Mexican Food

[Carolann R]

Tony grew up in a very small mining town in East Arizona...he gets kind of a far away look in his eye when he talks about the tortilla shop...said it was a wooden a-frame and the front porch was screened in and had a door on either end...they sold tortillas and candies made for the kids...cactus and rock candy, etc...

He said that when his mom was making tortillas half the day the stack never got higher than one inch LOL! Nothin' like a fresh tortilla with butter melting on it...Yummm.

I would love to learn to make tamales...the girl I used to buy 'em from every Christmas ($10 or $12 for a dozen) used to take orders at work...her mom made them and froze them and sold 'em by the dozen...they have a tradition in her family of putting one black olive in each tamale for good luck (that was her little boy's job). I really think the guy at Makuu (Carlos?) does a great job with the chicken and pork...would like to try some beef but he never has them.

Mark & Richard - I think it would be cool if you'd post your recipe for tamales here...

I'm personally not nuts about Tex/Mex rice...I just like it plain like my Aunt Nancy makes it...ya know - "golden" the rice in a little oil...add your garlic and onion, chicken broth, small amount of tomato sauce and maybe some peas and carrots here and there...26 minutes and it's done! )

Carrie

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx

http://www.hellophoenix.com/art/dreamhawaii.Cfm


Edited by - Carolann R on 01/01/2007 10:20:16

[Beachboy]

quote:

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I had hand made tortillas tell age 18. Aloha
Wyatt
Edited by - wyatt on 01/01/2007 07:45:49

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Is there any tortilla factories on eastside of BI to get them fresh? I heard on Maui there is now to serve the growing Mexican community there. I just remember in Mexico going down to the neighborhood tortilla factory, pay a one new peco and get the stack of hot fresh corn tortillas that were out of this world!!!!

[Les C]

I was in Emma's Mexican Food in Shipman Business Park the other day. They have a tortilla machine! I didn't think to ask if they sell masa, but they might. They also go by Big Island Mexican Food, so they may sell ingredients. I think their hours are 8:00a to 2:30p.

The Baja Calif.-style burrito place in the Kea'au Farmers Mkt. doesn't seem to be open every weekday. I think the name is Tahithina's, it's across the court from the hoagy place.

Carlos(?) who sell's tamales at the Maku'u and Hilo farmer's markets also has a tasty vegan tamale. His wife makes them and she's from El Salvador. His hot sauce is the one usually found at some Southeast Asian restaurants (Thai, Vietnamese, etc.), FWIW.

[Carolann R]

I tasted his salsa last week...man! That was yummy!

Carrie

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx

http://www.hellophoenix.com/art/dreamhawaii.Cfm

[jdirgo]

You can call him Carlos, you can call him Ramon, he answers to either. Carlos is his first name, middle name Ramon. Whatever you call him, his family's tamales and sauce are excellent.

John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com

[Kelena]

I can say this about Luquin's: the Lilikoi margaritas are an extraordinary experience, especially after a vigorous swim in a hot pond. The food is passable, filling, and bland. We are pretty spoiled. We live in Southern California where the choices for Mexican food are legion and excellent. Northern California? Forget it. Only Arizona, SOUTHERN California and New Mexico can do Mexican food. As for Hawaii, why bother with Mexican food there? Ahi Burgers and Mai Tai's all the way, baby.

[Kapohocat]

Your have a point Glen. When i went to Kansas in Dec - i was looking forward to the good beef i have heard sooooo much about from my SO. Where did his family take us for dinner? Kobe's - an asian influenced resturant!! ha ha - where's da beef??

[JerryCarr]

Actually, there is a lot of good Mexican food in Texas of several types, not just the TexMex variety. Austin, in particular, has Oaxacan, Sonoran, and Monterrey style restaurants. San Antonio tends to be mainly TexMex, but there are a few hole in the wall regional places.

Cheers,
Jerry

[Rob Tucker]

I find this a bit humorous as Salvador Luquin and family are Mexican. Doesn't mean you have to love Luquin's but to say only Sounthern Cal, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas can do mexican food is quite funny.

[JerryCarr]

Aloha, Rob,
I don't think anyone is saying that what Luquin's is turning out isn't some sort of Mexican food. It's just not GOOD Mexican food.

Cheers,
Jerry