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#i can already taste the pozole
chiquititaosita · 8 months
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hange y novia de mexicana
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synopsis: Hange and a mexicana novia headcanons part 2
Osita note: hange is given gender neutral pronouns, mentions of erueri (idk how to say it lmao), Mexican culture, Mexican slang, also some baddie shit lol A LITTLE BIT OF NSFW(car sex, food play), generational trauma. Tias being exposed.
It’s their funeral again, but anyways here’s my lovely moots tag list @emomanswhore @roronoaswifey @roronoacherries @sanjis-all-blue @sanjisblackasswife @euphofic @noawithlove @luffyinlove @hqkalon @yourrfavzxri @abbyslev @hangespublicist @hangeslovers-world @azelmawrites @jujuyii @honeybleed @backwzzds @neptunes1nterweb @theemrsjaeger @chrollohearttags @cottonconnielvr @ginger4sugar @mommypieck @usopps-devotee @punktastics @kazushawty @etherealxmaya @forever-rogue @prncssmimi
- y/n is majorly a chismosa and so is hange
- they’re gonna fuck you the minute y’all leave from having dinner with your family in their damn car. “Does that feel good??” They’re gonna whisper in your ear as they’re in the drivers seat rubbing your clit as you nod whimpering yes.
- always touching your thighs!! NO REASON
- loves your kisses, and they love your physical touch. Always craving to touch you and to be close to you.
-they buy you pan dulce every time you come over. Because they know how much you crave for it.
- “hey!! I have this for you!!” They give you a bag of flaming hot cheetos with lime, slices in a bag. When you’re on your period. you just fry and hug them!!
- “hey do you wanna come over??”
- “I cant.”
-“why??”
-“my mom said I went out already three times today.” Which is translating that you need to come over this time. And they do.
-hange would be sooo confused the first time their gf says that but they get the hang of stuff quickly fs 😭
- when you do your thing and holding Hanges hand it’s adorable like yes. “Idc if we’re going out we’re holding hands the whole. damn. Time.”
-“that’s fine by me!-“ Hange is literally such a happy partner fr. They just love to be around you.
-Hange learns to keep extra grocery bags, when you notice this you’re like.. 😀😀
-“where did my partner go!?” You’re shook and pretty sure hallucinating.
-the minute at a carne asada when a new baby is born EVERYONES taking the baby. Even HANGE
-“mija when are you and Hange getting married?” hange tried to answer as they get cut off by y/ns tias.
-“CALLATE PUTAAAA!!” A drunk hange would say, when you’re out of the carne asada!! Walking into the car.
-“y/n don’t worry it’s okay.” Hange doesnt need you to stand up for themselves, but because it’s your family, if they misgendered hange on purpose you’re going a-wall on them
-“ no!! I am not letting you get disrespected! I have had enough of their bullshit and listened to them for TEN YEARS” You’d be pissed and established a fucking boundary between a group of your tias about hange and yourself as a couple, in general because those tias criticize every fucking thing.the minute they try to pick you up to calm down.
-you told and gave them that Latina stare. “Sit down.” They sat down instantly with your dad as they both cracked open a beer.
-“That’s why you can’t keep a man!! Because you got La pescado panocha!! You’re an alcoholic who has severe daddy issues, And you!! YOU DONT EVEN HAVE YOUR FUCKING PAPERS!! YOU FUCKING BORDER HOPPER HOMIE HOPPING ASS COCHINA!!”. They left within five minutes.
-“AND COME BACK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE PROPER ENGLISH!!” Hange just sits there and actually felt thankful that you didn’t have to do that but they are thankful. You’re a short chihuahua with a 6’5 Great Dane mindset.
- they obviously eat the FUCK OUT OF POZOLE!!
- and they love your cooking. “Oh mah god..” they’ll cover their mouth when they taste nopales for the very first time and they’re in love.
-even eating ramen noodles the Mexican way with tapatío or Valentina, lime juice and chilé powder. Mhm yummyyy!!
-now if you and Hange are in the car. You’re screaming in the car. They’re screaming bad bunny with you. Because yes!
-now when y’all live together. You’re the clingiest mf out there.
-“it’s bc of that chorizo!!!” Hange didn’t even know what that meant until they asked Connie, which instantly clicked into Hanges mind being the strap on!! ding ding ding!!’
-always satisfies your period cravings fr.
-“y/n HOW ARE YOU NOT BALD!?!?” This is Hange saying this as they get out of the shower using the drainage hair catcher and yes HISPANICS SHED A LOT OF FUCKING HAIR.
-“I don’t know genetics I guess.”
- sucks the chamoy and tajin off your Chi Chis
-when you told hange you eat pomegranates with tajin and chamoy They’re in shock. They’re gonna get you pregnant for sure!
-parent hange with mexicana mommy reader coming soon??!!?
- cooking with hange is intimate as well, because they’re always hugging you from behind leaving small kisses and love bites all over to label you as theirs.
- even hange drinking an agua fresca,their favorite would be mango for sure.
-even the grapefruit soda squirt they’re gonna buy so many cans of it.
- hange gets the hang of it, when going to a carne asada that Mexicans open their beers or soda bottles with just about ANYTHING AND EVERHTHING! from a kids toy to someone’s ass, or even a chair. It’s very rare to use a bottle opener. That’s what Hange brings a knife and a bottle opener.
-they love your Spanglish or. “AHH SANNAOFABISSHH!”
-they eat the chicken and cheese quesadillas you make in the fridge as a late night snack by reheating them in the microwave.
-one day you were sick and you wanted caldo de res . This mf called your abuela and ASKED THEM HOW TO MAKE IT EXACTLY AS IF ABUELA WAS THERE.
-“You made it for mee???” You’re tearing up with the rice and corn inside of the soup bowl along with the chicken. As you were on your period crying
-Now Hanges spice tolerance is manageable. But when you make them have anything they’ll slowly become immune to spicy things and love it. (They’re not spice god on tiktok okay.) but they’re an enthusiast.
-absolutely loves to spend time with you even if you’re always at home. They don’t care they’ll bring the fun to you!
-that’s why when y’all build blanket forts sometimes it heals both of your inner child together
-this also includes going to the grocery store at 3 o’clock in the morning to try some Mexican tiktok snacks or to have a day and y’all treat y’all’s selves on date night.
-and they kiss your lonjas (tummy rolls, this includes stretch marks and lunares)
-“dame un beso.” You’ll tell them and they’ll do it as you lean in. “Did you say give me a kiss?”
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xeo-kunsatan · 2 years
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Redesign of my Pmatga sona!
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Call them Xexe, The Ghost Mermaid.
Xexe was young adult with a 13 years old face, just a visitor from Pacxico when they was alive, they arrived to visit their aunts and to know the City.
They was chill drinking an Blueberry beer/Soda in a restaurant next to the sea in Pacopolis, until a ghost attack disturbed the whole zone. They was running confused from the place until during all the panic state, one of the scared spheres accidentally pushed her , making her Fall in the sea, hitting her head against a rock and dying instantly.
"It cannot be.... I can't leave right now"
By waking up they noticed her body was lying in the ground of the sea while they noticed they wasn't alive anymore.
"I want to go home"
After that Day they became into the odd spirit who tends to drown any pac-person who gets near of the sea, or that's what the people there says.. actually Xexe is just a noob ghost learning how to be a scary spirit taking inspiration in the ghosts from Pacxico like La Llorona, La Xtabay, El Charro Negro.
"I wonder if I can be like Them, Am I'll be Scary enough?"
Likes: Reading, steal stuff from the living pac peoples and make them some jokes, Takis, drawing and painting,, animal cubs (fortunately for her, she keeps her chill vibes for them to not scare them), collect gemstones, Create any drink or Dessert and make Hair accessories.
Dislikes: The spooky stories around they (For him that stories are dank), Chilaquiles, pozole, the Ones who drops trash In the sea, Pinky.
"If I see again that Annoying girl again, be sure I'll drown her Butt"
Facts:
-The Story about her, says that they drowns every sphere who gets close to the sea something in certain point fake, Xexe actually drowns certain type of People.
-The people she drowns becomes into aqua ghost who became into Xexe's Slaves but she rarely ask thems to do something for her because she's used to take care of herself.
- There's a rumor about Xexe, they has their body hided in somewhere.
- In Certain point she's considered as a child to other ghosts when Xexe is actually an adult with a weird genetic.
"I'm not a Kid!... I'm just a young adult with the wrong face.."
-Her Makeup was inspired in a Día de muertos make-up (Catrina).
-If you want to know what are exactly her powers: she can create and manipulate Water at her own and kinda shape shift her features (this actually does it for fun).
- Her Slime taste is the same of the drink she had before dying, so if Pacster eats they, He will end Drunk.
- Even with all the aqua she's kinda alone
" For what should be scared if I got used in already live in my worst nightmare?"
- Xexe Opened a Bar to Serve good drinks for every Ghost.
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karmadraws · 2 years
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MEXICAN PARTY!!!!!! WUUUUUUUUU
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I leave here some sketches of the girls: 3 they are Lizzie, Shubble and Katherine and the first one and the second one is Gem :3
LET'S GOOOOO, MEXICAN PARTYYYYYYY
Everyone was calm to the party, Pearl did not separate from de Grian, Mumbo and Scar tried to get closer to Grian, some were already making jokes, everyone attended with typical Mexican costumes, those who arrived hungry were surprised that almost all the dishes Mexicans carry chili, and a couple in my corner of the place. Scott and Jimmy were together while Scott complimented Jimmy, "if your body were jail and your lips were chains, my sentence would be beautiful" Jimmy was nervous, Lizzie finally arrived and so they wouldn't kill him Scott didn't said no "mason compliment" (those who are not very family friendly) [I'll show you some later]
After a while, the party began to light up, everyone was more playful and they began to play rather heavy jokes, almost always at parties of this type there are things like eggs with confetti or the lottery and then they began to play, Tango, Impulse and Zedaph were playing marbles, they bet whoever lost had to eat a whole chili in one bite, so none of them was willing to lose, the others were also playing for a while, always with silly bets, the dumbest was for Xisuma, who accepted and in the end he was saved At the time of going to the food, everyone began to choose dishes such as tostadas de tinga, golden tacos, pozole, mole, and were even surprised with the party rice and the normal one (I'M NOT JOKING, IT REALLY THEY HAVE DIFFERENT TASTE) the first daring to eat something with spicy was Etho, all to annoy Bdubs with seeing who can handle spicy better, they were going to eat cochinita pibil with habanero, in the end, well, they couldn't hold out for long.
