Paris Notes (2)

NO, Big Jim, Barker, and Sandia, among others, are indeed varieties of
chili, AFAIR all developed at New Mexico State University. Just as
Rutgers and Manalucie are varieties of tomatoes. But you are correct
that Hatch chili is a generic term for a chili growing area, not a
variety. In fact many of the canned chilis you buy as Hatch chilis were
probably not grown near Hatch. Several varieties are used for 'Hatch'
chilis. Although I don't grow them, most of my neighbors do, so in fact
tomatilllos are quite well known in New Mexico.

It is my understanding that the two places in Milan I mentioned import
their tortillas and jalapenos from New Mexico, but get their green chili
from somewhere in Europe. As I said, I haven't eaten at either, so
can't comment on the style of the food (I'd probably opt for Brek's if I
wanted a quick meal in Milan).

Actually my Mexican barber had the opposite complaint this morning - he
said they usually cook at home since the restaurant food here in New
Mexico is usually too bland.............. We decided it was the influx
of all the snowbirds from the northern US who couldn't take the hot
food.
--
wf.

Olivers wrote:

The Reids extrapolated from data available...

Following up to randee

Milan
There are supposedly two Mexican restaurants in Milan owned by somebody
from Roswell, New Mexico, USA. I have not tried them, and rather doubt
I will ever actually get to Milan in our travels in northern Italy, but
I wonder if anybody has tried either the Louisiana Bistro or the El
Tropico Latino? Supposedly the Bistro is a hangout for the Delta pilots
on the Atlanta/Milan run.

I wouldn't go to Milan for Mexican food!

Chilis
You can get a feel for the heat of a Mexican/Spanish restaurant by
asking the cook what varieties of chilis he uses - if he uses Big Jims
for rellenos and either Barker or Sandia for the salsa, you know you are
in good hands....................

Spanish food does not use much in the way of chillis.

You're right. I really think of Italian food as actually more often
employing red chiles (chiles is the more common English for the peppers)
than would a Spanish chef. Unfortunately, Big Jims, Barkers and Sandias
are not varieties of chiles but trade/growing area names from Southern New
Mexico (as is "Hatch") and would be entirely unknown among Mexicans or
Mexican Markets. Chile Rellenos usually are done with Poblano chiles, a
dark green variety with very modest heat. Mexican table sauces depend on
fresh jalapenos and serranos, and lately chipotle (a smoked ripe jalapeno),
pequins and such oddities as the Scotch bonnet/Habanero. Mole Verde, green
sauces, use several, usually locally grown, species in types matching such
US breeds as Hatch, Anaheim, etc., often combined with tomatillos, almost
unknown in New Mexico. It's a long way and alot of kitchens and gardens
bewteen the Green Chile Stew of Northern New Mexico and Pibil from the
Yucatan.

TMO

Most "Mexicans" speak of New Mexico's cuisine as being too hot, preferring
their "heat" in condement form, raw and cooked salsas or even chiles.

Dans l'article , Olivers
a écrit :


Do you suppose that the Atlanta Braves will soon be "gone with the wind",
renamed the Atlanta Scarlets?

TMO

Absolutely not. If anything they would be renamed the Atlanta Rhetts. In
that era, and indeed until very recent times, women were not allowed to play
any team sports at all.

Donna Evleth

Dans l'article , Olivers
a écrit :


Do you suppose that the Atlanta Braves will soon be "gone with the wind",
renamed the Atlanta Scarlets?

TMO

Absolutely not. If anything they would be renamed the Atlanta Rhetts. In
that era, and indeed until very recent times, women were not allowed to play
any team sports at all.

Donna Evleth

poldy writes:

They bought tons of corn tortillas (no they didn't grind their own with
those little pestle stones).

They steamed them and wrapped them around hot dogs for a quick snack.

Isn't that kind of a backward version of tamales? Tamales are mostly
just steamed corn meal (and I think they're delicious, FWIW).

Yeah corn tortillas do seem rarer, esp. at restaurants.

There are always Fritos.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

poldy writes:

They bought tons of corn tortillas (no they didn't grind their own with
those little pestle stones).

