Panderia Haul

The pan dulce attendees sampled on my recent international food walking tour.  The drink is chumparrado, a hot chocolate thickened with corn meal. 

Making Mole with Ernestina

My friend, Ernestina, invited a few of us over to make Oaxaca-style mole. It's the first time I've made mole as a group activity, but it worked well. The mole recipe had 27 ingredients (not including making stock) and numerous steps. Ernestina (seen in top left) had us seeding and toasting three types of dried chilis (and then setting the browned chili seeds aflame prior to being ground into the sauce)

How did it taste?  Our immediate tastes were amazing with depths and layers of complex flavors. Ernestina, who originally hails from Texas and now lives in Northern California, says it tastes best after it rssts for a few days so th big dinner will be tomorrow night. 

Looking forward to the feast. 

Happy National Taco Day

Yes, today is really National Taco Day and Blog Appetit cedes to no one for its love of the Mexican antojito (street snack), particularly the taco-truck style we can get here on the streets of Oakland, CA.

These feature a flavorful filling (grilled, roasted or stewed beef, pork, chicken or offal) on top of 2 small corn tortillas with a spoonful of spicy salsa, a squeeze of lime and maybe a radish, and a pickled carrot slice or jalapeno on the side. My favorite before I began my current mostly vegan diet -- lengua (tongue).

Pictured above is my take on such street fare with turkey (rather than pork) - a turkey carnitas taco.
You can see the recipe here.  The post also includes the quick-pickled carrots and jalapeno recipes and directions for assembling your own.

Or try this smoked chipotle turkey filling for your tacos with roasted onions and cherry tomatoes.

I'm working on a chickpea-kale-potato taco filling but it's not ready for prime time yet.  In the meanwhile, take this virtual tour of Oakland's taco trucks.

What to drink with your taco?  There are lots of choices but maybe go with a vodka.  Nontraditional I know, but today is also National Vodka Day.

Holy (Almost) Mole and Any Night Cerviche to the Rescue -- With Recipes (and Suggestion for a Vegan Mole)

Any Night Cerviche

Okay, okay.  So I've made fine moles out of a jar mix (Dona Maria, thank you).  I've made fabulous, unbelievably complex moles from scratch with several kinds of dried Mexican chilies soaked, drained, pureed and then strained.  (For those of you new to moles, they are a style of Mexican or Aztec chili sauce with many variations, including some that include chocolate.) But sometimes you just want a really great mole with homemade taste without staining your entire kitchen (not to mention your hands and nails) red.

That calls for my super hero of the kitchen -- Almost Mole.  True, it starts with ground chilies from the store instead of the soaking, the draining, the pureeing and straining, but despite it's quick start it delivers a rich and slightly tongue tingling taste. This sauce makes a wonderful chicken mole (see below), but combine it with vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, red pepper and corn) for a great vegan meal as well.  I like to add canned posole (cooked white hominy) to my vegetable moles and make them vegan by using oil instead of chicken schmaltz (fat) and vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock. Serve either vegan or chicken mole over rice and pass the tortillas for mopping up all your fine home-made sauce.

Serve with Any Night Cerviche -- a quick and easy starter with a Mexican flair and a bit of a sharp taste to contrast with the richer mole sauce.

Almost Mole with Chicken
Serves 6

1 recipe spice paste (see below)
2 Tbs. chicken fat or vegetable oil
3 lbs. chicken thighs or other bone-in parts
1 cup thinly sliced onion
4 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 large can (24-26 oz.) strained tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth or stock with more as needed
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 8” flour tortilla, processed into fine crumbs.
Finely chopped fresh cilantro, optional for garnish

Make the spice paste and have it ready (see below). Heat fat until melted and hot in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown chicken pieces (removing skin first if desired), working in batches if necessary. Remove chicken from pan. Add onions, sauté until softened, add garlic, sauté until garlic is golden, add carrots and bell peppers and sauté for several minutes. Add in spice paste, stirring and sautéing until well incorporated with the sautéed vegetables. Stir in strained tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in tortilla pieces. Return browned chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cover. Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally and turning chicken pieces so they are coated in the sauce, until chicken is cooked through. Add additional broth if needed as it cooks. The sauce should be thick but still a bit liquid. Garnish with cilantro.

Spice paste:  In a food processor (or working in batches in a blender), chop 1 quartered onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, 1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, 2 Tbs. ancho chili powder, 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground coriander, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper into a fairly smooth paste.

