What you may not know is that Ida and I are a bit choosy when it comes to Mexican food. Our honeymoon was guided, in large part, by our proximity to quality authentic posolé and homemade tortillas. However, we don't consider ourselves complete snobs about it, since as we all know, tacos should only be used to promote unity and love, never conflict. (I got your "immigration reform" right here...)
So it was with increasing frustration yesterday that we circled the grocery store three (3) times in search of queso fresco to use in Ida's delicious and easy-to-make enchilada pie:
First pass - Hm. We must have missed it.Second pass - Let us ask someone. [ask]Okay, she said it's in the other cheese section. Of course! Third pass - All right, you stay here, I'll go alone. We can't both freak out in front of the baby.
A store that carries every type of cheese from virtually all of the recognized cheese-making nations - France, Italy, Russia, Greece, England, Turkey, Spain (I know!), Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Germany - fails to carry (fails to carry!) the most basic staple of great authentic Mexican food besides corn, chilies and avocado.
Unacceptable!
But gee, why not just use sharp cheddar or Colby jack like Red Robin does? Or grab one of those bags of pre-shredded "Mexican blend" cheeses? Might it be because those cheeses have NOTHING to do with actual Mexican food? Per-effing-haps!
Hear this, grocers of America: The Mexicans are coming, despite your best efforts, and they are bringing their delicious delicious food with them. So try as you might to distract us with your uninformed, vaguely xenophobic and quasi-racist, "that kind of cheese is only available at specialty cheese shops" line (you mean like one of your other stores, Mr. Corporate Grocer?!), you'd best believe that the soft, crumbly, salty queso will be on your face when it comes time to pay the cheese piper.
And also, what in the DAMN HELL is THIS?!
6 comments:
Oh, man, do I miss Ballard Market. And also Moses Lake (what?) and Chicago (little el stop shop on Jarvis, you had such excellent items).
To be noted: that enchilada pie recipe is not mine. Mushroom soup???? Here's how I make it:
Ingredients:
1 round of queso fresco
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
2-3 fresh chiles of your choosing OR
1 medium can of jalapenos (w/ carrots is GOOD) OR
combination of the above two ingredients
Filling: chicken breast (1 or 2) or black beans (2 cans)
12 corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 375.
If using chicken, cut it up and cook it to your liking (chunks or shreds; seasoning). It will be more tender if undercooked slightly as it will cook more in the oven.
Layer ingredients in a small rectangular casserole dish as follows:
4 tortillas (I like to break them in half for ideal fitting)
Chicken or beans
Chopped chiles (in a size that pleases)
Crumbled queso fresco
Make a second layer of the above. End with a final layer of tortillas and cheese; dump entire can of enchilada sauce over the whole shebang. Cover with foil (or don't...we didn't have any foil last night and it still worked out fine) and bake for 45 minutes. Let it sit a bit before serving.
I'm eating leftovers RIGHT NOW.
Thanks wife. I knew you could do better than the stupid internet. Seriously though: HAM JERKY? Oh, Jeff Foxworthy. I'm so beyond disappointed.
Thank you for clarifying the recipe--I'm going to make that. I am part of your mexican-food-centric family.
I take it by "Mushroom Soup????" you mean to convey the original recipe lists this as an ingredient? Blech! The only foodstuff more abominable than fried liver, IMO.
And I'm sure I've purchased queso fresco at other QFC's, Harvard Mkt. definitely. However, I've noticed the 15th Ave store does seem to be lacking in the otherwise mind-numbing variety of selections stocked by the larger stores.
I'll bet the Safeway has it, but unfortunately, that would mean shopping at Safeway.
Keep your laws off my cheese, taco nazi!
I don't know to be more upset about Foxworthy on the package, or the fact that it's ham. What's the beef!?!?
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