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["Sage Austin | Eureka! Design" <eureka AT hctc.net>]

Bev, I hate to admit but dried chilies are so plentiful in my part of 
the world I just buy the chipotles and anchos at the store, and grow the 
ones I eat fresh! I would be interested in knowing how James smokes his, 
though.

To make sauce I rehydrate dried chilies in a bowl by pouring boiling 
water over them. After they are soft, I throw the chilies and the water 
into the blender, and then have a paste-like sauce that can be use in or 
on anything. You can also add a little to mayonnaise to spice up 
whatever you make with that. When cooking pinto beans I just throw a 
couple of dried anchos in whole and they break down while cooking. I 
also add a little natural liquid smoke for the flavor you guys get by 
adding pork. It's my version of ranch style beans!

A popular Texas use of hatch green chilies is to serve them hot with 
melted cheese over french fries! I try to stay away from fried foods, 
but I can't resist this! I also use them in a lot of egg dishes.

In New Mexico, the enchiladas are flat! Instead of two rolled ones, you 
put your cheese and onions and sauce in between two flat tortillas, 
cover with more sauce and cheese and bake. The sauce is the red one I 
already mentioned. For me it's a great use of the two round layer cake 
forms I never otherwise use!

There are so many salsa recipes out there, it's just a matter of finding 
the right one for you. I like cilantro in mine, and a lot of people 
don't like cilantro. I like cumin in much smaller quantity than called 
for and usually half or quarter the amount or leave it out altogether.

--Sage



EarthNSky wrote:
> Sage Austin | Eureka! Design wrote:
>   
> > Yum! I prefer jalapenos smoked to fresh, and buy them dry as chipotles 
> >     
>
> I know James smokes his...
> How do you smoke yours, Sage?
>
>
>
>   
> > to add to sauces. I also make sauces from dried chili anchos, which are 
> > poblanos when fresh.
> >     
>
> Recipes?
>
>
>
>   I stuff jalapenos with cream cheese, batter them
>   
> > with egg and flour, brown them in oil.
> >     
>
> Nom nom.
>
>
>   
> > We do cook with the locally native chilipequin which is hot but 
> > flavorful--could this be the small pepper you saw? We live in the part 
> > of Texas where Mexican Food is "TexMex" but I prefer the cooking of New 
> > Mexico. In TexMex jalapenos or serranos are chopped fresh with tomatoes 
> > for salsa, and gives you what I call "instant burn". A TexMex green 
> > sauce is made mostly with tomatillos.
> >     
>
> I've been looking for a different salsa, not too sweet, with a serrano 
> kick, something less vinegar and more salt.
>
>
>
>