Conference turris::cooks

If you can find masa harina (quaker brand around here, but that's California)..
you will have a recipe for corn tortillas.  Fair warning:  it is not easy to
get those suckers thin and usable - I generally buy, myself.

Flour tortillas are simply a mixture of LARD (no, I personally don't think
crisco is a substitute) and white flour and water.  I do this by "eyeballing"
so measurments are difficult.  I mix approx. 2 cups flour and 3/4 - 1 cup
lard with a pastry cutter until I have pea-sized lumps (like for shortning
biscuits) and add water, a little at a time, until you get something you
can knead a few times and form into a ball.  cover and let this rest for
awhile (15 minutes or so?), then take a lump and place between sheets of
wax paper and roll out to a flat round....you may have to dust the paper
with flour to prevent sticking.  Cook on a hot dry griddle (or over a
flame on a rack if you're into being authentic - but that's another
story), cooking both sides until done, but not browned.  Your end product
will be soft and floppy and delicious.  

    
    I make great tortillas (I lived in Mexico for years and learned
    at the knee of an Aunt) and I NEVER use lard.  I always use vegetable
    shorting with splendid results.
    
    3 cups of flour (you CAN use half whole wheat and half white even
    if it is not as authentic)
    1/3 cup vegetable shortening
    1 tsp salt
    Warm water with about a 1/4 cup of milk added
    
    Place flour in a bowl.  Add salt.  Mix in shortening until crumbly.
    Start with about 3/4 cups of warm water that is about 1/2 warm water
    and 1/4 milk.  Mix and kneed...  add more water only if you need
    to.. your tortilla dough is right when it becomes firm, elastic
    and you can clean the sides of the bowl and your fingers with the
    dough.  Place in a plastic bag to rest for 15 min. to 1/2 hour.
    
    Squeeze into plum size balls.  Rub each ball lightly with shortening
    you have rubbed onto your hands.  Place these balls to rest for
    a short while covered in plastic wrap or a towel.
    
    Flatten each ball slightly touching each side with flour.  Now using
    your fingers 'pinch' all around the edges of the flattened balls.
    Now working from the centre out continue to try and flatten with
    your fingers keeping it round.  When you get your tortilla to about
    4-5 inches across place on the counter top and roll into an 7-8
    inch round.  Don't be afraid to dust it to keep it from sticking.
    With some practice and well rested dough you will soon get the hang
    of making tortillas like an expert.
    
    Your tortilla should be cooked on a griddle or cast iron skillet on
    a fairly hot heat with NO added fat.  Your griddle should be dry.
    
    A well rolled tortilla will blow up during this cooking like pita
    bread.  Gently push it back down using a towel folded in your hand
    or a previously cooked tortilla.  Cook them first on one side for
    about a min or so, then turn over.  Keep pressing and cooking until
    you have little blistered brown spots on them and there is no raw
    look about them.
    
    Do not worry if they are a little crisp at first (although they
    should not be), as you stack them on one another the steam with
    soon soften them into delightful flat breads perfect for stuffing
    or eating warm with butter.
    
    To heat a tortilla after it has been cooked and cooled simply sling
    it right on the gas flame for a few seconds or onto a hot griddle
    until it softens.
    
    gailann

    Can I assume from .1 and .2 replies that you both would consider
    the tortilla presses I've seen advertised to be a waste of money?
    I'd hate to buy one thinking that it will make the job easier and
    find out that it only made the job more expensive!  Any comments
    would be greatly appreciated (and the sooner, the better!).
    
    Susan

    The tortilla press is really for corn tortillas.. Corn tortilla
    masa is very different from flour.. it is not elastic.  It flattens
    with a press quite easily... In years passed I tried a press making
    flour tortillas and found it useless... the dough just does not
    co-operate.  If you have authentic masa harina for corn tortillas
    I think you will find the press works great though.
    

    Okay, here's another one for you:  Is there any difference in the
    recipes besides masa harina?  In other words, do I use the exact
    same recipe substituting masa harina for the flour?
    
