California
Mexican Spanish
Cook Book

An announcement that my lesson for the day would be Spanish dishes always attracted record-breaking crowds in any city in the United States, and the demand for recipes motivated me to search for the best ones available.

My three years in California have taught me how to make the best dishes straight from the locals, both Mexican and Spanish.

It’s not widely recognized that the Spanish dishes found in California are actually Mexican Indian dishes. Foods like corn bread, chili pepper sauces, jerked beef, tortillas, and enchiladas aren’t native to Spain; however, most Spanish people in California enjoy spicy dishes just as much as the Mexicans do, and since Mexicans speak Spanish, these foods are usually referred to as Spanish dishes.

When done right, this type of food has many benefits, and I've worked hard to choose the best recipes, updating them for accurate measurements and practical cooking methods.

Many of the dishes are really tasty and will be highly valuable for lunch, entrees, and adding some flair to various menus, especially helpful for those looking to cater to the public. Please pay attention to the classification of sauces and dressings, which avoids repeating the same sauce in different dishes.

Wishing you just as much joy in preparing and serving this collection of recipes as I had in putting them together, I am,

Sincerely, BERTHA HAFFNER-GINGER.

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Put a clove of garlic, a large slice of cucumber, a slice of onion, a tablespoon of parsley, a tablespoon of tarragon leaves, or two tablespoons of tarragon vinegar into one pint of cider vinegar. Bottle it and let it sit for a few days, then strain and store for future salads and dressings.

Rub a mixing bowl with the bottom of a garlic clove, then crack one egg yolk into the bowl and whip it until stiff. Slowly add one-fourth cup of the best olive oil, then one-fourth cup of lemon juice, a tablespoon of prepared vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of green chile pulp. It’s really good.

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Six tablespoons of the best olive oil in a bowl, gradually add three tablespoons of lemon juice and one of prepared vinegar, one teaspoon of brown sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of red chile pulp. Stir with a rotary motion until it becomes a thick cream, then serve immediately on the salad.

Lemon or lime juice. Six tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, a dash of red pepper, and one teaspoon of onion juice.

Peel and cut the pears in half, then sprinkle with salt and sugar twenty minutes before using. Next, place them in the center of a small head of crisp lettuce and drizzle with Spanish dressing No. 3.

Select six ripe tomatoes; carefully remove the cores; place them on ice until chilled; peel two cucumbers and chop them finely; mix with the tomato pulp; pour over half a cup of dressing No. 3 and fill the tomatoes. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with thinly sliced sweet peppers.

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Remove the seeds and fill half of the peppers with chopped cucumber and celery mixed with dressing No. 3. Garnish with pimento or beets and serve on lettuce.

One cup of tender Spanish beans, small pink (canned red kidney beans work too); chop one-fourth cup of sweet green pepper, a tablespoon each of onion, ripe sweet pepper, parsley, and cucumber, mix with the beans, and serve with Spanish dressing No. 1.

Peel ripe tomatoes, slice them into three pieces, place them on a lettuce leaf, surround them with chopped hard-boiled egg whites, put the hard-boiled yolk in the center, and pour Spanish dressing No. 1 over the top.

Scald and peel large tomatoes, remove the core, mix with equal parts celery, green chili, onions, fry in a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, add salt to taste, fill the tomatoes, add a teaspoon of Spanish dressing No. 1, sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and grated cheese, chill on ice, and serve on lettuce.

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Remove the pits from ripe olives, fill them with a mix of cottage cheese, pimiento, salt, paprika, and parsley, press them together, serve on a lettuce leaf, and top with Spanish dressing No. 1.

Chop enough ripe tomatoes to fill a cup, half a cup of cucumber, a quarter cup of celery, a quarter cup of green bell peppers, a tablespoon of onion, half a teaspoon of chili powder, and salt to taste. Dissolve one tablespoon of gelatin in one cup of tomato juice, pour it over the mixture, stir, and mold it. Once firm, cut it into squares and serve with Spanish sauce Nos. 1 or 2 on a lettuce leaf.

Pare and finely chop one medium-sized fresh cucumber. Shred enough cabbage to fill one pint, soak it in cold water for an hour; scald and peel one medium-sized tomato and chop it finely. Remove the seeds from one large sweet pepper, chop it, and mix it with the tomato. When you’re ready to serve, drain and dry the cabbage. In a salad bowl, layer the ingredients starting with cabbage, then cucumber, followed by tomato, and then pepper; add a few drops of onion juice. Repeat with another layer of cabbage and continue layering until all the ingredients are used. Serve with dressing No. 2.

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Two cups of shredded red and white cabbage mixed, two tablespoons of chopped roasted chestnuts, two tablespoons of pecans, mixed with dressing No. 2 and served in lettuce cups.

