Had it with the Food Channel...

**RICHARD** · 01-17-2009, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

I hope you get to see it and give us your opinion. I enjoyed it.

I always wanted to be a writer!

RR's production company is footing the bills for this new 'Daisy' program. Is the other "latina" cook still on? She is a staple on the Mexican language channel stations in EL LAY.....toned down but still cooking with cleavage!

I missed the show this morning! I kept thinking to post a reminder about it and forgot. I was distracted about the new Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef!

I remember catching Daisy Duke on PBS, but didn't stay too long. PBs has always had a great rep for bringing good cooking programs to the tube. Rick Bayless is the top and there used to be an elderly woman, who I cannot remember her name, that made the 'real thing'.

Here's the deal-

Mexican cooking is as varied as any large country's cuisine.

Examples?

France, Spain and Germany influenced the cooking and culture of Mexico, the southern edge of the country's cooking is influenced by the Central American states-and even Cuba has a little part of he pie.

I can watch the "Mexican" cooking shows for entertainment only because the Mex cooking I grew up with is different than the regional dishes that get put on the air.

Tamales?

You can have Southern tamales, middle tamales and nothern ones!

The 'wraps' change - you can get a banana leave wrapped tamale from the south, one wrapped in a corn husk in the central part of the country and closer to the northern border you get the 'bastardized' tamales -wrapped in paper because some gringos won't do the organic wrappers!

I used the term GRINGO with affection, so complain to the newspaper, not me!

Menudo, tripe soup, varies too! You can get it white, red, with or without hominy!

Beans! Black beans are more a southern and Gulf offering, Pintos more a nothern fare. Then you have the TEX MEX twists on what is plated in a restaurant closer to the U.S. border.

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My only peeve about Mex cooking on T.V. is the availability of the food used,
Where I live there are tons of Mexican stores and when I trip thru the produce sections I find stuff that even I don't know what it's for. Many herbs and spices are used for their medicinal and food properties-so you can find all kinds of weird stuff.

Oh, I almost forget!

ANCHO CHILE POWDER! One of Booby Flay's faves!

The ground up powder is an 'invention' of the gringo again! If you walk into an older person's kitchen you will see the garlic 'tail', dried chiles and a bowl of veggies hanging around someplace!

Dried chiles that get stuck in humid places or get wet get moldy. Some one figured out that if you grind them up and bottle them, they travel and last longer. At the AMerican store you can find displays of chiles and herbs in cellophane packages-that's another MEX thing-when they shop in Mexico you have to see what is being sold-the markets are open air affairs with product out in the open. LITERALLY!

Anyway, I'll shut up now and see if they put the show on again!

Thanks for reminding me!

**jennielynn1970** · 01-17-2009, 03:19 PM

This is Daisy Martinez, not Daisy Duke, lol. She uses a lot of fresh herbs and spices. She's the one I found out how to make home made Sazon, and about the herbs culantro (not cilantro), and achiote seed. She was not a "wow" personality, but she talked about how her mother and grandmother cooked, even did shows out on a beach to show how they cooked there when they were with family. She had a really nice show on PBS.

**RICHARD** · 01-17-2009, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by jenn_librarian

This is Daisy Martinez, not Daisy Duke, lol. She uses a lot of fresh herbs and spices. She's the one I found out how to make home made Sazon, and about the herbs culantro (not cilantro), and achiote seed. She was not a "wow" personality, but she talked about how her mother and grandmother cooked, even did shows out on a beach to show how they cooked there when they were with family. She had a really nice show on PBS.

Martinez? Duke? What do I know?

The flavors that you get from 'native' palnts is amazing. But, those plants or herbs are not always available everywhere and I really hate to see the prices on line. I mentioned that I pay 1.18 for a bottle of fruit seasoning and online it costs 4.95 plus s/h!

That's criminal!

I'll have to watch her. I like the COOKING shows and don't mind the storytelling.

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Oh,

There is one "MEX" veggie that really give me the heebie jeebies.

IT's called a chayote (chai yo teh) It's a squash-like veggie, looks like a green pear and about the same size. Kinda sweet, my dad loved them and would cook this soup and use them in the recipe. For some reason I could never get behind them, these days I see them in a store and want to buy one and cook one, just to punish myself!

