How to Cook Lengua (Cow Tongue) for Tacos

Cow's tongue is a delicious traditional meat in many cuisines. I learned how to cook it the Mexican way from my mother in law. It is more tender than the most tender roast, more tender than a rib eye steak.

Black-eyed Peas with Sausage

This is an old favorite that I often made for supper year round when the kids were home. It is an easy dish to make after work. May God bless you and yours, and all of us, and may God Bless America again in 2015.

Homestyle Mexican Chile (Hot Salsa) Made Using A Metate

This is how my first mother in law ("Mom") made the fresh salsa she served at every meal. I used my metate because that is how she made it, but you can use a blender, food processor, or your own mortar and pestle. If you are enjoying these videos, I hope you will subscribe to my You Tube channel! Thank you :-)

Green Beef Enchiladas Recipe

There is a restaurant in Big Spring, Texas called "The Spanish Inn". Their Green Enchiladas are my all-time favorite, and they are unique in the restaurant world (at least I have never found another place that comes close). This is my attempt to create a "clone" of their delicious sauce. It is not a "salsa verde", and there are no tomatillos in it.



This version is excellent (we think), but if you have eaten at The Spanish Inn and have some insight on improving it, please share! We live too far away to be able to go there to eat regularly so have to make our own! LOL!

Homemade Menudo: Mexican Tripe and Hominy Soup Recipe

This is so warming and delicious on cold days. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, we usually have it for supper.  The first cold snap each year, Paul will usually say "how about making a pot of menudo?" :-)

Introducing... Pecan Corner on You Tube! Canning, Cooking, Southern Food and Budget Abundance

As Paul has gotten better, he is now feeling like doing more even though he is still mostly house-bound. He has watched a lot of You Tube during this past year, and we've been discovering the amazing channels ordinary people have.   Now we are one of those!  :-)

Pecan Corner on You Tube won't have any political content (that is for the blog! :-) ), just my natural life-long "how to" preparedness. I have always kept a well-stocked larder, and we practice a concept I call "budget abundance" that allows us to still enjoy a high quality standard of living without debt and within a tiny budget. This is especially important during difficult economic times,

Videos so far include how to make prickly pear cactus jelly, canning apple pie filling, seasoning your own breakfast sausage, and inexpensive old fashioned home-cooked meals that can feed a family healthful food for very little. There are also recipes of products I make for my little Cottage Food home business - things to sell at farmer's markets and roadside stands. As we go along, I'm sure my other hobbies will find their way into it as well: letterpress printing, gardening, foraging wild foods, and our new-found fun: Living History and historical reenacting!

I hope you will subscribe, there will only be one a day so it won't overwhelm your inbox. They say You Tube now rates channels by subscribers as well as views, and I have monetized the channel so perhaps one day it will contribute a bit to the household. If nothing else, it is something fun we can do together, to make new friends and enjoy trading knowledge with others.

Here is a sample! Thanks for checking it out! :-)

A New, Healthy, Idea for a Coffee and Chocolate Gift Basket

 We were asked to make up themed gift baskets for a church women's conference, and my assigned theme was "Coffee and Chocolate". Always in season, but who wants to keep doing the "Starbucks and Godiva" thing?  I really wanted to step out and make one that was a little unusual.

Personally, we drink Community Coffee because we think their Medium Roast is the best daily coffee there is - we switched from Folgers a couple of years ago. We can no longer buy the one pound bricks in our local stores, so we order 8 or 10 pounds at a time direct from this small, family-owned company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There are two different women who pack our orders, and they sign their names to the packing list. They always get it right and I appreciate them.  It is great - every once in a while the Community Coffee folks email us a 15% or 20% off sale, and orders over $60 get free shipping. So we have wonderful, perfect coffee on hand.

That is what got me started down the Creole coffee road for my gift basket, and it snowballed from there to include Mexican Chocolate and Cafe de Olla. Partly because these wonderful, traditional American coffee & chocolate drinks are so good they deserve a much wider audience. And partly, also, because all of these can make use of Molasses.