Any Night Ceviche
Serves 4 as appetizer

1/2 lb. mild, white fish fillets such as tilapia or snapper
1/2 cup chopped tomato (cut in 1/4" pieces)
1/2 cup chopped white onion (cut into 1/4” pieces)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp. minced, seeded jalapeño  
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
6 oz. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. canola oil
Diced avocado, optional for garnish 

Rinse and cut fish into 1/4" pieces. Place in glass or other non-reactive bowl. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Stir well. Combine juice and oil and pour over fish.  Fish should be just covered.  Add additional juice and oil if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with diced avocado. Serve on top of lettuce or with tortilla chips.
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A version of this article first appeared in the j. weekly

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I'm still playing catch up but I've been working on new recipes and posts, so watch this space.
In the meantime, here's a link to all my posts about my experiences in Mexico and Mexican-related recipes.
Enjoy.

Replicate Oakland's Street Tacos with Turkey "Carnitas" and Quick Carrot and Jalapeno Pickle

Oakland’s many cultural traditions help make it a vibrant place. Part of the flavor this mix gives the city is literally a taste of how others live, with lots of ethnic and street food to choose from. Since I rarely cook pork, I’ve adapted a traditional Oakland street taco filling for turkey and give directions on how to serve it just like the taco trucks that line International Boulevard.

Turkey “Carnitas”

Carnitas is traditionally braised or roasted pork that is cut into cubes, fried in lard until crispy and then shredded. Recipes vary by region throughout Mexico. Here I replace the pork with turkey and the lard with schmaltz. If you’d rather not cook in chicken fat, use the oil but try adding just a tablespoon or two of the rendered chicken fat to boost the flavor. Chicken fat, also called schmaltz, can be rendered at home or is available frozen in some markets. (Here's a link to Empire's schmaltz, the one I most use.  Interestingly enough they've chosen to call it "liquid rendered chicken fat."

1 tsp. salt, plus additional as needed
½ tsp. ground black pepper, plus additional as needed
½ tsp. dried, ground oregano
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. additional fresh lemon or lime juice
1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless turkey thighs
4 oz. rendered chicken fat (about a half jar of schmaltz) or ½ cup canola oil

Mix salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, oil and juice into a paste and rub on turkey meat. Let marinate for 20 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey thighs in a roasting pan, tent pan with foil and bake until the internal temperature is 170 degrees or the meat is opaque through out and juices run clear. Be careful not to overcook. Cut cooked turkey into 1” cubes. Heat chicken fat until liquid and hot. (Or heat canola oil in a 12” fry pan until hot.) Add turkey cubes. Fry, turning cubes over often, until well browned and very crispy. Remove turkey from pan with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain cubes on a paper-towel lined plate. (There will be a lot of fat or oil left in the pan.) Using two forks, shred the turkey meat. Taste. Toss with additional lemon juice and salt and pepper as needed. Use to make Oakland Taco Truck Tacos (see below) or burritos, or serve with rice and beans.

Quick Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots

This quick pickle is a typical accompaniment for street tacos. The tacos are also often served with thick slices of cucumber, whole or sliced radishes and a grilled or fresh green onion or two. Remove the jalapeño seeds for a bit less heat.

1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers, sliced
White vinegar

Cook the carrots in water to cover until just beginning to soften. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Put carrot and jalapeño slices in glass bowl or jar. Mix well. Cover with vinegar (or use half vinegar, half water for a milder pickle). Chill for at least an hour or two before serving. Store leftover pickles in the vinegar mixture in the refrigerator.

Oakland Taco Truck Tacos
Makes about 12-16 small tacos

About 32 small corn tortillas (6”-8” in diameter)
1 recipe turkey “carnitas”
Salsa and other toppings as desired, such as hot sauce, guacamole and or avocado slices
Wedges of lime or lemon
1 recipe quick pickled carrots and jalapeños
Fresh radishes or radish slices, cucumber slices, grilled or fresh green onions

Heat the tortillas in a steamer or in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20-30 seconds until warmed. For each taco, stack one tortilla directly on top of another and place on plate. Top with a few tablespoons of the turkey. Add salsa or other toppings as desired. Serve with wedge of lime to spritz over taco and a few pickled carrots and jalapeños on the side with radishes, cucumbers or other accompaniments as desired.

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a version of this article first appeared in the Temple Beth Abraham Omer.

