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Mexican Cookware: Tortilla Press, Kits, Warmers, Stone Molcajete, Cast Iron Comal And Cooking Pans
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Published: June 5, 2007
Mexican cuisine is some of the most delicious fare in the world that has a seemingly infinite variety of flavors and textures. Most Mexican food consists of colorful combinations of corn, vegetables, exotic spices, and flavorful meats. Thankfully, modern advances in Mexican cookware have allowed even novice chefs to create and enjoy a wealth of Mexican delicacies.
Prior to the advent of Mexican cookware, all Mexican food was made by hand.
Creating flour and corn tortillas, a staple part of the Mexican diet, was a time-intensive procedure. Balls of dough would be flatten between the palms of the hands to ultimately create a thin, round tortilla. Another method was to press the dough onto a banana leaf. With the invention of convenient Mexican cookware, such hard work is rendered almost obsolete.
The first item of Mexican cookware that everyone should own is a tortilla press. A tortilla press is typically about six and a half to eight inches in diameter. This type of Mexican cookware contains two round plates which press dough together, creating a tortilla. The tortilla press can be used to make any type of Mexican dish including empanadas and tostones. Tortilla presses are available in both cast iron and aluminum.
A second essential item of Mexican cookware is the comal. A comal is a flat cooking pan or griddle, usually made of untreated cast iron. The comal is used for cooking tortillas over a fire, and is also good for making fajitas. The cooking pans for this type of Mexican cookware usually have a cooking surface of approximately nine inches, and are approximately ten to eleven inches in diameter. One might look for a cooking pan with a low, graduated edge to aid in turning tortillas. That way, the preparer can avoid burning themselves by moving the tortilla to the edge of the comal, then turning it over.
A third example of Mexican cookware is the stone molcajete. A stone molcajete is used as a mortar and pestle in order to grind food. The stone molcajete is usually made from porous or volcanic rock, is round, and has three legs. This type of Mexican Cookware is used to crush vegetables, seasonings, and spices into salsas and guacamoles. The rough surface aids in creating food with rich and unique textures. Also, since the stone molcajete is porous, it retains the flavor of past dishes, which in turn enhance and season subsequent dishes prepared in the bowl.
A fourth and indispensable piece of Mexican cookware is the tortilla warmer. Tortilla warmers are about seven to nine inches in diameter, and about one to two inches deep. Modern tortilla warmers are usually microwave and dishwasher safe, and as the name implies, they are made to keep food like tortillas warm for about an hour.
Probably the most convenient example of Mexican cookware is the tortilla kit. The tortilla kit is specifically made to aid in the creation of tortillas and other Mexican foods. Tortilla kits conveniently include many of the above mentioned items, including cast iron tortilla presses, cast iron comals, tortilla warmers, and even tortilla mix and salsas.
The right Mexican cookware can help almost anyone create a wide array of Mexican dishes, from traditional, authentic Mexican cuisine to Tex Mex. Armed with such indispensable items of Mexican cookware such as a tortilla press, comal, stone molcajete, tortilla warmer, and a tortilla kit, even a beginner can cook up a fabulous Mexican feast.
Sources:
Mexican Tortilla Press. GourmetSleuth.com. 2001-2007. 30 May 2007. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/tortillapress.htm
Corn Tortilla Kit. TexasRollingPins.com. 2007. 30 May 2007. http://www.texasrollingpins.com/corntortilla.html< br />Corn Tortilla Kit w/ Tortilla Making Book. GourmetSleuth.com. 2001-2007. 30 May 2007
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/qa/pDetail.asp?p=12 2&cookie=Y
Complete Tortilla Kit. MexicanFood&GiftsToGo. 2002-2006. 30 May 2007.
http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/5 7_2/more_info.asp
Molcajetes – Lava Mortar & Pestle. Tortilla Concina. 2006. Carmina en la Cocina. 30 May 2007.
http://www.tortillacocina.com/molcajetes.htm
Comal – Cast Iron Plate. Mexgrocer.com. 2000-2004. 30 May 2007. http://www.mexgrocer.com/9115.html
Secrets to Cooking Tex Mex. TexMex.net. 1998-2006. Michael W. Ludwig. 30 May 2007.
http://www.texmex.net/products/cooking.htm
Cast Iron Comal by Victoria. Melissa Guerra. 2007. 30 May 2007 http://www.texmex.net/products/cooking.htm
Tortilla Plastic Warmer. Mexgrocer.com. 2000-2004. 30 May 2007. http://www.mexgrocer.com/10071.html
Tortilla Warmer. BayVillageStore.com. 1999-2006. 30 May 2007 http://www.bayvillagestore.com/tortillawarmer.html
History of the Tortilla. La Tortilla Loca. 2002-2006. Rubin Enterprises. 30 May 2007.
http://www.latortillaloca.com/History.htm
"Mexican cuisine." Wikipedia. 30 May 2007. 30 May 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine
"Molcajete." Wikipedia. 11 May 2007. 30 May 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molcajete
Prior to the advent of Mexican cookware, all Mexican food was made by hand.
