Dining And Fun

0107 2009

IVirtual Magazine

Refreshing partly of flavor

Mexican FoodIs Full of variety

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How to makeMOLE

Mexican Cuisine p-2

El Paso Virtual Culinary Magazine

Vol I July, 2009

Summer & Mexican Food

Go Green, Save The PlaneT

Chiles en enogada

Mexican Cuisine-

Deliciuos Experience

Say ‘Mexican food’ and most will think of burritos and tacos. But

those, and other very heavy foods, are the traditional product primarily of Northern Mexico. There’s much more to the country and its cuisine. Not only are there regional differences, but Mexico itself is a diverse land of Aztec, Mayan and Spanish influences, with a bit of French thrown in for good mea-sure.

The results show up in the varied dishes and drinks that all can be justly labeled as Mexican.

Think pizza and your mind wanders to Italy. But there’s a traditional Mexican pizza made from corn tortillas that is not to be missed. Slice it into wedges then dip it into some salsa and you’ve got a fine snack.

Frijoles refritos, refried beans, are used in a wide number of Mexican dishes. Beef, chicken and pork dishes

are everywhere in Mexican cuisine. They provide protein and great taste. But there are an equal number of much lighter dishes that have never seen a bean. Ostiones (oysters), cevi-che (raw fish marinated in citrus fruits) and many other types of seafood are traditional Mexican servings.

Cheeses are as popular in Mexico’s dishes as it is in French cooking. And the cheeses of Mexico are not just de-rivatives from their distant European rivals. Chiapas may resemble feta, but it is a pure example of Mexican exper-tise in cheese. Criollo may look and taste similar to Muenster, but no Ger-man snuck into the country to produce this outstanding native product.

Desserts, as they are anywhere else, are highly popular south of the border. Flan (a kind of caramel custard) is the classic example, but there are many

others. Just as one example, take en-pamadas. A sweet bread made from egg, milk and sugar that resembles French pastry, it has a distinctive flavor all its own.

Food, of course, isn’t the only consum-able product of this rich land. There are more native Mexican beverages than you could sample in a summer.

Rompope is a rum-flavored Mexican liqueur that will be welcome in any room that enjoys a fine Irish cream. Everyone has heard of the famed mar-garita, but make one with a superb Mexican Controy and your guests will never forget you. And a Michelada, a Mexican cerveza with tabasco, soy sauce and Worcestershire will add zing to any party.

But alcoholic drinks don’t come any-where close to exhausting the options. Horchata, a traditional milk drink, will help sooth the stomach after all that booze. And Aqua de fresca made from a variety of fruit juices is an ever popu-lar addition to the Mexican table at any time.

Whatever your dining style and pref-erence you’ll find a Mexican-style dish to suit. Whether you prefer to eat out or prepare your own, the choices are limitless.

Buen Provecho!

Mexican FoodMexico itself is a rich and di-verse culture composed of

elements from the centuries, so is Mexican cuisine equally var-ied.

A burrito for break-fast is far from un-known. But there are many other choices on the menu, as well. Huevos rancheros is a great favorite for those who want eggs for breakfast. A tropical fruit salad is a perfect possibility for those who want to get their morning helping Mexican style.

Have a busy lifestyle and need to eat breakfast on the go? You can still enjoy it Mexican style and have a pineapple tama-le muffin. If you have more time, treat yourself to delicious apricot chimichangas - a combination of egg, Ricotta cheese on a flour tortilla, topped with apricots and a delightful sauce. If you happen to have some stale corn tortillas left over, use them to make chi-laquiles.

For lunch the options grow by leaps and bounds. A frittata made from zucchini, peppers and onions atop a layer of tortilla supported eggs and topped with Swiss cheese is healthy and fill-ing. Haven’t had enough eggs

yet? Try an egg and chorizo enchi-lada. With a garnish of avocados you’ll get plenty of flavor.

