Mexican recipes that come alive!

Mexican recipe histories began when the Spaniards and Portuguese settled among the Indians of Latin America in the 16th Century, they brought with them the foods and cooking of the Mediterranean world: their edible plants, domestic animals- especially hogs-along with onions, garlic, cinnamon, rice and many others. The reception of these imports varied a good deal. Some conservative Indian communities accepted only a certain mexican recipe; others were more open-minded or compelled as slaves to grow European crops for their conquerors and prepare European dishes for them.

In most areas a gradual mixing and blending took place, with differences in each locality. Spanish foods were cooked by Indian methods, producing such hybrids of tortillas made of wheat instead of corn. Indian foods were cooked by Spanish methods (meats often fried than being roasted or stewed). Rice, introduced from the Old World, was enlivened with New World tomatoes and chili and became the familiar Spanish rice that is eaten in most of Latin America. European onions and garlic must have filled an aching need. They made an immediate hit and are now grown in every tucked-away valley. Their flavor is strong in dishes that in other respects are Indian.

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The Creole cooking so honored by the gourmets evolved in a variety of fascinating ways. The story is told of a banquet that Hernan Cortes, the commander of the Spanish conquistadors, gave for his Indian allies at Coyoacan, which is now a suburb of Mexico City. A feature was roast pork from Spanish swine, but far more important than the meat itself was the lard that dipped from it. The Spaniards showed the Indians how it could be used to cook many foods in a new and handy way, by frying. The Pre-Conquest Indians had used no cooking fats or oils, but they cooked tortillas on pottery griddles called comales; there were easily modified into frying pans, some of which were made with depressions to hold fat. As pigs multiplied and rapidly spread over Mexico, the Indians learned to elaborate many of their ancient foods by frying them in lard.

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"Salsakiss Enchiladas Rojas"

• 1 lb. Shredded cooked chicken
• 12 corn tortillas
• ½ cup coarsely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ Mozzarella cheese
• ¾ cup of cooking oil
• Mark Miller's red sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Pour Mark Miller's red sauce in flat container. Fry and fill the tortillas, one at a time, in the following fashion: Dip a tortilla in the red sauce, drop it into the hot oil, and fry it for a minute or so on each side, or until it becomes limp. Transfer the tortilla from the pan to a plate and place ¼ cup of chicken, and 1 tsp. Chopped onion in the center. Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling, and then roll the tortilla completely into a thick cylinder. Place it seam side down in a shallow 8-by-12 inch baking dish. When the tortillas are all arranged in one layer in the baking dish, pour the remaining of the red sauce over them, and sprinkle the top with the cheeses. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the enchiladas are lightly browned on top.

To serve, gently transfer the enchiladas with a spatula to heated individual plates and spoon some of the sauce over them. Top with sour cream and shredded lettuce. Enjoy!

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