La Cocina en el Bolsillo (1913 edition) Nos. 1 & 4

Cocina en el Bolisillo Nos. 1 and 4. Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, 1913. [TX716 .M4 C675].

As readers may recall from our June 9th post, UTSA Libraries Special Collections holds volumes from two editions of La Cocina en el Bolsillo. For the most part, No. 1 features recipes for the same dishes found in almost every Mexican cookbook – Bistek (beefsteak), Mole poblano, Sopa de Macarrones (noodle soup), etc. However, No. 4 includes several more unusual recipes, including Hongos en mole (mushrooms in mole), Habas verdes (green fava beans), and Chayotes en pipián (chayote squash in pipián). Unfortunately, No. 4 does not include any kind of preface, so it is difficult to say why the editor chose to branch out beyond the classics.

Since we own different numbers from each edition, it is not possible to determine whether the contents of these volumes are the same as the equivalent volumes from the earlier edition. Perhaps future acquisitions will make direct comparisons possible. In the meantime, please enjoy the following recipes for mushroom mole and fava beans

Hongos en Mole / Mushrooms in Mole

Se escogen que sean buenos, se lavan en agua limpia y se ponen a que dén un ligero hervor en poca agua con sal y unos dientes de ajo; se escurren y se les dá una pasada en Manteca en que se fríen ántes unos dientes de ajo; que se sacarán antes de echar a freir los hongos. Se hace el mole de chile pasilla y mulato y cuando ya esté sazonado se agregan los hongos.

Choose good mushrooms, wash them in clean water and boil them in a little water with salt and a few cloves of garlic. Drain the mushrooms. Fry a few more cloves of garlic in lard. Remove the garlic and then dredge the mushrooms through the lard. Make a mole of chile pasilla and chile mulato. When it is ready, add the mushrooms.

Habas Verdes / Fava Beans

Se esojen las habas que estén un poco tiernas, se descabezan y se ponen a cocer con una poca de manteca y sal suficiente. Se disponen de varios modos, a saber: en caldillo de gitomate con carne de puerco, en tomate con chicharrón y carne de puerco, en los mismos caldillos con carne de ternera, en mole de ternera con chícharos y ejotes o bien como ensalada, con cebollas cocidas, aceite, vinagre, aceitunas, chilitos curados, queso rayado y un poco de oregano despolvoreado.

Select beans that are slightly tender. Boil them with a little lard and salt and serve in any of the following ways: with a red tomato broth and pork, tomatillo broth with peas and pork, in either tomato or tomatillo broth with beef, in a mole of veal with peas and green beans. Alternatively, serve as a salad with cooked onions, oil, vinegar, olives, pickled chiles, grated cheese and dried oregano.