Tequila Puerto Vallarta - Guacamole - Tortilla Chips

Bienvenido a México!
Ricetta in italiano qui.

New Year has begun in a sparkling of colors and flavors with Joan's new Culinary Tour Around the World. She is back again to bring us to discover new cuisines and different cultures. In 2010 Joan has decided to travel for 9 weeks along her south-of-the-border neighbors, starting from Mexico and visiting then El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

So let's get plenty of aromas and tastes, colors and fun, dance, music and laughs: grab your kitchen utensiles, wear your smartest apron and begin a new trip!

Tequila Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta was a dreamy little fishing village in Mexico in Mismaloya Bay on the Pacific Coast.

When Hollywood discovered it in early '60 it was the end of the peace for this charming town and its inhabitants. The film city sent beautiful and wild stars like Richard Burton (who brought her soon-to-be wife Elizabeth Taylor to the location causing an enormous attention on the media because of their love affair), Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr into the idyllic wilderness to shoot the movie "The night of the Iguana", directed by John Huston. A large number of paparazzi was attracted there and the little village turned soon into a world famous tourist attraction.

The actors and artists worked, celebrated and drank the tropical nights away. They transformed the humble little village, forcing their pace of life onto it. Apparently, this drink was invented in Marlon Brando's house (he was not in the cast but supposed there as a friend), on the same day that the wonderful Playa de los Muertos was rechristened the Playa Delicias, the delicious beach, at the request of the stars.

Serving each tumbler:

Crushed ice

4 cl (3 tablespoons) Tequila*

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1 cl (2 teaspoons) grenadine

5 cl (3 tablespoons) freshly squeezed orange juice

1 slice of lime to garnish

* Tequila is the most typical drink in Mexico, a spirit produced on the Blue Agave fermentation

- Fill a third of a tumbler with ice.

- Pour over Tequila,lime juice and grenadine: leave for about 1 minute.

- Then top up with orange juice and stir carefully.

- Can be served before or after dinner, garnished with a slice of lime.

Recipe by Laura Conti

Guacamole

The most typical mexican dipping, originated by the Aztecs.

Principals ingredients are avocados, lime juice, salt and black pepper, but variations are numerous including cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, garlic, onion, chili.

The word comes from the Mex Spanish AhuacamOlli, meaning Ahuacatl=avocado and molli=dip.

Lime juice is very important: it gives flavor to the sauce and prevents changing color of guacamole (it would soon oxides).

You need:

a ripe avocado*
half small onion
half a clove of garlic
a fresh chilli
some cherry tomatoes
salt/pepper
few leaves of fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
lime juice

* a friend of mine taughed me to wrap the avocado in a newspaper to get it ripe

- Halve the avocado, peel and crush 2/3 with a fork, the remaining third cut in small cubes.
- Sprinkle immediately with lime juice.
- Finely slice garlic, onion, chilli, coriander and tomatoes into cubes and add to the sauce.
- Add salt and pepper, oil, mix well and let rest half an hour before serving.

Tortilla chips

A fragrant snack, perfect with any dip, made with the same dough as tortillas.

You need:

same amount of precooked corn flour and warm water
(but I added a little more water)
a pinch of salt
seed oil for frying

- Mix water, flour and salt and let the dough rest half an hour in a covered bowl.
- Roll a bit of dough at a time in a thin layer, preferably between two sheets of greaseproof paper, and cut into triangles with a wheel (well, the dough is not so perfect and does not work well, it may crackle but don't worry, go ahead, you can knead cuttings again, adding some water drops if necessary).
- Deep-fry in a little oil for a few minutes, drain well on absorbent paper and serve.

See you next week in El Salvador!

México Round up