Thursday, March 26, 2015

HOLY GUACAMOLE! ARRIBA! ARRIBA! ANDALE! ANDALE!




Cheeky little Speedy Gonzales, the fastest mouse in all Mexico, dressed in his large yellow hat with a red kerchief at his neck, began entertaining us in the mid-Fifties when he became Sylvester the Cat’s nemesis (and vice versa). In haste, when I was a kid I skipped off to Saturday afternoon matinees hoping to be amused by his wild antics.  Speedy had a leaning towards hot Tabasco Sauce as one of his main weapons of choice. Poor old Sylvester was often outsmarted and humiliated by the nifty Speedy and his liberal lashings of Tabasco. Speedy was hot to trot when it came to helping his own kind, though. 

Speedy’s cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez, in turn known as the slowest mouse in all Mexico, often had to be rescued by his fleet of foot, flashy, fearless cousin.

However, in the mid-Sixties Speedy got a rude awakening when Daffy Duck rode into town packing a six-shooter!  Daffy probably either waddled or paddled into town, but you get my drift! Daffy wasn’t a duck to muck about with as many a cartoon character from the late-Thirties through to the Sixties discovered.  He was a cantankerous fellow when he felt like it; and he felt like it often. 

I moseyed onto this subject because I’ve just prepared some guacamole. I’ve not made it for ages; I have no excuse to offer because there are close to a dozen avocado trees on this property here where I roam!

I’m expecting a visit from a friend. The guacamole will play a central role in our grazing platter. While preparing the legendary dip a thought was triggered causing my mind to speedily turn north-east towards Mexico; hence my ramblings.  Obviously, it doesn’t take much to start me off! 

I missed a ride on a passing burro; so I was a relatively latecomer to the joys Mexican food, I think…maybe not. 

For a few months in early1969 I dated an Aussie hombre.  Together we regularly visited the Gold Coast on weekends. During our visits said hombre introduced me to a little place hidden away in a street behind the main drag at Mermaid Beach or Miami (one or the other) called “Taco Bill”. The Gold Coast operation opened in 1967.  It was the first “Taco Bill” in Australia before expanding to the southern states.

I’ll include here a little bit of the history behind “Taco Bill”:-

“Taco” Bill Chilcote came to Australia in 1967. He originated from the border of Mexico and California, exactly where along that border, I don’t know. It has been said he arrived in Australia with little else other than a corn grinder and tortilla machine under his arms. The first eatery Bill opened was the one we used to visit on the Gold Coast.  The lure of Sydney and Melbourne soon enticed him to the south…”Taco” Bill had heard we Queenslanders called those south of the Queensland border as being “Mexicans”.  Highly excited by the possibilities, off he sped…to the south!  There are no 35 locally-owned and operated “Taco Bill” restaurants operating in Australia…all Australian-owned; and all franchises.

At the time my amigo and I discovered “Taco Bill” – in it’s early days - the eatery was an unadorned, but welcoming “hole in the wall”. It may not have been a fancy establishment, but the Mexican fare they presented in its simplicity was excellent, especially their Chilli Con Carne. I loved Billy’s chilli. Whenever I paid a visit it was what I dined upon...with gusto!

Bill’s prices were reasonable; his product superior.  “Taco Bill” wasn’t an elaborately-decorated eatery, but it exuded a relaxed, cosy atmosphere. Si Señor!

With good food and prices what more could two amigos wish for?

Through the Seventies my taste for Mexican food grew. 

After living in the States for almost a decade upon my then future husband-to-be Randall’s (now my ex) returned to Australia from the US, he brought with him his love of Mexican food.

Randall had lived and worked in New York City for nigh on a decade as I’ve mentioned previously, but he also travelled extensively, not only through the US, but he also found time to visit the UK, Europe, and even Morocco.  Around August/September 1969 he decided he wanted to pay a brief visit to his home country; to catch up with family and friends (including me). 

With that purpose in mind  Randall's intention was to find a job on a ship heading Down Under. By doing so, it would enable him to work his way home for "free" as such..

