What Food Do Mexicans Eat on Mexican Holidays
Mexican food is an integral part of Mexican holidays and celebrations, adding to the color and vibrancy of the occasion. One holiday that most people have heard of is Day of the Dead, which is when families gather together to remember their loved ones who have died. Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2.
Day of the Dead traditions include honoring the deceased by building altars and visiting graves with gifts such as the favorite Mexican foods and favorite Mexican drinks of the deceased.
Another well-known Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo. This is a regional holiday all over Mexico, but especially in the area of Puebla. This holiday celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, which was fought in 1862.
Many people assume that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day but this is wrong because their Independence Day is September 16. Independence Day is perhaps the most important Mexican national holiday of all.
Favorite Mexican Holiday Foods
Certain foods are enjoyed on certain Mexican holidays but with a lot of holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo, Mexicans just prepare their favorite dishes rather than being limited to a specific meal. Mexican cookery combines Aztec, Mayan, traditional Mexical, Caribbean, French and Spanish influences amongst others and Mexicans are understandably proud of their culinary heritage.
Often, the women will get together and prepare plenty of food for their Mexican holidays. Tamales are associated with Mexican celebrations because they take a long time to make. This is the reason why tamales are often made just a few times a year, in big batches. Steamed tamales often feature at Mexican parties.
Mexican wedding cakes and Mexican wedding cookies are enjoyed at Mexican holidays and not just weddings. Rosca de Reyes is the name given to the festive bread made for January 6. The bread is shaped like a wreath and decorated with lemon, cherries, candied figs, and mango. A tiny baby Jesus doll figure is baked into the bread and whoever gets the figure in their slice must prepare the food for the next Mexican holiday, which is Candlemas on February 2.
Mexican Holiday Drinks
A lot of people wrongly assume that Mexicans only drink Mexican beer and tequila. These drinks are popular but there are some equally delicious Mexican drinks which people like to treat themselves to on Mexican holidays. One great example is rompope, which is a frothy, thick drink. Rompope is a bit like eggnog and it is flavored with cinnamon, rum, and almonds.
Another thick, luxurious drink is atole, which can be, drank with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It contains fruit slices, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Many people are sadly unaware of what authentic Mexican recipes entail, partly because of the popularity of Mexican fast food and partly because not many people outside of Mexico really grasp what this exciting cuisine is all about. You do not have to wait for a Mexican holiday to try making some delicious Mexican inspired dishes!
Authentic Mexican Cooking Utensils and Cookware
Perhaps you have eaten Mexican food in a top quality Mexican restaurant or even in a Mexican home. If you have, maybe some authentic Mexican cookware or utensils were used to make the dishes. Mexicans use a range of different cooking methods, including baking, slow roasting and deep-frying and they have unique pots and pans for these methods. Mexicans like to use plenty of fresh produce in their cuisine, including spices and herbs, so you will find sharp knives and a mortar and pestle in any Mexican kitchen.
Some Common Mexican Cooking Pots
Barros or ollas are large, deep cooking pots made from clay. They are ideal to simmer stew, beans, or soup. Olla means pot and Barro means mud or clay. Clay is good for avoiding burnt spots in the food because it distributes heat evenly. It is also safe to place over a direct flame for hours.
You do need to warm clay before using it else; it might crack if you suddenly expose it to a high heat. If you are baking, you can let the pot warm up as the oven does. Your Mexican food will have a subtle earthy taste if you cook it in a clay pot.
A Comal is a big, round griddle, which can be made of cast iron, aluminum, or clay. Modern Comals are usually coated with a non-stick finish. Comals are used to roast chilies and warm tortillas.
A cazuela is used for simmering mole and other sauces. This is a large, round clay dish, which is between five and seven inches deep. The outside might be painted in bright colors and the inside is glazed. A cazuela has handles so you can put it over an open fire.
