Whenever my wife and I cruise the Mexican landscape, we usually eat at the
market or from the street vendors near the plaza and/or market. Tacos is one
of our favorites, but probably the one we both enjoy the most are
quesadillas.

Such a simple, yet marvelous treat, it must be categorized among the top ten
wonders of gastronomic delights in the world.

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put any kind
of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos.... fold the tortilla in half,
put on the lightly oiled girdle of steel, aluminum, clay - it does not
matter - and cook until just a tad bit al-diente. Scoop up the quesadilla
with fingers making sure to play the piano as you do while it cools... or be
a city person and use a fork (ugh). Dab it in salsa, or squirt
street-bottled chile de arbol salsa, or pick an escabeche'd carrot or chile
ancho and stuff it inside... and munch.

That's what I'm fixing for tonight as we watch an old movie with Cantinflas
fighting off the politicians and crooked cops.

Enjoy!

Wayne in Chula Juana

The Terran carbon-based unit designating itself as "Wayne Lundberg"
shared its ideas in
alt.food.mexican-cooking on Thu, 02 Oct 2003 01:13:30 GMT:

Whenever my wife and I cruise the Mexican landscape, we usually eat
at the market or from the street vendors near the plaza and/or
market. Tacos is one of our favorites, but probably the one we both
enjoy the most are quesadillas.

Such a simple, yet marvelous treat, it must be categorized among the
top ten wonders of gastronomic delights in the world.

I agree with you completely.

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put
any kind of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos.... fold the
tortilla in half, put on the lightly oiled girdle of steel, aluminum,
clay - it does not matter - and cook until just a tad bit al-diente.

My my, and those aren't even the TRULY yummy quesadillas, where
they don't start with the pre-made tortilla, but start with the masa,
make a rugby ball/football shaped tortilla out of it, place the
ingredients in the middle, and then close the tortilla, actually
pressing the edges of the masa together so as to seal it.

The best quesadillas I've had so far have been in (1) Coyoacan (in
Mexico City), (2) believe it or not, two doors down from my
Grandmother's house just outside Mexico City (sadly she only sells them
on Sundays), and (3) Tepoztlan, not far from Cuernavaca and alleged UFO
hotspot. Maybe they come for the quesadillas. *grin*

The ingredients you mentioned, with the exception of cheese and
squash flowers aren't that typical in Central Mexico. Some of the
typical ingredients in the areas I've mentioned are picadillo,
huitlacoche, potato, tinga, and possibly some additional ingredients
that don't catch my attention, like tripe and sesos.

Scoop up the quesadilla with fingers making sure to play the piano as
you do while it cools... or be a city person and use a fork (ugh).
Dab it in salsa, or squirt street-bottled chile de arbol salsa, or
pick an escabeche'd carrot or chile ancho and stuff it inside... and
munch.

This is certainly true, and if you are grease averse, you also
wrap it in a napkin or two and squeeze lightly to get as much oil out of
it as possible. I don't add chile to my quesadillas, but I do like
adding, depending on what's inside, avocado and/or crema fresca.

That's what I'm fixing for tonight as we watch an old movie with
Cantinflas fighting off the politicians and crooked cops.

I'm so envious right now. I'd love a good quesadilla, even one
that starts as a tortilla, right now. *grin* Please enjoy one for me!

--Douglas

The Terran carbon-based unit designating itself as "Wayne Lundberg"
shared its ideas in
alt.food.mexican-cooking on Thu, 02 Oct 2003 01:13:30 GMT:

Whenever my wife and I cruise the Mexican landscape, we usually eat
at the market or from the street vendors near the plaza and/or
market. Tacos is one of our favorites, but probably the one we both
enjoy the most are quesadillas.

Such a simple, yet marvelous treat, it must be categorized among the
top ten wonders of gastronomic delights in the world.

I agree with you completely.

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put
any kind of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos.... fold the
tortilla in half, put on the lightly oiled girdle of steel, aluminum,
clay - it does not matter - and cook until just a tad bit al-diente.

My my, and those aren't even the TRULY yummy quesadillas, where
they don't start with the pre-made tortilla, but start with the masa,
make a rugby ball/football shaped tortilla out of it, place the
ingredients in the middle, and then close the tortilla, actually
pressing the edges of the masa together so as to seal it. Then they
drop it into the hot oil and cook it up good.

