Los Angeles Hispanic Restaurants

The small, shiny black turtle bean is especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of South Louisiana. It is often called simply the black bean (frijol negro in Spanish, feijão preto in Portuguese), although this can cause confusion with other black beans.

The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of mushrooms, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes such as the Mexican-American black bean burrito. It is a very popular bean in various regions of Brazil, and is used in the national dish, feijoada. It is also a principal ingredient of Platillo Moros y Cristianos in Cuba, is a must-have in the typical gallo pinto of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is a fundamental part of Pabellón Criollo in Venezuela, and is served in almost all of Latin America as well as many Hispanic enclaves in the United States. The black turtle bean is also very popular for making into soups, which are often eaten with Cuban crackers.

Black turtle beans have recently been reported to be an extremely good source of nutritional antioxidants.

You can find authentic Hispanic Black Beans on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Frijoles negros (literally “black beans” in Spanish) is a nutritious dish made with black beans, prepared in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and several other nations in Latin America. The black bean, a legume of the species Phaseolus vulgaris, are usually purchased in either canned or dried form. 1 cup of dried black beans yields approximately 2 1/2 cups of cooked beans. Black bean soup (sopa de frijoles negros) is another commonly prepared Cuban favorite.

Frijoles negros is typically seasoned with salt, ham hocks, onions and garlic, tomatoes, powdered cumin seeds, oregano, chili peppers, vinegar, and sometimes other ingredients.

Frijoles Negros (black beans) are an integral part of Mexican Cuisine, accompanying a wide variety of main dishes. The secret to great beans lies in adding Epazote. Epazote is also known as Mexican tea and wormseed, and many say that it’s an acquired taste.

Black beans are high in folate (256 mcg), iron (3.61 mg), magnesium (120 mg), and phosphorus (241 mg); they are also a source of zinc (1.92 mg), niacin (2 mg), and thiamine (.42mg) – based on 1 cup portion size.

You can find authentic Hispanic Frijoles Negros on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Fideo is the Spanish word for a noodle of any type. In Mexico, it refers to a type of pasta similar to angel hair (capellini) or vermicelli. In Spain it refers to very short noodles used in place of rice in some dishes in Spanish cuisine.

The word fideo is of Mozarabic and Arabic origins from Muslim-dominated areas of the Iberian Peninsula.

It is commonly used in soups. There are a wide variety of recipes, but the basic recipe calls for lightly browning the fideo in oil, then adding a base of chicken or beef broth, with pureed tomato, chile peppers, garlic, and onion. Cilantro, beef, chicken, corn, or other ingredients may also be included. The mixture is then boiled until the fideo and other ingredients are cooked. When served it can be garnished with lime or lemon juice, chile or hot sauce, sour cream, and/or white Mexican cheese.

This dish can be eaten with corn tortillas or with some kind of crackers. There many different types of ways of cooking fideo. Any seasonings can be added to this dish such as green onions, cilantro and garlic. Tomato bouillon can also be added to this dish to give the water a zing flavor to it.

You can find authentic Hispanic Fideo on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Elote (Nahuatl: elotl or Quechua:choclo), roasted corn on the cob, is a popular street food served in Mexico. In Mexico, Chicago, and in the south of the United States, it is customary to consume elotes like a popsicle on a stick or by grasping the roasted husk of the ear of corn that have been pulled down to form a “handle”. Hot chilli sauce can be spread on the elote as well as other condiments such as butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, and salt. Powdered lemon pepper seasoning is used on elote in Texas.

Some people prefer esquite, or elote cut off the cob. The above toppings are added to the corn and eaten with a spoon.

In the urban zones of Mexico the eloteros are people who specifically dedicate themselves to selling elotes and transporting them in a covered handcart. Some eloteros move from place to place, while others stay in one spot. The customers can choose elotes and toppings according to their preference. The eloteros roast the elotes, in their husks, over coals, and splash salt water on them until the husk begin to scorch.

You can find authentic Hispanic Elote on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Curtido (pronounced coor-tee-doe) is a type of cabbage relish, lightly fermented. In Salvadoran cuisine, it resembles sauerkraut and is usually made with pickled cabbage, onions, carrots, and sometimes lemon juice. It is commonly served alongside pupusas, the national delicacy. In Mexican cuisine, curtido consists mainly of pickled carrots mixed with onions and chile peppers (usually jalapeño). It is used to accompany virtually any dish and is commonly found at numerous taquerías.

Curtido is basically a relish and depending on the country, it can be very different. Honduran curtido is very similar to Mexican Curtido and can be served with virtually every dish.

Curtido can be served basically with any meat or main dish. It is the perfect touch to every dish. Curtido is spicy for some people so it is optional to add extra chili peppers, taste it first, you may want to add less chili peppers if you find you can’t tolerate heat.

You can find authentic Hispanic Curtido on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Barbacoa originates in Mexico and generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with maguey leaves, although the interpretation is loose, and in the present day and in some cases may refer to meat steamed until tender.

Barbacoa de cabeza is a specialty of slow cooked cow head that arose in the ranching lands of northern Mexico after the Spanish conquest. Except for cochinita pibil, one of the common characteristics of Mexican barbacoa is that marinades are not used and sauces are not applied until the meat is fully cooked. Pork cooked in this manner is generally referred to as carnitas rather than barbacoa.

