Category: Mexican Recipes

What Type of Methods is Used To Cook Mexican Food

What Type of Methods is Used To Cook Mexican Food

Mexican foods are cooked similar to how you cook your everyday meals. They can be fried, boiled, and grilled. Mexico has cooked their foods differently in the past.

Long ago, the natives of Mexico did not have ovens like we have today. They would have to cook foods by an open fire pit.
They would hold the foods in iron pots and pans. It cooked like how we grill our foods on the barbeque. Before the Spaniards introduced the iron pots, the Aztecs used to steam and boil foods in two-handled clay pots which were called xoctli. The pot was filled with the food and heated over the fire. Frying foods was a popular way to cook. Many Mexican dishes still use this method.

Today in the present, it is a lot easier to cook Mexican dishes. It takes less time to prepare the foods. If someone wants to make homemade tortillas, there are iron pans that make it easy. Flan can be made simple using spring form type pans. Long ago, it was a long process to make masa, which is a dish that includes a certain type of corn that has to be grinded. Nowadays you can purchase a metal grinder that helps grind the masa.

The oven is perfect for making many Mexican foods. It makes cooking vegetables and meats a snap. They can be placed in a pot of water with added spices and simmered for hours. Bigger steaming pots make tamales easier to cook. You can make many tamales and steam them all at once, making it very convenient. Tamales take a long time to make, so big pots are perfect.

Grilling on the barbeque is also a great way to taste authentic Mexican foods. Long ago foods were made this way and called Barbacoa. It consisted of steaming meat that was suspended over boiling water in a deep pit. Before steaming the meat cactus and banana leaves were wrapped around it. These days, barbequing allows the spices and sauces to burst with flavor. It tastes similar to how the food once was cooked over open flames. Fajitas are great on the grill!

Centuries ago, the natives used what was called metate y mano. It was a large tool that was made out of lava rock or stone. The surface was slightly concave. The tool was used to mash the ingredients. Another tool they used to mash ingredients was molcajete. It was mortar and pestle. When cooking, you have to be able to stir. Wooden spoons have been used for centuries and still are. Today different types are available for you to use, depending on what type of dishes you are making. Some are made for stirring thicker foods, while others are thin for stirring foods such as onions and garlic.

Mexican food has a rich history behind it. The methods might have been modernized, but the food is still traditional. Depending on how the foods are cooked, you will taste different flavors and textures. There are many Mexican dishes to cook and enjoy.

What Mexico Eats for Breakfast

El Desayuno is known as Breakfast in Mexico. It consists of a hardy meal containing many colors, spices and flavors. Breakfast varies depending on the region. Some produce is not available in other regions. It also varies because of ethnic diversity. Breakfast dishes have a long history that dates back to the Aztecs and Mayans and also from Spanish rule for more than three centuries.

Tortillas are not just for dinner. You can find most people in Mexico eating them for Breakfast. The tortillas are made into burritos, tacos, and tostados. Beside the tortilla on their plate, are usually colorful fruits and vegetables. It is common to eat a variety for Breakfast. Vegetables include tomatoes, and red green peppers. Fresh fruits enjoyed at Breakfast are Watermelons, Oranges, Pineapples, and Strawberries. Plato de Frutas is a great breakfast dish that consists of many different fruits. It is pretty much what you would find a fruit salad. Some fruits in Plato de frutas are melons, bananas, mangoes, and sometimes papayas.

Eggs are also common in Mexican breakfast. A dish that has become popular in much of the Americas is Huevos rancheros. The name means eggs that are ranch-style. The most common version of the dish consists of corn tortillas that are lightly fried and fried or scrambled eggs with a chili sauce. Other foods that are typically added to the dish include beans, olives, avocados, and fried potatoes. Another dish that involves eggs is Huevos Motulenos. The eggs are made on tortillas and covered with tomatoes, beans, peas, ham, and chilies. A dish that doesn’t include eggs, but is seen during breakfast in Mexico is Chilaquiles. It is tortillas that are stir fried with onions, and spices and sometimes with added chicken. It is topped with cheese and served with a type of gravy sauce.

