Secrets of Salsa = Secretos de la Salsa : A Bilingual Cookbook by the Mexican Women of Anderson Valley (2002)

Secrets of Salsa = Secretos de la Salsa : A Bilingual Cookbook by the Mexican Women of Anderson Valley (2002) edited by Kira Brennan. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Brennan, Kira. Ed. Secrets of Salsa = Secretos de la Salsa: A Bilingual Cookbook by the Mexican Women of Anderson Valley. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company [TX819. S29 S43 2002].

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Secrets of Salsa was the product of an English as a Second Language class at Anderson Valley Adult School in Anderson Valley, California. Students took turns bringing in a favorite salsa, and during each session, the class translated the recipe from Spanish to English and shared stories about their recipes. The cookbook presents 25 of these recipes in both Spanish and English, ranging from Salsa Fresca Tradicional, a pico de gallo style salsa of fresh tomatoes, serrano chiles, and cilantro, to more unusual recipes such as Salsa de Mango y Pepinos, a mix of cucumbers and mangos, or Salsa de Ajonjolí Tostado, a purée of chiles de árbol and sesame seeds.  All three of these recipes are presented below.

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Salsa de Mango y Pepinos (no es picante) by Teresa Álvarez (P. 7)

• 2 pepinos medianos
• 1 mango grande
• 1-2 chiles jalapeños o serranos
• 3 limones verdes
• 1/2 diente de ajo
• 1/2 cucharadita de chile en polvo
• sal al gusto

Pelar el mango y los pepinos. Picarlos en trocitos. Agregar el ajo y los chiles bien picados. Ponerlo todo en un tazón y agregarle el jugo del limón, la sal al gusto y el chile en polvo.

Este salsa viene de “tierra caliente” y es conocida como “pico de gallo.” Teresa recuerda que su abuela la preparaba. Es una salsa fresca y excelente en días calurosos. Teresa es de Uruapán, Michoacán y ha vevido en Anderson Valley por diez años.

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Mango Cucumber Salsa (mild) by Teresa Álvarez (P. 6)

• 2 medium cucumbers
• 1 large mango
• 1-2 jalapeños or serrano chillies
• 3 limes
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• salt to taste

Peel mango and cucumbers. Chop into small bite-sized pieces. Add finely chopped garlic and chilies. Put into a bowl with salt and lime juice. Sprinkle with red chili powder.

This salsa comes from the “tierra caliente” (the hot lands) and is commonly known as “pico de gallo” (rooster’s beak). Teresa remembers her grandmother making this salsa and how refreshing it could be on hot days. She is originally from Uruapán, Michoacán, and has lived in Anderson Valley for ten years. 

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Salsa de Ajonjolí Tostado (muy picante) by Carmelia Roldàn & Arcelia Saucedo (p. 9)

• 30 chiles de árbol (secos)
• 2/3 taza de aceite
• 1/2 diente de ajo
• 3 cucharaditas de semillas de ajonjolí (tostadas)
• sal al gusto

En una sartén caliente echar las semillas de ajonjolí y moverlas constantemente hasta tostarlas. Picar bien los chiles y el ajo. Calentar bien el aceite y agregar los chiles, el ajo y las semillas de ajonjolí. Tapar y cocinar por un minuto. Apagar el fuego y dejar que se enfríe. Licuar los ingredientes a velocidad alta. Poner sal al gusto. No es necesario regrigerarse. Esta salsa dura de dos o tres semanas.

Este salsa viene de un restaurante en Uruapán que se llama La Pachita. Es una salsa muy popular y se sirve con muchos platillos mexicanos, especialmente el pozole. Es una salsa deliciosa y muy picante. Camelia y Arcelia son hermanas y vienen de Uruapán, Michoacán. 

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Toasted Sesame Salsa (hot) by Carmelia Roldàn & Arcelia Saucedo (p. 8)

• 30 chiles de árbol (secos)
• 2/3 taza de aceite
• 1/2 diente de ajo
• 3 cucharaditas de semillas de ajonjolí (tostadas)
• sal al gusto

En una sartén caliente echar las semillas de ajonjolí y moverlas constantemente hasta tostarlas. Picar bien los chiles y el ajo. Calentar bien el aceite y agregar los chiles, el ajo y las semillas de ajonjolí. Tapar y cocinar por un minuto. Apagar el fuego y dejar que se enfríe. Licuar los ingredientes a velocidad alta. Poner sal al gusto. No es necesario regrigerarse. Esta salsa dura de dos o tres semanas.

