The Quest for Authentic Mexican Cuisine
The quest for authentic Mexican cuisine and wine continues with this article focusing on “botanas” (appetizers and snacks), specifically “sopas” (soups). Subsequent articles will highlight various other authentic Mexican dishes.
Cooler weather is in our future! Chase the blues and chills away with a bowl of Caldo (broth) Xochitl (the Aztec name for flower)! It is a warm “aquada” soup, with a base of rich chicken broth, to which is added rice (some use vermicelli), bits of shredded chicken, cilantro, diced tomatoes, onions, and avocado. This flavorful dish can be a meal in itself, and you can let your creativity rock and roll with “tweaks” such as oregano, chiles, radishes, garbanzo beans, and limes. It is usually eaten with crispy tostadas. Ramp it up with a bottle of Monte Xanic “Vina Kristel” Sauvignon Blanc. Light and satisfying!
Another authentic dish is Consome y Pollo, an easy combination of chicken broth and generous portions of garlic and onion, then cooked down for over two hours. White rice is added and topped off with a tender-as-a-mother’s-love-tender chicken thigh or breast. Simmered for another half hour or so and served with warm tortillas, it’s simple and delicious! A glass or two of the Casa Madero Chenin Blanc will make this taste treat sing!
Create a flavor riot in your mouth with a bowl of Pozole! A sort of “crossover” dish in that it can be made hearty enough to be a stew or light enough to be a delicious soup! A traditional pre-Columbian blend of hominy, bits of pork (or chicken or beef), and chili pepper in an intense beef broth, which can be “beefed up” (pun intended) with limes, chopped raw onion, diced radishes, cilantro, and lettuce, among other things. Serve with some crispy tostadas. Honoring the Mexican tri-color, it can be made “green” with the addition of spinach or green tomatoes; white, made with just the hominy and pork in the broth; and red with the addition of red chili powder. Lead with your imagination! Also, let it lead you to bottle of Echelon Pinot Noir. Have a Pinot with Pozole night!
Not to be missed is the somewhat ubiquitous Tortilla Soup. Give your taste buds a treat with this traditional but oh-so-flavorful combination that has unlimited “tweakability”. (It’s sometimes referred to as “Aztec Soup”, usually without cheese, but this seems to be more of a “Tex-Mex” concoction). Get the all purpose chicken broth working with chicken strips, diced tomatoes, and some sweet corn. Add in a little vegetable oil and chili powder. After about ten minutes of simmering, pour over strips of tortilla and a generous portion of Chihuahua cheese, sprinkle with cilantro, squirt in some lime juice, and prepare to enjoy! It has flavors on its flavors! I’d go with some more Echelon Pinot Noir with this dish.
No article about “sopas Mexicano” is complete without including Menudo. Usually a spicy soup, it’s made from tripe (cow’s stomach). The personification of “slow food”, it can take several hours to make, and can include beef feet and tendons, onions, chili paste, hominy and “mucho ajo” (lotsa garlic!). It also has a reputation for curing hangovers since it tends to cause sweating! Like Pozole, it has many variations. In northwestern Mexico, usually only the blanco, or white version, is seen. In the northeast, the tinto, or red version, is seen. In the southeast, it is usually served without corn. Again, let your imagination lead the way! With all the spices and garlic, you’ll need a stout red wine to stand up to them! A Casa Madero Merlot here would do the trick!
Even though “Chiles en Nogada” isn’t a “sopa”, I’m including it because it’s a famous seasonal dish (usually prepared only in August and September when the ingredients are in season, and to commemorate Mexico’s Independence Day, September 16th). It’s thoroughly Mexican, and absolutely dee-lish! Evidently, it was first prepared by nuns in Puebla, using local ingredients, to honor Emperor Agustin de Iturbe y Aramburu after he accepted Mexican independence in 1823 (so the story goes!). The colorful dish is composed of a fried green Poblano chili, stuffed with ground beef, pork, fruits and spices, smothered in a sweetened white walnut sauce, and sprinkled with red pomegranate seeds, to represent the Mexican tri-colors of green, white and red.
I’m indebted to several people who helped me with this article: Kirsten West, a chef and champion/enthusiast of Mexican cuisine; Irma Valenzuela, whose family has been cooking the true Mexican way for 35 years here at Café Colon, the folks at Los Milagros Restaurante, the chef at La Alborada, and Alvaro Zubeldia Grave at Resturante Correo.
Dick Avery is head sipper at VinoClubSMA, a club devoted to the enjoyment of Mexican wines. Visit his website at www.vinoclubsma.com or contact him at vinoclubsma (at) gmail.com.
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