A tortillero is a Mexican tortilla press. They are made traditionally from wood or, in modern times, cast iron. Some are made from aluminum but these tend not to last long. A tortillero has two round plates and you put a ball of masa between them to make a tortilla.
Popular Mexican Cooking Utensils
A metate y mano is a well-known Mexican implement. It is platter sized, usually made of rock or stone and is a bit concave and sits on three legs. There is a big round stone, which is rolled on the surface to mix or grind ingredients.
A molcajete y tejolote is a mortar and pestle, which consists of a small stone, clay, or wooden bowl with an elongated cylinder or the same material, rounded on both ends. The end of the cylinder is used in a circular motion to grind the item in the bowl, to pulverize it.
The Mexicans love hot chocolate and they use a wooden whisk called a molinillo to make the top frothy. The molinillo is spun between the hands and some are plain but others are highly decorated. The molinillo is a small yet fascinating part of Mexican food culture. You can make Mexican food without having the equipment but using it can be fun and it looks good displayed in the kitchen.
The Role of Empanadas in Mexican Food Culture
Empanadas are stuffed pastries and the name literally means, “wrapped in bread.” An empanada is usually made by folding a round dough patty in half over the stuffing, making them semicircular. These tasty little snacks are incredibly popular and they make suitable fare for any meal or occasion.
Empanadas from Galicia to Latin America
The type of empanadas you might find as part of a Mexican typical meal are thought to come from Galicia in Spain. These snacks arrived in Latin America with the Galician colonists. An authentic Galician empanada is a large round or square pie, cut into slices. This makes it a hearty, filling and portable lunch for workers. Portable food variations include Cornish pasties, Indian samosas, Italian calzone, and turnovers of different types. A lot of cultures have their own version of “pocket” dishes or meat pies because they are both hearty and portable.
Chicken, cod or pork loin are popular fillings for Galician empanadas and these are very popular in Latin America because there are plenty of Galician colonists living there. Both Argentina and Uruguay consider empanadas to be a national dish.
Empanadas have many different regional names and they can be stuffed with a huge variety of meat, poultry, vegetable, cheese, fish, or sweet combinations. Ground beef sauted with various seasonings is a very popular stuffing. These delicious snacks are usually shallow fried, deep-fried, or baked and they are a popular Mexican typical meal. Fried empanadas are normally eaten hot. Baked ones can be eaten straight from the oven, cold or reheated.
Empanada crusts are normally made from water, wheat flour, salt and fat (butter, lard, shortening or margarine). The crust might be plain or seasoned.
Types of Mexican Empanadas
Mexican empanadas can be enjoyed as appetizers, snacks, breakfast, lunch, and supper or as a dessert, making them incredibly versatile.
Mexican fillings can include guava, pumpkin, cream, sweet potato, yam, fruit, cheese, seafood, meat, and chicken. The dough is either wheat or corn based depending on the Mexican region. In Chiapas, chicken or cheese empanadas are popular. In the Hidalgo region, empanadas are particularly famous.
These tasty pastry snacks are an integral part of Mexican food culture and if you like to make traditional Mexican food, you might like to make your own empanadas. They are especially wonderful eaten warm from the oven or from the frying pan. You can also buy frozen empanadas from the store but these are nowhere near as good as the freshly made variety!
Empanadas make great appetizers or sandwich replacements in a packed lunch. If you already know about the history of enchiladas and other well known Mexican foods, you might like to try your hand at making empanadas now that you know about their fascinating history and brilliant versatility.
Boneless Chicken Offers a Convenient Way to Make Recipes
If you are like a lot of us, you have noticed your life just seems to get busier and busier. If you are not careful, you will soon find yourself eating out most of the time, or reheating boxed convenience foods in the microwave. After all, when you are short on time or you have had a long day, it is hard to get up the energy to cook.
Convenience eating - consuming mostly processed food and eating out - leads to feeling unhealthy, gaining weight, and a lot of other bad consequences. In addition, it does not set the best example for the kids, either. After a while of eating like this, you could find yourselves feeling slow and tired and wishing for a home cooked meal.
