Ingredients Of Mexican And Southwestern Cooking – 4

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

GAME:  Americans tend to consider the following animals game:  Buffalo,
Duck Goose, Pheasant, Quail, Rabbit, and Venison.  Generally  speaking,
farm-rais game animals haven't had to scratch for a living  and so is
meatier and has flavor somewhat less "gamy".  It is  traditional to
serve any game with food upon which it feeds.  For  example, serve game
birds with berry sauces and w rice.  GROUND RED CHILIES:  This is pure
chili powder from finely ground  dried re chilies.  It is not blended
chili powder.  GROUND RED PEPPER:  From ground dried cayenne chilies,
this is often  calle "cayenne pepper".  See Chili, Cayenne.  GUAVA:
These yellow-green fruits with pale faintly pink flesh are  about t
size of a plum.  They are intensely fragrant when ripe.  Guava paste is
onl one of the fruit pastes beloved of Hispanics,  often served with
cream chees as dessert.  The fruit is cooked with  sugar until thick,
then canned or sha into blocks.  HOMINY:  These corn kernels have been
soaked and lightly cooked so  that th outer coating can be removed.
INSTANT CORN FLOUR TORTILLA MIX (MASA)  This commercial product is the
shortcut in making fresh corn tortillas.  It is fresh corn MASA that
has be dried and ground.  JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Sunchoke)  This knobbed
root keeps well in the  refrigerator or other cold place.  Jerusalem
artichokes discolor after  peeling.  Dip them in acidulated water as
the flesh is exposed.  Enjoy  Jerusalem artichokes ray in salads, or
broiled, sauteed, mashed or in  a gratin.  JICAMA:  The flesh of the
jicama root is often compared to that of  the wat chestnut, both for
flavor and crunch.  Jicama is related to  the sharp-tasti turnip but is
so mild in flavor that, when eaten raw,  it is usually sprinkl with
lemon or lime juice and chili powder.  After the brown fibrous skin ha
been pared away, jicama flesh does  not discolor. Look for smallish
jicama, which will be sweet and moist.  JUNIPER BERRIES:  The fruit of
an ever green, juniper berries give  gin its distinctive flavor.  They
are sometimes used to flavor game  dishes. These blue-green berries are
purchased dried.  Add them  (sparingly) whole to sauc foods for subtle
flavor or slightly crushed  for more impact.  LARD: This has been
perhaps the most frequently used cooking fat  south of boarder since it
was introduced by the Spaniards.  For  tender, flaky pastri lard can't
be beat.  It is little known that  lard, for all its reputation,
approximately half the cholesterol of  butter.  MANGO:  The skin of
this oval fruit is washed in gold, pink, red, and  parr green.  The
flesh is deep yellow, juicy and richly perfumed.  Mangoes have flat,
oval pits.  To slice the fruit, free it from the  pit in large pieces.
MASA:  Literally "dough" in Spanish.  MASA is cornmeal dough made  from
dri corn kernels that have been softened in a lime (calcium  hydroxide)
solution then ground.  Fresh MASA is commercially  available in Mexico,
but it is tri to work with and dries out  quickly.  MASA comes finely
ground, for tortilla and coarsely ground  for tamales.  It is easier to
use instant corn flour tortilla mix  when making tortillas.  NOPALES:
These leaves of the prickly pear (nopal) cactus are firm  crunch pads.
Let size be your guide in buying them; the smaller the  pad, the more
likely it is to be tender.  Use tweezers to remove  spines, a sharp
paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove their  bases.  With a flavor
similar to green beans, NOPALES are eaten both  raw and cooked.  NUTS:
In southwest cooking, nuts are sometimes ground and stirred  into
sauces as a thickening agent.  In addition to giving the sauce  more
body, r nuts add, of course, their own particular flavor.  Toasted nuts
are more of used as a garnish or in baking.  TOASTING NUTS:  Toasting
enhances the flavor of the nut.  To toast  nuts, spread them in a
single layer in an ungreased pan; bake at 350  degrees F, stirring and
checking for doneness frequently.  Nuts are  toasted when they lightly
browned.  Let almonds, pecans and walnuts  bake for 7 to 12 minutes.
Pine nuts toast more rapidly, in 5 to 7  minutes.  TO GRIND NUTS:  To
grind nuts, place 1/3 to 1/2 cup at a time in the  workb of a food
processor or blender.  Process them in short pulses  just until ground
(longer and you will have nut butter).  PAPAYA:  A nearly oval fruit
with creamy golden yellow skin, orange  yellow flesh and scores of
shiny black seeds conveniently packed in  its center. W slightly
underripe, the flesh is firm (perfect for  making into relishes); W
ripe, it is so juicy as to be almost melting.  PECAN:  This oil-rich
nut is an American native.  See Nuts for  toasting an grinding.

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