Gorditas

Since I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the way my abuelita made such good use of leftovers. Whether is was beans, eggs, nopalitos, pork, etc... she put them in a container and used them the very next day. One of my aunts is a very picky eater; she prefers freshly cooked meals every day. The problem with this is when there is very little money to get through the week, one must make good use of whatever there is, especially of leftovers. Well, even my aunt will eat the next-day leftovers when her mom, my abuelita, makes gorditas.
Gorditas are made out of corn flour, water, salt and pepper. They cook in a large pan without any kind of lipids (oils) and are sliced open with a knife when they rise like a bubble. Then, they are filled with any leftovers or fresh food. I prefer refried black beans with cheese or cactus salad, ingredients that are very economic and healthy. In a gordita, we find carbohydrates in the dough, protein in the black beans, calcium in the cheese and fiber in cactus, making them an excellent choice for a breakfast meal. Another good thing about gorditas is that they are very tasty and filling and in a large family like ours, gorditas are very popular.
It was a wonderful experience to spend the night at abuelita's house because the next day, one could stay asleep until 9 am and wake up at the call of "breakfast is ready!" I was one of the first to get up and enjoy hot gorditas and orange juice. Because everyone tended to gravitate toward the kitchen, we decided to fit in a breakfast table. Abuelita's kitchen has 3 arched windows facing the East, which open to the first rays of the sun. In a sense, there was something magical happening in her kitchen every morning.
The thing about gorditas is that they are not unique to Mexicans. Every culture has some varation of this product. China, for example, has Dumplings; Argentina and Spain have Empanadas; Italy has Gnocchi, etc. The variations are so vast I could write another post just about them.
The making of gorditas is an art of its own. Skillful cooks use their hands for mixing, molding and flipping the dough when it is cooked on one side to the other. Slicing open the gordita once it is cooked can be challenging if the knife is not wet. The dough can get stuck in the knife, bringing the inside dough out which causes loss in the quality and quantity of the product. When the gordita is not filled enough, one's only taste will be of the hot dough; on the other hand, when it is too filled, the filling will spill out in the first bite.Therefore, there must be an equilibrium between the type of filling and its amount so the nutrients we need to start the day can be integrated into the gordita.
I would like to end this post by thanking my abuelita for her eco-friendly vision of not wasting food, for teaching the rest of us the value of using leftovers, and, along the way, giving me good memories. Remain curious my friends!

Simple courses

There is a European epidemic sweeping the kitchens of American households. An ancient Western tradition of multi-course meals has been attacking the core of our homes for many decades now; the saddest thing is that our minds are also infected and there is little have we done to cure this. This obsession with having the need to have excessive food to eat on our tables has created physical and psychological effects to our existence. For some people, who live to eat, just the thought of running low in their refrigerators or pantry cabinets brings anxiety, depression and worries. On the other hand, people who eat to live are used to single-course meals and prefer it that way. If we think about it, single-course meals represent simplicity and humility. It seems to me that when these two aspects come together, people live a much happier and fuller life.

A Meal With Haiti in Mind

Often people from less wealthy countries are in a situation where the only meal they get is based on beans and rice. Looking into the nutritional value of those economic meals, we find that they are very well balanced and, as I said before: Balance is everything!
Last night, while thinking about the famine that the people of Haiti must be going through, I cooked a meal that was super economical, easy to prepare and rendidor, a source of bounty. I cooked one bag of black beans, boiled 2 cups of long grain brown rice, fried 2 sweet potatoes cut in the shape of long french fries in an inexpensive blend of soy and olive oil, and fried two thin-sliced plantains. I topped the black beans and brown rice with queso fresco and wedges of avocado and had an island dinner for 4 while Mafusser read to us "Please, Malese", a Haitian trickster folk tale. The leftover beans were used for breakfast the next day.
It is unfortunate that, as I'm typing, thousands of Haitians do not have this economic meal in their stomachs, but we can manage our personal economy by preparing meals like this. Instead of splurging on a fancy dinner, we can help by sending financial support to Haitian relief funds and by praying for their spiritual and material rebuilding. Remain curious my friends!