Thankfully, it is not really all that hard to cook healthy, tasty meals in your own kitchen, without spending a lot of time or effort. Do a little pre cooking when you have spare time, plan your meals with care, and use easy ingredients like boneless chicken. They do not need much prep, and they make eating home cooked meals a lot easier. Instead of having to cook, clean, and debone a whole chicken or deal with frozen bone in chicken pieces, you will be able to start on the meal immediately.
Boneless Chicken Cooking Tips
It is important to know whether you want to use fresh or frozen chicken, so you can plan your meals more easily. Fresh boneless chicken may limit your options by requiring you to use it within a few days, while frozen chicken lasts longer and can be bought in bulk. However, you have to know as early as the night before that, you will use it, so it can be defrosted in time for dinner.
You should also remember that boneless chicken will cook more quickly than pieces with bones in them, and that this chicken may be thinner than you are used to. Cooking times might have to be adjusted to avoid overcooked meat.
Recipe Ideas for Boneless Chicken
This convenient meat can be used in all kinds of different types of cuisine. Boneless chicken works beautifully in most other situations where you would use regular chicken. Grilled, it can be used in salads, in fajitas, and stirred into pasta dishes.
Stir fried or braised, boneless chicken does very well in nearly all-Asian dishes. If you have a chicken Marsala Italian recipes you love, but that take too much work, think about using this chicken there. Boneless chicken also does well in curries, or it can be used in a traditional chicken soup with canned broth and frozen vegetables. That is one way to make old-fashioned home cooked meals quickly!
You have many options when working with boneless chicken, since this food is easy, inexpensive, and convenient. You will enjoy healthy home cooking and be able to avoid restaurants and TV dinners without adding more to your schedule. Want an alternative to convenience food? This is what you have been waiting for.
What You Need to Know About Converting Recipes to the Crockpot
Have you ever been hungry for something special… maybe a roast or a ham, for example… and then figured out you just did not have time to cook it? Unless they have a specific recipe for the crockpot, most people never even think to use it. In reality, many recipes for the oven or kettle can be adapted to the crockpot with delicious results.
The low setting of most crockpots is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The high setting is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. An hour of cooking on the high setting is about the same as 2 to 2.5 hours of cooling on the low setting. You will find that most recipes for crockpots recommend cooking the food for around 8 to 10 hours on low.
Advice for Converting Recipes
When you convert a recipe to the crockpot, there are a few tips you will want to keep in mind. You will want to reduce the amount of liquid the recipe calls for. In the crockpot, liquid does not evaporate. You normally wind up with quite a bit of liquid at the end of cooking time. Reduce the amount of liquid you add to the dish by half, unless you are also using rice or pasta.
Adjust your spices. Ground spices tend to lose flavor with many hours of cooking, so wait to add them until the last hour before serving. Whole spices, on the other hand, tend to become intensified in the crockpot. Unless you want to be overwhelmed with the flavor of that spice, you may want to cut it back by half.
If you plan to make chicken soup or other liquid-based meals, only add enough liquid to cover the other ingredients. You can add more liquid towards the end of cooking time if needed. If you are making a cream soup, do not add the dairy products until close to the end to prevent curdling and separating.
Dried beans work well in the crockpot. Instead of spending time soaking them, cook them on low overnight. Put your beans in the crockpot and cover with water. Be sure to add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. In the morning, drain the water before adding your softened beans to the other ingredients. Chili, bean soup, and other delicious meals can then continue cooking in the crockpot.
Be aware that some foods do not fare well when cooking for 8 to 10 hours. Rice, pasta, seafood, some vegetables, and dairy products are all too delicate for such long cooking times. When making a dish that contains these ingredients, do not add them until the last couple of hours before serving when your pot is set on low. If you are cooking on high, hold off until the last hour before adding these delicate ingredients. If you really must have milk added to a recipe early on, try evaporated milk.