Too busy to cook lunch? Fine, grab a plantain or two. If you prefer a more potato-like flavor get these banana-like fruits ultra fresh. If you like a sweeter option get some that have had more time to ripen. Of course, you could go for that ba-sic taco instead. But be adventur-ous and try a carne asada torta. A Mexican-style sandwich, it houses refried beans, tomatoes and let-tuce served on a telera roll.

A traditional Mexican dinner is light and small. Lunch is the main meal. But in English-speaking countries the tradition has been modified to

coincide with the larger intake during the evening meal. Still, it doesn’t have to be all heavy fats and huge amounts of calo-ries.

Seafood is an outstand-ing choice for a Mexican dinner and perfectly in line with tradition. Sword-fish and tuna are com-mon in the waters around Mexico and fishing is a tradition in the country that goes back centuries. For something a little dif-ferent, try a shark burrito. For a tried and true Mexi-can dinner you can’t go wrong with a Red Snap-per a la Veracruzana.

Even apart from the standard division of meals into three pe-riods of the day there are a va-riety of Mexican foods that can be enjoyed anytime.

Mexican desserts are enjoyed by everyone. Flan, an egg custard with caramel sauce, will please palates of any na-tionality. Churros are another traditional favorite. Similar to donuts, you can find them sold by street vendors on any corner in Mexico City. But even bread can be a Mexican dessert. So-papillas have been popular for centuries. Covered in cinnamon and honey, they will satisfy any sweet toothExpand your horizons and your view of Mexican cuisine. Try a variety of traditional Mexican

is full of variety

dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, anytime!

Mention cheese and most people will think of France, maybe Italy, sometimes Germany or Greece. But rarely will the first image brought to mind be Mexico. Yet Mexico has a range of native cheeses that are de-lightful and even profoundly fine additions to the cheese world. In some cases they are similar to more familiar types. In many instances they are as different as the differing countries them-selves.

Chiapas is a fine example of traditional Mexican cheese. Crum-bly like feta, it has a delightfully tart taste that works wonders on beans.

Chihuahua, named after the state in Mexico, is perfect for dishes calling for melted cheese. Popular in Mexican fondue (yes, that’s not just a French dish), it has a variety of other uses. Fried cheese (queso frito) is another favorite method of preparation.

Cotija stands in sharp contrast. This cheese is made from aged goat’s milk. But unlike a ricotta it is sharp and tangy, not bland. Often grated over salads, it will add a nice tang to any dish.

Criollo is a sharp, yellow cheese from an area near Taxco in the state of Guerrero. Similar in color and taste to a Muenster, it has a distinctive flavor that sets it apart from that more familiar cheese. It works equally well grated or melt-ed and will enhance any Mexican dish calling for a yellow cheese.

Enchilado may have a mundane name (translated it means, ‘chili flavored’), but the taste is anything but. A type of anejo cheese, it’s aged and spiced with paprika or chili powder. It goes well with a variety of Mexican cervezas, not least of which is an outstanding Michelada. Michelada is a mixture of beer, tabasco sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime.

Fresco is a creamy cheese that makes for the perfect spicy top-ping to many Mexican dishes. Enchiladas benefit from it and an empanada would be a lesser cre-ation without a fresco.

Manchego by comparison is mild and mellow. Hailing from the La Mancha region, its nutty flavor makes it perfect for pambazos sandwiches or all by itself.

Oaxaca may be an unfamiliar name, but many who have en-joyed a great quesadillas have unknowingly tasted this stringy cheese. The Mexican version of mozzarella, it is perfect on a tlayuda. Tlayudas are a traditional Mexican dish made of a giant corn tortilla covered with frijoles refritos and asiento, refried beans and pork. When served plain, it’s usu-ally wound into a big ball like yarn (but much tastier).

Queso blanco is a soft, creamy, white cheese that makes a perfect spread. Similar to cream cheese, it’s milder and not aged. It’s just right for a small grilled tortilla snack.

All About Chile Pepper

Though some experts dispute the wisdom of calling chiles ‘peppers’,

there’s no disagreement about what they add to Mexican food: great taste and a lot of zing.

