<p>BTW, I am a pretty good cook and have played around with most of the world’s cuisines (from scratch). I find that Mexican is actually one of the more difficult (or at least time consuming) cuisines.</p>
<p>If you want to explore interesting dishes, start giving each other great cookbooks for Christmas. The gold standard in Mexican cookbooks are those by Rick Bayless. Alas, his major work on Mexican cooking “Mexican Kitchen” is a very advanced cookbook. Try his “Mexican Everyday” or “Mexican: One Plate at a Time”.</p>
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<p>One of the main keys to Mexican cooking is to get comfortable whipping up a fresh salsa (fresh meaning totally uncooked). It’s just chopped super-ripe tomatoes, onions, fresh peppers, cilantro, lime juice, a dash of olive oil, maybe a teaspoon of honey, salt, pepper. This same approach can be applied to a zillion ingredients – fresh tomatilla salsa (I love this!), mango/scallion “salsa”, roasted corn salsa. And, so forth. </p>
<p>These can then be served as sides or as toppings for grilled seafood, chicken, etc. If you really want to have some fun, pick up one of Bobby Flay’s cookbooks. After a few of his meals, a lightbulb will go on and you’ll be making up your own salsas and vinagrette sauces – loosely based on Mexican techniques.</p>
<p>As for Mexican rice: it’s simple. You make your own fresh salsa (I usually make Bayless’ tomato/habeneros salsa). Then, you saute uncooked raw white rice in a tablespoon or two of olive oil (or lard, or butter or…) stirring until the rice turns opaque chalky white. Then, dump in the salsa and let it "sear and sizzle for a minute. Then, add water, cover the rice, and turn the heat nearly off. 30 minutes later: Mexican red rice. The key is the sauteeing the rice in olive oil to start.</p>
<p>Proportions? A cup of uncooked rice, a cup of salsa, and enough water to cover the rice in a saucepan by the distance from your fingertip to your first knuckle (who needs a ruler?). Two quart covered saucepan should work.</p>
<p>I’m sure this recipe is in all of Bayless’ cookbooks. That’s how I first learned how to make it.</p>
<p>I use a decidely non-Mexican white rice – Thai Jasmine rice – because that’s what we usually have in the cupboard (dirt cheap in Asian markets and really good). But, any long-grain raw white rice would work fine. Don’t use converted or instant or any other pre-cooked rice.</p>