The Book of Mexican Foods [antikvár]

INTRODUCTIONMexico is blessed with anabundanceofvaried, first-class ingredients, and a people who so enjoy food that they make full use of the ingredients to create, with infinite skill, an exciting encyclopaedia of colourful dishes. The signature of Mexican cooking are the wafts of enticing, aromatic smells that herald the rich flavours, fragrant with spices that are blended and trapped inside.However, it is wrong to think that Mexican food is all heavily spiced and 'hot'. Some dishes have subtle flavours to allow the true taste of good quality produce to shine through, such as Vegetable Soup. When spices are added, they are used with such expertise that the flavours are mellow and harmonious. Not all dishes contain chillies, and those that do can be as hot or mild as you like.The Book of Mexican Foods shows how to make your own Tortillas, and how to transform them into an almost endless variety of dishes, such as Quesadillas,Empanadas and Burritos. And there are tantalising recipes covering the whole range of Mexican eating, some well-known, othersexcitingly new-free-and-easy tacosandtostados for today's favourite quick snacks, to dishes suitable for festive occasions, such as Mole Poblano, to mouthwatering vegetable and bean dishes that show that vegetarian food can be fun, and, finally, a selection of delicious sweet recipes and drinks.One of the joys of Mexican cooking is that it is easy to prepare at home; recipes are not complicated, with few exceptions ingre dients are not difficult to find, and there are no fanciful arrangements, garnishes and decorations. The typical ebullient, friendly and informal Mexican personality is transferred to their food, making it an endless source of relaxed pleasure.The style of cooking we know today as Mexican has evolved over many centuries. It is an amalgam of many influences, fused together over a period of time into a distinct, recognisable style. The foundations lie with the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilisa tions and the widely disparate foods available to them, such as corn (maize), avocados, fresh and dried beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, pumpkins, turkeys, duck and chocolate, plus a wealth of diff'erent fish from the long coast line. From 1519, conquering Spaniards brought with them their favourite produce from the Old World - cattle, for milk and cheese as well as meat, chicken, pigs, rice, wheat, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, oranges, peaches and apricots. The Mexicans soon adopted these'innovations', but instead of allowing them to change their culinary traditions, they used them to enhance and extend them. In the middle of the nineteenth century, a French dimension was added, as witnessed by many of the delicious breads, cakes and puddings that are still popular.Not surprisingly, as Mexico borders with the United States, nowadays there is a discernible American influence. The U.S. has also helped to popularise Mexican food around the world, although you are more likely to find 'TexMex' outside Mexico than in it.