Mexican Influence around the World Thread

[RMuller]

Spanish Pimentón

Origins-Mexico



Spanish Pimentón. Peppers in La Vera area.


El pimentón o ají de color es un condimento en polvo de color rojo y sabor característico obtenido a partir del secado y molido de determinadas variedades de pimientos rojos. Es ingrediente fundamental de platos típicos españoles, como las patatas a la riojana, el pulpo a la gallega, las patatas bravas, el chorizo y numerosos platos de la gastronomía extremeña . Su uso como parte de uno de sus Mojos es fundamental en la nutrición y gastronomía de los canarios. También otras gastronomías como la húngara lo emplean abundantemente. Actualmente India y China son los primeros exportadores mundiales de este producto.1​ ​ Gracias al mejoramiento genético se han conseguido variedades de color anaranjado, amarillo y blancuzco.


Orígenes del pimentón

En España se denominaba pimienta a todas las especias picantes. Así pues, para distinguir lo que hoy en día se llama chile o ají (Capsicum), de la pimienta negra (Piper nigrum), llamaron a los primeros pimienta de chile. Posteriormente, Linneo asignó a estas plantas el nombre genérico de Capsicum, que abarca las múltiples clases de chile que se han ido descubriendo, que se usan tanto como verduras como a modo de especias para sazonar platos.


Poco a poco los europeos fueron descubriendo que los ajíes se daban en múltiples formas, tamaños y colores: redondos, cónicos, alargados, torcidos, en forma de botoncillos (chili piquín), de zanahoria, de pera, verdes, anaranjados, rojos, amarillos, casi blancos, algunos tan feroces (generalmente, los más pequeños son los más picantes) que comerlos equivalía a ingerir plomo derretido, otros de mayor tamaño y más dulces.

Se descubrió, asimismo, que los chiles se hibridan con facilidad, lo cual ha multiplicado y desarrollado en todo el mundo nuevas formas y grados de picante, al exportarse a otros continentes, y aclimatarse en ellos, las semillas de los chiles mexicanos. Su diseminación en Asia y en África ocurrió en un tiempo tan corto que, durante muchos años, los europeos creyeron que los chiles eran originarios de Oriente.

Las especies más dulces —los pimientos— se empezaron a cultivar, sobre todo, en España. Los mencionan ya los tratados botánicos del siglo XVII: “se cultivan con gran diligencia en Castilla, no sólo los jardineros, sino las mujeres, en macetas que colocan en los balcones, para usarlos todo el año, ya sea frescos o secos, en salsas o en vez de pimienta”.

Al Oriente también llegaron las semillas del chile mexicano, donde se prefirieron y embravecieron las especies más picantes. Con su propagación por Europa, se hizo extraordinariamente popular en Hungría. En el siglo XVIII, algunos cocineros como Auguste Escoffier, chef en un restaurante de Monte Carlo, introduce el pimentón de Szeged como una nueva especia húngara.






Pimentón is one of the essential ingredients in Spanish cooking. It is used in everything from chorizo sausage and lomo to chilindron sauces and sprinkled on top of octopus and even fried eggs! There are several kinds of paprika – sweet, spicy, smoked or a combination of the above.

Where does Spanish Pimentón Come From?

Pimentón is made from ground, dried red chile peppers, originally from Mexico .

So important is So important is Pimentón to Spanish cooking and so demanding are the Spanish of quality Pimentón that there are Denominations of Origin (D.O.) for Pimentón . One of the D.O. is located in Murcia, a province on the Southeastern coast of Spain, between Almeria and Alicante. The other and more famous is La Vera, which is located in Cáceres, Extremadura, southwest of Madrid. Both of these areas are warm and dry in the summer, which makes them perfect for growing peppers.


It is said that Christopher Columbus brought Pimentón back to Spain during his second voyage and served it to Ferdinand and Isabella in Extremadura and even though it was a bit hot and spicy for the king and queen, the monks of the monastery in Guadalupe passed it along to other brothers and it was spread from Extremadura all over Spain.


There are several different types of Spanish Pimentón , made from different kinds of peppers.


Pimentón Dulce - Round red peppers make this mild, light orange paprika.

Pimentón Agridulce - Longer, dark red pepper make a medium-hot paprika.

Pimentón Picante – Made from any of several different types of long red peppers.




Recipes Using Spanish Pimentón

Tapas


Gambas al Ajillo - Shrimp in Garlic - One of the most common Spanish tapas, this dish is quick, easy and FULL of garlic flavor as well as Pimentón.

