Mexican Cooking Tips (3 Of 6)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CHILI SAFETY: The flesh, rips and seeds of chilies are rich in
irritating burning oils.  When preparing chilies, always wash your
hands and the utensils in soapy water. Be especially careful not to
rub your face--eyes in particular--until the oils have been  thoroughly
washed away. When processing chilies in a blender or food  processor,
avert your face as even the fumes are burning. Some cooks  who work
with chilies for any extended length of time, wear plastic  gloves.
There is a higher concentration of capsaicin in the ribs of  chilies;
remove them for a milder chili. ROASTING CHILIES:  Recipes  often call
for chilies to be roasted. This enhances the flavor and  makes them a
snap to peel. Roasted chilies may be frozen before  peeling, a
convenience if you roast a big batch at once; wrap them  airtight in
plastic wrap. BROILER METHOD: Set oven control to broil.  Arrange whole
chilies with their top surfaces about 5 inches from the  heat. (Some
people cut a small slit in the shoulder of each chili, to  prevent it
from bursting.) Broil, turning occasionally, until the  skin is
blistered and evenly browned (NOT burned). Remove chilies to  a plastic
bag and close tightly; let chilies sit for 20 minutes, then  peel.
Anaheim and poblano chilies will roast in 12 to 17 minutes;  jalapeno
and serrano chilies in about 5 minutes. GAS STOVE TOP  METHOD: Spear a
whole chili on a long handled metal fork and hold it  about 5 inches
from the flame. Turn the chili so that it roasts  evenly. Place roasted
chilies in a plastic bag and close tightly; let  chilies sit for 20
minutes, then peel. The disadvantage of this  method is of course that
you can't roast a number of chilies at once.  ELECTRIC STOVE TOP
METHOD: This involves a little ingenuity on the  part of the cook.
Arrange a sturdy heatproof metal rack (such as a  cake rack) so that
the grill sits about 4 to 5 inches above the  electric burner. Place
whole chilies on the rack over high heat. Turn  the chilies on the rack
so that they roast evenly. Remove chilies to  a plastic bag and close
tightly; let chilies sit for 20    minutes  and then peel. CHILI
POWDER: This is a mixture of ground dried red  chilies blended with
other spices and herbs.  It is said to have been  invented by Willie
Gebhardt, a Texan in 1892. Most brands include  cumin and oregano.
Often chili powder formulas contain paprika,  coriander and salt. Chili
powder is not to be confused with ground  red chilies. CHOCOLATE:  The
Aztecs are credited with the discovery  of chocolate. It was probably
first used to flavor a bitter drink  favored by their mystics.  Another
Mexican invention, the molinillo,  is a wooden whisk used to whip hot
chocolate. The handle is rolled  between the palms of the hands,
whipping the mixture until it is  frothy. Today, block Mexican
chocolate frequently contains cinnamon,  vanilla, clove and ground
almonds. CHORIZO:  This spicy smoked pork  (or pork and beef) sausage
is available both in links and in bulk.  CILANTRO (Mexican Parsley,
Chinese Parsley, fresh Coriander):  This  herb bears a resemblance to
flat leaf parsley, but the flavor is  entirely different: strong,
fresh, acid. Cilantro is perishable;  store it in the refrigerator with
the stems in water and plastic  loosely covering the leafy tops.
CINNAMON: This is truly a spice of  Mexican cuisine, used in dishes
sweet and savory. It is available  ground as a powder or in tightly
rolled dry quills. Sometimes the  bark of the cassia tree is sold as
cinnamon; the flavor is similar  but neither as true nor as intense.
Look for authentic cinnamon.  CORIANDER: This spice is the seed of the
plant that gives us  cilantro. It has a dusky flavor that is often
associated with Eastern  cooking. It may be purchased ground or as
whole dried seeds. CORN  HUSKS: Dried corn husks, softened by soaking,
are used to wrap food  before it is cooked. They make a sort of natural
jacket that holds a  mixture together as it steams. Remove any silk
clinging to the dried  husk before using. Several small corn husks may
be overlapped for a  larger wrapping as for a tamale. CORNMEAL:  Dried
corn is of course  the staple of southwestern larders. When cornmeal is
called for, use  yellow or white, coarsely or finely ground. CUMIN:
This is the  powerful, sometimes dominating spice so often used in
traditional  southwest cooking.  Recipes may call for whole cumin seed
or ground  cumin. DUCK: This bird is considered "game" less and less,
perhaps  because it is widely available, frozen, in supermarkets.  Wild
duck,  indeed, tastes gamy, and in fact the flesh of water fowl may
take on  a distinctly fishy taint. Commercially bred ducks, though, are
well  fed and succulent. FRIJOLE: Spanish for BEAN.  See Beans. GAME:
Americans tend to consider the following animals game: Buffalo, Duck,
Goose, Pheasant, Quail, Rabbit, and Venison.  Generally speaking,
farm-raised game animals haven't had to scratch for a living and so  is
meatier and has a flavor somewhat less "gamy". It is traditional  to
serve any game with foods upon which it feeds. For example, serve  game
birds with berry sauces and wild rice. GROUND RED CHILIES:  This  is
pure chili powder from finely ground dried red chilies. It is not
blended chili powder.  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at
www.synapse.com/~gemini

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