[CH] Grande dame of Mexican cuisine
Linda Hutchinson (lipant@sympatico.ca)
Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:33:12 -0500
Forwarded from Clipping-Cooking ...
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From: Jamie R
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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.