First, fresh-ground ancho powder IS better than anything you'll buy.  Simply fresher.  But you'll have to dry those anchos out until their brittle (usually a 250-degree oven for about an hour will do it--they should be NEARLY crisp in the oven, then completely crisp as they cool down).  Don't bake them too long or you'll destroy flavor.

Second, the marinades in that book are intended to be what we'd call topical marinades, not tenderizing marinades.  So 20 or 30 minutes (or, if you're in a hurry, no time at all) is all you need to get a little flavor into what you're cooking. Think of these marinades as a more flavorful version of salt.  

Sincerely,
Rick

Thanks so much for the very kind words.  I'll pass them along to the staff.  The ice cream is made with blueberries that we freeze during the summer, at the height of our local blueberry season (they come from Mick Klug's farm in southwest Michigan).  It's made with a cooked custard base, with the final addition of tequila, to make the blueberry flavor sparkle.

Here's the recipe:

Blueberry-Tequila Ice Cream

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup half-and-half
2 cups (10 ounces) blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
The zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 1/2 tablespoons blanco (silver) tequila

1.    Set up a double boiler. We find it easiest to start with a 4-quart saucepan, filled halfway with water, into which we nestle a 3-quart stainless steel bowl.  Bring the pot of water to a boil over high heat while youre preparing the custard base.  
2.    Cook the base.  In the stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly combined, then whisk in the half-and-half. Reduce the temperature under the pot to maintain a gentle simmer.  Set the bowl of custard base over the simmering water, and whisk frequently, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens noticeably, about 5 minutes. [KIRSTEN: I dont think this seems long enough]  The custard is sufficiently cooked when it reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.  (You can also test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the custard, then running your finger through the custard:  if the line holds clearly, the custard has thickened sufficiently.) For the finest texture, pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a similar-size stainless steel bowl.
3.    Cool the base.  Fill a large bowl halfway with ice. Nestle the custard into the ice and whisk regularly until completely cool.  Refrigerate if not using immediately.  
4.  Finish the ice cream. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries and sugar.  Stir over medium heat until the berries have released their juices, about 8 minutes. In a loosely covered blender, combine the warm berries, cream, lime zest, lime juice and tequila.  Blend until smooth. Cool completely, then add to the cooled custard base.  Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturers directions. Scrape into a freezer container and freeze for several hours to firm. 

Sincerely,
Rick

Ouch!  I feel terrible--not that there isn't an explanation, only that I caused you so much consternation (and nothing to fill the belly).  Your tortillas weren't right is my (educated) guess.  Probably to soft (meaning they were the really fresh ones used for eating like bread along side your main dish) or ones made from powdered mix (masa harina--which tends to make a crumbly tortilla).  Those are my favorite enchiladas, bar none.  So my suggestion is that you collect together several brands of tortillas (they're cheap, so the investment isn't great), preferably from a Mexican grocery store--though I've made those enchiladas with frozen Azteca brand tortillas from a regular grocery store and they worked.  And don't forget that the fire under the pan is quite high; too low a fire and the tortillas will soften before they sizzle and firm.

Sincerely,
Rick

Try searching for Mexican candy recipes through Google. The yield is very small, most of the recipes calling for inauthentic ingredients (marshmallows, for instance) or offering vague directions (do most cooks know how to cook sugar syrup to the soft ball stage and then beat it until it reaches the right glossiness for fudge?).

Twenty years ago, I wrote a chapter on the vast, complex and thrilling subject of Mexican candies. It got cut from the book and I've found little interest in anyone publishing it since. Well, until now. I've just come back from Puebla, just east of Mexico City, one of the great candy capitals of the world. And I'm not talking about hard candies wrapped in bright cellophane or unctious chocolate truffles. Theirs is candy making that celebrates milk and sugar, fruits and nuts, beauty and craftsmanship. Next December, you'll see my findings (as well as the stories of those who taught me) in Saveur magazine. You'll learn how to make jamoncillos (what in the old-fashioned American kitchen was called milk fudge) studded with pecans and dried fruit, macarrones (like dulce de leche turned melt-in-your-mouth creamy), rompope (an eggnog liqueur), classic polvorones sevillanos (tiny cookies that dissolve on your tongue)and a few more. If you go to Puebla, go to 6 Oriente street: for blocks there are nothing but candy stores. One of my favorites offered over a hundred choices, including some of the best crystalized whole fruit I've ever seen. I am working on the recipes now. I'll post a fore-taste here in a couple of weeks. PS Morelia is really well known for it's local candies as well. And Oaxaca, and ... Better stop for now.

