# Mexican food tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598 "2015-11-14T23:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/1 "2015-11-14T23:57:07Z")
I offered Mrs. L.A. the choice of chili dogs or spaghetti with meatballs for dinner tonight. Then I said, ‘Or I could make chiles rellenos.’ That’s when her face lit up. The chiles seemed lonely, so I decided to make some beef enchiladas. But I’m feeling lazy. So I just got some ‘stew meat’ (probably chuck, cut into cubes) and seared it in the cast-iron frying pan with some chopped onions, and then just added some packeted taco seasoning and some water, and some jalapeños from a jar. I really can make machaca (though I don’t use dried-and-reconstituted beef), but I just didn’t feel like it. This will be good enough. It will be in the oven at 225º for a couple more hours, and then I’ll shred it. Then I’ll get to work on the ol’ relleno action. . ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/2 "2015-11-15T00:59:41Z")
Tell me more about the “'ol relleno action”. Seems like something good is always cooking at Johnny’s diggins. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/3 "2015-11-15T01:26:57Z")
Does “Del Taco” count? Just had lunch there with a pal. (They aren’t “great” Mexican food…but they’re better’n average. Their specialty burritos – like the Chipoltle Chicken – are nice and BIG, and for an immense character like me, that’s a plus!) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/4 "2015-11-15T02:16:43Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Tell me more about the “'ol relleno action”. > **[How to Make Chiles Rellenos Recipe and Video at MexGrocer.com](https://www.mexgrocer.com/534-killer-chiles-rellenos.html)** > > Chiles Rellenos Mexican Recipe at MexGrocer.com, a nationwide online grocery store for authentic Mexican food, cooking recipes, cookbooks and culture. 🙂 It was getting late, so I took the ‘machaca’ out of the oven early and cooked it a little faster on the stove. Fortunately it’s tender and shredded easily. The enchiladas are in the oven. In about half an hour I’ll do the batter for the chiles and cook them. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/5 "2015-11-15T02:49:05Z")
So were you just faking her out? Because what you’re doing is a hell of a lot more work than chili dogs. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/6 "2015-11-15T03:38:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I offered Mrs. L.A. the choice of chili dogs or spaghetti with meatballs for dinner tonight. You are such the romantic. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/7 "2015-11-15T04:01:29Z")
Excellent, authentic recipe. Is Oaxaca cheese available in the Northwest? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/8 "2015-11-15T04:35:17Z")
It must be catching. I made chimichangas for the first time tonight. Ground beef, onion, green chilies, jalapenos, cheese and various _spices de Mehicano_ wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep fried, covered in enchilada sauce, more cheese, and sour cream. Was even better than I expected, should have been making those suckers all along. Vive la Mexican food! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/9 "2015-11-15T05:28:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > So were you just faking her out? Because what you’re doing is a hell of a lot more work than chili dogs. Lol. Actually, I accidentally saw a picture of the chiles rellenos online and I went ‘Hey…’ Mrs. L.A. said, ‘You’re so easily influenced.’ > [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Is Oaxaca cheese available in the Northwest? I’m sure I could get it at the carnicería, but I never manage to think that far ahead. > [@madsircool](#): > > You are such the romantic. 😛 Ain’t I somethin’? 🙂 Actually, it’s hard to get her out of the house. I do most of the cooking. Sometimes it’s chili dogs, sometimes it’s steak au poivre, usually it’s something else. She says, ‘Why should we go out when we can have better at home?’ ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/10 "2015-11-15T23:50:53Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > So were you just faking her out? Because what you’re doing is a hell of a lot more work than chili dogs. Lol. But you forget… **Johnny L.A.** makes his own hot dogs, from grass-fed organic dogs he raises himself. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/11 "2015-11-16T00:01:21Z")
You flung a craving on me. I’m sitting down to some fish tacos as we speak. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/12 "2015-11-16T00:04:52Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > But you forget… **Johnny L.A.** makes his own hot dogs, from grass-fed organic dogs he raises himself. Ha! Actually, I was thinking of starting a cooking shortcuts thread. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/13 "2015-11-16T00:15:23Z")
How did they turn out out? Will it be a repeat? How many points did you earn with Mrs L.A.? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/14 "2015-11-16T00:41:32Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > How did they turn out out? Will it be a repeat? > > How many points did you earn with Mrs L.A.? Oh, it turned out great. Mrs. L.A. says that if she wants _good_ Mexican food up here in the PNW, I have to cook it. She’s been unimpressed with any of the Mexican restaurants up here. And her ‘test’ meal is chile relleno. She prefers mine. 🙂 I don’t know how many points I garnered, but she might brag to the brother of one of her patients if she sees him before he returns to L.A. OK, that sounds immodest; but I do pretty well in the kitchen. Maybe not as good as some of the posters here, but we’re not going hungry. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/15 "2015-11-16T01:22:42Z")
I enjoy your Johnny’s kitchen posts. But they always make me hungry. What cheese did you substitute for the Oaxaca cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/16 "2015-11-16T03:56:34Z")
I wish I could have had dinner at the L.A. household. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/17 "2015-11-17T03:21:50Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > What cheese did you substitute for the Oaxaca cheese? Just shredded ‘Mexican mix’. It’s really all about the chiles and the batter. 😉 > [@Baker](#): > > I wish I could have had dinner at the L.A. household. I usually make more than enough! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/18 "2015-11-18T02:11:47Z")
Leftovers tonight. Only I cooked fresh rellenos. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/19 "2015-11-18T02:46:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Oh, it turned out great. Mrs. L.A. says that if she wants _good_ Mexican food up here in the PNW, I have to cook it. She’s been unimpressed with any of the Mexican restaurants up here. And her ‘test’ meal is chile relleno. She prefers mine. 🙂 You should try Maine. My god, those people have no idea what Mexican food is. There was one good one near us, run by actual brown people, but they got deported. ☹ I love making Mexican food, but there is something about going out for all you can eat chips and cheese dip (which I know is more tex-mex, but it’s awesome, so mexico should adopt it) that is fun. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-food-tonight/737598/20 "2015-11-18T19:45:06Z")
Mainer here also. There is absolutely NO GOOD Mexican food within the state borders. :mad: Although I have heard of some possibilities down Portland way …