TortillasFor the freshest corn tortillas, look for them in the refrigerated section of your local market. My favorites are La Mesa Tortillas, based in Tucson. They ship authentic flour tortillas worldwide. See the tortilla section (pages 34–35) for more information on buying tortillas.
VinegarsRed wine, apple cider, and balsamic vinegars are all used, with white vinegar being the most common, traditionally.
FLOURS AND GRAINS
In addition to all-purpose flour, you’ll need a few specialty flours to make the Barrio Sonoran Sourdough Bread (page 30), as well as the staple corn tortillas that are served with nearly everything in Tucson.
Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour A red-hued wheat flour with a nutty flavor and a relatively higher protein content.Made from heritage grains local to the Sonoran region.
Khorasan Flour A drought-tolerant heritage grain with a nutty flavor and excellent nutritional properties, also called kamut flour.
Sonoran-Style Staples
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Sweetened condensed milk (top), evaporated milk (bottom).Tamarind candies.
Masa Harina Flour made from dried corn. Used to make hundreds of dishes, including corn tortillas. Masienda brand is a superior quality masa made from single-origin heirloom corn.
Mesquite Flour Mesquite trees are one of the most common trees in the region. Mesquite flour, made from the dried and ground pods, is high in fiber, free of gluten, and has a slightly sweet taste.
White Sonora Flour This is a heritage wheat flour, brought to the region by the Spanish who tried, only somewhat successfully, to use it to replace corn in tortillas. It gives extra-large flour tortillas their stretchiness.
PRODUCE
An abundance of fresh produce—tomatoes, citrus, onions, herbs, and tropical fruits—is the hallmark of Sonoran-style cuisine. Here are a few items that may take some special effort to find in your local area.
Chiles Chiles were the most common spice used regionally and historically by Native people, and they are an important component in Sonoran-stylecuisine to this day. Look for them, fresh and dried, in specialtymarketsand some supermarkets, or purchase dried versions from online sources. You can also find red and green chile puree frozen in some supermarkets. I go into detail about specific chiles and their uses on pages 23–27.
LemonsGrown in Sonora since the 1730s, lemons were used medicinally by the Spanish as an antidote for poison.
Mexican Limes Also called key limes, these are about one-quarter the size, slightly sweeter, and more acidic than their Persian counterparts. For the recipes in this book, you can use either type of lime. Typically substitute four Mexican limes for one large Persian lime.
Nopales/Nopalitos It’s super cool that you can eat the pads and fruit of the prickly pear cactus because it’s one of the most commonly found plants in Tucson. Nopales contributed to the survival of native people in this region, not to mention the native wildlife who rely on the cactus for sustenance.
Tomatillos The name is misleading because it translates to “little tomato,” and they do look like green tomatoes, but they are not. The fruit is denser, more acidic, and less sweet than tomatoes. To use tomatillos, first peel off the papery husks, then rinse the fruit to remove the skin’s sticky coating.
SPICES
If you live in Tucson and are making traditional recipes, your spice cabinet might look a bit different from that of other parts of the country. Here’s a glimpse of what you might find there.
Adobo Seasoning This is made from garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and turmeric. Some blends also have chile powder and/or cumin. Adobo is often used for grilled or braised meats and poultry. There’s a recipe for a homemade Adobo Spice Rub on page 29 that’s even better than the store-bought version.
Dried Onion FlakesDehydrated minced onions add complexity to soups and sauces.
Knorr Granulated Chicken- and Beef-Flavor Bouillon A post-war addition to Sonoran cuisine. Use the variety available as loose granules (not a cube) for precise measuring and ease of dissolving.
Lawry’s Seasoned SaltIntroduced to the general public in 1938, this seasoning blend is a “secret ingredient” used by many Sonoran chefs, contributing to the unique flavor of the regional cuisine.
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Sonoran-Style Staples
Nopales—prickly pear cactus paddles.
Mediterranean Oregano Introduced to the region by Europeansettlersand incorporated into Sonoran cuisine, it’s part of the mint family of herbs.
Mexican OreganoRelated to Mediterranean oregano in name only, Mexican oregano is not really oregano. It’s a relative of lemon verbena and imparts a more citrus-based flavor than Mediterranean oregano.
Pico de Gallo Seasoning Blend PicoDeGallo’s proprietary blend of piquant chile-lime seasoning that is hotter and more acidic than Tajín (below). Cooks use it to season fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s not as readily available as Tajín; order it online at Amazon.com or through their company website.
Pure Chile Powder Look for pure chile powder made only from ground chiles, spelled with an “E,” not chili powder spelled with an “I,” which is a blend of spices used to make chili (the warm winter soup).
Smoked Spanish Paprika Made in Spain from peppers that are smoked and ground, available in hot or mild varieties.
Sonoran Sea Salt Milled from the Sea of Cortez four hours south of Tucson. It has a high moisture content and unique mineral composition.
Taco Seasoning Blend I am a fan of McCormick Hot Taco Seasoning Blend. I also have my own taco seasoning blend on page 28 that’s superior to any purchased taco seasoning, but it’s always good to have some pre-made on hand in a pinch.
Tajín Seasoning Blend A brand of chile-lime seasoning made with ground red chiles de árbol, guajillo and pasilla chiles, dehydrated lime juice, and salt. It packs less of a punch than the spicier Pico de Gallo seasoning and is more commonly found at local supermarkets. Use it to season fresh fruits and vegetables.
Mexican-styleherbs and spices.
Sonoran Sea Salt.
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