Related Articles
The first item of Mexican cookware that everyone should own is a tortilla press. A tortilla press is typically about six and a half to eight inches in diameter. This type of Mexican cookware contains two round plates which press dough together, creating a tortilla. The tortilla press can be used to make any type of Mexican dish including empanadas and tostones. Tortilla presses are available in both cast iron and aluminum.
A second essential item of Mexican cookware is the comal. A comal is a flat cooking pan or griddle, usually made of untreated cast iron. The comal is used for cooking tortillas over a fire, and is also good for making fajitas. The cooking pans for this type of Mexican cookware usually have a cooking surface of approximately nine inches, and are approximately ten to eleven inches in diameter. One might look for a cooking pan with a low, graduated edge to aid in turning tortillas. That way, the preparer can avoid burning themselves by moving the tortilla to the edge of the comal, then turning it over.
A third example of Mexican cookware is the stone molcajete. A stone molcajete is used as a mortar and pestle in order to grind food. The stone molcajete is usually made from porous or volcanic rock, is round, and has three legs. This type of Mexican Cookware is used to crush vegetables, seasonings, and spices into salsas and guacamoles. The rough surface aids in creating food with rich and unique textures. Also, since the stone molcajete is porous, it retains the flavor of past dishes, which in turn enhance and season subsequent dishes prepared in the bowl.
A fourth and indispensable piece of Mexican cookware is the tortilla warmer. Tortilla warmers are about seven to nine inches in diameter, and about one to two inches deep. Modern tortilla warmers are usually microwave and dishwasher safe, and as the name implies, they are made to keep food like tortillas warm for about an hour.
Probably the most convenient example of Mexican cookware is the tortilla kit. The tortilla kit is specifically made to aid in the creation of tortillas and other Mexican foods. Tortilla kits conveniently include many of the above mentioned items, including cast iron tortilla presses, cast iron comals, tortilla warmers, and even tortilla mix and salsas.
The right Mexican cookware can help almost anyone create a wide array of Mexican dishes, from traditional, authentic Mexican cuisine to Tex Mex. Armed with such indispensable items of Mexican cookware such as a tortilla press, comal, stone molcajete, tortilla warmer, and a tortilla kit, even a beginner can cook up a fabulous Mexican feast.
Sources:
Mexican Tortilla Press. GourmetSleuth.com. 2001-2007. 30 May 2007. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/tortillapress.htm
Corn Tortilla Kit. TexasRollingPins.com. 2007. 30 May 2007. http://www.texasrollingpins.com/corntortilla.html< br />Corn Tortilla Kit w/ Tortilla Making Book. GourmetSleuth.com. 2001-2007. 30 May 2007
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/qa/pDetail.asp?p=12 2&cookie=Y
Complete Tortilla Kit. MexicanFood&GiftsToGo. 2002-2006. 30 May 2007.
http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/5 7_2/more_info.asp
Molcajetes – Lava Mortar & Pestle. Tortilla Concina. 2006. Carmina en la Cocina. 30 May 2007.
http://www.tortillacocina.com/molcajetes.htm
Comal – Cast Iron Plate. Mexgrocer.com. 2000-2004. 30 May 2007. http://www.mexgrocer.com/9115.html
Secrets to Cooking Tex Mex. TexMex.net. 1998-2006. Michael W. Ludwig. 30 May 2007.
http://www.texmex.net/products/cooking.htm
Cast Iron Comal by Victoria. Melissa Guerra. 2007. 30 May 2007 http://www.texmex.net/products/cooking.htm
Tortilla Plastic Warmer. Mexgrocer.com. 2000-2004. 30 May 2007. http://www.mexgrocer.com/10071.html
Tortilla Warmer. BayVillageStore.com. 1999-2006. 30 May 2007 http://www.bayvillagestore.com/tortillawarmer.html
History of the Tortilla. La Tortilla Loca. 2002-2006. Rubin Enterprises. 30 May 2007.
http://www.latortillaloca.com/History.htm
"Mexican cuisine." Wikipedia. 30 May 2007. 30 May 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine
"Molcajete." Wikipedia. 11 May 2007. 30 May 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molcajete
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