Whether we like it or not, we should notice that reality is not that far from this:
By Louis Rigaud
Reality is not that far from this :
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How to eat a taco and the best taquerias in Mexico City.
Like mole, the subject of tacos is enormous, there are tacos for all occasions, and for all types of people. Small children in Mexico begin their taco-eating journey from an early age, most likely with ‘flautas de pollo’ which translates as chicken flutes the name being related to the similarity of these crispy tacos to a small flute or piccolo. Some kids are brave enough to pour salsa on theirs, but many people, little or large enjoy eating these with guacamole, topped with lettuce a dollop of ‘crema agria’ and some crumbled ‘queso fresco’ and of course the ubiquitous optional salsa. As we continue on our life journey, the palate matures -or in the case of many, it toughens; so more chilli, complex textures and flavours are required and here is where the taco subject extends massively.
To complicate things further, tacos are also associated to different occasions and they can be eaten at christenings, at private parties called ‘taquizas’, for lunch, as a snack just before going out, or as a perfect accompaniment to a long night on the tiles and of course as a good cure for the hangover that develops afterwards.
To attempt to classify tacos according to class, gender, race and festive occasion, would go beyond the scope of my simple blog, so I am not going to do that, not yet. In fact I think that those outside Mexico who are interested in eating tacos, could perhaps start their own taco-journey by going to places like Taqueria -see my entry below, or its equivalent in whatever city you are. If you are either in Mexico or are planning to visit and eat like the real Mc Coy, then you can follow these bits of advise:
1. If you have Mexican friends join them, ask them to take you to their favourite taqueria, do ask what are you going to be eating, we tend to eat everything and although everything is delicious, it might not appeal to all, so ask first. Then copy your friends add salsa, lime, coriander, onion, whatever takes your fancy, but remember that there is a code here and your friends will guide you, for instance a taco al pastor has to be eaten with onion, coriander and ‘salsa borracha’. A taco de bistec should have lots of lime and perhaps a tomatillo or pico de gallo salsa. One taco topped with different salsas is a no, no, and don’t dip your tortilla chips (totopos) on salsa it is not quite the done thing… follow your friends or those sitting next to you.
2. If you are a just a tourist and don’t know of anybody, then this guide might help you.
First of all go to a reputable place, don’t be mislead by the tourist thinking: if I am going to a stall that is full of people, food is being sold quickly so I might not get sick, well this might not be the case, also you might be eating things that are not necessarily of your fancy, so I would recommend going to a proper taco restaurant, or taqueria. I will give some suggestions below.
Your taqueria should be clean, busy and it should have a ‘maestro taquero’, a master of the art of making tacos: this is a man (apologies for stereotyping people), he is usually in his thirties/forties, generally with a rounded belly and the proud owner of a bushy-black moustache. He usually wears a white shirt, a white cap or paper hat and and apron and is extremely skillful in the art of taking orders, preparing meat, slicing, grilling, chopping, serving, making a mental account of how much each person is consuming, and then telling you exactly how much you need to pay. Unlike sushi chefs, a ‘maestro taquero’ does not train for sixteen years before he can make his first taco, this trade is a ‘learn as you go’ job, but an advanced skill it is indeed! So much so that when I see them working so hard, so accurately, and always with a smile, I feel like giving them a round of applause -I won’t do that, I am not that ridiculous!
If you are a novice, go for simple tacos, things like bistec, chuleta, costilla, choriqueso (mexican chorizo and cheese), al pastor (pork in guajillo salsa and grilled pineapple), nopales (cactus), rajas (poblano strips, onion and cream) and alambre (poblano strips, char-grilled onions, bacon and steak). These should come on two tortillas piled with fillings and you need to divide these to make two tacos. Then you add lots of lime and the salsa of your choice. Fold the tortilla in half and in half again… if you want to look like a pro, then follow these simple steps:
- Eat the taco with your hand, placing fingers like this: thumb and fourth fingers underneath the taco, index and middle fingers on top of the taco and little finger sticks out like when you drink a posh cup of tea.
- Body position is very important. Gentlemen, remove your ties! Tacos are better eaten while standing up. To avoid spillages, chest sticks out a little and so does the bottom, this is in order to keep balance! Tilt your head to face the taco and then you are ready to go. Remember, practice makes perfect!
