Mexican Cheese Tacos

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to my friend Vicki from the Rye High School class of '71 for
this one:

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she lay
her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to
the bird's chest. After a moment or two the vet shook his head sadly and
said, "I'm so sorry, your duck Cuddles has passed away."

The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied.

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean, you haven't done
any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, left the room and returned a few moments later
with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in
amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the
examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked
at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog and took it out, and returned a few moments later
with a cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at
the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on it's haunches, shook its
head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room. The vet looked at the
woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100%
certifiably, a dead duck."

Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced
a bill which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock,
took the bill. "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it the bill would
have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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It's time for another trip to one of the world's great culinary destinations.
Here is the lineup for "Viva Mexico!" week:

Monday's Starter
Mexican Cheese Tacos (Tacos de Queso)

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Mexican Zucchini Salad (Ensalada de Calabacitas)

Wednesday's Side Dish
Mexican Noodle "Dry Soup" (Sopa Seca de Fideos)

Thursday's Entree
Mexican Fish in Orange Juice (Pescado Naranjado)

Friday's Dessert
Mexican Chocolate Custard (Flan de Chocolate)

A taco is a small corn tortilla stuffed with just about anything on hand.
In Mexico they are never fried crisp in the style popularized by American
fast food outlets and Mexican-style restaurants, so just heat your
tortillas in a dry skillet, over hot coals, or even in the microwave for an
authentic Mexican treat.

Mexican Cheese Tacos (Tacos de Queso)

2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
or 1 can (4.5 oz, 127 g) green chile peppers, drained
and chopped
2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs (30 ml) corn oil
1/4 lb (125 g) Mexican queso fresco, Monterey Jack or
similar cheese, shredded
8-12 small (4 inch, 10 cm) corn tortillas, warmed until soft
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Combine the chiles, tomatoes, onion, salt, and pepper in an electric
blender or food process and process until smooth. Heat the oil in a
small skillet over moderate heat and cook the chile mixture for 5
minutes, stirring frequently. Place some cheese and sauce on each
tortilla and fold in half, using a toothpick to secure the tacos if
necessary.
Serve garnished with sour cream if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Jul 11 06:45:21 2005