"mexican cuisine" news and stories

That's mole as in "mo-lay," not mole as in "Whack-a-Mole" at Chuck E. Cheese. But be not mistaken, making the former is no less difficult than playing the latter.

Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce that has a reputation of being rather difficult to make, not because the technique is all that complicated, but because there are over 30 ingredients and according to Matt Armendariz of food blog MattBites who finally attempted to make the sauce himself, at least 43 steps in making it. Just a few of the ingredients, which seem strange, but are essential to the sauce are chiles (not surprising), nuts (still not quite surprising), ripe plaintains, raisins, bread and tortillas as thickeners, chocolate and cinnamon! Matt does a quick history of mole, talks about his grandmother's mole, and shares the recipe he used to make it at home, which comes from Bon Appetit magazine.

Cinco de Mayo is this coming Friday, and it's an excuse to indulge in more than our fair share of Coronas, margaritas, and of course, food. But as many people may know, Mexican food isn't always considered to be all that light and healthy. Heck, a basket of chips and salsa could put you well over your daily calorie needs in one tequila-fueled haze. The American Heart Association lists a few tips to keep your health in check when you're shouting out "Ole!"

• Instead of flour tortillas, which are often made with lard, opt for corn tortillas, which can contain little to no fat.
• Choose grilled chicken, fish or shrimp over fried carnitas (beef or pork) or chorizo (sausage).
• Rather than refried beans (this is always the killer for me), go for frijoles a la charra or borracho (simmered in liquid).
• Sour cream, cheese, and guacamole can be replaced with as much flavor from good salsa, pico de gallo, and fresh chopped cilantro, onions, and japalenos.
• Instead of a plain quesadilla, order fajitas and stick with the tips above for corn tortillas and salsa
• If you get a "taco salad," resist eating the shell

So I forced one of my friends to snatch a copy of this past Sunday's edition of the San Francisco Chronicle with the knowledge that the Sunday magazine would have the annual Bay Area Top 100 Restaurants. I got it in the mail this morning, and was excited to look through it, but the first thing that caught my eye was the story about a Burrito Eater.

Charles Hodgkins is the Burrito Eater. His website, www.burritoeater.com, is basically a food blog in which he chronicles his quest for the "nine mustache" (out of 10) rated burrito in the Bay Area, ranging from Baja Fresh to holes in the wall. When he started, he thought he would have hit them all by the time he had eaten from 50 or 60 taquerias, but he says that there are over 170 places to get a burrito from a walk-up style stand. His top two favorites are Taqueria San Francisco and Papalote.

I wonder if Charles has ever pondered the idea of coming to Los Angeles.

If ever you've torn open a bag of Doritos, or dived into a mountain of nachos, or simply scooped up your favorite gucamole with a tortilla chip, you have Rebecca Webb Carranza to thank.

Rebecca Webb Carranza passed away in mid January, but is remembered for pioneering the machine-manufacture of tortillas in the late 1940s. When once tortillas were made by hand, Carranza's El Zarape Tortilla Factory was pumping them out more than 12 times faster. Sometimes, the machines were turn out slightly misshapen tortillas. Carranza cut her factory-rejected tortillas into wedges and deep-fried them for a party. Thus, the tortilla chip was born.

By the 1960s, the tortilla chips were being made and sold commercially. Thank you for inventing one of my all-time favorite snacks, Rebecca!

[Photo: LA Times]

Just when I thought there wasn't enough room for yet another Mexican fast food place, Chipotle opened up in my neighborhood right alongside Taco Bell (which is nasty, but the original), Del Taco, El Pollo Loco, Baja Fresh, La Salsa, Rubio's, and Wahoo's.

But Chipotle didn't just blend in with the lot of them. They had a twist. Chipotle went beyond Baja Fresh's menu of no microwave ovens nor can openers, and served a very simple menu, with ingredients in front of you, sort of like a hybrid of In n Out's minimalistic menu and Subway sandwich artistry before your eyes. I went a Chipotle kick for about six months, but got bored a little with a rather narrow menu.

Now, the business, which launched in 1993, has just gone public, and the founder, Steve Ells, has found himself worth $44 million (share prices doubled on IPO day). Ells originally thought the fast-food burrito place would be the "cash cow" to fund his dream of opening a high-end restaurant after studying at the CIA and cooking at Stars in San Francisco. Ha. He could probably buy a restaurant or a half-dozen now.

Who knew a little dried pepper could be worth $44 million?