Having sub-let his apartment in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Randall found his way down to Mexico. While there the lure of The Yucatan Peninsula was too strong to ignore. He fell in love with The Yucatan. (We made plans in the early Eighties to visit the US, Mexico, The Yucatan and Central America together, but those plans never came unstuck...another story for another day).

Leaving Mexico, Randall then ventured further south to Central America, eventually ending up in Panama where he succeeded in landing himself a job as a deckhand on a German ship that was heading to Australia. He spent most of the journey down on his hands and knees scraping rust of the ship's deck under the stern, watchful eyes of the Germans!  It was no pleasure cruise!

Randall’s visit to his homeland only lasted about two months before he headed off to the Northern Hemisphere again, ending up in Manhattan.  

During his brief visit he brought with him his love of Mexican food. 

When Randall finally arrived back home to Queensland for good in late 1974, he’d not left his love for Mexican food behind. He wasted no time imparting the love of it to me.  I soon mastered the culinary art of Mexican fare. It featured on our dinner menu at least twice a week

Mexican cuisine rapidly gained popularity throughout Australia, too, proving I wasn’t the only señorita in the cactus patch.

Long before we’d heard of Huevos Rancheros, Mole Poblano, Enchiladas, Quesadillas etc., Mexico was way ahead of the rest of the world with bombón -de chocolate; chocolate, the unmatchable Elixir of Life; the ambrosia and nectar of the gods.  Forget the Greek gods; ignore Zeus and his pals - they’re a myth!

Chocolate is native to Mexico; and chocolate is real!  Deliciously decadent, impossible-to-ignore (who wants to?) chocolate is no myth.

Corn maybe the basis of a Mexican diet, but chocolate is the core to our survival, one and all; Aussies, Mexicans - everyone far and wide. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I know this because my second best friend Speedy Gonzales told me.

When I was a kid I wrecked a few of Mum’s beach hats while doing the Mexican Hat Dance around them.  She wasn’t impressed; but I believed I was a brilliant exponent of the lively dance!  Olé!

Mexican Chilli-Chocolate Red Pork: Cut 1.5kg braising pork into 4cm cubes; pat dry. Heat 1tbs olive oil in casserole; brown pork in batches; remove each batch as it’s done. Then sauté 1 roughly chopped large onion until pale gold; ad 1tsp cumin, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1/8tsp ground cloves and 4 finely chopped garlic cloves; cook 3mins; then put in blender. Toast 4 whole dried ancho chillis in dry pan over med-heat, 3mins; remove stalks and seeds. Pour 625ml boiling water into pan with 30g dark chocolate pieces, 3 dried chipotle chillis, the anchos and 85g raisins; leave 10mins. Toast 50g unsalted peanuts and 50g blanched almonds in dry pan until just golden. Put in blender; carefully pour choc-chilli mix and further 625ml water; season; blend to puree. Return pork and juices to casserole; pour on choc-chilli mix; combine; bring to just under the boil; turn heat right down; cook gently 1-1/2hrs. If it gets dry, the heat is too high. The pork should be tender and the liquid reduced. Sprinkle with coriander; serve with rice, sour cream and avocado salad.

Speedy Chicken Mole (Rhymes with Olé): Season 600g, boned, skinned chicken thighs. Heat 1tbs oil in large skillet over high heat; add chicken; cook, turning once until browned, about 5mins total; transfer to plate. Reduce heat to medium; add 1tbs oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1tbs chilli powder, 1/2tsp each cumin and cinnamon and 1/8tsp salt. Cook, stirring until fragrant; add 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1/2/c chicken stock, 1/4c mini semi-sweet choc chips and 1tbs almond butter or natural peanut butter; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to med-low; return chicken and juices to pan; turn to coat with the sauce. Simmer about 5mins more. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Guacamole: Halve 4 ripe avocados; remove the seeds; scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash the flesh, leaving it a bit chunky; don’t turn it into a puree. Once you’ve done that, add the juice of 1 lime, ½ a red onion, chopped, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 firm tomato, diced, 2tbs fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, 1/4tspn cumin, 1/4tsp chilli powder or flakes (or finely-chopped fresh hot chilli); season to taste; mix gently. Cover with plastic wrap; and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  That last instruction is meant for the guacamole, not you!

