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Latin-American Cuisine

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:36 pm



Sorry, this product is currently unavailable - if you don't see a price, they haven't got it

Mexgrocer have enough kinds of maize flour to confuse, including masa harina and Masa Pan

https://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/food/masa-harina

I think sous chef have it too, but the latest redesign of their website makes it unusable for me

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby ZeroCook » Tue Mar 30, 2021 12:50 am

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KDKA - Q: how soft should the butter be for the polvorosa? Thx

CoolchileUK are good for all kinds of things Mex including masa harina. They also make tortillas in blue and in white corn which can also be found in some wholefood and speciality type food shops in London along with their flours. They don't have a vast selection, but great quality. Not super cheap but not ridiculous. I like them a lot. Says on their website they've just got in fresh poblanos and jalapenos but all their fresh stuff is showing out of stock. Either still updating or already gone. Worth keeping an eye out.

https://www.coolchile.co.uk/

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:02 am

Coolchille used to have a stall in Borough market

In normal times I could probably get both kinds of masa from the stalls in the Latin American market behind Seven Sisters station, there’s a Colombian arepa bar in there too. The huge Tesco on the other side of the road might stock it I suppose, which might be why it’s on the Tesco website although I doubt most branches have it.

That’s very near me

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Tue Mar 30, 2021 5:42 pm

Q: how soft should the butter be for the polvorosa? Thx


I´ve got no idea, ZC! So I´m going to message a friend who´s an expert in the subject (she makes them for sale) and see what she says.
Thanks for the coolchile link. I sent it to my son in Putney. He´s over the moon, because he can now make his authentic chilaquiles with all the ingredients. Whoopee!!

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby ZeroCook » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:13 pm

karadekoolaid wrote:I´ve got no idea, ZC!

Quel chef! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Awaiting instructions ... 8-)

I see Coolchile have listed the tomatillos and jalapenos. Banana leaves too. They must have received a shipment. No poblanos or any type of Mex queso tho.

Speaking of queso fresco I have a round of Casero queso fresco that needs using. Chiles rellenos have been slated. :D


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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby jeral » Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:20 am

If anyone shops via Ocado, they have Coolchile masa harina @ £3.45/500g, in stock this pm. Not cheap, but the usual extra £3.99p&p for alternative online places will probably cover a whole week's Ocado shopping so pennies per item rather than a big hit for just this item.

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:47 am


Quel chef! :lol: :lol: :lol:


Arf!Arf!! Remember my speciality is Indian food 8-) :lol: :lol:
Just asked my friend Jamila, who makes the most unbelievable polvoroso de pollo (WITH the sugar), so I´d expect an answer soon.
Queso fresco is ok, but it doesn´t make me jump up and down. I´m not a great fan of queso Oaxaca, either. Or most Ltin American white cheeses, come to think of it.Same old, same old.

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:58 am

Okidoki - listen up!!!
Here´s how you make the pastry for the Polvorosa de Pollo.
Room temperature butter. Beat it until it screams into little peaks, then add the (caster) sugar, and beat it some more. Add the egg yolks and whip together, then finally, salt, baking powder maybe, and/or self-raising flour. Once you´ve got a proper dough, leave it in the fridge for an hour or so , which will make it more manageable.
From the mouth of the Goddess who makes the best ones in Caracas! :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby ZeroCook » Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:17 am

karadekoolaid wrote:Arf!Arf!! Remember my speciality is Indian food 8-) :lol: :lol:

But of course. Just thought you'd've had a bash at the iconic Polvorosa. :D

Tell Jamila muchas gracias and I'm going to have a(nother) go. Never beaten screaming butter into little peaks before. :lol: And the baking powder suggests that it's almost a biscuit like type of pastry. Is the Polvorosa de Pollo recipe you posted hers?

Other than pastry encrusted manta ray wings, are there any other favourite uses for polvorosa pastry? I probably can't feed OH the pollo again for a while - he was such a good sport, too. What about something dessert-like? What do Jamila and others like to make with the pastry? Sweet or savoury. Very interested.

I like queso fresco a lot - it's sort of in the ricotta flavour range - quite delicate, very milky flavoured and a good foil for stronger flavours. With you on the Oaxaca cheese and it melts like rubber.

