Enchiladas are another contentious food! Do we want to go for another round of white people enchilada vs mexican? Lol.
Well, not even Mexicans agree on enchiladas! I think it is because it is fun to argue about food
I agree that enchiladas are contentious. I feel like tacos are more universal than enchiladas. Every single mexican family gathering, party, or event, I have been to, whether catered or homemade, has featured the same type of taco. THE REAL KIND. But enchiladas? Nope.
For one thing my MIL has never made a wet enchilada in her life. And they usually have potato in them. Never cheese. Never greasy. And of course corn tortilla! I now prefer her style to any other.
I definitely think there is a Michoacan style of Mexican cooking.
That's cool and all, but is your husband Mexican??
Kidding, kidding lol.
Hey! You live with a man from Mexico, w/ his parents nearby, for 13 years, you learn a thing or two about Mexican food.
In my experience, people married to Mexicans are more strict about mixing up terms. The other day I asked one of the kids if he wanted turkey in his quesadilla. My husband (who is American and very white) had to interrupt and say "it is not a quesadilla if you add anything else!".
Hey! You live with a man from Mexico, w/ his parents nearby, for 13 years, you learn a thing or two about Mexican food.
In my experience, people married to Mexicans are more strict about mixing up terms. The other day I asked one of the kids if he wanted turkey in his quesadilla. My husband (who is American and very white) had to interrupt and say "it is not a quesadilla if you add anything else!".
Well, not even Mexicans agree on enchiladas! I think it is because it is fun to argue about food
I agree that enchiladas are contentious. I feel like tacos are more universal than enchiladas. Every single mexican family gathering, party, or event, I have been to, whether catered or homemade, has featured the same type of taco. THE REAL KIND. But enchiladas? Nope.
For one thing my MIL has never made a wet enchilada in her life. And they usually have potato in them. Never cheese. Never greasy. And of course corn tortilla! I now prefer her style to any other.
I definitely think there is a Michoacan style of Mexican cooking.
Now I need to try those potatoes enchiladas you speak of. I have never had them!
In my experience, people married to Mexicans are more strict about mixing up terms. The other day I asked one of the kids if he wanted turkey in his quesadilla. My husband (who is American and very white) had to interrupt and say "it is not a quesadilla if you add anything else!".
Converts!
I was just about to say that converts are the worst! OMG, can I get Catholicism into this thread, too?!?!
Well, not even Mexicans agree on enchiladas! I think it is because it is fun to argue about food
I agree that enchiladas are contentious. I feel like tacos are more universal than enchiladas. Every single mexican family gathering, party, or event, I have been to, whether catered or homemade, has featured the same type of taco. THE REAL KIND. But enchiladas? Nope.
For one thing my MIL has never made a wet enchilada in her life. And they usually have potato in them. Never cheese. Never greasy. And of course corn tortilla! I now prefer her style to any other.
I definitely think there is a Michoacan style of Mexican cooking.
I say this in the most gentle and loving way - DUH.
Mexico has an extremely rich and diverse culinary culture. The food you get in Nuevo Leon is not going to be similar to the food in Veracruz or Michoacan. The food in Sonora and the food in Campeche are very different from each other.
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of Mexican culinary styles and flavors when you include the influence from immigrants coming through via central and south America as well as the influence of indigenous cultures.
Mexico is no more a monolith and singular culture than the United States is. It is a country that is as diverse in food, music, art, religion, ethnicity and race as we are.
I read this thread at 4am when I was up with the boys and since then I've been dreaming of tacos heyjude would approve of. I can only think of one place around here that I might be able to grab some for lunch. These are times my stomach misses CA.
*pearl clutch* the best part of any big Sunday or holiday meal is the greens. I can eat all of the greens.
ETA: Collard greens. As I said earlier I do NOT like or eat turnip or mustard greens
Northern white girl checking in here. I don't believe I've ever had any type of greens. I assumed collared greens were a particular vegetable and you could make them any way, but I'm gathering I'm wrong lol! So, what are "greens"? Is it like when my MIL (who's from Louisville) cooks green beans or kale in a put for 3 days with bacon? Or is that something else? Those are her special holiday dishes.
They are actually not wearing little shirts.
I'm just being an asshole, don't mind me.