Finally after the food table was empty (EJEM SOMEWAY, MIRACLE I THINK) it was the turn of the candys, there were wafers with cajeta, chocolates, picafresas, tamarinds, mueganos, meringues, everything, even the best sweets like mazapanes. They were all playing with each other, Joey proposed that whoever could get a mazapán out of its wrapper without breaking it would give him something he wanted, and well after a while and running out of mazapán no one won. After trying even beer and tequila, the party seemed more like an authentic Mexican party, everyone living together, there was hardly any centerpiece on the tables, there was no food, it was getting late and there was nothing to do, although in Mexico parties they don't end because yes, one after another they proposed ideas to be there together until dawn, they played truth or dare, they danced and sang Mexican songs and the best thing came after 4 am, when everything began to calm down the others found Oli sleeping on the chairs, obviously they did not miss the opportunity and when Oli woke up he was going to have his whole face painted, Scar and Mumbo finally talked to Grian who rejected all compliments or nice words to annoy them for a while, Ren did not detach himself from Doc , Big B and Martyn who were getting along, Joel asked Lizzie to dance, Cleo shone in her dress along with the others, everything was being perfect, except for something, a couple had escaped from the party, katherine and shubble were not there, when the two came back the others soon made fun, they said things like "have you come back from behind the guayabo?" (Phrase used to say "they were girlfriends / boyfriends) while everyone laughed, even them, after all if they arrived at dawn, everything had been perfect. :3
BUENO, QUE VIVA MÉXICO CABRONES A PARTIR DE HOY SON CIEN DÍAS DE PURA FIESTA, WUUUUUUU NOS VEMOS MAÑANA, TENGO QUE DORMIR SI MAÑANA QUIERO COMER PAMBAZOS >:3 NOS VEMOS (SEE YOU LEATHER GUYS! HAVE A GOOD DAY! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!)
What I'm saying? I'm going to sleep because I want pambazos :3
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mexican-culture · 1 year
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Blog Post #1
The culture that I will be choosing to study is the Hispanic culture. The reason that I chose this culture is because I am half Hispanic for one and the second reason is because a lot of my coworkers are Hispanic. They tell me a lot of stories on how they grew up in Mexico, how fun it was, when they came to the United States and why they came over here. I wanted to learn more about their culture and traditions to better relate to them and to have a better understanding of my families heritage. I think that this “deep dive” will have a great effect on how I interact with my coworkers and will help me better understand their traditions. I have already made some sort of connection with them being half Hispanic. I really do enjoy all of the stories that they tell me. Obviously there are many countries that Hispanics are in, but I will be focusing on Mexico. In the period of this blog.
Holidays Observed
            Mexico does not have nearly as many holidays that they celebrate compared to the U.S. They celebrate their Independence Day on September 16th, Mexican Anniversary of the Constitution on February 5th, La Batalla de Puebla aka. Cinco de Mayo on May 5th, and the Fest of our Lady Guadalupe on December 12th. If you compare that to the United States and look at our calendars we have double that amount. According to my coworkers that was weird for them to see when they first moved here 30 years ago.
Food
            As we all know from have food in a Mexican restaurant that Hispanics love their food spicy and have a much different dishes compared to American food. A couple of dishes that are very popular in Mexico are Tacos al pastor which translates to “in the style of the shepherd”. However this is not your normal taco. It is thinly sliced pork with slow-roasted pineapple.
            Another dish is Tostadas. They stale tortillas, that are fried to make a hard shell that they fill with meat, cheese, veggies and a number of garnishes.
            The next dish is Chilaquiles. This is a famous breakfast dish in Mexico and the largest meal of the day. Chilaquiles are fried tortillas that are cut into smaller pieces. They are topped with salsa and breakfast foods such as eggs, cheese, cream, and chicken. It is often served with a side of refried beans or as they call it frijoles.
            According to Carnival.com, they say that Chiles en nogada are as patriotic as it is tasty. The reason being that the colors that are in this dish not only taste amazing, but they represent the colors of the Mexican flag. The dish includes a mix of fruits, spices, and meat.
            Pozole is a rich and spicy soup that is very popular in that country. It is made from hominy corn that usually cooks overnight and has a wide variety of spices that come together with the meat of choice. When the dish is cooks it comes with onion, radishes, limes, lettuce, and chilies.
            I can go on and on about the dishes that are served in Mexico but those are the most popular ones in Mexico that are not so common in the United States. I really encourage you go try those dishes next time you visit.
            Later on in the blog we will go more in depth of this culture, but I just wanted to scratch he surface. When you write blogs it is hard to find ones that are not biased and not really accurate. The way that I intend to keep accurate and not biased is by finding reliable sources and talking with my coworkers. Like I stated earlier on in this post, I work with a lot of Hispanics that came from Mexico. They have lots of stories and lots of knowledge that they are willing to share. They want to tell people about how they live, they food, and their culture in general. They say that there are a lot of misperceptions out there about Hispanics, and I want this to be a place of truth and education.
Work Cited
Latin American Holidays & Celebrations. (2022). Retrieved 28 August 2022, from http://www.rilatinoarts.org/LatinoHolidays.html
7 Delicious Foods to Eat While You’re in Mexico | Carnival Cruise Line. (2022). Retrieved 28 August 2022, from https://www.carnival.com/awaywego/travel/mexico/7-delicious-foods-to-eat-while-youre-in-mexico
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glowyskull · 5 years
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Oh shit
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lovely-josuke · 3 years
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Since you do JoJo now, can you do the JoJo’s with a Hispanic s/o like you did a while back? I love my Joestar boys 🥺
Yesss I love my Joestar boys too 🥺
jonathan joestar
Listening to everything you say about your culture. He is so precious.
He’s down for whatever you want to do.
I think he’ll definitely enjoy trying new food. Jonathan will definitely love all of it. From quesadillas to any pork related dish. Favorites are desserts.
Pastel de tres leches is his favorite. Ever since you introduced it to him, Jonathan will try and eat it for dessert almost every day. He’s sad when you scold him for eating it too much.
Jonathan shares the cake with Dio if it’s not made by you. Dio picks up an interest in the cake too. But if the cake is made by you Jonathan will not and I mean not share with anyone. Even with you. Yes, he hogs the cake.
His Spanish is magnificent. He speaks it so fluently, you wouldn’t think he learned it. Finds it every efficient when talking to you and your parents.
If Spanish is the only language you’d know when you meet him, he will help you to learn English.
Dancing intrigues him. It’s different from the ones he knows. He doesn’t master it right away and takes him a bit to get the hang of it.
Brings you una serenata. I’m hella confident he’ll do it. Please Jonathan, bring me una serenata.
Jonathan you’re just so 👩‍🍳💋
Jonathan overall is just 🥰
joseph joestar
Teach him everything.
Don’t leave out a single detail to him. He’s so fascinated with it. He’s like a little kid, kicking his feet while hearing you talk about what you do.
Joseph’s Spanish is “Hola” and “Hola” alone before meeting you. I’m certain he understands Spanish but can’t speak it. So your conversations will be you asking him something in Spanish and him answering in English.
Not the best at dancing, I’d give him a 7/10. He could use some work on his cumbias.
Joseph wants to participate in any cultural activities that he can. He cares about you and doesn’t mind if you come from a different background.
Like we saw with Smokey, Joseph won’t tolerate any crude comments thrown at you. He blows a fuse quicker whenever that happens and it takes a lot to calm him down afterwards.
Joseph praises elotes. He likes the combo of mayo, cheese, and some salsa on it. Could eat three and still want more. He gets very excited whenever you tell him you made elotes.
Adores conchas but his heart belongs to besos. Will ask for a kiss whenever he gets his favorite sweet bread. Probably corny with it too.
Shows your cooking off to Caesar like “Ehe you ain’t got no girl who can cook for you like my baby do.” Caesar I’m here, pls I cook and I clean I just want a ring
jotaro kujo
One thing he will not do is dance. Unlike the rest of the JoJo’s who easily agree on dancing, Jotaro’s answer is always no.
Learning Spanish? He will do it. Eating Hispanic or making food with you? He will do it. Celebrating a holiday with you? He will do it. Dancing? Flat out no.
If you even think about asking him he already read your mind and says no.
After months, he finally gives in and you find out the reason why he always said no.
This man has bad rhythm. Cannot dance to save his life. He definitely practiced in secret (probably with Star Platinum) only to find out he’s ass at dancing. Stepped on your foot every time and you thought you were gonna get bruises.
Either that or he stiff 🧍🏻‍♀️
His Spanish is kind of broken but his effort to communicate pulls through. I’m positive Jotaro finds it easier to express himself to you in Spanish.
Jotaro won’t admit it but he really likes telenovelas. He fakes interest but stands over your shoulder watching it intently. He knows more about it than you do.
Hides a slip of paper where he’s writing down Spanish words, a few things you mentioned you liked, and important days you celebrate.
Part Four Jotaro is still bad at dancing. I must make that comment.
josuke higashikata
His hips don’t lie baby. A+ dancer according to me. This really be yall at the parties —> 💃 🕺
Stiff where? Jotaro wish he had Josuke’s dance moves. Josuke is the dance partner you’ve been searching for.
Love love love and I mean LOVES Selena. Josuke was a fan of her before meeting you. Definitely where he first learned to dance. This makes Josuke a big fan of cumbia.
Ask him to dance. Matter fact, he’ll drag you to your feet to dance. Josuke could dance with you in his room without any music playing and it’s him making up a beat.
Josuke’s downfall? Cannot learn Spanish. His brain just ain’t registering it. He knows the basic greetings. But try and make a full conversation? Josuke doesn’t remember anything.
Whatever you teach him goes out the other ear. Jealous because Koichi and Okuyasu got Spanish in the bag. Rohan be like “Yes I know Spanish.” when he doesn’t just to get on Josuke’s nerves.
He doesn’t understand how you clean with music playing. Josuke thinks you’re a witch because for thirty minutes he’s watched you dance instead of cleaning and once he blinks everything is spotless.
Josuke’s favorite dish is probably pozole. He’ll eat los granitos all day and all that’s left in the pot is the meat. Won’t even let his mom try the full dish. Unlike me, he can eat it for weeks straight.
He feels so honored whenever you tell him your family invited him to a party or even to have dinner.
giorno giovanna
Giorno’s 👏 good 👏 at 👏 everything 👏
Has 👏 no 👏 downfall 👏
He will dance with you if you ask him. Imagine dancing bachata with Giorno 😌 I would like to experience this please. He’s more of a smooth type of dancer.
No stiffness, no mess ups, gets it all after the first try.
Oh to dance with Giorno. A girl can only dream. Giorno will love to dance when it’s the two of you. Maybe he’ll tell you how much he loves you in Italian when dancing. Maybe sprinkle a little Spanish in there too.
Giorno’s not so best dance has to be rancheras. He can make some mistakes when dancing it but not very noticeable to people around. Just to the two of you.
Spanish for Giorno, easy A. Some words are similar in both languages. Learned it without having any troubles.