A cup of cooked rice, four hard-boiled eggs, and one head of lettuce. Arrange on a platter in alternating layers of rice, shredded lettuce leaves, slices of hard-boiled eggs, and dressing No. 1. Over the top layer of dressing, press the yolk of an egg through a sieve and garnish the edges with a layer of lettuce leaves and radish tulips. Chop equal parts of cress and cabbage, add a few minced chives, and mix one-fourth cup of cream with one-half cup of salad dressing No. 3 to serve over the salad.

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Cook one pint of pink beans in two quarts of beef stock until they're tender. Add one cup of chopped onions, two green chiles, two ripe chiles (fresh or canned), one quart of canned tomatoes, and two tablespoons of chopped parsley. Cook everything thoroughly. Add in Spanish meatballs and serve with Spanish cheese sticks.

Grind the beef for soup very finely. Add one egg to one cup of meat, a pinch of salt, a little onion juice, and two tablespoons of soaked bread. Form into very small balls, roll them in breadcrumbs, fry them, and drop them into the soup just before serving. Sprinkle each ball with finely chopped parsley and small pieces of pimiento for color.

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Add one cup of mashed potatoes to one cup of chicken, veal, or beef stock, one cup of milk, a tablespoon of butter, salt, one bay leaf, and a tablespoon of flour to thicken. Cook and strain. Cut thinly sliced bread into rounds the size of a nickel, butter and toast them. Make a small pile of grated yellow cheese on the toast, top with red sweet pepper, and add a pinch of chopped parsley on top. Serve hot.

Make broth with one cup of cabbage, one cup of carrots, half a cup of onions, one cup of garlic, half a cup of turnips, half a cup of celery, and a quarter cup of green pepper. Add one quart of canned tomatoes and one quart of clear meat stock, cook it well, strain it, and serve hot with a spoonful of well-cooked rice in a bowl. For vegetable soup, keep all the vegetables in.

Fry half a cup of salt pork, cut into small cubes, along with half a cup of chopped onion until they're light brown. Add a tablespoon of flour, then mix in two cups of small pieces of white boneless fish. Brown it slightly, then strain in two cups of hot milk and one cup of prepared Spanish sauce. Season with salt to taste and a dash of paprika. You can also use clams or oysters, cooking them for just one minute.

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Put one gallon of shelled corn in enough water to cover it; dissolve half a cup of lime in a little water and add it to the corn; boil for fifteen or twenty minutes; remove from heat, pour off the first water, and add fresh cold water; rub with your hand to remove the husk. Rinse in another bowl of water and it's ready to grind. Don't rinse too much or it won't be pasty enough to make tortillas.

Another method, preferred by some people: Add a rounded tablespoon of lard to four cups of corn dough (masa) and a little salt.

Still another way: Mix cornmeal and coarse flour equally with water to create a stiff dough, then add salt and lard.

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But the best in my opinion is the hominy or corn ground into a smooth paste: three cups of corn, one cup of flour, two tablespoons of melted lard, and a teaspoon of salt. Cook it on an ungreased iron skillet, and have enough hot salted lard ready to dip the tortilla in just before you add the filling to make Enchiladas. When using flour, the dough can be rolled out on a board; place a small pie tin on top and cut around the edge to form a cake. Lift it up with a pancake turner.

Take a piece of dough the size of a biscuit and press it with your hand into a shape the size of a small pie plate. Toast it on the stovetop at a moderate temperature. Don't let it brown.

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Make Tortilla. Finely chop one cup of onions, slice and chop half a cup of olives, and cook them in a little lard. Have one cup of grated cheese ready. Dip the tortilla in hot salted lard, then dip it in Chile Sauce No. 1, and spread it with grated cheese. In the center, add a tablespoon of cooked onions, a tablespoon of chopped hard-boiled eggs, two tablespoons of chopped chicken, six seedless raisins soaked in claret, a leveled tablespoon of chopped olives, a sprinkle of cheese, and a fourth cup of Chile Sauce No. 1. Fold both sides of the tortilla over the filling, pour Chile Sauce No. 5 over everything, and place a tablespoon of cooked onions on top of each, along with several large pieces of cheese and three whole olives. Place in a hot oven until the cheese melts, and serve very hot.

Use green chile sauce for Enchiladas No. 2, and fill with beef or veal, adding onion or a poached egg on top, sprinkled with grated cheese. Drop spoonfuls of red chile sauce in spots for color, then heat until the cheese melts.

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Chile peppers are the foundation of all Mexican and Spanish dishes, and I've simplified the various recipes by listing different methods for making pepper pulps and sauces. Keep in mind that they're numbered and named, and you'll refer to them by number and name in the recipes. The traditional way to prepare chiles for sauce is to remove the seeds and toast them over coals, on the stovetop, or in the oven until they puff up and look tender; then mash them through a sieve or colander. Add water or tomatoes to achieve the right consistency; scalding is the fastest method.

Split red chile pepper, remove all seeds and veins, soak for several hours in water, drain, pour on boiling water, drain and repeat. The last batch of water should just cover the peppers when pressed down. Mash them in this water and strain through a sieve. Melt half a cup of pure lard, add a heaping tablespoon of flour, brown it, and then add three cups of chile pulp, seasoning with salt to taste. Cook very slowly for half an hour.