Patatas Bravas - Bravas Potatoes - One of the classic Spanish tapas, with a sauce that has a little kick from Tabasco and Pimentón.

Aceitunas a la Madrileña - Olives a la Madrilene - A simple dish of olives, onions, Pimentón marinated with oil and vinegar.




Soups & Salads

Ensalada Tropical – Tropical Salad - The mixture of fruit, cheese, and fish is very unusual, but creates a delicious and tantalizing taste that is finished off with Spanish Pimentón on top.

Sopa de Ajo – Castilian Garlic Soup – This soup is a very old, peasant-style dish and is typical of the Castilla-Leon Regional Cuisine.

Potaje de Garbanzos y Espinacas - Garbanzo and Spinach Soup - This soup is from New Castilla/Madrid area. It is full of flavor and like our American “chile,” it seems to get even better when eaten the following day!



Main Courses

Fabada Asturiana- Asturian Bean and Sausage Casserole - This is a typical and very traditional dish from Asturias, made with white beans, sausage, ham, meat, and tomatoes. It is a perfect dish for winter - satisfying, and warming.

Caldereta de Cordero – Lamb Casserole - Although officially called a casserole, this dish reminds us more of a rich, thick lamb stew with lots of garlic, and of course Spanish Pimentón.

Chuletas de cerdo a la madrilena – Pork chops a la Madrilene - These pork chops are relatively easy to prepare and it does not take much time to prepare but is very delicious with garlic and Spanish Pimentón.

Huevos Rellenos de Atun – Deviled Eggs with Tuna - This is a traditional recipe for deviled eggs, as they are made in Spain. Tuna and a bit of tomato sauce is mixed with the egg yolks, then topped with mayonnaise. Try it and see why this is a Spanish Favorite.

[RMuller]

One of the most beloved breeds on Earth, people everywhere love the Chihuahua. This special and portable breed truly is a cosmopolitan dog who has made his home in the deserts of Mexico, the boulevards of Paris and the posh apartments of New York City. The Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli (1445 to 1510) even sneaked an artistic rendition of a Chihuahua into the Sistine Chapel.





Like a rare and costly spice — a minute bit of which improves the taste of a food — the Chihuahua alters the flavor of life. When this tiny dog enters a room, the atmosphere subtly changes, almost like a king sitting on his throne. More than a dog, the Chihuahua is a presence.


This breed’s special status is declared by his function in life. Other breeds have had to earn their living by pulling sleds, hunting rabbits, herding sheep or retrieving ducks — but not the charming Chihuahua. From the beginning, humans seem to have reserved the Chihuahua for a higher calling: friendship.

What can one expect from a dog whose name sounds like a mix between a Latin dance and a Mexican hors d’oeuvre? Well, you can expect almost anything, so be ready. Trendy but classic, sweet yet sophisticated, tiny but somehow larger than life, the noble Chihuahua inspires a loyal following second only to his devotion to you. Lapdog extraordinaire, your Chihuahua won’t wait until you sit down before getting into your lap.

Absolutely distinct from any other breed, the Chihuahua’s personality is highly individualized. The American Kennel Club breed standard (a written description of the ideal dog) says Chihuahuas have a “terrier-like” disposition, but “terrier” doesn’t begin to describe the complexities of the breed. “There is a difference in the character of every puppy born in every litter,” says breeder Kelly Shattuck of Yucca Valley, Calif.

Some people are convinced that long-haired Chihuahuas — a more recent development than the familiar short-haired ones — show a milder, softer disposition. This opinion, however, is not shared by most breeders. “Long-haired or short-haired, it makes no difference,” Shattuck says. “What makes a difference is the parents’ personality and the generations before them.”

Micki Giroux, a Chihuahua breeder and owner of Proux Kennels in Panama City Beach, Fla., heartily agrees. “There certainly are differences in temperament between individual Chihuahuas, but I don’t attribute them to coat length,” she says. “The same can be said about sex. I have found no universal differences in personality or behavior between neutered males and females, although buyers generally request females, thinking that males are more trouble.”

Because the Chihuahua is so small, perhaps the breed can be described in only one word. To see if this was possible, I took an informal survey of Chihuahua owners around the country. Here’s what some of them said: “Diva!” “Attitude!” “Monster!” “Darling!” “Sassy!” “Bossy!” “Sensitive!” “Nervous!” “Clever!” “Precious!” “Lovebug!” My favorite one-word moniker, however, came from Maryland resident Melody Mitchell Ridenour, who has been rescuing Chihuahuas for 10 years. “In one word? Napoleon!” she says, laughing. There you have it — sort of. The tiny Chihuahua possesses many descriptions.

