I just got back from tacos at my favorite taco joint in Buenos Aires: La Fábrica del Taco on Gorriti 5062, a block from Plaza Serrano. Man, I love that place. If you haven't been ...you gotta go. I'm so glad that it is not near my house. I would not only be fatter but poorer (monetarily!)Ah, but the satisfaction that I feel right now is hard to describe. I think that the "Volcan" ($10) is my favorite ...a little ramekin of chopped onion and cilantro was the last possible tweak ...and with their homemade salsas picantes, and some velvety Negra Modelo ($13) with lime, I was transported to a plane which I haven't visited for a while.
What draws me out of my way, though, is tortillas de maiz. The little crunchy tostada was not enough for me to do a corn tortilla review ...but just the fact that a tortilla made of something other than flour was available was enough to put me over the top.
After 5 years here, I have revised my stock list of things that I miss from the old country. It just might be that I don't miss ANYTHING ...except for good corn tortillas and anything else made from nixtamalized corn.
I've done without good corn tortillas for long enough. I haven't tried the tortillas from Mole, although I tried (they were closed.) and I hear that California Burrito Company has begun to offer them as an alternative. But I'm tellin' ya, if I don't get some good corn tortillas soon ...I'm gonna have to open a tortillería myself!
As any good woman of buena voluntad and a drop of Aztec blood will tell you, "if you're going to make one tortilla, you may as well make a hundred."
...and please, don't give me that Masa Harina story again. That's fine in a pinch (and the majority of tortillas made by Mexicans in and out of Mexico are now made that way) but the old process of soaking good field corn in slaked lime then grinding the wet kernels is actually easier ...if done on a large enough scale. I think that you could sell them retail and that any Mexican restaurant would be pleased to be relieved of the gyrations they have to go thru to produce them themselves. Investors take note!
5 comments:
I have to also include White Castle, Inn N Out Burger, Italian beef, Philly Cheese, Memphis and Texas BBQ and New Haven style pizza to the miss list, and also a good cheap bowl of Pho. And Greek gyros as well.
Been away 5 months now.
Fred
Believe me, the list gets smaller.
What helped me was that my guiding light never failed: I emigrated to this country because I thought that the life of an average middle-class porteño was something to be admired; I didn't need anything more in order to be happy.
However, no matter how committed anyone is to spending the rest of their life here ...certain things will pop-up in our brain chemistry.
No shame in that! The Italians brought pasta, pizza, ice cream and so much more. Jews brought bialys and krein and more. Germans brought sauerkraut and more.
I want US to bring good tortillas and hominy grits!!!
Hee hee. But if the only things that I currently miss are nixtamalized corn ...well, I'm doing good!
You will too.
Now I am sold! Corn Tortillas! I tried making them once, what a disaster!
Oh Mike! At least you can get that stuff over in BA! Here in San Juan there is nothing!! I was finally able to find just regular old flour tortillas the other day, corn tortillas is just asking way too much. I've got quite the list as well....just the simple good old USA staples...peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, microwave popcorn....none of these things are to be found in San Juan....Hell, I haven't even so much as seen a McDonald's hamburger in over 3 years (the last time I was back in the States)....LOL!
But then again I wouldn't trade my asado, vino tinto and mate for anything ;)
Joli! I tried to "concoct" something last night out of polenta and anything else I thought might help. What a disaster.
Heidi, baby. It just SOUNDS like we can get that stuff ...I'm not sure that we actually can. But a reasonable facsimile thereof was found the other night at Fábrica del Tacos ...and I was thrilled! I'm going back to do a REAL review real soon.
BESOS!
Mike
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