    BTW, you should in no way assume that I've found masa harina - I'm
    not even ready to look!  But when I am, I've already noted the notes
    that will help me in the search!
    
    Susan

RE: .1
    
  > I mix approx. 2 cups flour and 3/4 - 1 cup lard with a pastry cutter
  > until I have pea-sized lumps (like for shortning 
    
    I made some flour tortillas night-before-last from a recipe in a
    cookbook and they came out pretty good.  I want to try your method, and
    even picked up some lard at the grocery store.  But... 
    
    The proportion of shortening to flour you specified is FAR greater
    than any recipe I've seen.  Since you said you don't measure, I
    was wondering if you *really* use almost half as much shortening
    as flour.  If it's for real, then I'll give it a try!
    
    							Pat

RE: -.1

When you're working with "handfuls" of flour and an old tea cup ALMOST
full of lard....well, I'm sorry but that is the way I learned to make
flour tortillas from Mrs. Beldanado (my mentor in the Mexican food
cooking department) - I would certainly trust a recipe as being more
exact..8^}

But, I still think the lard makes the difference in taste...also be
careful to cook them long enough on the ungreased griddle (turning
over to prevent too much browning) to prevent the "doughy" taste.

This conversation is making me hungry.....

					D

    Warning heresy ahead -
    
    You can use oil instead of lard or Crisco, if you're watching your 
    saturated fat intake.  Mix a little flour with some oil and freeze for
    an hour or so.  Then cut this into the remaining flour as you would the
    lard.  Proceed as normal.
    
    Can you freeze tortillas?  Would you freeze the lumps prior to rolling
    out, or would you roll out then layer with freezer wrap or wax paper
    and then freeze?
    
    Thanks, 
    
    Terry
    

    re .9
    
    We buy ready frozen (home made) tortillas (120 of them at a time) and
    they're not layered, although if I were making my own I would probably
    layer them with freezer tissue.  Perhaps these are frozen individually
    before being packaged, as they come apart very easily - we've almost
    never broken one.
    
    I don't think I'd freeze the mixture before rolling them out, as (IMHO)
    the main reason for freezing them is to have them ready for use
    almost immediately.
    
    The result is as good as using fresh tortillas.
    
    Jacquie

    I microwave mine.  I wouldn't be surprised if that's what alot
    of restaurants do.  If you want to keep them warm and don't have
    a tortilla dish (don't know what it's called officially) I use
    a plate (warmed) with a bowl over the top.
    
    Kristen

    I have never heard of tortillas out of a tin before. Are they already
    cooked? How are they packed? When I make tortillas from scratch I "fry" 
    them on a cast iron skillet (no oil). When they start to harden up I just 
    flop them directly onto the gas burner for a few seconds. I hope this 
    helps.

I don't think they're cooked. The instructions on the tin say to fry them so I 
assume taht they're not cooked. They're just piled in a wide tin (similar to a 
tin of vegtables). This is my first attempt at tortillas so I really don't know what
they should look like. I had expected them to be white but they're a sort of 
browny colour - a bit lighter than tortilla chips.

The suggestion of putting them in the gas flame isn't much use to me either, I'm 
afraid. The cooker is electric. I'll try frying them without oil and see what
happens.

I'm bound to have something that someone suggests eventually!

Thanks,

	Mair�ad.

    
    
    	I use this trick to give some life to packaged flour tortillas
    we used to buy at the grocery store in Texas (only found them in ONE
    store so far in New England).
    
    	take a pot, about a 6 inch diameter (one that a tortilla just
    covers the edges), fill it about 1/3 with water.  Then you get
    creative, use some siverware knives, like butter knives, laid across
    the top of the pot to support the tortilla.  Boil the water and keep it
    boiling throughout the process. Just slap on a tortilla and do
    each side for a minute or so till they become soft.  Set aside in a
    tortilla warmer lined with a cloth towel, or some sort of small covered
    cassarole dish.
    
    	The trick is to use some tongs, or something, cause the steam is VERY
    hot, don't attempt to use your fingers unless you are extremely thick
    skinned!
    
