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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