In a previous blog I gave suggestions about where to find the best tortillas in Tucson. In that blog I failed to tell people how to make their own tortillas which is so simple and cheap. The number of tortillas you want to make will determine the measurements used of the ingredients.

Here are the ingredients needed corn tortillas:
Corn Masa
salt
hot water

Mix these all together in a bowl to make dough. You want the dough to be moist and sticky but not too sticky. Once the dough is made you roll it into smooth balls the size of a golf ball. Then you put it in a tortilla press. If you don't have a tortilla press you can use a rolling pin. Then place on a cast iron pan that has been pre-heated at medium-high for about 45 seconds, flip the tortilla over and leave for another 45 seconds. Place on a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.



Here are the ingredients for flour tortillas:
white flour
baking soda
salt
vegetable oil or lard
warm water

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil or lard and little by little add the warm water so that the dough is soft and not sticky. Knead the dough for a few minutes. While kneading the dough pre-heat the cast iron pan to about medium high. Again, roll pieces of the dough into balls the size of golf balls. Let the dough sit for about 10 minutes or so. Then take the balls and put flour on them lightly and begin flattening them until they are thin with a rolling pin. Place them on the cast iron pan and flip them until they have brown speckles on each side.

They are simple, inexpensive to make, essential to almost any Mexican dish and delicious. Take a shot at making them and you won't be disappointed.

One of many stands selling Indian Fry Bread
in front of the church

The end of holy week for the catholic religion resulted in many people visiting San Xavier del Bac Mission affectionately called "The White Dove of the Desert." It is south of Tucson and on the Tohono O'odham land. The church primarily serves the Tohono O'odham but is open to all for tours and services.

As soon as you pull into the parking lot one can immediately smell the Indian Fry bread being made and sold by multiple groups of people in the lot outside of the church.

I was surprised to find out that some of the people making the traditional Native American food had been doing this since they were seven years old. Two women, Caysee and Nita Smith, have continued the tradition of making and selling fry bread that began with their grandmother.

There are many different ways to make fry bread and many different things you can put in it.
The two women made their fry bread with a grill their brother made with a barrel when he was in high school. The ingredients they use are:
salt
flour
lard
powdered milk
baking soda

It is simple to make and rather inexpensive. People commonly put honey and powdered sugar on the bread. Traditionally fry bread is made at every powwow or gathering of Native Americans.


Fry bread was sold for $2 each




Woman making fry bread in grease

Hidden in the south west corner of Ft. Lowell and Campbell is a bustling and bright restaurant called Rosa's Mexican Food. As I entered the restaurant for the first time I was a little overwhelmed with all the people chatting, Spanish music playing in the background, waiters running around with food on carts and every wall covered in brightly covered paintings. There was so much going on that I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. No one was there to greet me as I walked in. I was left to figure out that I had fight the line of people outside the door to sign the waiting list and write my name down in order to get a seat in this packed room that holds only about 120 people.

To my surprise we were seated rather quickly and I began eating some of the best salsa that I have ever had at any Mexican restaurant I have been to in the past. I was pleasantly surprised. Our order was taken quickly and served in a timely manner. I recommend this place to everybody. I had chicken flautas with rice and beans, my brother had red chile con carne enchilada and his girlfriend had a shredded beef enchilada. By the time we were done nothing was left on our plates. Literally. The quality and quantity of the food was great and it is reasonably priced. If you are looking for a lively atmosphere and amazing authentic Mexican food; Rosa's is where you need to go.


1750 East Ft. Lowell Road
Tucson, Arizona7 Days a week 11:00am- 10:00pm
Tel: (520) 325-0362
Mastercard/Visa accepted

Rosa's Mexican Food is conveniently located at the Southwest corner of Ft. Lowell and Campbell in the Blockbuster Shopping Center.






Map was taken from their website

Mexican food chains are appearing everywhere. While driving earlier today I couldn't believe how many fast-food chains I saw driving down Speedway. What caught my attention was how many Mexican fast food chains I am seeing and go to more often.

Chains like La Salsa, Chipotle and Nico's are popping up a lot faster and in more cities in recent years. Especially around college campuses and shopping centers. University Boulevard has a Chipotle and a La Salsa to satisfy the hunger of college students. Chipotle even offers students with a Catcard a free soda with their meal.

According to an article in the Daily Utah Chronicle, "Mexican fast food is the hottest thing going, as people on the go are looking for alternatives to burgers, sandwiches and pizza."

