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jennifer rose

Dec 26, 2005, 3:18 PM

Post #1 of 15 (2071 views)

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The culinary equivalents of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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In the LWR forum under the Superama thread, Rex C. lamented not being able to find dry onion soup mix or Boston baked beans. Except for the pure joy of eating Boston baked beans cold and straight from the can, I’m hard put to understand their appeal. But then I never used dry onion soup mix to make anything but onion soup, and I could probably live forever without seeing that product again. I guess, for some, it’s as much a staple as Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup.

It hit me the other day that there are certain products available in this country which are probably the culinary equivalent of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup, ready-made products which create an entirely new dish, sparing the cook hours of preparation time and guaranteeing a product that’s usually better than someone’s home-grown, labor-intensive version that Diana Kennedy has instructed us to make from scratch.

Take El Yucateco achiote red paste, http://www.mexgrocer.com/3118.html, for starters. There’s more in this product than merely achiote. It’s more than merely ground annatto seeds. It list among its ingredients: alcohol vinegar, achiote, grinded guajillo chile, water, wheat flour, corn starch, iodized salt, grinded curcuma, and sodio benzoate. Cheap and easy to use, some of this added to orange juice and sliced red onions makes a fine marinade for meat, poultry and fish. And if you cook that up in the marinade, you’ll end up with a nice sauce. And it’s great to add to chicken soup or just about anything you want to color up, especially if you’re plum out of Red Dye No. 2.

And then there are the moles, already prepared in bulk or in jars at the grocery. Most are many steps above Doña Maria or Mole Bueno, and nearly all are far better than anything most people spend hours and days combining twenty-odd ingredients, the least of which is the cook’s ground knuckle.

Of course, there’s also Knorr Suiza, without which a proper caldo de pollo or any dish is simply not complete. No self-respecting home cook would dare omit this secret ingredient.

What products have you seen on Mexican grocery shelves that are Mexico’s equivalent of the standard dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup?

(This post was edited by jennifer rose on Dec 26, 2005, 5:45 PM)

MazDee

Dec 26, 2005, 5:42 PM

Post #2 of 15 (2060 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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I have looked for something like Lipton's Onion for a long time and I don't think there is an equivalant (unless you want to do things the old way and cook some actual onions, but I believe that is what we are trying to avoid here). The dry soup mixes I see all have pasta or something in them. So, I ask someone to bring me a package every year or so. The stuff seems to last forever, and I admit to having some in the pantry at at all times. I put in just a little bit when making smoked tuna pate, which everyone seems to love. I figure it keeps better in the pate than would fresh onion. And if the soup seems a little watery, a bit of the Lipton makes it better. Baked beans I like but don't crave. If I wanted some, I probably would make from scratch and in my wildest dreams they would taste like my Aunt Arlene's. I have been told that piloncillo is a good substitute for molasses, in case you can't find that for the baked beans.

Bubba

Dec 26, 2005, 7:34 PM

Post #3 of 15 (2051 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] The culinary equivalents of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Once again, the Ajijic/San Antonio area seems to be an anomoly in Mexico as Lipton dried French onion soup mix and very good varieties of canned baked beans are almost always available in this area along with countless products as scarce as hen's teeth in most of Mexico.

Don't knock Lipton onion soup mix. That soup mix mixed with creme fraiche and accompanied by potato chips, fresh bagettes, dry French salami, real Spanish chorizo (eat your heart out Mexico) and cheap red wine kept me alive in the 60s as an impoverished young man in Paris. I will forever hold a romantic attachment to the stuff.

As I am fond of yucatecan food, I use the Yucatecan Achiote Paste quite often to make pollo pibil which I cook in aluminum foil in the oven being lazy. I particularly enjoy my version of this dish when my naranja agria (bitter or Seville orange) tree is producing. I bake the chicken in:

Bitter orange juice
Olive oil
Garlic
Achiote paste
onions
Tomatoes
Green bell or other green pepper

Serve this with a simple salsa made with:

Habanero chiles
Lime juice
Garlic
Cilantro

You may find annato seeds. which are the basic ingredient in achiote paste, hard to find in parts of Mexico. Those of you living in or near Guadalajara can find them at the abastos in the market known as La Gallina Feliz. Take these seeds and roast them in peanut oil (also hard to find in Mexico except in the aforementioned Ajijic area) until the oil has become a wonderful sort of ochre color then you throw away the seeds and use this oil to add beautiful color and a pleasant aroma to meats and fowl you saute with it.

Knorr Suiza is fine as a seasoning ingredient and is ubiquitous in Mexican cooking but no self-respecting French cook would ever supplement a true home made caldo de pollo with this ingredient. To each his/her own.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Dec 27, 2005, 6:49 PM)

Cynthia7

Dec 26, 2005, 9:45 PM

Post #4 of 15 (2034 views)

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Re: [MazDee] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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I do know that you need a fine large beef pot roast to make the pot roast covered with dry onion soup and cream of mushroom soup- wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked for several hours in a 350 degree oven or in a crock pot. That was a staple in every southern home 30 or 40 years ago. It makes its own gravy and lists high on the recipes printed on the back of cans or packages..along with Libby's pumpkin pie.

