Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 From: Elizabeth Kipp To: anglican@list.stsams.org Subject: Re: My May Tour Update On Sat, 17 Jan 2004, Ken Peck wrote: > At one time it was possible to eat Tex-Mex on a barge in the river. And > there was a well known Tex-Mex restaurant on the river walk I shall display my complete lack of knowledge and ask what is "Tex-Mex." -- Elizabeth (Blake) Kipp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gaynor From what I have heard on IRC, Tex-Mex is so "hot" with peppers etc type hot that it wouldn't matter what else was in it cos you couldn't taste it anyway. Probably those who had not been brought up on it would need hospital treatment to heal their taste-buds. Please guys. We are coming to meet my friends not to be physically injured by your "specialities". Blessings, Gaynor ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ken peck It is a Texas variety of "Mexican" food. Things like enchiladas and tamales (generously drowned in chili), tacos, chalupas, nochos, guacamole, "Spanish" rice, refried beans, etc. The "good stuff" is highly seasoned with chili, pepper, picante, mole, onions, garlic, jalapenas and cheese and is mui calente, both in terms of seasoning and temperature. (The server will usually warn you not to touch the plate as it is extremely hot.) The chains (like El Chico) and restaurants that cater to the touristas serve a much milder form of these foods. The same can be said of the products found in most grocery stores. Seasoned Texians like it very hot. Good Tex-Mex is also very high in colesterol, fat, salt and calories. Very bad for you, but oh so very good! Can be finished off with pralines and sopapillas. (I won't gaurantee the spelling.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: elizabeth It sounds like it doesn't have any meat?? I like vegetables and maybe they do a mild which I shall try if they do. I have hardly ever eaten any hot peppers but use them to make my canned chili sauce in the fall. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: sibyl It does have meat, but is so high in the vegetarian complements that the meat is easily left out, and you'd still have standard "Tex-Mex" (or Mexican, for that matter), if one happens to _be_ vegetarian. It would be hard to leave out the cheese, though, if one is vegan. Ken+ forgot to mention the "custard" dessert, also high in eggs (duh). I don't remember what its "Mexican" name is, but custard is what it is, and very cooling. Somebody mentioned drinking cola as its complement, but I'd say in soft drinks Sprite or 7-up is better, or lemonade or other citric drinks, because the citrus has a cooling, quenching effect on the spice that neither water nor cola have, and the citrus component is the reason for the margaritas in the alcohol area. A glass of milk is also good. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ken Enchiladas are usually a spicy ground (typical Tex-Mex) or shredded beef (more common in Mexico) wrapped in tortillas and baked with chili sauce, onions and cheese. (There is a variety of chicken enchilada which uses chicken instead of beef and a white sauce instead of the chili sauce and also a cheese enchilada that is similar to the chicken. I've also had spinach enchaladas. But the beef is the most common Tex-Mex.) Tacos are usually a spicy ground beef with lettuce, tomatos and cheese in a crisp or soft tortilla. I have encountered chicken tacos, but again, beef is far more common. Tamales are spicy pork in a masa covering and wrapped in corn shucks. Chalupas can have ground beef in their topping. It is possible some places to do a veggie "Tex-Mex," but it is not particularly common. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pooks You can get veggie Tex Mex, or chicken, beef and pork at most restaurants. One place I like to go has great Mexican fish and seafood dishes, and kid is a Mexican fave, though not found often in TexMex. Pooks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ken Actually most liquids do not "cool" when eating really spicy Tex-Mex; they only spread the spices around in the mouth. If you get too much spicy, the best thing is to grab a flour tortilla (or corn if there isn't a flour one handy), slap on some butter and eat that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Joseph Cirou Well, the custard is "flan" I usually drink a good native beer with spicy foods: Dos Equis with Mexican, Shing Tao with Szechuan; and Singha with Thai. I read this years ago in an article on Indonesian food. Joe ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "lee lemmon" Actually IME the best cooling agent for hot spicey is dairy, milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, especially milk and yogurt. That's no doubt the reason hot, spicey quizines always have a sour cream or sweet cream or yogurt component. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ellen Rains Harris Tex Mex is not as hot as New Mexican Mex. It's just, well, cheesier, chilier, more red, less green and goes better with Dr Pepper. Cauli-flornia Mex is a different thing altogether, and I know little about the Arizona brand. None of it is heavy on mole sauces, or pupusas or any of that south Mexican stuff. Mrs Harris, not Mex atall, but a fan of all of 'em. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Barbara D. Colt " With Szechuan or Hunan there's usually plenty of plain steamed rice, which does a vary good job of clearing the mouth of heat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Elizabeth Kipp Thank you Ken. I haven't eaten any mexican food and I did always wonder what an Enchilada was. My most favourite item that seems to be Texan is chick peas. They are so delicious.