Using Ground Red Chile for Sauce
Learn a quick way to make a good red chile sauce from ground chile, in contrast, to starting from whole dry pods then soaking and processing with a food mill.
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Cotija Cheese
Cotija Cheese Cotija cheese (in Spanish, queso añejado, meaning “aged cheese”) is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese made primarily from cow’s milk. Named after the town of Cotija in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Cotija (pronounced ko-TEE-hah) is used as an all-purpose grating or crumbling cheese. White, salty, and somewhat granular, Cotija cheese softens but does not actually melt when heated. When fresh, Cotija cheese bears a resemblance in flavor and texture to feta cheese. Aged, Cotija grates smoothly and has more in common with Parmigiano-Reggiano. This similarity in form and function has earned it the nickname “Mexican Parmesan.” Traditional, artisanally crafted Mexican Cotija cheese is made with raw milk and aged for a period of three to twelve months. Commercially made varieties accelerate the curing period to produce a finished cheese in weeks, versus months. This is often achieved by the addition of an enzyme, which gives the commercially produced version a subtly different flavor from the artisanal variety. With at least twice the salt content of most Cheddar...
Read More![Comal [ko-MAHL]](https://cocinacalifornia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Comal-e1366918708198-534811_630x210.jpg)
Comal [ko-MAHL]
The comal is an essential and versatile griddle that I use daily to heat tortillas but I also use it to roast poblanos, blacken tomatillos, and other chiles and peppers.
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Poblano Chiles Roasted
Poblano chiles provide a meaty, full-flavored, and (mostly) non-spicy pocket for all kinds of meats, cheese, and even eggs.
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Red Chile Sauce
The depth of red color and the attributes of natural flavors are so magical in this simple sauce that you will want to eat it by the spoonful.
Read MoreAbout Hank
Have you noticed how the greens, yellows, and reds of native Mexican foods like tomatillos, squash and chile are so in-synch to Mexican art and architecture? My clattering in the kitchen creating Mexican food is an innate experience in identity (Identidad) to Mexico’s culture and rituals.
I get really excited and zoned-out mixing and matching textures, colors, flavors, aromas and anticipating an outcome that will turn out to be magical and shouts out - “cocina Identidad”.
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