Molasses is "unrefined sugar" to the Nth degree: Sugar cane molasses is a natural sweetener that contains a whopping bunch of naturally occuring nutrition in its unmodified, un-additive, un-messed-with, good, natural form.

 

 Check this out from the World's Healthiest Foods: 
Percent of Daily Value of Nutrients in 2 teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses (notice that "blackstrap" type has about double the nutrition of regular unsulphured molasses - which is also good if you can't buy blackstrap in your local store):
 manganese 18%
 copper 14%
 iron 13.2%
 calcium 11.7%
 potassium 9.7%
 magnesium 7.3%
 vitamin B6 5% (there are other B vitamins / Niacin too)
 selenium 3.4%
Calories per 2 tsp: only 32 (1% of Daily Value)

How cool is that? All these old Southern ways of cooking and eating are actually healthy for us after all. Cooking in iron skillets (to add natural iron to our diets), using molasses, flavoring our spinach and greens with bacon grease (Vitamin K is fat soluble!).... oh I am getting sidetracked here... back to the gift basket!

Here are the recipes I used:

~~~~~

Creole Coffee:

Brew a nice breakfast coffee. To each mug, add 2 teaspooons of molasses and, if desired, 1/4 cup hot milk or cream.

~~~~~

Cafe de Olla (Mexican Coffee):

6 cups of water
6 Tablespoons ground Coffee (regular roast, regular grind)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1 Cinammon Stick
Evaporated Milk to taste

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add all the ingredients except milk, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain into mugs and add undiluted canned milk to taste.  If the leftover coffee gets cold in the pan it can be gently reheated, just don't boil it again.

Mexican Coffee is very similar to old fashioned cowboy coffee or "creekbank coffee", in that it is made the same way: boiled up in a pan and then strained.  The addition of spice and sweetener is a matter of personal preference and availability.

~~~~~

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1 can Evaporated Milk
1 cup of water
1 block Mexican Chocolate
1 Tablespoon Molasses

Stir and heat until the chocolate melts, then whisk until frothy. This is very rich, so this recipe makes 3 servings. The reason there isn't extra sugar is because Mexican Chocolate has unrefined sugar in it already, along with vanilla and a hint of cinammon. If you can't get any in your stores, use powdered cocoa, brown sugar, a half teaspoon of vanilla, and a dash of cinammon.

~~~~~

I just wrote the recipes out by hand and doodled in colored markers to decorate them, then layered them onto a piece of cardboard and wrapped in clear wrap so they would stand up nicely in the basket. 

It all came together with a pound of Community Coffee, a bottle of blackstrap molasses, a box of Nestle's Abuelita Mexican Chocolate, a package of Fiesta Brand Cinammon sticks, and the recipes, all fluffed up with some red and green tissue. It is very cute, if I do say so. We will find out what others think when they auction it! :-) If it proves to be popular, I may make some of these up for Christmas gifts.

A Homemade King Cake for Mardis Gras!

I've made Kings Cake's a couple of times before, but I always used a shortcut, starting with canned cinnamon roll dough. This year, I decided to make one from scratch, with a traditional brioche dough and cream cheese filling.  I took it to a small group gathering yesterday and it was a big hit!  There's still time if you want to make one for Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday).  Here's how:

Place dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or bread bowl:
4 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 scant tablespoons of active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
Optional: 4 teaspoons wheat gluten

Mix together well and set aside.  In a small saucepan, melt
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), then add
1 cup of milk

and warm until just above body temp - 100 to 105 degrees F. Remove from heat and whisk in:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 egg yolks (save the whites - you can freeze egg whites (but not egg yolks) and use them to make merangues later)

Slowly add the warm liquid to the flour mixture, stirring as you go. Mix it together well until all flour is incorporated, and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.  I used our KitchenAid stand mixer with the dough hooks, and it makes short work of it on medium high for 4 minutes. If you are doing it by hand, this will take about 6 to 8 minutes of kneading.

Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until doubled. It will take about 2 hours. A good trick is to turn your oven on for one minute, then turn it off and turn the oven light on. Then the oven will hold enough heat to help the bread rise without being too hot or drafty. This will work as long as the light bulb is an incandescent one. A flourescent bulb does not generate heat, so it wouldn't help.