Like Jonathan, he speaks it so fluently you wouldn’t think he picked it up. Sometimes he’ll find himself slipping a few Spanish words to Bruno. That or he’ll bounce from Italian and Spanish when talking to you.
Flan. Flan is Giorno’s favorite dish and will make it on his own. It took him four times to make it correctly. Each time you were the taste tester and babie was waiting for approval like :) to see if it was good.
Giorno >>>
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magnus bane can cook anon here. also: cooking is a love language for raphael bc food is so rooted in community/family. they absolutely teach each other traditional recipes. big family meals hosted by father and son pls 🥺 or magnus making a comfort meal for himself when he's feeling nostalgic and inviting cat over for dinner bc she's been so busy and he wants to catch up while also making sure she's nourished--two birds, one stone (he absolutely makes her take home leftovers). let magnus cook...
ugh i know this ask is old but i'm not sure what you mean by "magnus bane can cook anon", like, if you sent me another ask about this, i didn't get it rip. unless it's something i have already answered and i don't remember, in that case i'm sorry
anyway, YOU ARE RIGHT! magnus being unable to cook is preposterous tbh, i will not listen to these lies. HE! IS! INDONESIAN! food is important! and as an immigrant in particular he knows that better than anyone because food is a way to keep connected to his roots, to his love, to his culture. i will not accept any "magnus can't cook" slander, he CAN! plus like you see the way he made alec's stew amazing?? yeah yeah he used magic but i doubt there is a "make this delicious" spell, he needed to have known WHAT he would have done to the stew, add this and this and that to alter the taste, so like? he knows how to handle himself in the kitchen okay and he knows what tastes good and what doesn't, he can cook
and he knows exactly how important food is as a love language and YES him and raphael!!!! i don't have to argue that raphael can cook of course, we all know he does, and again! immigrant! LATINO!!!!! food is so fucking important for latines in general, even non-immigrants, and i imagine that it is even more so for immigrants. it's part of your culture, part of who you are. and like! raphael has been unable to eat for so long! i bet he misses it so much and i think when he wants to thank magnus for something, food is the way to go
especially in the early years. he didn't have much he could have done for magnus when he was just a recently Turned vampire kid with nowhere to go and nothing to his name, but he COULD cook for him. and i bet he was ecstactic to. i hc that magnus grows his own ingredients at home because he simply doesn't trust gringo markets to have good food and while he can and will travel to jakarta every now and then to enjoy a good food market - again, it's an intrinsic part of his culture! of course he wants to go to those when he can, it's not just the food, it's the sharing and the experience - he also wants to grow his own food. plus i think he is attached to plants. you've seen the way he talks to snakes, you mean to tell me he doesn't have a bunch of plants he grows (both for potions and foods) and talks with and grooms and is all loving towards? nonsense. absurd. i won't listen to these lies
and YES i am projecting unto him but i don't care! magnus loves his little plant friends (they have been particularly therapeutic for him in the early years after camille i feel, when he was so lonely. of course he has his cats but cats aren't really fans of hanging out all the time and plants are always there and just looking at a plant you helped grow makes you feel so much better) and prunes them with so much love and care, and because of magic he can control the weather conditions so it's always ideal for them, and make sure they are well taken care of. but he likes to do it himself without the need of magic when he can, because it's all about bonding with the plants. and when he gets to literally take the fruits of his labor, well. it makes the food and potions even more special :)
actually i bet that it actually does make a difference for potions, like... when you know the ingredients and they have been grown with love and care and a connection to the warlock they are more powerful. because plants are living, breathing things that build connections, and magic connects all things, and also because i said so!
BACK TO COOKING
i think part of the reason we've never seen him cook tbh is just because it's so... intimate. like it requires opening up about his culture and his past and a part of who he is and how he feels is in a dish (as with every dish) so it's just... way more intimate and intense than just taking someone out to dinner or something. and most of his interactions in the show were with shadowhunters, whom he either doesn't trust for obvious reasons, or does trust (alec and izzy basically, maybe clary) but knows they don't really fully understand what it means to him so there's just too big a chance to feel like he wore his heart on his sleeve for nothing (i'm talking mainly about alec here cuz i don't think he'd cook for izzy or clary lol but i do think they're on his trusted or somewhat trusted list)
and with raphael it's just painful because raphael can't eat and that's a big thing that probably upsets him on the regular, like, it's another thing that makes him feel a- human; and b- connected to his culture. and when i say human i don't mean it as just "humans eat food", i mean it as in eating for humans is about socialization and self-expression and having that taken away from him makes him feel soulless
but that just makes raphael want to cook MORE! i mean we've seen him cooking for rosa('s nursing home) so that's pretty much canon anyway. and i have no doubts in my mind that raphael used to cook for magnus all the time. initially recipes he already knew from his mom and his abuela, because again, it's just... sharing who he is and almost like welcoming magnus as a part of his family, and magnus understands that 100% and probably cries the first time rapha makes him pozole or something (he knows it's rapha's comfort food and he's just had a hard day and he's tired and maybe a bit worn by depression and raphael makes it for him and he's just... so touched and overwhelmed by the immenseness of the gesture). and then magnus starts to tentatively teach him the recipes he remembers for his own mom and again that's just.... ugh the magnitude of that is incalculable. and rapha knows it too
and he's highkey nervous because he knows magnus hasn't really tasted this in so long and he doesn't want to butcher it, you know? and he can't try the food to see if it's good, he can basically only go by smell (which i figure he has perfected over the years but he's known magnus since the early years so that was probably harder by then) but magnus is just happy to have someone to pass this down to, you know? like he's cooked meals for ragnor, dot, cat, elias, etc., before (immortal squad dinner meetups where everyone brings their favorite foods from their childhoods and ragnor makes tea because no one is putting up with that shit <3) but passing the recipes on to someone else is a whole different deal, it speaks of their father-son bond and it's basically welcoming raphael into the family back, you know? and rapha knows
and from then on rapha starts cooking these recipes for magnus, particularly when he's feeling down or just as a thank you for everything he's done for him and aaaaaaaaaaa
and then of course eventually the potion that allows vampires to eat is created and raphael can FINALLY eat again and try all the recipes he's been making for magnus (and sometimes cat) for years!!! after of course the first order of business which is making himself some pozole and everything else he's been cooking for rosa and missing terribly. but AFTER he has his mexican feast they absolutely have one of these meetups again and everyone gives raphael a little something from their culture for him to try and it's just <3 beautiful and i need a moment
AND CAT YES. we all know cat is overworked to death and magnus will NOT put up with it. and food is a love language so you know <3 half the time she will get home and find some little delivery packages from magnus, dot, ragnor, elias, raphael, or all of them (lol) with food because they know sometimes she gets home too tired and skips dinner and she SHOULD NOT. and they all have little notes like "i've sealed it magically so it's still hot, enjoy <3" and it's just sweet okay
and then there are the dinners... not just the super big dinners they all have together where everyone cooks something but sometimes just cat and magnus in magnus' loft and magnus makes her something, including some recipes she's taught him, and he absolutely makes extra and he's not even subtle about it because when is he ever ("*presenting cat a industrial-sized pan filled with food* oh, guess i miscalculated how much we'd eat" "really, magnus?" "yes") and makes her take the leftovers and she's just grinning at him the whole time and gives him a little kiss on the cheek for his troubles. then they sit down and drink wine and gossip and have fun until the tension has left both of their shoulders and they feel recharged. and cat might sleep there or might go back home the same day but either way when they have to part they trade "take care"s and catarina has this huge smile on her face as she takes thousands of conteiners filled with food, and magnus has that soft smile that he gives her, and aa <3
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trensu · 3 years
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Tagged by @kailmursher! i honestly don’t remember if i responded to this already /facepalm
Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you are contractually obligated to get to know better.
Name: trensu or xio
Gender: nb
Star sign: virgo
Height: 5′4″
Time: 23:17
Birthday: September
Favorite bands: ...i’m completely blanking out. honestly, i have pretty eclectic taste in music? more often than not i like a song as an individual than for the artist or genre.
Favourite solo artists: see above^^
Last movie: We Can Be Heroes
Last show: working my way through The Wolf and am being horribly reminded how little patience i have for Heterosexual drama purely for Xiao Zhan. And I binged Cherry Magic a couple days back, which i LOVED
When did I create this blog: Sometime in 2011. April maybe?? idk.
What I post: anything that catches my interest tbh. there’s no rhyme or reason to my posts and my blog definitely doesn’t have any theme lol.
Last thing I googled:
Other blogs: @xiao-zhans-waistline and it’s all @theuntamednarrator‘s fault!! now THAT blog i’m attempting to keep to a theme. the theme being xiao zhan’s beautiful face. it’s been hit or miss so far bc i keep stumbling onto other attractive actors’ pics (xuan lu, zhu yilong, etc etc)
Do I get asks: hahaha *guiltily kicks unanswered asks under a rug* um, no? I’M SORRY, I’LL GET TO THEM EVENTUALLY, I WILL!!
Why I chose my url: okay so i was on a doctor who and star trek kick back in, like, ‘08 (’07 maybe??) and i had found “vulcan dictionary” on a random fansite. supposedly trensu is “master” in vulcan (i actually have no idea if this is accurate or not, it’s been over a decade, okay?) and the master is my favorite dw villain, so here we are.
Following: too lazy to check lol
Followers: i don’t bother checking this bc i’m pretty sure at least 60% of them are spam/porn bots.
Average hours of sleep: 6
Instruments: i played the flute in highschool but i was AWFUL at it.
What I am wearing: night shirt and boxers bc i should be sleeping rn
Dream job(s): anything that pays enough to allow me to quit my second job and not have to worry about affording groceries and medical bills. Ambitious, i know.
Dream Trip: i’ve made a few friends in the untamed fandom that i’d like to visit who live in other countries! so that would be a fun trip, i think. like a world tour lol
Favorite food: my mom’s pozole and enchiladas, but my stepdad’s chili and spaghetti is a close second
Nationality: *sigh* do i have to? ugh, American unfortunately.
Favourite song: see previous response to music questions
Last book I read: The Disasters by MK England
Top 3 fictional universes I'd like to live in: TARDIS, Etheria, and the X-men universe
...i’m not tagging 20 ppl, that’s too many and i don’t think i actually know that many people lol. But I’ll tag a few. As always, don’t feel obliged to reply!
@livenarrator, @elvencantation, @dying-redshirt-noises, @absolutelynogravitaswhatsoever, @theoldwalkingsong, @bookbutterflies, @hildahuffle, @ibijau, @sagiru,
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language-sanctuary · 3 years
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I'm sorry if you've been asked this before. I'm Mexican on my mother's side, but I feel like the both of us have been very disconnected from the culture and we both want to get closer to it. Do you have any suggestions on what we could do? We're already planning on making traditional dishes, and I'm learning Spanish. Thank you in advance, I hope you have a good day/night!
