Tamales

I'm sure Paco could tell this better than me but when I was young, yes, I
was young once, I had my first tamale. They came in cans then. I don't
know how they come now. I was eating one, my first, and it tasted kind of,
well, different. I guess the reason's were, I never ate one so I didn't
know how they would taste it being my first one, and second, they were
wrapped in paper and I didn't know it. I soon found out though. Yuk.

Crusher...

AAARRGGH! Where's my Pepcid! This thread is giving me heartburn just
reading it!

Don and his Devil

JD Cooper...

Jean B....

I knew you'd find tamales with vinaigrette sauce strange.
It was sort-of a Spanish cafe.... I don't know what it's up
to now. It closed after being in business for about 3
decades, and then it reopened again.

Crusher...

Perhaps so, but I ate hamburgers in a McD's in Managua, Nicaragua in 1974-
cooked in palm oil.

Joy...

Jean B....

That's strange, Joy. I wouldn't find "dry" palatable, but it
must be what one is used to, since I can't imagine a hole
country would be into self-abuse. I wonder why Australian
cuisine evolved that way?

Jean B....

Yes, I am--and that's a good thing!

There are places that think they are serving Mexican food, but they don't
know what they're doing. That sounds like one of them. My daughter loves
Mexican food, and eats it often. When she was visiting England, she got
hungry for Mexican food, so was delighted when she found a "Mexican"
restaurant. She didn't tell me exactly what she ordered, but she said,
"They think it's Mexican if they put chili on it."

Now before JD starts telling us what "real" Mexican food is, I should
explain that Mexico is a big country, with regional specialties. The
Mexican food that spills over the border can vary quite a bit. For
instance, California Mexican food is quite different from "Tex-Mex". I
prefer the California version, but that's because I grew up with it. I
don't think either version is better or more authentically Mexican than the
other.

JD Cooper...

I think, if you would recall, that I have stated many, many times that
there is a remarkable difference in what Americans call "Mexican food".
As a matter of fact, I have spoken to the difference between Tex-Mex
which tends to be red and New Mexico-Mex which tends to be green. I have
also spoken to the difference in Arizona and, AHEM...! CALIFORNIA!

...but I guess you don't remember that too pretty good.

web-search me.

Joy...

I believe you. You often make me angry, but I don't think you lie. I'm
sure it comes as a great surprise to you, and may even hurt your feelings,
but I don't remember everything you've written.

I think there are two reasons for the differences in Mexican food in U.S.
states that border on Mexico. The states are quite possible getting the
specialty of different regions of Mexico. And, of course, there are the
gringo adjustments, embellishments or omissions that often occur.

JD Cooper...

(my culinary feelings are NOT hurt)

I suspect you are more correct in your assessment of the differences
because of "regions", but I'd assume the differences are more akin to
the differences in the gringo influences on the cooking.

...but then, that's just a guess.

Whatever the case, I would suggest there is no such thing as "American
food" because of the wildly different influences in different parts of
our immigrant country.

Going deep into Mexico one finds that foods are far different from more
northerly styles and that is mostly because of the different influences
of the types of people that inhabit Mexico... as here in the USA.

Joy...

You're right about "American food". When I have guests from other
countries, I always wonder what to serve them. I'd like to serve "American
food", but what is that? I can't even take them to Mickey D's any more,
because they have them in their own countries. ;-)

I post an old story I made a few years ago at Christnas time:

Jean B....

Joy...

Yes, I had a hard time with dry sandwiches.

As to how it evolved, that's an interesting question. It might make sense
in the areas that were settled by convicts and their guards. I don't
imagine they had time for niceties like making mayonaise, and even if there
were such a thing as ready made, it would probably be hard to find,
thousands of miles from anywhere. The same would probably go for the parts
that were settled by miners and ranchers. However,I don't know about the
other areas. I don't remember dry sandwiches in England, but I can't
remember if I ever had a sandwich there. Maybe the English eat their
sandwiches without condiments.

Hehe. I can picture that, Don. I used to get those canned
ones, because it was all we had up north at that time. I
might still use them for one thing--sliced and added to

Joy...

Jean B....

Yes, that type of historical background might make sense--and
the (I assume) original hardship of living there in general
must have played a role for the original nonconvicts. But
then I'd assume that eventually, there would have been an
evolution toward condiments--at least the basic ones.

JD Cooper...

Numac...

Do you think it might have to do with what grows in the different areas? I know when I
was a lad we made a trip from Ohio to Florida. Florida exposed me to the mango for the
first time and in Georgia Mom and Dad complained about the Chickery(SP) coffee and I ate
grits for the first time, many of the food stops we made were to sample local foods.In
todays world where things are shipped all over the differences are not as pronounced. I
think our preferences are developed early and we prefer what we grow up with.

JD Cooper...

I am quite certain you are right about different styles being a result
of local foods and how foods travel so freely now. I recall a news story
in the NG here a few years ago about how some American grocery chains
and meat purveyors were clamering to keep up with a new demand for goat
meat.. all because of the ever expanding Mexican and central American
populations here. (goats thrive in regions that cattle do not) Also was
the story that all over the country goat ranching was becoming a cash
business. Prior to just recently you'd have never found goat in the meat
case at a grocer.

heh! That is a problem, ain't it?

One might also consider that Mickey D's is very different in different
parts of the world. I am given to understand that what you get at Burger
King in England is entirely different than Burger King in the USA. I
assume the same is true for Micky D's. I believe that I have read that
these American chains have tailored their menus to the customs/appetites
of the countries they are living in... but perhaps that is incorrect
information.

As far as taking visitors out to eat, I tend to take them to local dives
wherein the real and quite authentic taste of the area can be had. It
seems to matter little that one can have a steak or chicken in England
or Oz or Japan, but the way it is cooked and the ambiance of the local
restaurant makes the entire meal as different as night and day between
them. For example, there is a little steak house down the road where the
food is common but there are hot iron brands burned into the wood
plaques on the walls. Otherwise I'd take them to a local hot and smokey
BBQ joint where you eat the stuff the traditional TEXAS way off butcher
paper.. no plates needed. Such scenes are about as AMERICAN as you can
get and the food just is somehow as different as if you, yourself, were
eating at a pub in London.

Otherwise just do an all American meat loaf with mashed taters and green
beans and iced tea.... or mac and cheese! How can ya get any more
"American" that that?

Definitely. I think it's also a sign that you're getting more
self-confidence, which is also a good thing.

Jean B....

Well, I think that's true too. Of course, people who are used
to walking all over you might not be too thrilled. :-)

Jean B....

According to legend (IIRC), he was playing cards and didn't
want to interrupt that to eat, and hence the sandwich was born.

Joy...

Joy...

I try to eat "native" when I visit other countries. However, there have
been two occasions when the only thing available when I was really hungry
was Mickey D's. Once was 20 years ago when I was in Vienna with my kids and
the other time was in Australia when BigBazza tried to show me the Blue
Mountains but the weather wouldn't cooperate. Both times it was past time
for a meal and we were starving. Both times a Big Mac tasted just like the
ones I get at home. I suspect that in Oz they'd add beetroot if you asked
for it, since Ozzies seem to prefer it on their sandwiches, hamburgers
included, but it wasn't served to me that way.

Joy

Good.

Jean B....

Yup! :-)

scrambled eggs. Odd, huh?

Arch (TX)...

I remember those Don, they were certainly not the best. You can get real
tamales here from a number of vendors and they are great. I think you
would really like them. Oh, you can also find them in the frozen foods
area but the fresh ones are so much better.