Chiles are now grown in many coun-tries around the globe. India is one of the world’s largest producers today, growing a millions tons per year. But, while the chiles grown in Mexico may be a small percentage of the total (about 15%), they could never be ranked second in value. Grown in every state in Mexico, they are popular the world over.

Jalapeño varieties account for about half the total acreage planted. They give a well known bite to a dish with a flavor that far outlasts the sting. There’s simply no substitute for this yellow-green fruit rated between 3-6 thousand on the SHU scale. The Scoville scale measures the ‘zing’ of chile peppers. In pure form, the chemical capsaicin that gives chiles their bite is rated 16 million.

Anchos and serranos together account for a little over half of the remainder of Mexico’s chile acreage. The ancho from Poblano (that also gives its name to a great mole) matures to a deep red that mirrors the rich flavor within. Another vari-ety develops to a rich brown. Serrano, by contrast, is picked green to make a great sauce. Pasilla is another chile pepper that is a popular ingredient to a fine mole.

Tabasco chiles are well known, thanks

to the popular hot sauce. In Mexico a few of these are grown in every garden in Veracruz and the native state that gives the chile its name.

The Guajillo-puya is also used to make a great many hot sauces, thanks to its rich flavor and ample capsaicin concentration. But the champion for heat has to be the habañero. Habañero is

produced at about 3% of the volume of jalapeños (1,000 ha). But they make up for it by ranking at 300,000 SHU. Now, that’s hot!

There’s a lot more to chile peppers than just chemically induced ‘wow!’, though. Chile peppers are chock full of beneficial vitamins. They contain twice as much percentagewise as carrots and five times as much as tomatoes. They’re rich in vitamin A and supply ample vitamin B6.

Chile peppers, like many colored fruits, are rich in carotenes and other phyto-chemicals. The nutrition value of these substances is a hot area of research. But evidence already strongly suggests they help reduce cell damage, thanks to their anti-oxidant properties. That helps keep the cardiovascular system in top shape.

But whether you enjoy chile peppers for their great taste or to test your staying power, or just because you want to eat healthy, you don’t have to compromise. With one ingredient you can have it all.

Picante !!!

The title refers here to the sauce, or (in Spanish) mole, not to the

popular dance. But a good salsa can make you want to move your body in an excited rhythm. To citi-zens of the U.S., salsa is nothing more than a mix of fresh chopped tomatoes with spices. But in Mexi-co, salsa recipes are as varied as the country itself. Like the word mole, salsa in Spanish also means ‘a sauce’. But that plain word can describe a great many delicious varieties.

Salsa de Arequipa hails from the city in the Andes mountains that gave the sauce its name. Some-times served with potatoes, it may also be made with eggs. Ajo chiles provide the nice ‘bitey’ spice of this

special dish.

Salsa Cruda is just what the name suggests, plain salsa. But even plain it can be a delight. Made with uncooked chiles, tomatoes, cilan-tro and lime juice, add bell peppers for a little more zing. Chunky. Per-fect just as it is.

Salsa Fresca is very similar. Chopped a little more finely, other vegetables such as carrots and onions can be added. For a truly small chunk fresca, make it pico.

Salsa de Mani is a delicious varia-tion on the standard sauce, which uses a South American peanut sauce to turn it into a paste. Add a bit of jalapeño, then a 1/2 cup of

chunky peanut butter then heat in a pan. Throw in some sautéed on-ions to add bite to the sweet flavor.

Salsa Roja is just what the Spanish name means: red sauce. It makes a delicious paste when the toma-toes are stewed and spiced up with pepper. A dash of tabasco from the Mexican state of the same name is a terrific addition. The great taste is universal.

Salsa Taquera may sound or-dinary when translated to ‘taco sauce’. But there’s nothing mun-dane about the taste of this great dish. Smoother than standard sal-sa, it’s made of cooked tomatoes, spiced with chiles, vinegar and garlic. While a native Mexican may not regard this as a true salsa, no citizen anywhere could argue with the results when it comes to flavor.