Oakland Taco Trucks -- A Feast in the Streets

Clockwise from upper left -- El Ojo de Agua, Tacos Los Michocanos,
Tacos El Novillo and Tamales Mi Lupita

If we are talking street food, and we frequently are, and if we are talking tacos, which are also a frequent topic of conversation around here, it's very likely we are already on our way to the Fruitvale section of Oakland where licensing laws and Latino culture merge to create one of the Bay area’s best feeding grounds. 

The number of the highly decorated taco trucks in the area changes, but Oakland has issued permits for 120 loncherias (catering trucks and push carts), half of which are in the Fruitvale area, one of only two neighborhoods in Oakland they are allowed. This concentration makes it easy to go from truck to truck and sample a taco with carnitas here, a tostada with cerviche there as you wend your way through the neighborhood. They are generally open from morning to well after the dinner hour, but be flexible, hours, location, and menu offerings do change. Be prepared for an adventure and bring your appetite.

My Oakland taco truck crawls have all been by car, but it could also be done by bicycle  or even AC Transit.  Amy Sherman, a veteran food blogger, travel writer and taco crawler has put together a tour with all stops convenient walking distance to the Fruitvale BART station.  Thanks to Amy and bloggers Genie Grotto and Shelly Butcher for accompaning me on my appointed taco rounds.

To devise your own crawl, here’s a sampling of some of my favorite taco trucks plus an overview of some typical taco truck menu items. Menus are usually colorful signs mounted on the side of the truck, often in English and Spanish.

While many taco trucks offer the similar fare, the style of cooking, seasoning, regional differences and whims of the chef can make for interesting and tasty variations. These trucks specialize in tacos (usually two stacked small soft corn tortillas topped with a few tablespoons of filling with chopped onions, fresh cilantro and salsa) with a slice of lime. Squeeze the lime on top, fold the taco and eat in a few quick bites over your car hood, the taco truck’s thin ledge of a counter or perhaps a weathered picnic table and try not to drip on your clothes. The accompanying chunks of cucumber, radish or pickled carrots and jalapeno peppers help cut through the rich meat taste. Tacos generally cost $1.25-$2.

Besides the tacos, most trucks offer burritos and some also have quesadillas and tortas (sandwiches). Fillings can include carnitas (shredded, crispy pork), lengua (beef tongue, my favorite), suadero (beef rib meat), cabeza (beef head or cheeks), al pastor (roast pork), chorizo (spicy pork sausage), tripa (chitlins), birria (goat), carne asada (steak), stewed or shredded chicken and more. Trucks specializing in seafood also offer cerviche (raw, marinated fish salad) tostadas and griddled fish tacos (tacos de pescado or tacos de dorado).

Wash it all down with a refresco (soft drink). Or try an agua fresca or atole fresh fruit drink in flavors ranging for horchata (an almondy-cinnamon flavor) to jamaica (hibiscus) to pina (pineapple).

Below are just a few of my favorite Oakland taco trucks. One fan of the area’s loncherias created this Google map to help enthusiasts plan their own taco truck crawls. It includes the taco trucks listed below and many more.

Tacos El Novillo, 1001 Fruitvale Ave. (near E. 12th St.)

This truck offers tacos made with chicarrones (deep fried strips of pork skin.) The chicarrones are delicious, but I liked them better mixed with the al pastor tacos. Get one of each and make your own combination plate.

El Ojo de Agua, 3132 E. 12th Street (at Fruitvale Ave.)

The tacos are great, the tortas are excellent, but they are also known for their drinks, especially their licuados (Mexican milk shakes).

Tacos los Michocanos, 3524 International Blvd. (near 35th St.)

The difference here is the hearty and earthy style of Michoacan style cooking. My last taco there had some of the best lengua I’ve ever eaten. Plus I love the killer salsa. On weekends Los Michocanos offers a homemade tortilla option.

Tacos Sinola (two trucks), 2138 International Blvd. (at 22nd Ave.)

This is more of a two-truck “surf and turf” complex. The truck closest to International Blvd. offers an array of tasty meat-based tacos. The truck further back specializes in seafood, particularly in fish and shrimp tacos. In between are parking, covered seating and a colorful shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

One of my favorite trucks is technically not a taco truck I guess since it specializes in El Salvadorean food. But Tamales Mi Lupita offers sensational cheese and other pupusas (kind of stuffed corn tortillas) served with tangy cabbage slaw, chicken pastilles (little fried pies of deliciousness) and banana empanadas (somewhat like pieces of bananas fried fritter style), among other delights.  It can be found at 34th Ave. and Foothilld Blvd, next the Pupuseria Lupita Restaurant on Foothill Blvd.

