U.K. Mexican food?

Yes, the chorizo is really good. 

I do wish I could get some andouille sausage though (Louisiana style, not French).  But like you said, you make do.

If you are in/near Cambridge there is a pretty good cheese shop.  The only problem is that it is really small and they smell some strong (!) cheese.  So you go out smelling badly and I think that the other cheeses take on the flavour of the strongest cheese they have that day.

Here in Spain where I've spent a lot of my life there are more chorizos and related products than there are kid's cereals in America. And the hams are incredible... literally dozens of goat legs hanging from the ceilings.

I've always loved the stuff (Serrano ham) but for many Americans it's an acquired taste. But it's not at all unhealthy. In fact, the Spanish say they contain amino and other fatty acids that are found nowhere else.

And I'd say there's probably more cheeses here than in both Wegmans and Waitrose. In Spanish cured cheeses alone there are dozens.

The Spanish are still lacking in ready meals and processed foods... but is that a bad thing? Could it be that Carrefour has more and better real food than either America or Britain?

I've always loved the stuff (Serrano ham) but for many Americans it's an acquired taste. But it's not at all unhealthy. In fact, the Spanish say they contain amino and other fatty acids that are found nowhere else.

Serrano ham isn't my favourite, but jamón ibérico (pata negra)?!  OMG - it's gorgeous...has to be one of the world's most amazing foods of all time!  That & a cold glass of fino.  Drool!

We can get both of those here (UK) now - jamon serrano & jamón ibérico, but not in the variations you can there & there's no jamon competitions or anything like that, and it's pretty pricey - but can be got. 

My husband & I love, love, love going on holiday in Spain (helps because he speaks Spanish & we give the dire coastal resorts that cater to Brits a miss), but it's sometimes a challenge when on holiday there - unless we were to go self-catering, I imagine - that the restaurants don't seem to serve too much in the way of fresh vegetables.  Often it's just (cooked - boiled) potatoes or iceberg lettuce with a piece of tomato & that's about it - with lots of meat (or seafood), can't argue with the meat.  We will get side orders of berenjena, espinacas (con garbanzos), or those roasted peppers from the tapas menu a lot of times though.  Thing is the lack of veg offerings at restaurants is a shame because the produce is so wonderful there - I know because I've been to the open markets & we always go to those to get picnics.  The best peach I've ever eaten in my life was from the Boqueria Market in Barcelona - I am still dreaming of that peach.  Sadly, I have yet to find a peach like that here, but since we don't have a peach climate here - I doubt I will - it's something best eaten in Spain. 

We end up eating so much pork (chorizo, jamon, lomo, etc) when we go - we feel all porked out whenever we get home from a Spanish holiday. 

but jamón ibérico (pata negra)?!  OMG - it's gorgeous...has to be one of the world's most amazing foods of all time!  That & a cold glass of fino.  Drool!

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, you've sold me - gonna go out and find some of that!

The thing I find about smoked/cured meats is that because of the concentrated oils and flavours you don't need very much. Just a few shavings in an omelette or a pot of lentils transforms. No need for a big side of meat.   

/working towards vegetarianism....

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, you've sold me - gonna go out and find some of that!

The thing I find about smoked/cured meats is that because of the concentrated oils and flavours you don't need very much. Just a few shavings in an omelette or a pot of lentils transforms. No need for a big side of meat.  

/working towards vegetarianism....

Hee hee, I do what I can.  You do only need a few thin slices of jamón ibérico & you eat it with a slice of crusty bread (like from a baguette) - it melts in your mouth.  (Don't sully it with omelette or lentils for goodness sake!  It's a delicacy meant to be eaten just as I described.  You normally get it as a tapa there & here it's not cheap.)  Some olives on the side are nice too.  Fino = Tio Pepe, which is easily sourced here, and it's not cream sherry - blech!  It's dry & meant to be consumed chilled.

I love seeing the legs of jamon hanging up in the bars there & watching the guy slice off slivers of it.

Hee hee, I do what I can.  You do only need a few thin slices of jamón ibérico & you eat it with a slice of crusty bread (like from a baguette) - it melts in your mouth. I love seeing the legs of jamon hanging up in the bars there & watching the guy slice off slivers of it.

