REAL Mexican recipes. Here we go! UPDATE

Rappel

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 12:47 pm

mamaroo wrote:

Rappel I think in yerushalaim there is a Mexican restaurant it’s called “quesadillas Acencio” They have quesadillas and I think Also tamales and salsas https://www.google.com.mx/sear.....fari#

Ooh, that's good to know! Any idea about the hechsher?

I like making food myself at home, but some ingredients just can't be found. My MIL usually brings an extra suitcase of supplies (Café Quindío!) when she comes to visit, but COVID...

Regarding masa harina: I've come this close to boiling corn and local lime stone together and just seeing what happens. That can't be that different from the industrial process of making masa harina, unless they reduce the stone by burning it first. Then I'm stuck, because I'm not building a thousand degree kiln and keeping it running for several days. Laugh

Last edited by Rappel on Thu, Aug 06 2020, 12:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

FranticFrummie

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 12:55 pm

thunderstorm wrote:

Would I ruin everything if I left the cilantro out? For some reason, no one in my household, including myself likes cilantro.

Also, what are cranberry beans? Is there another name for them?

You have the "cilantro genes". Scientists have isolated a gene that makes some people think that cilantro tastes like dish soap. You're not being picky, you were born that way!

Cranberry beans are like small kidney beans. You could probably substitute them, or even try red mung beans (super high in protein.)

I grew up in California, so this is bringing back all kinds of memories, especially of my pre-kosher days. I found that parve "meat crumbles" make a good swap for ground beef, and then you can pile on the sour cream and shredded cheddar without guilt. Parve "chicken" strips make good enchiladas.

I spend a lot of time "kosherizing" my childhood favorites. Very Happy

Some day I am going to print a cookbook called "I can't believe it's not treif!", and it will be sponsored by Tofutti.

BTW, the best way to make tamales if you don't have corn husks, is to use baking parchment (not wax paper or aluminum.) It's the closet thing to authentic. My landlord is growing corn in the yard, and now I'm eyeing the husks! I'll have to be sure to ask him to save them.

In Israel it's hard to find the right chilies. They are called different names here, so if you say Poblano they will look at you like you are crazy. You'll just have to buy some different ones at the shuk, keep track of which one is which, and then experiment. Make notes for next time. You can chop chilies and double bag then to store in the freezer, or you can dry them in a paper bag.

Note, DOUBLE bag those chilies! I had a pint of ice cream that was too close to a bag of frozen chilies, and guess what flavor it turned out to be? No bueno. Confused

mamaroo

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 1:06 pm

Rappel wrote:

The tortillas they sell are vadatz but I don’t know the echsher of the restaurant

Teomima

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 2:23 pm

Rappel wrote:

I can't find the stuff in Israel, and it's sorely lacking. Sad

Arepas just aren't the same.

I've seen masa harina here quite a few times, most recently in the spice store halfway down the open aisle at Shuk Machane Yehuda. I think also at East West on Aggripas. I've also seen it in various natural food stores and a couple of times in some major supermarkets.

Frumme

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 3:12 pm

Rappel wrote:

Regarding masa harina: I've come this close to boiling corn and local lime stone together and just seeing what happens. That can't be that different from the industrial process of making masa harina, unless they reduce the stone by burning it first. Then I'm stuck, because I'm not building a thousand degree kiln and keeping it running for several days. Laugh

I don't think it would take so much work, actually! From what I understand, Masa harina was discovered accidentally, possibly by someone boiling corn and inadvertently also adding limestone to the pot. Just gotta find pickling lime somewhere now. Sigh. Always the illusive ingredient search....

(A lot of soaking, boiling, and grinding, but here's a fun article:

https://www.saveur.com/homemade-masa-recipe/

Imagine making red masa harina with red corn!!!)

naomi2

Thu, Aug 06 2020, 6:06 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

The bolded part...where?? I muuuust get some!
I get the Mexican red dried chilies online BH it has a hechser (apple k) but sometimes I wanna make something but I don’t have the chilies and I don’t wanna wait a few days lol

There are stores all over Brooklyn ask your Rav if they need a hechsher. I know there is a store on kings highway and like east 3rd but for sure there are ones boro park. We usually get guajillo, arbol, Pasilla for the salsa. I think the smoked ones might be more of a hechsher problem. The mole we ordered a kosher brand of the paste online. I personally dodidn't enjoy the red or the black one

FranticFrummie

Fri, Aug 07 2020, 4:10 am

Teomima wrote:

The dough made from it often has lard as an ingredient, but masa harina itself is just corn that had been soaked in lime, in its dried, powdered form.

Not exactly same, but a very good substitute, is Sugat brand cornmeal. It has a very fine texture, halfway between large grained American corn meal, and finely milled corn flour. It's not dusty like flour, and the grains are about the size of a grain of salt. This means that it will absorb water easily and bake evenly without making the finished product feel gritty.

It's also really good for polenta.

PeanutMama

Fri, Aug 07 2020, 6:01 am

naomi2 wrote:

I asked and he said they need a hechser lol. Oh well.
Where are the stores in bp? I never see Mexican chilies or ancho chilies or guajillo chilies etc in the jewish places.
You can go to a non jewish grocery too? Like for example one can step into an Arab place or a Mexican place or Indian place.
I have no problem shopping at target or Macy’s or old navy.