Mexicans love chocolate and enjoy it in the morning. You may be thinking of chocolate bars, but for residents of Mexico, it is to drink. The chocolate is thin discs that are put into water or milk and melted. People also add other ingredients that make it not the same as hot chocolate. This may include vanilla, cream, egg yolks, and cinnamon. Even though chocolate is a favorite, Mexicans still like having coffee in the morning like the rest of North America.

Mexican coffee is more light and nutty in flavor than Coffee in the United States with a touch of a chocolate taste. It is comparable to expensive brands of coffee in America. When drinking, it may leave a burnt after taste at first, but it becomes normal after a few more sips. Coffee is Mexico’s most popular morning drink.

If ever on a vacation in Mexico, try staying at a Bed and Breakfast. You will be served an authentic Mexican breakfast. If you do not travel, look in your local white pages for your nearest Mexican restaurants. Many of them serve breakfast items.

Another good way on trying breakfast Mexican style is by searching for recipes and giving them a try. Once you try the foods, you might just add them to your everyday morning!

What Kind of Cakes Are in Mexico

Mexico has their share of sweets. You can find sweet drinks, to candies and chocolates, and of course cakes. One cake that is popular and simple to make is the Mexican Chocolate Pound cake. What makes this cake a classic is the addition of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon. It is simple to make and very tasty!

If you crave for something lighter, Tres leches cake is perfect. Translated into English it means “cake of three milks”. It is a butter cake that is soaked with three different types of milk; condensed, evaporated, and whole milk. Because the cake doesn’t usually include butter in the milk, it contains a lot of air bubbles. The top of the cake can have fruit such as raspberries to add extra flavor. This cake is common many parts of Latin America. The origin is not surely known, but is thought to be between Nicaragua and Mexico, where the cakes were found the earliest. Tres leches cakes are great at parties and other special celebrations.

As you know, Mexico loves its spices. Chili and jalapenos are sometimes added to chocolate cakes. You might think it would taste weird, but it adds a unique flavor. The Mayas used chili with cocoa for many years. One particular cake that has a touch of spice in it is Chocolate Jalapeno cake. Every ingredient is typical to what you would see in other chocolate cake recipes but this particular cake calls for finely chopped jalapenos.

Another popular cake that is made in Mexico is called Rosca. You will have to wait until the holiday season to find it though because it is a cake that is made around December until February. It is made into a circle shape that represents the crown of the three kings. The cake is flavored with lemon and orange zest and contains almonds. The top of the cake usually is colorful with fruits. Inside of the cake is one of two miniature statues of the baby Jesus. A party that is held on the three kings day includes this cake. Everyone will cut the cake hoping they are not the one who finds the doll, because it they do, they have to make foods for another celebration that is held in February. The cake can be bought at local bakeries, or made from home, with the baker putting the dolls in themselves.

If you have a love with crepes, why not try them Mexican-style? The crepes are topped with Cajeta, which is Mexico’s version of caramel sauce. The crepes are also topped with toasted pecans. Other toppings can be added if desired.

If ever having a fiesta, try baking a cake. Some cakes have tropical fruits in them, while others are richer and contain cinnamon. Whatever you enjoy in other cakes, you will find in Mexican style ones. To make sure the cake is authentic, purchase actual Mexican cocoa and follow the recipe accordingly. It is sure to be a big hit at your next celebration!

What is There To Know About Mexican food?

Mexican food is popular all over the world and for great reasons. There is such a variety when it comes to Mexican dishes. You can taste combinations you never have before. Many people appreciate the great Mexican minds that created popular Mexican foods. The foods thrill our taste buds, the smells excite our minds, and the looks please our eyes and enrich and inspire our souls.