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Split, remove seeds and veins from green chiles and boil in a little hot water until tender; mash, press through a sieve, melt 1/4 cup of lard, add 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, brown just a little, then add 3 cups of green pulp and cook slowly for half an hour.

Take equal parts red and green chili peppers, the same amount of green and red bell peppers, split them, remove the seeds from all, soak in water, drain, add just enough water to barely cover, boil until tender, mash in the water, press through a sieve, heat half a cup of olive oil, fry in it half a cup of onion, half a cup of parsley, three cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of oregano, two cups of raw tomatoes, six cloves, and two cups of the pepper pulp, salt to taste, cook, strain, and you can heat and bottle larger quantities; it's really good.

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Heat 4 quarts of apple cider vinegar, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 20 cloves, 2 tablespoons of oregano, and 2 tablespoons of cumin. Boil for 5 minutes, let cool, then pour over small red and green chiles and wild tomatillos. Pack into jars.

Remove the seeds and veins from twelve large green chiles, soak them overnight in salted water, chop and measure one quart of green tomatoes, chop the chiles, add one cup of cucumber, and one garlic clove. Cook everything together until it turns into a pulp, then press it through a sieve. Add half a cup of lemon or lime juice and a tablespoon of salt. Serve it over cold meats, fish, oysters, eggs, croquettes, and roast pork, or mix it with apple sauce and serve it on fried apple fritters.

Make it the same as green, but replace ripe tomatoes and red chiles. You can bottle it and seal each sauce tightly; it will last forever.

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To each cup of raw or cooked, chopped or ground beef, add half a cup of lard or suet, one cup of red chili pepper pulp, two cups of beef stock, and some salt. Cook until a thick sauce forms and serve with beans.

Cook chicken giblets, livers, and hearts until tender in a small amount of water; chop and add an equal amount of chili sauce No. 1 or 2, salt to taste. Serve on Spanish rice, place in a dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or Mexican grated cheese.

Two cups of cooked, chopped beef, half a cup of green chile pulp, half a cup of suet, a tablespoon of lard, one cup of tomatoes, one clove of garlic, and half a cup of chopped onion. Cook until thick, and serve with beans.

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One-half cup chopped salt pork, one-half cup suet, add one-half cup chopped onion, one teaspoon oregano, one-half teaspoon saffron, fry everything together; add two cups cooked ground beef, two cups beans, two cups red chili pulp, one cup water or three cups water and four tablespoons chili powder, salt to taste, and cook for forty minutes.

Boil a fat chicken in a little bit of water with garlic cloves or a slice of onion for flavor. Once the chicken is tender, chop the meat into small pieces. Heat some of the chicken fat skimmed from the broth and cut off the chicken, then add flour, a bit of onion, one cup of green chile pulp, two cups of the chicken broth, and salt. Stir in the chopped chicken and simmer for a few minutes, then serve it over Spanish rice.

Cook beef, veal, or chicken with parsley, carrots, celery, onions, and a bay leaf. Let it simmer very slowly until tender, then cut the meat into small pieces. Strain the juice, adding half a cup of chili pulp and one cup of cooked and mashed beans for every pint. Add a tablespoon of butter or lard, then mix in the meat, and if it’s too spicy, add a cup of tomatoes. Cook for a few more minutes.

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Soak some trimmed corn husks (available at Mexican stores) in cold water for several hours. Then, boil them until soft, remove, dry on a cloth, and rub with lard. Cut up a fatty chicken, cook until very tender in just enough water to leave about four cups of broth. Chop up the cooked chicken, add cornmeal or masa to the boiling hot chicken broth until it forms a thick dough; add salt to taste, one tablespoon of chili powder, or chili sauce No. 1; add one tablespoon of lard and knead everything together until it's light and smooth. Now, mix in enough chili sauce No. 1 with all the chicken to combine it thoroughly; add about one-fourth cup of sliced olives and a few whole ones, as well as one-fourth cup of seedless raisins, plus a few whole ones, and salt to taste. Cook this together for five minutes. Spread the corn dough evenly over the shuck or husk to about one-eighth inch thick. In the center of one larger husk, place a large spoonful of chicken; spread one tablespoon of dough on top; place another husk with dough spread on it; continue layering husks around on all sides until about ten are used. Tie the ends together with a strip of husk and place them upright in a colander over boiling water for two or three hours, or put some corn husks at the bottom of a pot, stack the tamales on top, pour in about a quart of water, bring to a boil, and steam slowly for three or four hours.

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Make a crust using two cups of hot water, half a cup of lard, one teaspoon of salt, and cornmeal to create a thick dough. Spread it on the bottom and sides of a pie tin. Combine beef, pork, veal, or chicken with plenty of suet for shortening—any two of these meats will work—measure two cups of meat, and add two tablespoons of cornmeal, half a cup of chili pulp, one teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of meat stock or water. Cook for a few minutes, fill the pie crust, and cover the top with more dough. Form small balls the size of marbles and place them around the edge. Drizzle a little melted lard over the top and sprinkle with chili powder; bake for about thirty minutes.

