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Wayne Lundberg Wayne Lundberg is offline
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Default Mexican food is a ceremony!

Individual Mexican recipes are fine... but for a full afternoon of joy,
happiness and well-being, you need a Mexican meal!

My son and wife will be at San Diego Lindbergh field picking up my daughter,
hubby and my two grand-kids in a few hours. I'm staying home to prepare the
feast of feasts!

From experience, I know they all love my Enchiladas Verdes (Green
Enchiladas). And... they would enjoy them as is, as a single dish, and as a
complete meal. But...

Not so in Lundy's Joint where only authentic... yes AUTHENTIC Mexican food
will be prepared and served. By authentic, I mean, Pueblaprotocol.

Puebla is that beautiful city halfway between the port of Veracruz (where
the conquerors landed) and Mexico City (where Moctezuma once ruled). Over
the centuries, the European cuisine and pre-conquest cuisine merged to
become a truly unique cornucopia of individual 'one taco at a time' servings
to complete royal bashes. Pork was introduced and replaced the hairless dog,
rice was brought by the African slaves and augmented maize, beans, chiles,
squashes.

Few examples in the history of man compare to the wonders that came from
this mish-mash of ingredients. Blame it on the Catholic nuns in Puebla! (And
to an American named Sanborns who opened a little bistro in Mexico city at
the end of the 19th century, while Porifirio Diaz reigned.)

Recopies abound. But festive assemblies make for true delights.

What I will be making and serving when they get he

Guacamole and tortilla chips on the table while everybody gets a chance to
bring everybody up to speed with tall tales and political extravaganzas. A
bottle of tequila and copitas on the table for those who care, soft drinks
and beer for the others.

Broth from the chicken used to make the enchiladas will be served in small
bowls. Salsas will be coming and going during the whole event. Limes will be
bleeding their welcoming juices to add a drop or two to the consommé
(broth), along with some crumbling chile de arbol, some oregano, some
cilantro and a radish or two cut up and waiting to be added to somebody's
caldo. Bolillos will be on hand for the pleasure of breaking away a pinch or
two to wet in the caldo and slurp it with pleasure. Dipping into a green
salsa is paradise on earth!

At a given note of relaxation, a pot of day-old but not quite refried beans
on the table. Two hot tortilla baskets, one on the north side of the table,
one on the south. Four bowls of salsas, two red and two green. More
guacamole to replenish the spent.

From the kitchen I will serve each three enchiladas swisas along with a
spoonful of rice. On the table they will scoop sour cream, finely diced
onions, and my special tomato salsa with tons of cerrano chiles to make it
volcano hot.

You will notice, if you ever locate an Enchilada Suisa recipe, that it does
not include chile... nor do most Mexican recipes. Chile is added to the
eater's 'gusto'.

My 'guests' will spoon whatever bean they want, will take whatever salsa to
add to their already rich Enchiladas and we will be telling tall tales all
the while.

Maybe an hour later we will move on to the more important thing, taking a
short meditation break, known as a siesta.

There will be leftovers, and they will be consumed in three or four
different manners, from huevos rancheros, to enchilada tortas, tostadas,
sopes and the like.

Stay tuned!

Wayne