Most important is to enjoy the taco and for that you could go to:
El Califa. Altata 22, corner with Alfonso Reyes in Condesa. Tel. 5271 7666. London prices but the ‘Gaonera’ is delicious, go for the simple ‘taco de bistec’ which is very good, this is a post-modern establishment with videos, music, fancy deco and exhorbitant prices. If you are in the area, go and mix with the in crowd, with luck you might spot Gael Garcia Bernal or Diego Luna
Los Panchos -since 1945. Tolstoi 9, Anzures between Leibinitz and Dante, round the corner from Camino Real Hotel Tel: 5254 2082. This is a traditional place which is always busy and where you can eat standing up, go for the carnitas, which are yum. This is great to watch working Mexicans at lunch.
El Rincon de la Lechuza -since 1971. Located in Miguel Angel de Quevedo almost corner with Insurgentes Avenue, very near Coyoacan district. Tel: 5661 0050. My parents used to bring me here when I was little and yes it is a family place, take mum, dad, cousins, brothers, sisters and granny. Visit on a Sunday for lunch so that you can watch the other families; the grilled meats are very nice and so it was the chicken soup.
El Charco de las Ranas, in Rio Mixcoac 209 Tel 5598 6597. In the middle of nowhere touristy, yet slightly close to Condesa, this place is a must, their pastor tacos are generous and delicious. In fact all their tacos are very generous. This is a sui-generis place with slides for the kids, noisy, full of families and it looks like Mc Donald’s goes to Disneyland, but forget all that and enjoy the food, which is not only delicious but generous with fantastic salsas. Also drink the rice drink (horchata) which is a favourite.
El Tizoncito in Tamaulipas 122, Condesa. Tel. 5286 7321. A beloved place that is full of memories, when I used to visit with my friends, where they used to have an ad hoc ‘park in’: people would park all over the place and someone would come and take the order and serve us in the car. In my university days are full of memories where we used to all eat crammed inside my VW Beetle, and the smell of coriander would linger for days in the car!! Sadly nowadays this place is a chain with franchises, more of a ‘concept’ now and their tacos do taste formulaic, however it might be worth visiting because they are in Condesa, because they are cheap, and because that first bite of a hot taco al pastor with all the trimmings is a fantastic experience.. and also because to watch Mr. Taco Master at work is something worth watching.
*this guide was partly borrowed from Chilango magazine and also from my own experiences and memories… enjoy!
Tacos al Pastor and Shawarma
One of the things I like of the post-modern world as I understand it, is the fact that we can move from world to world in a similar way to that of opening windows whilst we surf the net. Well at least that is how I feel life in London is, one is able to enter and leave worlds and move countries and nationalities in no time.
Not many years ago one was only able to move worlds by moving physically and that meant exile for many… how did people in exile continued with their memories of the lost land and dealt with their present in space and time? I imagine that this meant moving nearby people that lived in the same conditions and people from the same country. This seems to be one of the things that have happened in large cities and London is a showcase of many areas where people of so many nations live clustered together sharing spaces, a language, culture and food as well.
The other day I had to go to Divertimenti in Brompton Road and whilst I was cycling there, I was -once more, watching all the different pots that simmer in this incredible city, I went from Turkish Green Lanes in the north of London, through various districts that included gorgeous Bloomsbury where my beloved Birkbeck College is, through the trendy Marylebone area with all its shops and restaurants and I ended up in Lebanese Edgware Road, at this point I was quite hungry so I decided to stop at Maroush. The Edgware Road I imagine, is like some part of Lebanon, full of spotless restaurants that are full of gorgeous, delicious goodies, amongst them lovely salads and dips, fresh and juicy shawarma straight from the grill, juices, a syrup drenched cakes. Whilst having my shawarma I was thinking about how it is made and how similar is to Tacos al Pastor or Shepherd Tacos and it is funny the link here, maybe Tacos al Pastor are a Mexican adaptation of a migrant food of middle eastern origin.
As it happens, in Mexico we have the same contraptions where piles of marinated meat are put in front of a grill and turned to cook, whilst very skilled chefs cut bits of it and put them inside a bread and serve with salad, a gherkin, chilli sauce and a yoghurt dressing …yum! These are served rolled on sheets of paper and these are delicious washed down with a fresh juice. These are called Arab tacos, and they can be eaten at ‘‘Taqueria El Greco’ in colonia Condesa in Mexico City and they are really similar to the shawarma I have had in Lebanese London. However there is another dish that is similar in the way it is made and that is Tacos al Pastor.