Lest you think that all salsas are red (because of the tomatoes), add to the list some Salsa Verde, or ‘green sauce’. The name may be nothing special but the taste is. Use tomatillos as a base, then add ricado and chiles. Throw in a dash of cilantro and you have a thin sal-sa that pours like a dream.

Whichever dish you’re preparing you’ll find a type of salsa that pairs perfectly. Whether fresh or cooked these sauces add spice to a meal. Which is to say, they add spice to life. What more could anyone ask?

Mexican Restaurants Guide

Chili’s Grill & Bar

Mexican, Southwestern, Bar Scene, 1421 AIRWAY BLVD, EL PASO, TX

El Taco Tote Restaurants, Catering, Mexican2921 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX

Good Luck Cafe Restaurants, Mexican3813 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX

El Nido Restaurant Restaurants, Catering, Mexican6110 Gateway Blvd E, El Paso, TX

El Ciro’s Restaurants, Mexican, Carry Out4800 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX (Map)

Andale Fine Mexican Cuisine Restaurants, Catering, Mexican9201 Gateway Blvd W, El Paso, TX

Casa Jurado Restaurants, Mexican226 Cincinnati Ave, El Paso, TX

Avila’s Mexican Food Rstrnts Banquet Rooms, Restaurants, Mexican6232 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX

Forti’s Mexican Elder Rstrnt Restaurants, Mexican321 Chelsea St, El Paso, TX Mexican Cottage Restaurants, Mexican904 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX

La Cuesta Mexican Food Restaurants, Mexican1926 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX

Chihuahua Mexican Food Restaurants, Mexican9570 Dyer St, El Paso, TX

Delicious Mexican Eatery Restaurants, Mexican3314 Fort Blvd, El Paso, TX

Puerto Vallarta Grill Mexican Restaurants, Mexican1611 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX

Senor Fish Restaurants, Mexican, Seafood9530 Viscount Blvd Ste 1A, El Paso, TX (Map)

Riviera Restaurant

3 Reviews Restaurants, Mexican5218 Doniphan Dr, El Paso, TX (Map)

Little Diner Restaurants, Catering, Mexican7209 7TH St, Canutillo, TX

Chico’s Tacos Mexican, Restaurants5305 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX

Villa Del Mar Restaurant Restaurants, Mexican7988 Gateway Blvd E, El Paso, TX

El Paso Club Community Organizations, Restau-rants, Mexican201 E Main Dr Ste 18, El Paso, TX

When most peo-ple think of

Mexican cuisine they don't picture bever-ages to go with it. But in all cultures, the drink paired with the food is an impor-tant part of the entire experience. Imagine having a fine red snapper prepared Mexican style for dinner, then washing it down with orange juice or milk. Healthy, but somehow it just doesn't fit.

Fortunately, there is a huge array of tasty, healthy Mexican beverages to go with every meal.

Chocolate is popu-lar in Mexican dishes, or even as a dessert bar. But it's more often con-sumed in the form of a hot chocolate drink. Mexican chocolate tends to be more granular and bitter than that from other coun-tries. That makes it a perfect ingredi-ent for a breakfast beverage. Melt the chocolate, add a bit of sugar to taste, and voila!

Of course, beer is enjoyed south of the border, where it is called cerveza. And Mexi-can breweries are second to none in producing some truly fine beers. They make a fine

accompaniment to a lunch composed of burritos. But to make a great Mexican drink, try a Michelada. This drink is a mixture of beer, tabasco sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime. Wow!

But you can also enjoy a great fruit drink with that fine frittata for lunch. Aqua fresca (a Mexican cooler) comes in a variety of flavors such as guava, pineapple or mango. The agua de tama-rindo is a great favorite down Mexico way, made from the tamarind. For something even lighter try the agua de Jamaica made from the Hibiscus flower.

Naturally, that pre-dinner drink can quite rightly consist of a traditional margarita. Made from fine tequila and Mexican Controy, you'll be ready for a hearty

meal after one of these. If you prefer your tequila straight, that's fine, too. Don't forget the lime, though.

