Forwarded from Clipping-Cooking ... ----- Original Message ----- From: Jamie R To: Clipping-Cooking@Cooking-Lists.com ; World-Cuisine@cooking-lists.com Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 5:22 AM Subject: [World-Cuisine] Grande dame of Mexican cuisine Grande dame of Mexican cuisine Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, August 9, 2006 The plastic bags are sticking to the corn masa, causing the disks of tender dough to tear, and Diana Kennedy is not happy. "Anyone would think I'm a novice, and I've made thousands of these damn tortillas," says Kennedy, with her signature smile-grimace. She has just flattened a round of tamale dough in a tortilla press lined with two plastic bags, and folded the dough over black bean paste to make a Oaxacan bean tamale. But the shiny plastic produce bags, unlike the type she uses at home in Mexico, tear the dough as she pulls them away. Faulty plastic bags are just one of the great irritations facing the Mexican cooking authority at a recent tamale class at Olive and Vine cafe in Glen Ellen. Known for her acerbic wit, the small Englishwoman with spiky gray hair has already scolded the small gathering of professional chefs and home cooks several times. "You can always see each other for the next 10 years, but I'm only here once," she says, calling the chatty class to attention. "So I'm going to be very dictatorial, as everyone knows." Kennedy is considered an expert even in Mexico, where she has researched traditional cooking since 1957 and authored eight cookbooks, four of which have been translated into Spanish. Limitless quest She's rumored to have bypassed her eighth decade -- although she declines discussing her age -- and no longer teaches as often as she used to, but she has a new book on Oaxacan cuisine coming out next year, and still travels the country to gather recipes, techniques and rare chiles in a limitless quest to understand one of the world's great cuisines. Her characteristic crankiness seems to come from an urgent desire that knowledge she has gathered during five decades is passed along to as many people as possible before the traditions fade away. Though her often abrasive attitude has lost Kennedy a few fans along the way, she has plenty of acolytes, including in the Bay Area. "I've made hundreds and hundreds of her recipes over the past 30 years. That's the only way I felt I could teach myself," says Karen Taylor of Primavera Products in Sonoma, who produces stone-ground tortillas and tamales and runs popular Mexican food stands at the Ferry Plaza and Berkeley farmers' markets. Taylor eventually went to Michoacan to take a few of Kennedy's classes in her home, and Kennedy now advises Taylor on recipes and products that work with ingredients available in the Bay Area. Culinary anthropologist? "The more I get into her stuff, the more I realize how deep and vast the knowledge is," says Taylor. "Some people think she's a historian or anthropologist, but she doesn't think that. She thinks she's a cook." Kennedy's books often revolve around foods made with handmade corn masa such as the tortilla or tamale. Corn has always been a sacred crop in Mexico, and Kennedy celebrates the amazing variety of tortillas and tortilla dishes that have evolved out of the culture. She points out that there are at least 350 known types of tamales in all kinds of wrappers, from fresh corn husks to banana leaves. Usually eaten for breakfast or supper, the tamale is "a nice portable food, in whatever wrapper it is," says Kennedy. Today in Mexico, she says, most people preparing tamales would have their corn ground at a mill, or they just buy prepared corn flour, but she still wants everyone to know how to do it in the most traditional way. So in the Glen Ellen tamale class, as well as in her books, she demonstrates how to soak dried corn kernels with lime overnight, remove the skins, grind the corn by hand, then combine it with fresh lard to make masa. Keeping variety alive "It's best to have it written down at least. Otherwise we lose textures. We lose flavors," she says. "It's terribly dull to have one type of masa. We have to keep these varieties alive." The Oaxacan bean tamales are steaming in large pots Taylor has brought back from Mexico. Kennedy recommends placing pennies in the boiling water; as long as the coins continue to rattle, the water is boiling properly and there is still plenty of it in the pot. The cooking assistants are under strict instructions to watch the pots, because tamales that are stopped midway in cooking can quickly become dense and heavy. "Never add cold water to the pot," she commands. For a second type of tamale, the students spread a thin layer of fresh masa, with its wonderful lardy aroma, onto corn husks and then add rajas (roasted poblano pepper strips), Muenster cheese and salsa verde before closing the husks. "The tamales should be round," Kennedy emphasizes. "Handle them with your fingers," fluttering a few fingers delicately. "Don't squash." She inspects a pile of tamales. "Who made these?" she wails. They are too flat. Definitely squashed. Early years Kennedy first moved to Mexico in 1957 to marry Paul P. Kennedy, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, and fell in love with the cuisine. Paul passed away in the late '60s, and Craig Claiborne, then the New York Times food editor, suggested she teach Mexican cooking, which was mostly unfamiliar to Americans at the time. "I thought he was crazy," says Kennedy, in a surprisingly girlish voice, still tickled that he