Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Discovering our flavors: Hispanic cheeses, multicultural explosion




The Spaniards introduced to the New Continent their cheeses and the ways of preparation and processing. However, Hispanic cheeses -far from European- are simply bathed of mixed races or ´mestizaje´. 

Unlike very aged or cured cheeses that which are of stronger flavors, in Latin America the kings are fresh cheeses. For this reason, it is common to have as an integral part of Hispanic cuisine cheeses such as ´panela´, ´cotija´, and ´asadero´. 

And if one talks of Mexico, then the best cheeses are from Chihuahua, Oaxaca. Hand-Made or ´De Mano´ and ´Telita´ are classic items for Venezuelans; and of course, we cannot forget the unique ´Costeño´ from Colombia.

According to the United States Dairy Export Council, 85 percent of the national production of cheeses are fresh cheeses, called frescos.  “Its flavor is friendly with any dish,” said Esteban Suárez, chef of the restaurant inside of a supermarket located in the Southwest of Tulsa. “Adding cheese to a plate improves it, because it is more flavorful.”



For María Sánchez, the cheese is an essential part of the kitchen. “You cannot make mistakes when you add cheese to your dishes", said Sánchez, who is from Guatemala, while doing her purchase in a market located in East Tulsa. “This cheese from Guatemala resembles ´queso de morral´ or backpack cheese for my people," she said. “We say so, because we tied the cheese to a backpack, then we sell it on the street.”

Like Sánchez, Piedad Soto, cannot be without cheese in her fridge. “I may lack a few items, but not the cheese,” she said while taking two wheels of cotija cheese. “I use it for everything.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico is tenth in the world for production of cheese; and with regard to its consumption, stands at eighth place. “For me there is no better cheese such as ´queso criollo´ or creole cheese from Taxco, Guerrero”, said Raimundo Pérez, via Twitter. “It is not easy to find.”




The Lord of the Cheese
Iván Ledezma has been working at a Hispanic market in East Tulsa for the last 5 years. His job is to set and rotate cheeses in the refrigerators of a huge warehouse. “The fresh ones are the most popular. It is ideal for enchiladas”, he said. “Then we have ´requesón´, although here they call it ricotta. It is also good to fill enchiladas.”

Another fresh cheese known as panela, or basket, is typically characterized by braids that make its outward appearance. “This is the king of the appetizers”, said Ledezma.
Among the soft cheeses, Oaxaca is the leader. “It has no competition. Every single quesadilla must have it.”

Ledezma stressed the flavor of cotija cheese, when aging is in play. “It is the parmesan of Mexicans,” he said without hesitation.

Finally the local expert expressed that "everyone likes a particular cheese, but at the end of the day everyone wants a fresh product that does not steal all of the flavor from the food".


A very different cheese
The Mennonite communities located to the North of Mexico, produce a cheese that is distinguished by its yellow color, similar to the popular cheddar. This is the famous Chihuahua cheese. “It's my favorite,” said Verónica Salcedo, who was looking for it in a market in East Tulsa. “There are many brands, but ´El Supremo´ is the best. The problem is that I never find it.”



This cheese is ideal to be melted, being a sort of delicacy for the so-called fried cheese.

In the U.S. we will hardly see woven baskets filled with crinejas or braids of cheese, or cheese balls covered in corn cob, typical of the cheese makers of the past, but at least we can find its flavor in the refrigerators in local supermarkets.


Photos by Juan Miret

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Cooking for Thanksgiving: multicultural flavor



There are a few countries in the world where on one day the entire population gathers for dinner to enjoy a feast that is essentially uniform throughout. In the United States, this curious event has been happening for four centuries, and without doubt Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to enjoy delicious food and huge servings without feeling guilty.



Reinventing the taste
Emmanuel Montes, originally from Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been constantly reinventing his family´s Thanksgiving dinner, building it around tamales, whether they are cooked in banana leaves or cornhusks. "The tamale is the main attraction on the plate; no doubt it is what represents us," says the Chef, who prepared a sampling of his cuisine in his restaurant Casa Frida, in Tulsa, OK.
 "The custom is that it be a pork-filled tamale, whose flavor is heightened because of the banana leaf," says Montes. "It can be served with a green sauce. The color comes from the poblano chili, which provides just the taste, but not spiciness; the consistency is achieved with white fresco cheese and sour cream."



Those who prefer the chicken tamale can eat it with Montes´secret ingredient: pipián sauce, a tasty blend of pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds and peanuts. His version is not the traditional red or green sauce, but a blend of both, between spicy and sweet. 
"It is not conventional; it is a blend of flavor and regions. It has something from Veracruz (Mexico)," said Montes, while he suggested dipping a bit of turkey in that sauce. "That way we go from predictable turkey to a very authentic one, on that is very us."

And of course, there is no dinner without dessert, which is why Montes presented one of his specialties: chocoflan, a spongy dark chocolate cake with a thick covering of caramelized flan or custard. "Preparing this dessert is like doing magic," he said. "The mix of ingredients are so different that many people do not expect that the result will be something that you just can´t stop eating."






Photos by Juan Miret