[Aztlan] Mexican cuisine

[Dave Pentecost]

I'd just like to toss in a suggested reading - a fascinating book on
New World food and dishes:

Sophie Coe's "America's First Cuisines"

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-First-Cuisines-Sophie-Coe/dp/029271159X

Combining history, botany, cooking, and wry commentary, it will
surprise you even if you think you know all about corn, chocolate,
beans, squash, tomatoes, etc.

Best
Dave



On 6/5/07, Hube Smith <husmith at charter.net> wrote:
> I do restaurant reviews for our local newspaper. Recently, I decided to
> question the ubiquity of "margarita-mills
> which serve larges plates of overcooked animal protein awash in dull sauces
> and smothered in melted cheese."
>
> I'd not encountered anything like these meals in 35 years of work and travel
> in Mexico and wondered how this odd
> "cuisine" had come to represent Mexico's gustatory life in the USA.
>
> I closed by suggesting Mexican restaurants reserve a menu page for
> "classics" from, say, Nayarit, Yucatan, Oaxaca, etc.
> made with fidelity to the originals. This, I opined, might attract Hispanic
> clients as well as win over some gringos. Failing that, I advised folks to
> ask what the cooks had made for the staff that day.
>
> Hube Smith
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Virginia Fields" <ginnymf at yahoo.com>
> To: <Aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 7:20 AM
> Subject: [Aztlan] Mexican cuisine
>
>
> > It is true that Mexican cuisine in all its glory and regional diversity
> > incorporates numerous Old World ingredients, but I have often wondered why
> > the cuisine in Mexico is so rich and varied compared to those of its
> > neighbors.  I think it must be that the ancients were accustomed to eating
> > very well--most artists are willing to experiment with new techniques and
> > forms, and great chefs must be equally eager to experiment with new
> > ingredients.  I think Sahagun describes Moctezuma's daily feasting on
> > hundreds of elegant dishes, and Mexico is rightfully considered a World
> > Heritage place as the source of significant foods that have had worldwide
> > impact: where would Italy be without the tomato? Where would Iowa be
> > without corn?  Where would any of us be without chocolate?
> >
> >  V Fields
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally,  mobile search that gives answers, not web
> > links.
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