Este salsa viene de un restaurante en Uruapán que se llama La Pachita. Es una salsa muy popular y se sirve con muchos platillos mexicanos, especialmente el pozole. Es una salsa deliciosa y muy picante. Camelia y Arcelia son hermanas y vienen de Uruapán, Michoacán. 

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Salsa Fresca Tradicional (poco picante) by María Elena Mendoza (p. 11)

• 30 chilies de árbol (dried red chilies)
• 2/3 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 3 tsps. sesame seed, toasted
• salt to taste

Toast sesame seeds (white or brown) in a hot frying pan. Keep shaking the frying pan until seeds are lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Finely chop the chilies de árbol and garlic. Heat the oil until very hot, then add chilies, garlic, and sesame seeds and cover. Cook for one minute. Turn off heat. Let cool. Blend all ingredients on high in blender. Salt to taste. Do not refrigerate. This salsa will last for two to three weeks. 

This salsa originates from a restaurant in Uruapán called La Pachita. It is a traditional salsa that accompanies pozole and other Mexican dishes. It’s a very unique and spicy salsa that serves as an accompanying sauce or even a marinade. Camelia and Arcelia are sisters from Uruapán, Michoacán. 

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Traditional Fresh Salsa (Mild-Medium) by María Elena Mendoza (p. 10)

• 5 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 1 lime
• 2-3 serrano chilies
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt

Finely chop onion and chilies and put into a bowl. Add lime juice, sugar, salt, and finely chopped cilantro. Dice the tomatoes very finely (discard any juice), and add to mixture just before serving. Tomatoes should always be added last as the salt draws out the juice. This salsa should be eaten soon after prepared.

Maria Elena learned early on that this salsa has a unique creative quality. Add avocados and this salsa becomes a delicious guacamole. Add nopales (cactus) and this salsa becomes the unique and flavorful nopale salsa. 

The Mexican Cook Book (1971) – Platanos Fritos / Fried Bananas

The Mexican Cook Book (1971) by George and Inger Wallace. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Wallace, George and Inger. The Mexican Cook Book. Concord, CA: Nitty Gritty Productions, 1971. P. 149 [TX716 .M4 W35 1971]

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Long-time readers of this blog may remember my adventures (and mis-adventures) with baked bananas back in 2011

Some readers suggested that I might have better luck with fried bananas, and at last my opportunity to do arose when I found the Wallace’s recipe. Rather than being crisp-fried, these bananas are lightly fried and then simmered in orange juice that reduces to a kind of syrup.

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Platanos Fritos / Fried Bananas

During fiestas bananas cooked this way are sold from hand carts and stalls all over Mexico, and eaten on the spot.

• 4 large bananas, peeled and cut lengthwise
• 4 T. butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Juice of 2 oranges
• Rind of 1 orange, grated
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Fry bananas in melted butter 1 minute on each side

Mix sugar, orange juice and rind; pour over the bananas.

Simmer until tender–about 15 minutes. Turn bananas and spoon syrup over them while cooking.

Serve warm with sauce made of equal parts sour cream and powdered sugar.

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In the Kitchen

Distracted by other things, I made a major error when preparing this recipe last night. As you can see from the photos, I sliced the bananas cross-wise into rounds instead of length-wise as the recipe dictates.

Then, when I added the orange juice and began to simmer the bananas, I thought, “oh no, another case of a mid-century American author translating plátanos as bananas when it should be plantains!” I was certain that 15 minutes of simmering would completely reduce the bananas to inedible mush.

As it turns out, though, although the bananas did become quite mushy, they were quite tasty mush. I skipped the sour cream sauce due to dietary restrictions, but I think its addition would have made this a little like banana cream pie filling. It would also go well over vanilla ice cream.

I’m still not 100% certain whether this recipe is intended for bananas or plantains, but the former at least, does produce good results, even with less-than-perfect execution of the recipe.

The Mexican Cook Book (1971) – Chile con Carne Estilo Tejano y a la Mexicana (Texas-style and Mexican-style chili)

The Mexican Cook Book (1971) by George and Inger Wallace. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Wallace, George and Inger. The Mexican Cook Book. Concord, CA: Nitty Gritty Productions, 1971. P. 106-107 [TX716 .M4 W35 1971]

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This week features another recipe from The Mexican Cook Book by George and Inger Wallace.