Ground beef cooked in lard and suet, add chile sauce No. 2 and cook until it thickens. Prepare cornmeal or masa by pouring boiling hot water over it, season with salt to taste, and add one cup of lard for every four cups of meal or masa. You can add a few olives and raisins if you want. Prepare it like you would for a chicken tamale recipe. Steam. Texas tamales made this way skip the olives and raisins, and instead, place a spoonful of the mixture into one long shuck, fold the ends over, and press it flat.

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A complete lesson—Fry a strip of bacon for each person; remove from fat and keep warm. Cook until tender, in the fat, one tablespoon minced onion and a sliver of garlic (young green onion is best), one tablespoon minced green bell pepper, the same amount of canned sweet red pepper (pimiento), one tablespoon parsley, four sliced ripe olives, four seedless raisins, and six mushrooms. Once done, add a level teaspoon of flour, then one cup of tomato—raw or canned; cook for a few minutes, add salt to taste, and one teaspoon of chili powder or two tablespoons of red chili sauce. Use the above amount for every two eggs. Keep warm and prepare the eggs by breaking the whites and yolks into separate bowls; beat the yolks first until very stiff and light in color, then add one tablespoon of water to each yolk and one-eighth teaspoon of salt. Beat the whites stiff, adding a small pinch of cream of tartar while whipping. Fold three-fourths of the whites into the yolks—don’t break them up too finely. Have a hot omelet pan with the bottom well-coated with lard or butter; pour in{76} the eggs; lower the heat and cook slowly, lifting with a spatula in different spots to let the raw egg flow to the bottom. When nearly done, place under a gas broiler or in a very hot oven for a few minutes until seared. Remove it, and with a spoon, put the prepared filling on one half of the omelet, fold the other half over, and turn it out onto a hot platter. Put the rest of the whipped whites on top to form a circular crown around the edge. Sprinkle with salt and bits of butter; place back in the oven to brown, but not too much. Remove; decorate with bits or strips of pimiento, sliced olives, parsley, and last, the strips of bacon and triangles of toast. A simpler way, which might not look as pretty or fluffy, is to mix the filling with the whipped eggs; cook, fold, and serve hot.

Soak one cup of bread crumbs in half a cup of boiling milk, then add a tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of onion juice. Remove the centers from peeled tomatoes, stuff them with the bread mixture, and place them on a serving platter. Bake until tender. Whip one egg for each tomato separately. Add a tablespoon of water to each yolk, along with salt, chili pepper, and a teaspoon of butter for each egg. Pour this mixture around the tomatoes until it reaches the top. Bake in a moderate oven. Serve hot, or partly fill the tomato with the bread mixture, break an egg on top, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. Cut the tomatoes into squares to get all the egg, and serve on lettuce.

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Roll a long piece of cheese in strips of roasted, peeled, and seeded chile peppers, fry in hot oil, and serve with prepared Spanish sauce on toast.

Mix 1 tablespoon of fine sausage and 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs in 1 tablespoon of milk for each egg. Whip the yolks of as many eggs as needed, adding a little parsley, salt, and 1 teaspoon of red pepper pulp or chili powder. Then, add the egg whites and pour the mixture into a hot, greased pan. Cook slowly until done. Fold it and turn it out, then cover with Spanish sauce. Garnish with lettuce or parsley.

Boil the eggs hard for fifteen minutes, then shell them and cut them lengthwise. Remove the yolk, saving one egg. Mash the yolk and mix in a teaspoon of thick white sauce or smooth bread cooked in milk; add bits of butter, a pinch of salt, paprika, and finely minced parsley. Fill the egg whites with the mixture and hold them together with toothpicks. Roll them in raw egg and bread crumbs, then fry in hot olive oil or another fat. Drain them, remove the toothpicks, and carefully separate where the eggs are joined with a knife. Sprinkle the center with a little crumbled dry yolk and place them on toast. Create a border of chopped egg whites cut into rings. Pour hot Spanish sauce over the eggs and around them; garnish with parsley, and you have a delicious dish in vibrant Spanish colors.

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Mix one tablespoon of green chile pulp with each egg, whipped separately, along with a teaspoon of lard or butter, a slice of garlic or a teaspoon of onion juice. Scramble quickly, serve on toast, and garnish with a spoonful of red chile sauce and parsley.

Hard boil small eggs, shell them, add salt, and put each in a large canned pimiento that can be closed at the end with a toothpick. Salt them well, dip in batter, and fry in deep oil. Slice in half lengthwise, make a white sauce, add a tablespoon of green chile pulp, and serve on the egg. It looks good and has a nice Spanish color effect.

Scald large sweet peppers; peel, cut in half, remove seeds, and fill halfway with browned minced onion, one teaspoon of red chile sauce, and one tablespoon of tomato sauce or ketchup. Break one egg, scramble it, and pile it on top. Garnish with red chile powder and parsley. Alternatively, break a whole egg on top of the sauce and bake it in the oven.