While the dough is rising, make the filling:

1 1/2 packages of cream cheese (about 12 ounces total)
1/2 cup marmalade or preserves
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar (to taste, depending on how sweet your preserves are)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together well and set aside.


When dough has risen, lay it out on a lightly floured board and roll it into a rectangle that is about 30 inches long and only 5 or 6 inches wide.  Spread the filling down the middle along the entire length of it, then fold one long edge over to meet the other and pinch together well.   Roll along it with your hands until it is a cylinder shape with the sealed edge on the bottom, and bring together into a circle, pinching the open edge together.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper and quickly lift the dough from the board onto the baking sheet with the sealed edge down.

Now's the time to tuck the baby, the feve, or the bean into the cake - put it underneath the cake and push it up well into the dough so that it is surrounded by dough and hidden from Herod's soldiers. I used a pecan half for this cake, as I didn't have a plastic feve and was nervous about someone maybe breaking a tooth on a porcelain one (besides, I didn't want to part with any antique feves from my collection!).

Use a sharp, greased knife and make shallow cuts across the top of the wreath about 5 inches apart (at right angles to the cake so that the cut goes from the inside edge of the circle to the outside edge). These will give the cake its "crown" appearance.  I forgot this step when making the cake pictured, so it is not essential.

If you want to give it a Mexican twist, the New Orleans King Cake can become a Rosca de reyes by adding dried fruits to the top: figs, candied orange peel, dried cherries or citron.  Or, do a little research to see which variations were most popular in the countries of your ancestors - this tradition is truly ancient, and was formerly celebrated by Christians all around the world.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the cake rests. Then put the cake in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet.

Mix icing and make colored sugar while the cake is cooling:

Colored sugar:
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided into 3 separate cups (2 tablespoons for each color).
Food coloring

Work in a place that can be easily cleaned and will not stain, wear and old apron and use vinyl gloves to keep the food color off your hands as it will stain. Use 2 or 3 drops of food color for each cup. Make one cup of golden yellow, one of green and one of purple.  To make green: 1 drop of blue and one or 2 drops of yellow, right into the cup with the sugar. As you mix it together with with sugar, they will blend and make green. To make purple: 1 or 2 drops of blue and one or two drops of red - depending on whether you like a bluer shade of purple or a redder shade.  As you mix it together with the sugar, it will become purple.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon of milk

Stir together sugar and lemon juice until powdered sugar is thoroughly mixed. If it needs more liquid, add milk a teaspoonful at a time until it is the consistency you like.  Drizzle the icing over the cake, let sit for a few moments to stabilize, and then sprinkle the colored sugars alternately all the way around it.

Pick the cake up carefully, move it to a serving platter, and present to your guests!

When They Call Fox America's News HQ....

They aren't kidding:

The big flat-screen television in this busy Mexican restaurant in Central Texas is prominently visible from every table, has closed captioning turned on in English, and is always turned on to Fox News (well, except when there's a Cowboys game on!). It's the same in hundreds of other places all across this great state. Come have a bowl of menudo  - or a burger with "Freedom Fries" - some Saturday, or any other day, and you'll find the place full of pro-life, Christian, conservatives of all kinds of backgrounds, many of whom think our governor is going to be the kind of president we need to haul our country back from the abyss that ancient Rome fell into.

And that Mexican flag on the wall, on the other side of the American flag? Doesn't mean what liberals have co-opted it to mean. It means people are proud of who they are and love their country: the United States of America. Where-ever our parents or grandparents came from, all Americans are alike in this respect: the US flag comes FIRST. Is it only Texans who understand this? It has never been a question here.

Display Ideas For Vintage Recipe Booklets

A lot of my collections are made of paper. Vintage advertising recipe booklets are one such, and I have a few I just couldn't part with. Colorful and witty, those cute little recipe folders are just too fun to leave in a drawer.