Hello! Thank you for reaching out! I think learning Spanish, especially Mexican Spanish, is an amazing way for you to start connecting with your Mexican side. (Self plug, but I am a Spanish tutor if you ever were in need of practice lessons). 
Personally, my main daily connection to my culture is food. Learn how to make tortillas, atole, tamales, pozole, ponche, pan de muerto, tacos, salsa casera, enfrijoladas, enchiladas, chilaquiles, etc! We have a cuisine unlike any other and it is so incredibly delicious and creative.  I want to recommend this woman’s channel where she teaches you (in Spanish) how to make incredible Mexican dishes (although my mom says her use of grease and oil is excessive but hey, it’s a question of taste). 
You can also watch travel content which would really help to learn more about Mexico and it’s pueblos mágicos. This is my favorite travel channel that also is very educational. You can also watch Mexican tv series! I have some mentioned here. 
I liked Coco, however I wouldn’t suggest supporting Disney because while they were making the movie they tried to trademark Día de Muertos... you know, one of the biggest and most important celebrations in Mexico that originated centuries ago from indigenous beliefs? Yeah. A bit too problematic for my taste. I personally wouldn’t try to trademark the most important celebration of a POC-culture for profit but I guess I’m different. You can however watch an ACTUAL Mexican movie about Día de Muertos here . I also recommend this animated series of movies about Mexico’s legends. 
If you were to buy anything (traditional clothing, cutlery, jewelry, artesanías, etc), I would suggest supporting actual indigenous people and avoiding buying anything from big corporations that want to profit from the traditional art and end up committing cultural appropriation and disempowering indigenous artists. 
Día de Muertos is coming up (I’m planning on making a series of posts about the celebration if you are interested, I’ll link them to this post when I’m done if you wanna save it) which I think would be an amazing first step into the culture. Other Mexican traditions that I can think of right now are eating a rosca de reyes on January 6th and finding the Niño Dios hidden inside, eating tamales on the 12th and doing the whole cake and piñata thing on birthday celebrations (post about this here)
I wish you the best of luck and I’m here if you have any other questions!
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origetlopez · 3 years
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MOM'S FULL NAME: Vivian Lopez
MOM'S MAIDEN NAME (IF APPLICABLE): Vivian Hernandez
WHAT YOU CALL(ED) HER: Amami, Madrecita, Mamá, Má, Amá, La Ley, La mera mera, or Jefa. 
HER AGE: 55 Years Old
HER JOB: Part-Time Freelance Accountant, Full-time mother. 
FOUR ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HER: Hardworking, Passive, Giving, and Tolerant.
TALLER OR SHORTER THAN YOU?: Taller, only by a little bit though. 
HOW SHE MET YOUR DAD/FATHER FIGURE: She used to be an accountant for him when he opened his own therapy office. 
WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS/WAS LIKE: Mi Madrecita and I have a complicated relationship, especially after my sister died. She was always caught in between my father and my tension. She would try to stick up for me to some degree, but ultimately she would try to get me to respect my father. I stuck my neck out for her a lot, especially when I felt like my father was mistreating her. Mostly because I know he cheats on her. I never told her, but because I feel bad about not doing so, I do what I can to defend her. When Marisol died, it killed me to see how heartbroken my mother was. I blamed myself for her pain, which encouraged me to get out of Beverly Hills. My má tries to stay in touch with me, but because of my guilt, I keep her distant. 
HER FAVORITE FOOD: Espagueti Verde
HER FAVORITE DRINK: Wine. It’s no surprise I got her love of wine from her. 
THE BEST THING SHE COOKS/COOKED: Pozole 🤤I could eat it all day and every day. 
SOMETHING SHE LOVES/LOVED: Her children. Her children have always been her number one focus in life. Other than that, she is an avid reader. 
HER FAVORITE PLACE: My mother’s family is originally from Mexico, but my father took her to Spain for their honeymoon. She constantly talks about Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, where they stayed in a villa with him for months before they moved back to California. She has been wanting to go back with my father. 
HER FAVORITE COLOR: I don’t know what her favorite color would be. It would probably be purple. She likes mostly darker colors. 
HOW SHE DRESSES/DRESSED: Being a classy lady from Beverly Hills, she dresses usually in the top designer labels. She prides herself on looking presentable and tasteful. However, she is on the thicker side, so her clothing is flattering but loose. She sticks to very professional colors. Whites, blacks, neutral. Nothing too bold. 
HER HABITS OR HOBBIES: She has a habit of getting tense or super caught up in her telenovela. As I already said, she is also an avid reader, she loves to dance, and she is passionate about music.
A MOVIE, SHOW, OR BOOK SHE LIKES/LIKED: West Side Story was always her favorite movie/musical. It was something that she brought up around my siblings and me as children. Especially around Marisol and me. She always asked Marisol to sing the “Maria” parts, while I got “Anita.” She knew her daughters well. 
SOMETHING SHE TAUGHT YOU: She taught me something that I still have trouble learning: tolerance and patience. I tend to react more than I think about something. I see something, and I jump to respond. I always thought my mother was passive, and she is, but I think that’s also a sign of her patience and ability to tolerate even things that I can’t stand. She also encourages me to let go, but sometimes it isn’t always that easy. As I said, I am still learning to do so. 
SOMETHING SHE IS/WAS GOOD AT: She has an excellent way of making others feel better over herself. Mi Madrecita always puts others above her. It’s sometimes why I call her Madrecita, which means little mom - she makes herself smaller for the sake of others. 
SOMETHING SHE ALWAYS SAYS/SAID: My mother always said: No se puede comprar la felicidad, pero sí se puede comprar pastelitos. This means you can’t buy happiness, but you sure can buy a cake. It was her way of saying money isn’t everything, even though it is. 
SOMETHING YOU DO/DID TOGETHER: We don’t do much together anymore because I live so far away, but my mother used to take my sister and me shopping all the time. It was our girls' day. That stopped once my sister passed away. Things were never the same after we lost Marisol. 
SOMETHING SHE LOVES/LOVED ABOUT YOU: My mother said that as much as she can’t stand my stubbornness, she admires it too. I think that she hates that I stick up for her because it creates tension, but I also think she appreciates that someone is on her side. She says she admires how strong I am, and wishes she was as daring as I can be. 
SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT HER: I love the way she treats people. You could be her greatest foe, but she will still kill you with her kindness. As I said, she is a tolerant woman. She has way more patience than I ever could. 
A MEMORY OF HER THAT YOU HOLD DEAR: The memory of us watching West Side Story together is the one thing that sticks out to me. It was her favorite musical and it was my sister’s. Seeing the way it made the two of them light up helped me to forget everything else. 
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nosight · 4 years
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El origen del pozole/history of pozole
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Perú: ¡Está en todas pe! Muy bueno. ¿España no va a probar el pozole? / awesome pe! Very good. ¿Spain is not going to taste the pozole?
México: Na, ta traumado. La primera vez que le dieron pozole tenía carne humana / Nope, he´s traumatized. The first time they gave him pozole it had human flesh.
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Perú: ¿En serio causa? / ¿Seriously dude?
México: Claro, es un platillo ceremonial. Era dedicado al dios Xipe Totec en el festejo llamado Tlacaxipehualiztli que significa “desollamiento de hombres”. Se preparaba con la carne de los guerreros cautivos que eran sacrificados, algunos de ellos en los sacrificios gladiatorios. / Of course, it is a ceremonial food. It was dedicated to god Xipe Totec in the celebration called Tlacaxipehualiztli which means "skinning of men." It was prepared with the meat of the captive warriors who were sacrificed, some of them in gladiatorial sacrifices.
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México: El muslo derecho del sacrificado se entregaba al Tlatoani por respeto y agradecimiento. El muslo izquierdo y ambos brazos eran del guerrero que lo había capturado. Él no podía consumirlo pero sus familiares y compañeros sí. Luego este vato trajo un chingo de puercos y es lo que tragamos ahora en el pozole. Aunque...el sabor y la textura son muy parecidas. / the right thigh of the sacrificed was delivered to the Tlatoani out of respect and thanks. The left thigh and both arms were of the warrior who had captured him. He could not consume it but his family and colleagues could. Then this guy brought a lot of pork and is what we swallow now in the pozole. Although ... the taste and texture are very similar.
Perú: ¡A su mare...conchudo! ¿Y ahora me lo dice? / ¡No way… scoundrel! ¿And now he tells me?
España: Nueva España... /New Spain…
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México: ¿Y ahora qué? Soy México. Ya me arruinaste el pozole, no me arruines el nombre también. / And now what? I am mexico. You already ruined the pozole, don't ruin my name too.
Perú: Voy por más choclo (maíz) pe. / I'm going for more choclo (corn) pe.
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España: Termina de desayunar o se enfriará. Y deja de asustar a Perú. / Finish breakfast or it will get cold. And stop scaring Perú. (put the bread in Mexico's mouth)
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España: Que extraño. ¿Habrá olvidado que también tenía pueblos que practicaban el canibalismo?...muy bien. / Mm...strange. ¿Will he have forgotten that he also had villages that practiced cannibalism? ... very well.
México: ¿Crees que quiera saber sobre el pan de muerto? / Do ​​you think he wants to know about the bread of the dead?
España: México...
México: ¿Qué? Ese wey come palomas, nada lo puede asustar. / What? That guy eats pigeons, nothing can scare him.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Haha que les parecio? Espero disfruten mucho más el pozole (?) XD porque todo es verdad!!...excepto lo de las palomas que come Perú pero igual haha. Puse escrito todo porque casi no se ve :/ y México no tiene el Águila porque me salió horrible Dx
A España sí le gusta el pozole pero no para desayunar, los españoles desayunan ligero en comparación a nosotros los mexicanos que le entramos a todo XD. Amm...los incas del Perú no practicaban el canibalismo pero las tribus en las amazonas sí :o
Las escenas eliminadas fueron...cuando España se andaba atragantando con el pan por la impresión xD pero mi falta de talento lo hicieron imposible de dibujar y la escena completa de cuando España le pone el pan a Mexico en la boca pero fue porque me quedó demasiado porno haha xD igual lo conservare... :p
Esto dice el periodico de España:
°Deberia estar escribiendo (ya lo hago xD)
°Fue por vino y ya no vino (lo matan saliendo de licoreria xD)
°Mueren 3 personas y un portugues (haha como si no fuese una persona el portugués xD)
°Extra extra Todd apesta (los simpsons)
Espero poder hacer una continuación con el origen del pan de muerto :D
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ardentmuse · 4 years
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A First of Many (Thomas Mendez x Reader)
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Choices: Mother of the Year - Thomas Mendez x Fem!Reader (MC)
Wordcount: 2.2k
Warnings: fluff, flirting, and mild angst, no direct mention of Thomas’s deceased wife, but references... spoilers for the diamond scene in Chapter 12. 
