President Bush continues to treat....
us like a bunch of rubes at our first county fair.
His latest pitch is that he wants the upcoming elections to be decided on the economy and security. He wants us to pretend that the Iraqi war doesn't exist. That would be like not noticing a dead horse in your bathroom.
Imagine the gall it takes, after bullying, cajoling and slandering opponents of the war, to now try to make its consequences disappear. Please folks, ignore the nearly 3000 dead American military, the $300+ billion dollars (nine billion which we simply lost and don't know what the hell happen to it) that we have pissed away on a country whose idea of democracy is hooray for me and up yours.
How many people have died since we invaded Iraq? We have no idea. It's either 63,000 or 644,000! You know how tricky statistics can be.
There have been so many lies and legerdemain surrounding every aspect of Bush's war that the truth will never be known. Not a single word about this debacle can be believed. And, that is why the President wants us to concentrate on his latest snake oil; the economy and security.
If the United States voters really are such bumpkins that they are able to put a brutal killing war aside and fantasize that the economy and security are what's more important then we deserve to be duped.
The Bush administration should be known as 'The Greatest Show on Earth'. And we Americans? We are the hicks on the midway gawking at the merry-go-round.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. --Edward R. Murrow
MEXICO: (as I see it):
STREET FOODS OF MEXICO
We left off here:
9. CHAMPURRADO: (champ-poor-RADO)
This is atole with chocolate and piloncillo (a kind of brown sugar).
10. CHAMPURRO: (champ-POOR-roe)
The same as above but thickened with wheat flour instead of corn flour.
cont.
11. CHARAPE: (cha-RAH-pay)
A drink made from PULQUE, PILONCILLO and other ingredients.
12. CHILOTE: (chee-LO-tay)
Mildly alcoholic drink made with PULQUE and CHILES seasoned with epazote and AJO. Popular along the Pacific coast, especially toward the south. May also be called CHILOCLE (chee-LO-clay).
13. CHINGUIRITO: (cheeng-ee-REE-toe)
This word refers to a liquor distilled from sugar cane and is really a synonym for AGUARDIENTE. There are, without a doubt, regional variations in the resulting liquor using these names.
In a country so steeped in local tradition and, until recently, with a stable, strongly territorial, population the combinations of similar products and the variety of titles that are given to them are endless.
Any list such as this one will invite contradictions. Most criticism will be justified in that it will be partly correct. But, I must be intrepid and offer, for your consideration, all references I have bumped into.
So, to cloud the issue even more, the words CHINGUIRE (CHEENG-ee-ray) and CHINGUERE (CHEEN-gay-ray) are also used to refer to TEQUILA or AGUARDIENTE. In many fine houses a shot of tequila is taken as a prelude to the COMIDA (ko-MEE-da)(afternoon meal) and is known as a CHINGUIRE. Go figure.
14. CHORREADO: (cho-ray-AH-doe)
An alcoholic potion made by mixing milk, AGUARDIENTE or other liquor, chocolate or Cinnamon, sugar, and ,occasionally, eggs. It is served cold. Also called POLLA (POE-ya) in some regions.
A fancy cocktail lounges version of POLLA is prepared in a blender using brandy, sherry, creme de cacao, milk and egg yolks. After a couple of these babies you'll feel like trying your luck in the bull ring.
COCTEL ESPECIADO DE JITOMATE: (kok-TAIL ess-pay-see-AH-doe day ee-toe-MAHT-tay)
This is the racy Mexican answer to V-8 juice for those who do not imbibe but still wish to catch the festive mood. The base of tomato juice is mixed with lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, chopped red or green bell pepper, chopped onions and salt and pepper.
If the drinker does change his mind, a pony of tequila shoots this concoction right to the top of the charts.
15. MARGARITA: (mar-ga-RI-ta)
Recipe: cup and a half of tequila, one half cup of triple sec, one half cup of lime juice. Shake with crushed ice and serve in a stemmed glass with salted rim.
This drink is probably Mexico's most famous export. It's invention has been claimed by several sources. Too many to delineate here but if you're interested in more information the INTERNET might be a good place to start.