In their chapter on Pollos y Carnes (Meat and Fish), the Wallaces include two chili recipes: Chile con Carne Estilo Tejano and Chile con Carne a la Mexicana.  The inclusion of both recipes is intriguing because the two recipes differ in only very minor ways. Unfortunately, there is no accompanying explanation of the recipes’ source or the authors’ reasons for associating one with Texas and one with Mexico.

Both recipes call for browning cubed meat, adding sauteed onions and garlic, and simmering with water, chile powder, salt, oregano, and cumin for 1 1/2 hours. Chile con Carne Estilo Tejano is made with a combination of beef and pork, however, and includes the addition of 16 oz. of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, while Chile con Carne a la Mexicana contains only beef and adds pickled jalapeño chiles for extra spice.  Interestingly, the Texas-style chile (but not the Mexican-style) includes the option of adding beans.

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Chile con Carne Estilo Tejano

• 1 pound lean beef, cubed
• 1 pound pork, cubed
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (8-ounce) tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 4 T. mild chile powder
• 2 T. cocoa
• 2 t. salt
• 2 t. oregano
• 1 t. cumin

Brown meat in hot oil; put it in a large pot for further cooking. 

Saute onion and garlic in the same oil; add to the meat. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Cover pan tightly and cook over low heat –about 1 1/2 hours –or until meat is tender. 

For chile con carne with beans, add 4 cups of cooked Mexican beans to the pot and stir occasionally without breaking them. 

Serve with tortillas. 

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Chile con Carne a la Mexicana

• 2 pounds lean beef, cubed
• 3 T. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups water
• 3 T. mild chile powder
• 2 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 pickled jalapeño chiles, minced

Brown meat in hot oil and put it in a large pot. Saute onion and garlic in the same oil; add it to the meat. Add all remaining ingredients except the peppers.

Cover pot and cook over low heat–about 1 1/2 hours–or until the meat is tender.

Just before serving, add the hot peppers. These are really hot, and the full effect is not immediately noticeable–so be careful. 

Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina Mexicana (2010) – Entomatado

Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina Mexicana (2010) by Ricardo Muñoz.Zurita.

 

Muñoz Zurita, Ricardo. Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina Mexicana. Ediciones Larousse: Mexico, D.F., 2010. [TX716.M4 M86699 2010]. P. 56

The 2012-2013 Culinary Tour of Mexico wrapped up this week with a flourish. Over the course of the school year, we have traveled in both time and space, from Alejandro Pardo’s 1918 Enchiladas al estilo de Guadalajara, to the Senator’s wives’ 1964 Sopa de Pan from Colima, to Ricardo Muñoz Zurita’s 2010 Entomatado from Puebla. On behalf of UTSA Libraries, UTSA Rec Center and the Hispanic Student Association, thank you to all who participated!

The source of our final recipe is Verde, Blanco, Rojo, published by Larrousse, perhaps the most prolific publisher of Mexican cookbooks, and compiled by  Mexico city chef and author Ricardo Muñoz Zurita. It was issued in celebration Mexico’s Bicentennial in 2010, and as such, seemed like a fitting way to end our celebration of a century of Mexican Cuisine.

Focusing on the connection between the vibrant colors of Mexican cuisine and the Mexican flag, Zurita the cookbook is organized not by region or course, but by color, with entomatado featuring as one of the starts of Green Cuisine. It’s green color comes from the tomatillos, of course, and it owes its rich taste to the pork belly, cinnamon, cloves, onion, and garlic. This particular recipe is typical of the states in Central Mexico, particularly Mexico City and Puebla. It was shared with Zurita by Ana Elena Matínez and comes from a cookbook belonging to her grandmother, a native of the capital city of Puebla.[1]

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Entomatado

“El entomatado es una de las formas más comunes de cocinar la carne de cerdo.  Esta receta es típica de los estados del centro del país, especialmente de la ciudad de México y Puebla.

Esta version me la proporcionó la señora  Ana Elena Matínez, estraída del recetario antiguo de su abuela, quien nació y vivió en la capital poblana.”

