Cookbook Countdown #86 -- Patti's Mexican Table

 

 

 

Once upon a time, I decided to cook at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.  At that time I had 217. I know, because I counted them.   I now have over 300. BUT, in case you think I'm a hoarder (I'm not) I have decided to cull out my collection and last week I took 5 cookbooks to the thrift store!  I want to keep on doing this with both my cookbook and book collection.

Having said that tho-- I feel guilty about taking a book to the thrift store before I have cooked from it.  The Handyman says that's stupid.

I am very slow at cooking from my cookbooks, so do I really need to keep an old Better Homes and Gardens "cooking casseroles" from 1976?  I need to do some deep thinking about what really brings me joy.

Oh well,  we'll see what happens.

 

This is only #86!

It's so good!

 

 

The host of a highly popular PBS series, Pati’s Mexican Table, and a self-described “overloaded soccer mom with three kids and a powerful blender,” Pati Jinich has a mission. She’s out to prove that Mexican home cooking is quicker and far easier than most Americans think.

Her dishes are not blanketed with cheese, or heavy and fried, or based on complex sauces. Nor are they necessarily highly spicy. Surprising in their simplicity and freshness, they incorporate produce and grains. Most important, they fit perfectly into an everyday family cooking schedule and use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry. Many are homey specialties that Pati learned from her mother and grandmother, some are creative spins on classics, while others are not well known outside of Mexico.

Patti's Mexican Table!!

I LOVE her PBS show too.

 

I have quite a few Mexican cookbooks--it's one of my favorite types of food.

One thing I've learned--Americans really Americanify Mexican cooking at restaurants.  There is NOTHING as good as Mexican home cooking.

This cookbook is proof of that.

As are these ribs!

 

Honey Chipotle Ribs

 



Ingredients

1 cup ketchup

2/3 cup honey

4 tablespoons sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce

3 chipotle chiles from chipotles in adobo sauce, minced, seeded optional, or more to taste

10 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 tablespoons Maggi or soy sauce

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dried oregano

3 pounds baby back or spare ribs

To Prepare

In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, sauce from the chipotles, chipotle chiles, garlic, olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, Maggi, black pepper and oregano. Mix well.

Line a large roasting pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pour some sauce on the bottom of the pan, put in the ribs and pour the remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil, sealing the entire top of the pan, and marinate for 30 minutes up to 24 hours. If marinating more than 30 minutes, keep the ribs refrigerated.

When ready to cook the meat, remove it from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slip the pan with the ribs into the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours. Take the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the aluminum foil, taking care not to be burned by the steam. Spoon the thickened sauce from the bottom of the pan on top of the ribs and place them back in the oven to roast another 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are beautifully browned and sticky. Remove from the oven, let rest, then slice into 2- to 3-bone pieces and pile on a platter.

Alternatively, after you remove the foil, you can finish off the ribs on the grill at medium heat, for about 15 minutes.

 

There is NOTHING better than homemade Mexican Cooking.

It's so true, I had to say it 2x.

If you like good Mexican cooking---you should try out this cookbook.  It's great!

And speaking of homemade Mexican food......

 

My son's  wife is Mexican.  Her parents don't speak English.  We don't speak Spanish.  Our kids always worry about us, but we get along  just fine. I mean they worry about us when  we are alone---they think we can't communicate.  We manage.   We have food in common.

And grandchildren.

 

When we were visiting our son in October and we were left ALONE!

Maxine (my son's mother-in-law)  called me over to watch her make soup.

She knows I love it---watching her cook.

Of course I should have made notes on her Albondigas.  It was so much better than what I make.

(see is an amazing cook----She did the amazing wedding reception dinner for our kids wedding.  Mmmmmm.  The corn in the picture with the ribs is her recipe from the wedding.  Creamed corn--but with a Mexican twist )

 

 

I did notice how she layered seasoning upon seasoning as she cooked, instead of just seasoning at the end.  She seasoned the raw meat, the soup stock, the rice, the veggies.

It was AMAZING!

 

 

We did have a small miscommunication during all this.

She was making homemade tortillas.  Corn tortillas.

I was trying to tell her that the Handyman tried to make them once and they were no good.

 

What she understood was that he didn't like them.

BUT HE DOES.

When lunch was ready--she got out a bag of tortilla chips for him.

He's like WHA???

 

We finally convinced her that he loves homemade tortillas, but it wasn't until Luke and Mara came home from work  and theythat it was totally conveyed.

 

They were SO GOOD!

And then we sat down to lunch!!

This meal!

 



Our 'shared' grandson, Christopher was ready to eat!

(he's the cutest thing ever! Maxine thinks so too, weird, huh?)

 

 

And that is my story!

Yay cookbooks!

Yay food.

Yay homemade food!

Yay family!

 

That's it.

Cookbook #86