16. NEVADO: (nay-VA-doe)
A cocktail made with AGUARDIENTE and fruit.
17. POZOL: (poe-soul)
A traditional drink from the state of Tabasco. Prepared with MASA and water. The mixture is allowed to ferment for a few days and is adorned with salt, pepper and sugar or chile. The drink changes names if chocolate is used. It is then known as CHOROTE(cho-RO-tay).
18. PUFFS DE RON Y PIÑA: (poofs day rone ee peen-ya)
This is one of those 'cute' but deadly cocktails. I don't know if this drink is really Mexican or simply a product of tropical regions to guarantee the tourists remember, or not, their dream vacations.
Whatever its history it can hold its own with any of the legendary big kids. How about this for a mixture: white rum, Jamaican rum, pineapple juice, milk and mineral water. Ole!
19. PULQUE: (POOL-kay)
A mildly alcoholic drink made by fermenting portions of the maguey plant. Some pulques called 'cured' are infused with fruit flavors or chocolate. This traditional drink has a long and rich history throughout the highlands of Mexico. Pulquerias (Pool-kay-REE-yas), establishments where pulque is drunk, are a colorful story in themselves.
Not as popular as it once was it may be difficult for a visitor to encounter a really top flight pulque in his normal rounds but, if one wishes to pursue it, even a tourist may be directed to an authentic 'pulqueria'. For a casual sampling pulque is often sold along the highways in Mexico's central plateau region.
20. REFRESCOS: (ray- FRAYS-koz)
Soda, pop or soda-pop depending on which part of the United States one was born. There is a rich variety of brands and flavors of soda in Mexico. One popular brand is 'Jarrito', with flavors like guayaba, Jamaica, limon and tamarind. There are many brands that produce a flavor known as 'Sidral' which in English means 'cider'. These are apple flavored drinks which are not real cider but are very popular in Mexico. Some companies specialize in the 'Sidral' flavor, such as 'Sidral Mundet'.
Another specialized soda is SANGRIA (sahn-GREE-ya). This is the brand name and the flavor; it is a carbonated, sweetened, version of the famous partner to tequila known as 'SANGRITA' (san-GREE-ta).
See also, SANGRIA below for yet another difinition. I told you it wouldn't be easy.
A common brand name is 'Aga'(AH-ga) a company which produces a complete line of exotic fruit flavors such as TORONJA (toe-RONE-hah)(grapefruit), GROSELLA (grow-SAY-ya)(gooseberry), let me add that I think that GROSELLA is what we called, in Arizona, good ole 'red pop'. Maybe it's gooseberry but it could be strawberry or something else red just as easily. Then, there's MANZANA (mahn-SANA) (apple or cider), piña (pineapple) and several more.
In Mexico city a long standing brand has been 'Pasqual Boing', a curious name I know nothing about, bottling several flavors of soda-pop. The name alone would make it worthwhile.
In spite of the many fruit flavored sodas available in Mexico the number one selling bottled pop anywhere in the country is, and always has been, Coca Cola. This marvelous example of international partnership has existed nearly a century.
"Una Coca" is still the most spoken phrase when it comes to ordering a soft drink.
Pepsi Cola has made significant inroads into the dominance of the Coca Cola industry in Mexico but it is safe to say that all Mexicans understand the word Coca Cola and only a percent of them identify with Pepsi. Sprite and 7-Up are also sold in Mexico. 7-UP is odered by the single digit "7" which is well understood by all.
21. ROMPOPE: (rome-POE-pay)
A drink resembling eggnog which was supposedly invented in Mexican convents. This nutritious beverage is prepared with egg yolks, sugar, milk and a slight amount of alcohol. Yummy and fattening.
22. SANGRIA: (sahn-GREE-ya)
Apart from the soda-pop of the same name there is a cocktail served in better restaurants called SANGRIA. It is red wine in a tall glass with fresh fruit as garnish. I think it's what we used to call a 'wine cooler' in the U.S..
23. SANGRITA: (sahn-GREE-tadefinition)
A spicy mixture of tomato juice, lime and orange juice, worchestershire sauce (salsa Inglesa here) ,salt and pepper, and a little hot sauce.
