Conference turris::cooks

    A little late, but as promised:
    
    			MENUDO  (reprinted w/o permission from
    				 Arizona Highways Heritage Cookbook)
    
    " Menudo is the peppery, garlicky, elixer-stew of Mexico,
    respected for it's medicinal powers, especially recommended
    for hamgover. Based on tripe, the stomach of the cow, the
    pig or the sheep, and nixtamal (hominy), Menudo is an
    Aquired taste."
    
    5 Cups Tripe, well washed and trimmed
    3 Cups nixtamal, or canned hominy, drained
    6 quarts water
    2 onions, minced
    4 cloves garlic, crushed and toasted
    1 Tablespoon salt
    1 Tablespoon marjoram (oregano)
    minced green onions with tops
    peppery salsa
    
    
    Cut cleaned, thoroughly washed tripe into slices about 1 inch wide,
    and cook 1 hour in large pot with water. Add the hominy, without
    liquid if canned, and onion garlic, salt and marjoram. Simmer 6 
    to 7 hours. To serve, ladle into shallow plates; top with minced 
    onions and hot, peppery, fresh salsa. Recipe serves 18 to 20 and 
    freezes well (for emergency use).
    
    

    
    I lived in Mexico for a number of years and have seen Menudo made
    in may Mexican kitchens.  
    
    Like so many here I don't care for it...  it is not so much the
    taste I have to admit, for without the salsa and fresh onion it
    is really just a garlic-ie broth with bits of 'stuff' in it!  It
    is the thought of it ... I just can't do it!! ;-)
    
    Anyway just to add to .11  Most of the people that I know who make
    Menudo start by placing several pig's feet or knuckles in the pot
    with a WHOLE head of garlic, several whole onions and several gallons
    of water.  After this has boiled to a broth the tripe is added and
    the hominy (somewhere along the lines the salt is added but I seem
    to remember hearing it makes the meat tough if added before it is
    fully cooked).  After the soup is all cooked the garlic head and
    onions are removed and the soup ladled up served as .11 suggested
    with fresh chopped onion and salsa.  Everyone I knew also served
    it with fresh lemon juice and chopped Cilantro (also known as Italian 
    parsley or coriander).
    
    In Mexico this is a sworn hang over remedy!!  This soup is always
    made at festival times, Christmas, Dia de Santo, New Year etc. 
    It is also widely available in all restaurants that cater for the
    after bar crowd!!
    
    gailann

    Yes, nothing is wasted...
    To answer .8 (Greg): Menudo, for your information is STOMACH, and
    tripe, for your information is INTESTINES, two very different items,
    both eatable... (but not by me, thank you). I have seen both being
    cooked, in fact, I have a few very good recipes from Andalucia that
    are much different to the Mexican recipes but personally don't care
    for either.  Super Stop and Shop in the Boston suburbs sell TRIPES
    but actually, what they sell is STOMACH pieces, white, and about 1/2
    inch thick... the real TRIPE (or intestines) are not sold anywhere in
    New England with the exception of treated and dried and they are called
    "sausage casings" to be found only in specialty stores dedicated to
    sausages...
    some famous dishes of Spanish cousine are:
    "Callos a la Madrilena" originated in the Madrid area.
    "Callos a la andaluza" (my recipe) originated in Andalucia, very
    similar to the first one but includes chick peas in it.
    "Sopa de Menudillos" ... and many more.
    
    "Callos" is Spanish word for Stomach
    "Menudillo"   "       "   "  Tripe
    
    I hope this clarifies a bit the difference between the two...
    
    Regards, Ana
    

    re: .18.  Tripe is stomach lining, at least in English.
    
    ed,
    ex-slaughterer

Tripe is most definitely stomach linings.  Chitterlings (chittlins) is
intestines.  I always thought "tripas" was the Spanish word for tripes.

--PSW

>  I always thought "tripas" was the Spanish word for tripes.
    
    It is.

    Well,
    
    I've looked through all the Mexican recipes in this string and looked
    also for anything that mentioned dip and didn't see Queso dip anywhere. 
    In a prevous note someone mentioned Little Mexico in Salem.  They serve
    the most scrumptious Queso Dip (IMHO) anywhere.  What makes it so
    special is that is is hot but smooth.  In other words, it has no lumps
    at all.  I've tried to make it twice using the blender the first time
    and lots of jalape�os and that one had lumps and then again using just
    spices.  Neither comes close!
    