    
	This method also works very good for hot dogs, variation is you
    boil the dogs in the water while the buns steam across the top of the
    pot.......
    
    --Bert

    
    
    	after reading you're earlier note there are TWO type of tortillas.
    
    	Typically, corn is used, and they are brownish, sorta gritty
    textured.  Flour tortillas are white, some brown spots from pan frying
    when they were cooked.  We bought them already cooked, and packaged
    ready to eat.
    
    	In  Bedford, the Purity Supreme has them.  El Galindo brand flour
    tortillas.  They have both the corn and flour, already cooked, just
    need some steaming to make them eatable.
    
    	If you have raw tortillas, dough type consistency you need to pan
    fry these in an iron skillet...........
    
    	hope this helps.....
    
    --Bert

    Suspect you are using canned (tinned) corn tortillas -- Old El Paso
    makes and sells them.  Used to be in Europe the only kind of tortillas
    available from the military commissaries were canned.
    
    Typically they're tough as leather!  They aren't raw, just allowed to
    'mature' in the can.  You can make acceptable tostadas, chips, and
    taco shells by frying them -- although they're a poor substitute for
    fresh -- even frozen tortillas.  
    
    I've tried steaming them and they are marginally acceptable that way,
    but frying, in hot oil, until crisp is still the best.
    
    For steaming, an oriental steaming (bamboo) rack on a wok works well.  
    Also there are metal 'baskets' available from cooking utensil stores
    and departments which adjust to fit the inside of a pot.  They have
    leaves, like camera irises, legs to keep them above the water level,
    and a handle in the middle for lifting (which gets in the way of the
    tortillas, unfortunately.  These also work.
    
    You didn't say where you are located, although I infer the UK.  Be best
    if you can find frozen tortillas, or have some Yank send you a CARE
    package with some masa harina so you can make your own.  There are
    specialty, mail order houses which sell such products as well as 
    tortilla presses, which work better than rolling pins.  Good luck!
    
    Cheers, Bill
    

     I have never heard of tortillas in a tin either, but I am sure that
    they are already cooked or they would be more like a mush that you
    would have to  pat out and cook on a hot griddle.  It seems to me the
    instructions are for a taco or tostada like tortilla, which use cooked
    tortillas.  You might want to use a heavy cast iron skillet, warm the
    tortillas until they are soft and place them in a towel.  It is best to
    use two towels.  One dampened with hot water  and  placed in another
    dry towel.  This way they stay moist and soft.

From the previous replies I guess that they're already cooked. I'll try putting 
them over the pot of water and see what happens. The problem is though, that 
they're very leathery and don't look like they'll get soft no matter how much 
steam they get. I'd say they'd be fine for tacos or something like that but I
wanted to make enchillidas. 

I'd appreciate a recipe for the flour ones as well. That seems to be more what I 
want. (Suggesting buying a different type won't work - they're the only ones to
be got in the west of Ireland, believe me I tried). I didn't realise there was 
more than one type.

I have a recipe for one using hasa harina (haven't tried to find that yet but I
doubt if Galway would rise to that). Do I just substitute white flour for the 
masa harina?

Thanks for all ye're help.

Mair�ad.

Here is a recepie that I made this weekend. I usually double the batch, 
freezing half and keeping half in the fridge in a ziplock baggy. Since moving
to New Jersey from Arizona we have noticed a considerable lack of mexican
food/goceries available and I have resorted to making my own. :^)

Flour Tortillas

To make 12 tortillas

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup very hot water

Mix the flour with the salt and baking powder. Using your hands, mix the
shortening until the mixture becomes a coarse meal. Mix in 2/3 cup of the
water, adding it all at once, and knead for 2 minutes, or until the dough
has the consistency of a still bread dough.  If dry and crumbly, add extra
water; if too moist, add a few tablespoons of additional flour.

Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Heat a skillet, saute
pan or griddle over medium-high heat unitl hot enough that a drop of water 
immediately sizzles and evaporates. You will be rolling and then cooking each
tortilla, rather than rolling them all and then cooking them.

Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a golfball, and dust your hands and
the dough ball with flour. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and 
flatten the ball with your hands into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Then, using
a rolling pin, roll it twice the same direction. Keep rolling, turning the
dough 90 degrees each time, until you have formed a circle 1/8 inch thick and
about 8 to 9 inches in diameter.

Immediately place it in the hot skillet and cook it for 30 to 45 seconds, or
until bubbles begin to form on the top. If the torilla puffs up into a pillow,
push it down with a spatula. Turn and cooks 20 seconds, remove with a 
spatula, and keep warm by placing it in a tea towel and covering it with
the towel.

Roll and cook the remaining dough in the same way.

I've bought the corn and flour types in Acton MA at Triple A, Finast, and
Donelan's. (I assume that we are talking about the kind that come in a plastic
bag with a pinata on the front of the package).

I either toast them in the toaster oven or heat a non-stick skillet and place
the tortilla in the skillet for a minute or two on each side.

I freeze them because I don't go through them that quickly but it does hurt the
taste. (or it could be my defective freezer).

-- Nisha

    I'll second the suggestion of .7 to use a bamboo dim-sum steamer
    on a wok. I do this with flour tortillas to make burritos, and Ifind
    that steaming works very well to get the tortillas flexible enough
    to roll them around the filling without breaking them. As with previous
    replies, I am using tortillas from a plastic pouch, not from a tin.
    I suspect, though, that the problem is similar. I steam them for
    about one to two minutes.
    
    I know you said no special equipment, but 'special' just means what's
    *not* in your kitchen already, right?
    
     - Mark

Mairead et al.,
    
Obviously I guessed wrong in the earlier response (.7) about the UK -- probably
even harder to find fresh/frozen tortillas in Ireland.  Sorry about the
improper inference on my part!
As an Arizona cowboy marking time in New Jersey, I find 'fresh' tortillas 
    -- both the flour and corn varieties are available --
in the A&P and Shop-Rite stores in Hackettstown, so suspect the others
in the chains, in less rural parts of Florio's Folly, also stock the same.
They are cold-stored and are in the dairy section of the stores.  I suspect
they may have been frozen by their consistency.  When I run out of stock
imported from the tortilla factories of the Grand Canyon State, I use
these with ovations approaching the standing variety.  

As for warming:  You folk who reside in Taxachusetts or Cow Hampshire have
access to the retailing wonder of the world: Building 19.  Jerry and
his fellow scroungers of surplus goods bought out one heluva lot of 
Mexican tortilla warmers sometime last year.  I bought one and love it!
Last time I looked (Manchester NH store, Bldg 19 1/8) there were still
some left.  You'll have to pick thru the boxes carefully as many don't
have all the component parts.  Once you pack your own box, I think the
price is only a couple of bucks.

Pottery stores in the SW make tortilla warmers;  The Salty Dog Pottery
on Rt 28, Barnstead NH either has them in stock or will make one (or more)
for you in a week or so.  You'll need to warm them over steam, in a
microwave, or on a griddle, but a pottery warmer looks nice, and it will
hold the warmth and keep the tortillas soft at the table for you.

The 'tinned' tortillas for enchiladas -- as you mentioned -- can be done,
although the resulting enchiladas still won't be what you would get with 
fresh or frozen corn tortillas -- or what you might find in the better 
Mexican restaurants.

Here's something you can try:

                   Guillermo's Sour Cream Enchiladas
                   ---------------------------------     

Couple of whole chicken breasts
Onion, carrot, some garlic, bay leaf
12-15 tortillas, fresh, frozen, tinned -- quality in descending order!
Cup of sour cream
Ground cumin (comino)
Chili Powder -- best you can find (I like Santa Cruz, available by mail
                from Santa Cruz Chili Company, Tumacacori, AZ, 85640. 1/2
                pound carton costs about $3.00, perhaps a bit more for
	        shipping and handling.  McCormick works ok; Durkee's
		as a last resort!)
Vegatable oil
Canned green chilies, chopped.
Grated cheddar and Monterey jack cheese
Lettuce, scallions, radishes for garnish

You can substitute tinned enchilada sauce for the homemade enchilada sauce
(below).  Since tinned tortillas are available, I'd assume chilies and
enchilada sauce are also available.  Old El Paso is a satisfactory brand.