Although non-alcoholic, its reputation is that of the famous sidekick of tequila. A pony of tequila and a pony of sangrita, a little salt and lime wedges and the party's on.
24. SUBMARINO: (soob-ma-REE-no)
A new, modern, way to get the party rolling or something rolling. A shot of tequila is poured in a chilled beer mug and covered with beer. A Latino version of the old blue collar shot and a beer drink known as a 'boilermaker'. Strictly for the big kids.
25. TEPACHE: (tay-PA-chay)
This is a fermented drink made from pineapple and sugar.
26. TEQUILA: (tay-KEY-lah)
A potent liquor made by distilling the heart of the Blue Agave (agave tequilana). There are dozens of species of agave in Mexiorderedco and all of them are put to good use. The Blue Agave has been selectively cultivated for decades by growers in and around Tequila, Jalisco where the most noteworthy brands of the town's namesake are produced. This drink is another of Mexico's legends and, like PULQUE, could provide enough stories for a book of its own.
There are tequila connoisseurs who lord it over us quoting endless details we should be aware of concerning this exotic concoction and there are others of us who drink whatever is available. Either way you go at it TEQUILA is an experience unto itself. I have come to believe that the only difference between the better brands and the less expensive ones is the intensity and duration of the hallucinations.
Supposedly, no bottle labeled TEQUILA may contain anything except distilled Blue Agave but it is said that the cheaper brands are loaded with PILONCILLO (a type of brown sugar) to increase their potency and speed up their distillation.
There are 'white' or clear TEQUILAS which are indistinguisable from MESCAL and, which, are considered 'joven' (HO-ven) or young. The amber colored TEQUILAS, called: de Oro, Reposado or Añejo, words that mean 'aged', are considered superior.
All of this trivia aside, TEQUILA remains one of Mexico's truly great contributions to the world. There have been more great things accomplished under the influence of TEQUILA than under the Magna Carta.
27. TEQUILA ATARDECER: (ah-TARD-day-sair)
Not to be outdone by its more famous cousin the Tequila Sunrise (below). ATARDECER refers to sundown and submits a bid for your evening attention.
A pretty cocktail made, in a blender, with tequila, creme de cassis (a liqueur of currants popular in France), orange juice, and lime juice. Just keep in mind that pretty is as pretty does.
28. TEQUILA SUNRISE: An exotic product of modern Mexico. A superb blending of TEQUILA with orange juice and grenadine. With a little luck you may actually be around to see the sunrise.
29. TESGÜINO: Another of the many fermented drinks made from MAIZ. Popular in the north of Mexico. According to Carl Lumholtz, who conducted a dinfinitive study of the Tarahumara Indian tribe, an extremely shy and retiring people, it was by drinking TESQUINO, a drink which loosens one's inhibitions, that this race was kept extant and increasing in numbers.
30. TUBA:
Along the west coast, particularly in Colima, this is a popular drink. It is the fermented juice and/or flowers of certain palm trees . May be flavored with any of the following: pineapple, lime, CHILE, onion, celery, strawberries or cinnimon.
31. VAMPIRO: (vahm-PEE-roe)
Another up-to-date mind bender from south of the border. This baby cuts to the heart of the matter by mixing TEQUILA and SANGRITA and let the chips fall where they may.
32. Zorro: In the region around Tabasco this word is used to describe another variety of sugar cane licour. I've never been to Tabasco but if I ever get there I've got 'Zorro' on my list.
cont,
His latest pitch is that he wants the upcoming elections to be decided on the economy and security. He wants us to pretend that the Iraqi war doesn't exist. That would be like not noticing a dead horse in your bathroom.
Imagine the gall it takes, after bullying, cajoling and slandering opponents of the war, to now try to make its consequences disappear. Please folks, ignore the nearly 3000 dead American military, the $300+ billion dollars (nine billion which we simply lost and don't know what the hell happen to it) that we have pissed away on a country whose idea of democracy is hooray for me and up yours.
How many people have died since we invaded Iraq? We have no idea. It's either 63,000 or 644,000! You know how tricky statistics can be.