Many of the Mexican foods of today are based from long ago when the Aztecs and Mayas first created them. Some dishes that are exotic and eaten long ago include iguana, spider monkeys, and rattlesnakes. It is not eaten most of the time in this century, but it is also not unheard of. In addition the Mexican foods evolved when the Spanish colonists arrived. One ingredient that has not changed is the chili pepper. You may also find a bit of Caribbean influence in some Mexican dishes, especially in the Mexican states of Veracruz and the Yucatan. French influence can also be found in some Mexican dishes, one being bolillo. That is bread popular in Mexico that has a hint of French.

There are many health benefits when it comes to Mexican foods. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, with low fat and calories. You are not eating authentic Mexican food if you eat at Taco Bell. America has added many fats to the foods, which doesn’t contain all the nutrients you would eat if you ate in Mexico. Mexican dishes contain many fresh ingredients that you may not be able to find in other types of cuisine. Tomatoes, peppers, onions and others are very healthy for your body.

Foods differ in the different regions of Mexico. It depends on the climate and geography of the area along with ethnic differences. Northern Mexico is known for its dishes that contain meat, while in Southern Mexico, dishes popular include vegetable and chicken. Sea-food is commonly served in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Veracruz is a Mexican state that is very long and tropical with lowlands that runs up and down the Gulf of Mexico. It is easy to get fish such as red snapper, snook, grouper, and mojarra. Mojarra is a prized fish in the area. Crab, lobsters, and oysters are abundant.

Besides the ocean, the state has more than 40 rivers that run through it. It has an endless supply of freshwater fish and shellfish. The food is prepared in a way that reflects unique dishes of the state. Seafood is very healthy for your body and can add a different taste to regular classic Mexican food dishes.

You can learn a lot of history and facts about Mexican food by the different regions. Trying new recipes will give you a taste as to why they differ. With Mexican culture rich in history, it is always nice to learn about how the foods came about and how they are nowadays. Once you are knowledgeable about the dishes it makes it even more enjoyable when cooking and eating.

What is the Holiday Food Rosca de Reyes

Rosca de Reyes started as a tradition in France. They would offer gifts to the baby Jesus around the holiday season, usually in the beginning of January on the three kings day. These gifts consisted of fruits, eggs, nuts, and more. Some of these gifts were baked into a sweet roll that was made into a crown shape, which was to remember the kings that went looking for Jesus. In recent times, the Rosca holds miniature statues of the baby Jesus which people are supposed to look for in the bread.

The event is for the whole family. People gather and have a great time. Once they are informed that there are dolls in the bread they can start cutting the cake. The cutting represents the danger that Jesus was in. Whoever finds the doll first has to put on a party in February for Candlemass Day. That is a celebration of the nativity scene being put away, with some of it being given to the person who found the doll in the rosca. The person is responsible for making a gown for the baby Jesus on that day. Afterwards, there is usually a dinner with tamales and atole being served. Atole is a drink that is served around the holiday season. It contains masa, which is also found in tortillas, water, vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate or fruit if wanted.

Rosca comes in different sizes. Some are enough to feed two to three people, while others can be large enough for twenty people. Many types of rosca have fruit on the top. Local Mexican grocery stores carry the bread around the holidays, with Mexicans having an extended holiday season until February. There are also many recipes to make your own at home.

Rosca de Reyes is the day when children in Mexico, Spain, and other Latin countries receive majority of their holiday gifts, instead of from Santa at Christmas. Before the children go to sleep, they set out their shoes, or a box that is filled with grass for the kings’ camels. They also have a wish list placed where the gifts should go. The next morning, the shoes and boxes are filled with toys and candies that the three kings left for the children.

In other countries, three kings day is also celebrated. In Germany they make a cake that is called dreikonigskuchen. It consists of fruits and pecans. In France the cake is called galette des rois which is typically a puffy pastry that is filled with an almond cream and has icing made from syrup. In Mexico the cake is flavored with lemon and orange, brandy, and almonds giving it, it’s unique flavor. The United States is also familiar with the type of cake that is common in Mexico.

Join in this Mexican tradition. This is a great celebration in honor of baby Jesus and the Kings. If you never have celebrated this before, try it this upcoming holiday season. Your guests will learn a new tradition from centuries ago and have fun while doing it.