Browning your meat can be done before adding it to the crockpot to add that lovely coloring. Browning may also reduce the fat content a little bit on some kinds of meat. Browning is optional, however. Roasts can turn out very flavorful in the crockpot with or without it.
This Fascinating History of Chicken Stew
Many people regularly enjoy chicken stew because it is a tasty, warming meal. Chicken stew recipes are easy to make and there are many varieties of this dish. Chicken stew has a very interesting history and it has been enjoyed around the world for a long time.
A stew is a combination of two or more foods simmered in a liquid. Coq au vin, Hungarian goulash, beef bourguignon, and beef stroganoff are all examples of stews.
The oldest cookbook to survive, the “Apicius de re Coquinaria”, features lamb and fish stew recipes. It is not known who penned the book but there were three Romans with that name living between 1 BC and 2AD and the book is believed to date from that time.
It is possible to go back even further. Primitive tribes boiled foods together, which is what a stew is. Amazonian tribes used turtle shells to cook in and boiled the turtle entrails with other ingredients. Clam shells and similar were used by other cultures as cooking pots. This kind of cookery is proved to go back seven or eight thousand years with the archeological evidence we have access to. Pottery was invented about ten thousand years ago and this would have made cooking easier, especially dishes like stew.
Domestic fowl has been around for thousands of years and chicken stew has been popular for a long time, with different cultures having their own versions of this dish. Examples include the spicy chicken stew found in Morocco or the peanut butter chicken stew favored in parts of Africa.
Chicken Stew Varieties
One very tasty chicken stew is called chicken booyah. This is a cross between a soup and a stew and is popular in northeast Wisconsin. In 1853, the first Belgian immigrants arrived in Wisconsin and they spoke a language called Walloon. It is believed that the word booyah comes from the word bouillon and the non-French speaking Belgian just wrote down how the word bouillon sounded to him phonetically.
What is Southern Chicken Stew?
You might have tried southern chicken stew, which is a traditional North Carolina dish. This stew contains a parboiled whole chicken in a milk or cream based broth, butter, salt, and pepper, amongst other ingredients. Southern chicken stew varies in color from white to yellow, depending how much butter has been used. It varies from thin in consistency to creamy and thick. It is common to serve saltine crackers with this dish.
This stew is often served in late fall and winter and “chicken stew” can refer to a gathering where this dish is served, rather than the dish itself. Chicken stew is often regarded as a comfort food because it is warming and economical to prepare. It is a common dish at social gatherings such as family reunions, church fellowships, and community fundraising events.
The chicken stew at these events will often be made in a big cast iron or stainless steel cooking pot, maybe outdoors over an open fire. You might get coleslaw, a grilled cheese sandwich or rice served with the chicken stew.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Chicken Batter
While many people enjoy their chicken unbattered, a great many more love to dip their chicken in a batter of some sort. It does not matter if the chicken is in whole pieces, wings only or cut up breast slices for chicken strips or nuggets, chicken batter is popular around the world. There are almost as many recipes for chicken batter as there are chickens!
The World of Batter
Different batters can be made using different flours. Try corn meal, rice flour, wheat flour, or graham flour. Ethnic recipes for chicken often use different flours in the mix. Each area has their own special mixture of herbs and spices that give the chicken a distinctive flavor.
A batter from India may be made of graham flour with cloves, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, red chili powder and curds. It is applied to tender boiled chicken meat, and then fried until crispy. From Asia, you can find a recipe where the chicken is marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, garlic, and onion before being dredged in a batter made of rice flour, salt, baking powder and water. The result is a translucent coating with a distinctive flavor of Asia.
There are some cooks who will use nothing but beer batter. The yeast in the beer makes a light batter with a tangy accent. Another way to impart a tang to your chicken is to soak it in buttermilk before dusting it lightly with seasoned flour. Let the chicken sit for a few minutes and the mixture will turn to batter right on the chicken.