Cover the chicken breasts with water in a large pot.  Throw in a carrot,
cut into 2-3 pieces, whole onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, tsp of chili powder
and tsp of cumin, plus the bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer,
cook until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken and let cool.  Save the
chicken stock for other purposes.  Good base for tortill soup!  Really!

When chicken is cool, remove skin and discard.  Cut meat from bones and
chop into bite-sized (or smaller) pieces.  Toss into a non-metallic bowl,
add sour cream (or plain yoghurt if you choose), chopped chilis, another
.5 to 1 tsp of the cumin and mix well.

Now the fun!

Heat 1-2 Tbsp of oil in a skillet.  Skillet should be of a diameter to
accomodate the size of the tortillas you are using.   Add 3-4 Tbsp chili 
powder.  Mix as you would to start a roux.  As chili powder darkens (don't 
let it burn!), add some water, stir and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce the 
heat -- enchilada sauce will begin to thicken slightly.  Keep it hot, but 
not boiling.  If using tinned enchilada sauce, simply pour into a skillet,
heat and press onward.  You should have about one cup of sauce at this point.

Have a rectangular baking dish -- even disposable aluminum will do -- handy.

Preheat the oven to 300-350 F.  (or save what you are about to create for
later!).

Take each tortilla, dip it into the hot enchilada sauce long enough to soften
it -- under 10 seconds per tortilla will usually suffice.  Remove the 
softened tortilla to the baking dish.  Put a heaping Tbsp of the chicken
mixture about 1/3 of the way across the tortilla.  Roll it up, and place
it seam-side down in the baking dish.  Continue until your tortillas are
gone.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.  Sprinkle the
yellow and white cheeses over the sauce.  About a half-hour before you
are ready to eat the enchiladas, put them into the oven, heat until the
cheese melts and bubbles.  Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped scallions,
and thinly-sliced radishes.  Enjoy!

Now, if you cannot find any of the ingredients, tinned or otherwise, you
might want to try this recipe from the late Bert Greene's fine book, *The
Grains Cookbook*, New York: Workman Publishing, 1988, softcover and under
$15.00.  Following is quoted verbatim:

                   -------------------------------- 
                   Over-Easy Green Chile Enchiladas
                   --------------------------------

In Mexico, where corn is a staple, maize was known as panizo or 'panic
grass.'  That moniker was bestowed upon the plant by early 16th-century
Spanish settlers who had grave misgivings about depending on an annual-
growing grain for their subsistence.  They needn't have worried -- there
has never been a corn famine in Central or Latin America, or the U.S.
either.

To this day, Mexicans consider corn their staff of life.  They pound panizo
(maize, cornmeal, masa harina) into a rough flour that they combine with water
and cook over high heat until it becomes the tortilla we all know and love.

Recently I came upon a wonderfully salubrious (if very unauthentic) version
of the tortilla made of everyday cornmeal.  These quasi-tortillas are better
than any of the commercial varieties you will find on a supermarket shelf 
and easier to make than scrambled eggs.  Moreover, it takes less than half
an hour to whip up a big batch.  Yes, they freeze!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped canned jalapeno peppers
2 cans (4 ounces each) mild green chile peppers, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (Chinese parsley) -- [I recently
   found dried cilantro (and dried jalapeno peppers) by Spice Islands --
   both of which aren't bad in a pinch -- no pun intended! -- wah]
1 cup shredded cooked port or chicken
Vegetable oil
10 Phony tortillas (recipe follows)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Shredded lettuce 

1.	Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2.	Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the
	onion; cook 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers; cook
	3 minutes longer.  Stir in the mild peppers, tomatoes, cumin, and
	cilantro.  Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally,
	5 minutes.  Stir in the meat; cook 2 minutes.  Remove the skillet
	from the heat.

3.	Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in another large skillet over medium heat.
	Carefully dip each Phony Tortilla into the hot oil for a few seconds
	only.  Transfer the fried tortillas to paper towels.