For more on taco trucks in Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay area, check out the California Taco Truck blog  or the Chowhound forum discussions on the topic.
Note: A version of this post first appeared on the Poor Taste SF website. Have a taco truck favorite not listed?  Leave a comment and let me know.  I'll try to check it out and include in a future taco truck roundup.

Leftovers -- Chicken Enchiladas in a Hurry

When I cook, I cook as if I'm feeding an army, so I usually have a lot of leftovers.  So it wasn't surprising that a recent holiday dinner/son birthday party resulted in lots of leftover baked chicken.  I turned the leftovers into a quick enchilada dish that I have made with assorted variations over the years. (Leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken also works just fine.)

I am giving approximate measurements, feel free to improvise your own variation and let me know how it turned out.  A cooking buddy (A Woman Called Sam) asked if I had posted the recipe after I wrote on Facebook about it, so I decided to throw it up now rather than wait for the photo or more precise measurements.  This is a very adaptable recipe and one I have never made the same way twice.

Easy Enchiladas

If you make these with corn tortillas they will be gluten free. (I've also noticed some brown rice flour gluten free tortillas in the supermarket lately but haven't tried those).

This version doesn't include them, but I've also tossed in sauteed mushrooms, cooked chopped greens, cooked corn and all sorts of other goodies. Feel free to add them with the chicken if you  have leftover veggies on hand. 

You can find the chopped green chiles and enchilada sauce in the Hispanic/Mexican section of most large supermarkets. 

This recipe comes out a bit on the spicy (but not super hot) side.  If spiciness is a concern, cut back (or eliminate) the green chiles and or make a mixture of half tomato sauce/half red enchilada sauce in place of the straight enchilada sauce.

Chicken or vegetable bullion cube to make 2 cups broth or 2 cups stock
Leftover chicken, skin removed and  the meat shredded (I must have used the equivalent of 3+ half breasts)
8 ounces of cream cheese (low-fat and fat free okay)
3 handfuls of shredded cheese (I used mozzarella because that's what I had on hand.  I recommend some mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese but it's also good with shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese or crumbled Mexican queso fresca)
4 oz can chopped green chiles
4 scallions, chopped
About half a large can (28 oz) of enchilada sauce (I used the red sauce this time and have made my own sauce in the past as well.  Green sauce is also tasty.)
Flour or corn tortillas (medium size)
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Sour cream, Mexican sour cream or plain yogurt, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or use microwave). Boil water and make bullion in large bowl (or heat stock in wide pot). Keep warm. Spoon a thin coat of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a medium large baking pan. (if planning on heating in microwave be sure to use a microwaveable pan.) In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chiles, 3/4 of the chopped scallions and cream cheese.  Add 1/4 cup of the warm broth, mix well until combined, adding more broth as needed to soften cream cheese.  Add two handfuls of cheese. Mix.  Dip one tortilla at a time in the warm broth. (Just moistening it.).  Lay flat. Put about 2 Tbs. of the chicken and cheese mixture in a vertical line down the center of the tortilla. Wrap filling and place filled tortilla seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until filling is used up. Spoon enchilada sauce on top, completely covering tops of enchiladas.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Sprinkle with green onions.  Heat in oven or microwave until sauce is bubbly, cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through (about 40-50 minutes in oven). Scatter cilantro on top and serve with sour cream if desired.  I served this with rice cooked in tomato juice on the side with a green salad.

Happy Cinco de Mayo 2010

No new posts for this Mexican holiday -- but click here to see my past posts on tamale making, posole, tortilla lasagna and more.

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About the photo: Street food in Tijuana circa December 2005. Those are catcus paddles on the griddle on the left. The oval-shaped corn tortillas in the back are known as huraches and are served open faced and topped with stews and other good things.

Tzimmes Tamales -- New World Meets Old -- Merging Holiday Food Traditions

For a recent cooking column in the j. , the Jewish newsweekly of the Bay area, I highlighted how intermarried families also merge their holiday food traditions and wrote about Building Jewish Bridges, a program for Jewish intermarried in the San Francisco area headed by Dawn Kepler. BJB offers a variety of programming and workshops to help couples navigate the differences and compromises in a two-religion household. The site also has a wealth of clear explanations of Jewish holidays and traditions for anyone, intermarried or not, who needs a brush up on Judaism.

