EATING SOUTH OF THE BORDER . .

Image Gallery Jill Jenkins, of Dallas, tries her hand at the batch of Anne's enchiladas.

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MOTHER'S KITCHEN

...Even in the North.

By Anne Vassal

Before I moved to an area in Illinois with a great local market, I thought that Mexican food was a meat-bean-tortilla thing that I occasionally ate at the nearby shopping mall. And salsa? It was that meek and mild tomatoey bottled stuff used for chip dunking. Fortunately, I left my small Michigan town to discover that ignorance isn't bliss when it comes to Mexican food. Since my arrival, I've eaten from taco stands in neighborhoods where no one spoke English, tortillas were pressed by hand, and delicious salsas were made from ingredients that I couldn't pronounce. I searched cook books and attempted to duplicate this wonderful cuisine, but without much success. So I asked Hispanic friends or coworkers for advice. In my preschool classroom, I asked parents to give Mexican cooking demonstrations. Someone's grandma taught me the secret to making chiles rellenos, another where to buy the freshest tomatillos. The secret to any culture's cuisine lies not only in the ingredients, but in in the method. It's what's been passed down from generation to generation. So I continue to ask questions, and once in a while, I manage to cook something fabulous.

Since Mexican food is regional, ingredients and flavors can vary, and some recipes can be time-consuming. Most of us just want to duplicate what we've eaten at our favorite Mexican restaurant without slaving over a hot mole sauce. Here's Mexican Cooking 101—the recipes are basic, and you'll be dipping into the salsa in no time.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

1 whole chicken fryer, about 4 pounds
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4 large cloves garlic, smashed
5 whole allspice
5 peppercorns

Place the washed chicken in a soup pot, and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer for about one hour, until the chicken is no longer pink (check the thigh meat next to the bone). Remove the chicken from the pot and put on a plate to cool. Strain the chicken broth, and store or freeze in plastic containers. Pick the chicken off the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Place the meat in a container and chill until needed (within 3 days), or freeze with a little of the broth.

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