Mexican questions - blue corn tortilla chips and a mexican dessert?

quaalude

Hey there fooders -

I'm looking to impress with a Mexican dinner I'm making at the weekend, we're entertaining a couple who've just come back from 2 weeks of eating loads of lovely proper Mexican in California, so I'd like to blow their minds with a vegetarian Mex fest of my own devising.

I'd love to get those blue corn tortilla chips - but does anywhere have them in Dublin city?
Dublin 1, 2, 4 preferred - but I can grab a Dublin Bike and head further out if I know I'll get them!

Also - anyone got any good ideas for a nice dessert with a Mexican flavour?
Churros are out - since a disastrous tempura SNAFU a few years ago I won't deep-fry at a dinner party, it's too much mess and hassle.

Thanks!

MissFlitworth

The only place I've ever seen blue corn tortilla chips in Dublin was, oddly, in TK Maxx (the one in the Ilac) and, man, was the bag battered. I've bought blue masa in the Turkish/Spanish/South American/Mexican shop on Liffey Street but they don't always have it. If you dropped (lovely) Lily at Picado Mexican a line she might have some in stock and save you the walk if not

https://www.facebook.com/picadomexican

Fallon & Byrne seemed to be having some kind of Mexican event the other week, they might sort you out. I'd harrass them on facebook first too before heading over, if it's a trek

https://www.facebook.com/FallonandByrne

That Turkish/Spanish/South American/Mexican Wundershop had unsalted tortilla chips in the last time I was in, going to drop in the next time I'm paid and pick up a bag! All the better to load up with nacho toppings.

Mexican(ish) desserts I've had recently that might be easy to replicate - tequila & lime cheesecake in Azteca and brownies spiked with peanuts & arbol chile in 777. Few desserts on the amexicancook.ie, like these orange & mezcal icepops.

Oh, or flan either. http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-flan-baked-caramel-custard-12354

quaalude

Thanks so much, MissFlitworth!

I just emailed Picado Mexican a few minutes ago, before I read your post actually.

TK Maxx! Isn't everything battered in there?! I never get the appeal of TK Maxx, everything is always in bits. I think that's what makes people think it's full of bargains - the fact everything is ripped or torn! But I shall check it out - I didn't even know it had food.

I've never been in the Turkish/Spanish/South American/Mexican shop on Liffey Street - but I think I know the one you mean, I'll have a goo tomorrow.

I'm not on Facebook but I'll be walking around tomorrow, I'll call in to F&B and see what they have.

As for dessert : I did look at flan, but it looks too hard for a first go at a dinner party! I'd need to test-drive it first.
I was thinking about aping that brownie in 777 with the peanuts and chocolate sauce alright, that is so delicious. But I don't know if I can do it justice.

Maybe this Tres leches cake - I never heard of it before 30 minutes ago and now it's all I can think about: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tres_leches_cake_52393

I've tomorrow afternoon off so toodling around looking in those shops will be time well-spent. Thanks again, MF!

MissFlitworth

quaalude wrote: »

TK Maxx! Isn't everything battered in there?! I never get the appeal of TK Maxx, everything is always in bits. I think that's what makes people think it's full of bargains - the fact everything is ripped or torn! But I shall check it out - I didn't even know it had food.

It's *such* an odd place. There's generally a section of old, dusty American food (sweets, hot sauces, bbq sauce, boxes of cake mix, some spices and spice mixes, coffee, sometimes extremely-in-bits-bags-of-blue-tortilla-chips) and then olive oils & pasta. And old blocks of icing. We get lots of pet stuff in there and the odd decently priced kitchen item but apart from that, yowza.

quaalude

MissFlitworth wrote: »

It's *such* an odd place. There's generally a section of old, dusty American food (sweets, hot sauces, bbq sauce, boxes of cake mix, some spices and spice mixes, coffee, sometimes extremely-in-bits-bags-of-blue-tortilla-chips) and then olive oils & pasta. And old blocks of icing. We get lots of pet stuff in there and the odd decently priced kitchen item but apart from that, yowza.

OK - I get it now.
The "will I find something good? Is there a hidden gem?" thrill - I'd get that poking through foods and spices, but not really with the bras and blouses in TK Maxx!
I'm excited now! I will report back on all the shops.

pwurple

Mexican food is my absolute favourite! What else are you doing? Have you a tortilla soup?

For desserts, I think you can get away with almost anything with chocolate in it, seeing as chocolate is mexican.


Try a simple chocolate mousse. It only has 2 ingredients, so make sure they are good quality.
1 egg per portion, and 2 oz of dark chocolate (50g)

Melt chocolate in a microwave, 30 seconds a go, stirring in between, or in a bowl over hot water.
Separate your eggs. Whisk the whites in a clean bowl until stiff (not grainy that's overbeaten)
Make sure the melted chocolate is not too hot... just above body temp, and mix in the yolks.
Leave it cool slightly more, and mix in the whites. Put in glasses or bowls and into the fridge to set.

You can fancy it up with orange zest, or adding chili or liqueurs, but it's pretty damn good when it's done simply like that.