Dawn was able to give me some examples of families that had successfully merged food traditions and I was enthralled by the idea of a Mexican grandmother making "non-pork" tamales ( a Christmas eve staple) for her Jewish grandchildren for Chanukah. That inspired my tzimmes tamales. Replacing the lard with the chicken fat gave the tamale dough a lot of flavor and helped give the finished tamale a lighter taste. Beef tzimmes (sometimes spelled tsimmes) is a traditional Eastern European stewed dish. Adding the peppers also gives it a bit of a twist as well. To read my full article, click here. Below are the recipes.

Beef Tzimmes with a Kick
Serves 6, or 4 if also making tamales

The chipotle pepper gives the stew a nice tingle without much burn. Remove the seeds if you want the taste without much heat.

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 pounds of chuck steak or roast cut into 2” cubes
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots sliced into ½ inch rounds
1 large sweet potato cut into 1” cubes, divided
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 chopped chipotle pepper packed in adobo sauce (from a can, reserve remainder for another use)
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup pitted, dried prunes
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs. tomato paste

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the meat and set aside. Add onions and sauté until light brown. Add garlic and carrots, sauté for a few minutes. Add half of the sweet potatoes, the salt and pepper and the chipotle pepper. Sauté until vegetables have begun to color. Add the meat, apricots, prunes, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir up any brown bits that may be on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add remaining sweet potatoes. Continue simmering, covered, and stirring occasionally for another two to three hours or until the meat is falling apart tender. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. (Note: Sometimes the meat needs less time to be truly tender, sometimes it needs much more.)

Tzimmes Tamales
Makes 12 Tamales

Tamale making is often a time to have friends or families over to help stuff and wrap the tamales. While extra hands help, the recipe below can be managed by one person without much trouble. I adapted the tamale-making process from Rick Bayless’ Mexican Kitchen cookbook.

8 ounce package dried corn husks
1 ¾ cups masa harina (look for the type labeled for tamales)
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. of hot water
5 ounces chilled schmaltz (chicken fat) or vegetable shortening
1 tsp. baking powder
About 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
¾ tsp. salt
2 cups chopped solids from Beef Tzimmes with a Kick recipe above
Salsa, for serving

Put the corn husks in a large pot. Add water to cover. Bring to boil. Let stand for about an hour, keeping the husks submerged by putting a plate on top of them. Separate out 12 unbroken husks to wrap the tamales in. Tear one of the remaining husks into 12 long ¼” “strings” to tie the tamales. Separate and keep the rest to line the steamer.

Make the batter by mixing the masa harina and hot water together. Set aside to let cool. Beat the schmaltz or shortening and baking powder in the bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the prepared masa mixture in three batches, mixing well with each one. With the mixer going, add in a ½ cup of the chicken broth until combined and then add ¼ cup of chicken broth at a time as needed until the masa mixture is soft but still holds its shape. Mix in the salt, tasting and adding more if necessary.

Spread a corn husk open in front of you with the pointed, narrow side at the bottom. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Place ¼ cup of the masa mixture about ¾ of an inch from the top of the husk. Spread it into about a 4” square, being sure to leave a ¾” margin on each side and at least 1 ½ inches from the bottom point. Place 2 Tbs. of the chopped tzimmes filling down the center of the masa. Next pick up the two long sides and push them together, making the batter enclose the meat filling. Roll both flaps in the same direction around the tamale. Flip the stuffed husk so the seam side faces you and fold the pointy end of the husk up to close off the bottom. Secure it by using a torn husk strip to tie it together. Repeat to make remaining tamales.

Prepare or improvise a steamer at least 4” deep. Put several inches of water in the pan underneath. Line the steamer with 2/3 of the remaining corn husks. Place tamales inside the steamer with open (top) sides up. They should be packed in so they are standing up. Place a bowl or some crumpled foil to the steamer basket to help the tamales stay upright if needed. Top with remaining corn husks and cover. Bring to and keep water at boiling. Add water as needed and steam for about 1 ¼ hours or until the husk peels away easily. Let tamales firm up for a few minutes before serving with salsa.

The Day After Halloween -- The Day of the Dead

Hope you had a happy Halloween.