There are also many ways to get the desired crunch. Some people love crushed cornflakes or seasoned bread crumbs. Others like wet batters that fry up nice and crunchy. Panko breadcrumbs from Japan make a nice, light crispness. If someone wants a light crunch without the crumbs, they can try tempura batter.
For diners who prefer a southern fried chicken recipe, there are many to be found in cookbooks or online. While some are a simple combination of flour, salt, and pepper mixed with milk, others include many fresh or dried herbs or spices.
How to Cook Fried Chicken
You will find many different opinions on whether you should deep fry your battered chicken, fry it in an oil-filled cast iron pan, or use a pressure cooker. Each method has its own fans that declare their way is best. Those who prefer deep-frying will say the quick cooking time and lack of spatter makes their way superior. The cast iron camp will talk about the perfect crisp to the chicken’s surface and the even heating. Those who prefer pressure cookers will need to brown the chicken first, and then cook it in the pressure cooker. The chicken is done in about 15 minutes in this method, but be sure you do not open the cooker before all the pressure has dissipated.
With all these options for batters, you are sure to keep busy in the kitchen for years. Enjoy your battered chicken, no matter which method appeals to you!
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Chicken Stock
When the weather turns cold, our thoughts turn to comfort food. Soup is one of the most popular comfort foods all over the world. Every culture has their own version, and many of them use chicken stock.
Every cook should familiar with chicken stock. It does not matter if you use homemade or store-bought stock, both are very versatile. Many cooks use stock and broth interchangeably, but actually stock is made from the bones of an animal, while broth is made from the meat. Parts of the chicken without a lot of meat like the wingtips, necks, and backbones are the best for making stock.
You really notice the difference between broth and stock when you cook with them. Since stock is made from bones, it contains natural gelatin, also called gelee that makes foods taste richer. When stock is used in deglazing a pan, for instance, it helps bind the drippings better than broth. Stock that has been reduced has more gelatin than stock that has not.
Easier Than Pie
It is very simple to make your own stock. Take a large pot of water and put in the bones from a roast chicken or add a whole raw chicken. Slowly warm it to a simmer and let it cook for three or four hours. Strain it and add some vegetables and herbs to add more depth of flavor. Simmer for a while longer, and then strain again. Put your stock in the refrigerator to cool. In the morning, trim off the layer of fat that is on the top. You can use the stock or freeze it for later.
How to Use Your Stock
Most people think of soup when stock is mentioned. Try as many recipes as you want… make chicken and dumplings or try a tasty chicken and rice soup recipe. Simply add the ingredients listed to create a world of flavors.
Rice tastes great when made with stock. While it makes terrific risotto, even plain rice will be tender and full of flavor when made with stock. Try making couscous with stock for a dish full of flavor.
Try freezing some of the stock in small portions using an ice cube tray. Use a cube when you warm up leftovers or try using stock to baste a roast chicken or beef in the oven. Using stock adds more flavor and moisture to your roast.
Stock can also be used to saut your vegetables. Add the same amount of stock that you would normally use in oil. Just watch your food carefully since unlike oil, the stock will evaporate during cooking. Use some to deglaze your pan after frying chicken or other meats to make a tasty gravy or sauce. Stock is very versatile.
Add a Little Spice to Your Life
What would life be without spices? Even the commonplace salt and black pepper elevate our food to heights that are unattainable without them. Garlic adds yet another dimension to our plates. Without spice, our food is bland and unappetizing. With spice, it climbs to culinary perfection.
As the world gets smaller, we get to try more cuisines. This introduces us to spices we may not have tried before. Today, it frequently happens that we have a dish from Mexico on Monday, from Italy on Tuesday, and China on Wednesday. After that, maybe you will eat something from India or Russia. Regional spices are becoming more common in the stores and as we taste these new combinations, we discover new favorites. Before we know it, we have added new spices to our cupboard.