Rendimiento: 6 porciones
Preparación 20 min
Cocción: 1 h 10 min

Ingredientes

Carne

• 1 kg de falda de cerdo cortada en trozos de 3 cm por lado
• 3 l de agua
• 3 dientes de ajo
• ½ cebolla cortada en cuartos
• 1 cucharadita de sal

Entomatado

• ½ cucharadita de bicarbonate de sodio
• 2 l de agua
• ½ bolillo frito
• 2 clavos de olor chicos
• 1 raja de canela de 3 cm
• ¼ de taza de aceite de olive
• 2 chiles chipotles secos
• ½ cebolla blanca picada finamente
• 1 cucharadita de ajo picado finamente
• 1 kg de tomate verde cortado en cubos chicos
• ¼ de cucharadita de oregano
• ¼ de cucharadita de tomillo
• 2 hojas de laurel
• sal al gusto
• 2 papas cocidas, peladas y cortadas en cubos- opcional)

Preparación

Carne

1. Hierva en una olla, la carne con el agua, el ajo, la cebolla  y la sal durante 50 minutos o hasta que la carne esté cocida.  Retire el fuego y reserve la carne y el caldo por separado.

Entomatado

1. Disuelva el bicarbonate con el agua y licue con el bolillo, los clavos de olor, la canela y 2 tazas del caldo reservado.
2. Caliente el aceite de olive en una cazuela y fría los chiles, retírelos y resérvelos.  Añada la cebolla, el ajo, los tomates y fríalos muy bien.
3. Agregue la carne, el oregano, el tomillo y las hojas de laurel.  Hierva durante 5 minutos e incorpore el licuado de pan, los chiles, la sal y las papas; deje que hierva y retire del fuego. Sirva caliente.

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Entomatado

“The entomatado is one of the most common ways of cooking pork. This recipe is typical of the states in the center of the country, especially Mexico City and Puebla.

This version was given to me by Ana Elena Matínez, extracted from an old recipe book of her grandmother, who was born and lived in the capital of Puebla.”

Yield: 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 1 h 10 min

Ingredients

Meat

• 1 kg of pork belly, cut into 1 in. cubes
• 12 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ onion, quartered
• 1 tsp. salt

Entomatado

• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 8 cups water
• ½ roll, fried
• 2 small cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 1 inch)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 dried chipotle chiles
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
• 2 pounds tomatillos, cut into small cubes
• ¼ tsp. oregano
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 2 potatoes boiled, peeled, and cubed (optional)

Preparation

Meat

1. Boil the pork cubes with 12 cups water, garlic, onion, and salt for 50 minutes or until meat is cooked. Remove from heat.  Drain the pork, but reserve the broth. 

Entomatado

1. Dissolve the baking soda in 8 cups water and blend with the roll, cloves, cinnamon, and 2 cups of the pork broth.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the chiles.  Then remove and set aside. In the remaining oil, fry the onion, garlic, and tomatillos well.
3. Add the meat, orégano, thyme, and bay leaves.  Boil for 5 minutes and add the liquefied bread, spices and broth, salt, and potatoes.  Bring to a boil and then removefrom heat. Serve hot.

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 [1] Zurita, Ricardo Muñoz. Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina Mexicana. Mexico: Larousse, 2010. P. 56.

Culinary Tour of Mexico Tomorrow: Puebla

 

Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina Mexicana (2010) by Ricardo Muñoz.Zurita.

You’re invited!  Tomorrow (Monday, April 22nd), join UTSA Libraries, UTSA Rec Center and the Hispanic Student Association for a culinary trip to Puebla from 5:30-6:30pm.  

We will demonstrate how to prepare Entomatado from Verde, Blanco, Rojo en la Cocina (2010). This rich pork stew has a green tomatillo base and undercurrents of cinnamon and cloves. 

Cooking Demonstrations are open to all UTSA students, faculty and staff. No RSVP required … just show up hungry and ready to cook!

