What recipes don't translate well without knowledge of regional cooking?

[CraigC]

My friend owns a few Mexican restaurants in California and Arizona.
The salsa fresh made at his Arizona restaurants has way more flavor than the California fresh made. Same kitchen recipe.
He says it's the regional produce that makes the difference.

I also learned down in Mexico that to make a good enchilada sauce ya cook down the entire chili pepper, seeds, skin and all.
Way better flavor and a rich tasting, thicker sauce.
Up north people remove the skin off the chili and remove the seeds, discard, the cook down whats left and you end up with a watery, tasteless sauce.
A HUGE difference when cooking.

Trader Joes enchilada sauce is made from cooking down the whole chili. The canned grocery store house brand sauces don't compare.

Are we talking using fresh chilis or dried? When I use dried chilis, I stem and seed them, then they are toasted and covered with really hot water to reconstitute. From this point they go in a blender with other ingredients and pureed until smooth (I reserve some of the liquid they soaked in to add if needed). I usually press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. I'll melt some lard in a fry pan and add the sauce to thicken.

 

[Morning Glory]

My friend owns a few Mexican restaurants in California and Arizona.
The salsa fresh made at his Arizona restaurants has way more flavor than the California fresh made. Same kitchen recipe.
He says it's the regional produce that makes the difference.

I also learned down in Mexico that to make a good enchilada sauce ya cook down the entire chili pepper, seeds, skin and all.
Way better flavor and a rich tasting, thicker sauce.
Up north people remove the skin off the chili and remove the seeds, discard, the cook down whats left and you end up with a watery, tasteless sauce.
A HUGE difference when cooking.

Trader Joes enchilada sauce is made from cooking down the whole chili. The canned grocery store house brand sauces don't compare.

Let me add as long as I mention Arizona vs California produce and a little off topic.
If you are familiar with Lake Havasu City AZ (London Bridge), and travel South of LHC along the 95 you'll pass farms on the CRIT Indian reservations.
Those farms were created during World War 2 when Japanese were interned at a camp on the reservation and they taught the Indians how to Premier League class farm.

I love these photos.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Are we talking using fresh chilis or dried? When I use dried chilis, I stem and seed them, then they are toasted and covered with really hot water to reconstitute. From this point they go in a blender with other ingredients and pureed until smooth (I reserve some of the liquid they soaked in to add if needed). I usually press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. I'll melt some lard in a fry pan and add the sauce to thicken.

Good question I'd like to try both and find out.