After dinner you'll just have to have

a Mexican coffee. Select some of your finest beans and brew the coffee dark. Then liven it up with a cou-ple of ounces of tequila, Kahlua and brandy. For a real taste treat, add the same amount

of Rompope, a kind of vanilla Mexican liqueur. Or, for something a little more straightforward, just try a bit of the Rompope all on its own.

Between beer for lunch, a pre-dinner margarita and an after-dinner Mexican coffee you might just be ready for a good night's sleep. But the next morning could be a bit dicey. So, maybe you better have some of that milk after all. Have it Mexican style in the form of a good horchata.

Horchata is a traditional Mexi-can drink made from rice, water, cinnamon, al-monds and sugar. But milk is often added as well. It is reputed to be good for hang-overs. Even if it's not, the taste will help you forget your headache!

World know “Margarita” was createded in Ciu-dad Juarez.

- How to make mole

- How to make refried beans

- How to make flan

How To Make Mole

In case you’re wondering, the

title does NOT refer to creating a small gopher-like animal or any dish containing it. No, mole is a delicious traditional Mexican sauce. In fact, it’s so traditional that the name derives from an Aztec word that just means ‘sauce’. The most popular type hails from Puebla, Mexico which gives its name to the full description: mole poblano.The basic ingredients are straightforward enough, though some of them may require a bit of digging to locate.Ingredients:

3 corn tortillas1/2 short French roll2 very ripe plantains (dark)3 oz Mexican chocolate5 plum tomatoes6 ancho chiles3 pastilla chiles3 garlic cloves

1 small onion2 tbsp almonds4 tbsp peanuts4 tbsp pecans2 tbsp sesame seeds5 tbsp raisins8 pepper corns1 stick cinnamon 1/2 tsp anise1/2 tsp cumin5 cups chicken broth4 tbsp pork lard

There’s quite a bit of preparation to make a fine mole, but the effort is worth it, as a taste of the results will prove.Grind up all the chiles, as well as the cumin and anise, very finely. Set them aside. Grind up the nuts to small chunks, but not powder.

Sauté the nuts in the pork lard. If you prefer something less heavy use vegetable or canola oil. Then sauté the raisins in the same oil. In a fresh skillet, sauté the plantains in pork lard or oil until they’ve gone slightly crispy. Then sauté the bread in the same skillet.Mix the vegetables together with the sautéed plantains and add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. You can use a blender or stir well with a spoon or mixer, then strain the result. Strain the chile mix to remove any seeds, stir well, then add the result to the vegetable mix.Make a paste by mashing the

bread and tortillas well, then add them in too. Add 2 cups of chicken stock. Add another cup of chicken stock to the ground nuts and blend that in.Finally, melt the chocolate and add it to this soupy mixture and stir well. Now, for the hard part. Stir almost continuously for about 2 hours.

This can be done by trading plac-es among several people, or you can set a mixer on very low speed, preferably one that has a comput-erized timer so it can be turned off and on every few minutes for a few seconds. But you’ll need a mixer with a heating element since the blend also needs to be cooked over low heat while it is stirred.The result is enough to spread on dishes for a dozen diners and will keep well in the refrigerator for a week.

How To Make Refried Beans

Two simple steps and you’re on your way to some great tasting refried beans. Start with great tasting ingredi-ents. Get the freshest possible dried pinto beans. Anything that has been sitting around in a bag for a few months, even dried, will not make for the best result. Plus, the older they are the longer it takes to soften them up. Make it easier on yourself while you make it tasty. Then lay the beans out, remove any small pieces of gravel, and rinse well in a collander. Yes, dried pinto beans will sometimes come packaged with small pieces of dirt or rock, depending on the source you buy them from. It needn’t ruin the taste and it doesn’t necessarily indicate poor quality beans.

Step one requires softening up the beans. You have two basic ways to do that, either by boiling or using a pressure cooker. A pres-sure cooker takes a little less time and is a bit easier. But boiling is fine, too. In either case, place 2 1/2 cups (about 1 lb) of beans in about 3 quarts of water, ensuring that it covers the beans a couple of inches. For boiling, boil about 2 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. A pressure cooker will require only about half an hour.

