98550. Staples of Mexican Cuisine

By Doug Gillert
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- If you really get into cooking Mexican food, 
eventually you may want to make everything from scratch, from 
salsas to tortillas. But in the interest of saving time, you can 
take shortcuts that won't make that much difference. 

Supermarkets and specialty stores sell prepackaged salsas, 
sauces, dips and condiments, flour and corn tortillas, taco 
shells, taco salad shells, canned chili peppers and spices. Use 
them. They work. 

My choices are based on my developed taste for things hot, smoky 
and rich in flavor. For example, I like the flavor of chipotle 
peppers -- dried, smoked jalapenos. Buy them prepackaged, 
usually in the produce section of supermarkets, and simmer three 
or four in a small saucepan to soften them up and release their 
flavor. Reserve the water, chop up the moistened chilis and add 
both to sauces, salsas and soup stocks to add a Santa Fe accent 
to your dishes.

I also like onions, but they can overpower other flavors and 
leave a dissatisfying aftertaste. Try this: After chopping your 
onions, rinse two or three minutes in cold water. If you can, 
chop them a few hours before you intend to use them and soak 
them in a bowl of cold water. You can add a little vinegar to 
the water, too. Rinsing or soaking "deflames" onions, so that 
what you're left with is the flavor without the bite and 
annoying aftertaste.

Keep these items in stock, as well:

o Adobo. This wonderful blend of salt, cumin, garlic and other 
spices creates fantastic aromas in your kitchen and fantastic 
tastes in your meat, poultry and seafood dishes.

o Cumin. Whole seeds or ground (your choice). I use ground cumin 
to season meats and whole seeds to add to sauces and stocks.

o Chili powder. Look for pure chili powder, not the blends 
usually found in grocery store spice racks. The pure stuff is 
available at specialty shops and often in Mexican sections of 
food stores. The blends contain a mixture of chili powder, 
garlic and other spices, so you get more than you bargained for 
but also less good chili flavor. Varieties range from medium to 
very hot; one of my favorites is a chipotle powder I've found 
only through a Santa Fe mail order cocina (market).

o Cayenne. I frequently use this powdered red pepper in lieu of 
fresh peppers to add a little heat to my cooking. Usually a 
half-teaspoon will do, depending on the size of dish you're 
preparing. Use more only if you dare.

o Canned chilies. Go for the mild version, and I recommend whole 
ones vs. chopped. Chopping them yourself will make you feel more 
like a chef, and you then have the option as keeping one whole 
to garnish your prepared dish.

o Cilantro. The key word here is "fresh." Don't even think about 
using the dried, jarred variety. It doesn't work. Buy fresh 
cilantro in clumps, don't wash it, and store it in a perforated 
vegetable bag in the salad crisper of your refrigerator. It will 
keep for a couple of weeks. Don't worry if you can't use it all 
before it goes bad, because it doesn't cost much to begin with. 
When you use it, pull six or so sprigs from the clump, rinse 
them thoroughly, then chop them from the tips of the leaves to 
the base of the stem (all parts are edible).

o Cheese. Let's face it, most of us work full-time jobs outside 
the house and don't have as much time as we'd like to cook. So I 
look for -- and take -- shortcuts when I can. For example, you 
can buy several different brands of already grated cheese, many 
of them labeled as "Mexican" or "taco" cheese. I prefer the 
finely shredded blends of several different cheeses. If you 
prefer to grate your own, however, select a Monterey Jack and a 
mild or medium cheddar and keep both on hand in equal amounts. 
Properly sealed, cheese lasts a long time in the refrigerator. 
And most of the already-grated varieties come in resealable 
bags.

o Canned chopped tomatoes. Obviously, if you have the time, use 
fresh tomatoes. But if you don't, these are a good alternative. 
I keep several cans of the unsalted, unseasoned variety in my 
pantry. 

o Chicken broth. Now available in cartons with pouring spouts, 
fat-free chicken broth provides the flavor and liquidity you 
almost always need when preparing Mexican dishes. Unused 
portions last indefinitely when refrigerated.

o Salsa. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of brands 
available, or you can make your own. Recipes abound in cookbooks 
and on the Internet. Salsa ranges from mild to extremely hot, 
depending on the type of pepper used. Generally speaking, 
jalapeno peppers are the mildest (but still very hot to the 
uninitiated), while habaneros and scotch bonnets are scorchers. 
If you haven't tasted salsa before, I recommend starting with a 
mild one and progressing to the hotter varieties as you see fit. 

A word of caution: If you're handling whole peppers, be careful. 
Their natural oils quickly adhere to your fingers; if you 
absent-mindedly rub an eye after handling a pepper, for example, 
you will experience discomfort. 

o Masa flour. This finely powdered corn meal flour is the 
perfect thickener and flavor enhancer for chili and other 
Mexican soups. I keep a five-pound bag inside a large sealed 
plastic bag and scoop a little out when I need it, mixing it 
with cold water before stirring it into almost-ready chili. I 
don't think I'll ever use it all -- but it's the smallest bag I 
could find.

These aren't all the ingredients you'll need to prepare Mexican 
cuisine, and you won't always use them. But they're good to have 
on hand when you want to throw something together for yourself, 
your family or a few close friends.

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