thought of the idea in the first place. She began teaching in 1969, and eventually published her first book, "The Cuisines of Mexico" in 1972. Several more books followed, and in 1980, she created a center for her studies in Michoacan -- an ecological ranch where she grows corn and other crops to use in cooking and research. Because they preserve artisanal traditions, her recipes tend to be time-consuming. They have many subrecipes and steps, although most of the components are fairly simple. But sometimes trying to be authentic can be a little maddening, such as in a recipe for fresh squash blossom quesadillas that calls for sauteing a huge pile of the flowers in 3 tablespoons of chopped onion. It's tempting to throw in a lot more. Yet the careful instruction and painstaking research behind each recipe makes you want to follow her every step dutifully. Authenticity counts "About 10 years ago my perception was that (Kennedy's recipes) were very complex. They often didn't turn out unless you used ingredients that were available only in Mexico," says Laurie Mackenzie, kitchen manager of La Cocina, an incubator kitchen in the Mission District that helps predominantly Latin American food businesses get a start. Most of the Latina cooks in her kitchen don't follow Kennedy's or anyone else's written recipes, she says. "They cook by feel." But Mackenzie herself has always collected Kennedy's books for their authentic regional dishes. In recent years she assisted Kennedy in several Bay Area cooking classes, including one on Mexican seafood dishes, and began to see her cooking differently. "Every recipe was very simple, very fresh and very delicious. I went to her books with a new eye to see recipes that might be simpler." Modern Mexican Richard Sandoval, chef-owner of Maya in San Francisco and six other U.S. restaurants as well as a restaurant that is opening next month in Mexico City, grew up in Mexico and came to the United States as an adult to cook. Though his culinary style is modern Mexican, he refers to Kennedy's books often. "She adopted Mexico almost as if it's her own," he says. "For Mexican chefs, it's an inspiration to see someone who took such a passion in our culture." However, Sandoval felt it was important to break from tradition when he opened his first U.S. restaurant 12 years ago. "In the United States, Mexican cuisine was stagnant for a while. I wanted to see it take transitions that French and Italian did," he says. "I would take traditional recipes and incorporate different textures and ingredients." Back in Glen Ellen, Kennedy sniffs the air. Something is burning. "Someone has been very careless -- not smelling, not listening. The masa will taste burnt!" Despite the pennies, the water has boiled away in the bottom of the tamale steamer. An assistant quickly pours water into the bottom of the pot. Final critique Soon after, the Oaxacan bean tamales emerge, steaming hot in their fresh corn-leaf wrappers. They don't taste burnt. The masa is thin and delicate, with an herbaceous, spring-like flavor from the wrappers and fresh hoja santa leaves. The black bean paste tucked inside is savory, spicy and aromatic. "My Mexican friends call me the best tamale maker. I want you to know this. I'm not just a silly Englishwoman teaching you," she says, smiling. Even after almost 50 years working in Mexico, Kennedy isn't discussing retirement. For one, she has a waiting list of people wanting to take a cooking class, though no classes are scheduled at the moment. "My life is one long belly of research -- I have a lot more to do." But it isn't easy visiting far-off villages to find a yet unknown chile or type of tortilla. "I'm tired of winding up those dangerous mountain roads, and don't want to fall off those cliffs," she says. "It seems to me that it's never-ending, when there are pockets of indigenous groups who are isolated perhaps and still grow their traditional things and cook in that very sparse way." Tamale dos and don'ts Diana Kennedy prefers tamales without meat fillings because she says the meat tends to overcook. She also says that most tamales -- and this holds true for the Tamales Cernidos con Rajas y Queso -- don't need additional sauce. Here are more of Kennedy's guidelines for making delicious tamales. -- The tamale steamers that are sold by Mexican grocers are a worthwhile investment. Chinese bamboo steamers and other types aren't large enough to make a large batch, or don't close tightly enough. -- It's important to assemble the tamales as quickly as possible and cook them immediately. It helps to have a friend or two to help with that part of the process. -- The amount of lard seems high, but Kennedy says much of it falls into the water or is absorbed in the husks. "Pork lard, please, no substitutes," she says. "Anyone who can't eat lard should not be eating tamales." -- Spread only a thin layer of masa on each corn husk, since it will expand in cooking; the end result is a lighter tamale than the standard hefty type. When rolling the filled husk together, try to keep it in a cylindrical shape rather than squashing it. -- Keep the water at a low but steady boil and never allow the tamales to stop cooking midway, or they'll end up heavy. Place a penny or two in the tamale steamer water; as long as you can hear the pennies rattle, you know the water is boiling properly and that it hasn't run out. -- Never add cold water to the pot. Have boiling water ready in case you need to replenish the pot. -- Once cooked, any leftovers will keep two