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IN THE KITCHEN: From Mexico, Ruth Alegria is bringing ‘Mariscos and Mezcal’

By Faith Bahadurian
Special Writer
   I am eagerly anticipating a visit later this month from Ruth Alegria (ah-lay-GREE-ah), a chef who used to live in Princeton. During her years here, she founded the Princeton Cooking School, owned the Mexican Village restaurant on Leigh Avenue, managed Witherspoon Bread Company, and opened the Garden Café in the YM-YWCA. But eventually she moved to Mexico, and Princeton’s loss has been Mexico’s culinary gain (see www.mexicosoulandessence.com).
   I first met Ruth in the late 1980s when I signed on for a Mexican cooking class she taught. That evening we helped her prepare several dishes, including complex turkey mole, and to this day I use my notes from that class to inspire my own Mexican cooking.
   During her visit, Ruth will give a cooking class on Sept. 30, which I have dubbed “Mariscos & Mezcal.” The class takes place at the charming Harlingen Corner Café, owned by Ruth’s vivacious niece, Alexis Goretsky, who purchased the popular breakfast and lunch spot four years ago. (The menu tops out at $6 for the Wednesday lunch special, Cuban pork sandwich.)
       The tentative menu for Sept. 30 includes shrimp (that’s the mariscos) flamed with mezcal, robalito (fish) al pastor (marinated), chayote with Mexican oregano, and mezcal macerated fruit. There will also be a tasting of boutique mezcals. Mexican distillers are increasingly crafting artisanal mezcals from the many species of agave found there. Tequila is a more industrialized product of the plant, and the Los Danzantes Web site that Ruth directed me to (www.losdanzantes.com/eng/mezcal.htm) describes the difference thus: “Mezcal is to Tequila as Armagnac is to Cognac.”
   The Mayan Dip recipe below is from Ruth’s class of almost 20 years ago. I used it in my own Mexican cooking class last spring, and it is still a winner. During my class I also made fish tacos, which I first tried at a beachside taco stand in California. It was love at first bite for me, as it was for many of my students who were dubious at first. The pickled red onion served with the tacos clinched the deal.
   Please note that the fish and the pork tacos both require corn tortillas. That good corny taste is best with many Mexican and Southwestern dishes, so save the flour tortillas for the quesadillas and burritos. I also recently found blue corn tortillas at Whole Foods Market, which are commonly used in the Southwest. They are so flavorful, I highly recommend you try them.
SIKIL P’AK (Mayan Dip)
from a Diana Kennedy dish via Ruth Alegria
    10 ounces pumpkin seeds, toasted
   1 medium fresh plum tomato
   ½ small onion
   2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded for less heat
   2 cloves garlic
   Salt
   Cilantro
   Lime juice
    In Ruth’s words, “The secret is to toast the seeds, and skillet char the tomato, onion, chile (serrano/jalapeno – for more heat, leave the seeds, less heat, deseed while raw) and garlic. Grind seeds in food processor until smooth; they should release their own oils, almost like making peanut butter. Then fold in the charred tomatoes, chile, onion, and garlic, salt. Add a dash of lime juice towards the end with the HAND-chopped cilantro.”
FISH TACOS
Makes 8 tacos.
    4 tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish such as snapper), about 1 pound total
   2 limes
   ¾ cups fine cornmeal
   Salt and pepper
   1 tablespoon chile powder
   ¼ teaspoon cumin
   Oil for frying (corn oil is ideal, although any vegetable oil will do)
   8 corn tortillas, heated
    Cut each fillet into 2 approximately equal pieces, so you have 8 pieces. Rub them with juice from half a lime and let sit 10 minutes. Cut rest of lime into wedges for serving.
   Mix cornmeal with salt, pepper, and chile powder to taste in shallow dish or pie plate. Coat fillets with cornmeal, then sauté in large heavy skillet on each side in ½ inch of oil until golden, turning once. Do in two or more batches, keeping cooked fish in warm oven on a paper towel.
   Place each piece of fillet into a heated corn tortilla, squirt with lime, and add your choice of toppings, which might include pickled red onion (below), avocado or guacamole, shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli (mayo mixed with chipotle), green salsa, sour cream.
QUICK PORK CARNITAS
Makes 8 tacos.
    1 pound country style boneless pork ribs
    Oil to coat (corn or other vegetable)
   2 cloves garlic, minced
   1½ tablespoons best quality chile powder (I mail order Chimayo)
   ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
   Salt and pepper to taste
   Pinch oregano
   8 corn tortillas, heated
   Crumbled cheese, Mexican cotija, feta, or ricotta salata — something with a salty tang.
    Coat pork with oil, garlic, and spices. Marinate ½ hour. Broil or grill just until done; do not dry out. Chop into pieces on cutting board, and place a spoonful (2 ounces) into each corn tortilla. Top with cheese and your choice of toppings above.
PICKLED RED ONION
    ½ pound red onions, peeled, halved, sliced ¼ inch thick
   3 tablespoons white vinegar
   ¼ teaspoon salt
   Cracked black pepper to taste
   1 garlic clove, minced
   Pinch of Mexican oregano, optional
    Place onion in a saucepan, and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Let stand 1 minute, and drain well. Return onion to pan, stir in vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano, if using. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes until onions are tender. Transfer onions to glass or ceramic bowl to cool for about 45 minutes before using. Stir occasionally. Keeps well in refrigerator.
Ruth Alegria’s Mexican cooking class and tasting takes place Sunday, Sept. 30, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the Harlingen Corner Cafe, 2127 Route 206, Montgomery. The fee for the class is $75. To reserve your space, call 609-683-0387.