joe eats

Posts Tagged ‘Mexican’

Our foodilicious town of Durham happens to be a mecca for Mexican cuisine. Whether you favor tasty to-go from Carrburritos, Cosmic Cantina or Chubby’s Tacos, traditional spots such as Torero’s or El Rodeo, or the more upscale/fine dining/fusion style of Dos Perros and Tonali, there seems to be a Mexican restaurant on every corner!

Because we have such easy access to delicious, authentic and affordable Mexican, Chef Joe and I never bother to try to make it at home. However, our cousin Bonnie is an expert in Mexican cooking, and invited us over for dinner and a lesson.

Bonnie’s basics- She grew up in El Paso, Texas, on the border of Mexico. Her family had a Mexican housekeeper named Lupe, who taught them how to cook Mexican authentically.

Being with Bonnie and her husband, Bill, is always a blast. Bonnie is a lady who’s got it going on with style, pizzazz, and infectious charisma. Bill is a Dean at a certain leading university and has an impressive list of acting credits under his belt. Joe and I pride ourselves on being the resident “cool” couple. However, they definitely give us some stiff competition. [ Read the full article ] »

Notes from Chef Joe

The beauty of tacos and enchiladas is that you really can add your own flavor to each dish very simply – by having a slew of condiments ready to top each to your own delight. A family of five can each have their own version of tacos the way they want it, with all of the major work done before the food arrives at the table.

Below are the basic recipes for taco and enchilada shells, which are so good prepared fresh at home that we cannot emphasize enough what a difference making them yourself will have on your next Mexican meal. We also have the recipe for beef tacos and chicken enchiladas, but of course the filling ingredients can be modified to your own taste preferences. When we ate at Bill and Bonnie’s home, Bonnie prepared small bowls of various condiments for us to choose from as toppings. These included diced avocados, sliced jalapenos from a can, salsa (she likes Newman’s Own), shredded lettuce, sliced scallions, and diced tomatoes.

½ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 package 8 inch corn or flour tortillas [ Read the full article ] »