Anonimo

Dec 27, 2005, 2:32 AM

Post #5 of 15 (2030 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] The culinary equivalents of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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A the risk of appearing snobbish, I will say that I never used Lipton's (or other brands) Dry Onion Soup Mix, and very rarely , Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, while cooking in los Estados Unidos. (Actually, I used great gobs of CMS and sour cream, often together, while cooking in a restaurant in Little Rock. But that was a job, not something I'd do at home.)
Here, I do use Knorr Suiza Caldo; it's a fine hot beverage alternative to coffee; but of course, it's used more as a flavor enhancer in various dishes. I have no rationale for my practices. It's just how it is.
A good serving of Bush's Baked Beans, especially Bold 'n Spicy, is good for alleviating pangs of homesickness for the good ol' USA.

There are prepared Mexican Sauces "para guisar las carnes" in those paper and foil, shelf stable packs. I have used their Chipotle Sauce (not "salsa" as we usually think of it, but more a gravy) and I was reasonably satisfied. The mole version was ok, too, but we have had better.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Bubba

Dec 27, 2005, 6:34 AM

Post #6 of 15 (2023 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] The culinary equivalents of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Actually, Anonimo, Swiss Knorr as a hot beverage is quite good and takes little work. Since I am on Atkins at present, you have given me a good idea for a hot beverage during these cold days.

Here is what you do with Lipton onion soup mix to accompany roast chicken:

Prepare the onion soup mix as directed

Mix together:
Two cups of the onion soup
Two cups of canned beef consomme
Two cups of long grain white rice
Grated Parmesan (another nice thing about Ajijic where excellent Reggiano Parmesan is available if a bit dear)
A stick (Southern measurement) of butter

Bake this in a casserole dish and serve with the chicken.

I have never met anyone anywhere who didn't like this. I served it to Mexican friends who flipped.

These same Mexican friends, who are from Oaxaca, have a grandmother who periodically makes dark mole which is outstanding and they bring us some whenever she makes a batch so we no longer buy the commercial brands. They introduced us to Zapotec cuisine and we introduced them to the above dish and southern cornbread dressing* with turkey and cranberry sauce. The cornbread dressing was made with my wife's homemade chicken stock and they loved it. A fine cultural exchange if there ever was one

They can now say "I might could've you all" in Zapateco.

* Rule #1: Never, ever, ruin cornbread dressing with sage. A tradition from hell.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Dec 27, 2005, 6:44 AM)

jennifer rose

Dec 27, 2005, 8:17 AM

Post #7 of 15 (2013 views)

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Re: [Bubba] The culinary equivalents of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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How about that tendency to sneak hot dog into unsuspecting dishes? More than one perfectly good plate of rice or bowl of soup's been ruined by the addition of sliced, diced or minced hot dog.

thriftqueen

Dec 27, 2005, 10:05 AM

Post #8 of 15 (2007 views)

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Re: [Cynthia7] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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In Reply To

I do know that you need a fine large beef pot roast to make the pot roast covered with dry onion soup and cream of mushroom soup-

Cynthia, you are right on, um, um, I bet these food purists wouldn't turn down a plate of it. I grew up in Texas so have those southern roots. Bubba, I make a mean corn bread dressing, with sage and also good ole southern corn bread. We were at an Americano Christmas Day potluck and someone had brought "dressing", I picked up the serving spoon and up came a big glob of whatever. Possibly Bimbo? Now we know where it got it's name. I dropped that spoon fast!! My Mexican friends love my dressing and corn bread. I love their "budin", bread pudding prepared only at Christmas here in this part of Sonora.

Bubba

Dec 27, 2005, 10:32 AM

Post #9 of 15 (2003 views)

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Re: [thriftqueen] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Concerning Jennifer's original question regarding Mexicn equivalents of dry onion and canned mushroom soup, I think I can add two things.

First, there is the standard packaged IBARRA Table Chocolate containing, in order of volume;
Sugar
Pasta de Cocao
Lecithin
Cinnamon "flavor"

I have had the pleasure of watching Oaxaca chocolate made from scratch starting with the raw beans which are then roasted and crushed and then combined with the sugar and cinnamon to make the drink that is so popular down there. It would take someone with more discerning tastebuds than I to tell the difference between this commercial product and the labor intensive product we drank in Oaxaca. If you want to be authentic, by the way, you will make this drink with water, no milk, and you will foam it up with the proper equipment rather than simply try to stir the ingredients together.

Actually, I detest Oaxaca hot chocolate which is a bit too rustico for me but when I'm down there I must take ar least one swallow and go, "Ummm, Ummm, That sho is good!" Then I can leave the rest of this dreadful beverage in the cup and go for the mescal and room-temperature Corona which is so popular in those parts.

Another product that I learned about just last night on a TV show about Guaymas cooking is caldo de camarones which is a dried shrimp based version of the chicken-based Swiss Knorr. It is apparently used to season stews in that shrimping region. Maybe it's everywhere and I never noticed it.

