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Favorite Cookbooks
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Cocina de la Familia/the Family Kitchen...
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New Hampshire is, alas, about as far away from Mexico as you can get and still be in the United States. But thanks to this book, winner of a Julia Child Cookbook of the Year award, readers here or anywhere can cross borders and generations, visiting Mexican and Mexican-American homes and absorbing the richness of the cuisine through a careful reading of the recipes. Marilyn Tausend spent three years traveling across the U.S. and Mexico, inviting herself into kitchens and talking to hundreds of cooks. Contemporary Mexican-American cuisine, as practiced daily in all corners of the U.S., balances the earthy flavors of classic Mexican cooking with American ingredients from bean curd to Idaho potatoes. This is not the food found at Mexican chain restaurants in strip malls. This is home cooking with heart, the foods that Mexican Americans make with pleasure to celebrate their heritage and defend against an often indifferent society.
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Recipes:
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Sample Recipes from Cocina de la Familia
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Crispy Tortilla Flutes Stuffed with Pork and Nuts
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Flautas de Picadillo
These stuffed and fried "flutes" are regional favorites near the U.S.-Mexico border. The all-purpose stuffing is known as picadillo.
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Safflower or canola oil for frying
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 fresh jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound lean pork, coarsely ground
4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 corn tortillas
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chiles, and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Add the pork and fry until it just begins to come crispy. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, pecans, and salt to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes or so, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Warm a tortilla in a heavy hot skillet, on one side and then the other, until heated through and soft. Fill the warmed tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of filling and roll it up tightly. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Repeat to fill all 8 tortillas. Heat at least 3/4" oil in a heavy, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the flutes, turning them once, until they are almost crisp. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with guacamole and salsa. Well-Fried Beans are a natural accompaniment. Makes 8 (allow 2-3 per person).
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Well-Fried Beans
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Frijoles Refritos
In Spanish, "re" means "well," not "again," so the beans are fried only once. |
3 tablespoons bacon grease, flavorful lard, or canola oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, mixed
3-4 cups cooked beans with broth, any variety; canned beans may be used (rinse and add water instead of broth)
sea salt
1 teaspoon ground red chile (optional)
grated cheese and tortilla chips for accompaniment
Melt the fat or oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and try about 5 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook another several minutes. Raise the heat under the skillet and add the beans and broth, 1 cup at a time, smashing them down with a potato masher or the back of a big wooden spoon. It should take about 10 minutes for the beans to reach a smooth but still moist texture. Taste and add salt and chile as desired. Serve immediately with grated cheese and tortilla chips. Serves 4 to 6.
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Green Rice
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2 fresh poblano or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup roughly chopped white onion
4 large spinach leaves or 2 outside leaves of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
20 sprigs cilantro plus extra for garnish
2-1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
sea salt
Mix the chiles, garlic, onion, spinach, parsley, cilantro, and 1/2 cup broth in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat until it nearly smokes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the pureed ingredients and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring gently to incorporate the mixture well. Add the rest of the broth, salt to taste, stir, and return to the boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve, garnished with cilantro. Serves 6.
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Lentils and Chorizo
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If good quality chorizo is not available, substitute hot Italian sausage.
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2 cups quick-cooking lentils, rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
sea salt
coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound chorizo, crumbled
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
3 fresh ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Bring the lentils to a boil in the chicken broth and add garlic and bay leaves. Simmer until the lentils are just becoming soft, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet and lightly brown the chorizo, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the liquid is partially evaporated and the flavors have blended.
Stir the tomato mixture into the lentils, adjusting seasoning, and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Remove garlic and bay leaves before serving. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4 to 6.
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Chunky Fresh Tomato Salsa
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Salsa Fresca
For best flavor, use fully ripe tomatoes, and chop all vegetables by hand.
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1 pound ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4" dice
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions, with some green tops
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
2-3 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of cumin
2-3 teaspoons lime juice
sea salt
water or an ice cube, if necessary
Toss tomatoes, onion, and cilantro together in a glass bowl. Add chiles gradually until salsa has the heat you like. Add oregano, cumin, and lime juice. Sprinkle with salt and toss. If salsa is dry, add a small amount of water or an ice cube. Cover and let flavors mingle for 30 minutes, no more. Stir and serve immediately. Makes about 2 cups.
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Deluxe Breakfast Burrito
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| Burritos para el Desayuno |
4 flour tortillas, 7-8" diameter
4 thick slices bacon
1/2 white onion, chopped
3/4 pound new potatoes, boiled and diced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped canned green chiles
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven at 250°F. Fry bacon, drain on absorbent paper, and crumble. In the same skillet, sauté the onion until soft; stir in potatoes and season with cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Fry for about 10 minutes, turning with a spatula, until potatoes are nicely browned. Lower heat and stir in eggs and chiles. Scramble gently with a fork until eggs are set but still moist. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and bacon.
Spoon 1/4 of the mixture across the middle of each tortilla and sprinkle with diced avocado. Fold and roll tortilla to enclose filling. Serve with Fresh Salsa and Well-Fried Beans.
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