Dave Tuomisto was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona and spent many summers in Mexico. Because of his desire to become Mexican food chef traveled to Mexico to find the best recipes. He paid close attention to the food in Mexico and realized that each region had added its own flair to their food preparation. Nearly every town and surrounding region are known for a culinary specialty.
Dave fell in love with the cuisine of the Bajio, which means lowlands. Part of the Bajio is located in the state of Michoacan southwest of Mexico city and is considered “the soul of Mexico,” therefore the cuisine of Michoacan is considered “Mexican Soul food.” This area is one of the oldest continuous civilizations dating back 1,000 years. Now Dave brings you what he learned as a chef in the Bajio Region, making Milagros cuisine unique to Orem, Utah. While dining at Milagros you will enjoy the rich Bajo flavors.
“While traveling, looking for the finest recipes for Milagros, I found the markets were full of “Chile and Veggie Stands.” The colors of the peppers and vegetables were astounding. It made me want to buy everything in sight and head for the nearest kitchen. In fact, it’s rare not to see me in the kitchen on busy weekends, working among the spicy aromas of a Mexican Food kitchen.”
Here are a few chile tips to remember when you are cooking with them.
1. While it is commonly thought that the seeds are the hottest part of the chile and just removing the seeds will eliminate the heat… it is Not so. Of course, the seeds are hot but it’s the vein or white membrane that holds the seeds that has the fire. The membrane is where the “capsaicin” is stored… the “HOT.”
So… when preparing your dish, you will want to eliminate the white vein as well as the seeds if your want to tame your dish down.
2. The old adage that the smaller and greener the chile, the hotter they are is NOT true anymore. With all of the new hybrids and varieties, there are large ones that are hot too.
3. Add chiles sparingly at first. You can always add more.
4. If your dish is a bit too hot and you want to cool down your tongue. “Don’t Drink Watery Fluids”… it will only make the fire worse. Instead, consuming a milky drink, such as our homemade Horchata, which has a soothing effect on the chemical, is just the ticket.
Now you know why sour cream is added to Mexican food…. besides tasting so good!
5. Wear gloves when preparing your chiles. Don’t under estimate how painful the chemical burns can be from washing, cutting and taking out the membrane and seeds. And… keep your hands away from your eyes… gloves or no gloves!
We use a fresh Poblano pepper (no canned) which has a savory flavor and mild heat. (However, they fool us once in awhile and are just a little hotter than we expected… but not too hot to enjoy. Hard to predict… ya know.)
Welcome to Milagros!
Dave
P.S. Cooking with chilies is a lot easier if you let someone else do all the work…. like Milagros in Orem. Come on in and let us show you what “Good Mexican Food” tastes like. For a moment, take a short trip into the small villages of the back country of Mexico…. not the border towns… and see what “real Mexican food” is all about. Fresh ingredients are always used in these small, out of the way settings, as they are at Milagros.