Monday, August 18, 2014

Buenos días!
     This past week end we hand a family party which ,this year was to take the place of a beach outing we call "the Burrito Bake". The core meal was ,,,,,,,you guessed it Burritos. The fixing for these burritos were: Mexican beans, Chile Verde, grated cheddar cheese , and MENGUCHE.   Now depending where you're from Menguiche can mean many things , but this is our families recipe and Im sure you'll like it..:
     Menguiche
       3 qt pan on stove
       2-3 cups gated monterrey Jack
       4 Ortega or canned whole anaheim diced or cut in long strips/julienne
       1diced medium onion
       ****very important***** must then salt to taste

     Saute onions and chiles til translucent, add sour cream till piping hot stirring constantly. Add cheese handful at a time stirring in to blend. If you add the cheese all at once you'll get a goopy moco ball of cheese.
     This can be made days before and used on eggs , as a chip dip, over enchiladas,or as a potato chip or pita chip dip. WE are going to use this on CHILAQUILES"
     AFTER frying your chips and salting them saute in onions and diced green chiles. For four people you want 12-20 tortillas of fried chips. In a pyrex mixing bowl put 1 1/2 cup of the MENGUICHE sauce and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth warm them in the microwave. Stir and pour over chips in pan on stove . Cover and simmer for 5 min . Serve with dollops of straight Menguiche for presentation and sprinkle with cilantro

Sunday, August 17, 2014


Okay I suppose we should get to a basic recipe so that we can deconstruct it and start twisting the dial. The basics are fried corn tortillas( I like Guerrero) count out 3-4 tortillas per person and cut into 1/4s, or 1/8ths, pizza style or cut twice across to make long strip 3rds, then turn 90 deg. and repeat. Fry these little torts in veggie oil until golden brown. Then they can be removed and left to sit on paper towels to soak up the oil, NOT olive oil.These are now called "doraditos" or "totopos". in the same pan :Saute 1 Med diced onion ,I like Spanish Yellow, 2-3 Ortega green chiles finely diced.After saute then add 1/2 can - 1 can of El Pato 8oz.,,,2-3 tomatoes cut in half, seeded. then grated to separate off the skin or diced. Add 1 8 oz can tomato sauce. Toss the doradito /chips in and coat with salsa/sauce and cover with mediumou can use a bottled salsa like La Victoria or any chunky style salsa,When we but no matter what ,,saute the onion and green chiles'''''''''''''''''BETTER
When talk about the saute we can also say "Sofrito" The holy trinity, or Mirepoix. Now in French and English food " the holy trinity is sauteed diced celery, onions and carrots. In Mex " The Holy Trinity is the color of the flag. green ,white, and red= Chiles, Onion

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Buenos días,
This is my first blog ,so take it easy! I am constantly thinking about food. Either its the food that Im eating or the food that I just ate, or the food that i'm going to eat.
     The conversation might start off as a posit of what might you order , or want to eat if you were on death row. For me the answer is almost always "Chilaquiles" or " Chilaqs" . Don't be led astray by the haters that say Cilaqs are just nachos. That's like saying a sauce is just soup.
     Chilaquiles are a genre of dishes that have , as their DNA, fried corn tortilla chips, sauteed onions and chiles, a sauce or salsa and then , typically cheese . That being said, this is the femme fatal without her clothes on. Sure even a naked lady can look enticing,,,,,but the kicker are those thing that adorn her
     How does one make the chips? What brand of tortillas? Might you fry them then crisp them further in the oven,,,,or dry them in the oven and then fry them?
     What kind of onion? Sweet Spanish? White? Shallots? Super sweet Mayan or Visalia?
     What kind chiles? Anaheim/Hatch? Roasted or not? Guajillo, Ancho dried or Fresh roasted Poblano?...... This is not to confuse or discourage ,but rather widen your horizon of CHILICIOUS CHILAQ CHOICES.............OK first blog down now ," it's time to eat".