JESSE - 7-24-2005 at 08:59 PM
(found this on the net)
Why Mexican?
I have decided to write a guide a Mexican cuisine for several reasons. First, I love the food of my native country, and I am passionate about the
culinary arts.
Why should you read this guide? For thousands of reasons, of which I will outline just a few:
In my opinion, Mexican cuisine is the most misunderstood and underrated cusine. It has a rich tradition that goes back 4,000 years and remarkable
diversity. And despite the fact that about 15 million people of Mexican origin reside in the U.S., Mexican restaurants only represent a fraction of a
percent of what Mexican cuisine is.
(I know, I know, right now some cynic is balking at my estimate...but I can back it up with cold hard numbers....I can easily write down descriptions
of thousands of dishes and foods I've had in Mexico...but only come up with a hundred or so Mexican dishes I have had in the US. Further, keep in mind
that I lived 19 years in East Los Angeles...one of the most Mexican urban centers in the country.)
Believe me, Mexican cuisine represents a very exciting & gratifying path of discovery.
In addition, Mexican cuisine represents a beacon of light in today's Post-Industrial lifestyle. Anyone who has been awake in the last two decades has
realized that we are increasing unable to stay fit and healthy. The traditional American diet, which was very successful for a farm & active
lifestyle, is completely inadequate for our current needs.
Further, even foreign cusines that are perceived as healthier, have some serious weakness. Japanese food, while lean and attractive, tends to be light
on fruits & vegetables; Chinese & Thai abuse of sugars in their delicious sauces; and Italian tends to have too much refined carbs (i.e.,
pasta made from bleached flour).
Sure...you could eat putrid rabbit food and be healthy, but you would be unhappy and hungry all the time...and that is not sustainable or desireable.
Instead, I will show you how you can nourish your body & soul with the great taste of healthy traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisine. Please
keep in mind, I will not present you with watered down recipes developed by a physical trainer from Wisconsin, or fancy Nouveau Mexicaine cuisine
developed by a French chef. No, I will only discuss 100% authentic foods consumed by ordinary people in Mexico on a regular basis.
What is Mexican Cuisine?
You may know someone who was born in Mexico that claims food in Mexican restaurants in the U.S. isn't authentic...and it probably has left you
confused. As a matter of fact, you see Mexicans eat there on a regular basis. Why would Mexicans eat there if it isn't authentic? To understand the
dynamics behind this, you need to understand a few things:
Mexican cuisine in the U.S. has strong roots in the cuisine of Sonora, a state that borders Arizona. Most Mexican restaurants founded in the early
20th century in the U.S., were founded by Sonorans. Subsequent restaurants were mostly founded by Mexican immigrants from other parts of Mexico, whom
had no previous experience in the restaurant business in Mexico and who learned it while working at Sonoran owned establishments, and others were
founded by Anglo-Americans who had never traveled to Mexico. Both groups simply copied what their Sonoran counterparts had done.
Most Mexicans residing in the U.S. today trace their roots back to states other than Sonora, therefore it is to be expected that they wouldn't relate
to restaurants based on that cuisine.
Burritos & Chips...it is very rare to find restaurants in Mexico that serve Burritos, Chips & Salsa, Hard Shell Tacos or Combinations
slothered in Cheese & Sour Cream accompanied with rice & beans. Notice, I will not say they are not Mexican...but I will say that they don't
represent the experiences of most ordinary Mexicans.
Mexican cusine is too expansive to discuss in a brief guide or evenin one full length book...so I am not going to even try. Instead, I will write
about it from my own bias and experience.
First, you need to understand that the cuisine is very regional....it is country of great physical & cultural contrasts....deserts, fertile
valleys, snow capped mountains & lush jungles can all be found in this country 1/4 the size of the US...as such the regional cuisines can be quite
different from one another. But, the have all found their way to Mexico City, the world's 2nd largest metropolis behind Tokio.
Second, the residents of Mexico City are cosmopolitan, urban dwelers living a Post-Industrial lifestyle similar to you and me. Over time they have
adapted the regional cuisines to allow them to thrive under the pressures of today's lifestyle. It is this Contemporary Mexico City cusine that is
steeped in tradition and which fairly represents the various regions of the country that I will promote in this guide.
On this path of discovery, I will present you with cohesive meals that take into account most of the techniques & ingredients used throughout
Mexico by the many ethnic groups & regional cultures in the country, and suggest cookbooks that will enable you to create magic. I will also
suggest a CD or DVD that complements your experience. In the meantime, I would like to suggest a few books that will give a good sense of Mexico:
A survey of Mexico's tumultous history: 'The Course of Mexican History'
The Mesoamerican artistic sensibility: 'The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec, Third Edition (World of Art)'
Contemporary Mexican sensibility, the fusion of many cultures: 'Mexican Color/Color Mexicano'
Mexican Roots in American Cuisine
Prior to diving into my suggestions, I wanted to point out the ways in which Mexican cuisine has already influenced traditional American cuisine.
Beef. While Western & Northern Europe has been raising cattle for more than 1000 years, the English consumed most of their protein from fish &
pork at the time of the American revolution. Even today Germans & Central Europeans consume more pork than beef. Further, pork was the main source
of meat for Americans until after the annexation of Texas and the development of the trans-national rail road system. American cowboys learned their
trade from Mexican charros whom in turn learned their trade from the Spanish vaqueros.
High Heat. The most common cooking techniques used in Early American cooking were roasting and boiling. Americans learned to cook with high heat
(grill) from Mexicans in Texas.
Barbecue descends from the Mexican dish barbacoa. You will learn how to prepare barbacoa later in this guide. In the meantime, I will point out that
the American adaptation minimizes dependence on fresh ingredients by incorporating packaged ingredients such as Worchestire sauce.
Chili descends from the Mexican dish Chile Colorado. As with barbecue, the American adaptation utilizes packaged ingredients such as canned tomatos,
beans & salsa instead of fresh ingredients.
Salsa now outsells ketchup in the US, and tortillas outsell white bread in many states.
I have exceeded the text length for this guide...please continue on to the 2nd part of this guide.
bajalou - 7-24-2005 at 09:07 PM
Interesting Jesse, Thanks
bajajudy - 7-25-2005 at 06:29 AM
Yes muy interesante!
Will you post part 2?
Oso - 7-25-2005 at 07:18 AM
Yup. One city alone, Puebla, is known for over 800 different postres (desserts). Diana Kennedy's cookbooks are as thick as unabridged dictionaries.
There's a whole lot more to it than rice, beans and shredded lettuce.