"Pomponio Magnus, Gobernador Constitucional del Estado Libre y Soberano de
Tejas de Santa Anna" wrote in message
news:84dc9988.0309052057.6a687b85@posting.google.com...
> "Jack Sloan" wrote in message
news:<3f57e8bf$0$67772$a726171b@news.hal-pc.org>...
> > "Pomponio Magnus, Gobernador Constitucional del Estado Libre y Soberano
de
> > Tejas de Santa Anna" wrote in message
> > news:84dc9988.0309041701.3c8c2601@posting.google.com...
> > > "Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
> > news:...
> > > > Love it! You did a great job and should be added to the Puebla
Protocol
> > as
> > > > the perfect disclaimer that it is. I personally hate the idea of a
> > protocol
> > > > because it is a kind of straight jacket that keeps us within a
> > particular
> > > > paradigm and discourages marginal thought, which in itself is
innovation
> > and
> > > > creativity. I just thought it would be fun to see if it were
possible to
> > > > categorize Mexican food, more for as an act of love for the culture
and
> > > > cuisine than anything. But a lot of people have responded as though
it
> > were
> > > > a slap to their beliefs.
> > > >
> > > > I also posted the concept hoping it would stimulate the cultural
aspect
> > of
> > > > Mexican food which is so essential in the setting of a
Mexican/Mexican
> > meal.
> > > > But I guess not in the US where you eat in order to live, unlike in
> > Mexico
> > > > where we really live in order to eat and share and talk for hours on
end
> > > > over a good meal.
> > > >
> > > > Puebla is halfway between Mexico City and Veracruz; the restover
spot
> > where
> > > > travelers from Spain got their first taste of the many changes they
> > would be
> > > > facing as they got into the Mexican culture to the tune of very few
> > familiar
> > > > things to eat such as ham, cheese, garbanzo, beef, pork, milk, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Wayne
> > > >
> > >
> > > Protocol #5 actually referred to mole. Puebla has the reputation
> > > --and it is a good reputation-- for being the world's capital for
> > > mole. However, as you probably know, some indio towns --Xico,
> > > Coscomatepec, Naolinco, etc.-- in central Veracruz have some varieties
> > > that are also quite superb.
> > >
> > > Regarding Puebla, the story of the creation of the chiles en nogada
> > > --someone has the recipe?-- goes along these lines. His Imperial
> > > Highness, Agustin I (Iturbide), was on his way through Puebla and the
> > > city fathers commissioned some nuns --reputed to be the best cooks, I
> > > mean, besides praying what else did they have time for but to
> > > experiment in the kitchen?-- to prepare a dish that would have the
> > > national colors --red, white, and green-- and the result were the
> > > chiles en nogada.
> > >
> > > Speaking of the 19th century, in 1838, Mexico got into trouble with
> > > France regarding pastries. A revolution/riot resulted in the
> > > destruction of a French pastry maker's place of business. The good
> > > citoyen protested to the French ambassador, who, after suitably
> > > inflating the figures, presented a bill to the Mexican government.
> > > Since the treasury was --as usual-- empty, relations were broken and
> > > pretty soon a french squadron was blockading Veracruz. Of course, the
> > > losses to commerce due to the blockade far exceeded any indemnity to
> > > the pastry maker but the government --Anastasio Bustamante-- would
> > > have fallen had they agreed to negotiations (Tejas was a recent
> > > memory). At some point the French, bored stiff on board their ships,
> > > decided to raid Veracruz, maybe stopping at the Cafe La Parroquia and
> > > getting some decent food instead of navy hardtack. [For those that
> > > might not know it, La Parroquia, in Veracruz, is a superb restaurant
> > > with a history going back for centuries.] Santa Anna, who was living
> > > in semi-disgrace in Xalapa, showed up to lead the defense. The French
> > > were already boarding their boats --heavily laden with guayaberas,
> > > ron, and other tourist junk-- when Santa Anna's men charged at them.
> > > The ships opened fire and a shell killed Santa Anna's horse and
> > > injured him in a leg, resulting in an amputation. Eventually the
> > > government agreed to pay off the pastry maker just so that the French
> > > squadron would leave. However, I have always wondered how much of
> > > Mexico's "pan dulce" is the result of French influence --particularly
> > > as a result of the French invasion in 1862. The French army always
> > > has stuck to the Napoleonic dictum that "an army marches on its
> > > stomach" which meant that the army cooks following their troops always
> > > had to make do with local ingredients and hired and trained local
> > > help.
> > >
> > > Marshal Bazaine: "Diable! There is no decent food in this country!"
> > >
> > > Cook: "Monsieur le marechal, I have a surprise for you tonight!"
> > >
> > > Bazaine: "It better be good, Sgt. Couchon, or I will have you shot."
> > >
> > > Cook: "Voila! I call it armored veal a la Imperial."
> > >
> > > Bazaine: "Armored veal?"
> > >
> > > Cook: "Oui! Ces't un petit mammal with this hard shell around, like a
> > > courasier cavalryman but smells better. I cook it in ze shell with a
> > > dab of olive oil, chives, peppers..."
> > >
> > > Bazaine (tasting): "Not bad, Couchon. Melts in the mouth! You shall
> > > not be shot after all! Make sure the emperor Maximilian gets to taste
> > > it as soon as he arrives."
> > >
> > > Cook (hurrying out to his local helpers): "Lopez! Get more of zat
> > > funny mammal you got me! Ale! Ale!"
> > >
> > > Lopez: "Le gusto el armadillo al mariscal?"
> > >
> > > Cook: "Oui! It was a triumph on the scale of Austerlitz! And we need
> > > more! His imperial highness will be here soon and a Habsburg will
> > > only have the best!"
> >
> > Hmmmmm...Any of them folks get leprosy?....and did Lopez find the stash
of
> > Lone Star beer that armadillos keep hidden near their holes?
> > Jack
>
> LOL. Well, any cache of Lone Star the army would have brought back
> from Tejas two years before would have already been drunk. Santa
> Anna's army had captured several wagonloads of Lone Star beer at the
> Alamo. (Why else would Travis and his men fight for the place if not
> to defend this stash?) And actually Houston's men did not win at San
> Jacinto. In fact, Houston and his men weren't anywhere near, they had
> already bolted for Louisiana. Truth is, the Mexican army was
> overwhelmed by a batallion of armadillos with very dry throats who
> remembered the Alamo...stash. The Texans claimed the victory and the
> Mexicans were too embarrased to admit that a bunch of critters had
> defeated them so they accepted the Texans' version. In the late 19th
> century a brewery was started at Orizaba. The locals had brought in
> some brewmeisters from Bavaria to see if the snowmelt from the Orizaba
> volcano was good enough for beer. It was. In the early 1900's the
> place was overrun by a ruthless band of so called "armadillistas"
> which drank the place dry. (I came to this conclusion after extensive
> research during which I and a large armored mammal consumed several
> cases of Negra Modelo.) The armadillista raid is generally accepted
> as the precursor to the 1910 revolution.
I've heard that the descendants of the Armadillistas are still to be found
lurking in the shadows on the outskirts of many small villages. There is
talk of revolution.
Jack
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