days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer. When reheating, do not defrost; put them still frozen into a hot steamer for 15-20 minutes. -- T.D. Diana Kennedy repertoire "The Cuisines of Mexico," 1972 (Morrow Cookbooks revised edition, 1989) "The Tortilla Book," 1975 (Perennial revised edition, 1991) "Mexican Regional Cooking," 1978 (HarperCollins reprint edition, 1990) "Nothing Fancy: Recipes and Recollections of Soul-Satisfying Food," 1984 (Ten Speed Press revised edition, 1998) "The Art of Mexican Cooking: Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados" (Bantam, 1989) "My Mexico: A Culinary Odyssey with More than 300 Recipes" (Clarkson Potter, 1998) "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico" (Clarkson Potter, 2000), an updated compilation of her first three books "From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients" (Clarkson Potter, 2003) Cooking Classes: Diana Kennedy occasionally teaches cooking classes to professional and amateur chefs. There is a waiting list and none is currently scheduled. For information, e-mail diana@evonet.com.mx. Tamales Cernidos con Rajas y Queso (Tamales filled with Poblanos & Cheese) This recipe appears in "From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients" by Diana Kennedy (Clarkson Potter, 2003). Though Kennedy provides a recipe for homemade corn flour, we used freshly ground masa from La Palma in San Francisco, which was already moist and didn't need the broth. About 40 dried corn husks The Masa: 12 ounces pork lard, preferably fresh (see Note) 1 1/2 pounds harina para tamales (tamale flour; see Note) 2 cups chicken broth (if needed) Sea salt to taste The Filling: 1 1/2 cups Salsa Verde (see recipe) 5 large poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and cut into strips about 3/8 inch wide (to make 2 cups of strips) 1 pound Mexican manchego, Chihuahua or Muenster cheese, cut into small bars about 2 1/2 by 1/2 inches Soak corn husks in water for at least an hour, longer if they are very tough, until pliable. Begin bringing water to boil in a tamale steamer so that it is ready to go when the tamales are filled. Put the lard into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed until very white and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the tamale flour, beating very thoroughly after each addition. (If the flour is dry, alternate adding it with the chicken broth; if wet, you won't need the broth.) Add salt to taste and test the masa by floating a bit on a glass of water -- it should float on top if it is ready. Dry corn husks by spinning in a salad spinner, or shaking well to dispel all water. Spread a large tablespoonful of the masa in a very thin layer over the top part of the husk, leaving a 1/2-inch margin, and down about 3 inches. Put 1 1/4 tablespoons of the Salsa Verde down the middle of the masa, two chile strips, and a piece of cheese. Fold the edges of the husk over so that the dough covers the filling and fold the spare part of the husk toward the back (it's OK for the other end to remain open). Set the prepared tamales on a tray while you assemble the rest. Work as fast as you can so that the sauce is not absorbed by the masa. When the water in the bottom of the tamale steamer is boiling, spread a layer of extra corn husks in the top part of the steamer. Place the tamales in the steamer upright, folded side down, firmly but not too tightly on top, to allow for expansion. If you need to do this in layers, let the bottom layer cook for 10 minutes to set before you continue stacking. Cover with more husks or thick toweling, and a tightly fitting lid. Cook tamales over a brisk heat for about 1 1/4 hours. To test for doneness, remove one of the tamales and tap lightly; it should feel spongy and resilient, and when opened up the dough should separate easily from the husk. Even thoroughly cooked, the masa will be slightly textured. Makes 30-36 small tamales Note: La Palma Mexicatessen in San Francisco and La Finca in Oakland sell fresh lard and freshly ground masa for tamales. Ask for "unprepared" masa specifically for tamales, which means it hasn't been mixed with lard. Do not use instant masa intended for tortillas, such as Maseca. PER TAMALE: 210 calories, 5 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 21 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. Salsa Verde This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about three days and can be frozen for about one month. It tends to separate after defrosting, so give it a whirl in the blender. 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed 3 or more serrano chiles 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons roughly chopped white onion Sea salt to taste 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Put the whole tomatillos and serrano chiles in a small saucepan, barely cover it with water, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue cooking until the tomatillos are soft but not falling apart, about 5 minutes depending on the size. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Roughly chop the chiles, and blend all of the ingredients with about 1 cup of the cooking water until you have a fairly smooth sauce. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the sauce over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking. Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened to about 1 1/2 cups, approximately 10 minutes. PER 2 TABLESPOONS: 25 calories, 0 protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 1 sodium, 1 g fiber.