I mean, in our Tex-Mex kitchen, who could resist 1920s and 1930s "Tasty Tested Anglo Recipes", "Gebhardt's Mexican-Style Foods" and "Walker's Red Hot Chile Con Carne"? The Walker's one, red with a bright green sombrero, is actually from 1918, the WWI era.

The company was based in Austin, Texas. Gebhardt is also an old Texas company - I still use their chili powder today for general cooking (I use Morton's Chili Blend for actual chili). And Anglo not only made canned hams and corned beef, but also advertises Deviled Ham, Deviled Tongue and Liver Spread!

One of the little projects I've had on my list was to find a way to display them that didn't take space away from some other wonderful thing that needs a prominent home!

Inspired by my new cabinets, I finally got around to it last month.

This is a super-simple project. I used the hard clear cases that sports cards collectors use, and glued a piece of sheet magnet on the back. It's a good use for those magnetic business cards we keep long after the realtor pictured has moved on.

Voila! (which is how the word "Walla!" is spelled!)

Refrigerator magnets that can be changed out, and the keep the booklet available, just in case we suddenly decide to try that recipe for jellied liver tea sandwiches.

Aren't they cute? If you have other ideas for showing off vintage paper, please share! There's always something cute that needs just the perfect treatment....

Helping the Gulf Coast: Ask Your Grocer For Wild American Shrimp!

This Mexican Shrimp Cocktail is my version of those served in various restaurants. Mine has a lot less ketchup and is very fresh.

My neighbor fills his yard with tomato plants each year and sells the fruit. These have tender skins so I didn't bother peeling them but if you need to, just put the whole uncut tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute. Remove them and cut a shallow X in the skin - it will slip right off!

If you don't like seeds, cut them in half and squeeze the pulp and seeds out into a strainer over a bowl so you won't lose the juice. I don't mind tomato seeds so mine has seeds in it.

Chop two medium size tomatoes into small - half-a-bite or less - pieces, and put in a mixing bowl.


I used fresh Thyme, minced superfine, because the cilantro had already set seed and gone the way of all things. Thyme is also a great choice if you don't like cilantro. Fresh herb adds a nice touch with fresh veggies, but in a pinch, even "a pinch of oregano" would be great.

Mince, very finely, one stick of celery and 1/4 cup of sweet onion (we used Vidalias we bought as we passed through Georgia. Texas 1015s would be great) and add to bowl with tomatoes. Red onion would be very pretty in this too.


Put one large or two small cloves of garlic through the press. If you don't have a garlic press, add that to your Christmas Wish List and mince the garlic very very fine.

Add it to the bowl of chopped veggies.


Oh we love the vacuum wrapped fresh avocados - always just exactly ripe, never bruised, and, unopened, they keep a long long time. There's nothing added to them, the vaccuum packaging keeps the air away to keep them fresh. Chop 3 or 4 avocado halves into pieces about the same size as the tomatoes, and add to the bowl.



Squeeze the juice from half of a lime and pour over the veggies. These are large limes - maybe the juice of one lime if you are using small ones or key limes. You could also use fresh lemon or 3 tablespoons of bottled juice.

Add a couple of splashes of Worchestershire Sauce (about one Tablespoon), one Tablespoon of ketchup, 2 teaspoons of prepared Horseradish, salt to taste, and mix well.

Paul likes his with more liquid: if you wish, add one 16 ounce can (2 cups) of V8 juice.



The shrimp: there's more after the recipe on helping the Gulf by using only wild American shrimp. Being in Texas, I consider Gulf shrimp a "local" product, and it's in season right now.

Use your favorite size of pre-cooked, peeled, deveined, cocktail shrimp, with the tails removed. I prefer tiny shrimp, Paul likes large ones. We both decided that next time, I would cut large shrimp in half.

These in the pictures have their tails on. That is very nice for arranging around the side of the glass, but if you are going to toss them in the cocktail, remove the tails.


Chill, and serve in chilled glasses, with saltine crackers. Those that like heat can add Tabasco sauce at the table. Or finely mince a fresh jalapeno (with seeds removed before mincing) that people can sprinkle on to their own taste. A nice easy supper on a hot summer day!