Masterlist
A/N: What would a multi-fandom blog be without introducing a new fandom constantly? I know none of you are here for this, but this is what I wanted to write today, so it’s what you are getting. 
As many of you know, I’m a huge Interactive Fiction fan and a part of the Choices fandom since the beginning. I have it deep for Thomas Mendez in MOTY and as much as I loved the diamond scene in Chapter 12, there was not nearly enough build up. I needed more flirting, more implications that Thomas was seeing that things could be different than he imagined, that Luz was on board with him moving forward after Soledad, so I wrote it. Please enjoy, lovelies! 
Quick key: Y/N - Your Name, Y/D/N - Your Daughter’s Name
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Light caress of fingers upon the small of your back sent chills down your spine. The hairs at the back of your neck stood on end as you felt Thomas’s breath upon your ear.
“It’s looking good.”
His eyes were taking in the sautéing ingredients in the pot. Sure, the onions were a variety of sizes, medium dice and fine chop mixing together, some raw and some broken down, but that’s what happens when you let a ten-year old do your mise en place. Though you had to admit, Luz was pretty good with a knife, a fact that honestly wasn’t all that surprising now that you thought about it. 
Thomas’s hand didn’t leave the small of your back as he added a handful of spices to the pot of pozole rojo. Part of you wondered if he knew the impact his touch had on you, how on-fire your body grew at his presence, so close yet so forbidden. When he squeezed lightly at your hip, his fingers cupping into the flesh of you as he took another whiff of the delicious pot, you had your answer. 
“I can’t wait to try some,” he said to you as he slipped away to help your daughter drain the hominy. 
It took you a moment or two to collect yourself. Thomas had said he wasn’t ready; that things were going too fast between the two of you and that he needed time and distance. But here you were, in his house – to which he invited you – sharing in his family traditions and creating new memories together. You turned your gaze to take him in. His back was to you now as he reached around your daughter, offering his support for the heavy colander she was wielding. He was talking to her in such gentle tones, explaining to her the next steps of the recipe and answering her questions about the food itself. His sweater stretched with the movement of the muscles of his back, ones that you hadn’t stopped seeing in your mind since that run together several weeks ago, a beautiful expanse of strength of virility, hidden under his soft professional attire and often slumped in stress and exhaustion. You longed to see them in their full glory – holding him upright with pride and conviction as he took down corrupt corporations or stretching taut in exertion as he hovered over you in bed, bearing his weight upon you with each thrust, each dip of his shoulders as he kissed you lips, your nose, your neck, as he praised you with love and sweetness before his release.
Your face grew hot, and it wasn’t the fault of the stovetop or the peppers. 
“Y/D/N’s mom, I think the onions are burning.”
You snapped your eyes away from Thomas to find Luz sitting crisscross upon the counter, her face hovering over the pot. She turned her gaze to you and followed the path where your eyes had been before offering a giant, conspiratorial smile.
“I can stir the veggies if you wanna help dad. I’m really good with fire.”
Thomas turned to you both then, offering the sort of reproachful smile you had seen him pull out so many times before. Luz was a handful for sure, but she always respected her father’s word, the ease between them such a joy to witness. 
God, he’s a good father. Shame he doesn’t have more kids…
You felt your mind going places it shouldn’t: a home together,  a little baby boy in your arms, your daughter – or rather daughters – fighting over who got to hold the baby next, and Thomas beside you, cradling you in his arms as he puts away the work for a few weeks, calm and happy and pure. 
You tried to remind yourself what he had said. You are just friends. Good friends. Supportive friends. Friends who kiss. Friends who run their fingers along each other’s backs and whisper in their ears. Friends who find every excuse to touch…. Friends who lie about their feelings to save them from acknowledging that change may be okay, and even a necessary part of healing.
“Do you remember what happened last time I let you man the stove, Luz?” Thomas said as he moved towards the counter, lifting his daughter up by the armpits to help he back onto the floor. 
“I ruined dinner,” she admitted freely. 
“And some flatware.” 
“How was I supposed to know those forks could melt?” 
Your daughter chimed up from the other side of the room, “I read once that gas burners can get as hot as 800 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s almost as hot as Venus!” 
“NO WAY!” Luz said as she moved her head down to take a look at heat source. Your daughter joined as they chatted merrily about where the fire comes from and all the things they might be able to burn with it. 
You gave the pot one last stir before dropping the temperature down to simmer. The girls groaned but kept their watch as he moved to give them their space to bond. Thomas poured in the remaining ingredients and joined you on the other side of the kitchen, handing you a glass of wine you hadn’t even realized you wanted. 
You leaned against the counter top and watched your children – and tried your hardest not to hope that this little joy might become your constant. 
“They really get along great, don’t they?” Thomas asked as a smile pulled at this face, one that often came to him as he took Luz in, all her exuberance and joy spreading to him like wildfire. 
“They really, really do,” you confirmed as you took a slow sip, “I’m glad they found each other.” 
Thomas pulled his eyes from his daughter to take in your face. His brows were pulled together, but his face was soft. His dark red locks fell a bit on his forehead, brushing against the few faint freckles there.
“I’m glad, too,” he whispered as his hands found your wrist upon the counter, “For finding both of you.” 
Thomas’s gaze dropped to your lips for just a moment and you had to look away. Something about the simple look was too intimate, too much what you wanted that it felt wrong to indulge after he had told you no. 
But you did turn your hand upon the counter upward, catching your fingers in his in silent confirmation that you were here, waiting, for whenever he was ready. He gave you hand the quickest squeeze and made to pull closer when your daughter’s voice called to you once more.
“When will dinner be done?” 
Thomas pulled away from you once more, abandoning his wine to the counter as he moved towards the pot. He stirred it twice, the rich aroma lofting over to where you stood, and soon he was smiling down at the girls. 
“Now,” he said, before his eyes pulled to you once more. You felt something in his gaze shift, something so small at the corners of his eyes that you couldn’t quite identify. And with that look, he added, “Pending Y/N’s approval.”
He dipped the tasting spoon into the pot, pulling out a bite that contained a mix of broth, vegetable, and meat. He held his hand under the spoon and he offered it up to you. 
Smoothly, you walked towards him and reached out for the spoon but Thomas didn’t let you. Instead, he moved his hands towards your mouth in one delicate smooth motion. 
“Our resident taste tester,” he said with a smile, his beautiful mouth on display for you as you open yours wide to take in what he is offering you. You registered the word “resident” a moment too late, the implication of it a little too much for your brain to handle with Thomas so close to your mouth.
The feel of the spice spread down the sides of you tongue and the rich heartiness of meat and hominy eased its tingle. Your mouth was joyous with the flavor and as you swallowed, you couldn’t help but smile at what you had accomplished together.
“Delicious,” you assured Thomas, who still held the spoon close to your face and was watching your lips closely. 
His grin grew even bigger at your words, his full lips growing more kissable by the minute. But before you could do something stupid, Thomas turned, shut off the burner, and began serving up bowls for the girls, who quickly ran off to the dining room table. 
And when he turned to you, a bowl in hand, he paused once again. His eyes found your mouth on instinct and you felt yourself flush at the attention. Why did your body have to call to him so?
He lifted a finger and wiped softly at your lips. You parted your mouth, sighing at the closeness and Thomas’s intense gaze. When he pulled his finger away, this was a faint bit of red upon the tip, which he held up for you to see.
“Saving some for later?” he asked.
“Don’t think I have to. We’ve got plenty.”
Thomas chuckled and turned his back to you. He seemed to be reaching for a rag to wipe at his finger but he paused. Though you couldn’t quite see, you thought he took the tip of his finger into his mouth and pulled it out clean. Something about it, even just the idea that he’d rather taste what was upon your lips than wipe it away sent your heart rate through the roof. And before he could recover, you took your bowl and ran into the dining room with the girls, willing your body to return to normal. 
Once you were seated, Thomas took the one beside you. Your girls were already taking big bites of their soup, hungry and excited for the challenge the spice provided. 
“We can do better,” Luz said before taking the chile paste and adding a giant glob into her bowl. 
“Yeah,” your daughter confirmed before doing the same. The girls stirred frantically, mixing up the spice as you eyed Thomas, wondering if you should give the girls any warning.
“If you get stomachaches, that’s on you.”
“We’ll be fine, dad,” Luz said before taking another giant bite. You watched as her face changed, her expression steel as her eyes watered. She was trying her hardest to tough it out and it only made you laugh.
“Oh, too spicy!” you daughter called, sticking out her tongue and panting like a dog.
“Milk. Milk will help!” Luz ran into the kitchen and brought back two glasses for them and together they continued to eat merrily.
You and Thomas joined them, taking reasonable bites in silence, his knee occasionally brushing against yours under the table, his soft woolen slacks a pleasant scrap against your bare knee caps. You would have thought it was an accident if he didn’t smirk overtop of every bite he placed in his mouth. 
“You know, this is nice,” Luz said as she tilted her bowl to get at the last bits of broth pooling at the bottom. “Having Y/D/N and Y/D/N’s mom here is fun. We should do this more often. Maybe every night!” 
Your daughter beamed beside her best friend. And you were so grateful that she felt at home here, among people who loved and cared for her. 
Beside you, Thomas seemed to stiffen at his daughter’s words and you understood why. This had been exactly what he had wanted to avoid. 
But before you could pipe up and tell Luz that it was important that she have time alone with her father, too, Thomas’s hand found yours under the table and gave a soft squeeze. He cupped your fingers in his own, delicate and tender. You could feel his pulse racing in his palm and part of you was grateful to know your impact on each other was mutual.
You looked up at him as his gaze took you in, a soft and reassuring smile playing on his face as the tension eased out of his shoulders. 
He turned to his daughter once more, who was bouncing in her seat, waiting for a response. 
“Maybe not every night, sweetheart, but I think something can be arranged. I must admit, I enjoy having Y/N and Y/D/N here, too. It feels right.”
Luz and your daughter made squealed noises as Luz screamed, “best friend slumber parties,” before heading towards the kitchen for seconds. 
With the girls gone, Thomas turned to face you once more, his hand still holding yourself tightly.
“This,” he said, pulling your joined hands into view and kissing at your knuckles, drawing your whole body in closer, “feel right. It does. It really, really does.” 
He brushed his mouth once again upon your fingers, dropping it as he heard the footsteps of the girls rejoining the table, but something in his eyes as he continued to glance over at you ever now and again throughout the rest of the meal, let you know that there was a promise in those words, one he might not be able to make just yet, but one he intended to keep eventually, if you were patient enough to let him. 
