Mexicans love pork. It features in most of our traditional feasts and celebrations and I use it a lot. I never paid much attention to my pork. I would buy it in the supermarket or the local butcher like everybody else, but a little over a year ago, I met this very nice lady, another food blogger like me, who came bearing the lovely gift of some home made sausages. The sausages looked different, very red and non-uniform in size. When we tried them a few days later we couldn't believe how tasty they were.
When it comes to Mexican food in Ireland, there is always one massive bee in my bonnet: the twisted concept of an 'enchilada' which has been pushed by crappy commercial food companies that disguise themselves as Mexican Food experts. The yellow and red company who sells mass produced packets of enchilada kits in supermarkets across Ireland and the UK hasn't a clue of what an enchilada is, so I'm gonna set the record straight here.
Chilli Dogs have a very special place in my heart. They bring up childhood memories of birthday parties in the summer months, with a big colourful piñata full of sweets ready to be whacked open and cool pots of strawberry jelly with birthday cake. Chilli Dogs are a mix of Chilli con Carne and a Hot Dog. I've no idea how this dish came about, but it is quite popular in my home State of Nuevo Leon in Mexico and I assume it is so all along the Northern Mexican region. I love them, they're satisfying, quick to make and most of all, delicious. Hope you enjoy them too!
It is always wonderful to be back home, even if it is for a few weeks only. The weather is always sunny, you can see and smell the heat of the day from the moment you open your eyes in the morning till you close them at night, the house is filled with all my relatives and friends and mam's kitchen and her lovely and talented hands are always at my disposal, granting every single culinary wish and craving I may have. A case of the prodigal daughter is back. It's the best part of being back home.
If there is one Mexican dish that reminds me of my childhood and brings fond memories of summer days gone by is Tostadas. Tostadas are probably best described as a giant nacho: they're crispy, light, fresh and really, really satisfying, with the added benefit of being, in my humble opinion and despite that they are a fried item, quite healthy. The word 'tostada' literally means 'toasted' in Spanish.
Have you ever gone to the gym after a long, long absence and find totally knackered but really happy for being good? well, that's how I feel today. It is the day after the IFBA Mexican Supper Club Evening, I am tired, but really happy and for the first time in quite a while, I found myself itching to get my hands on the keyboard and blog about what happened yesterday.
It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from or what type of cook you are: we all have what I call a "guilty cupboard" in our kitchens. The guilty cupboard is that one which is eternally jammers with ingredients that were bought out of impulse and never used; these ingredients generally include pastas, grains, flours, flavoured teas, cereals, three types of healthy granola, tins of exotic fruits, sugars, noodles, different types of rice, marinating sauces, jars of exotic pastes, etc. Go on, admit it; you do have one, don't you?
I had a date with the other half on Friday: pasta and a movie... problem was, I had no pasta! It was the middle of the week and I couldn't get to a market.
I don't get enough fish in my diet, why? Two simple reasons: I hate fish bones (they make me nervous) and I don't like fishy smells in the house (yes, yes, it's mad I know!); when I do get fish, I tend to go for fillets of cod (tail end so there's little or no bones), salmon or tuna fillets and every now and then I chance a Raywing or a red snapper. I also tend to feel guilty when buying fish because it's hard to know whether it was fished ethically or not! So for all these reasons, we don't get as much fish as we should and that makes me feel guilty!
Here's what I cooked for the Irish Foodies CookalongChallenge 'Food for Romance'. Romancing my other half is dead easy: chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! so my menu was planned accordingly: a two course chocolate-based meal consisting of Mexican Enmoladas and steamed mini chocolate puddings drowned in hot chocolate sauce.