28 comments:

  1. A good Guacamole is a thing of joy and beauty. Except for me, hold the coriander leaves. I love the seeds in cooking, but loathe those leaves.
    Molly's other family were coming home today weren't they? She will miss your daily cuddles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Molly's Mum and Dad will be home tomorrow, Saturday, EC...around mid-day. Yes...I'll miss her, too. Most days I go up twice...she's always so happy to see me on my second daily visits...it makes me so happy to see her reaction, poor little thing. She's back to her old self again, which is wonderful. We've shared quite a time over the past few weeks, her and I. Whew!

    Thanks for popping in...have a great weekend. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also enjoy Mexican food although I can no longer eat the really spicy dishes I once loved. However, anything without the jalapeño pepper works for me. Last night I made tostados and they were yummy and very filling.

    I wonder if your Taco Bill is related to our Taco Bell.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your posts are always so much fun! I do love guacamole. Last night I just put chunks of avocado in my salad - so good.

    I will try that chicken mole recipe - sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. God bless you! This may be one of the finest posts ever on the internet! Chicken Mole is one of the most awesome dishes that should be on everyone's bucket list. One taste will change anyone's opinion of Mexican food. I am so hungry! Wow, I'm really curious about Australian-Mexican food; it's hard enough to find good Mexican restaurants in Texas much less that evil New York.

    And just tossing it out there, Carne Adovada which is actually a New Mexican dish. But holy cow! Spicy but maximum flavor. Oh, man I need to go to Santa Fe pronto!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hola, Arleen! I doubt very much that Taco Bill and Bell are related. Our Bill when he rode on into this great southern land took up residence and began his business pretty well straight away. I think it's just a coincidence in the name similarity...unless, of course, Bill and Bell are siblings, and Bell remained behind...who can tell? (The latter suggestion is just my wild imagination at play once again!) :)

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey Lynn...I'm glad you enjoyed my bit of nonsense. I do get carried away sometimes! :)

    Thanks for dropping in. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Dexter, I love the colour, the vibrancy that Mexico exudes...I love the architecture of Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona...of old, not the modern, soulless structures. I love the adobe houses. I have a wonderful, colourful Mexican rug (we organised friends to buy it for us when they visited Mexico in the Eighties). I love it and it hangs proudly on one of my walls. There is a lot to love about the style of the places I've mentioned, the vibrancy...and that spirit is shown (and tasted) in the food...and, of course, in the Mariachi music.

    Thanks for coming by...I'm glad you like my post. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Coriander or cilantro, I would have to leave that out!
    ::-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. You can leave out whatever you don't like, Kay...and add something, perhaps, that you do like. Speedy won't mind! :)

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I LOVE Speedy Gonzales, I probably never missed a single cartoon once we had a television set.
    I don't like Mexican food though, something in their spice palate range irritates my taste buds. It's like eating spicy sand for me. My kids love it, they all eat tacos and burritos.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi there, River. Good old Speedy...he was a lot of fun...the cheeky little devil!

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Speedy Gonzales never made an impression on me, although I was aware and anyone who raced around we used to call Speedy Gonzales! I think I was the wrong age or something.....
    YOur comment on my blog made me wonder what the tea house is in Orford. I think maybe it's the Pump House? Small world, eh? :D.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Jenny. I'm pretty sure it's not the Pump Street Bakery-Tearoom. I think it's a little place called "Riverside Tearoom"....http://www.riversidetearoom.co.uk/menu.html But I'll ask my friends/landlords when I see them next which one it is. I have seen photos of it, but have forgotten. I know it's on the waterfront...so I think I'm correct in my assumption.