    Does anyone attempted this??  If so, could you post your recipe here?
    
    Many thanx in advance,
    
    Dana
    

I make my chili con queso with "equal" parts velveeta and salsa heated in the
microwave.  A friend from Albuquerque also adds a can of condensed cream of
mushroom soup, and hers comes out super.  I suppose if you wanted it totally
smooth, you could puree the salsa in the blender first, then strain it.  You
could even do that with the cream of mushroom soup.  I like the little veggie
lumps, myself.

					-JP

ps by "equal", I mean 8 oz velveeta to 8 oz salsa, even though one is weight,
the other is fluid measure

    
    One recipe we used to make when we lived in Albuquerque was melt
    Velveeta cheese and a little bit of milk in a double boiler on the
    stove.  We used to add a can of Ro-Tel brand tomatoes (tomatoes and
    green chili) to the mixture - yummy!  If you can't get that brand, look
    in the Mexican food section of the grocery store for tomatoes and green
    chili - not as good (IMHO), but will do the job.  I actually found some
    Ro-Tel tomatoes at the Ocean State Job Lot down in Falmouth, Cape Cod! 
    Needless to say, I stocked up on them.
    
    Good Luck!
    Barb

    try notes 164.26, or the string in note 419.

I thought I had put the recipe in here somewhere... but I couldn't remember
where.  Thanks!

    
    Thank you, all!  I never thought to look under Dip!  
    
    Bon Apetite!
    
    Dana
    

    Anyone out there have a recipe for Chicken Quesadillas (have NO idea
    how to spell it!).  I've looked everywhere I can think of in this notes
    conference, but can't find anything even close.  If someone knows of a
    recipe already here, could you point me in the right direction?
    
    Thanks much!
    Tina Hayes
    

We made up our own Chicken Quesedilla recipe after enjoying them
at a number of Mexican restaurants around Boston...

Take a couple of tortillas.  Lay one flat and spread it with some salsa
(as hot as you like), sprinkle with some cheese (jack, or any mix
of shredded cheeses such as jack+cheddar+mozzeralla).  Strew some
leftover cooked chicken, shredded over this.  Put in a fry pan with a 
little olive oil.  Place other tortilla on top and fry up as if it were
a "grilled" cheese sandwich.  Cut in wedges.

You can throw anything else in that your family likes.  We add slices black
olives and deseeded jalepeno peppers on occasion.

    Thanks, Lisa.  We've tried making our own as well, similar to what you
    described, except we put on salsa, guacamole, and sour cream after
    frying the tortillas.  But it just wasn't the same as what we had at
    Bennigan's (in Colorado Springs) - the chicken was marinated, and was
    absolutely wonderful and spicy.  I could probably experiment and come
    up with a marinade, but I'd like to see a recipe so the next time I
    make it I'll have an idea of what's missing.
    
    Anyone else ever make quesedillas or know of a recipe?  
    
    Thanks!
    Tina
     

    
    
    Hi
    
    I cook my chicken with a taco seasoning mix, then I spray a frying
    pan with some pam.  Put a tortilla in the pan then cheese, salsa,
    chicken, lettuce, tomatoes onions and black olives.  Put on another
    tortilla and cook both sides.  Serve with sour cream and quacamole.
    
    Kirsten
    

I've noticed that a lot of folks use packaged taco seasoning for many of their
dishes.  I used them as well for many years before deciding that it could be
done cheaper and better.  I use the mixture below and it's great!

TACO SEASONING

(for 1 lb of ground beef)

2T	chili powder
2t	cumin
1t	cilantro
1t	salt
3	cloves garlic, diced (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
1/4t	cayenne
1/2t	mexican oregano

cheers,
david

    
    I use a similar mix, less the cilantro:
    
    3   TBS Chili powder
    1   TBS cumin
    1   tsp oregano
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    
    optional:
    
    hot new mexican chili powder to taste.
    
    You are absolutely correct, much better than packaged mixes.
    
    I add it to the browned ground beef along with  1 8oz can tomato sauce,
    and a small amount of water to bring it to the desired consistency.