I have no idea if these tacos existed when my parents were young, I doubt it. What I am sure about is that when I was at university these were the rage and funnily enough the principle to shawarma is very similar… a Doner Kebab contraption, using marinated meat, in this case a mix of guajillo chilli, oranges, oregano and other ingredients, grilled until slightly charred and served skillfuly on a corn tortilla, not fogetting to add a little slice of roasted pineapple that has been flicked from the top of the turning grill. In true Mexican tradition, these are served with fresh lime juice, a little chopped coriander and onions and salsa borracha, a hot salsa that contains pasilla chilli, vinegar and sugar amongst various ingredients. I don’t know what it is, but these tacos are fantastic and at 7 pesos each from El Tizoncito in Condesa they certainly made very good fare for empoverished students like I was back in … um… back in the 80′s
What is great is that you can order a taco at a time and everyone else does the same -customers usually gather in front of the grill; there is only one man doing all the job and somehow he is able to track what is needed, who ordered what, who needs an extra taco. Best of all is that each taco is served on a little piece of paper and at the end of your meal, your meal is sorted by counting the pieces of paper left on your plate. Don’t try to be too smart though, they DO know how many tacos you have had and cheating with the number of papers is just not on.
I love tacos al pastor and I love shawarma, they are very different from each other maybe they have a common ancestor, maybe they are a refection of migrations, of different ways of experiencing something that could be the same, of the way we live nowadays, whatever it is, when in Mexico City do eat some Tacos al Pastor, they are great.
The best tortillas this side of the atlantic
The ancient art of making fresh corn tortillas is no easy task, to do that in a place like London is actually a real challenge. Cool Chile Company are the people who have undertaken such a task and finally they have their brand new tortilla making machine in place! This is good news for tortilla lovers all over the UK.
On an grey, icy and cold January morning Mexican friend Gicela and myself, went to northwest London to meet Dodie who was going to show us her new tortilla machine. When we arrived to the place, we had no idea that we were going to be transported directly back to the days when –napkin in hand; we used to queue at the local artisan tortilla maker to buy fresh and soft tortillas in Queretaro for Gicela and in Mexico City for me. For any person who has been to one of these tortilla shops, you will know exactly what I mean by the evocative smell of fresh maize dough being cooked and the rickety sounds that emanate from an over used tortilla machine.
Of course that things are slightly different at Cool Chile, the machine is brand new and the process follows all the rigorous food safety and hygiene standards required by the industry over here.
First there is the mixing process, where water and dehydrated masa harina meet to make the dough or masa.
Then the dough is fed into the machine, cut into identical rounds and then taken through a heated conveyor belt that cooks the tortillas to perfection.
Then fresh tortillas are ready to be packed.
This operation seems very simple, but maybe because of this simplicity, it is that the whole thing is actually very complicated. For a start it is very important to access the right masa –by this I mean one which is fine enough for making tortillas with the right texture and of course one that is GMO free. Then there is the business of the water –a crucial element here. London water is really hard and I reckon that this is a reason why tortillas over here can turn from soft and pliable to solid cardboard discs in a matter of seconds –in my next post some tips on how to avoid this… And then there is the issue of packaging them under the right conditions so that they arrive to customers still soft and yummy.
Dodie and all the staff at Cool Chile Co., do their best efforts to ensure you get good tortillas over here. Of course they are not going to be identical to the ones you get off from a stall or a tortilleria in Mexico, simply because conditions are very different: weather, logistics, water etc., however these tortillas are good and very tasty.
When you buy a packet, consume them as soon as possible, warm them up inside a plastic bag in a lower setting in the microwave for just a few seconds until warmed through; if you put a glass of water in the microwave at the same time, the tortillas retain their moisture.
If you are not using them all in one go, wrap them tightly in cling film and keep in the fridge but for no longer than a day or two, otherwise they will go stale. Tortillas are made to be consumed on the day of purchase.
Leftover tortillas are not good for making soft tacos because they dry up quite quickly. However there are lots of things you can do with them, you can turn them into totopos or tortilla chips: cut them into triangles and bake them until crispy or fry them in a little oil. These are good for chilaquiles or tortilla soup.
Leftover tortillas are also very good for making a dish from northern Mexico called Migas.
The recipe will follow in my next post, watch this space…
If you want to buy soft corn tortillas go to www.coolchile.co.uk
*With thanks to Dodie Miller and Cool Chile Co. for allowing us the experience of seeing the only tortilla machine in London
Autumn schedule of cookery classes
This is the autumn schedule of cookery classes. If you want a private class send me an e-mail. Otherwise contact the schools below.
Books for Cooks. 4 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, London, W11 1NN
Tel 020-7221-1992
Thursday 21st October 11am
Seasonal Suppers Middle Eastern-Style
Inspired by a seductive mix of Moroccan, Turkish and Persian flavours, delivers fresh yet fragrant, simple yet sensuous solutions to the what’s-for-dinner dilemma with a range of easy-to-prepare recipes perfectly adapted to modern timing and tastes.