Stokey, what's the upshot of the Latin market - is it reopening?

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am

ZeroCook wrote:Stokey, what's the upshot of the Latin market - is it reopening?


Not sure what’s happening to Latin Village, which is what it is more properly called, there were plans for it to close / refurbish / relocate before the pandemic and as it’s in the next borough it’s not properly on my planning radar

Planning to go there when all stores reopen in a few weeks :crossed and check it out

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:02 pm

are there any other favourite uses for polvorosa pastry?


Afraid not, at least not around here.
Mind you, a blueberry pie might go down well...

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby ZeroCook » Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:22 pm

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Hola kdka or anyone who might know - just received some crushed aji Argentino from Spain. Fantastic intense bright red colour but no heat at all and not a huge amount of flavour. Is it aji dulce? Or does that simply mean any chili with no heat? Will see if the seeds will germinate tho the sender thinks it's roasted.

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:32 am

I wondered whether it might be an Argentinian version of the Chilean chile " Merken", but a quick look at the web tells me it´s a mixture of capsicum annum and capsicum frutescens - so it could be all sorts of things. I´ve never heard of ají dulce in Argentina either.

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby ZeroCook » Fri Jun 04, 2021 1:40 am

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Actually that would make sense kdka. Especially for Spanish palates :D

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 17, 2021 8:18 am


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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:57 am

Thanks for the link, PP.
I´ll give Felicity a measured response in the morning. 8-)

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby jeral » Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:04 am

Oh 'eck, that bad huh?

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:36 pm

Oh 'eck, that bad huh?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
No, jeral - it was too late at night to write anything cohesive!
Well she´s spot on when she says you could write a book about empanadas. It´d be like writing a book about burgers. Every country in Latin America has their own version and the fillings are almost limitless. During lockdown last year, a neighbour & I decided to make some " gourmet" empanadas (classic fillings here would be white cheese, minced or pulled beef, chicken or fish) and turned out 4 fillings: artichoke & bacon, keema mince, chorizo & potato, and soft white cheese with grilled veg.
Therefore, choosing a cheese empanada is not a bad idea and although her version is obviously subjective, (It has to be for a short article) she probably made the right choice. The issue is undoubtedly the cheese, which is generally white, generally from cows or buffalos milk and matured for a short time. It might be hard ( since it´s pressed to mature it), it might be stringy ( some have the texture of rubber!) and it might be melty, but it´s almost always white. In Venezuela and Colombia, the cheese is usually the only ingredient, although you might find it mixed with black or red beans. In Bolivia, Ecuador and Costa Rica, they sprinkle sugar on top. In Perú, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, you will generally find some chiles added. Spring onions? Very much Ecuador. What cheese would I use in the UK? Tricky really, because you want something with a strong cheesy flavour, but which melts when cooked. My first thought would be Caerphilly, Lancashire or Cheshire, BUT they tend to be crumbly, so I´d probably add some mozzarella as well. Still - you could use what you like to be honest - the end result must be something unctuous cooked in a pastry shell.
Wheat flour, as she says, is more common in the Southern countries ( Argentina, Chile, Perú) whereas Venezuela, Colombia, Central America and Mexico would go for corn (maize) flour. A question of what´s available. Wheat flour lends itself to frying or baking, but I´d personally take issue with baking maize flour, because the texture is crispy but to the point of being hard. Felicity did say that it´s easier if you´ve got guests. I agree, but the fried version is definitely superior.
Watching the ladies at the beach making empanadas is fascinating. They use about 90% maize flour ( masarepa, or harina PAN) and 10% wheat. This makes the dough less fragile and easier to manipulate. Once they have a ball of dough, they put it on a piece of plastic bag, sprinkle it with a bit of water then cover with another plastic bag. Squishing it down with their hands, they make a circle. The filling then goes on one side. The plastic is then doubled over ( so one side of the circle covers the other) and sealed by squeezing the edges together. Zap! Into the cauldron of hot oil, fried until golden brown.

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:07 pm

Brilliant KK, thanks for that. 8-) 8-) 8-)

ETA not sure about the sugar. :? :? :?

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Re: Latin-American Cuisine

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:15 pm

Over here people put sugar on their black beans. Believe it or not, it works.

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