Regarding Thriftqueen's post and the notion of making cornbread stuffing with sage; regardless of whether this may or may not be good, it will never come from my kitchen. My first taste of turkey dressing with sage was in the chow line in the Marine Corps at Parris Island. Out came this breaded* glop which fairly reeked of the sage that overwhelmed it. From that point on I associated sage with some drill instructor hovering over me going, "Eat it all private or give me 100 sit-ups."

* That is, "breaded glop" made with the U.S. equivalent of Bimbo which was known back there as "reglar" bread as in the waitress down at the Alabama Grill asking, "Y'all want whole wheat or reglar bread with yore breakfast?"

(This post was edited by Bubba on Dec 27, 2005, 2:37 PM)

esperanza

Dec 27, 2005, 11:36 AM

Post #10 of 15 (1996 views)

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Re: [Bubba] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Another product that I learned about just last night on a TV show about Guaymas cooking is caldo de camarones which is a dried version of the chicken-based Swiss Knorr. It is apparently used to season stews in that shrimping region. Maybe it's everywhere and I never noticed it.

It is everywhere and you just never noticed it. I use caldo de pollo, de tomate, de res, de costilla, and de camarón. I don't recall seeing others, but there may also be a verdura. A bit of whichever is appropriate enhances most guisados--you won't need additional salt, though, so adjust your recipes accordingly.

I definitely don't use it when I prepare caldo de pollo. The bouillon base is too salty and has too much other flavoring to use in chicken broth.

I often use caldo de tomate when I prepare rice, rather than blend tomatoes, etc., for the flavoring. When I do it that way, no additional salt is necessary.

I say gracias a los Knorr.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

carlw

Dec 27, 2005, 11:57 AM

Post #11 of 15 (1995 views)

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Re: [Bubba] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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In the Texas area, at least, we actually have Bimbo bread and baked goods now. Bimbo purchased Mrs. Baird's Bread and markets products under both names, but everything is delivered to the stores in a Bimbo truck. Hard to explain to my Mexican friends why Bimbo is not as good a product name as Mrs. Baird's.

Anonimo

Dec 27, 2005, 1:08 PM

Post #12 of 15 (1986 views)

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Re: [carlw] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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In North Little Rock, Arkansas, on Maumelle Blvd (Cynthia7 will know where this is), just west of the I-430 exit, is a store dedicated to selling "day-old" Bimbo, Mrs. Baird's and Entenmann's products. I have been known to stop in, say, once per month, spend under $10 USD, and walk out with bagfuls of tasty products, most of which I would freeze.
As tasty and economical as that was, I prefer going to a good Mexican panadería and buying pan, "calientito del horno". Fresh is cheaper here than day-old was back in "the Old Country", as you say, "NOB".

Saludos,
Anonimo

Bubba

Dec 27, 2005, 3:03 PM

Post #13 of 15 (1979 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Anonimo reminds me of the basic difference between day old breads bought in the U.S. or Mexico and breads bought in the best neighborhood boulangeries in France. You buy the bread in the morning in France and by 2:00PM it is only good for playing baseball or making bread style puddings or other recipes utilizing stale bread. But when you eat it fresh in France, there is nothing remotely that good in my experience - certainly not in Mexico or the United States except for certain specialty bakers. There are those among you who may disagree but, as I believe Mark Twain said something like , if two people agree all the time on everything, one of them is unnecessary.

I grew up on the Bimbo style of bread in the south and always liked the way you could squeeze a slice of "reglar" bread into a small dough ball. It is, of course, the best bread on Earth for one thing. Finger sandwiches of chicken or egg salad or thinly sliced smoked turkey to be consumed while drinking bourbon at cocktail parties where old goobers stand around talking to young folks going, "I just have one word for you - Plastics!" a la The Graduate.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Dec 27, 2005, 3:08 PM)

Cynthia7

Dec 27, 2005, 4:02 PM

Post #14 of 15 (1975 views)

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Re: [Bubba] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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You all with southern roots remember it was called white bread or light bread to distinguish it from corn bread or biscuits. Same with white milk to distinguish it from buttermilk. We are into a brand of canned turnip greens in Arkansas by the brand name of Glory. Open, heat and eat...Hard to believe a canned vegetable can be this good. They "put up" black eyed peas, field peas, butter beans, collard greens, mixed green...turnip, kale and collards and other local delicacies but the turnips win the prize. The day old bakeries are an unbelievable buy..many just over runs..a carbo binge for sure.

TlxcalaClaudia

Dec 27, 2005, 6:32 PM

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Re: [Cynthia7] The culinary equivlants of dry onion soup mix and canned mushroom soup

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Glory greens. yum. 'Bout as bad as Lipton soup mixes, but still yum. I mix Glory with real greens and real turnips just to rid me of the guilt of using canned greens. Yeah yeah to the authentic cooks who never use a "mix". When you cook for 10 on a regular basis, you just want to see satisfied appetites.
Claudine

(This post was edited by TlxcalaClaudia on Dec 27, 2005, 6:35 PM)