**Daisy and Delilah** · 01-17-2009, 04:00 PM

Yes, Richard. Ingrid Hoffman is still on. I really like her. I didn't at first but I do now.

I just went shopping and saw chayote. I think I've seen someone use them on the Booby Flake grill show. They look strange and flavorless.

We're fortunate to have some selection of Mexican products here but I don't know what to do with them. You are a wealth of knowledge, Richard. I really enjoy reading about different things. Thanks.

Daisy is pretty straightforward right now. She's all about cooking and not trying to audition for Broadway.

**RipplingWaves55** · 01-17-2009, 04:46 PM

I really adore Paula Deen. Her accent is so adorable, 'ya'll'. I do agree that she puts butter in everything though.

Guy Fieri, I like him, spiked hair and all. Rachael Ray, she's cool but her laughter is hideous and that smile really makes me scared. LOL!

I hate Giada..she's cute but her head is big enough to be on a bobblehead shelf, her laughter is hideous and I hate the way she 'pronounces' things with her hands. Ina is cool too, I love her show.

**RICHARD** · 01-17-2009, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

We're fortunate to have some selection of Mexican products here but I don't know what to do with them. You are a wealth of knowledge, Richard. I really enjoy reading about different things. Thanks.

Hey, don't confuse knowledge with endless trivia.

Mexican cooking is filled with wonderful branches of other cooking.

Example? THe French brought in the french roll, known as the 'bolillo' (Boh lee low) in espanol. The local places make TONS of them around a holiday and that is the go-to bread for fiestas!

The 'torta' (tohr tah) is a sandwich in a bolillo roll- My fave is pork.
They cook pork -carnitas- until it shreds. Avocado, mayo, some shredded cabbage, pork and some hot sauce?

Really good on a hot day with cold beer!

The spainards brought their chorizo (chore E so) which is more like a cured salami that the chorizo that Mexicans eat!

All in all Mex, food is no different that any other country that has had many visitors, including ours!

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About Daisy? Since she isn't a regular TVFN find- NTVFN star?- and her show is produced with a different production company, she may not have the demands to put on a personality that the rest do. We'll have to see....

I missed CHOPPED this week and the rerun is on in about 20 minutes!!!!

**RICHARD** · 01-18-2009, 05:31 PM

I am stunned!!!

Mex food is usually spicy, fatty and off the charts when it comes to 'healthy food'.

Chorizo is a really spicy sausage made from beef or pork.

It's pretty fatty and you have to drain the grease off of it while you cook it.

I was tripping thru the bacon/sausage section of my local store and was going to pick up some chorizo when I saw-

VEGETARIAN CHORIZO!

I recoiled in shock and walked away in shock, now, you know that I will buy a package of the stuff and report back to you about what it tastes like!

I was too shaken to buy a package, but my curiosity is piqued!

Dude, THIS is going to be fun!

**Daisy and Delilah** · 01-18-2009, 10:33 PM

What the heck is vegetarian chorizo?? I can't wait to hear what it's like. I bought some chorizo yesterday and it's delicious!!

For the record, Richard. Food knowledge and trivia must be on the same level of expertise for me. You really know alot more about food than most people.

Aaron McCargo today was over the top again. I have to send an email to FN about this. They've taken away that wholesome goodness.

I'm still in love with Mr. Pat Neely.

I watched the Ultimate Recipe Challenge tonight. The judge in the middle was in a very arrogant mood tonight wasn't he?
The lady that made the grapefruit cake had bad luck written all over her. I'm surprised they aired that. After all, she left the leavening out of her cake??? I felt sorry for her all the way around. Poor thing.

Question for anybody that can answer it: what is with Booby Flake and the blue corn meal pancakes? Do people in other parts of the country typically use corn meal in pancakes or is it a BF thing?
Has anybody had pancakes with corn meal?

Also: Is it possible to make polenta or grits out of regular corn meal. Is grits just a Southern dish? When I lived in Salt Lake City, I asked the Albertson's clerk where the grits were. He said, "Where what is?" He had no idea what grits were.

Ingrid Hoffman was on early this morning, Richard. Simply Delicioso. I like the food she makes almost always.