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Well, if you are one of the millions of people around the world who love Mexican cooking, then the names (and tastes) of the dishes mentioned above are surely familiar to you and are enough to bring hunger pangs.
Many restaurants all over the country would offer Mexican food; however, we all know that eating out always is not that practical. So, what do you do if you love eating Mexican food, but do not have enough budget to eat out often?
The answer is start cooking your own Mexican meals.
Getting Started
If you are just starting your venture into Mexican cookery, it is quite interesting to take note that Mexican food has always been evolving. From the first staples which were beans and corn, new spices and ingredients have continuously been added for over 600 years now - making the Mexican food we know today a gastronomical treat.
It is also important to know that authentic-tasting Mexican cooking is within your reach. The Internet offers thousands of recipes and cooking techniques that any novice cook can follow. Similarly, groceries and supermarkets have most of the ingredients you will need to start concocting mouth-watering meals today, like onions, Mexican chocolates, chorizo, and tortilla among others.
But do you know what can further bring out the rich flavor of Mexican dishes?
The answer lies on the cooking equipment.
Cooking Equipment Showcase
Here's a sneak peak at some of the kind of equipment and utensils you can use to come up with that interesting meal centerpiece today.
Metate y Mano (Rock Hand Grinder)
A metate y mano is a large stone or rock grinder made of lava. It is often the size of a huge rectangular serving dish. It has a large bowl-shaped stone surface that allows a large stone cylinder to be rolled on it, mixing or grinding the items positioned on the surface.
Tortillero (Tortilla Press)
The original tortillero is made of wood; however, it may also be created out of iron. A tortillero has two large wood blocks or large round plates wherein a ball of masa or cooked ground corn is placed and pressed to form a tortilla.
There you have it. You no longer have to eat out all the time to enjoy the Mexican cuisine you have always loved. These cooking equipment together with the right recipe and ingredients are sure to help you to come up with a great-tasting Mexican food in no time at all.
Corn is one of the most familiar of grains on both sides of the US/Mexico border. Although actually a grain, corn is often cooked and eaten as a vegetable as well. Even though corn may hardly be a stranger to those of us in the US, it does not have the importance in American cuisine that it does in Mexican cooking. Used to make flour for tortillas and tamales as well as being an ingredient in salsas, soups and more, corn is something you will find in a great many quick authentic Mexican recipes.
This grain has been a staple food in Mexico since long before the arrival of Europeans on the continent. Used to make flour for tortillas, tamales and a variety of other dishes, corn was already central to Mexican cooking centuries, if not millennia before the Spanish came over in search of gold. The corn-based flatbreads acquired the name "tortillas" upon the Spanish conquest of what is now Mexico, after the Spanish word for "little cakes" (a name also given to omelets in Spain).
Tamales and tortillas are the most well known corn-based Mexican foods in the US; while flour tortillas are more common here, corn tortillas are now widely available in grocery stores nationwide and are becoming more popular. If you have never tried making tacos with corn tortillas, you are in for a real treat - the flavor a warm, soft corn tortilla adds to the dish just cannot be equaled by any wheat flour tortilla.
Tamales are a traditional Mexican comfort food, which you may see, served at any meal; these are made from corn flour dough (called masa in Spanish) which may be filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, or even fruit! There are even sweetened tamales, which make a great breakfast or dessert served with coffee or hot chocolate.
Making tamales is a somewhat time-consuming task, but the end result, most would tell you is well worth the effort. If you make your own tamales, be prepared for a few hours of work; and a dish, which is certain to impress your family and friends when served.
Corn is sometimes used in salsas, where its flavor blends perfectly with tomatoes, herbs, and peppers. One common combination is black beans and corn, which makes a very satisfying salsa; you might have even seen some of these salsas at your local grocery store. Corn salsas are great with tortilla chips and wonderful with a taco (made with a warm corn tortilla, of course) or tamale.
Mexican soup recipes also include some with corn in a prominent role. For example, pozole - a spicy hominy soup with pork, herbs and hot peppers. The flavor of corn works perfectly with the peppers and meat to create a classic soup, which is a satisfying meal in itself.
If you live in a city, which has a significant Mexican population, you may even have a pozoleria (a restaurant that specializes in this soup) nearby. However, if you are not so lucky, do not despair. You can easily make pozole at home. Try this Mexican recipe in the fall or winter and prepare to discover a new favorite; and see corn in a whole new way!