Vegetarians

As a request from one of my readers, today's topic is about vegetarians. I think it is wonderful that people are into vegetables; maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important. Personally, I like my vegetables cooked, except in salad. I admit I do not eat much of it because the veggies are not cooked. I am not in accord with vegetarians who only eat vegetables and do not know how to balance their diet. I am not condemning vegetarians. All I am trying to say is that they must work harder to balance their nutritional intake. Eating an unbalanced vegetable diet can be harmful for the body because the body has other vital needs, such as for carbohydrates and protein. Protein alone can be found in many different food ingredients, not only in meat. Good sources of protein are nuts, seeds and soy products. Carbohydrates are found in all flour products and in some protein.

This is a really tasty and affordable vegetarian meal to prepare:
1 bag of frozen corn (currently frozen corn is cheaper because it is not in season)
3 zucchinis (any kind or color) cut in aprox. 1/4" cubes.
1 chopped onion
2 chopped tomatoes
2 Tbs of butter
1 cup of water
1 cup of soy milk (this will give you 7g. of protein per cup)
Tofu cheese or regular tofu (1/2 cup will give you 10g. of protein )

The first thing you do is melt the butter in a small pot and caramelize the onions. Then add corn, zucchini and tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in the water, wait for 5 minutes, then mix in the milk. Cook it for another 5 minutes and serve. Cut the tofu cheese or regular tofu into small cubes, sprinkling over the dish and add salt to taste. Accompany the dish with slices of your favorite bread. The recipe yields 4 bowls. Remember, balance is everything! Remain curious my friends!

Sun Tzu in the Kitchen

Sun Tzu was an ancient General for the king of the Wu region of China. He fought and won battles and it is believed he wrote the famous Art of War. Well, I wonder if his war tactics would work in the kitchen?

*Know your enemy and know yourself.* It is important to know what your family likes to eat or can eat and if you have the know-how to prepare those meals.
*Attack their weakness instead of their strengths.* If you know someone really knows Italian food, conquer them by cooking Chinese food. Don't believe me? Ask Cynthia.
*The winner realizes the conditions for victory first, then he fights.* A good cook first sees what he has in stock and starts making tentative dishes in his mind, then he prepares the meals.
*When troops flee, are insubordinate, routed or fallen in battle it is the fault of the General.* This applies when you have helpers in the kitchen. If you ask them to do something and they either do it wrongly or not at all, is your fault for not controling your crew. Kitchen assistants must be trained before going into battle.
*War is of vital importance to the state.* Need I say more? If we do not eat, we die.
*A way a wise man can achieve knowledge is through foreknowledge.* Plan ahead. If you know you might not have sufficient time to prepare a meal, pre-cook and pre-cut.
*All warfare is deception.* Do you have picky eaters who don't like to eat their veggies? Arrange the plate in a fun way, mix them up with something they do like, for example, in a pasta sauce. Another good one is making the picky eaters take part in the cooking process and have them give input on how others might eat the ingredients they don't like.
*It is essential for victory that generals are unconstrained by their leaders.* If you are doing the cooking, consider yourself as the General. It is essential for a good outcome that you don't have others telling you how to cook or what ingredients to add to/take out of your dish.
*The best way to win is not to fight at all.* People deserve treats once in a blue moon (they actually happen, like on Dec 31/09). Instead of fighting over what to cook, order take-outs.

It looks like Sun Tzu did it again! Remain curious my friends!

Cooking and Giving

Why do we cook in the first place, aside from the important fact that we need to nourish our bodies? Seriously, think about it. Everyone must have their own reason. Mine, well, is a way to demostrate love to others. I know it sounds quirky, but when I cook, some part of me goes into the food.

Our hands are the most important utensils in the kitchen. Therefore, it is important that we wash them thoroughly before we start dealing with food; nevetheless, they come with a factory defect: they dry. When the epidermis layer inevitably dries, it flakes and falls in order to bring out the fresh skin from underneath (like deshedding). This is constantly happening all over our bodies, but sometimes we cannot see it, so unless you wear gloves in your house to cook, part of your skin (to say the least) is going in the dish. I can imagine the state of disgustedness you must be in right now, but believe me when I tell you that only in the United States there is a hygiene obsession and a germ fear for everything. Sure other countries wash their hands too, but they don't take it to the extreme and for centuries they have been fine.

