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14 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOD
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2003
Get wrapped up in tortilla dishes
With 17 Mexican restaurants that call Lawrence home, you don't have to look far to find crunchy beef tacos, cheese-smothered enchiladas and salt-rimmed margaritas. These favorite Mexican-American classics only scrape the surface of Mexican food.
Some people are confused when scanning the menu at local eateries. Most Mexican foods found in American restaurants use Antojitos Mexicanos, which are the corn- and flour-based wrapped tortilla dishes.
This includes all specialties mentioned above, plus items like taquitos, flautas, chimichangas, tostadas, chilaquiles and tamales. Yes, you've seen such names on menus, but what exactly are these specialties?
Gorditas: Gorditas are made with tortilla dough, including ingredients of wheat and sometimes potato. They are cut into small circles then cooked and sometimes deep fried. As the dough expands when being cooked, the gordita can be peeled open and filled with meats, beans and cheeses.
Chilaquiles: Chilaquiles are crisp fried tortilla chips. The fried chips are mixed with either a red, green or tomatillo-based chile sauce and heated, often with chicken and cheese.
Here's a quick lesson in Spanish 101:
Chimichangas: Chimichangas are simply deep-fried burritos, topped with green chili sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.
Empanadas: This is a pastry filled with either fruits, cheeses or meats.
Flautas: A Flauta consists of a large corn tortilla filled with meats and then rolled like a cigar around the filling. It is deepfried and served with salsa and guacamole. Tamales: These are made of tortilla dough filled with a variety of meats, seafood or vegetables and fruit, and usually wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
EAT THIS
Taquitos: Taquitos are just like flautas but are made with smaller tortillas.
Tostadas: This is a medium-sized corn tortilla, fried. Toppings include a layering of refried beans, meats, cheeses, lettuce and tomatoes and topped with sour cream.
With a little more familiarity of Mexican cuisine, when ordering next time at your favorite Mexican hot spot, try a chimichanga or tamale. Tacos and burritos don't have to be the only options any more in your spicy diet, so go ahead and try the unusual. You just might adopt a new Mexican favorite.
For more information on Mexican food
Christina DiGiacomo cdigiacomo@kansan.com
Favorite Mexican-American classics like enchiladas and tacos only scrape the surface of Mexican food.
and ingredients, check out these books. One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless or Tamales by Mark Miller.
Spicy Beef Flautas with a Fiery Sour Cream Souce
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
12 corn tortillas
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup of vegetable oil
For dipping sauce:
1 cup of light or fat free sour cream
1/4 cup of medium taco sauce
Accompaniments: Shredded Monterey jack cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes
1. Cook ground beef, onions and peppers in a large skillet until meat is cooked and vegetables are translucent and tender. Drain grease. Return meat mixture to skillet, add taco seasonings and follow the packaged cooking directions. Set meat mixture aside.
2. In a large, deep pan, heat the oil to about 375 degrees. With a pair of tongs, gently slip corn tortillas into the oil for 1 or 2 seconds and take out immediately, placing on paper towels.
4. Place flautas into the hot oil and cook until each is golden brown.Let drain on paper towels.Remove toothpicks.Mix sour cream and taco sauce and place in a bowl.Serve flautas around the dipping
Directions:
3. Next, place meat mixture on one end of the tortilla, roll and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with all tortillas.
Christina DiGiacomo/Kansan
Flautas are a less well-known dish. A Flauta consists of a large corn tortilla filled with meats and then rolled like a cigar around the filling.
sauce and sprinkle accompaniments over the flautas. Serves six.
Frozen Raspberry & Strawberry Margaritas
Ingredients:
2 (6-ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen
strawberries in syrup, thawed
4 cups water
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups tequila
2 (1-liter) bottles lemon-lime soda, chilled
Directions:
1. Place limeade concentrate, raspberries and strawberries in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.
2. Mix raspberry mixture, water and tequila. Pour into a plastic container and cover and let freeze for 24 hours or until slushy.
3. For each serving, stir 2/8 cup slush and 1/3 cup soda pop in glass.Serves 15.
DiGiacomo is an Apple Valley, Minn., senior in communication studies. She studied at Dante Alighieri cooking school in Florence, Italy.