Ooooh...jamón ibérico. On some nice slices of bread, some tart manchego on the side, and a nice, sweet red for me. ::drool::

Mrs. Robinson I'll be asking you for some recommendations for Spain, if you don't mind!

LOL. And the Mexican food thread has become the Spanish food thread! Ok ok...let me get it back on track with this question.

Have you all had a taste of Patron Cafe?  Its the best of both worlds. Smooooth Patron without the full burn of tequila and a soft coffee aftertaste.  If you don't normally drink tequila, this is the one to try.

Ok so my question is not about Mexican food...however Las Iguanas restaurants do serve it! (along with a few decent Mexican dishes).  They've got the best Latin/Spanish dishes as far as a chain goes.  I love their Brazilian Moqueca, their chorizo (now gone) starter and their creamy sauteed mushrooms.

I still have an issue whenever I see "Puerto Rican" paella though. LOL.

I was just at that moment perusing Chiquito's menu (a massive pdf btw). Amongst the many authentic southwestern favs:

Aztec ‘Jambalaya’ - Spiced fried rice with mixed bean chilli, anchochilli-
tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, fresh spinach, sweetcorn, chicken, chorizo pork
sausage & tiger prawns (WTF?)

Mac ’n’ Jack - Classic American macaroni cheese with a broken tortilla, tomato & melting Jack cheese crunchy topping With crispy bacon bits.

Southern Fried Chicken - Breaded chicken escalope with barbecue sauce

Calamari - Warming smoky spices with chipotle mayonnaise (oh why not...)

Big Texan Cowboy Burger - Beefburger, grilled chicken breast, bacon,
melting Jack cheese & barbecue sauce

Under fajitas:

Acapulco Chicken - Strips of herby marinated chicken coated with melting Jack cheese
& crushed tortillas (I actually think the name 'Acapulco chicken' is the best)

Duck - Basted with hoisin sauce (hoisin duck fajita!!! If I go this is what I will order!)

Edit - both 'Big Texan Cowboy Burger' or 'Acapulco Chicken' would make great band names.

Oh for crying out loud!  ::facepalm::  must find that menu and watch the train wreck up close and personal.

Though....I do agree.  Alcapulco Chicken would make a great band name!

Aztec ‘Jambalaya’...

Wow!  Talk about fusion cuisine through the centuries... 

I love menus. When a new takeout menu comes through the mail slot I rush off with it to read in private. The self written ones from little mom and pops can make you tingle sometimes because they are so earnest - almost like the old lady in The House of Seven Gables arranging her stuff for sale out in the front yard. You can picture them writing it and coming up with little inducements - 'a local favourite' or 'our special garlic bread' or 'free 2 liter bottle of soda with every purchase over £20'.

These chain jobs were obviously fashioned by committee, with a branding dude and a marketing gal with all kinds of research spread out in front of her. So how do they decide on 'Acapulco Chicken'?

My friend Peter (with a lot of help from mum and dad) purchased a restaurant when we were not too long out of high school and my friend Beck and I helped him clean it and open it and got to take part in the menu planning. It was one of these quintessential Gulf Coast fried seafood joints that hearkened to nautical themes. A lot of dark wood and nets and brass diving bell thingies and aquariums. It always smelled like grease and orange scented cleaner. But Peter was a very serious new business owner, which was a bit strange in that he had always been the guy who stripped naked and streaked about when we were out partying. But he married young and had a pretty good head on his shoulders.

So we were all sitting around, Peter, me, Beck, and Peter's wife (who hated Beck and me with a purple passion, but tolerated us as we were helping out) and we set about writing the menu. It was established early on that the flagship fried extravaganza was to be called 'The Captain's Platter', the next size down would be 'The Mate'. So the subject arose that there should be a mega sized platter for big eaters, just a trough of stuff, and Beck came up with the idea of 'The Rear Admiral' which put me under the table. He further added that the kid's meal should be 'The Cabin Boy'. Peter's wife left the room.

But I remember this place in Hollywood Florida called I think The Hollywood Dinner and they named the dishes after movie stars. The thing was that there seemed to be no corelation between the star and the dish. The chilli dog was called the 'Bobby D' (Dinero). Does DiNero like chilli dogs? I don't know. The open-faced roast beef was called 'The Winslet' - which is baffling.

The open-faced roast beef was called 'The Winslet' - which is baffling.

Maybe it's run by French people - and she's English.