They steamed them and wrapped them around hot dogs for a quick snack.

Isn't that kind of a backward version of tamales? Tamales are mostly
just steamed corn meal (and I think they're delicious, FWIW).

Yeah corn tortillas do seem rarer, esp. at restaurants.

There are always Fritos.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

poldy writes:

They bought tons of corn tortillas (no they didn't grind their own with
those little pestle stones).

They steamed them and wrapped them around hot dogs for a quick snack.

Isn't that kind of a backward version of tamales? Tamales are mostly
just steamed corn meal (and I think they're delicious, FWIW).

Yeah corn tortillas do seem rarer, esp. at restaurants.

There are always Fritos.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Following up to Olivers

Spanish food does not use much in the way of chillis.

You're right. I really think of Italian food as actually more often
employing red chiles (chiles is the more common English for the peppers)
than would a Spanish chef.

Italian? I always think of India and points east, Mexico, Texas
and south america when I think of chillis. Also Portugal and its
ex african colony the name of which escapes me.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to Olivers

Spanish food does not use much in the way of chillis.

You're right. I really think of Italian food as actually more often
employing red chiles (chiles is the more common English for the peppers)
than would a Spanish chef.

Italian? I always think of India and points east, Mexico, Texas
and south america when I think of chillis. Also Portugal and its
ex african colony the name of which escapes me.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reids extrapolated from data available...

Following up to Olivers

Spanish food does not use much in the way of chillis.

You're right. I really think of Italian food as actually more often
employing red chiles (chiles is the more common English for the peppers)
than would a Spanish chef.

Italian? I always think of India and points east, Mexico, Texas
and south america when I think of chillis. Also Portugal and its
ex african colony the name of which escapes me.

Read for comp, Mike.....Italian kitchen - Southern and Sicilian - more
likely to use chiles than would a Spanish chef.

Portuguese kitchens employ a fair amount of chiles (and other peppers,
black and the spice we cal "allspice", first employed as a pepper
substitute), the heritage of a vast maritime and colonial history. Several
of Spain's former colonies are "chile-centric" (but not Chile).

The traditional view is that chiles traveled from the Caribbean and the
Americas to the Orient and to Europe by Spanish and Portuguese ships,
although some authorities hold that a few varieties may have been native to
parts of Asia. However they arrived, they certainly "took over" several
national and ethnic cuisines. In my memory, some of the ethnic groups of
what was IndoChina served food so hot as to defy description.

The big jump was the rapid spread of "chiles" as a source of heat in places
like Ethiopia and parts of North Africa, locales where quite different
forms of "pepper" were employed (at some expense).

....But then, didn't sugar cane make the leap from Africa to the Americas?

TMO

The Reids extrapolated from data available...

Following up to Olivers

Spanish food does not use much in the way of chillis.

You're right. I really think of Italian food as actually more often
employing red chiles (chiles is the more common English for the peppers)
than would a Spanish chef.

Italian? I always think of India and points east, Mexico, Texas
and south america when I think of chillis. Also Portugal and its
ex african colony the name of which escapes me.

Read for comp, Mike.....Italian kitchen - Southern and Sicilian - more
likely to use chiles than would a Spanish chef.

Portuguese kitchens employ a fair amount of chiles (and other peppers,
black and the spice we cal "allspice", first employed as a pepper
substitute), the heritage of a vast maritime and colonial history. Several
of Spain's former colonies are "chile-centric" (but not Chile).

The traditional view is that chiles traveled from the Caribbean and the
Americas to the Orient and to Europe by Spanish and Portuguese ships,
although some authorities hold that a few varieties may have been native to
parts of Asia. However they arrived, they certainly "took over" several
national and ethnic cuisines. In my memory, some of the ethnic groups of
what was IndoChina served food so hot as to defy description.

The big jump was the rapid spread of "chiles" as a source of heat in places
like Ethiopia and parts of North Africa, locales where quite different
forms of "pepper" were employed (at some expense).

....But then, didn't sugar cane make the leap from Africa to the Americas?

TMO