Throughout Mexico, from pre-Mexican times to the present, barbacoa (the name derives from the Caribbean indigenous Taino barabicu) was the original Mexican barbecue, utilizing the many and varied moles (pronounced “mol-ehs”, from Nahuatl molli) and salsa de molcajete, which were the first barbecue sauces.

A traditional Mexican way of eating barbacoa is having it served on a warm soft taco style corn tortilla with guacamole and salsa for added flavor, the meat or the tacos are often served in the banana leaves they were cooked in. It is also eaten with onions, diced cilantro and a squirt of lime.

You can find authentic Hispanic Barbacoa on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

In cooking, a consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavored stock or bouillon that has been clarified usually through a fining process involving egg protein.

A consommé is made by adding a mixture of ground meats, or mousseline, together with mirepoix, tomatoes, and egg whites into either bouillon or stock. The key to making a high quality consommé is simmering; the act of simmering, combined with frequent stirring, brings impurities to the surface of the liquid, which are further drawn out due to the presence of acid from the tomatoes.

Consommés are usually served piping hot because they tend to cool down more quickly than other soups and form a gel . They are most often served with garnishes which vary in complexity from a simple splash of sherry or egg yolk, to cut vegetables, to shaped savory custards called ‘royales’. Consommés are ideal for whetting the appetite of the diner, especially in the traditional seven-course meal format, as they are very rich and tasty in flavour, but are neither filling nor heavy-feeling after consumption.

Consommés are both expensive and difficult to make, as a large amount of meat only yields a small amount of consommé; in some recipes, as much as a pound of meat can go into a single 8oz serving. Also, because of the complex clarification process, it is difficult to make, which can often fail the novice or impatient cook.

Despite, or perhaps because of, these limitations, consommé has maintained its place as one of the most highly regarded and appreciated soups in the world.

You can find authentic Hispanic Consomme on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Pasta (Italian pasta, from Latin pasta “dough, pastry cake”, from Greek παστά (pasta) “barley porridge”) is a generic term for foods made from an unleavened dough of flour and water, and sometimes a combination of egg and flour. Pastas include noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes, and varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini. The word pasta is also used to refer to dishes in which pasta products are a primary ingredient. It is usually served with sauce or chocolate to enhance the flavour.

There are approximately 600 different shapes of pasta. Examples include spaghetti (thin rods), maccheroni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets). Two other noodles, gnocchi and spätzle, are sometimes considered pasta. They are both traditional in parts of Italy.

Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. In preparation for consumption, pasta is generally boiled.

Pasta is made from a simple combination of water, eggs and flour. Pre-packaged specialty pasta often includes spices, cheese or added coloring from spinach, tomatoes or food dye.

You can find authentic Hispanic Pasta on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

A bolillo is a type of salty bread traditionally made in Mexico, where it originates. It is a variation of the baguette, and is often baked in an horno de piedra.

It is about 15 cm (six inches) long, in the shape of an oval, with a crunchy crust and a soft inside, known as migajón. It is the main ingredient for tortas and molletes. A variation of the bolillo is the telera, which is very similar, though it has a more rounded shape, is divided in three sections, and is usually softer. Other variations include bolillos made of alternate ingredients such as whole wheat, wheat germ or flax.

The bolillo is a variation of the baguette, and thus often has names in the local language reflecting this. In Yucatán they are known as barras. In Guadalajara and Sonora they are called birotes which are often made with sourdough. In northern Mexico they’re known both as bolillos and pan blanco, whereas in Northeast Mexico it is known as pan francés. In Sinaloa they are called torcido and birote. In Brazil, a similar bread is made and known as pão francês or pão de sal.

Bolillo is a slang term used in some parts of Latin America and the United States to refer to members of the Caucasian race, due to the white interior of the bread.

You can find authentic Hispanic Bolillo on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Spanish rice is a side dish made from white rice, tomatoes, garlic, onions, parsley, cilantro and other ingredients. Although it is called “Spanish rice” this side dish is unknown in Spain. One common preparation is to sauté the rice until golden brown and cook it in chicken broth. Vegetables such as peas, carrots, or corn may also be used depending on the recipe.

It is a popular dish in the American Southwest, where it often features generous chunks of grilled and stewed vegetables in a Tex-Mex style. The version of the dish cooked throughout South America tends to be a more homogeneous character, often with just enough tomato and chile to give the distinctive red-orange color and a smoky, garlic and onion-laden flavor. It is usually served as a side dish alongside other Mexican cuisine.

Mexican rice (Spanish: arroz mexicano) is white rice roasted in a skillet with garlic and onions until light brown, then steamed or simmered with tomato sauce and chicken stock. It is served as a side dish with entrees, but is also a major ingredient in burritos. Mexican rice is also commonly known as Spanish rice, however, the dish is not traditional to Spain. The term “Spanish rice” is not used by Mexicans or Mexican food enthusiasts, and its use probably stems from the fact that the Spanish language (Castilian) is spoken in Mexico, and the dish is usually simply referred to as “arroz” (translation: rice) in Mexico.

You can find authentic Hispanic Rice on many Hispanic Restaurants in Los Angeles.