Keeping Spices
How long has it been since you last bought spices? Contrary to popular belief, they do not last forever. Spices lose color, flavor, and aroma as time passes. To preserve your spices as much as possible, store them away from bright light, moisture, heat, and oxygen. As convenient as it is, try to keep them away from the stove, oven, refrigerator, or dishwasher. Steam from these appliances may cause dampness, molding, and decay. Use airtight containers such as tin or glass to keep moisture out and preserve the spice’s oils. These oils are what give them their flavor and aroma.
Each spice has its own shelf life. Go through your cupboards routinely to weed out old bottles. Look for color and aroma. Has either one faded? Whole spices have a longer shelf life than those that are ground to a powder. Different parts of the plant may make a difference in shelf life, also.
Whole spices like peppercorns or cinnamon sticks belong to the following guidelines: Flowers and leaves are good for a year. Barks, roots and seeds can remain in your cupboard for two years or more. For spices that have been, ground, leaves, seeds and barks last about six months. Roots will hold out for a year.
Using Ethnic Spices
Many ethnic recipes require special spices that you may not already have on hand. For example, say you wanted to make an orange chicken recipe. You may need some ginger and dried red chilies for an authentic flavor.
Likewise, for a Moroccan dish, you may require spices such as cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and cumin. For a Cajun dish, you would want to keep sweet paprika, hot paprika (yes, they are different), and both black and white pepper on hand. Japanese spices may include shiso, chili flakes, and mustard seeds.
Have fun exploring the vast world of spices. You are sure to find something new that you really like. Keep an open mind when trying spices. For example, you may find that Afghani food is really good, while maybe; Thai food is not your favorite. Unless you give them a try, you will never know.
Spice up Your Kitchen
Spices add flavor and make food more palatable. Even just adding plain salt and pepper makes our food better than it would be without them. Garlic adds another strong dimension to our food. Without spice, our food is unappetizing and without flavor. With spice, it can be a sensual delight.
With more exposure to other cultures, we are experiencing more of their cuisines, and their regional spices. It is not uncommon to experience the foods and spices of Mexico, China, Italy, and India in a single week. The week after that, maybe you will try something from Morocco or Afghanistan. Regional spices are becoming more available all the time, and as we taste these new combinations, it wins us over. Suddenly we have added a new favorite to our cupboard.
Keeping Spices
When was the last time you bought spices? That bottle of cayenne from 1998 is not good anymore, no matter how full the bottle is. Spices fade over time, in both color and flavor. To preserve your spices as long as possible, keep them in a place away from moisture, bright light, heat, and oxygen. While it is convenient to reach into the cupboard and sprinkle some on your food while cooking, try to store them away from your kitchen appliances. Steam can cause dampness and deterioration. Airtight containers such as glass or tin work best to keep moisture at bay and preserve the flavorful oils in the spices.
Each spice can have a different shelf life. Check the ones in your cupboard periodically to check for freshness. Look at the color… is it faded? Is the scent still strong? Remember that whole spices will keep for a longer time span than those that are ground. It also depends on what part of the plant your spice is from.
For whole spices like nutmegs or peppercorns, remember the following life spans: Leaves and flowers last about a year. Seeds and barks can last for longer than two years. Roots can last for over two years. For ground spices, leaves are good for about six months. Seeds and barks are also good for about six months. Roots will last about one year.
Ethnic Recipes and Spices
Special spices give ethnic recipes their unique flavors, and you may end up buying some you are not familiar with. For example, if you want to make a chicken spaghetti recipe. You may need some cayenne or seasoned salt to give it a flavorful boost.
If you decide to try an Afghani dish, you may need spices like savory, sumac, and sesame. For Indian food, you may need coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Japanese recipes may require furikake, chilies, ginger, and miso.
Traveling the world through spices can be fun, educational and you may find new favorites. Do not make judgments before you try them. You may find that Thai food is terrific, but that you really do not care for German food. You will not know for sure unless you give them a try.