All tags: @fangirlandnerd​, @aerdnandreaa​, @thisisbullshytt​,  @cancerousjojian​, @whovianayesha​, @themarauderstheoutsidersandpeggy​, @luna-xxxxx​, @sleepylunarwolf​, @starryrevelations​, @potter-thinking​, @all-by-myself98​, @bananafosters-and-books​, @cutie-bug​, @igotmadskills​, @hazelandcoconuts​, @yallgotkik​, @amberkay284​, @the-new-galahad​, @13ofjuly​, @daft-not-punk​
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crispyimagines17 · 5 years
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VISIT MÉXICO WITH TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET WOULD INCLUDE…
A/N: This idea was gold for Daniela and I. We wanted to make this for our tocayas Mexicanas, because it’s a cute concept and our Country has these beautiful traditions and places. Some good ideas popped at 1am. If you want this with another Handsome man, please let us know. Enjoy!
Also, if you’re more about Europe, here you have an imagine we made about road-tripping with Timmy. 
4DX experience (optional) (it features a series of songs that will transport you to colorful Mexican places and landscapes) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12
It all happens because you were feeling a little bit homesick. Timmy couldn’t keep arms crossed while seeing you like this. He takes a decision; buys plane tickets, so you’ll visit your family and country with him. [1]
As soon as you knew about this, your heart fulfilled with joy and excitement about taking him to all those places you’ve grown with. And so in your mind, lots of crazy plans began to develop.
Landing at Mexico City Airport. Smelling that characteristic air (street food and colors, somehow) brought you some good memories. 
“What we do first, Cap?” asks while grabbing all the luggage and passing his arm through your neck. 
What we are not doing, is the right question. You answer; with such brightness in the eyes that Timothee had never seen in you. He’s madly in love with you, and after this trip who knows; maybe he’ll find more than expected. 
There were no rules established, but he knew he was completely in your hands to do whatever and visit wherever places. 
After you remembered how to make your phone work on the area thanks to an Oxxo (a kind of 7-eleven), you bought the first thing you found autentic from Mexico; Coca Cola. The whole world knows Mexican Coca Cola doesn’t taste the same as in the US. [2]
What? Is this really Coca Cola? 
I swear to La Virgen de Guadalupe it is. Now, let’s go. We are taking a bus to my town. We’ll come back here, don’t worry. 
But before doing so, you showed him the amazing view of El Valle de Mexico. God, those mountains. 
Timmy was hungry, and so were you. Trying some real Tacos outside the subway station was his first truly mexican experience. 
Try these with sauce. C’mon, this one. 
The red one or the green one?
Yeah, the green one. It’s less spicy. 
WHAT THE F*** YOU GAVE ME?!
Teaching him how to stand on the subway. (In European countries, taking the subway is civilized, but in Mexico everybody tries to enter as soon as the door opens, so it’s really an experience to get to it and find a good sit) 
I used to take this same route every saturday to visit my Aunt Angeles. 
Timmy couldn’t stop being amazed of how much things he didn’t knew about you. And now he’s right there, living them in his own body. 
Arriving at the Bus Station, finally. And calling your family with the surprise of being here accompanied by your boyfriend. 
Your tios (uncles) are going to be so excited! Let me tell your tias (aunts), honey! At what time are you arriving?
It might take us a couple of hours, we’ve already ate. 
Oh, tell that to your grandma. 
So what? says Timmy
They’re so excited that you came here. But, most of them don’t speak English, honey. 
What? Are you joking? I speak Italian, doll. I can handle with Spanish. 
Seeing the beautiful landscape through your window. [3]
Kissing Timothée on the lips. Thank you, love.
Arriving to your hometown and being received with Mariachis and all your family. [4]
We just couldn’t resist when you said you’ve brought your boyfriend. It was our duty to show him how parties are over here. 
Party? What? 
Family, neighbors, friends. Basically the whole town was there to receive you. 
Tamales, tacos, mole, elotes and even a piñata. 
And fireworks!
How did they manage to bring up everything?
Tequila, of course.
Timothée trying some and a couple of hours later being singing La Bikina. [5]
After that beautiful night, both wake up with homemade Chilaquiles which almost make you cry and think how wonderful is being back. (Chilaquiles are known for its qualities to cure the hangover)
Spending the whole day with family, eating Pozole and Tostadas. 
Teaching Timothée a couple new words in Spanish such as “enchiladas, cabrón, tejocote”
Taking him late that day to some places you used to hang around in your town. 
“Here when I was 5, I fall down while eating my favorite ice cream. And it ended up all around my face. God, I remember that day cause my mom...”
Finding that old alley where you used to dance with your cousins on weekends when teenagers. And being surprised that there’s music. 
Dancing under the starry night, just letting your bodies move along the rythm. [6]
Next day. Your mother agrees with your wonderful plan of taking him to visit every Mexico’s corner, and lends you the van for your long trip. 
So, with lots of gasoline tanks and pure love both of you keep with your track. 
Timothée and you take turns to drive. And while doing so, listening to your old CD’s with your teenage hits. [7]
Arriving to the first Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) you’ve decided to show him; San Pedro Cholula, Puebla   [8] 
Second Pueblo Mágico; Huamantla, Tlaxcala. 
Third Pueblo Mágico; San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. [9]
Fourth Pueblo Mágico; Xilitla, San Luis Potosí.
Hasta La Raíz [10]
Fifth Pueblo Mágico; Bacalar, Quintana Roo. 
Danza folklórica 
Cumbión [11]
Next Destination; Monterrey, Nuevo León.
Last Destination; Mexico City. 
And this makes Timmy fall in love more with you, because you’re more than proud to show your roots and shared them with them is something that he always gonna treasure. 
So, to end this trip, you will be hearing the mariachi playing Mexico Lindo and dancing with all the people around you.  [12]
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soundofseventeen · 5 years
Text
La Llorona (Hiphop Unit)
Hi, it’s Bee with the last unit!!! It wasn’t supposed to be scary(ish), but it went well with the Halloween theme as well as the Day of the Dead and overall Mexican theme!! I was happy to include something different, so I hope that’s okay with everyone!! All the foods I listed I linked so you”d know what they are!! Also, if you’re brave enough to listen to the other links, I commend you!!! (Second one sounds most like the one I remember!)
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Ready to go?” Mingyu called to the other two boys from downstairs. You and Hansol raised your heads, taking your eyes away from the phone screen from a video he was showing you. When Seungcheol clambered down the stairs a few minutes later, you jumped, momentarily leaning into the boy next to you. “Wonwoo, hurry up before we leave your ass.” Wonwoo finally did emerge even if he was grumbling about his hair needing fixing. “Alright, Y/N’s afternoon-evening with the hip hop unit can commence. Whoo-whoop!”
“You do promise you’re not gonna scare me or anything, right?” You were nothing less than apprehensive with any of them now, and if they tried anything, you’d be sure to end each and every last one of them, starting from the oldest and ending with the youngest. You’ve had enough scares to last you into the next lifetime. From the haunted house to the home invasion that wasn’t even an invasion, you weren’t sure how much more you could take.
Vernon put his phone away and stuck his pinkie finger out. “I can promise you I’m not trying anything. You look like you haven’t slept in days and besides Halloween’s over.” He gave Wonwoo a pointed look and he spat the the plastic vampire teeth out his mouth and threw them at Mingyu, who caught it without thinking and once his thoughts caught up with his actions, he dropped it on the floor.
*
The streets were blocked a lot sooner than expected so you had to walk a few blocks to reach your destination. It seemed lively from the music you heard. That and by the way that Mingyu was tapping his feet as he trodded along. Various scents overpowered your nostils and your mouth was already watering from everything you were about to eat and you could feel a vague headache from the flower petals.
One of the best things about living in a city as big as Seoul was getting to see the cultures year round. It was predominantly Korean yes, but you loved when society’s rules were broken and you saw the most beautiful things. Halloween brought Dia de Muertos (a three day event at that too) and you were excited to see just how different it was from Coco. (You loved the movie mind you. So much so that you took up taking Spanish in your spare time. You’d begged the boys to come you for events, but they were usually tired or out for it.) You could feel the cavities coming in from the sweets you could smell and you ran ahead of everyone. Once you were in a mini Mexico, you became engulfed in the crowds, getting separated from the boys more often than you thought. Every stand offered a homemade recipe you’ve only dreamed of trying. You saw so many pictures of their loved ones, and each one told you what you were eating was a favorite among them. Older generations counted the stories of how they left their comfortable life to move overseas while the ones your age tended to their desires (ie more water, a refill for you, someone even showed you a photo album of how different the times were back then.)
You ate tamales, bowls of pozole, chilaquiles, tortas, drank aguas frescas and something called horchata but had to fight Mingyu to get his own. Your favorite was a homemade hot chocolate they called champurrado and it hit the spot as the afternoon cooled down. (Wonwoo disagreed; he liked the atole better.) They paired it with a concha which was a sweet bread shaped like a seashell and it was heaven in your mouth. You gave the guys a taste (Vernon excluded) of molé which was a type of food mixed with chocolate and peanut butter and you laughed when Seungcheol turned green with that fact.(The sopa de arroz was good though.) Your feet were hurting from all the times you were pulled out to dance and from everything you’ve ingested. Once the stands closed for the night, you were surprised to learn that the families were heading to the cemetery for a dinner and you learned that it was where the real fun began.
Candles were lit at every corner you turned, and you felt the need to give a short prayer here and there for the departed ones. Your heart swelled at hearing people reading to the graves and leaving platefuls of food and there were candies strewn everywhere. (You’d read somewhere that the more mischievous children liked that.) It had overall given you a glimpse of a different lifestyle that you wished you knew more about.
At one point, you were busy hearing a story of someone’s great great (you weren’t sure how many greats to be honest) grandparents had fought in the Mexican War of Independence when Vernon tapped you on the shoulder because he needed help understanding an urban folktale. “They called her La Llorona (yo-ro-na).”
“Vernon, that’s a song from Coco,” you cocked your head in confusion.
“Look, I might not understand Spanish but there are kids who looked scared af.”
“Af? Stop going on the internet.”
“Please just help me with this? I think we need new ghost story to tell.”
You gulped, putting on a brave face as you heard the story and translating what you caught about the Weeping Woman as she was called from a guy who claimed to have heard her while on a trip overseas. In short, it was about a woman who drowned her two children one day, and when she died, she was denied entry to Heaven and wouldn’t be allowed to go back until she found her children. Thus started her infamous cries of “¿Dónde están mis hijos?” (Where are my children?”) and “Aye, mis hijos.” (Oh, my children.”) And it was now said she haunts the Rio Grande that stretches from México to somewhere in America. She comes out mostly at night walking alongside the banks of the water with her long dark hair flowing and wearing a white dress eliciting the famous cry and hoping to find anyone willing to let her near them while she begs for forgiveness. Most of the time when they say yes, she’ll drag them into the river and drown them. “She’s still around,” you whispered to Vernon and the other three who joined in when they finally found you. Seungcheol was biting into a churro nervously while Mingyu kept popping spoonfuls of pomegranate seeds into his mouth to keep from talking. Wonwoo, who normally refrained from commenting on ghost stories unless he was the one telling them, scoffed but it didn’t stop him from scanning the cemetery as discreetly as possible. As the night grew colder, you heard more stories of boogeymen, with mostly it being parents telling their younger children that “The Cucuy” (coo-coo-ee) was gonna get them if they strayed too far. That was a signal for you to finally call it a day.