There are some foods we won’t ever be able to make lol...

I miss eating pupusas but they use a certain type of cheese and mozzarella just isn’t the same ugh

Teomima

Fri, Aug 07 2020, 6:55 am

mamaroo wrote:

Rappel I think in yerushalaim there is a Mexican restaurant it’s called “quesadillas Acencio” They have quesadillas and I think Also tamales and salsas https://www.google.com.mx/sear.....fari#

I love this place so much, their food is amazing! But you've got to come hungry because it really must be eaten fresh. There's another place in town people rave about, Tacos Luis, but as a vegetarian I much prefer Quesadillas Ascencio.

yo'ma

Fri, Aug 07 2020, 7:10 am

Frumme wrote:

If you can, get a special type of treated corn flour called "Masa harina." Maseca brand is CRC pareve. Follow the instructions on the side to make the tamale dough.

What would be the name for it in a spanish speaking country? Masa means dough and harina is flour, so when I googled it, I was not successful. They’re not big on Mexican food here because it’s too spicy for them, but my family loves spicy food. I’ve made regular flour tortillas. I actually should ask my friend Who used to live here and her mother and husband are Mexican. Hmm!

Frumme

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 6:17 pm

yo'ma wrote:

Haha yes the Argentines aren't into spicy! I remember certain foods being hard to find while I was there because I was unfamiliar with the name they use there (e.g. rapiditas for tortillas), so you might have to play around with the term... Maybe you can find it under "masa de maíz?"

--

Also Hashem&Farfel I've found that Badia sells kosher whole dried chilies! Maybe you can order them online. https://www.salsaexpress.com/p.....D_BwE

naomi2

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 7:43 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Oh yes you can go into any grocery it's not Maras ayin ( people will assume you are buying/eating treif) because all groceries sell kosher and non kosher items. The thing is, I know only Flatbush social rules. Not sure how that would fly if I were part of the bp community. If I were you I would stop any Latina lady on the street and ask where she buys certain ingredients. Just watch her face when she hears you speaking Spanish fluently lol. But then I don't mind talking to strangers. I will check the brands of Chiles and masa I have.
I love shopping at ethnic stores. I could spend so much time checking out all the interesting products and some have a hechsher (ou, ok, chof k, star k, CRC etc. Not heimish brands) or don't require any.

Last edited by naomi2 on Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:03 pm; edited 1 time in total

Frumme

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:02 pm

naomi2 wrote:

Me too, Naomi2 Very Happy

I love going into international & ethnic stores... I've found kosher herring/caviar in Russian stores in the middle of nowhere, used to buy inexpensive veggies at the local Asian markets when I lived in NJ, etc. It's amazing how much and what you can find, like kosher sesame oil in bulk that doesn't break the bank.

naomi2

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:19 pm

Ok so right now I have Chile mulato, ancho, and arbol most are the company Los compadres and they are nice and soft. I know you asked a shaila but check the CRC website. It seems that dried Chilis with no additives doesn't need a hechsher. It could be when you asked, the person thought you meant chili powder which does need a hechsher because it can be a variety of ingredients in there unlike other spices that are just one ingredient. Also I have Chiles in adoboe in a can from the Roland company with a star k. Roland and Goya have lots of Mexican products but they are usually only distributed and sold in international groceries, or asked at large stores like Walmart or ShopRite. I'm happy to pass on this info if it will make you feel less "homesick" for Mexican food.

PeanutMama

Mon, Oct 19 2020, 2:43 pm

PUPUSAS

Not Mexican, but it’s from El Salvador and my family loves it. I remember going out every Sunday to the pupuseria.

- maseca flour (it has a CRC pareve hechser)
- salt
- water
- Oil
- mozzarella cheese

Mix flour and water until nice and doughy not to sticky, like play dough texture

Melt cheese in the sauce pan and add water and mix it well (it makes the cheese very stringy and yummy.)
Add a teaspoon of salt

Heat a big frying pan or a griddle pan
Oil your hands
Get a piece of dough roll it in a circle and flatten it

Stuff a bit of cheese in the middle and gather the edges over the top of the cheese and take off the extra dough

Flatten it so it looks like a pita bread

Put it on the griddle for like 3-5 min and then flip it to the other side.

It’s normal for cheese to ooze out. That’s the best part!!

PeanutMama

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 2:32 am

GUYSSSSSSSS

I’m honestly so happy I posted this because I got a new phone and lost ALLLLLL THE RECIPES I’ve saved like the last 3 years.

Here’s another one!!

Rice with corn.

A childhood favorite of mine!

White or brown rice
Butter
Corn
Pinch of salt
1/4 onion
1-2 Garlic cloves
Chicken bouillon cube (pareve)
Water

Fry rice in butter till it’s golden.
Blend onion garlic cloves and chicken bouillon and water
Pour it in the pot
Then when the mixture is absorbed pour in the corn (but make sure to drain it first!) and mix it all up.

But you know what I miss??

I miss that creamy cheesy corn in a cup that the elotero used to sell. MISS IT SO MUCH. I NEED IT. NOW!
(I looked up the recipe online and the cheese calls for cotija cheese so now I’m sad lol. There’s no cholov Yisroel version)
This is what I’m talking about.
https://thesweetmolcajete.com/.....vaso/