When the word “Chihuahua” pops up, people tend to think too small. That’s a big mistake. Everything about a Chihuahua is huge, except for his frame: big eyes, big ears, big brain, big heart and big spirit. By looking at these features, we can gauge the size of his personality.

It is possible, however, that Chihuahuas can see things you can’t. After all, the ancient Aztecs used Chihuahuas as spirit guides. Perhaps they had a reason. While I am not absolutely claiming that Chihuahuas can see spirits, there are times when they seemed fascinated by something beyond the neighbor or even your vacuum cleaner. Perhaps the claim that Chihuahuas are psychic stems from the undoubted fact that they see our world in different ways than we do.

full article
https://www.petcha.com/popular-dogs-chihuahuas/

[RMuller]

Mămăligă (Romanian pronunciation: [məməˈliɡə] (About this sound listen)) is a porridge made out of yellow maize flour, traditional in Romania, Moldova, and Western Ukraine.


Historically a peasant food, it was often used as a substitute for bread or even as a staple food in the poor rural areas. However, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants.

Historically, porridge is the oldest form of consumption of grains in the whole of humanity, long before the appearance of bread. Originally, the seeds used to prepare slurries were very diverse as millet or einkorn.

Before the introduction of maize in Europe in the 16th century, mămăliga had been made with millet flour, known to the Romans as pulmentum. Moreover, the Romans ate so much of it that the Greeks called them pultiphagonides (porridge eaters).



Maize was introduced into Spain by Hernán Cortés from Mexico and spread in Europe in the 16th century. Maize (called corn in the United States) requires a good amount of heat and humidity. The Danube Valley is one of Europe's regions ideal for growing maize.

A Hungarian scholar documented the arrival of corn in Timişoara, Banat region, 1692.[3] In Transylvania, maize is also called 'cucuruz',[4] which could imply a connection between Transylvanian and Serbian merchants, kukuruz being a Slavic word.[5] Some assume it was either Şerban Cantacuzino[6][7] or Constantin Mavrocordat[8] who introduced corn in Wallachia, Maria Theresa in Transylvania[9] and Constantine Ducas in Moldavia[10] where it is called păpuşoi.[11] Mămăligă of millet would have been replaced gradually by mămăligă made of corn. The corn then become an important food, especially in the fight against famine which prevailed in the 17th and 18th centuries.[12]

Historian Nicolae Iorga noted that farmers of the Romanian Principalities grew corn since the early-to-mid-17th century.[13]

[RMuller]

[Heather Duval]

why dont you post mexican telenovelas? they are popular here in brazil, people love them

[RMuller]

why dont you post mexican telenovelas? they are popular here in brazil, people love them

I will when i look for some info .

[Heather Duval]

I will when i look for some info .

Not only Brazil but in the whole latin America in some European countries watch it.

[RMuller]

Not only Brazil but in the whole latin America in some European countries watch it.

You can post about the popularity of Mexican novelas in Brazil if you want. You know way more than me . That's if you want.

[RMuller]

Polenta





Polenta cake


Polenta (Italian pronunciation: [poˈlɛnta][2][3]) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. The dish is associated with Northern and Central Italy.

Polenta has a creamy texture due to the gelatinization of starch in the grain. However, its consistency may not be completely homogeneous if a coarse grind or hard grain such as flint corn is used. The variety of cereal used is usually yellow maize, but buckwheat, white maize, or mixtures thereof may be used. Coarse grinds make a firm, coarse polenta; finer grinds make a creamy, soft polenta.[4] Polenta is a staple of Northern Italian cuisine (and, to a lesser extent, a Central Italian one, e.g. Tuscany)[1] and its consumption is traditionally associated with lower classes, as in times past cornmeal mush was an essential food in their everyday nutrition.


As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known as puls or pulmentum in Latin that were commonly eaten since Roman times. Before the introduction of corn (maize) from Mexico in the 16th century,[6] polenta was made from starchy ingredients like farro (wheat), chestnut flour, millet, spelt (wheat), and chickpeas.


In the Trieste area of northeastern Italy, it is eaten either with cuttlefish and tomato broth (the Venetian tradition), with sausage (Austrian influenced), or with cooked plums (an ancient recipe). Polenta can also be prepared with porcini mushrooms, rapini, or other vegetables or meats, such as small songbirds (in the case of the Venetian and Lombard dish polenta e osei).

[RMuller]

Chocolate chip cookie

Mexican Ingredients =Chocolate and Vanilla

A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie that originated in the United States and features chocolate chips as its distinguishing ingredient.