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The Mexican Cook Book (1971) – Sopa Seca de Fideos / Dry Noodle Soup

The Mexican Cook Book (1971) by George and Inger Wallace. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Wallace, George and Inger. The Mexican Cook Book. Concord, CA: Nitty Gritty Productions, 1971. [TX716 .M4 W35 1971]

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The Mexican Cook Book (1971) was authored by photographer George Wallace and his wife Inger Wallace, who accompanied on him on photography shoots throughout Mexico. The forward includes an abbreviated history of Mexican cuisine and its influences:

During the past forty years, we have travelled throughout Mexico, seeking to know its people, delighting in the discovery of modern customs that are related to the past…Mexico’s cuisine is a result not only of her own products and people, but the influence of her conquerers: First, the Spanish Conquistadores… introduced cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, olives, grapes, rice, wheat, sugar, and cinnamon to Mexico, as well as new herbs and spices…Then on September 16, 1810, in a small village in the state of Cuanajuato, Padre Hidalgo y Castillo cried out to his impoverished native flock “Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe! Death to the ‘gachupines’! – and thus signaled the end of domination from [Spain], and the beginning of a courtship of everything French. Today, Mexican cuisine, a composite of all three, is uniquely flavorful, and almost addictive.

The rest of the cookbook combines recipes with Wallace’s striking photographs of rural Mexico and includes a wide range of dishes organized into the following chapters:

• Entremeses / Hors de’Oeuvres
• Sopas/Soups
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  Photograph of Market in Oaxaca (28). The Mexican Cook Book (1971) by George and Inger Wallace. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

  Sopas Secas / Dry soups

• Ensaladas / Salad
• Antojitos/Snacks
• Enchiladas & Tamales
• Verduras /Vegetables
• Pescado / Fish
• Pollos y Carnes / Chicken and Meat
• Huevos / eggs
• Poster/Desserts
• Reposteria/ bakery items

Somewhat unusually for a cookbook aimed at a U.S. audience in the early 1970s, the Wallaces do not eliminate chiles or replace them all with chili powder, but call for ancho, chipotle, pequine, green (New Mexico), and jalapeño chiles. At the back of the cookbook, they include a short description of each, along with a capitalized warning for cooks unaccustomed to the properties of chiles: “KEEP HANDS AWAY FROM EYES AND WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND COLD WATER IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD.”

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In the section on Sopas Secas / Dry soups, the authors describe these dishes thus:

Substantial and delicious, dry soups occupy a regular place on comida menus across the land. Served on individual plates just after the soup course, and topped with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, these dry soups resemble Italian pastas in their use. They can also accompany a main course in lieu of potatoes, rice, or other similar dish

The following recipe for Sopa Seca de Fideos is a little bit like a noodle casserole, but cooked on the stove-top, rather than in the oven.

Sopa Seca de Fideos

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  Girls from San Felipe carrying baskets. Photograph of Market in Oaxaca (28). The Mexican Cook Book (1971) by George and Inger Wallace. UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

  ½ pound vermicelli

• 2 T oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup canned tomatoes, drained, chopped
• ¼ t sugar
• ¼ t oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Break vermicelli into 2-inch strips, and fry in hot oil, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Remove, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible.

Saute minced onion and garlic in the hot oil, then add the tomatoes, sugar, and oregano. Return the vermicelli to the pan, pour in broth, and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cover pan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Finish cooking with pan uncovered if there is much liquid left.

Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese before serving.

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Reposteria (1919) – Pastel de Coco / Coconut Cake

Reposteria (1919) by Julia Sánchez Rangel. [TX773.S26 1919] UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Sánchez Rangel, Julia. Reposteria. Manuscript Cookbook. University of Texas at San Antonio. [TX773 .S26 1919]

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Pastel de Coco

• Harina                   300 g.
• Azucar                  230 g.
• Mantequilla        230 g.
• Huevos                 2
• Agua de coco     ½ taza
• Coco rayado       1/2″ taza
• Decorado. Merengue italiano. 3 claras

En una cacerola se bate la mantequilla hasta que esponje luego se pone la azucar después las yemas una a una luego la harina cernida con el sal en seguida el coco rayado luego el agua de coco luego las claras batidas a punto de turron y se mezcla todo sin batirlo, se untan los moldes con mantequilla y se espolvorean  con harina se pone la pasta hasta la mitad del molde y se mete al horno templano (sic).

Librarian’s Note: “templano” is most likely intended to be templado). 

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Reposteria (1919) by Julia Sánchez Rangel. [TX773.S26 1919] UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Coconut Cake

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup coconut water
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• To decorate: 3 eggwhites made into Italian meringue

In a bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar, then the egg yolks, one at a time. Sift the flour and salt together and then add to the butter mixture, followed by the shredded coconut and coconut water. Separately, beat the eggwhites until stiff and gently fold into the butter mixture. Grease and flour the cake pans, and then fill half-way with batter and bake in a mild oven (probably about 325*F)