The ride home was silent, each one engulfed in their own thoughts. You refused to look out the window in fear of seeing something you weren’t supposed to. Other than that scary story, you were finally tired in the sense that you could finally sleep decently without the plaguing nightmare performance and vocal units inadvertently caused you. You closed your eyes, enjoying the warmth Mingyu was radiating as you used his shoulder as a pillow.
“Aye, mis hijos.” filled the car and you jerked up, blood growing cold. “Aye, mis hijos.” she repeated and you felt Seungcheol swerve the car from her voice too. You looked around to see where it was coming from, only to hear Wonwoo laughing from the passenger seat and turning his phone off which made the sound stop.
“You guys were too easy, I’m sorry.” He shuddered. “That was scary as shit though. Urban folklore: one. Know it all young adults: zero.”
“Yah!” Seungcheol thumped the back of his head with his free hand. “You couldn’t have done that at home?”
“It wouldn’t have been as fun though,” he shrugged, not sorry for scaring everyone. Upon getting home, Jeonghan opened the door asking how the festival went.
“Good. Do you guys wanna hear a scary story?”
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47 notes · View notes
easyfoodnetwork · 4 years
Text
To Make Better Mexican Food at Home, Get to Know These Chiles
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Photo-illustration: Eater
Once you know how to work with chiles, it’s easy to make salsas, marinades, and more 
Homemade salsas are unquestionably better than runny store-bought brands. They’re also easy to make. And yet we’ve all attended a party where the cook went all out creating beautiful hors d’oeuvres, and then dropped a jar of Pace Picante right in the middle of their Martha Stewart moment. The only logical answer to this asymmetrical spread is that many non-Mexicans are intimidated by salsa’s chief ingredient: chiles — especially those dried ones.
Mexico counts 64 types of chiles that cooks use fresh, dried, roasted, or smoked. You’re unlikely to find that kind of variety in the U.S., but your local supermarket or Mexican market, depending on where you live, should have at least a few types for you to work with. And with some basic knowledge of the techniques shared by Mexican cooks throughout the country’s 32 culinary regions, using chiles to make salsas, marinades, stews, and more could become your newest kitchen hobby. Here’s how to get started.
Creating a base for salsas
Having access to fresh tomatoes and tomatillos is important for great sauces, whether you’re using fresh or dried chiles. You can make a basic tomato or tomatillo base by roasting, boiling, or blending fresh tomatoes or tomatillos with a little water. There’s no need to add salt, onions, garlic, or other seasonings unless you are sure you want those ingredients in your salsa. You can freeze this mixture or keep it in the fridge for a couple of days.
If you want to make salsa from scratch any time of the year, canning your own tomatoes is a good idea, and when you have tomatoes that are unripe, stiff, and flavorless, lacto-fermentation can bring out some flavor. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on these techniques, and you can use tomatillos or even a can of El Pato tomato sauce when you can’t find good tomatoes. As chef Marcela Valladolid wrote on a recent Instagram post about her fideos secos: “Used a can of El Pato. If you know you know.”
A primer on fresh chiles
In the Mexican kitchen, simpler is better, because chiles are full of natural flavors. Fresh chiles are best used for stuffing, pickling, fire-roasting, and making salsa verde, which is softened by tomatillos (fresh, roasted, or boiled), and often flavored with garlic and onions. Fresh chiles can be used raw or cooked, and it’s up to you whether to remove the seeds and membranes or to use all of the heat of the pepper. To familiarize yourself with fresh chiles, blend them with water and salt to taste, and add tomatillos for tartness and balance. Experiment with seasonings only after you’ve learned to appreciate the chiles’ flavors without them.
Anaheim and chiles poblanos, which are often mislabeled as chile pasilla in non-Latinx supermarkets, are relatively easy to find and great for stuffing or making roasted chile strips. In cities with large Mexican populations, like Los Angeles, you’ll also find markets that carry chilacas, which are a favorite for their stronger flavor, and chile de agua, the spiciest stuffing pepper used in Oaxacan cuisines.
Chile jalapeno and chile serrano are ubiquitous, and the standard chiles for adding spice to a salsa verde. These two can be roasted, blackened, grilled, boiled, fried, or used raw to attain various levels of heat, flavors, and textures in salsas. But a warning: Be prepared for them to be inconsistent in their heat levels — sometimes they are mild, and other times, they’re fire.
But if it’s fire you’re after, look for fresh chile de árbol, green habaneros, or chile pequin. You can apply the same cooking techniques to habaneros as you would to serranos and jalapenos, but these bright orange peppers can also be blended with carrots to keep their color, added to other salsas to increase the spice level, or sliced and cooked in lime with sliced onions and spices. If you’re lucky enough to find chile manzano, try pickling them in lime or adding them to a pico de gallo.
Fresh chiles are easy to work with: simply pop them in a blender with salt and you have a salsa. Still, the big question is what to do with those dried chiles, the true stars of the Mexican kitchen for their role in the majority of Mexico’s traditional plates.
Getting comfortable with dried chiles
The two most broadly used chiles (and two you should have no trouble obtaining) are chile ancho (dried poblano) and chile guajillo (dried mirasol). Both are mild chiles used in sauces, rubs, pastes, soups, stews — you name it — and form the base of salsas for red chilaquiles, red enchiladas, marinades like al pastor, and so on. But these are by no means the only dried chiles you can find at the grocery store. Chile California and chile Colorado are used for bright red northern Mexican stews. Chipotles add smokiness, while chile de árbol lends a strong spice. Both can be used on their own or added to other dried chiles. Some chiles are there for color, others for flavor, and others for spice — together, the use of various dried chiles can create wonderful complexities in flavor.
However, some chiles aren’t as widely available: You’re more likely to find chile puya, chile morita, chile pasilla, chile japones, chile pequin, and the round chile cascabel at Mexican or Latinx markets in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or other cities with Mexican enclaves. Any of these are wonderful in salsas, blending with milder dried chiles, or in traditional Mexican recipes.
You can find extensive guides to dried chiles online, like this one from Mely Martinez’s Mexico in My Kitchen or this one from Mas de Mexico, but the best way to get to know their flavors and capabilities is by making basic salsas. Mirta Rodriguez of Tijuana’s Sonoran seafood truck Mariscos Ruben says, “I only use about three different chiles [to make around a dozen salsas], and just use different techniques for each salsa.”
Toasting dried chiles on a comal (flattop), taking care not to burn them, will bring out the flavors of chile ancho, chile guajillo, and other dried chiles used for bases. (Do this before freezing them or keeping them in the fridge for short-term use.) Frying dried chiles in oil, boiling them in water, and, in the case of chile de árbol, blackening them on a dry comal will yield different results.
Once you’ve decided on which chiles and which cooking technique to use, you’ll need to make a chile paste or powder to preserve the dried chiles for incorporating into cooking later. But first, a note on storing dried chiles: Many of the dried chiles you bring home may already have pantry moths, larvae, or other pests, and can be pretty dirty, so if you’re using them right away, clean them with a damp cloth. If saving them for later, place them in freezer bags, removing the air, and store them for up to six months in the freezer, advises Mely Martinez. This will kill any pests and keep your pantry from being overrun by a colony of pantry moths.
How to make chile pastes and powders
Having a chile paste or chile powder handy means all of the time-consuming preparation is done and a great salsa is just minutes away. In Oaxaca, the chile paste is called chintestle, but all Mexican cuisines store chile paste to add later to tomatoes or tomatillos to make salsa.
“My town’s chintestle is just chile de árbol, water, and salt,” says Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez of Poncho’s Tlayudas in LA. Sinaloan home cook Lety Beltran uses chile ancho and chile guajillo with a little water, adding salt later. You can use cleaned chiles or keep the seeds for added spice, but anchos, guajillos, and other mild dried chiles are best cleaned before blending.
The amount of water you add to your paste depends on when you are going to use it — less water is for when you’re storing the chile paste longer. You can refrigerate this paste for a couple of weeks or freeze it. Blend the paste with tomato or tomatillo sauce for a salsa, add it to frijoles de la olla, or use it as a marinade for any kind of protein. “I use my mom’s paste to make pozole rojo, or birria de chivo,” says Beltran.
“My master sauce is chile ancho and guajillo for enchiladas rojas, asado rojo, pozole rojo, and for tamales rojos,” adds Alfonso Martinez. Once you have a paste you like, the sky’s the limit, and you can move one step further in making and freezing a salsa base.
In traditional Sonoran cooking, according to Elsa Olivares Duarte’s El Sabor de Sonora, the recipe chile Colorado en pure is a salsa of chile Colorado with salt, oregano, onion, garlic, and beef stock, which is strained and cooked; it can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. This salsa is used for enchiladas, carne con chile, tamales rojos, and many regional plates, and the base is thickened with flour when the dish calls for a more dense salsa.
Afro-Mexican cook Maria Elena Lorenzo of Tamales Elena makes a paste of chile costeno, chile guajillo, chile puya, and chile California and adds seafood or meat stock, depending on what she’s preparing. “My mom uses this salsa for caldo de camaron con jaiba, picaditas, and pescado a la brasa,” says chef Heidi Irra, Lorenzo’s daughter. Lorenzo and Irra keep various salsas in their freezer ready to go.
Another method of preservation is to make chile powder using a spice grinder. Beltran grinds chile guajillo to add to grilled shrimp and fish as a seasoning. “I like to add chile powder to black beans and chicken soup,” says Alfonso Martinez.
“Adding some ground chile ancho is nice to color masa for tamales and empanadas,” says Mely Martinez. Fresh-ground chile powder can become the base of a salsa, for seasoning, making a hot sauce, or mixed with salt to rim the glass for micheladas, palomas, or margaritas. Stored in a cool, dark place in an airtight container, chile powder can last up to three years, but keep in mind its flavor will diminish over time.
Putting it all together to cook Mexican dishes
You now have powders, pastes, salsa, and flavor bases to cook Mexican cuisine, or Mexican-inspired creations at home. Start with common dishes found in all Mexican restaurants in the United States, like enchiladas rojas, chilaquiles rojos, huevos rancheros or divorciados, red salsa for taco night, stews, soups, and beans. Remember that the 32 provincial styles of Mexican cooking all use different dried chiles, so when using regional recipes, feel free to use the chiles you have available as substitutes for any of them.
