of lard. Salads as a separate course seem to be more prevalent and more cooked fresh vegetables add color and texture to contemporary entrée plates. In recent travels to Mexico I have dined in many restaurants that feature nueva cocina and sampled a lot of creative contemporary dishes. The results are often exciting and beautifully presented, while still being true to the flavors of Mexico. Sometimes, as in all new endeavors, the food misses the mark and is disappointing. The best food seems to come from chefs who respect and understand the traditions of real Mexican cooking and know what combinations really work. I find nueva cocina to be inspiring and I like cooking Mexican dishes in the new way, so nueva cocina recipes are scattered throughout the book. Along with exciting new recipes, this book highlights classic recipes prepared nationwide and in different regions of Mexico. The recipes are as authentic as possible, given the constraints of cooking Mexican food in an American kitchen. Ingredients have become more available in recent years, so you may actually find items like banana leaves and cactus paddles in local specialty stores or even in a supermarket. In the event that they are not available, substitutions are suggested and a list of possible sources is included in the appendix. Time- and labor-saving ideas are also shared, to help you prepare good food in the time you have. With 1,000 recipes, there is something for everyone and always something new to try. You can cook Mexican food for special occasions or bring a little of Mexico into your kitchen whenever you cook. I hope you will be continually inspired each time you see, smell, and taste the foods of Mexico and the delicious results of your cooking. Exploring Mexican cooking has been a pleasurable adventure for me for thirty years--one that continues every day. Organize all of your own recipes with the Cook'n Recipe Software. Watch and see how easy it is! From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 01- Introduction is from the Cook'n in Mexico collection. Click here to get this CD or download the recipes right now! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter, with recipes, cooking tips and more! Enjoy more recipes like this! 04- Techniques 02- Ingredients for the Mexican Pantry 01- Introduction 03- Kitchen Equipment 05- Menus 06- Mexican Cooking Glossary 07- Mail-Order Sources for Ingredients 08- About Author __Roasting, Peeling and Seeding Fresh Chiles __Roasting Tomatoes __Toasting Dried Chiles __Toasting Dried Herbs and Spices __Toasting Nuts and Seeds __Grinding, Blending, and Frying __Using Banana Leaves __Using Fresh Cactus Paddles __Pressing Tortillas __Hot Tamales For Every Taste __Handling and Preparing Cactus __Chicharrón, a National Snack __Fried Corn Tortilla Chips and Strips __Moles with Poultry __Making Beans Easier to Digest __Pan Tip for Baking Bread __Mexican Chocolate |
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