I don't speak Spanish. I wish I did, though. If I ever move back to California or to Texas, I vow to learn the language. While backpacking through Europe I did, however, learn some of the important phrases: where is the train station, where is the bathroom, and another beer, please. Otra cerveza, por favor? I also learned how to make sangria and paella in Barcelona. Of course, that was a special cooking class with an instructor and a team atmosphere. And "cooking" was a loose term.
I've always had an interest in ethnic cuisines: Indian, Japanese, Cuban, Greek, Ethiopian, Thai, Brazilian, Caribbean, and Mexican, to name a few. And I mean real Mexican, not Taco Bell. When I lived in Los Angeles, I had real Mexican and other South American variations. My fellow USC classmates and I reported in South Los Angeles (formerly South Central), and our curious minds led us to many places, including local eating establishments-- some sketchy, some greasy, some authentic, some not. I remember two of my little, skinny friends ordering a dish of shrimp wrapped in cheese and bacon and then deep fried and covered with more cheese. I'm not really sure what type of cuisine that dish was supposed to be. Their stomachs hurt the rest of the day, though.
When I first moved to North Dakota, I gave up on Mexican and other ethnic foods because those things just don't exist here. (We didn't get a sushi restaurant until recently, and now I go once a week!). Then again, neither do a lot of things that I was used to eating, and that didn't stop me from finding a way to make them myself. So I figured I could do the same thing with specialty foods (see: Havana Feast).
For the record, I do not count chips and salsa as Mexican cooking. I do count the amazing vegan tortilla soup I made last night, though. It was around three degrees last night-- the perfect weather for something hot. I knew I wanted to make soup, but it wasn't until I got to the store when I figured out what kind. I've always wanted to try tortilla soup, but it always seems to have chicken in it at any restaurant. For the record, most soups-- even the ones that sound vegetarian-- probably are made with either chicken broth or beef broth. (I am still upset that French onion soup has beef broth!!)
This soup requires a few key ingredients and a big pot to throw them all in. Boil four cups of vegetable broth (the original recipe called for six cups, but the stock came in a smaller quantity, and I didn't feel like buying a second container of it), one and a half cups of water. Add in corn, black beans, diced onions, green peppers and red peppers. Now spice it up with some garlic, chili powder, and a pinch of dried epazote (pronounced eh-pah-zoe-TAY)-- which I learned was a Mexican herb used to counteract the gassiness from eating beans. Yes, I just wrote that. It's also poisonous in large quantities. Anyway, reduce the heat and let the veggies and broth cook for about fifteen minutes and then add in a half jar of your favorite salsa. I chose a spicy, organic one. Simmer for at least ten minutes. Much like my favorite new stew recipe, the longer it cooks, the better.
This soup was flavorful and substantial, and was enough for three very filling meals. I had a bowl for lunch today and I think it tasted even better the second time. I will definitely add this to my list of go-to meals. I know it's not "authentic," but if I was going to make authentic ethnic cuisine I would have to be in my uncle's basement with my mom and cousins rolling pierogies.
**FYI: I did take photos of the soup, but they didn't turn out so well. To be quite honest, it's hard to make a mishmash of vegetables in brown broth look appealing. I had also wanted to put one organic blue tortilla chip in it for garnish, but I didn't want to open an entire bag and let them go to waste.
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