    I'm an oldie...so Speedy is probably more my era, although I'm not up to his speed these days! :)

    Thanks for coming by. :0

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah ha the Mexican bug swam ashore the Aussie Continent and took your taste buds captive. We love avocado in this house and I pick up at least two a week to slice and put on salads. I cannot imagine having access to trees with them hangin on for me to take and eat my fill. I must try your recipe as it sounds quite intents. As for Mr Speedy as kids we hummed is song quite often. Peace

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Lady Di. I don't eat a lot of avocados...I can take them or leave them...and mostly I do leave them. However, I do have quite a few on hand at the moment, ripening. I've one already ripe, I discovered a few minutes ago, so it will be on my list for lunch today.

    Thanks for dropping in. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I honestly believe that Arlynda could eat her weight in guacamole. By the way, AsTheCrackerheadCrumbles should back open for business this Wednesday.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Daffy was more wacky and fun when he was picking on Porky Pig in his earlier toons. By the time he met up with Speedy, he was just Yosemite Sam with feathers.

    Going to out-of-the-way establishments there in Australia made me wonder if they have 'dive bars' like they do some places here in the States. My nephew told me of a dive bar in Florida so infamous that somebody from New Zealand flew in just for a visit. We visited there ourselves last trip to Florida. And, yes, it is a dive. Good bloody mary's though.

    Love Mexican food. Sometimes it can be fattening though so you have to be careful.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sufferin succotash that food looks good! And there is my favourite 'Tunes character as well!

    Nice post.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: glad you liked my wordy post on Home

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, that's great, Jerry, learning that you're opening your doors again. I keep my eye on your blog in the hope that you grace us once again with your presence. You have been missed, my friend. :)

    I hope all is well with you and Arlynda and that life is treating you both kindly. Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. G'day Dave. I imagine there are still some "dive bars" around the place; none here where I live, however. I went to a great "dive bar" in King Cross when I was visiting Sydney on business once, back in the 80s. It was called "The Blue Moon"...and it was a real dive but boy, they performed some great blues there.

    It was such a dive the guy who took me told me I had to promise him I'd never go there alone, but he wanted to take me because of its uniqueness and for the great music. I couldn't bring myself to even dare have a drink there...but I am glad I did visit that one time. I've never forgotten it. It was below street level; ..you had to walk down stairs to get to it. Interesting place. It was very dark and very moody. I imagine it no longer exists.

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi there, Stewart! Those cartoon characters of old were the best, I reckon. Such fun! :)

    Thanks for dropping in. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've only had chicken mole the pork sounds delicious, having grown up mostly in California I knew mostly fast food mexican, then when I traveled (hitchhiked) down the baja and up the mainland of mexico I found out the food there can be quite different and much more tasty and flavorful. there is a cooking show where I guy travels in search of unusual foods and I saw it recently where he traveled to mexico and he had some very unusual dishes, one was some sort of worms or some such and another was an armadillo. I consider myself brave but some of the things he finds and eats are a bit much for me. I might be mixing up two cooking shows one a travelling cooking show and another, anyway you get the point of the unusual fare to eat.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Daffy was always a favourite.
    He reminded me of the family....

    ReplyDelete
  25. The cartoons I grew up and loved watching as a kid. :)
    And the food you posted looks delicioso.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Linda...I'm with you...I'll stick to the "normal" foods, thank you very much...I'll leave others more adventurous (or stupid) than I am to eat worms, grasshoppers etc., etc., et al. In my opinion, there are many more enjoyable things to eat, so I'll stick to what I know and enjoy...a block of dark chocolate for instance! ;)

    Your hitchhiking trip to the Baja and through Mexico must have been a lot of fun and very interesting. My ex loved his time spent in Mexico...and as I said, particularly The Yucatan.

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    Thanks for coming by.

    I

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think we all had members of our family that reminded us of cartoon characters, Mr. Ad-Man! lol

    Thanks for popping in. :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. G'day Lux...there certainly were some great characters in the cartoons of old.

    The food is to get your taste buds ready for the Easter weekend!

    Thanks for coming by. :)

    ReplyDelete