Brown in a teaspoon of butter or bacon fat, one teaspoon of minced onion, add a teaspoon of flour, salt to taste, one teaspoon of prepared chile sauce, and one-fourth cup of raw tomato. Cook and pour into individual baking dishes and break an egg on top. Place in the oven until the eggs are covered with a film. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve hot.

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Slightly grease a very hot skillet with olive oil. Choose a tender steak, sear both sides, turning until cooked to your liking. Prepare the sauce like this: Melt two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil together, then add one tablespoon of onion, one small clove of garlic, one tablespoon of parsley, one green sweet pepper, and two tablespoons of chili pulp. Once it’s nicely browned, add one tablespoon of flour and let it brown, then add one can of prepared tomato soup or two cups of fresh chopped tomatoes. Cook for five minutes, strain, and pour over the hot steak. Garnish with mushrooms and ripe olives browned in butter, sprinkled with salt and chili pepper, along with sprigs of parsley. If you like cheese, sprinkle some grated yellow cheese over the steak and sauce, melt it in the oven, and serve hot, or you can use a Spanish prepared sauce.

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Select two pounds of upper round steak, sear it in a hot skillet on both sides until a crust forms; then add half a cup of suet and half a cup of hot water, cover it, and cook slowly for half an hour. Add salt and pepper. Fry one cup of chopped onions in a tablespoon of lard until they're slightly brown; add a tablespoon of flour, a can of tomatoes, a teaspoon of oregano, and two tablespoons of green chile pulp; spread it over the steak, cover, and cook for another twenty minutes. Place it on a serving dish, sprinkle with cheese, put it in the oven to melt the cheese, and serve hot.

Have the butcher crosshatch a flank steak. Rub it with flour seasoned with salt and chili powder, but not too much. Spread lard or melted suet on it, then make a filling with bread crumbs, tomato, chili pulp or powder, onion, oregano, bay leaf, and salt. Roll it up and tie it. Put a tablespoon of lard, a cup of tomato, and a little salt on top, cover it, and bake slowly for two or three hours.

Pound the tenderloin flat; cover it with flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Fry until brown in hot olive oil or bacon grease. Place triangles of toast in the center of the platter, arranging the cutlets standing around the toast. Add lettuce cups around the outside of the cutlets and fill them with half of{83} peeled tomato, sprinkled with cooked rice, parsley, salt, and chili powder, or use tomatoes stuffed with a mixture of meat and rice, seasoned with salt, chili powder, onion, and butter. Bake until browned on top. Garnish with parsley and place a sprig of parsley in the center of the toast.

Mix equal parts of pork sausage and hamburger. For every two cups of meat, add one cup of wet bread, one egg, one-fourth cup of onion, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of green chile pulp. Mix everything together and shape it into cakes that are one inch thick. Pour one cup of prepared sauce into a pan and heat it up. Place the meat in the sauce, cover it, and let it simmer until it's fully cooked.

Use finely ground beef, veal, or chicken—raw or cooked. For each cup of meat, add half a cup of wet bread crumbs, a quarter cup of chopped mushrooms browned in a little butter, a teaspoon of onion juice, a quarter cup of white sauce, and salt to taste. Shape into round flat cakes; fry in a small amount of olive oil and butter until they’re brown. Make a sauce with six chopped olives, a quarter cup of mushrooms, a tablespoon of onion, a tablespoon of flour in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter; add salt and paprika, a cup of fresh or canned tomatoes, and a tablespoon of green chile pulp, then pour around the meat cakes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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Mix one cup of meat, either raw or cooked, with half a cup of chopped bacon, half a cup of tomatoes, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of chili pulp or chili powder. Combine everything to form a thick dough with cornmeal. Shape the mixture into balls the size of walnuts, then drop them into boiling salted water along with the tomatoes. Add a little lard and cornmeal to thicken the water when the meat is cooked.

Cut one pound of stew beef or veal into small two-inch pieces, coat them in flour, and brown in a tablespoon of hot suet. Add half a cup of chopped onion, one bay leaf, and four cups of tomatoes; cook slowly until the meat is tender. Stir in salt, one tablespoon of chile pulp, and one cup of cold boiled potatoes cut into neat squares. When the potatoes are hot, serve them on triangles of buttered toast.

Two cups of ground chicken, two tablespoons of finely chopped onion, half a cup of tomato, half a clove of garlic, two tablespoons of chopped sweet pepper, one egg, one teaspoon of mint leaves, half a teaspoon of oregano, one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of butter, three tablespoons of cornmeal mush. Mix everything together, roll in flour, form into balls, fry in hot oil, or bake in the oven, and serve with Spanish sauce.