4.	Fill each tortilla with the meat mixture and roll up.  Place them in a
	lightly greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with the cheese, and bake 10
	minutes.  Serve with sour cream and shredded lettuce.

	Makes 10 enchiladas.

                              ---------------
                              Phony Tortillas
                              ---------------

1 cup yellow [or white or blue] cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bread flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups water

1.	Combine the cornmeal, salt, and flour in a large bowl.  Stir in the
	egg and water until smooth. [running the cornmeal thru a blender
        at high speed makes for less grainy tortillas -- wah]

2.	Heat a lightly greased 6-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.
	Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons batter into the hot pan.  Turn and twist
	immediately to cover the bottom of the pan [as you would make
	crepes].  Cook 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side.  Do
	not brown the tortilla.  Place the cooled tortilla on a sheet of
	paper towels.  Continue the process, layering the cooked tortillas
	in paper towels, until all the batter is used up.

	Makes about 20 tortillas

	Note: These tortillas may be stored for several days in a plastic
	bag in the refrigerator.

    
    
    	re:  .12
    
    
    	No comparison.........take a little trip to Bedford and
    try the El Galindo flour tortillas.  They are relatively fresh, not in
    the refigerator case like the 'Pinata' brand (much too doughy and thin)
    like all the Acton stores have.  They are on the ethnic food aisle with
    the Old El Paso stuff.
    
    	They's the kind we used to buy in Texas believe or not, and it took
    me all of a year to finally hit on a place that gets them.........
    
    	I have been freezing mine, but they were  E.G brand and sent from
    home in batches.  I didn't notice any deterioration in flavor or
    softness, but then I always steam them first.
    
    	The recipe in an earlier reply is the standard one, it works well
    but it may take a few practice disks before you get the hang of how
    thick and how round will cook just right.  Iron skillet is key factor
    in the operation.......................it's tradition!
    
    	We always went to a Fajita restaurant that had a big tortilla
    making machine.  It was fascinating to watch because they loaded it up
    with big round pounds filled with dough balls and they circulated in a
    downward spiral through the machine cooking.  On the other end a little 
    conveyor belt dropped them in steaming mounds for the waiters to serve up 
    in unlimited portions with fajitas.  They were GREAT!  big, soft,
    steaming........ 
    
    
    --Bert

Tortilla warmer looks something like this:

                            XXXX      <==========handle, top vented to
                          --------               allow steam to escape
                         /        \
                        /          \  <==========removable metal lid
                        ------------
                        XXXXXXXXXXXX  <==========heavy metal base, warmed in
                       --------------            oven; holds heat
                      /      |       \ <=========wire frame with legs to 
                                                 keep hot part off table

Heat the heavy metal part in the oven; put it on the wire frame, put tortillas
on top of heavy metal; put the lid on.  Sometimes helpful to steam the tortillas
first, then the warmer keeps 'em warm.  The one I have also has some metal
disks which can be used to separate groups of tortillas under the lid.  As
heat conductors they help ensure that you won't get a cold tortilla from the
middle of the stack.

The pottery warmers are cylinder with the inside diameter slightly larger than
the diameter of common corn tortillas.  A lid fits into the base.  Steam the
tortillas, put into an oven-warmed pottery (must be oven-proof, of course)
warmer and serve.

Re: the tinned chilies -- in the USofA, they are typically Anaheims --
rather mild.  Two styles: chopped or whole (usually four to a small tin).  If
you use fresh chilies, then you have to go thru the bother of skinning, seeding,
cooking, etc. to get to the same stage as the tinned ones.

The whole ones are excellent for making Chilies Relleno.

Enchiladas are typically not spicy-hot Mexican fare.  The heat, as you like it,
is in the enchilada sauce -- tinned varieties here come in three styles, mild,
medium, and hot.  The Santa Cruz chili powder I suggested makes an enchilada
sauce somewhere between medium and hot.  New Mexico chili powder, on the other
hand, is usually firey enough to make a hot enchilada sauce.  Using jalapenos,
serranos, pequins, japonicas, and/or tepins, (the latter three dried & crushed 
into a powder can be used directly or added to the standard chili powder) for
added 'heat.'  Green chilies (e.g., the jalapenos or serranos) usually would
be added to the enchilada filling.  Mojave Foods Corp, Los Angeles CA 90032
is a good source of the aforementioned dried chili peppers and powders.