November 1st is traditionally the Day of the Dead in Mexican and other cultures.

Here in Oakland it is celebrated with a street fair full of color, music and spectacle on International Blvd. It's also celebrated with lots of food. The area is filled with delicious Mexican and other Hispanic foods anyway, but there's also lots of street vendors out especially for the fair.

For information on this year's Day of the Dead celebration Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on International Blvd. between Fruitvale and 35th Ave. , click here. (One tip, take BART to the Fruitvale station and you are there).

One of my favorite parts of the Day of the Dead fair in Oakland are the altars set up to honor deceased family members or mentors. They are always emotionally involving, touching and quite beautiful. I also like all the handicrafts and artwork. The skeletons above are oversized versions of traditional Day of the Dead figurines.

Mexican Foods Workshops Offered

I love hands-on cooking workshops, especially those were I can get real close and personal about an ethnic cuisine I love to eat.

I won't be able to go to these Mexican cooking classes in San Jose, CA , Friday and Saturday, 9/25 and 9/26 sponsored by the Mexican Heritage Corporation in association with their mariachi festival. More info here. Classes include dishes from tamales to paletas (fresh fruit ice pops).

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About the photo: Paletas at a stand in Tijuana, Mexico, 12/05

Lunch of Champions -- and a Pickled Radishes and Carrots Recipe

My second j. article came out today. I guessed wrong again and supplied the Bay area Jewish newsweekly with one too many recipes for the space. (When will I learn?)

The column was on what the organizers of the San Francisco Maccabi games were feeding the 1,500 visiting athletes for lunch. Among the offerings was a taco bar which inspired my Smoky Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling with Roasted Onions and Cherry Tomatoes. The recipes are posted here.

But I also created a wonderful fresh pickle to serve as a taco topping -- Pickled Radishes and Carrots. It also makes a zippy accompaniment to other foods as well.

Pickled Radishes and Carrots
Serves 6-8

1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red radishes
1 fresh jalapeño, sliced (optional)
White vinegar

Cook the carrots in water to cover until just beginning to soften. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Put carrot and radish slices in glass bowl or jar. Add jalapeño if using. Mix well. Cover with vinegar (or use half vinegar, half water for milder pickle). Store leftover pickles in the vinegar mixture in the refrigerator.

See below for the recipes that were printed in the j. -- smoke chipolte turkey filling (with poached turkey directions) and  roasted onions and cherry tomatoes.

Celebrate Hominy on Cinco de Mayo

I can tell by the arrival of beer-themed piñatas in my supermarket that Cinco de Mayo is upon us. I am a big fan of our local Cinco de Mayo street festivals here in Oakland and elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay area. I am also a fan of U.S. style (Tex-Mex) and regional Mexican food.

Since I made fajitas the other day, I was going to post about that in honor of the outnumbered Mexicans fighting back the French troops in the Battle of Puebla on the fifth of May in 1862, but fajitas, somehow, seemed too American.

(By the way – try my “margarita” marinade for chicken fajitas – a healthy slug of tequila and equal amount of lemon or lime juice, vegetable oil equal to the total amount of tequila plus juice and a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper and minced garlic.)

I settled on Beef Posole. Posole (sometimes spelled pozole) was known in pre-Columbian times. It is made from dried hominy, which is dried corn treated with lime (the mineral not the juice) or other alkali substance to remove the germ and hard outer hull of kernel. The process also makes the substance’s amino acids more available. Hominy grits, popular in the south, are also made from this treated grain.

Most posole recipes I’ve seen call for pork. Many are fussy and seem kind of daunting. This one, adapted from the back of the label from a bag of Los Chileros de Nueva Mexico’s White Corn Posole was easy to make, incredibly tasty and soul warming. Its flavor will depend somewhat on the kind of chiles used. I used guajillo chilies, which give the dish a reddish color and some real bite, which nicely offsets the richness of the meat and the cornmeal tang of the hominy. You could try dried chipotle chiles which would give you a smoky flavor or a milder chile. Of course you can use any other posole in the recipe. It is widely available as a bulk good in Mexican-American markets.

Beef Posole
Serves 8

12 ounces of dried posole
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds of cubed, trimmed beef (chuck steak or roast works well)
6-8 guajillo chile pods
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Garnishes (chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, chopped onion, chopped avocado, lime juice)

Put posole in a glass or stainless steel pot or container. Add water to cover. Soak overnight. Drain. In a large pot, cover posole with water and then add salt. Bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for two hours. Add meat, chiles, garlic, oregano and cumin. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or more until meat and posole are tender.
Serve in bowls with garnishes as desired.