Saturday 20th November, 11am
Flavours of Mexico
Bursting with complex bold flavours – rich, colourful and yes, sometimes hot and spicy – the best Mexican food is rarely found in restaurants. Sofia Craxton reveals the unique blend of Aztec, Mayan, Spanish and Arab culinary cultures at the heart of this exciting cuisine.
Divertimenti Marylebone. 33/34 Marylebone High Street
London, W1U 4PT
020 7935 0689
Saturday 23rd October, 11:00-14:30
Tacos to Taqueria – Hands On Masterclass. Mexico’s favourite fast food, Tacos, have grown in popularity and sophistication. No longer the reserve of the humble street vendor, Tacos have made it into specialist cafes known as Taqueria. Join Mexican native, Sofia Larrinua-Craxton for a Taco hands on masterclass and learn how to make your own corn and wheat tortillas (Taco Wraps), al Pastor (Pork Marinated and Chargrilled with Pineapple) and Steak Tacos and Alambre (Grilled Meat with Peppers and Cheese, Bacon and Chorizo). You’ll also make Tomatillo Salsa, Drunken Salsa, and the Mexican condiment, Pico de Gallo.
Divertimenti Brompton Road. 227-229 Brompton Road
London, SW3 2EP
020 7581 8065
Thursday 4th November, 18:30-21:30
A Tequila Homecoming – Jalisco Cuisine Hands On Masterclass. The Mexican state of Jalisco is the centre of the Tequila industry and home to some of the country’s most unique and flavoursome dishes. Join Mexican chef Sofia Larrinua-Craxton for a hands on masterclass and learn how to prepare some of these regional specialities including Birria (Slow-cooked Lamb in Spices), Camarones (King Prawns) al Tequila, Pipian (Chicken with a Pumpkin Seed Sauce, Carne Adobada (Marinated Meat in a chilli rub) all washed down with a tasting of the Blue Agave (Tequila).
Mexican street markets or tianguis
Mexican street markets…
Or ‘el tianguis’ as it is commonly known is the Nahuatl word for the various colourful markets which populate the streets of Mexico, here you can find all the things you need, thought you needed and things you would not even imagined existed but are sold, from wedding dresses to plants and baskets, these markets sell all kinds of stuff and it is lovely to see people buying all kinds of things.
A particularly nice thing to do is to buy fresh fruits and vegetables; courgette flowers, tomatillos, cactus leaves, ripe guavas, mamey fruit and avocados, sweet mangoes and juicy pineapples, all sit happily waiting to be tested, tasted and bought. For those who fancy a snack, just stop at any of the many street stalls, where you can taste a hand made quesadilla with fresh hot salsa or a ‘tlacoyo’ which is a tortilla filled with beans, usually made with blue corn and topped with a delicious salad of cactus leaves, tomatoes, coriander and crumbled cheese.
If in Mexico look for the classic green or pink canopies characteristic of these markets and delight in watching people offering their wares, haggling and buying. Try the various exotic fruits and vegetables and stop for some food. Don’t forget to take a hand made bag or basket or better still buy it there. If you like Mexican cooking implements look for them at the stalls, you can get tortilla presses, lime squeezers and gorgeous enamel pots and pans at very good prices. Of course if you feel eccentric, you can always bargain for some silver jewellery, a banana plant, fake designer shoes or even a wedding dress, the choice is yours. Whatever your taste choices a ‘tianguis’ is really fun!
… the lesson here, if you don’t want to wipe off your past, remember to back things up!
Chocolate issues
This is a bit of old news, it appeared in July, however the whole context of this kind of information is not new. For centuries greedy people want to keep hold of all the stocks of a certain commodity in order to push prices up and then become rich quickly or plainly to stay very rich. According to the Financial Times, Armajaro a London based hedge fund, has bought 240 100 tonnes of cacao beans, which is about 88% of available stocks at Liffe-registered warehouses (Source: Financial Times 16/07/10).
It does not require a large brain to realise what will happen soon… our beloved chocolate, food of ancient Kings and loved by All, will become just that: A very expensive commodity.