The best quesadillas I've had so far have been in (1) Coyoacan (in
Mexico City), (2) believe it or not, two doors down from my
Grandmother's house just outside Mexico City (sadly she only sells them
on Sundays), and (3) Tepoztlan, not far from Cuernavaca and alleged UFO
hotspot. Maybe they come for the quesadillas. *grin*

The ingredients you mentioned, with the exception of cheese and
squash flowers aren't that typical in Central Mexico. Some of the
typical ingredients in the areas I've mentioned are picadillo,
huitlacoche, potato, tinga, and possibly some additional ingredients
that don't catch my attention, like tripe and sesos.

Scoop up the quesadilla with fingers making sure to play the piano as
you do while it cools... or be a city person and use a fork (ugh).
Dab it in salsa, or squirt street-bottled chile de arbol salsa, or
pick an escabeche'd carrot or chile ancho and stuff it inside... and
munch.

This is certainly true, and if you are grease averse, you also
wrap it in a napkin or two and squeeze lightly to get as much oil out of
it as possible. I don't add chile to my quesadillas, but I do like
adding, depending on what's inside, avocado and/or crema fresca.

That's what I'm fixing for tonight as we watch an old movie with
Cantinflas fighting off the politicians and crooked cops.

I'm so envious right now. I'd love a good quesadilla, even one
that starts as a tortilla, right now. *grin* Please enjoy one for me!

--Douglas

On Thu, 02 Oct 2003 01:13:30 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
wrote:

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put any kind
of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos....

You talked me into it, Wayne, and we'll be having those for supper
tonight while we watch the beisbol playoffs. Just went out to collect
a few serranos and some blossoms from the zucchini plants, and there
is meat left over from last nights turkey thighs. There's also enough
time to cook pinto beans if I get off-line soon.

David

Doug, David - you guys are great! And yes, quesadillas made from scratch are
by far the best!

"David Wright" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 02 Oct 2003 01:13:30 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
wrote:

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put any
kind
of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos....

You talked me into it, Wayne, and we'll be having those for supper
tonight while we watch the beisbol playoffs. Just went out to collect
a few serranos and some blossoms from the zucchini plants, and there
is meat left over from last nights turkey thighs. There's also enough
time to cook pinto beans if I get off-line soon.

David

"Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
...
Whenever my wife and I cruise the Mexican landscape, we usually eat at the
market or from the street vendors near the plaza and/or market. Tacos is
one
of our favorites, but probably the one we both enjoy the most are
quesadillas.

Such a simple, yet marvelous treat, it must be categorized among the top
ten
wonders of gastronomic delights in the world.

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put any
kind
of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos.... fold the tortilla in half,
put on the lightly oiled girdle of steel, aluminum, clay - it does not
matter - and cook until just a tad bit al-diente. Scoop up the quesadilla
with fingers making sure to play the piano as you do while it cools... or
be
a city person and use a fork (ugh). Dab it in salsa, or squirt
street-bottled chile de arbol salsa, or pick an escabeche'd carrot or
chile
ancho and stuff it inside... and munch.

That's what I'm fixing for tonight as we watch an old movie with
Cantinflas
fighting off the politicians and crooked cops.

Enjoy!

Wayne in Chula Juana

Just wondering - most of the time I use either a cast iron pan or a griddle
to make quesadillas.

The George Foreman Grill makes sensational grilled cheese sandwiches. Has
anyone used the G F grill on a quesadilla?

Dimitri

"Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
...
Whenever my wife and I cruise the Mexican landscape, we usually eat at the
market or from the street vendors near the plaza and/or market. Tacos is
one
of our favorites, but probably the one we both enjoy the most are
quesadillas.

Such a simple, yet marvelous treat, it must be categorized among the top
ten
wonders of gastronomic delights in the world.

A simple corn tortilla heated in a drop of oil, into which you put any
kind
of cheese, beans, squash flowers, nopalitos.... fold the tortilla in half,
put on the lightly oiled girdle of steel, aluminum, clay - it does not
matter - and cook until just a tad bit al-diente. Scoop up the quesadilla
with fingers making sure to play the piano as you do while it cools... or
be
a city person and use a fork (ugh). Dab it in salsa, or squirt
street-bottled chile de arbol salsa, or pick an escabeche'd carrot or
chile
ancho and stuff it inside... and munch.


mmm...that's what we had tonight - made with left-over chicken from
yesterday's rotisserie, homemade salsa, and fresh tortillas from the lady
down the road

HarleyLady in Baja