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As part of the upcoming CULINARY
SECRETS FROM OAXACA'S KITCHENS tour, the Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Association is having a seven-day gastronomic extravaganza and tour, to
be held March 1 - 7, 2008. The itinerary, designed for both the novice
with a keen interest in Oaxacan cookery, as well as the seasoned chef,
includes: 3 days of class at different venues, each lead by an
internationally reknowed culinary expert; native market tours; exploring
important sites contributing to UNESCO's designation of Oaxaca as a
World Heritage Site; keynote speaker; tastings of traditional regional
foods, sweets and beverages; and select comidas in critically acclaimed
restaurants.
One of the Bed & Breakfasts/Cooking
Schools that will be featured on this tour is La Casa de los Sabores,
a well-known establishment that Marcia Lucas, owner of El Interior, has
frequented. We are very excited this month because Pilar Cabrera, chef
and owner of La Casa de los Sabores, has graciously shared some
of her fabulous recipes with us!
Located in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, La Casa
de los Sabores boasts La Olla--a trendy eatery several blocks
away from La
Casa de los Sabores. The spotless kitchen produces a wide array of
traditional Oaxacan, continental, and vegetarian foods. All of their
culinary creations are cooked to order, prepared fresh starting when
they receive your order. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables create
healthful and visually attractive dishes.
Many people who go to Oaxaca want to
know more about the wonderful unique food from this region--especially
the variety of "mole" sauces, the banana leaf-wrapped tamales, and the
vast array of soups. Experienced chef and owner of La Olla, Pilar
Cabrera, offers you the opportunity to learn hands-on about the complex
cuisine of Oaxaca. Pilar's cooking classes are held in La Casa de Los
Sabores (House of Flavors), and in this inviting atmosphere, you
will learn to create a traditional Oaxacan 5-course meal.
Marcia says of Pilar's cooking classes:
I highly recommend Pilar Cabrera's cooking
school Casa de los Sabores in Oaxaca, Oaxaca. Charlie, my
husband, and I have taken several classes with her and she is an
excellent teacher as well as chef. Her restaurant, La Olla, on
Reforma, is hands down one of my favorite in Oaxaca. The comida corrida
daily lunch of four courses is exquisite. It is skillfully prepared and
served with the eye of an artist. In addition, Pilar is very conscious
of making everything healthy without sacrificing flavor, and each course
comes in perfect portions that don’t overwhelm. La Olla is a very
affordable eatery & well patronized by the local Oaxaqueños, so it is
sure to be a wonderful addition to your experience in Oaxaca.
Visit Pilar's website at
www.laolla.com.mx
to learn more about this wonderful Bed &
Breakfast and Cooking School, or to make reservations of your own. Or,
join her along with other fabulous cooking schools (including Susana
Trilling's Seasons of my Heart) on
the Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Association's CULINARY SECRETS FROM OAXACA'S KITCHENS
tour, March 1st - 7th.
Below are some tamale recipes that
Pilar Cabrera has graciously shared with us. A fun way to make tamales
is to invite some friends over and have a tamalada feast. Also, feel
free to experiment--Amy Morrow, manager of El Interior, frequently makes
tamales and shares some tips:
When you beat the shortening or lard, make
sure you beat it until it is light and fluffy. Also, I like to
experiment with different spices in the masa--when I make my chicken and
tomatillo sauce tamales, I like to add onion powder, garlic powder, and
cumin to the masa. Or, when making sweet tamales, I like the addition of
nutmeg, as well as the traditional cinnamon, to the masa. In sweet
tamales, sometimes it is also nice to substitute butter in place of some
of the lard. Here in Austin, a great shortcut to preparing your own masa
is to go get the "Masa Preparado" (prepared masa) at El Milagro
on East Sixth Street. It is fantastic!
RECIPE: SWEET TAMALES w/ PINEAPPLE
(Tamales
Dulces c/ Piña)
SERVINGS: 20-25
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
3 cups masa for tamales
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
2 cups pineapple, in small chunks
20-25 corn husks
red food coloring, mixed with water
PREPARATION:
1. Beat the shortening, or lard with the sugar in large bowl until it
warms and becomes easy to mix (about 10 minutes). To lard, add the masa,
chicken broth, cinnamon and sugar. Mix these ingredients together
vigorously until smooth and even.
2. Soak the corn husks in water for about 10 minutes to soften. Cup each
husk in your hand. Taking about 2 Tbsp of the mixture, spread a ½” layer
of the tamale mixture around the bottom and side of the husk. (You may
adjust this quantity according to size of husk and desired thickness).
3. Once the mixture is spread out, place the pineapple in the center.
With prepared red food coloring, sprinkle a few drops of it over the top
and upper portions of each tamale. Fold both sides of the husks inward,
and fold over the top portion so that all the mixture is enclosed in the
husk. Tie husk with ribbon of any excess husk; continue same process.