I remember as a kid, I used to make and eat mud cakes with my sister. Our hands were filthy and full of germs; we only rinsed them with tap water. I was not a child that would easily get sick. My immune system is strong because I was constantly putting it to work and because I ate healthily. In my hometown back in Mexico consuming fruit and vegetables was cheaper than meat, so this factor also helped.
I find cooking a wonderful way to express one's love and a great vessel to give of ourselves. So next time you cook, think about what you are giving ... just don't tell anyone because they might not appreciate it as much as you do. Remain curious my friends!

BBQ Lasagna

Before my brothers return from India, they talked about how the country was suffering a drought which led to a shortage of staples. Indians used potatoes, which do not require much attention to grow, to replace the nutrients they got from rice. The guys told me that their household cook was not familiar with how to cook potatoes, and how tired they were from eating potatoes. Since people there are not big beef eaters, they requested hearty, meaty lasagna upon their return. Trying to pleased them, and at the same time trying to maintain a Texas style welcome back dinner, I decided to make a boneless rib BBQ lasagna. With this economy, I know it is hard to splurge on a single dinner, even a special one.With $30 in my pocket, I drove my red electric moped to the local supermarket and purchase the following ingredients:

1 package of lasagna noodles (the big one.)
2 package of boneless ribs (marked down, just check the use by date.)
1 small Ricotta cheese (cheap one, don't go for the expensive one.)
1 package of Mozzarella cheese (store brand, you don't necessary need the expensive one.)
1 bottle of KC Masterpiece Mesquite barbecue sauce
1 buch of fresh spinach
1 zucchini squash

You must be thinking zucchini and spinach in a BBQ dish? Ew! But wait, don't juged me yet, in my household, I not only have meat eaters, but also dear ones who appreciate vegetables; so I figure, since I am experimenting in the first place, why not? The first thing I did was cook the noodles until right before they were al dente, drain them and set aside. Cut 1/4" slices of the boneless ribs, cook them with salt and pepper. Place the noodles in a 9"X13" lasagna pan. In the bottom layer I pour some pasta sauce that I had in the kitchen cabinet, followed by the washed spinach, 1/4" round cut zucchini, and about half a package of Mozzarella cheese. Next, place the second layer of pasta and start with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, spreding it evenly. Then, arrange half of the previously cooked boneless ribs and some Ricotta chesse. Add the third layer of noodles, another 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, the rest of the ribs, Ricotta, and the rest of the Mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil paper and cook it in the over at 350 F for 30 minutes. Served it hot with a fresh salad and enjoy a full dinner!

I did not spend all the money that I carried with me; I had left over for the next day and some of the ingredients were left to use for another dish. Remain curious my friends!

Authenticity Part II

Everyone can say their product is authentic, but how many people have the capacity to create something worthy of such an adjective? This is controversial because TexMex cuisine is truly authentic; however, when a restaurant is advertising authentic Mexican food and all you find there is TexMex food, then we have a problem! For example, my brother-in-law recently requested I made a lasagna before he left town. I wanted to please him and at the same time make something different. Since he asked for a meaty lasagna, I decided to make a BBQ lasagna. I had never made nor heard of such a thing, but that did not stop me. I purchased all the ingredients for the basic lasagna and for BBQ boneless ribs. I combined both methods and... presto!

Had I just managed to make an authentic product? This is where some people disagree. Either I used two authentic dishes and made a hybrid dish or I used two authentic dishes, combined them and made an authentic third dish. But if so, any alteration of an authentic product will result in another authentic product and authenticity will never cease to exist. On the other hand, if I make a hybrid dish, then BBQ lasagna is authentic in itself, and it cannot be labelled either as an authentic Italian dish nor an authentic BBQ dish; rather, it is authentic on its own. Stay curious my friends.

Authentic?

Food is good! We all love to eat, but what are we eating besides meat or no meat, vegetables or pasta?

Join me in my culinary resarch to explore the cultures behind our favorite dishes. See how the mix of culture not only can bring about new dishes and  improve our old ones but can also undermine them and affect the gastronomic language as to the way we experience and define authenticity.

How many times have we heard "authentic" in a restaurant name or dish? The truth is that in a mixed culture society, having an authentic anything is hardly possible. Take for example the classical "Authentic Mexican Restaurant." Being a Mexican native and a cook, I have the authority to tell you there is nothing authentic in that, except for the intention. I wish I could visit an authentic fill-in-the-blank restaurant and talk about it. Remain curious my friends!