Cook Book Club: March's Ingredients Are Bay Leaves. The Country: Mexico!

Can you believe we are starting our fourth year highlighting the various countries around the world? In our fourth year, we finish up our first trip to Asia with Laos and Mongolia before heading on a brief sojourn to North America and then over to some of the countries of Oceania (all of the countries Down Under plus Fiji) before taking a break in November and December as usual to look back at a couple of popular recipes from the past. Kits include a little bit about the country of focus, a recipe (or more) that is native to the country, and a unique ingredient or two from that recipe without which, it wouldn't be the same. Most recipes are from writers native to the country covered or otherwise lived experience of that culture. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!

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Colonialism and the Tortilla Shell

As explained by various cultural resources

Tortillas are an ancient food source going all the way back to Mesoamerica’s Maya and Aztec civilizations, going back to about 10,000BCE originally called tlaxcalli. For centuries, tortillas were made using corn flour and were a staple of indigenous diets. Traditionally, they were made by soaking dried corn kernels in an alkaline solution (water mixed with lime or ash) to remove the skin, then grinding it into a dough called “masa” using a stone slab and roller combo called a metate, then cooking the flattened disks on a hot, flat clay surface called a comal.

It wasn’t until the Spanish conquistadors introduced wheat to northern Mexico from Europe that “flour” started to make its appearance and their name was changed to tortillas because the Spanish thought they resembled the small, round, flat cakes (torta) familiar to them in Spain. As Spain viewed wheat to be purer than indigenous grains, the flour tortilla quickly took over anywhere colonists set down roots. Due to this, it has been viewed as a sign of colonization and in recent years, has seen a resurgence in corn tortillas by those seeking a more authentic experience, in a similar group as the farm-to-table movement.

That being said, each has its place in Mexican cooking. If  you are looking for something softer, more pliable and absorbent, flour will probably be your better option. If you are looking for something that fries up crisp and sturdy (say for tostadas, chips, or nachos), corn tortillas are the only way to go.

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Main Recipe

Chicken Tostadas

This recipe has been adapted from AMexicanCook.ie for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Serves: 2-4    Time: 60 min.

Ingredients

Tostadas:

• 10 corn tortillas*

• Sunflower oil (about 1 cup)

Toping:

• 2 chicken breast

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt to taste

• 1 tin refried beans

• Iceber lettuce, thinly sliced

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

• 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 150 grams feta cheese, crumbled

• Sour cream

• Red Salsa of your choice

• *Must be corn in order to crisp up correctly and absorb less oil

  
  

Directions

1. Start by cooking your chicken. Put the chicken, garlic, bay leaf and some salt in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until fully cooked. Take the chicken out and set aside in a bowl for later.

2. While chicken cooks, start frying the tostadas: Heat the oil in a shallow, non-stick pan until very hot. While oil heats, line a large plate with paper towels to absorb any excess oil the tostadas might have. Gently drop one tortilla into the hot oil with the help of egg lifter and fork, keeping it flat while it fries. When it starts feeling crispy, gently turn it to the other side and fry it until it is golden and crispy. This should take about 1 minute per side. Take it out, shake any excess over pan and place it on the lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

3. Put out all of the toppings in separate bowls. Tostadas are eaten cold; the only thing that needs to be warm is the beans, so heat them up just before you’re about to eat. Everyone makes their own tostada how they like. To assemble, grab a tostada and spread some warm refried beans. top with a handful of chicken, some lettuce, tomato and onion. Sprinkle with cheese, spoon some salsa and sour cream and enjoy.

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Bonus Recipe

Green Chile Guacamole

This recipe has been adapted from EverydayLatina.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Serves: 6   Prep Time: 10 min.   Cook Time: 20 min.   Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe medium avocados

• 2-3 green chiles (Anaheim, Pueblo or Hatch)

• 1-2 jalapeños (optional, see notes)

• ¼ slice of a white onion

• 2 tablespoons cilantro, diced

• 1 lime

• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

Directions

• Roast chiles on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil under the broiler or on a hot grill for about 5 minutes until lightly charred, flip and repeat until the underside is charred as well. Place chiles in a covered bowl or plastic bag for 10-15 minutes so the skins sweat for easier peeling.

• Roast a sliced onion on the cookie sheet until charred all the way around. Avoid using too much onion, which can make the guacamole taste sweet, and be sure to not burn it when roasting or it'll taste bitter.

• Peel and deseed the green chiles (leave seeds for more heat).

• Dice the green chiles, onion, and cilantro.

• In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with the back of a fork or a masher until it reaches your desired consistency.

• Add in the onion, chiles, cilantro, and the juice of a lime and mix together until everything is incorporated with the mashed avocado.

• If possible, allow each person to salt their own serving of guacamole (salting it will speed up the browning process).

• Serve immediately.

To store, transfer any leftover guacamole into an air-tight container, as air oxidizes the avocado and turns it brown. Then, press a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the guacamole. Cover with the lid and store in the refrigerator for one day.