Chiles are made for experimentation. Combine tomato or tomatillo sauces with your pastes or powders, or add a complete salsa to a dish, and don’t be afraid to mix pastes and salsas. Make an adobo or al pastor marinade by blending ancho-guajillo paste with vinegar or lime juice, herbs and spices, and other citrus, or incorporate chile powders into a rub for seafood and meats. The more you get to know the dried chiles at your local supermarkets — or Mexican or Latinx markets, if you’re lucky — the more comfortable you’ll be using them for any dish, Mexican or not.
Bill Esparza is a James Beard Award-winning writer and author of LA Mexicano.
Photo credits: Poblano: Stewart Waller/GettyRed, orange, green pepper: Cathy Scola/GettyDried poblano: Carlos Rodriguez/Getty
from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2WKS2PJ https://ift.tt/30hT2LW
Tumblr media
Photo-illustration: Eater
Once you know how to work with chiles, it’s easy to make salsas, marinades, and more 
Homemade salsas are unquestionably better than runny store-bought brands. They’re also easy to make. And yet we’ve all attended a party where the cook went all out creating beautiful hors d’oeuvres, and then dropped a jar of Pace Picante right in the middle of their Martha Stewart moment. The only logical answer to this asymmetrical spread is that many non-Mexicans are intimidated by salsa’s chief ingredient: chiles — especially those dried ones.
Mexico counts 64 types of chiles that cooks use fresh, dried, roasted, or smoked. You’re unlikely to find that kind of variety in the U.S., but your local supermarket or Mexican market, depending on where you live, should have at least a few types for you to work with. And with some basic knowledge of the techniques shared by Mexican cooks throughout the country’s 32 culinary regions, using chiles to make salsas, marinades, stews, and more could become your newest kitchen hobby. Here’s how to get started.
Creating a base for salsas
Having access to fresh tomatoes and tomatillos is important for great sauces, whether you’re using fresh or dried chiles. You can make a basic tomato or tomatillo base by roasting, boiling, or blending fresh tomatoes or tomatillos with a little water. There’s no need to add salt, onions, garlic, or other seasonings unless you are sure you want those ingredients in your salsa. You can freeze this mixture or keep it in the fridge for a couple of days.
If you want to make salsa from scratch any time of the year, canning your own tomatoes is a good idea, and when you have tomatoes that are unripe, stiff, and flavorless, lacto-fermentation can bring out some flavor. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on these techniques, and you can use tomatillos or even a can of El Pato tomato sauce when you can’t find good tomatoes. As chef Marcela Valladolid wrote on a recent Instagram post about her fideos secos: “Used a can of El Pato. If you know you know.”
A primer on fresh chiles
In the Mexican kitchen, simpler is better, because chiles are full of natural flavors. Fresh chiles are best used for stuffing, pickling, fire-roasting, and making salsa verde, which is softened by tomatillos (fresh, roasted, or boiled), and often flavored with garlic and onions. Fresh chiles can be used raw or cooked, and it’s up to you whether to remove the seeds and membranes or to use all of the heat of the pepper. To familiarize yourself with fresh chiles, blend them with water and salt to taste, and add tomatillos for tartness and balance. Experiment with seasonings only after you’ve learned to appreciate the chiles’ flavors without them.
Anaheim and chiles poblanos, which are often mislabeled as chile pasilla in non-Latinx supermarkets, are relatively easy to find and great for stuffing or making roasted chile strips. In cities with large Mexican populations, like Los Angeles, you’ll also find markets that carry chilacas, which are a favorite for their stronger flavor, and chile de agua, the spiciest stuffing pepper used in Oaxacan cuisines.
Chile jalapeno and chile serrano are ubiquitous, and the standard chiles for adding spice to a salsa verde. These two can be roasted, blackened, grilled, boiled, fried, or used raw to attain various levels of heat, flavors, and textures in salsas. But a warning: Be prepared for them to be inconsistent in their heat levels — sometimes they are mild, and other times, they’re fire.
But if it’s fire you’re after, look for fresh chile de árbol, green habaneros, or chile pequin. You can apply the same cooking techniques to habaneros as you would to serranos and jalapenos, but these bright orange peppers can also be blended with carrots to keep their color, added to other salsas to increase the spice level, or sliced and cooked in lime with sliced onions and spices. If you’re lucky enough to find chile manzano, try pickling them in lime or adding them to a pico de gallo.
Fresh chiles are easy to work with: simply pop them in a blender with salt and you have a salsa. Still, the big question is what to do with those dried chiles, the true stars of the Mexican kitchen for their role in the majority of Mexico’s traditional plates.
Getting comfortable with dried chiles
The two most broadly used chiles (and two you should have no trouble obtaining) are chile ancho (dried poblano) and chile guajillo (dried mirasol). Both are mild chiles used in sauces, rubs, pastes, soups, stews — you name it — and form the base of salsas for red chilaquiles, red enchiladas, marinades like al pastor, and so on. But these are by no means the only dried chiles you can find at the grocery store. Chile California and chile Colorado are used for bright red northern Mexican stews. Chipotles add smokiness, while chile de árbol lends a strong spice. Both can be used on their own or added to other dried chiles. Some chiles are there for color, others for flavor, and others for spice — together, the use of various dried chiles can create wonderful complexities in flavor.
However, some chiles aren’t as widely available: You’re more likely to find chile puya, chile morita, chile pasilla, chile japones, chile pequin, and the round chile cascabel at Mexican or Latinx markets in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or other cities with Mexican enclaves. Any of these are wonderful in salsas, blending with milder dried chiles, or in traditional Mexican recipes.
You can find extensive guides to dried chiles online, like this one from Mely Martinez’s Mexico in My Kitchen or this one from Mas de Mexico, but the best way to get to know their flavors and capabilities is by making basic salsas. Mirta Rodriguez of Tijuana’s Sonoran seafood truck Mariscos Ruben says, “I only use about three different chiles [to make around a dozen salsas], and just use different techniques for each salsa.”
Toasting dried chiles on a comal (flattop), taking care not to burn them, will bring out the flavors of chile ancho, chile guajillo, and other dried chiles used for bases. (Do this before freezing them or keeping them in the fridge for short-term use.) Frying dried chiles in oil, boiling them in water, and, in the case of chile de árbol, blackening them on a dry comal will yield different results.
Once you’ve decided on which chiles and which cooking technique to use, you’ll need to make a chile paste or powder to preserve the dried chiles for incorporating into cooking later. But first, a note on storing dried chiles: Many of the dried chiles you bring home may already have pantry moths, larvae, or other pests, and can be pretty dirty, so if you’re using them right away, clean them with a damp cloth. If saving them for later, place them in freezer bags, removing the air, and store them for up to six months in the freezer, advises Mely Martinez. This will kill any pests and keep your pantry from being overrun by a colony of pantry moths.
How to make chile pastes and powders
Having a chile paste or chile powder handy means all of the time-consuming preparation is done and a great salsa is just minutes away. In Oaxaca, the chile paste is called chintestle, but all Mexican cuisines store chile paste to add later to tomatoes or tomatillos to make salsa.
“My town’s chintestle is just chile de árbol, water, and salt,” says Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez of Poncho’s Tlayudas in LA. Sinaloan home cook Lety Beltran uses chile ancho and chile guajillo with a little water, adding salt later. You can use cleaned chiles or keep the seeds for added spice, but anchos, guajillos, and other mild dried chiles are best cleaned before blending.
The amount of water you add to your paste depends on when you are going to use it — less water is for when you’re storing the chile paste longer. You can refrigerate this paste for a couple of weeks or freeze it. Blend the paste with tomato or tomatillo sauce for a salsa, add it to frijoles de la olla, or use it as a marinade for any kind of protein. “I use my mom’s paste to make pozole rojo, or birria de chivo,” says Beltran.
“My master sauce is chile ancho and guajillo for enchiladas rojas, asado rojo, pozole rojo, and for tamales rojos,” adds Alfonso Martinez. Once you have a paste you like, the sky’s the limit, and you can move one step further in making and freezing a salsa base.
In traditional Sonoran cooking, according to Elsa Olivares Duarte’s El Sabor de Sonora, the recipe chile Colorado en pure is a salsa of chile Colorado with salt, oregano, onion, garlic, and beef stock, which is strained and cooked; it can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. This salsa is used for enchiladas, carne con chile, tamales rojos, and many regional plates, and the base is thickened with flour when the dish calls for a more dense salsa.
Afro-Mexican cook Maria Elena Lorenzo of Tamales Elena makes a paste of chile costeno, chile guajillo, chile puya, and chile California and adds seafood or meat stock, depending on what she’s preparing. “My mom uses this salsa for caldo de camaron con jaiba, picaditas, and pescado a la brasa,” says chef Heidi Irra, Lorenzo’s daughter. Lorenzo and Irra keep various salsas in their freezer ready to go.
Another method of preservation is to make chile powder using a spice grinder. Beltran grinds chile guajillo to add to grilled shrimp and fish as a seasoning. “I like to add chile powder to black beans and chicken soup,” says Alfonso Martinez.
“Adding some ground chile ancho is nice to color masa for tamales and empanadas,” says Mely Martinez. Fresh-ground chile powder can become the base of a salsa, for seasoning, making a hot sauce, or mixed with salt to rim the glass for micheladas, palomas, or margaritas. Stored in a cool, dark place in an airtight container, chile powder can last up to three years, but keep in mind its flavor will diminish over time.
Putting it all together to cook Mexican dishes
You now have powders, pastes, salsa, and flavor bases to cook Mexican cuisine, or Mexican-inspired creations at home. Start with common dishes found in all Mexican restaurants in the United States, like enchiladas rojas, chilaquiles rojos, huevos rancheros or divorciados, red salsa for taco night, stews, soups, and beans. Remember that the 32 provincial styles of Mexican cooking all use different dried chiles, so when using regional recipes, feel free to use the chiles you have available as substitutes for any of them.
Chiles are made for experimentation. Combine tomato or tomatillo sauces with your pastes or powders, or add a complete salsa to a dish, and don’t be afraid to mix pastes and salsas. Make an adobo or al pastor marinade by blending ancho-guajillo paste with vinegar or lime juice, herbs and spices, and other citrus, or incorporate chile powders into a rub for seafood and meats. The more you get to know the dried chiles at your local supermarkets — or Mexican or Latinx markets, if you’re lucky — the more comfortable you’ll be using them for any dish, Mexican or not.
Bill Esparza is a James Beard Award-winning writer and author of LA Mexicano.
Photo credits: Poblano: Stewart Waller/GettyRed, orange, green pepper: Cathy Scola/GettyDried poblano: Carlos Rodriguez/Getty
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