Job Discussion Forums

[danielita]

Samantha, Thanks for posting the guide to all Mexican cheeses, it is a great resource!

MamaOaxaca, thanks for the queso de cabra recommendation, I will be out this weekend in the market asking around for it. I am sure they won't forget me, I am the only cheese shopping guerita in town!

I think that our new Canadian friend just needs to get out of the supermarket and into the public market where the good local food is rather than the mass market stuff at the Soriana....Cangringo, I promise, you won't be disappointed!

D

[cangringo]

Yes ok good point, we need to get to some local shops...or just the neighbors, most of the neighborhoods have shops every second or third house including ours...have to look for a cheese house.

I think the problem here may be a lack of local items because of mass commerce with the US...but I promise to ask around...I love cheese!!! We had one neighbor in the old neighborhood that made the best enchiladas with potatoes and carrots and I believe some good queso fresco for 2 pesos. Yummy!! They are only open at certain times...

Nah, the tetrapak stuff tastes different, however if it was all I could get I would deal with it.

Good news, hubby's dad will be relocating to Santa Rosalia instead of Hermosillo so hopefully it will have a smaller town feel. Anyone know it???

[cangringo]

ok so we asked one of our students about a cheese shop and he has suggested quesa y cosas- apparently the things are chorizo and other meats so yay!! We haven't been yet but I promise to update you on the quality of the cheeses and things...and yes I know cheese is an uncountable noun

[cangringo]

ok we didn't make it to the cheese shop but got some nopalitas and some harina para tortillas so hoping those will be yummy

[cangringo]

Ok we tried making our own tortillas and I'm afraid they are going to the dog, literally...haha - methinks there is a technique to this.

Does anyone make their own and have any tips???

[leslie]

Bye

[cangringo]

Ok then, until we have kids I guess we'll just buy them...

[gordogringo]

That is quite an involved project, leslie but I imagine the tortillas were incredible. Something about freshly prepared food. Definately a secret to longevity and good health. I would think such a project could be a fun family activity. But I am lacking several key players to make this happen.
I have no farmboy sons around. No farm either. Have my girlfriends son but getting him away from his computer to wash my car is a major undertaking. I can not imagine what it would take to get him to do agricultural work. For the daughter in law role I have numerous nieces, cousins, etc. coming and going all day ranging between 7-19 in age. But thier hobbies of boys, hair, makeup, and talking on cell phone endlessly would probably keep them from doing anything with corn. Oh well, guess I will have to settle for store bought tortillas

[Samantha]

Thank you Leslie...that was a great post! ROFL.

[MamaOaxaca]

We actually made picaditas yesterday, which in some areas are called memelas, they are similar to sopes, but larger. You make a thickish tortilla then you pinch the edges up and some parts in the middle to give it little walls to hold cream, queso fresco and salsa, making like a little personal pizza.

If you live in the city you can buy the masa, from a tortillaria, to skip the early steps. We used the very last of my mother-in-law's small corn harvest. First you make the nixtamal. Soaking the corn like Leslie mentioned, but here they soak it over night over a low heat mix the lime right in to the soaking corn. That's what give tortillas their calcium. Did you know that corn tortillas are a great source of calcuim?
Then again if you live in a town you can save your self the grinding, but taking your bucket of nixtamal to the molino and having them grind it for you. If it's dia de muertos you better grind it yourself on the metate 'cause great grandma is looking down at you making those tsk tsk sounds.
Once the masa is ready, you cut a plastic bag into to circles. You make little balls of the tortillas then you put the ball on top of the two plastic bag circles (Note if you have a slippery table cloth you only need one circle) you beat the ball with the heal of your hand, using the other hand to spin the top circle over the bottom one, you always beat in the same place, you turn the dough to make an even tortilla. When it is proper thickness you pick it up plastic circle and all and right over the comal--clay comals are the best, you cover the clay comal with a fresh coat of lime each day so the tortillas don't stick, has added benefit of increasing the calcuim content of the tortillas! You peel back the plastic and lay the tortilla on the comal in one smooth swoop. I love that part, I'm really good at it and it makes me feel graceful. I leave the next part to my sisters-in-law and go back to making more tortillas. I can't turn the tortilla after it puffs up because my hands can't stand the heat--definately have gringa hands. My daughter both made some pretty sucessfull tortillas yesterday, and they are 2 years old 4 months, so I think you can do it cangringo!
In my own house during the week the housekeeper buys masa from a women who lives in the next village out and comes door to door selling it. She makes tortillas by hand even though we have a press, Oaxacans, well, Mixtecans anyways, don't seem to like using a press.

[cangringo]

hmm sounds complicated still but I actually have fairly heat tolerant hands so I guess hubby can shape them (he's good at that from making lefsa) and I will do the hot part. We will give it another go - I was just kidding above.

That was a great post leslie - very amusing and educational. I hope we have a farm one day so we can try it.

[gordogringo]

[cangringo]

hubby is yes, well his grandfather is Norwegian and well looking at that side of the family it's easy to tell

needless to say he stands out here