There have been so many lies and legerdemain surrounding every aspect of Bush's war that the truth will never be known. Not a single word about this debacle can be believed. And, that is why the President wants us to concentrate on his latest snake oil; the economy and security.
If the United States voters really are such bumpkins that they are able to put a brutal killing war aside and fantasize that the economy and security are what's more important then we deserve to be duped.
The Bush administration should be known as 'The Greatest Show on Earth'. And we Americans? We are the hicks on the midway gawking at the merry-go-round.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. --Edward R. Murrow
MEXICO: (as I see it):
STREET FOODS OF MEXICO
We left off here:
9. CHAMPURRADO: (champ-poor-RADO)
This is atole with chocolate and piloncillo (a kind of brown sugar).
10. CHAMPURRO: (champ-POOR-roe)
The same as above but thickened with wheat flour instead of corn flour.
cont.
11. CHARAPE: (cha-RAH-pay)
A drink made from PULQUE, PILONCILLO and other ingredients.
12. CHILOTE: (chee-LO-tay)
Mildly alcoholic drink made with PULQUE and CHILES seasoned with epazote and AJO. Popular along the Pacific coast, especially toward the south. May also be called CHILOCLE (chee-LO-clay).
13. CHINGUIRITO: (cheeng-ee-REE-toe)
This word refers to a liquor distilled from sugar cane and is really a synonym for AGUARDIENTE. There are, without a doubt, regional variations in the resulting liquor using these names.
In a country so steeped in local tradition and, until recently, with a stable, strongly territorial, population the combinations of similar products and the variety of titles that are given to them are endless.
Any list such as this one will invite contradictions. Most criticism will be justified in that it will be partly correct. But, I must be intrepid and offer, for your consideration, all references I have bumped into.
So, to cloud the issue even more, the words CHINGUIRE (CHEENG-ee-ray) and CHINGUERE (CHEEN-gay-ray) are also used to refer to TEQUILA or AGUARDIENTE. In many fine houses a shot of tequila is taken as a prelude to the COMIDA (ko-MEE-da)(afternoon meal) and is known as a CHINGUIRE. Go figure.
14. CHORREADO: (cho-ray-AH-doe)
An alcoholic potion made by mixing milk, AGUARDIENTE or other liquor, chocolate or Cinnamon, sugar, and ,occasionally, eggs. It is served cold. Also called POLLA (POE-ya) in some regions.
A fancy cocktail lounges version of POLLA is prepared in a blender using brandy, sherry, creme de cacao, milk and egg yolks. After a couple of these babies you'll feel like trying your luck in the bull ring.
COCTEL ESPECIADO DE JITOMATE: (kok-TAIL ess-pay-see-AH-doe day ee-toe-MAHT-tay)
This is the racy Mexican answer to V-8 juice for those who do not imbibe but still wish to catch the festive mood. The base of tomato juice is mixed with lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, chopped red or green bell pepper, chopped onions and salt and pepper.
If the drinker does change his mind, a pony of tequila shoots this concoction right to the top of the charts.
15. MARGARITA: (mar-ga-RI-ta)
Recipe: cup and a half of tequila, one half cup of triple sec, one half cup of lime juice. Shake with crushed ice and serve in a stemmed glass with salted rim.
This drink is probably Mexico's most famous export. It's invention has been claimed by several sources. Too many to delineate here but if you're interested in more information the INTERNET might be a good place to start.
16. NEVADO: (nay-VA-doe)
A cocktail made with AGUARDIENTE and fruit.
17. POZOL: (poe-soul)
A traditional drink from the state of Tabasco. Prepared with MASA and water. The mixture is allowed to ferment for a few days and is adorned with salt, pepper and sugar or chile. The drink changes names if chocolate is used. It is then known as CHOROTE(cho-RO-tay).
18. PUFFS DE RON Y PIÑA: (poofs day rone ee peen-ya)
This is one of those 'cute' but deadly cocktails. I don't know if this drink is really Mexican or simply a product of tropical regions to guarantee the tourists remember, or not, their dream vacations.