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Cut fish into three-inch pieces, season with salt, and roll them in cornmeal. Heat a tablespoon of bacon fat and one tablespoon of olive oil, then add half a cup of sliced onions and fry until brown. Add the fish and brown them as well. Pour in enough tomatoes to just cover the fish, add two tablespoons of chile sauce, salt to taste, a pinch of saffron, and oregano; cook for a few minutes. Serve on a platter. Garnish with potato balls sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Make a filling of breadcrumbs soaked in one cup of tomatoes, add one tablespoon of minced onion, one tablespoon of parsley, half a cup of red tomato pulp, two tablespoons of melted butter, ten sliced olives, and half a cup of seedless raisins; stuff and sew up the fish. Place it in a pan. When it’s done, carefully transfer it to a warm platter and remove the skin. Pour hot prepared Spanish sauce over the fish; garnish with lemon and parsley. Really delicious.

Salt and dip Barracuda or any tender fish in a batter made of egg, flour, milk, and salt. Fry in hot olive oil until deep golden. Serve with a sauce made by browning a tablespoon of onion in a tablespoon of olive oil, adding a tablespoon of flour and cooking until brown, then adding one cup of tomatoes, two tablespoons of green or red chili pulp, and salt; cook and pour it across the center of the fish, letting the crispy brown ends show. Garnish with slices of sweet green pepper, lemon, and parsley.

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Put a layer of seasoned mashed potatoes about an inch thick in a shallow baking pan. Next, add a layer of finely chopped beef, lamb, veal, fish, or chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, plus a bit of onion sautéed in lard. Prepare a top layer with one cup of onions, one green pepper, one sweet red pepper, one tablespoon of parsley, a teaspoon of chili powder or pulp, salt, and a tablespoon of flour—all sautéed in two tablespoons of lard. Add half a can of tomatoes and cook until thick; spread it over the meat layer, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bits of cheese, and bake. It looks great when baked in individual dishes.

Brown in two tablespoons of butter, three tablespoons of chopped onions, one cup of ground meat—one or more kinds, one cup of tomatoes, ten sliced olives, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, one chopped green bell pepper, one-fourth teaspoon of curry powder, and one tablespoon of flour; add a cup of any meat stock or hot water; season with salt to taste; add one cup of cooked rice; layer alternately with the hash. Drizzle a little butter on top and bake. Garnish with parsley and slices of hard-boiled eggs.

Gut and roll the rabbit in a mixture of cornmeal, flour, salt, and chili powder, then fry until it's a nice brown. Cover it with Spanish sauce, add a bit of hot water, then mix in half a cup of raisins. Let it stew for ten minutes, and garnish with toast and mint.

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Cut up tender chicken, salt, and flour, and brown it in a small amount of olive oil. Keep it warm. Add a tablespoon of butter to the oil left in the frying pan; then add half a cup of onions, one small clove of garlic, a tablespoon of parsley, and two tablespoons of flour; brown everything together and add two cups of tomatoes, two tablespoons of chili paste, and one teaspoon of sugar; cook until it thickens; pour over the chicken; and garnish with buttered toast and green peas.

Brown a fatty, tender chicken in a little bit of lard by flipping it over for a few minutes. Make a stuffing with two cups of bread crumbs, three tablespoons of sweet green pepper pulp, one cup of tomatoes, two tablespoons of chopped onion, half a cup of claret, two tablespoons of sugar, half a cup of sliced onions, half a cup of seeded raisins, one teaspoon of white pepper, and salt to taste. Stuff the chicken and bake it in a covered pan for one hour. Make gravy from the drippings by adding flour, mushroom sauce, and hot water. Pour it over the chicken.

Salt a tender chicken and rub it inside and out with onion, butter, and flour. Place it in a large casserole. Pour in one cup of hot water and add one teaspoon of oregano; include a can of mushrooms (with stems and trimmings), a dozen sliced olives, two tablespoons of green Spanish sauce, and one chopped{88} pimiento, along with two cups of tomatoes, one tablespoon of butter, and one tablespoon of flour to thicken; season with salt to taste. Cover and cook until done; then add a cup of cream and cook for another ten to fifteen minutes. Dip buttered toast in sherry—enough toast for each guest; place it on top of the chicken, cover it, and let it stand for a few minutes. Serve from the casserole.

One pint of cold cornbread, one cup of rich chicken or turkey broth, half a cup of roasted, chopped chestnuts, one tablespoon of butter, one minced hard-boiled egg, one teaspoon of black pepper, three tablespoons of red chili pulp, a quarter cup of minced onion, a large tablespoon of minced parsley, one lightly whipped egg, salt to taste. Stuff the turkey or chicken, and after baking, make the usual dressing with the drippings and chili sauce to serve on top.

In three tablespoons of butter, sauté half a cup of onion. Cut one pound of tripe into narrow strips; salt it and coat it in flour. Add one tablespoon of flour to the fat and brown it; then add one cup of tomato, seasoning with one tablespoon of chile powder or pulp and one teaspoon of sugar. Let it simmer until very tender. Serve hot.

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Soak overnight, put in fresh water in the morning, and add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda for each quart of water. Boil until they're halfway done, drain, and add more boiling water, then cook until tender. Boil longer if you're going to mash them.