Serve as is, or with crushed nuts or berries and some cream, or with tuiles or biscuits.

quaalude

pwurple wrote: »

Mexican food is my absolute favourite! What else are you doing? Have you a tortilla soup?

For desserts, I think you can get away with almost anything with chocolate in it, seeing as chocolate is mexican.


Try a simple chocolate mousse. It only has 2 ingredients, so make sure they are good quality.
1 egg per portion, and 2 oz of dark chocolate (50g)

Melt chocolate in a microwave, 30 seconds a go, stirring in between, or in a bowl over hot water.
Separate your eggs. Whisk the whites in a clean bowl until stiff (not grainy that's overbeaten)
Make sure the melted chocolate is not too hot... just above body temp, and mix in the yolks.
Leave it cool slightly more, and mix in the whites. Put in glasses or bowls and into the fridge to set.

You can fancy it up with orange zest, or adding chili or liqueurs, but it's pretty damn good when it's done simply like that.

Serve as is, or with crushed nuts or berries and some cream, or with tuiles or biscuits.

Thanks, that sounds great actually! And easy enough to not melt my head.
I think we're having:

Moros y Cristianos
Some kind of roasted sweet peppers, stuffed with cheese and topped with a toasted breadcrumb topping
Guacamole with toasted pumpkin seeds
This delicious pinto bean/refried beans thing my partner makes on little teeny corn tortillas
A salad with maybe quinoa, feta, dates, coriander, chipotle

I'm taking a lot of inspiration from the vegetarian dishes in 777.

pwurple

Wow, yum!

quaalude

Just reporting back - my dinner was a great success, although I never did get the blue corn tortilla chips! They didn't have them in TK Maxx, or Picado, Epicurean Food hall, or any for the 4 Asian food shops I tried, although I never did get to F&B, so perhaps they have 'em.
The Turkish/Spanish/South American/Mexican shop on Liffey Street is great - can't believe I was never there before. I got the unsalted tortilla chips and they were perfect.

In case anyone is interested, here's how my menu went. I served it all up in nice dishes, so we could help ourselves.

Moros y Cristianos - For this I used basmati rice, black beans, and black eyes beans. I make up batches of cooked beans from dried, and freeze them in 100g lots, so I always have a load of different beans to hand. I used this recipe as a rough guide: http://icuban.com/food/moros_y_cristianos.html - and I used turmeric to make it yellow, which isn't traditional but I love.

Some kind of roasted sweet peppers, stuffed with cheese and topped with a toasted breadcrumb topping - they had a bag of mini red and orange peppers in Tesco, they were perfect for the job. I halved them, stuffed with a combination of cream cheese and feta seasoned with garlic powder, and topped with a crumb of spelt bread, pecorini and parsley whizzed up. I cooked them for 20 mins.

Guacamole with toasted pumpkin seeds - a simple guacamole of avocado, fresh lime juice, garlic and saly. I made 2 avocados worth, but that was quickly eaten, so I made 2 more (just took a sec in the Maximix). (Ready to eat avocados are 2 for 99 cents in Tesco at the moment).

This delicious pinto bean/refried beans thing my partner makes on little teeny corn tortillas - himself made this so I didn't see - but he used pinto beans, black beans, and black-eyed beans. It was delicious.

A salad with maybe quinoa, feta, dates, coriander, chipotle - this was the only thing that was a hassle. I made the quinoa and it turned out really sloppy. I thought I'd the heat up too high, and has used to much water so I slung it and went again - this time using a carefully-measured exact amount of water, and simmering as instructed. It was the same - inedible slop. I was raging because people were coming soon!
So I changed tack - and just combined chopped ripe vine tomatoes, cubes of feta, slices of dates, sliced almonds and parsley in a dish, and left to sit. I made a lovely fresh, sweet accompaniment. Take that, Tesco Quinoa!

I made Tres de Leche - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tres_leches_cake_52393 - my friend was thrilled as she had it before when she lived in LA - once in a fancy place, and once in a homely place. She thought it as good as any she'd had. I took the sugar down in the recipe 50g, and it was plenty sweet. I cheated and made this the day before.

I also knocked up Jamie's Chili Crackers: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/homemade-chilli-crackers/ - and my friends brought cheese (Cambozola, Shropshire Blue, and a Gouda) - but we'd no room. We had them the next day though!

So the night was a great success, and I even have lunch for today from it!

Thanks for the help

flikflak

^ sounds great!

For future reference you can get blue tortilla chips in Dublin food co-op Newmarket, Dublin 8. They are expensive though!

quaalude

flikflak wrote: »

^ sounds great!

For future reference you can get blue tortilla chips in Dublin food co-op Newmarket, Dublin 8. They are expensive though!

Ah great, thanks!
I need to go there to get a spray bottle of Bragg Liquid Aminos anyway - *the* best thing to flavour popcorn with, bar none.

pwurple

Your link to the tres de leche doesn't work!

quaalude

pwurple wrote: »

Your link to the tres de leche doesn't work!

Oops - cheers, edited it there!
This recipe was helpful too: https://tandcake.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/tres-leches-cake/