Now then: what's so special about wild shrimp? Many believe that wild caught shrimp is best for the people, the customers, the shrimp themselves, and the environment. Not only is wild shrimp free of antibiotics and other - often banned - chemicals widely used in foreign shrimp farms, it is also shown to contain higher levels of nutrients than farm raised.

It is a healthier product that is easier on the environment and enables self reliance for small businesses on our Gulf coasts. Shrimping is an important part of the Gulf States' and South Atlantic economies (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South & North Carolina).

Demand for wild-caught American Gulf shrimp increases habitat preservation in the United States: wild shrimp live and grow in coastal wetlands and marshes, and their economic value to those local economies means everyone has an interest in keeping those wetlands open, protected, and wild.

When we lived on Lavaca Bay, we had a neighbor who was a shrimper. He sold us fresh shrimp right off the boat. Paul would remove their heads and pack them raw in containers, cover with water and freeze 25 pounds at a time. By adding the water, they don't get freezer burn and they keep fine till next shrimping season.

If you live near enough, you can drive down to the Gulf and buy your own fresh shrimp to freeze, but you can get it inland too. Most cities of any size these days also have markets that receive shipments of fresh shrimp flown in. And many places will even ship it to you.

If your grocer doesn't carry it, ASK for American Shrimp.

You can buy Wild American Shrimp fresh, frozen or canned. Here are some brands to look or ask for (please post if you know of other brands of American wild shrimp and I'll add to the list):
FROZEN:
Arista Brand
Caught Fresh Brand
Dominick Brand Frozen Shrimp
Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp
Premier Shrimp
Sea Pearl Frozen Shrimp
SeaPak Shrimp Co.
Tony Chachere's Shrimp
CANNED:
BumbleBee Canned Shrimp
Orleans Canned Shrimp

And to wrap up, here are some links for more information and sources of sweet American wild shrimp:
Texas Shrimp
Louisiana Shrimp & Seafood
Mississippi Shrimp
Georgia Shrimp
Wild American Shrimp

The Veldhuizen Cheese Stands Alone

Saturday we went to Stephenville, and on the way back, stopped off at the Veldhuizen Family Farm Cheese Shop outside of Dublin, Tx. Since it is less than an hour's drive from our home, that is within range for a locavore. Check out that belt buckle! And this hubcap was well-earned. Veldhuizen cheese stands with the best from anywhere.


We chatted with Connie Veldhuizen (and Paul had a great visit with her father-in-law Mr Velduizen), and bought half a pound each of their Mozarella String Cheese, Texas Gold Cheddar, and Redneck Cheddar.

We also bought a gallon of fresh, raw, whole milk (which they can only sell at the farm, not offsite). Not homogenized or pasturized. In the photo, notice where the color changes about a third of the way down from the top in the gallon? Click on it to make it larger if you need to.

Everything above that is cream. Pure, sweet, rich, cream.

Paul had never tasted raw milk, and I had not since I was a very small child. It is very good. Sweet and rich. The flavor will probably change with the seasons, as it is affected by the cows' food.

I am not opposed to Pasturization because in situations where milk from different herds is mixed, pasturization protects our health. But we also don't want anything added to out milk and cream - and that happens more often than not in commercial milk, even with "good" brands. Most have additives and thickeners in their half and half and cream: no, thank you. We've found only a couple of brands of half and half available locally that read "Ingredients: milk and cream." One of those brands is Kroger's in-house brand, that is what we buy.

So, we enjoyed a chance to have milk fresh from the farm, where we could see "the pretty cows all red and white" that gave it.

Back to the important part: the Cheese. The cheese is so lovely, so rich and flavorful. While it costs more than the generic cheddar in the store, we've found that a little of it goes a long way so not as much is needed.

For instance, I used the Texas Gold Cheddar on these breakfast tacos: a sprinkle under the eggs and another sprinkle on top before rolling them up. This is about 1/3 the amount of cheese I would normally use on Paul's tacos, but because this actually has flavor, a sprinkle was perfect. The tomatoes came from our neighbor's garden, and the eggs we buy from my coworker. Yum. Yes, I know, I should have made the tortillas from scratch. I make good ones, but....