Cook red Spanish beans until tender, then place them in a pan with hot lard. Add onions, green or red chili paste, and salt. Brown a little flour with it, then mash and press through a sieve. Add meat stock to thin it out for a sauce, and serve it over meat or whole beans.

Soak pink or kidney beans overnight, then boil them until tender in salted water with a pinch of baking soda. Drain and add a can of tomatoes, the pulp of three red and three green chili peppers, half a cup of onions fried in bacon fat, and salt to taste. Simmer slowly until everything is very soft.

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Cook pink or kidney beans in salted water with a pinch of baking soda until they're very soft. Drain and mash them, then fry some bacon until it's crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, add the beans to the fat, let them brown, and then transfer to a hot platter. Pour hot Spanish sauce over the beans and garnish with the bacon and parsley.

Two cups of well-cooked beans, drained—into two tablespoons of hot lard, two tablespoons of red chili paste; brown; add half a cup of grated cheese, and stir until melted. Serve hot.

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Wash the rice in several changes of water, drain it, and then rub it between towels until it's dry. Add the rice slowly, one cup at a time, into boiling salted water at a ratio of one cup of rice to five cups of water. Boil vigorously for ten minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until all the water is absorbed. Place an asbestos mat under the pot and avoid stirring; the grains will remain dry and separate.

Heat two tablespoons of lard, bacon fat, or olive oil, add a tablespoon of chopped onion, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of chili powder, and a pinch of mint leaves. Sauté slightly, then add one cup of rice and stir until the rice starts to change color. Pour in four cups of hot water and cook slowly until all the water is absorbed. Serve on a platter and top with Spanish sauce.

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Fry a heaping tablespoon of chopped bacon, add one clove of garlic, stir, and cook for a few minutes. Then, add one cup of washed and dried rice, one can of tomatoes, and some salt. Mix in half a cup of chile pulp and cook slowly. When it’s almost dry, add enough meat stock or hot water to finish cooking, but just enough so the rice is dry and the grains are separated when done.

Boil one cup of rice in five cups of water, add a clove of garlic and a teaspoon of salt; once it's done, remove the garlic. Drain any excess water and place in a baking dish, layering the rice, Spanish sauce, and cheese alternately, finishing with sauce and cheese on top. Bake until it's hot all the way through and the cheese is a rich brown.

Chop two tablespoons of onion, two tablespoons of red bell peppers, and two tablespoons of green bell peppers very finely, then sauté until tender with a tablespoon of diced salt pork. Add two cups of tomatoes, cook, and mix in a tablespoon of chili pepper and salt. Stuff the green bell peppers, place butter on top, sprinkle with brown sugar, and add lemon juice; then bake.

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Fry chili peppers until they puff up under the skin; cool them down and peel; cut off the stems and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Prepare a filling with any kind of meat; for every cup of meat, add one tablespoon of chopped onion, one clove of garlic, half a cup of tomatoes, half a cup of sliced olives, and a quarter cup of finely chopped raisins. Mix in one tablespoon of vinegar and cook in two tablespoons of hot lard; let it cool and fill the chili peppers. Beat the desired number of eggs separately, adding one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of milk to each egg, then season with salt and red pepper. Dip the chiles in the batter and fry them in hot lard until golden brown, then drain and sprinkle with chopped parsley; serve hot. You can also serve a prepared sauce over the chiles or a white sauce with added apple, raisins, peach preserves, or marmalades according to your taste. Delicious.

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Mix one cup of any ground meat with half a cup of bread, two tablespoons of onion, half a cup of tomatoes, one tablespoon of sugar, and half a cup of raisins. Cook everything together in one tablespoon of hot butter for a few minutes, then let it cool. Add one egg, some salt, and chili powder. Stuff the mixture into a large sweet pepper that has had all its seeds removed. Place the peppers closely together and fill in between them with raw tomatoes, adding salt and a pinch of oregano to reach the top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake until everything is well done and browned.

Roast or scald and peel green sweet peppers, remove the seeds and veins, and mix with half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of water. Add half a garlic clove, half a teaspoon of oregano, and a piece of cinnamon; let it soak overnight. Prepare the filling by mixing half a cup of bread, a tablespoon of onion, half a cup of tomatoes, a tablespoon of sliced olives, and six seedless raisins. Drain the peppers and fill them. Top with melted butter, breadcrumbs, and grated cheese. Bake and serve hot.

Heat and peel green hot or sweet peppers; take out the seeds and stuff them with a mixture of salt, red pepper, cheese, and bread, soaked in equal parts of tomato juice—secure with toothpicks; dip in egg and coat in breadcrumbs; fry in deep oil; serve with Spanish sauce and a ring of hard-boiled eggs.

