Ping: Victor (OT)

"jmcquown" wrote in message
. ..
Yowie wrote:
wrote:
Yowie wrote:

jmcquown wrote:
jmcquown wrote:
What does "tienda" mean? It's in the context of a sign I saw
which reads "Tienda y Taqueria". I know what a taqueria is LOL

Jill --feels like she should know this

Ah yes, it must be a tiny shop where I could buy Hispanic
ingredients and quite possibly good authentic food

So what does "Taqueria" mean ???? :-)

A place that sells tacos?

In California, and maybe everywhere in the US, it means a casual
Mexican restaurant where the main fare consists of tacos, burritos,
quesadillas, and other foods than can be easily taken to go, although
all the taquerias I usually go to also have tables and chairs so you
can eat there. They are a bit different from more formal Mexican
restaurants, which feature full meals that are meant to be eaten
there.

My only experience with "Mexican" food comes from Chili's, which is a
chain of 'family restaurants' here in Australia

I woudl love to try *real* Mexican food.

Oh dear lord! You would be absolutely right about the lack of
authenticity! In fact, I wouldn't even classify Chili's as Tex-Mex (Texas
Mexican wannabe). IIRC Chili's served a Bloomin' Onion (although they
didn't call it that) well before Outback came along.

It's difficult to find *real* Mexican food in the US what with all the
chain restaurants everywhere. There's a good place in Germantown, TN
called Las Tortugas (The Turtles) which offers fresh ingredients daily.
It's fashioned after a taqueria in Mexico City where the owner was born.
He doesn't even set the daily menu until he's shopped for ingredients
that morning. But even then, I doubt it's "authentic". He tries, I
suppose, but he's also located in a very ritzy business-class
neighborhood.

I'm looking for a place where Hispanics would go to buy ingredients for
cooking and grab a quick lunch like grandmama would make

Jill

Grandma likely has some sort of stew on the stove that will be served with
warm tortillas. Maybe Pozole or Chili Colorado or Chili Verde. There is
probably a pan of cooked seasoned pinto beans onthe back of the stove as
well. And a pot of rice cooked with some oil and tomato paste. Maybe with
some broth as well.

There's a small griddle on the front of the stove and a stack of tortilla's
near by. Probably corn tortillas.

There is most likely a dish on the table with some kind of salsa as well as
a bottle (or two or three) of hot sauce.

You would likely get a bowl of stew, some beans and rice and maybe even a
fried egg on top of your stew.

(Middle grandson learned to like Menudo when he was at a friends and
hungry. Oldest grandson is pretty good at cooking Carne Asada as he
learned from another friend.
Youngest daughter still makes eggs every weekend like we learned at a
campfire in Alaska. Fry up some ham and torn up corn tortillas. Add
onions and mild peppers tomatoes and stir till those are done. Then stir
in a bunch of eggs. Continue to stir and cook until the eggs are set.
Top with cheese and serve with hot sauce.

Jo

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"jmcquown" wrote in message
. ..
Yowie wrote:
wrote:
Yowie wrote:

jmcquown wrote:
jmcquown wrote:
What does "tienda" mean? It's in the context of a sign I saw
which reads "Tienda y Taqueria". I know what a taqueria is LOL

Jill --feels like she should know this

Ah yes, it must be a tiny shop where I could buy Hispanic
ingredients and quite possibly good authentic food

So what does "Taqueria" mean ???? :-)

A place that sells tacos?

In California, and maybe everywhere in the US, it means a casual
Mexican restaurant where the main fare consists of tacos, burritos,
quesadillas, and other foods than can be easily taken to go, although
all the taquerias I usually go to also have tables and chairs so you
can eat there. They are a bit different from more formal Mexican
restaurants, which feature full meals that are meant to be eaten
there.

My only experience with "Mexican" food comes from Chili's, which is a
chain of 'family restaurants' here in Australia

I woudl love to try *real* Mexican food.

Oh dear lord! You would be absolutely right about the lack of
authenticity! In fact, I wouldn't even classify Chili's as Tex-Mex
(Texas Mexican wannabe). IIRC Chili's served a Bloomin' Onion (although
they didn't call it that) well before Outback came along.