The most popular greens for cooking are collard, mustard, turnip, kale. Some people mix some or all of them together. My favorite are collards, least favorite is mustard, but I don't mind them when mixed. Most people cook them with some kind of pork, fatback, etc. I don't eat pork, so I always make mine with turkey butts because they're nice and fatty or turkey necks when I'm trying to live right. I add some broth, onions, seasoning and the meat and slow cook them. 3 days is excessive as hell and I wouldn't even trust them by that point, but yes lol.
I didn't have it last night when I needed it but for the greens haters:
I agree that enchiladas are contentious. I feel like tacos are more universal than enchiladas. Every single mexican family gathering, party, or event, I have been to, whether catered or homemade, has featured the same type of taco. THE REAL KIND. But enchiladas? Nope.
For one thing my MIL has never made a wet enchilada in her life. And they usually have potato in them. Never cheese. Never greasy. And of course corn tortilla! I now prefer her style to any other.
I definitely think there is a Michoacan style of Mexican cooking.
I say this in the most gentle and loving way - DUH. Â
Mexico has an extremely rich and diverse culinary culture. The food you get in Nuevo Leon is not going to be similar to the food in Veracruz or Michoacan. The food in Sonora and the food in Campeche are very different from each other.Â
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of Mexican culinary styles and flavors when you include the influence from immigrants coming through via central and south America as well as the influence of indigenous cultures.
Mexico is no more a monolith and singular culture than the United States is. It is a country that is as diverse in food, music, art, religion, ethnicity and race as we are.Â
I know.
"Think" was a bad word.
This was the whole topic of discussion last night at dinner.
Northern white girl checking in here. I don't believe I've ever had any type of greens. I assumed collared greens were a particular vegetable and you could make them any way, but I'm gathering I'm wrong lol! So, what are "greens"? Is it like when my MIL (who's from Louisville) cooks green beans or kale in a put for 3 days with bacon? Or is that something else? Those are her special holiday dishes.
They are actually not wearing little shirts.Â
I'm just being an asshole, don't mind me.
The most popular greens for cooking are collard, mustard, turnip, kale. Some people mix some or all of them together. My favorite are collards, least favorite is mustard, but I don't mind them when mixed. Most people cook them with some kind of pork, fatback, etc. I don't eat pork, so I always make mine with turkey butts because they're nice and fatty or turkey necks when I'm trying to live right. I add some broth, onions, seasoning and the meat and slow cook them. 3 days is excessive as hell and I wouldn't even trust them by that point, but yes lol.Â
I didn't have it last night when I needed it but for the greens haters:
Thanks for answering! Yes, three days seems excessive! It's a huge process that involves draining and fridging at night, simmering all day and doing her best to cook every possible nutrient out. I am not a huge fan, but MIl is a terrible cook so I suspect done right I would enjoy them.
I say this in the most gentle and loving way - DUH.
Mexico has an extremely rich and diverse culinary culture. The food you get in Nuevo Leon is not going to be similar to the food in Veracruz or Michoacan. The food in Sonora and the food in Campeche are very different from each other.
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of Mexican culinary styles and flavors when you include the influence from immigrants coming through via central and south America as well as the influence of indigenous cultures.
Mexico is no more a monolith and singular culture than the United States is. It is a country that is as diverse in food, music, art, religion, ethnicity and race as we are.
I know.
"Think" was a bad word.
This was the whole topic of discussion last night at dinner.
I just love Mexican food so much and it's so much more than we Americans think it is (present company not included. I know you know.)
I agree that enchiladas are contentious. I feel like tacos are more universal than enchiladas. Every single mexican family gathering, party, or event, I have been to, whether catered or homemade, has featured the same type of taco. THE REAL KIND. But enchiladas? Nope.
For one thing my MIL has never made a wet enchilada in her life. And they usually have potato in them. Never cheese. Never greasy. And of course corn tortilla! I now prefer her style to any other.
I definitely think there is a Michoacan style of Mexican cooking.
Now I need to try those potatoes enchiladas you speak of. I have never had them!
I have to sprinkle cheese on them. I'm still s gringa after all...
But they are wayyyyyy better than the wet kind, IMO. And I was a pretty die hard wet enchilada girl. I thought that was the only way they came...until I met my H and his mom.
This was the whole topic of discussion last night at dinner.
I just love Mexican food so much and it's so much more than we Americans think it is (present company not included. I know you know.)
