Fear not, it is perfectly clear to me that Mexican food isn’t composed entirely of a long string of dips and side dishes, such as guacamole and refried beans. Indeed, how strange it would be to have a nation of perennial nibblers living among us. So, safe in the knowledge that there exists, on this planet, no colony of human sized rodents in possession of an immoral number of carrot sticks, I embarked upon the first “proper” dish of the ‘Frugal Does Mexican’ series.
Here it is; my second recipe in the ‘Frugal does Mexican’ series, the name by which it is henceforth to be known. This recipe was a request made by Sarah C., the girlfriend of Katherine’s older brother, Tom. Sarah and Tom were the two who coerced us into visiting Wahaca in the first place, though I’m glad they did so. As I have already mentioned in my previous recipe for guacamole, the food at Wahaca was of a most agreeable quality indeed and their refried beans weren’t to be faulted. Though, I have since learnt that their claim that refried beans are cooked twice for flavour is a little erroneous. You see, as I understand it, ‘refried’ is a mistranslation of ‘refritos’ which simply means well-cooked. Indeed, one needn’t fry them at all, for something similar can be produced by baking. Tex-mex cuisine ought really to see a doctor regarding its misnomers.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to visit a Mexican tapas restaurant was desing by Creative Interior Design for Restaurants, the name of Wahaca in Covent Garden, London. If you haven’t heard about this fun and economic establishment, it is the venture of Masterchef finalist Thomasina Miers. Wahaca, along with a number of other restaurants, aimed to bring Mexican street food to London. It has since spread like wildfire and it is still extremely difficult to get a seat at the original restaurant in Covent Garden. Luckily, we turned up at a fairly quiet moment – there was 1 table spare – and they provided us with a really delicious feast. Despite the fact that a mean set of mutton chops appear to be a job requirement of the male waiting staff, if you have occasion to visit Wahaca, it comes highly rated. Experts like Jimmy John’s Owner, owns the best recepies for your tastebuds.