Sincerely,
Rick

The green you are thinking about, I believe, is called quelites in Spanish, lambs quarters in English.  You can find seeds for lambs quarters at Seeds of Change (http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/browse_category.asp?category_id=10249).  The variety typically grown in Mexico isn't the magenta-hearted one (like the variety sold at Seeds of Change), but the flavor is very similar. 

Sincerely,
Rick

Glad to know we're succeeding on the salsa front ... without having to resort to any wizadry. The trick is that we make them with all raw ingredients (many, nay most, salsas are made from ingredients that have been processed to at least a certain degree). And we make them in small batches after roasting the tomatoes or tomatillos, the onions and garlic, the chiles and so forth--just as they would in Mexico. The kitchen we make them in looks like just that: a kitchen. Not a big manufacturing facility belching out gallons of stuff no one can recognize.

Sincerely,
Rick

I am so glad you had a good time!  Our Foundation is so important to all of us and it is people like you that make it happen!  I look forward to seeing you again this year.  Our big market and dinner will be on Sunday, June 22.  Mark your calendar!

Sincerely,
Rick

For years we've worked with Intelligentsia coffe, creating a blend that is mostly fair-trade, organic coffee from Oaxaca in southern Mexico. We blend in some beans from Indonesia to add a wonderful rich complexity and some beans from Africa for robust earthiness. But it's mostly Oaxacan beans.

Sincerely,
Rick

Thanks for the comments about the garden. It is my pride and joy. You can find a lot of great Mexican produce options at Johnny's Seeds (johnnyseeds.com) and the organic company called Seeds of Change (seedsofchange.com). There are lots of other seeds catalogs that have a few offerings but those two can get you a long way. For the Mexican-style zucchini, plant Ronde de Nice or Tatume. Zapotec pleated are a good tomato. For chiles, just be sure to start the plants indoors, then transplant them to the hottest, sunniest part of the garden (or plant them in large containers); don't over-water them. Each year do a few new varieties to see what works well in your garden and climate. It's all a fun adventure!

Sincerely,
Rick

This is how I make pickled jalapeos (which, of course, includes the carrots; if you want more carrots, just replace some of the jalapeos with carrot): Saute 5 whole peeled garlic cloves in a little oil until browned; remove and set aside. Add 1 medium onion (peeled and sliced on bias), 6 ounces jalapeos (about 12 medium) and 1/2 medium white onion (sliced); stir until onion softens. Add 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 bay leaves, a little Mexican oregano, a little ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer over medium-low for about 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Sincerely,
Rick

My watch was my 25th wedding anniversary present from my wife.  It's from Tiffany's.  Yeah, pretty nice gift.

Sincerely,
Rick

A lot of it is trial and error, because intensive gardening like I do relies a lot on the particular soil, the amount and angle of the sun and the varieties you're growing.  I learned a lot by reading everything John Jeavons has written.  He's the master of intensive gardening. Check out http://www.johnjeavons.info/.  A little easier to grasp on a smaller scale is Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening (http://www.squarefootgardening.com/).

Sincerely,
Rick

Many places in the world, meat is customarily cooked--boiled, stewed, braised--until it is well done. Cooks are accomplishing two things: they're ensuring that the meat is safe to eat (prolonged exposure to higher temperatures will eliminate most health concerns)and they're ensuring tenderness (even tough meat usually yield to tenderness after a long gentle simmer).

When the meat you're cooking with is both tender and safe to eat less than well done, you can adjust the recipe. Just know two things: the sauce that's created during the simmering will need to be made with a good broth (to replace the delicious flavor left behind by long-simmered meat) and the meat needs to be either browned in a skillet or grilled. Usually, rather than just grilling the meat and serving it with the sauce, I put the meat in the sauce for a few minutes to create a more harmonious flavor. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Rick

The answers to your questions are easy: Lard will last in your refrigerator for several months (after 6 months it's still edible, but will begin to taste old). But you can easily freeze it. Depending on exactly how the chorizo is made, it should last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. It, too, can easily be frozen, and probably should be if you know that you're not going to get to it right away.

Sincerely,
Rick

Yes! Of course we will be doing our Wednesday Wine Dinners--they are so popular that we continue to do them at the beginning of each year. Check out our home page news item at www.rickbayless.com and you can get the dates, prices and all the info that you will need to make your reseravtions. Don't forget that I will be doing a demonstration prior so plan to get to the restaurant by 6pm. See you then!

Sincerely,
Rick