Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Utensils You Will More Than Likely Want To Buy For Mexican Recipes

By Beverley Drake

In order to cook authentic Mexican foods you will need some special tools. While it is possible to do Mexican cooking without these tools, true Mexican flavor depends on some of these tools that allow the food to develop the traditional flavors.

Mole is best made in a Cazuelas. This is a small bowl like pottery dish with handles that is used to simmer sauces. Clay is very good at dispersing heat and prevents hot spots where sauce is burnt. The handles make them easier to handle in open fires. The outside may be painted brightly and beautifully, while the inside is glazed. These clay pots look great when just setting on a shelf as decorations.

The Olla or Barro are also clay pots from Mexico. They are very large and are used to slow cook beans, soups or stews. Heating is very even and ingredients can be cooked all day long on open flames. These pots will break, especially if exposed to extreme temperature changes.

Tortillas are cooked on a griddle called a Comel. This round griddle may be made of clay, cast iron or cast aluminum. The griddle is also used to roast chiles and vegetables. Sizes may vary and can be up to two feet across.

The Metate y Mano is a hand grinder that has been carved from lava rock or stone. We would call it a mortar and pestle. In Mexico, it is used for grinding corn or spices and foods may be mixed using the cylinder of stone. There are usually three legs that have been carved to hold the bowl upright.

The true mortar and pestle of Mexican cooking is the Molcajete y Tejolote. It may be made of clay, stone or even wood. It has a cylinder of the same material as the bowl, which has rounded ends and is used to crush spices and other foods to bring out the flavor.

The Molinillo is a wooden whisk that is used to make foam on top of a cup containing hot chocolate. The Molinillo is spun between your hands in order to form the foam.

The Tortilla Press or Tortillero was first made of wood, but today can be found made of cast iron or resin. There are aluminum tortilla presses, however they tend to break easily, so save your money. The press has two large wood blocks or round plates. Mesa is rolled into a ball and pressed in the press in order to make a tortilla.

As you can imagine, cooking in the traditional Mexican way can take some time. Fortunately, there are many shortcuts that you can take, and many people make very tasting Mexican food using utensils that are already in their kitchen.

In addition, you may be able to find a high quality Mexican bakery in your neighborhood that can supply you with high quality tortillas so you will not have to grind your own corn or press your own tortillas in order to make your own authentic Mexican food.

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