I've never tried bean enchiladas, but frijoles refritos con queso (lots of
the latter) would make an interesting filling.  David and Nikki Goldbeck's
*American Wholefoods Cuisine* is my favorite source for vegetarian recipes.
This book has a recipe for cheese enchiladas similar to the one I posted
in .14, except that the filling is grated cheddar and Monterey jack plus
chopped onions plus yogurt -- everything else is the same as posted.  These
are excellent.

Bean tostadas are pretty common along the US/Mexico border.  Fry the tortillas
in hot oil until crisp, load with refried beans and cheese, garnish with 
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced scallions and/or radishes, perhaps
a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.   These are 'flat tacos' for all practical
purposes.

One use you might want to make of leftover tortillas (the Mexicans believe
that to throw away tortillas is a source of bad luck) is to cut them into
wedges, fry in hot oil 'til crisp, put a little cheese on each, top with
a slice of jalapeno pepper, melt the cheese under the broiler and you have
Nachos -- more authentic than some of the concoctions you get in the quasi-
Mexican restaurants, especially here in the Eastern States.

Yet another use is to cut them into strips about a centimeter wide, fry
until crisp, and use as garnishment for soups.  Essentially this is the
'stuff' of which Tortilla Soup (listed as 'tortill soup' in .14) is made.
Real tortilla soup is typically meat stock based, flavored with tomato,
chili pepper, comino, and strained to as clear as you can get it.  I see
no reason why an acceptable tortilla soup cannot be made from vegetable
stock, strained, and garnished with the crisp tortilla strips, avocado
slices, dollop of yogurt or sour cream, some chopped jalapenos or serranos,
possibly some chopped hard-boiled egg.  

Somewhere in this conference I posted a note for a Caldo which is famous
in a favorite San Antonio TX restaurant.  Although the caldo is meat-stock
based, use of a vegetable stock is possible and I suspect would make a most
satisfactory vegetarian Caldo.   Good hearty fare for some of those cold,
damp Irish winter days!

Hope this helps!  Bill

    Hi,
    
    I have a two tier bamboo steamer that I purchased for 9.99 at Letcher's(sp) 
    retail kitchen supply store. But I found an even cheaper method of 
    steaming vegetables, chicken, fish, partically anything is the tunafish
    method.
    
    1. Take a pot (I use a dutch oven sized pot) fill it with 1 1/2 inches 
    of water. 
    
    2. Then open a tunafish can on both ends (you might want to wash it 
    out before you place it in the pot). 
    
    3. Now place a flat oven proof dish smaller diameter than the pot you are 
    using, and turn on heat to a boil. 
    
    I used this version before I got my bamboo steamer. One some
    occasions I use the tunafish method for messy things like steamed 
    chicken etc.  
    
    cl...

    
    We always steamed our tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper
    towel, then in aluminum foil, and placed them in the oven for a 
    few minutes.  It's a good way to re-use aluminum foil that you're
    recycling.

    Hi,
    
    
    I forgot to mention that in response .20 that you are suppose to 
    place a lid on the dutch oven when steaming, but watch the time, 
    because this method take very little time to cook. And always use
    several pot holders to prevent you from burning your hands...
    
    Other ideas on steaming food....
    Other steamers worth mentioning for vegetables, fish, chicken,
    and other meats is parchment paper. You can either buy it on a roll
    or in bags. Parchment paper by the roll, has other uses such as lining 
    pans, cookie sheets, etc. I bought mine in a speciality store, but I'm
    sure if you look at anywhere they sell cookware, you could probably
    find it. It's not very expensive and it prevents things like cookies from
    burning. 
    
