Pass me a taco... getting my fill at The Taste of Mexico in Los Angeles...

I was recently in Los Angeles helping a friend of mine who is an executive with the MultiCultural Cooking Network. Our "job" was to cover The Taste of Mexico event held at Vibiana's, a wonderful old church that has been converted to an event space in downtown Los Angeles.  This is an annual event that brings together some of the best Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles for a night of incredible gastronomy. Tacos, tortas, mole, sopes, chiles en nogada, seafood and even kosher Mexican food from Chef Katsuji Tanabe of Mexikosher... it was all on display here, held together by some great mariachi music, and of course tequila. This was Mexican food Los Angeles style where authenticity is king.  No Tex-Mex or yellow cheese here covering up the wonderful tastes of the chiles, spices and flavors of Mexico.  All of the founders of this event, each of them from Mexico and who return home frequently to spot new trends and recipes, are aiming for that "authentic" taste you'll find only as you travel in Mexico. Take it from me, as one who spends considerable time visiting our neighbors to the south, if you can't get there, the restaurants represented at The Taste are the next best thing. Here are a couple of videos from the event, you can't taste the food, but hopefully you'll get the flavor!

Mexican Food?

Yesterday a friend in our office asked me to go with him today for lunch. As we were trying to decide where to go, he suggested a place for burritos. And then he caught himself saying “You’re probably sick of Mexican food.” I told him actually no because I have not been able to have a lot of Mexican food lately. Most of what you see on the menu of our Mexican food restaurants up here might have started with an idea in Mexico, but it is not Mexican. Well actually the Caesar Salad is but that’s another story. When you sit down at El Torito, Acapulco, or any of the other fine Mexican places and get your plate of fajitas, cheese covered enchiladas, chimichangas, or Spanish rice, it is not Mexican food. It is good. It can be delicious. And to tell you the truth, I like a lot of it. But it is not Mexican food. Mexican food is carne asada. About a pound of it. On your plate with a stack of warm corn tortillas, guacamole, grilled onions, and salsa. Maybe some beans for variety. Beans that have been cooking on the stove all day. Mexican food is pozolé. A rich stew or soup made with hominy and either pork or chicken. I like the red, but the white is also good. Served with flat tostada shells, not chips. Add cabbage, oregano, radishes, and salsa and you’re good to go. Mexican food is chiles en nogada [pictured on the left]. A poblano chile stuffed with spicy shredded pork, maybe some apple, covered in a walnut sauce and topped off with pomegranate seeds. All the colors of the Mexican flag, the national dish, and an unbelievable taste. Mexican food is a taco stand at the end of street. A place where you order your tacos one at a time, stand at a bar with ten of your newest friends and eat until your full, and then you pay. And the tacos are not loaded down with lettuce and tomatoes. The flavor of the meat is what sells them. Mexican food is molé. All seven of them! My new favorite is verde, or green for the Spanish challenged reader. It is a sauce made from chiles, spices, and chocolate. Serve it over chicken with white rice. It is fantastic. Finally, Mexican food is horchata. Or tamarindo. Or jamaica, made from the hibiscus flower. Or any of the other agua frescas you can find in most of Mexico. And so Kevin, yeah, I’d love to have a burrito today. Just understand, it’s not Mexican food.