The Redneck Cheddar has a dark boch beer added in the manufacture. It's a medium sharp cheese that we used, with Kroger's English Toasting Bread, and what Dad used to call "mantequilla bueno" (real butter) to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Phenomenal. Again, only a singe layer of thin slices was all it took, so here we probably used only half as much cheese by weight as we would of store-bought cheddar.

I can't remember the name of it, but they had another cheese that is most like a traditional English Cheddar (which i got to try on a business trip once). It's rich and creamy - Connie said it stays more moist than most cheddars as they age because they slather the outside of it with lard
during aging! As Emeril would say "Pork Fat Rules!"

Veldhuizen cheeses are carried by small markets around Texas, and they also have mail order available from their website.

When Christmas comes around, you can bet we'll be trying their gruyere for the French Onion Soup! :-D

How Paul Makes Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad is named for the Mexican chef who invented it in Tijuana in the 1920s. Our family agrees that Paul's Caesar Salad is the world's best. It has simply ruined me, as all others disapoint in comparison. One of the most eagerly awaited courses of our Christmas dinner, even the children love it. His Caesar is a fully traditional version, including anchovies and egg, and he makes his own croutons. Here's how he does it.

NOTE: if you are concerned about the raw egg, you can pasturize the yolk by mixing it with the lemon juice and vinegar and heating over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until it reaches 150 degrees. Here is a place with full directions: http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Mayonnaise.html


Paul mixes his dressing right in the salad bowl, starting with a tablespoon or two of anchovies, 3 or 4 whole, peeled cloves of garlic, and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Mash these together with a fork. The coarseness of the salt helps grind the garlic and anchovies into a paste.



Add about a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard. A little secret Paul taught me of making salad dressings is that dijon mustard helps to emulsify the oil, so always add a bit to your vinegrettes and they won't separate as quickly.

Add the juice of half a lemon and an equal amount of red wine vinegar.





Add one raw egg, and mix it all together well. (If you are pasturizing, follow the instructions in the link above about mixing the lemon juice, vinegar and egg and warming it all, then add it into the bowl).


Drizzle in Extra virgin Olive Oil, whisking as you go. The amount will be about equal to the total of the lemon juice and vinegar together, but taste from time to time to get the right balance.



Toss the romaine lettuce into the dressing well. When fully tossed, add copious amounts of grated parmesan cheese.




Add lovely homemade croutons, and toss again. Because of the number of photos involved, I posted a separate post on how to make the croutons, just after this one.







Plate and add a grind of fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Bon Appetite!

How To Make Enchiladas Like Mom Made

Mom (Narcissa Padron etc.) taught me how to make enchaladas. They are not difficult but used to be time consuming. Not so any more, as we now have excellent quality corn tortillas available and can simply warm them on a comal instead of having to fry each for a couple of seconds in lard so they would soften up enough to eat. Alvina told me recently that her mother also used to fry the tortillas, but that she no longer does either. Those old packaged corn tortillas we used to
get were not nearly the quality that we have available now.


Take your favorite brand of corn tortillas (pack of 20) and heat them each on both sides on a hot comal or griddle. Stack and wrap in a towel and set aside.

For beef enchaladas, crumble and thoroughly brown 1 pound of ground beef until it is fully cooked. Season only with salt and finely ground black pepper. Drain and set aside.

Grate colby, longhorn, or mild cheddar cheese. If you want cheese enchaladas, you will need about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cheese per enchalada. If you are making beef ones, the cheese is just for the topping, so grate the amount that suits you. Set aside.

Traditional enchaladas have chopped raw onion in them, both cheese and beef. If you like them this way, chop up some onion and set it aside.

To make the chili gravy (aka enchalada sauce), melt a couple of tablespoons of lard or shortening in a skillet. If you have cooked ground beef, you could use your beef drippings instead.

Add about 3 tablespoons flour to the hot grease and blend well. Get out your whisk and then add 3 cups of water, whisking constantly. You may need to add more water as it cooks to get the consistency right.