Whatever its history it can hold its own with any of the legendary big kids. How about this for a mixture: white rum, Jamaican rum, pineapple juice, milk and mineral water. Ole!
19. PULQUE: (POOL-kay)
A mildly alcoholic drink made by fermenting portions of the maguey plant. Some pulques called 'cured' are infused with fruit flavors or chocolate. This traditional drink has a long and rich history throughout the highlands of Mexico. Pulquerias (Pool-kay-REE-yas), establishments where pulque is drunk, are a colorful story in themselves.
Not as popular as it once was it may be difficult for a visitor to encounter a really top flight pulque in his normal rounds but, if one wishes to pursue it, even a tourist may be directed to an authentic 'pulqueria'. For a casual sampling pulque is often sold along the highways in Mexico's central plateau region.
20. REFRESCOS: (ray- FRAYS-koz)
Soda, pop or soda-pop depending on which part of the United States one was born. There is a rich variety of brands and flavors of soda in Mexico. One popular brand is 'Jarrito', with flavors like guayaba, Jamaica, limon and tamarind. There are many brands that produce a flavor known as 'Sidral' which in English means 'cider'. These are apple flavored drinks which are not real cider but are very popular in Mexico. Some companies specialize in the 'Sidral' flavor, such as 'Sidral Mundet'.
Another specialized soda is SANGRIA (sahn-GREE-ya). This is the brand name and the flavor; it is a carbonated, sweetened, version of the famous partner to tequila known as 'SANGRITA' (san-GREE-ta).
See also, SANGRIA below for yet another difinition. I told you it wouldn't be easy.
A common brand name is 'Aga'(AH-ga) a company which produces a complete line of exotic fruit flavors such as TORONJA (toe-RONE-hah)(grapefruit), GROSELLA (grow-SAY-ya)(gooseberry), let me add that I think that GROSELLA is what we called, in Arizona, good ole 'red pop'. Maybe it's gooseberry but it could be strawberry or something else red just as easily. Then, there's MANZANA (mahn-SANA) (apple or cider), piña (pineapple) and several more.
In Mexico city a long standing brand has been 'Pasqual Boing', a curious name I know nothing about, bottling several flavors of soda-pop. The name alone would make it worthwhile.
In spite of the many fruit flavored sodas available in Mexico the number one selling bottled pop anywhere in the country is, and always has been, Coca Cola. This marvelous example of international partnership has existed nearly a century.
"Una Coca" is still the most spoken phrase when it comes to ordering a soft drink.
Pepsi Cola has made significant inroads into the dominance of the Coca Cola industry in Mexico but it is safe to say that all Mexicans understand the word Coca Cola and only a percent of them identify with Pepsi. Sprite and 7-Up are also sold in Mexico. 7-UP is odered by the single digit "7" which is well understood by all.
21. ROMPOPE: (rome-POE-pay)
A drink resembling eggnog which was supposedly invented in Mexican convents. This nutritious beverage is prepared with egg yolks, sugar, milk and a slight amount of alcohol. Yummy and fattening.
22. SANGRIA: (sahn-GREE-ya)
Apart from the soda-pop of the same name there is a cocktail served in better restaurants called SANGRIA. It is red wine in a tall glass with fresh fruit as garnish. I think it's what we used to call a 'wine cooler' in the U.S..
23. SANGRITA: (sahn-GREE-tadefinition)
A spicy mixture of tomato juice, lime and orange juice, worchestershire sauce (salsa Inglesa here) ,salt and pepper, and a little hot sauce.
Although non-alcoholic, its reputation is that of the famous sidekick of tequila. A pony of tequila and a pony of sangrita, a little salt and lime wedges and the party's on.
24. SUBMARINO: (soob-ma-REE-no)
A new, modern, way to get the party rolling or something rolling. A shot of tequila is poured in a chilled beer mug and covered with beer. A Latino version of the old blue collar shot and a beer drink known as a 'boilermaker'. Strictly for the big kids.
25. TEPACHE: (tay-PA-chay)
This is a fermented drink made from pineapple and sugar.
