Posts Tagged ‘food and drink’

It is not news that the cuisine of America and the cuisine of Mexico are quite different things. Mexican food recipes, for example are certainly not all that similar to those found in America. Strangely enough, Canadian food is rather similar to our own, as is often the case with neighboring countries – so why is the culinary tradition of our southern neighbor so different than ours? Mexican recipes use different ingredients than we commonly see in the average grocery store and create flavors, which seem exotic to American palates.

History

There is a historical reason for the difference, which is in large part responsible for this difference. As everyone knows, Mexico was formerly a Spanish colony until winning their independence. However, as you probably also know, parts of the United States were also once Spanish territories! As it happens though, these regions (largely in the southwest) do bear a distinct influence from the Spanish colonial period, though not to the extent seen in Mexico since they have long been part of the US.

By contrast, what is now the United States was largely colonized by immigrants from Northern Europe, especially the English, Dutch and Germans, with French settlers in some areas and later on, immigrants from eastern Europe and Scandinavia – and to a lesser extent, literally every other part of the globe.

European settlers arriving in Mexico came largely from Spain for a long time, having a much larger influence on the diet of the country than any single immigrant group in the United States ever did. In fact, many traditional Mexican recipes are directly from Spain or are adaptations of Spanish classics using local ingredients where the ingredients used in Europe were unavailable locally. The predominant influence of this one cuisine led to a mixture of Spanish and native cuisines, which evolved into what, we now know as Mexican food.

Mexico has also seen a large number of immigrants arrive from the Levant (especially Syria and Lebanon), adding a few dishes which are now classic Mexican food recipes in their own right such as al pastor. This dish is essentially a Mexican take on the middle eastern shawarma.

While the US has had many immigrants from many different parts of the world, the diversity of the US population as compared to Mexico’s has meant that the cuisine of Mexico has remained more distinct than that of its northern neighbor. This by no means, means that Mexico is a place where foods from other countries is not enjoyed and adapted to local tastes either.

Different Ingredients

The second reason for the difference between Mexican and American cooking has to do with geography. Just as the first European colonists in America learned to use the local produce as well as importing their own, early settlers in Mexico adapted to local ingredients and the native and Spanish cuisines melded into something all its own. Since the country has a warmer climate, different ingredients are easily available, with corn, chili peppers, pumpkins, and other crops, which have been cultivated there for millennia and imported crops, which grow easily in the country.

This blend of native ingredients and recipes with those brought over by the Spanish is what made Mexican food what it is today and many of the most famous Mexican food recipes clearly show this marriage of old world and new world cuisines. From tacos to soups to Mexican casserole recipes, this is one very successful – and very popular type of fusion cuisine.

What do you get if you combine the freshest produce with the best fish, meat or poultry and a clever combination of herbs and spices? The answer is Mexican food and if you have never tasted authentic Mexican recipes you have not lived! Most Mexican recipes are easy enough to cook at home too.

Do you love cooking a holiday meal for your family? There is nothing like the smell of the roast in the oven. But for creating a perfectly roasted turkey, you need the best stainless roasting pan. If you end up with an inferior roasting pan, it could result in meat that is burnt in some areas and raw in others, scorched gravy, and a pan that is too hard to get out of the oven.

The size of a roasting pan is your first decision to make. Air circulation and wasted space within the pan should both be considered. Ideally, you want a pan that fits in your oven, of course, but that has about 2 inches between it and the oven walls so that air can flow well. In addition, you want your roast to fit snugly in the pan, with little wasted room around the edges. This can just cause the juices to spread thinly and burn during cooking.

Secondly, the kind of metal in your pan matters. Two factors are the weight of the pan and how evenly is conducts heat. A good heat conductor is aluminum. However, ingredients with strong acids such as tomatoes and lemons can react badly with aluminum. This can add a sour taste to your recipes. Stoneware may not be your best choice because it can be fragile or heavy. Stainless steel is a great choice because it is relatively light, non-reactive, and sturdy. However, it is not the best conductor of heat. The best choice is a a roasting pan made up of different layers of stainless steel and aluminum and possibly copper.

Be sure to check that your stainless roaster can stand up to high temperatures from the burners on your stove and also the near-broiling temperatures required inside your oven. With roasting meat comes the desire to make gravy, and it is easiest to place your roaster on the stove top and go. In addition, you may need to brown the meat on the stove top before placing it in the over. Warping or buckling are symptoms of an inferior roasting pan placed on a stove top. In addition, these pans can heat differently in different areas of the pan and cause burning of your gravy.

The construction of your pan matters also. You should look for a rectangular roasting pan with rounded sides. The rounded sides allow for easy removal of remaining bits for cleaning or use in your gravy. The best height for the sides of the pan is 2 1/2 inches to 3 inches. This is low enough for good air circulation when cooking, but high enough so that juices don’t spill while you are transporting your roast to the counter. Handles are also something important to consider. The worst handles fold down and make it very hard for you to grasp the pan with your hands in potholders. The best are riveted and stand straight up from the pan so that oven space is not wasted.

There are deals on pans that include handy extras. A rack is one. My favorite extra is heavy forks. Even if I only use my forks once a year to lift that heavy turkey out of the pan onto my serving platter, they were worth it.

Learn more about stainless roasting pans. Stop by Bethany Payne’s page where you can find out all about turkey roasting pans and get recommendations.