I totally agree. I wish more Americans were knowledgable about what is and isn't Mexican food. It is way more rich and nuanced than I realized 14 years ago. Which I why I came in here all guns blazing.
heyjude - random Michoacan food question - have you eaten corundas? Does your husband know of them?
They're triangular-shaped white corn tamales that are not filled. They're steamed in green corn leaves. My grandmother made them all the time and very few people I know here have heard of them. They are distinctly Michoacana.
I have to stop by and say that Mr. P and I are lucky to live just south of San Antonio, so I can't even explain the magnificence of the tortillas available here. Butter tortillas? OMG, I had no idea. Not good for me, so we only buy a pack once/month but then we eat them for the next three days. This was our week: we ate beef tacos 2 nights, egg tacos last night now we are finishing off the leftovers with taco salad today. We will be at sort of peak taco this week, but it won't be long until we are back for more.
The 3 amazing things about food that I have learned since moving to Texas are REAL tortillas (not package brand crap), Kolaches and Boudin. If we ever move away, it will be rough.
Thanks to this thread 1 I'm hungry 2 I'm getting DC tacos. I'd rather a roach coach but don't know where to find one here 3 I remembered that I meant to tell tacosforlife that there was a toast cookbook at Costco. She must be extremely conflicted now 4 I had a dream about greens. Someone was bringing mustard greens to a wasp potluck. I had to explain that greens to wasps are iceberg, romaine, spinach. Arugula and kale if you're fancy.
heyjude - random Michoacan food question - have you eaten corundas? Does your husband know of them?
They're triangular-shaped white corn tamales that are not filled. They're steamed in green corn leaves. My grandmother made them all the time and very few people I know here have heard of them. They are distinctly Michoacana.
I have to stop by and say that Mr. P and I are lucky to live just south of San Antonio, so I can't even explain the magnificence of the tortillas available here. Butter tortillas? OMG, I had no idea. Not good for me, so we only buy a pack once/month but then we eat them for the next three days. This was our week: we ate beef tacos 2 nights, egg tacos last night now we are finishing off the leftovers with taco salad today. We will be at sort of peak taco this week, but it won't be long until we are back for more.
The 3 amazing things about food that I have learned since moving to Texas are REAL tortillas (not package brand crap), Kolaches and Boudin. If we ever move away, it will be rough.
You could always to something else in that genre. I would hate to have tacos once a week, but foods in that same vein are OK. Nachos, enchiladas, taco ring.
1) I don't understand hating to have tacos once a week. DOES NOT COMPUTE.
2) Seriously, has nobody read my post stating that enchiladas are too much time and too much oil?
3) Do I even want to know WTF a "taco ring" is? (I'm guessing no.)
1. I have IBS, so I don't like to tempt fate more than once in a blue moon. Tacos are seriously delicious but they hate my guts. 2. Don't you Pinterest? You can do those things in the crockpot in like 50 seconds apparently. (have not tried it) 3. It's crescent rolls with the meat filling and garnish with whatever the heck you like in your tacos. It sounds gross but it's super tasty.
Authenticity is hard to pin down though, because cuisine by its very nature is constantly changing and adapting to its environment. H's grandmother made baked, stacked green chile enchiladas with cream of mushroom soup as a thickening agent. If she were alive she'd rip anyone a new one if they tried to tell her that her enchiladas weren't authentically Mexican. I mean, she WAS Mexican and that's how her family made enchiladas.
I have managed to convince H to replace the concentrated soup with a slurry of buttermilk and cornmeal. So I'm doing my part to chip away at that particular piece of "authenticity."
I think cream of mushroom became a thing in Mexico at one point (the 80's, maybe?). My mom used it when she was trying to cook "American food".
1) I don't understand hating to have tacos once a week. DOES NOT COMPUTE.
2) Seriously, has nobody read my post stating that enchiladas are too much time and too much oil?
3) Do I even want to know WTF a "taco ring" is? (I'm guessing no.)
1. I have IBS, so I don't like to tempt fate more than once in a blue moon. Tacos are seriously delicious but they hate my guts. 2. Don't you Pinterest? You can do those things in the crockpot in like 50 seconds apparently. (have not tried it) 3. It's crescent rolls with the meat filling and garnish with whatever the heck you like in your tacos. It sounds gross but it's super tasty.