A New Chapter On Mexican Cooking

 Mexican food is showing Americans that it's more than tacos and margaritas.There's a whole new generation of Mexican born chefs that are showing the varied and delicious foods of their provinces/ Itsa wide variety of different ingredients and flavors.

New contributor and winner of the James Beard award for culinary writing and regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this explosion of true Mexican cuisine in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Mexican food was always a limited menu. There was just tacos and burritos, that's it. In the last fifty years , however, in the past fifty year the exican population has expanded from eight and a half million to thirty-nine million.According to Pew research in 2024 one out of ten restaurants in the US is Mexican. Eighty-five per cent of all counties in the US have at least one Mexican restaurant. What this means is that there is also a vast array of different recipes from the country's thirty-two states. A big plus is that also eleven of them received Michelin stars including Californios in San Francisco, the only Mexican anywhere to win the acclaimed award three years in a row. Unfortunately now politics also plays a role in this phenomena. Mexicans and even Mexican-Americans have been deported or contained by ICE thanks to the Trump administration

Politics ,aside the Mexicnn states are being greatly represented here. There are birria tacos from Zacatecas , a favorite with Gustavo Arellano, are porter for the Los Angeles Times and author of  Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America. He never really saw them here until the mid 20110s. These are barbeco or barbecue filling of Western Mexico, They;re usually made with goat or lamb  and flavored with vinegar,dried Chile and garlic along with herbs and spices. There are also plate sized palceros, big in New York, Manhattanites love these large tacos from central Mexico. The filling is anything from pork rinds , queso fresco, cactus flower salad and avocadies. Potatoes, eggs and rice are added for more oomph and the whole dish is topped with either fresh cilantro, diced onions or regional salsas.Even Oklahoma City birthplace of such American staples as Sonic and drive in eateries have birrio estila Aguascalientes slow roasted goat summered in guachillo ancho broth ,flavored with tomatoes and roasted cashews.Even places with small Hispanic communities like Door County ,Wisconsin have excellent Mexican restaurants.La Sirena's chef Emile Coulson Slagado uses Wagyu beef in making some of the best foods outside of Los Angeles and New York

Mexican food is becoming one of the top gourmet foods in the US<The food is top notch as is the quality.It is fast becoming a force on the American culinary scene.

The Future Of Our Imports

What will the  new administration be like for food importers and overseas growers? It's going to be a tough time however long it lasts. What should we do? That's a good question and there's not a solid answer.

This blog has stayed away from all things political - that's not my direction with it. I write about trends and recipes, nutrition and new products However with the new American administration, Americans are going to be hurt by certain bans, Our fruits and vegetables that come in from Mexico will now be higher in price thanks to our president wanting to build a wall on our border  with the Mexicans paying for it. How does that affect us?  Mexican farmers will charge more for the vegetables they grow. That means tomatoes and avocados will cost more and to many families that means going without. Some fruits such as strawberries will also be in the crossfires along with bananas and raspberries. The Chihuahua region gives the US most of it' pecans, contrary to the popular belief that they come from Georgia. Pecans are usually used in pies around the holidays so many  home chefs and bakers won't be that affected by them. Restaurants, however, do use them, namely in salads and some chicken dishes. This will increase in pricing. with the larger chains and smaller, privately owned ones.

Beer drinkers will also be affected. Corona and Dos Equis both come from there as does tequila. These along with drinks made with them, across the US will also go up in price thanks to the building of this "wall". Agave syrup, now popular with hipsters and health, will also be affected. Organic agave is expensive enough with prices ranging from eleven  dollars to fifteen may go up  in pricing starting at sixteen at the cheapest and twenty at the most expensive. If all this occurs what can we do? Luckily the US has some great summer harvests with fruits and vegetables coming in from all areas of the US. The winter will be a little more trickier. We'll have to rely on Hawaii, California, and Florida for produce. Americans will probably be returning to  using Georgia raised pecans. Since New Mexico and Arizona have the same kind of desert conditions as most of Mexico, they can be the producers of both agave syrup and even tequila.  We can also protest the wall and stop all this nonsense too.

Hopefully, this new president  will renege on his pledge to "build that wall". It will not only create animosity with the Mexicans but also hurt our trade and eating habits. He should come to his senses and realize a wall is not the answer.

A School Ready Kitchen

Many schools are starting this week (bummer, right?) and that means revamping the fridge and pantry to fit students needs.Those scholars will  need fun and nutritious foods to help them through the day and those all important study hours.Feed  them right  and they'll do better at school - hopefully,

Kicking off the school day can be  a pain, especially if the little and not so little ones have spent the summer starting off with junk cereals.It's time to go back to eating healthier breakfast foods. One of the best cereals to eat is Mom's Best Cereals. The company creates good for you spins on Cheerios,Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms. They are made with without any high fructose corn syrup along with no partially hydrogenated oil and best of all no artificial flavors or preservatives. The  cereals also taste better than the national brands and don't have their residual cloying sweetness. The boxes also are fun, having interesting and fun facts on ecology and animals. Pancakes and waffles are always in demand- however make them with whole wheat or buckwheat flour.That classic oatmeal is always good , even in hot weather. It's a warm fulfilling bowl that can be supplemented with the fruits of the season.What about eggs? Should kids eat them or not? The answer is yes, but only if they don't eat too much cholesterol on a weekly basis. A poached egg or an egg sunny side up served with bacon can be saved for a birthday or holiday breakfast and not a school day one.

Lunches can be made both fun and healthy. One good investment is a bento box. This Japanese classic is perfect for storing sandwiches and snacks. The compartments let eaters have the right amount of the main dish and sides or snacks.These are easy to be had and can be found everywhere from Target to Amazon.com This allows you to make  a nutritious main such as a mini salad or sandwich along with tasty veggie and fruit sides.For sandwiches , always have whole wheat or seven grain slices instead of white  and think beyond the usual baloney and mustard. Make a guacamole spread  for sandwiches instead of mayo and think tomato slices or broccoli florets.If you do have to serve protein then think leftover steak or chicken which don't have the preservatives or nitrates. Salads can be made fun and colorful too. Add carrots along with diced red and green peppers.Extras  can be whole wheat croutons or sunflower seeds.Look for dressings that are low in fat  but high in natural ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Have the student make the salad to suit their likings.

Get your kitchen ready for the new semester. Have healthy ingredients for nutritious breakfasts and lunches. It'll make for a better student and better grades.