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Mix half a cup of wet bread with half a cup of tomatoes and half a cup of Queso Mexicano (a Mexican cheese), a tablespoon of onion, half a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of parsley, salt, pepper, a quarter cup of sliced olives, and mushrooms or raisins chopped and fried in a tablespoon of lard until tender. Once it cools, add the bread and cheese mixture to stuff the chiles, dip them in the egg batter, and fry in deep fat or sauté in butter. Serve hot, with or without sauce.

Grind one cup of raw liver into a pulp, remove any strings, then add one whipped egg, one tablespoon of onion juice, one-fourth cup of wet cracker crumbs, one and a half cups of milk, and half a teaspoon of salt. Fill boiled onions (with the centers removed) with this mixture; top with grated cheese, cover, and cook until the liver is firm. Remove the cover, brown it slightly, and serve with a prepared Spanish sauce.

Brown two tablespoons of flour in two tablespoons of butter; add two tablespoons of chopped onion, two tablespoons of sliced olives, two tablespoons of raisins, chopped sour pickle, one tablespoon of parsley, two tablespoons of chopped nuts, half a cup of bread crumbs, half a cup of cooked chicken, pork, or veal, and one teaspoon of salt. Stuff{106} the onions that have been boiled until tender and had their centers removed—heap them high—place a large chunk of cheese on top and bake. Serve with a sauce made from one tablespoon of butter, one tablespoon of flour, two tablespoons of lemon juice, half a cup of water, and finely chopped parsley.

Rub lard on large smooth potatoes. Bake until soft; cut off a slice and scoop out the center of the potatoes, then add two tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, two tablespoons of chopped pimiento, chopped cucumber, one-fourth teaspoon of chili powder, two tablespoons of hot milk, and half a whipped egg; mix until light and fluffy, then fill the potato shell. Place two strips of bacon on top, then return to the oven until the bacon is crispy. Garnish with a strip of pimiento and parsley.

Cook and drain two cups of macaroni or spaghetti. Heat a quarter cup of olive oil, add a clove of garlic and half a cup of chopped dried beef, and cook until the beef curls. Stir in a tablespoon of flour and let it brown, then add half a cup of chopped mushrooms, two tablespoons of green chile puree, and one large finely chopped pimiento. Add two cups of tomatoes, cook everything together, and season with salt to taste. Combine with the macaroni, transfer to a baking dish, top with grated Mexican cheese (Queso Mexicano), and bake until the cheese is melted.

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Cook round summer squash in salted water until it’s tender; remove the insides. Mix the insides with egg, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, salt, and chili powder. Fill the center of the squash, heaping it up, then sprinkle with cheese and small pieces of butter; bake in a hot oven. Garnish with pieces of red chili pepper and chopped parsley mixed with a little melted butter.

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To serve with all salads. Make a very short pie crust with butter and salt; roll and fold it several times, sprinkle with grated cheese and chili pepper; roll it out until it sticks together, cut it into strips, bake in a hot oven, tie in bunches with red ribbon, and garnish with a sprig of parsley, or cut strips of bread; cover with a mixture of melted cheese and chili pepper, toast in the oven, and serve with salads.

Remove the seeds from chiles, both green and red. If they're canned, chop them finely; if they're fresh, roast or scald and peel them. First, fry them separately in a little butter and add salt to taste, plus a bit of lemon juice. Don’t let them brown. Spread the mixture between layers of thickly sliced white and brown bread, alternating with one slice of bread that's buttered and sprinkled generously with grated cheese. The color looks nice when cut into fancy shapes and served on a crisp lettuce leaf. Alternatively, mix the red and green chiles together; fry them, let them cool, then add grated cheese. Spread this on tortillas that you've dipped in hot butter, roll them lightly, and secure with a toothpick. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve on crisp lettuce leaves.

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Cream two cups of brown sugar with one cup of butter, then stir in one cup of sweet or sour milk. Whip four eggs and pour them in, then add three cups of flour sifted with three teaspoons of baking powder and two teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix everything together and pour it into baking tins. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, ground pecans, and cinnamon while it's still raw; bake in a medium oven. Alternatively, add enough flour on a rolling board to make a soft dough, cut it into large round buns, bake them, and spread with icing made from hot water and brown sugar cooked until thick, mixed with pecan nuts.

Get the Spanish chocolate, a small round cake about three inches wide, with a flavor that's different from regular chocolate. Melt two cakes, then add half a cup of butter and one cup of brown sugar. Beat four eggs separately; mix the yolks into the melted chocolate, butter, and sugar, and mix well. Pour one cup of milk on top, add the beaten egg whites on top of the milk, and stir in three cups of flour with two tablespoons of baking powder. Mix everything together, add a teaspoon of vanilla, and bake in a loaf pan or as layers. For the icing, melt a chocolate cake, add a tablespoon of butter, and half a cup of brown sugar, then cook. Once it's cool, spread it on the cake or use it as filling.

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Two cups of brown sugar, half a cup of water, and a teaspoon of butter; cook until it forms a soft ball in water. Place pecan nuts in the bottom of buttered saucers and pour the hot sugar on top. Let it cool, and you'll have the thin round cakes sold by Mexicans on the street.