Description

Mexican cuisine is a rich melange of several different cultures.While it rest on Aztec and Mayan foundations, the influence ofSpanish cooking since the Conquest has refined and changed it.This gives Mexican dishes an unexpected subtlety of flavorespecially to those who think Chilli con Carne typically Mexicanwhich it isn’t. The subtlety comes not only from a combination ofdifferent cultures but also from the combination and balance ofdifferent chillis, nuts, seeds and spices. This book seeks tointroduce only a few of the jewels of the Mexican kitchen; you willfind some surprises from the rich Mole Poblana con Pavo to thesimple but flavorful Pozole. The aromas and tastes of Mexicanfood should be easily achieved as most ingredients are availablefrom the supermarket, delicatessen, or ethnic shop. A note aboutchillis tinned jalapeno pepper (very hot) and green chillis (cool)are readily available in most good supermarkets or ethnic markets.Also available are a variety of African and Caribbean chillisexperiment with combinations of these to arrive at a taste youprefer. Some recipes in this book do list the traditional chillis whichmay not be available. Experiment! After all, there are more thanninety four kinds cultivated in Mexico. Mexican cheese is white,mild and slightly salty; to substitute, use Lancashire, Wensleydaleor Cheshire. Do use absolutely fresh ingredients this is one of thehallmarks of the Mexican kitchen.