| August 28, 2002
Authentic Mexican food at
heart of cooking teacher's philosophy
Ana Isabel Garcia believes in dishes prepared
simply, quickly.
Author: Karen Haram; EXPRESS-NEWS FOOD EDITOR
Edition: Metro
Section: Food
Page: 1F
Index Terms:
Feature; Profile; Recipe
Article Text:
Before Ana Isabel Garcia ever finished her
cooking class, eager Central Market students
were clamoring for her to come back to San
Antonio to teach them more.
Such is the power of authentic Mexican food,
prepared as simply, quickly and deliciously as
it's possible to make it.
The vivacious Garcia, owner and founder of La
Villa Bonita School of Mexican Cuisine in
Cuernavaca, Mexico, about 45 minutes south of
Mexico City, has deep roots there. Her
great-grandmother was a well-known butcher with
numerous stands in the Cuernavaca mercado. Her
great-grandfather founded the state of Morelos'
first senate.
Although she generally teaches hands-on
classes in the 16th-century Cuernavaca mansion
that houses visiting students, her cooking
school and a small restaurant, she seemed just
as comfortable here, even while working with
unfamiliar equipment and cooktops.
As students entered the class, Garcia was
pressing tortillas by hand, turning them out so
quickly her assistant could scarcely keep up the
pace.
Soon into the class, Garcia, who was born in
Monterrey, Mexico, explained that she is not a
professionally trained chef. "What I know I
learned from my mother and grandmother," she
said.
Obviously, they taught her well.
Her love of Mexican food is obvious, and it's
her goal to share the joy of cooking authentic
Mexican food with the world.
"People consider Taco Bell Mexican food. And
I want to beat them up," she said, to resounding
laughter from class members.
What captivated students, beyond Garcia's
obvious enthusiasm for her subject and her
culinary skill - and her excitement at having
her father present, watching from the back of
the class - was her method of making complex
dishes seem doable, even relatively easy.
Garcia explained that the dishes she was
preparing were "party dishes, not for everyday."
Still, the dishes seemed accessible, no more
complicated than, say, an Italian lasagna or
French stew.
A mole - which Garcia described as a
"household mole" - is meant to be made in large
quantities. "When you do mole, you do a lot of
it. My recipe is for eight people - eight people
who haven't eaten for two days, so it really
serves 10-12," she said.
As she prepared each dish, Garcia gave tips
for extending the sauce beyond its use that day.
Adobo de Chile Ancho, which she served with pork
butt, could be "smothered on salmon, shrimp or
chicken. You can add honey or sherry vinegar to
give the sauce a little twist."
Pipian Verde, also served with pork, would be
excellent as a sauce atop lobster-stuffed
enchiladas, garnished with queso fresco, she
advised.
Among other tips that peppered Garcia's
class:
Roast tomatoes in a nonstick pan. Put them in
and don't touch them until you flip them to the
other side.
Corn or vegetable oil can be used for frying
in place of lard. "The only thing I wouldn't use
is olive oil," she said.
When frying sauces, you want the sauce to
bubble when it is put in the hot oil. Test the
heat of the oil by putting a drop of sauce in to
see if it bubbles.
Wash tomatillos with water and light soap to
get rid of the stickiness.
One of the biggest misconceptions of Mexican
food is that it's spicy. "The spice should be on
the side, or not at all," she says.
You can tell that roasted ancho chiles have
cooked enough by the fumes. "When the fumes
start coming up, they're done," she says.
The flavor of Mexican canela and cinnamon in
the United States is "almost exactly the same."
It's the texture that is different. Mexican
canela is soft enough to be blendable in a
blender or food processor. Cinnamon sold in the
States isn't.
Bouillon makes an acceptable substitute for
meat stocks.
White onions work best in Mexican cooking.
Moles are best made a day ahead of serving to
let the flavors develop.
Most Mexican sauces like those Garcia
prepared can be frozen up to six months.
To heat corn tortillas, get a tea towel very
wet and squeeze dry. Put tortillas in the towel,
place it in the microwave and heat.
kharam@express-news.net
Garcia offers an immersion into the
intricacies of Mexican food and culture through
four-and seven-night stays at La Villa Bonita
School of Mexican Cuisine. For more information
on Garcia and her cooking classes, go to www.la
villabonita.com.
Pipian Verde
4 pounds deboned pork leg or butt
3 cloves garlic
6 peppercorns
21/4 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and
washed 2 serrano or 1 jalapeno chile
1/3 cup vegetable oil or lard
31/2 ounces pepitas or green pumpkin seeds
Salt, to taste
4-5 epazote leaves
Cut pork in 1-11/2 inch pieces and put with
garlic and peppercorns in water to cover. Cook
until just tender. Do not overcook as pork will
continue cooking in sauce. Reserve pork stock.
(A pressure cooker works well for cooking the
pork.)
Roast tomatillos and chiles in roasting pan
until well cooked. In saucepan, put 1 tablespoon
lard or oil. Add pepitas and cook until puffy.
Put roasted tomatillos, chiles, pepitas and 2
cups of the pork stock in blender until mixture
is smooth. Don't strain.
Put remaining oil in deep pot and heat. Add
tomatillo mixture, lower heat to medium and add
salt and epazote. If sauce is too thick, add a
little more stock. Add pork and cook an
additional 10 minutes. Don't worry if the sauce
curdles somewhat. It should do that.
Garcia suggests serving this with fresh corn
tortillas and rice and beans as side dishes.
Note: Chicken or shrimp can be substituted
for pork. Pork chops or pork loin also can be
used; if so, grill or cook separately and make
the sauce with chicken stock. This sauce also is
good over lobster-stuffed enchiladas topped with
queso fresco.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Source: Ana Isabel Garcia Roasted Quail with
Peanut Sauce
6 quail, opened butterfly style
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper
2 ancho chiles
2 tomatoes
1 (10-inch) long Mexican canela or cinnamon
stick (see Note)
2 cloves 31/2 ounces unsalted raw peanuts (if
using roasted, don't roast them as directed
below)
1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
1 medium white onion
1/2 slice toasted bread
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup unseeded green grapes
Put quails on platter and spread generously
with mayonnaise, salt and pepper on both sides;
cover with plastic wrap and place in
refrigerator. (Mayonnaise will tenderize quail.)
In hot skillet, roast ancho chiles; remove
and roast tomato; remove and roast cinnamon
stick; remove and roast cloves. Set aside.
Fry peanuts in lard until golden.
In blender, mix roasted chiles, tomato,
cinnamon, cloves, peanuts and onion; add chicken
stock as needed. Strain the mixture, pressing
out as much liquid as you can.
In pot, cook peanut mixture for 20 minutes on
medium heat.
Meanwhile, grill quail skin side down for 6-8
minutes covered; turn and cook another 5-7
minutes covered. (If desired, quail can be
cooked in nonstick pan; brown on one side, then
turn and finish cooking with lid on.)
Serve quail on platter topped with peanut
sauce; garnish with grapes.
Note: If you are not going to use Mexican
canela, you can use regular cinnamon stick, but
don't put it in the blender. Add the stick to
the sauce to cook. Take out before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Ana Isabel Garcia
Caption:
Ana Isabel Garcia discusses authentic Mexican
food at Central Market. One of the dishes
prepared by Ana Isabel Garcia for students at
Central Market Cooking School was Roasted Quail
with Peanut Sauce.Photos: AIMEE SANTOS/STAFF
Copyright 2002 San Antonio Express-News
Record Number: 625951
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