Posted on Tue, Jul 06, 2010
If you were walking between the aisles at Puebla’s Los Sapos market, you might see women colorfully attired and laboring over a molcajete (yep, the same kind of stone dish we use for our Molcajete dishes), grinding the spices for Chile en Adobo with a mortar & pestle.
The market in Puebla is filled with everything you could possibly imagine, from fresh nopales and corn, to every kind of fresh or dried or smoked or ground chile that you can imagine. You would even see large baskets full of dried grasshoppers that are lightly dusted, like most every snack food in Mexico, with a light red chile powder. They're aren't that bad, honestly!
And you would see other large baskets and bags filled to the brim with nuts, and dried fruits, cloves and other spices like cinnamon, not to mention all the fresh fruits and vegetables that converge from all over Mexico's heartland.
Throughout the market are food stands, where small vendors set up shop to serve local dishes made from the very foods that surround you in the market. One dish you might see in the market is now on our menu during the month of July at Guadalajara Grill in Tucson, Pescado en Adobo.
The smiling Mexican marketplace cook, in her bright and colorful clothing, would start out by taking adding her fresh ground Adobo spice mix to hot oil and pan frying it to meld the flavors, before adding a fillet of fresh Pacific or Gulf whitefish and searing on both sides while cooking in the delicious, tangy, slightly spicy Adobo sauce that has an almost smoky quality.
Traditionally served with rice and fresh salad, this authentic Pueblan dish is light, fresh and satisfying. Pull up a stool and join us! Served every day after 4pm during the month of July, and weekends all day after 11:00am.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 8 White Fish Fillets (we used Alaskan Halibut this time, which is not a fish that would be typically be used in Mexico...but we loved how it performed in Adobo sauce. Use the fish of your preference.)
- ¼ oz. Cumin
- ½ oz. Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 5 Chiles Anchos2 Guajillo Chiles
- Cloves
- 3 Tomatoes
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Cinammon Stick
- Oil
- 1 Roll of White Bread
- Queso Fresco ( A Creamy, Soft, Mild Unaged White Cheese)
- Margarine
Preparation:
- Clean Chiles / remove seeds & soak 10 min
- Grind Cloves, Cinnamon, Pepper, Salt, Garlic, Cumin, Oregano with Tomatoes, Chiles & Bread
- Fry all of the ground ingredients in hot oil, add a little water but let marinade remain thick, then let stand
- Fry the Fish in Margarine for 5 Minutes on each side Until Fish is Cooked
- Place the Fish on a Plate and Bathe with the Marinade.
- Decorate with Queso Fresco
Accompany with White Rice and Salad. Serves 8.
Posted on Mon, May 10, 2010
Gracias Amigos!! Thanks for coming out and joining us this year for Cinco de Mayo. The whole day was just plain fun, from start to finish.
On a day like Cinco de Mayo, you might see a little bit of just about everything. There were people dancing on the seats and dancing in the streets, and we just kept doing what we love to do, and that is serve you the freshest homemade tortillas, the best tableside salsa, and the highest quality and most delicious Mexican food you can find anywhere in Tucson. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
As we looked back over the photos taken of all of our friends that night, we realized that the General made a surprise visit. Can you spot Pancho Villa in the picture? LOL
Thanks to everyone for making our Cinco de Mayo party a blast! And a special thanks to our amigas who brought their own mustache and sombreros out to the party!
If you have a favorite photo from Cinco de Mayo, or any other night at Guadalajara Grill Tucson, you can post it to our Facebook page, or email it to us at info@ggrill.com.
Posted on Sun, May 02, 2010
Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. (Our delicious mole sauce is a recipe that originates in Puebla!)
Althought the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.
Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt.
On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume.
The English, Spanish and French refused to allow president Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III.
Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indiscriminantly, it would eventually become a power in and of itself.
In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May.
In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities. We celebrate Mexican culture and food year round at Guadalajara Grill, because we think every day is a great day to celebrate!
Stop in and help us celebrate 5 de Mayo, at lunch, happy hour or dinner.
Salud!
Posted on Fri, Apr 02, 2010
The Most Refreshing Mojitos in Tucson from Guadalajara Grill Tucson on Vimeo.
Do you know what it means to "muddle?" Watch our Bartender Rosy as she shows you how to make a mojito. At our Cantina Bar, it doesn't matter which
specialty cocktail or margarita you choose; they are all made with fresh
squeezed lime juice, and fresh mint leaves in the case of the mojito.
Muddling means taking a wooden pestle and partially grinding up the mint leaves to release their flavor. That's what gives the mojito its freshness. No matter what we do, we give it our full effort to be the top Tucson restaurant and our Mojitos are made fresh every time.
Cuba is the birthplace of the Mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate. There are several theories behind the origin of the name Mojito; one such theory holds that name relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used to flavour dishes. Another theory is that the name Mojito is simply a derivative of mojadito, Spanish for "a little wet", or simply the diminutive of "mojado" (wet).
The Mojito was a favorite drink of author Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway made the bar called La Bodeguita del medio famous as he became one of its regulars and wrote on the wall “Mi mojito en la Bodeguita” (My mojito at the Bodeguita). This expression can still be read on the wall of the bar today, in his handwriting.
To learn more about mojitos follow this link. And come in soon to beat the heat with one of our most refreshing drinks.