    I've also heard of wrapping fish in lettuce leaves works well to
    prevent the fish from drying out. I would image that if you use the 
    tough outer lettuce leaves you serve two purposes, wonderfully prepared
    fish, and another frugil way of using your lettuce....
    
    cl

    If you like flour tortillas but you are on a diet, you can make them
    without the lard/shortning/oil.  Just flour, baking powder and water.
    And if they dry out, sprinkle some water on them and toss them on a
    medium-hot burner (electric, if you are using gas, the flame should
    be very low).  Use tongs if you are fast with them.  I'm not, so I
    just use fingers and a fork if I get into trouble.  Corn tortillas
    can be softened the same way or in the microwave, but they tend to 
    have a grainy texture if they aren't fried a little bit first.
    
    Ellen
    

    
    3 cups flour
    1 to 1-1/8 cups water
    3-1/2 T. Crisco
    2 T. baking powder
    1 T. salt
    
    T. = tablespoon
    
    Mix all ingredients in big bowl.  Heat cast iron skillet to med-high.
    Flour board and roll out handful balls of dough very thin.
    Place in skillet.  When they start to bubble slightly, flip over.
    Press down with spatula on tortilla to brown slightly.  Remove and
    cover with towel to keep moist.  
    
    To store I use old bread sacks.  Haven't tried freezing them yet
    as they are gone too quickly.
    
    
    

    HELP!

    I live in the UK - I desperately need a corn tortilla press for a
    cooking competition I'm doing - I finally found a place to buy masa
    harina here but a tortilla press is pushing it! ;-)

    I used to live in Mexico and I had a press but I did not bring it with
    me when I moved over here.. sigh...

    So please - anyone that lives in Mexico, New Mexico, California, Texas
    or Arizona that can get a press easily would you please consider
    sending me one.. I'll pay for it and all shipping charges..  if you can
    help can you please mail me ASAP.. currently I use two bread boards
    that I slam together but it is troublesome and the corn tortillas don't
    come out as nice as they do with a press...

    in hopeful anticipation!

    gailann
                                                               

                                                         

    
    I just purchased my tortilla press from Williams Sonoma. 
    I believe it was only 14.00 or so.   It was made in Mexico, 
    and works fine for me.  I bought mine in the store, but 
    I have seen them in the Williams Sonoma catalog.  
    
    Just a thought...  
    
    	

I recently received a Williams-Sonoma catalog which has an electric
Tortilla Chef (forms and cooks). $50 for item #57-528554 (Page 28
of the April Catalog).

Their 800 number is 541-2233.

-Jack

    Could some privileged person kindly create a keyword "Tortilla" and
    point it to this note? Would have saved me some hunting.
    
    					Thanks -
    
    						Max
    

    dir/tit=tortilla or a search through note 5.12 would have yielded the
    same results...

    Is it just me? Note 5 only has one reply. What happened to the others?
    

    Much to my surprise, I found some Flour Tortillas in Sainsbury's (aka
    Savacentre) last night. I found them in the pre-made bun and roll
    section of the bakery (not the fresh on site baked) counter. Why they
    were not with the other Mexican foods is a mystery to me.
    
    Anyway, the brand names is DUCKS, yes Ducks. They are imported from
    Denmark. In their turn, the Danish imported them from the USofA,
    California I think. You get 8 Tortillas, about 8"-9" diameter, in a 
    polythene packaging. The design on the packaging has lots of yellow on
    it and a continental feel.
    
    The verdict of my wife was that they were good, if a tad expensive;
    when compared to Texas. They were pretty good tasting and quite thin. I 
    think I can also use them as a substitute for Chinese pancakes in the  
    famous Moo Shu Pork/Duck.
    
    I would expect the price to tumble, if and once Sainsbury's starts making
    them. Currently, I personally regard them as an out-and-out convenience
    food for when we're too lazy to make them ourselves.
    
    Angus

    Waitrose (Tilehurst, and I guess other branches too) has been stocking 
    wheat tortillas for some time, again in the pre-packed bread section, 
    and very occasionally (i.e. once so far) also has corn ones.
    
    They're made by the company run by a woman whose name I can't
    remember who has published a couple of very good Mexican cook books.
    
    Jim