With either method, examine the beans and look for the major-ity to slightly split the skin. That indicates that the beans have absorbed a lot of water and the skin has softened enough for the added pressure to slightly break the skin.

Then drain the beans in a col-lander and shake gently.

Add a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup) to a cold iron frying pan and pour in the beans. Add a pinch of salt or other seasonings as desired. Good choices are a bit of chili powder or a small amount of garlic. Then mash the beans slightly with a potato masher. They should be lumpy, not perfectly smooth. Think of mashed pota-toes that have not been mashed enough. That’s just about right.

Now drain any excess water and add a bit of lard or canola oil to the pan. Heat the pan to a medi-um-high level. As the beans fry, continue mashing, but still not too vigorously. The beans should re-main somewhat chunky. Too much mashing turns them into soup.

That’s all there is to it!

Of course, there are a hundred tasty alternative recipes.

Some frijoles refritos recipes call

for adding chunks of onion to the pan and sauteeing them before adding the beans. That’s fine. Spice it up with a little bit of jala-peño if you want. For more spice, add more chili powder, but take care not to overwhelm the beans (or your tongue).

In some recipes the beans are soaked overnight. That may work, but it often leads to excessively smooth refried beans, especially if you start with fresh ingredients. Be sure that when soaking and boiling you skim off any gray scum that floats to the top as the beans are being prepared.

Now for the most important part. Enjoy!

How to make a Classic Flan

Calling flan a caramel custard is to do it an injustice. No mere pud-ding, this traditional Mexican des-sert is the crème de la crème of sweets. Of course, not surpris-ingly, there are a hundred and one varia-tions on the basic recipe. But some-times the original is so much more than one can expect, to alter it is to approach cooking blasphemy.

Start early in the day so your flan has plenty of time to cool before

serving. Then get ready for a bit of heaven.Ingredients:5 whole eggs2 egg yolks4 cups of milk1 1/2 cup of sugar2 strips of lemon zest1 cinnamon stickCoating:

You can start with the ‘frosting’ first. Spread a 1/2 cup of sugar on the bottom of a saucepan and warm to medium-low heat. The goal is to brown the sugar, turn-ing it gooey without burning. At a certain point it will start to melt. Don’t stir, but you can give the pan a little shake to prevent sticking.

Once the sugar is golden brown remove from heat and pour into a dozen warmed custard cups. You want the sugar to remain like syrup and not crystallize.

Warming custard cups is simple. Put an ounce of water into each cup and put them into the microwave for a min-ute, then remove and a water.

Flan Body

In a saucepan, combine milk, lemon zest (the outer peel of the fruit) and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove and let stand.

In a bowl, mix the whole eggs and egg yolks together with a cup of sugar. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl through a fine sieve. Whisk until the result is well blended. Pour the result into the coated custard cups.

Arrange the cups into a baking pan, then pour in an inch of water, being careful not to splash any into the custard cups. Then bake at 300F/150C for an hour and a half. Check the flan periodically to ensure that the water has not all boiled away.

Remove the pan from the oven carefully, avoiding dumping the boiling water onto the floor or knocking over the custard cups. Remove the cups and let them cool for several hours in air.

Preparing flan takes a bit of effort, but the results will be worth it. If you doubt it, just ask the people who can’t tell you because their mouths are too full of flan. A big thumbs up will do nicely.

Utensils and Cookware for MexiCan CUisine

As in every culture, Mexican cui-sine is prepared not just with tra-ditional native ingredients but with the tools to shape and cook them. Those tools have developed over centuries of experience and com-bined today with modern technol-ogy to give the chef the best of both worlds.

One of the most basic and widely used is the comal - the humble iron skillet. Hardy and versatile a good comal will last generations. It will provide a high heat reten-

tion material to prepare tortillas, fish and many other traditional Mexican foods. Comals come in an astounding variety of shapes and sizes, too.