Who benefits from this? Armajaro, who describe themselves as a ‘progressive and successful commodities and financial services business‘ , claim to have ‘traceability and sustainability programs in Africa, that assist growers to improve their profitability and working conditions’. (Source www.armajaro.com 11/08/10)
It is interesting that they seem to provide plenty of support so that growers can ‘enhance the returns they receive for their crop’ (Source www.armajaro.com 11/08/10). Does this mean that if Armajaro gives support so that a grower can produce a lot of cacao; and if the market price for cacao will rise as a consequence of Armajaro’s buying most of the stock available, then the beneficiaries would include those who grow the cacao in the first place? Lets wait and see what happens… I don’t know but somehow it seems to me that the champagne will flow in the City of London and not in the Côte d’Ivoire… but maybe I am a cynic.
On the other side of the coin, there is Mr Mark Green, founder of the Grenada Chocolate Company , who started his company with the aim of making ‘high quality Organic dark chocolate in Grenada’ (Source www.grenadachocolate.com’).
This company is not concerned with buying large stocks of raw material to sell later on, in fact they have a cooperative of cocoa growing farms on an area of over 150 acres of certified organic land. The produce travels one mile to a small factory and it is there where they make chocolate bars:
As you can see, the solar powered small factory follows old-fashioned methods for producing chocolate, and the workers are local people who get paid a fair fee for their skills.
Somehow it seems to me that the direct beneficiaries are the growers and producers of the product, as well as the customer who is ensured a treat when buying and delecting from one of these bars of equisite delight!
According to the company: ‘The original impetus and principle of our cooperative company is to revolutionize the cocoa-chocolate system that typically keeps cocoa production separate from chocolate-making and therefore takes advantage of cocoa farmers. We believe that the cocoa farmers should benefit as much as the chocolate-makers’. (Source www.grenadachocolate.com 11/08/09)
This is the mission behind the company in pictures:
In the end, this seems to be an issue of dependency, the Grenadan producers are more able to control their destinies through their work whilst the people who produce for Armajaro seem to be dependent on market forces that -remains to be seen; might benefit from the future high cost of cocoa beans… lets hope that Armajaro is progressive enough to think of those who grow their crops and that the inflated price of chocolate that we all are most likely to pay in the near future benefits the producers, as it happens for those who work at the Grenada Chocolate Company. If this happens, then the word progressive will be rightly applied to the said hedge fund, if not then there is nothing new under the sun.
An expensive chocolate Easter egg
Nigel Slater Tender / Volume 1
Things often come in pairs and more, life is that generous. Last year after a 6 year wait, I finally got offered an allotment and at the same time my friend Sally from Books for Cooks recommended Nigel Slater’s new book called Tender Volume 1. I looked at it and longed for it but did not buy it, later that week my friend gave me a book voucher and of course
I went and bought it.
As it tends to happen when you live from cooking for others and from teaching others to cook, whilst trying to master subjects on Food Anthropology, I had no time to do anything with this book, the winter set in and I forgot about it.
The other week I saw it gathering dust, I took it off the shelf and fell in love with it, it sprang to life at just the right time. What can I say about Mr. Slater’s prose, it is just as delicious as his recipes and that combined with the gardening topics for the various fruits and vegetables, make this book a must for anyone who wants to eat his or her own produce. The chapters are divided by vegetable and they have some information on how to grow, varieties, a gardener’s diary and of course recipes.
You can feel the physical effort that Nigel Slater has invested in his garden and the joy he gets from it, as well as from his cooking. The recipes are simple and they pay homage to the vegetable, inviting us to value our food, from the effort it takes to grow, to the pleasure it gives to eat. Simple recipes for simple food that has been tendered with love. Life is generous!
Overseas Development Institute
The ODI or Overseas Development Institute are hosting a series of events on agriculture in Africa, you can join and listen to the conferences from home. Remember that there is a lot more to Africa than the world cup and important issues on its agriculture are very close to the top of the list!
If you are interested in the ODI and their event, click here.
Courgette flower and wild mushroom quesadillas
If you are growing courgettes you will find fallen male courgette flowers by your plant most days. Don’t put them in the compost, instead clean and place in a bag and put the bag in the freezer. Once you have a decent supply, take out and wait for the flowers to defrost.
Saute one medium sliced onion in some oil for 5 minutes, add a finely chopped clove of garlic and continue sauteeing for 1 minute, stirring constantly, add a handful of roughly sliced wild mushrooms or any other mushroom, season with salt, pepper and a little dried thyme. Leave to cook for 5 minutes and add the torn courgette flowers, petals and all, cook until the flowers wilt.
On a dried griddle, heat up a soft corn tortilla (for sale from Cool Chile Co), scoop a little of this mixture and a little grated gouda cheese on one half of the tortilla, fold in two and heat up on both sides until the cheese has melted.
Plate and add some salsa inside if you want and enjoy!
*This can be made with flour tortillas as well.
