{"id":4575,"date":"2011-09-23T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-09-23T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.patismexicantable.com\/2011\/09\/post_1\/"},"modified":"2021-03-19T17:14:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T21:14:15","slug":"post_1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/post_1\/","title":{"rendered":"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o Matzo Ball Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

My grandfather on my mother’s side, Francisco, whom we called “Yeye,” was wild about chiles<\/a>. Not very common in his native Bratislava<\/a>, I guess. He used to say that what he loved the most about his new country was the predictable weather (especially the bright sunny winters), the colorful markets, and most of all, the chiles. All of them.<\/p>\n

He was oh so very crazy about them, that my grandmother used to hide them from him. She complained that he had no boundaries, no sense of measure, when eating chiles. He simply would not stop.<\/p>\n

But he knew all her tricks, discover all her hiding spots, and when he found the prized chiles, he would stuff them in his pockets. Not only fresh jalape\u00f1os <\/a>or serranos<\/a> but also wet pickled jalape\u00f1os<\/a>...<\/a> Those must have been some messy pockets to wash…<\/p>\n

My “Lali,” liked to please him though. She had Austrian training in the kitchen and made exquisite and elegant foods. Once in Mexico, she fell in love with the cuisine and learned how to combine the two culinary traditions. She became a master at it.<\/p>\n

She created a classic dish out of her Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o Matzo Ball Soup.<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

See? Just because you add a chile to something does not mean it becomes Mexican. You have to know how to add it, how much of it, and most\u00a0importantly, when to not add….not every dish that is\u00a0Mexican has a chile in it.<\/p>\n

Lali made a mushroom base with a traditional Mexican treatment. Gently cooked onion, garlic and chopped jalape\u00f1os (with the seeds please) until the edges begging to brown. Then, she added the mushrooms and covered them, so they would steam in the mix. Once their liquids came out, she would open the pot again and let them dry, and begin to brown.<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

Of the thousands of ways to use chiles, steaming them with other ingredients brings out their flavor in such a subtle way.<\/p>\n

Then she poured her home made chicken broth on top.<\/p>\n

Her Matzo balls were fluffy, round and simply seasoned with parsley (which has been growing so happily in my garden).<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

Grated nutmeg is also added to the matzo ball mix. No need to add freshly ground black pepper.<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

The eggs are the glue that holds the matzo balls together, combined with a bit of oil…<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

Then she had a trick to make the matzo balls fluffy. That is, if you like them fluffy. Which most of my family does.<\/p>\n

It seems that the main division in the matzo ball world, is between those that like the matzo balls hard and those that like them fluffy. Cooks debate all the time on how to make them fluffy or hard: more egg or less egg, more oil or less oil, matzo meal or matzo mix…<\/p>\n

My\u00a0grandmother’s trick to make them fluffy was to add sparkling water. But just a tablespoon for a full recipe. I always separate a bit of the mix without any, because I am the only one around here that likes the matzo balls hard.<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As much as my grandfather begged, my grandmother added little jalape\u00f1os. She argued that one needs to taste everything else, which in principle sounds right. But if he were here, I would make him an extra batch, with as many jalape\u00f1os I could find in my backyard. And there are oh so many…<\/p>\n

\"Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o

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Mushroom-Jalape\u00f1o Matzo Ball Soup<\/h2>\n
Sopa de Bolas de Matzo con Hongos y Jalape\u00f1o<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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