4. Cook the tamales in a tamalera, or steamer, leaving ½” space between
each to allow even cooking. DO NOT PLACE DIRECTLY IN WATER. Steam for 1
hour. Check occasionally to make sure about 2” of water remains and all
water does not evaporate. After 1 hour, remove 1 tamale and let cool (10
min.); continue cooking the other tamales.
5. Open the cooled tamale husk, and if you can easily peel the tamale
from the husk, remove the other tamales from the tamalera. If not,
continue steaming the tamales for 10 more minutes. After 10 minutes,
remove all tamales and serve hot.
RECIPE: TAMALES DE FRIJOL
SERVINGS: 20 - 25
INGREDIENTS:
2 chiles de árbol, dried
10 avocado leaves
4 cups black beans, cooked
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup lard
3 cups of masa for tamales
2 teaspoon salt
½ cup of chicken broth
6 yerbasanta leaves
20-25 dryed corn husks
PREPARATION:
1. Toast the avocado leaves and chiles, about 1 min. on each side.
In a blender, blend the chile, avocado leaves, beans and ½ cup of water
until smooth.
2. In a medium sized saucepan fry the beans in the oil for 15 min over
medium heat. While frying, stir continually to obtain a paste-like
consistency.
Beat the lard until it warms and becomes easier to mix (about 10 min.).
Add the masa (cornmeal), salt and chicken broth to the lard. Knead the
ingredients together rigorously until smooth.
3. Soak the corn husks in water for about 10 minutes to loosen the
leaves. Cup each husk in your hand one by one. Place the piece of
yerbasanta in the husk first. Then spread about 1 tablespoon of the masa
around the bottom and side portions of the husk. Another ½ tablespoon of
beans is placed on top of the masa; you may adjust, though the amount of
masa and frijol according to size and desired thickness.
4. Fold both sides of the leaves shut, and fold down the top portion so
that all the masa is safely enclosed in the husk. Continue until there
is no remaining masa.
5. Cook the tamales in a tamalera, or steamer, making sure to leave ½”
space between each one so that they cook evenly. DO NOT PLACE TAMALES
DIRECTLY IN WATER. Steam for one hour. Check occasionally to make sure
that there is enough water. After 1 hour, remove 1 tamale and let cool
for 10 minutes; continue cooking other tamales. After the tamales has
cooled, try to remove the tamale from the husk; if the tamale mixture
easily peels from the husk, all tamales can be remove from the tamalera.
If not, continue steaming them for another 10 minutes. Remove all
tamales at this time and serve hot.
RECIPE: TAMALES w/ MOLE in BANANA
LEAVES (Oaxacan Tamales) by Pilar Cabrera
SERVINGS: 10-12
INGREDIENTS:
1 large chicken breast
1 small onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tsp salt
1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
3 cups masa
2 Tsp salt
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups black mole sauce
15 banana leaves, cut into 12" x 7" rectangles
PREPARATION:
1. In a large pot, cook the chicken in the water, with the onion,
garlic, and 2 Tsp salt for 35 minutes on medium heat. Strain, cool and
shred the chicken from the bone, leaving the shreds in about ½” diameter
thickness.
2. Beat the lard until it is foamy and white (about 5 minutes). To the
lard, or shortening, add the masa, chicken broth and remaining salt.
Beat the ingredients together until even.
3. Submerge the cut banana leaves in hot water for about 7 minutes to
soften; let banana leaves dry. Lay 1 dry banana leaf on a hard, flat
surface. Taking about 2 Tbsp of tamale mixture in hand, evenly spread a
thin layer over the banana leaf, within an inch of the leaf`s edge (you
may want to place a piece of kitchen plastic wrap over the tamale
mixture to facilitate spreading). Once the tamale mix is spread out, put
about 1 Tbsp of chicken and 2 Tbsp of mole in the center of the leaf
(adjust quantities according to leaf size and desired size).
4. Close each tamale by folding both ends of the leaf together (longer
sides first) forming a rectangle. Close and tie the folded tamale with a
strand taken from the same leaf.
5. Cook the tamales in a tamalera, or steamer, leaving ½” space between
each one to allow for even cooking. DO NOT PLACE DIRECTLY IN WATER.
Steam for 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure that about 2” of water
always remains. After 1 hour, remove 1 tamale and let cool for 10
minutes; continue cooking other tamales. After the 1 tamale has cooled,
try to remove tamale from leaf; if the tamale mixture easily peels from
the leaf, all tamales can be removed from tamalera. If not, continue
steaming them for another 10 minutes. Remove from tamalera after 10
minutes and serve hot.
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