Food for Thought

  People often ask me about Mexican cheeses and which one is best with which dishes. This article from Food&Wine gives all the answers. https://www.foodandwine.com/appetizers/7-mexican-cheeses-you-need-know?hid=432b2e775324844b57022e049d85bff0cb2bbd08&did=9047800-20230510&utm_campaign=faw-the-dish_newsletter&utm_source=faw&utm_medium=email&utm_content=051023&lctg=432b2e775324844b57022e049d85bff0cb2bbd08

  I saw this tip on line and decided to try it. Store your lemons or limes in a zip lock bag and keep them in the refrigerator. It definitely works. The lemons pictured have been in my refrigerator for almost a month and are still firm and fresh. Give it a try.

  5 Things You Didn’t Know About Blue Crab Blue crabs are in season during the warm months. Interesting article from Southern Magazine about the blue crab. I grew up eating these delicious crustaceans. (Check out my recipe for Crabs in Spicy Sauce and read on.  You won’t regret it!) Jaibas Enchilados (Crabs in Spicy

  Piloncillo is a raw form of pure cane sugar that is commonly used in Mexican cooking and is sometimes referred to as Mexican brown sugar. This type of sugar has not been processed, leaving it with a golden brown color and a deliciously rich flavor similar to molasses, although it does not have any molasses in it.

  The Cuban sandwich is seen now on many menus with many variations. Ironically, back in the 1950s, if you traveled to Cuba, they didn’t know what you meant by a Cuban sandwich nor what you meant by Cuban bread. The birthplace of Cuban bread and the Cuban sandwich as we know it today, or

  Lardons are narrow strips of meat, usually from bacon, cut cross-wise into 1/4 to 1/3 inch widths.  The French also refer to them as lardoons. Their technique includes blanching the meat before frying. I skip the blanching part. The bacon should be cut while cold, making it easier to slice and be consistent with

  A slurry is a thin paste of water and starch (flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch), which is added to hot preparations (such as soups, stews and sauces) as a thickener. After the slurry has been added, the mixture is typically stirred and cooked for a few minutes in order to thicken and lose any

  Emulsion is a mixture of one liquid with another with which it cannot normally combine smoothly – oil and water being the classic example. Emulsifying is done by slowly (sometimes drop-by-drop) adding one ingredient to another while at the same time mixing (whisking) rapidly. This disperses and suspends minute droplets of one liquid throughout

  Tis’ the season!! Hatch chili peppers are in season for much too short a time. You can find these in most grocery stores in late summer, August and September. These versatile chilies are named after the area in which they are grown, the Hatch Valley region running north and south along the Rio Grande

  Tempering eggs is the process of preventing eggs from clotting or cooking when placed  into to too high a temperature. To temper an egg you need a bowl and a whisk. Whisk the egg or eggs briefly in the bowl. Working with a few teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, add the hot mixture