But before it can get to the pan an ingredient has to be put into the right form. One superbly use-ful pair of tools for doing just that are the molcajete and the tejolote. These are the traditional mortar and pestle used to grind ingredi-ents. Whether used to grind corn for masa by hand or powderize a dried chile pepper, they’re indis-pensable to any kitchen that pre-pares fresh Mexican cuisine.

Another tool that can be used for that purpose, one that requires less effort, is the molino de maiz. Its primary function is to grind

corn, but it can be used on chile pep-pers, gar-lic and a wide vari-ety of oth-er foods and spic-es. While more con-t e m p o -

rary grinders are electric, even the ones with a hand crank are easy to use (and great fun).

But there is yet another step be-fore that tortilla makes its way to the comal. Mashing corn to make a ball of masa is great, but tortillas are flat. To pound them by hand is acceptable, but requires a lot of ef-fort. Make life easy on yourself by getting a tortilla press. If you make Mexican dishes, one of these cast iron presses will repay you many times over. Tortillas are used throughout Mexican cuisine.

While you’re at it, don’t forget the tortilla warmer. You’ll usually make more than you consume in one round. A warmer will keep the tor-tillas steamy hot, ready for the next eager diner.

But cooking, per se, isn’t the only function performed when preparing a Mexican-style meal. Aqua de fr-esca, horchata and many other drinks are mixed or blend-ed. A traditional molinillo de madera is a great tool on those occasions.

These wooden, hand-held mixers/crushers can mash fruit and stir juices. Whether you’re making a delicious fruit drink, a hot chocolate bever-age or an arroz con leche (thickened milk and water with rice and sugar), one of these will come in handy.

When you think of grinding or mix-ing, don’t neglect the lowly batidor. A simple masher, it can be used for potatoes, carrots or anything else that needs to be made into a pulp. Add to the tool set a rodillo de madera, a wooden rolling pin, and you can make that delicious ensaimada sweet bread you’ve been dying to try.

There’s no end to the list of uten-sils and cookware you could ac-quire. The more you have, the wider array of dishes you’ll be prepared to tackle with traditional tools. That turns cooking from a chore into great fun.

Dining anD Fun EDitorial

The Dining and Fun’s virtual magazine is the

most exciting website to come around in a long time. This website is dedicated to the art of dining, drinks and different foods. Unlike the old way of introducing, showing, advertis-ing, displaying, preparing or cooking food, Dining and Fun hopes you can make every meal and dining experience an art form. DFUN website, as some of our visitors call it, wants to show you how differ-ent foods can paint a variety of flavors on your pallet. At DFUN, we want to sophisticate your tasting senses and ex-pand your knowledge of foods. Unlike the other websites DFUN is going to involve the food coinsures, with ways to make your eating experience just that an experience, and not just another meal.

We decided to make our information available via the web, so that another tree won’t be dead, we believe in going green, so our plant can be pristine. If you can say it on the web, it will go straight to your head. We know that we are small, but like to see the trees to grow tall. Nature is here not to destroy and con-

quer, but here instead to enjoy and wonder. Thru nature we get our foods and nutrition. So we should respect our mother earth, because without her, we will have no future vision.Our first issue will be on Mexican food. We make this first selec-tion because, after hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie, nothing is more America than Mexican food. Just the words tacos, burritos, refried beans, salsas, enchila-das, margaritas, arroz con frijo-les, sopapillas and chimichangas conjures up the thought of not just a food but a tradition, culture and fun. So why not start with Mexican food!Dining and Fun will get together with local markets and restau-rants to bring specials to the food coinsures and to make the whole experience interesting, educational and of course fun.

DFUN co-editor

Gilbert Velez

Editor In Chief

isabel delgadillo

Co Editor

Gilbert Velez

Assesor in Style

alfredo Pegnaloza

July 2009

ContentMexican Cuisine deliciuos

experiencep-2

Mexican food is full of Variety

p-4Chesses of Mexico

p-5all about Chile Peper

p-7sauces

p-8Mexican restaurants

Guidep-10

Mexican drinksp-11

recipesp-12-13

Utensils and Cookware for Mexican Cuisine

p-17