Add a little salt, maybe half a teaspoon.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add your favorite brand of chili powder, again whisking constantly. This is another place where each person has to use their own taste, and amounts may vary depending on the brand you use, as well. I like a lot of chili powder in ours, some
may not want so much. Anywhere from a third to half a bottle of chili powder should be about right.

Gebhardt is the brand I use for this dish (but not for making chili - I use Morton's Chili Blend for that). Other brands are also excellent. I have been trying to remember what brand Mom used, and I can't. Need to ask some of the girls, they will know.

Cook and stir, adding a little more water a little at a time if needed to make a gravy of a thin consistency, then remove from heat.

I use a 9 x 13 baking pan for ours. Grease the pan, then spoon a little of the gravy into it and spread out across the bottom.


Take a corn tortilla in one hand, put a little chili gravy in it, and fill it with a small amount of either cheese or meat, add onions, fold the top over onto the bottom and roll it up. Lay it in the prepared pan.


Make the next one and lay it firmly against the first and so on. They should be packed closely together in the pan.When the pan is full, spoon the chili gravy over all the enchaladas, smoothing it around so that it covers all the tortillas. Sprinkle grated cheese over it all, and more onions if you wish.


Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and they are heated through.

Serve with frijoles refritos, spanish rice and ensalad.

Muy Bueno!

By the way, this same chili gravy is what she used to make Chicken In Red Sauce. Stew a chicken and remove the bones, then add to the chili gravy and heat through. Serve with tortillas!

Collecting Vintage Mexican Pottery

Show and tell time! :-) I started collecting old lead-glazed mexican pottery in the late 1970s, back when no one was interested in it. Most of the pieces I like best were made in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. My collection is not huge, because I only keep those pieces that are my favorites. Over the years of course it has become popular and may sometimes be very pricey. But great pieces are still out there, and you can still make a nice collection without much investment.


While it is probably ok to handle it (you can wash your hands after), lead-glazed pots should not be used to serve food. Although the risk of lead leaching into the food is small (most people today in their 50s or older who grew up or lived in the southwest - not to mention Mexico - have eaten out of this stuff before learning it was not wise to do so), it is better to be safe than sorry.

Lead glazes were not used on all old mexican pottery. Many types, including burnished ware, were free of lead. Also, newer redware and yellow-ware pots do not have lead in the glaze and are still beautiful, so they are also an option. "Redware" and "Yellow Ware" refer to the color of the clay the pots are made of. The bean pots below are "redware".



The main thing I love about mexican pottery is that it makes utility beautiful. With each piece, natural talent shows in the way it was painted or formed or glazed. I love when I can see the
fingerprints of the potter or glazer in a finished piece. I love the detailed paintings that reflect natural talent - trained perhaps in pottery but not in art. I love the flaws that make it perfect.

Here are two recent additions to my collection. The little nested ashtray set is just right for Fall decorating, with its black crow. I think it is the only piece I have with a black bird on it (though I
have many with birds - birds are probably my favorite animal in art). I found it in a local secondhand shop.


This ADORABLE little turkey casserole is the latest. He was my birthday present from Paul (Thank you honey!). Our friends had gotten him recently at an auction, and had put him up for sale. So thanks, too, to our friends for selling it!

We used to find chicken and turkey casseroles often, out in West Texas. We sold a lot of them! I only have one chicken casserole and now this turkey one in my collection. Prior to that, the only chicken I had kept for any length of time was a Tlaquepaque one that eventually got too valuable to keep!


Tlaquepaque is the name of a region in Mexico. Mexican pottery - actually nearly all pottery from any country - is classified by the region in which it was made. I am not snobbish about the regions I collect, because monetary value has nothing to do with why I love these pots. So I don't study them and I am no expert. I just buy what I like.

I love them because they were a part of the ordinary work and life of ordinary people. For all of us who live in the Southwest, they are a part of our heritage. Our Melting Pot American Heritage!


12/23/10 - updating to add a new tag and link to a newer post on Mexican Pottery. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll tell me about your own collection too. :-)

Chorizo and Egg Tacos for Breakfast

Yummmm......