I personally agree with this statement. Most of the time I would rather eat food from Chipotle for lunch than get a pizza down the street. They use natural ingredients, it's tasty and they give you a fairly large quantity of food.

National chains like Chipotle and smaller local chains like El Guero Canelo are growing around the Tucson area causing some to forget about Taco Bell and Del Taco.

Here are a few commercials:
Taco Bell
Chipotle

Dobar dan iz Croatia (Hello from Croatia)

After at least 12 hours of traveling, some friends and I have made it to Split, Croatia. This is my third time coming over spring break and I love it here. The city center is part of Diocletian's palace and is extremely old. It is right off the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is absolutely beautiful and the weather is amazing along with delicious food.

I found out something interesting today concerning food here. My Serbian friend named Luan told me they had tortillas here in one of the grocery stores. I am not exactly sure what they are like but I plan on finding out soon.My friend Kristin used to live here for eight months and she said that she would make them all of the time and a lot of people liked them. I just thought it was cool because we are so far away from any type of Mexican food or anything close to Mexican food. I have not met many people who like spicy foods here but their bread is amazing.

Maybe I will bring some Croatian tortillas home!

Have you ever been to a Mexican restaurant and heard or seen somewhere in the restaurant that the food is authentic? Why do they say it is authentic? I have found that many Mexican restaurants I have eaten at claim to get their food directly from Mexico.

This got me thinking about what food is imported from Mexico? How much does the U.S rely on food imports from Mexico? What is exported to Mexico from the U.S.?

According to the U.S Department of Commerce, "Mexico is a great place to do business."Mexico was even named the Market of the Month for February 2007.

Also, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce Processed Food Report for 2006, five countries accounted for 52% of the U.S. imports of processed food in 2005. In exports, five countries accounted for 62% for the United States. Mexico was second behind Canada in both.

An increase of 87% of processed food exports to Canada and Mexico from the U.S. was $12 billion from 1997 to 2005. This was do to the North American Free Trade Agreement also known as NAFTA. This agreement has had much influence in increasing exports and imports between Mexico and Canada and the U.S.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the best markets for processed food exports from the U.S. to Mexico are:
fish and seafood, processed fruits and vegetables, dairy products, snack foods, red meats, poultry meat, eggs and products, soybean meal, soybean oil and wheat flour.



The major imports from Mexico to the U.S. are:
beer, fruits and preparations, peppers, livestock and animal products, vegetables and preparations, tomatoes, other beverages excluding fruit juice and other agricultural products. This accounts for three-fourths agricultural imports to the U.S.




The United States is one of Mexico's most significant agriculture food trading partner. The U.S. buys roughly 85% of Mexico's exports and 65% of the imports. Mexico accounts for about 15% of both U.S agricultural exports and imports in 2005. It has become the third largest agricultural partner of the U.S. since the 1980s according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to the report, "As the U.S. population becomes increasingly ethically diverse, consumer demand for food products also diversifies. Hispanic population continues to grow rapidly and precessed food companies are developing new products for this population. Some retailers and supermarkets now cater specifically to Hispanic populations. Also, many traditionally ethnic foods products are crossing over to the mainstream population."


It turns out Mexico is a heavy resource for many food products in this country and I guess what I see in restaurants is true!Much of our food does come from Mexico.

The graphs are from: U.S. Department of Agriculture Website

Tortillas. We all are aware of the corn/flour divide. You can get them thick, thin, small, huge, in different flavors such as jalapeno or garden deluxe, and you can make them almost anywhere.

They are one of the most important part of any Mexican dish. Whatever form of tortilla you prefer I am sure grocery stores, restaurants and tortilla factories in Tucson can offer them.
Let me just share with you some places that offer my favorite type of tortillas. You know, the paper thin flour tortillas also known as Sonoran tortillas. When I am eating at a wedding, an event or at a restaurant I want my tortillas to taste like my nana's.

La Mesa Tortillas
7823 E. Broadway
Saint Mary's Mexican Food
1030 W. St. Mary's Road
Anita Street Market
849 N. Anita Ave.
Alejandro's Tortilla Factory
5330 S. 12th Ave.
Tania's Flour Tortillas
614 N. Grande Avenue

According to Tucson Weekly these are some of the finest tortilla factories around. So as a student or a visitor to Tucson it is my suggestion to visit some of these places. La Mesa Tortillas and Saint Mary's Mexican Food have tasty meals to choose from. They are reasonably priced as well. Enjoy!