It's difficult to find *real* Mexican food in the US what with all the
chain restaurants everywhere. There's a good place in Germantown, TN
called Las Tortugas (The Turtles) which offers fresh ingredients daily.
It's fashioned after a taqueria in Mexico City where the owner was born.
He doesn't even set the daily menu until he's shopped for ingredients
that morning. But even then, I doubt it's "authentic". He tries, I
suppose, but he's also located in a very ritzy business-class
neighborhood.

I'm looking for a place where Hispanics would go to buy ingredients for
cooking and grab a quick lunch like grandmama would make

Jill

Of course much so-called Mexican food might be considered authentic by
some, and not by others. Different regions have different styles of
cooking. I am sure that most of the Mexican food we get in Southern
California is a gringo version of the original, but I love much of it
anyway.

Joy

Tortillas and beans, rice and salsa, cheese if you can afford it and hot
sauce are all pretty authentic.

The varieties of meat served might be different than you are used to.

And fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season. Lots of tomatoes
and corn and squash. Lots of melons. Limes.

I love the carts around here that sell fresh fruit and corn on the cob.

Jo

Joy wrote:
Of course much so-called Mexican food might be considered authentic by some,
and not by others. Different regions have different styles of cooking. I

While it is true that mexican cuisine is as varied as french or italian
(though probably not as much as chinese) cuisines, most "mexican" food
sold in the US is not authentic by any means. If it contains any of the
following, it's the american interpretation:
yellow cheese (there's a reason we call it "american" cheese in Mexico)
strong cumin flavor
hard taco shells (as opposed to a corn tortilla that was formed into a
taco and then fried.... and no, it's not the same)
"spanish" rice...
salsa with bell peppers (bell peppers in general are somewhat rare in
Mexico)

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

I'm looking for a place where Hispanics would go to buy ingredients for
cooking and grab a quick lunch like grandmama would make

Jill

There used to be a place like that in Fowler, CA.

There's a little truck stop just off state route 99. It has one shower
stall (most truck stops have quite a few), no laundry facilities, just a
lot of truck parking space, clean restrooms, and fuel pumps. When I first
started stopping there in 2001 there was a little taco place next door. It
was a large catering truck ("roach coach") permanently moored on a
concrete pad with a bunch of picnic tables. They made the absolute best
tacos I've ever had, and they sold ingredients to locals. None of the
staff spoke much more English than they needed to be able to take orders,
but who cared? They made wonderful tacos.

Life kept me away from there for a couple years. When I returned in 2003
or so I was shocked - the roach coach was gone! In it's place was a real
honest-to-goodness restaurant. A real building, inside seating, etc. The
tacos were still good, but just not the same. I miss that place.

Also, just because somebody is "hispanic" does not mean he/she knows how
to cook real mexican food.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

A friend had a couple that he knew while in Mexico on a mission trip of some
sort. When they came from Mexico to visit he took them to a place that
advertised "authentic Mexican food". He was mortified to learn that not ONE
THING on the menu could they recognize. They got up, went to a grocery
store and the mans wife cooked them the most amazing meal they had ever had.
"Victor Martinez" wrote in message
...
Also, just because somebody is "hispanic" does not mean he/she knows how
to cook real mexican food.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:19:56 -0400, "jmcquown"
wrote:

I'm looking for a place where Hispanics would go to buy ingredients for
cooking and grab a quick lunch like grandmama would make

Come to Nashville and drive down Nolensville Rd. There's plenty of
Mexican Mexican restaurants. There's bound to be Mexican Mexican
restaurants in Memphis.

Bud

William Hamblen wrote:
On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:19:56 -0400, "jmcquown"
wrote:

I'm looking for a place where Hispanics would go to buy ingredients
for cooking and grab a quick lunch like grandmama would make

Come to Nashville and drive down Nolensville Rd. There's plenty of
Mexican Mexican restaurants. There's bound to be Mexican Mexican
restaurants in Memphis.

Bud

Except I'm not IN Memphis right now I'm on an island on the coast of
South Carolina. There's not a heck of a lot here...

Jill