26. TEQUILA: (tay-KEY-lah)
A potent liquor made by distilling the heart of the Blue Agave (agave tequilana). There are dozens of species of agave in Mexiorderedco and all of them are put to good use. The Blue Agave has been selectively cultivated for decades by growers in and around Tequila, Jalisco where the most noteworthy brands of the town's namesake are produced. This drink is another of Mexico's legends and, like PULQUE, could provide enough stories for a book of its own.
There are tequila connoisseurs who lord it over us quoting endless details we should be aware of concerning this exotic concoction and there are others of us who drink whatever is available. Either way you go at it TEQUILA is an experience unto itself. I have come to believe that the only difference between the better brands and the less expensive ones is the intensity and duration of the hallucinations.
Supposedly, no bottle labeled TEQUILA may contain anything except distilled Blue Agave but it is said that the cheaper brands are loaded with PILONCILLO (a type of brown sugar) to increase their potency and speed up their distillation.
There are 'white' or clear TEQUILAS which are indistinguisable from MESCAL and, which, are considered 'joven' (HO-ven) or young. The amber colored TEQUILAS, called: de Oro, Reposado or Añejo, words that mean 'aged', are considered superior.
All of this trivia aside, TEQUILA remains one of Mexico's truly great contributions to the world. There have been more great things accomplished under the influence of TEQUILA than under the Magna Carta.
27. TEQUILA ATARDECER: (ah-TARD-day-sair)
Not to be outdone by its more famous cousin the Tequila Sunrise (below). ATARDECER refers to sundown and submits a bid for your evening attention.
A pretty cocktail made, in a blender, with tequila, creme de cassis (a liqueur of currants popular in France), orange juice, and lime juice. Just keep in mind that pretty is as pretty does.
28. TEQUILA SUNRISE: An exotic product of modern Mexico. A superb blending of TEQUILA with orange juice and grenadine. With a little luck you may actually be around to see the sunrise.
29. TESGÜINO: Another of the many fermented drinks made from MAIZ. Popular in the north of Mexico. According to Carl Lumholtz, who conducted a dinfinitive study of the Tarahumara Indian tribe, an extremely shy and retiring people, it was by drinking TESQUINO, a drink which loosens one's inhibitions, that this race was kept extant and increasing in numbers.
30. TUBA:
Along the west coast, particularly in Colima, this is a popular drink. It is the fermented juice and/or flowers of certain palm trees . May be flavored with any of the following: pineapple, lime, CHILE, onion, celery, strawberries or cinnimon.
31. VAMPIRO: (vahm-PEE-roe)
Another up-to-date mind bender from south of the border. This baby cuts to the heart of the matter by mixing TEQUILA and SANGRITA and let the chips fall where they may.
32. Zorro: In the region around Tabasco this word is used to describe another variety of sugar cane licour. I've never been to Tabasco but if I ever get there I've got 'Zorro' on my list.
cont,
posted by bbuckman | 1:53 PM
5 Comments:
God Dammit I love this post. You are so to the point and right on, I love it. And I love you.
I am becoming a very very bitter and sad person.
That is why I've not responded so much to these last two messages.
Instead of trying to talk anymore about this stuff, I reckon I'm going to go see if I can find some Vampiro or maybe one of those Puffs drinks.
No, the Vampiro it must be. Something quick. Tequilla. Gimme.
Rock on!
TS
gandhi rules ,
Well, Dag-nabbit, I luv you too!
Toasty,
Don't take it too seriously. You're young, today's dumb shit is nothing to what you'll probably see in you lifetime.
I've been watching politicians making disastrous decisions since the forties.
So far I've lived through Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Khrushchev, Edi Amin and Mao Tse-Tung. Bush is pure Opie compared to those guys.
It's necessary to continue to write, read and respond to whatever regime is in power. If only to let the pricks know we're still around and we're all not sleeping.
Having said all of this I must admit Vampiros help a lot. Salud!
My favorite paleta flavor is rompope. And I had the misfortune of drinking some aguaguardiente right before going to the rug weaving place...which is how I ended up with $200 worth of very fine weavings that I absolutely did not need.
War? Are we at war?
sue bob,
Never go food shopping when hungry, never go rug shopping full of aguardiente.
Rules to live by.
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