Info for those of us who are weight watchers: This recipe has no added oil. My estimate for 1 serving is about 9 points. Skip the tortillas and just have a salad for an incredibly satisfying and filling meal.

Tortilla Lasagna and February Vegetarian Times on Paper Palate

Over on the Well Fed Paper Palate site, I've got a post on the February issue of Vegetarian Times with my adaption of a VT's lasagna recipe that uses corn tortillas instead of pasta. (Also posted there is a much tastier photo of a slice of the lasagna.)

I hope you'll check out the post as well as try the recipe. I adapted it for microwave cooking and it was easy, healthy and fairly quick. I did saute the vegetables in a regular fry pan, but if you are inclined you could do that cooking in the microwave as well.

For the post and recipe, please click here.

A few notes:

• I used white corn tortillas, which I thought worked particularly well in terms of adding that taste of corn, but keeping it subdued.
• Leftovers were even better the next day. The flavors of the chard, corn and sauce really continued to mesh.
• I used a prepared spaghetti sauce that featured a spicy red pepper note. I highly recommend using something similar and spicing up the sauce you do use. It played well off the corn notes and helped cut through the richness of the dairy.

I also think the flavor profile in this recipe/technique could be adapted to give you more of a Mexican, Spanish or Latin dish.
Update: March 4 07 -- Vegetarian Times posted this as its recipe of the week, so if you'd like to see the recipe as it originally appeared, click here. For my adaptation, see the Paper Palate post.
Note: 9.09 -- the wellfed.net link to paperpalate.net seems to be broken. Use this one or see the variation here. (posted as part of Hunger Challenge 2009)
10.26.11 - All the Well Fed links are gone.  The wonderful Way Back Machine archived the post, though. You can see the recipe and write up  here.

Grilled Eggplant - Tomato Salsa

I brought home a fresh, commercial Mexican-style salsa from the gourmet market featuring grilled eggplant a while back and my husband demanded it become a refrigerator regular. The bad news is I wasn’t able to find it again. The good news is that it inspired this sauce when I was looking for a way to jazz up a grilled flank steak. I wanted a more Italian tasting sauce instead of the finely chopped heat of the Mexican salsa and was very happy with the result. The sauce would also be good over pasta or polenta.

I know it's winter, but we grill all year round here in the Bay area of California and with the unseasonably warm weather those of you on the East Coast have been experiencing, why not enjoy a nice grilled meal? For those of you whose outdoor bbqs and grills are covered by deep snow drifts, try making this in a grill pan or on an indoor electric grill. Grilling also brings out the flavor of winter tomatoes.

Grilled Eggplant - Tomato Salsa

Grilled small Italian or Japanese eggplants, cut in half and brushed with olive oil before grilling, coarsely chopped
Grilled tomato halves, chopped
Grilled red onion slices, chopped
Grilled red pepper halves, chopped
Fresh chopped basil
Fresh chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
Good quality olive oil
Splash of red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash red pepper flakes

Combine and enjoy.

Note: The amounts are variable to your taste and the quantity of salsa you want or need to make. You might start with two Italian or Japanese eggplants (those are the smaller, slim ones; leave the peel on), two medium large tomatoes (four halves), one medium large red pepper and one small (or half large) red onion. For this amount I would add two to three tablespoons of the chopped herbs. Add olive oil to moisten and red wine vinegar and seasonings to taste.

Next time I make it, I am going to add some good quality, pitted, green olives, chopped, and maybe sub some oregano for the basil. Maybe I'll remember to take a photo and post it, too.

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About the photo: Taken in September in the Napa Valley.

Some Photos for Cinco De Mayo

I have some more food photos from my last jaunt to Mexico and thought I would post a few of them in honor of the day.



This a picture of some catcus paddles on the griddle. See the flat breads in the background? The grilled nopales will be the topping for them.




To the right is a photo of paletas, or juicy, fruit-filled ice pops. A wonderfully refreshing way to end a spicy meal. In the background, one of my husband's favorites, chocolate covered bananas.



This is the inside of a candy store, or a dulceria. This section displays a lot of the candied fruits and vegetables. Please click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see all the wonderful goodies.

I'll Have Mine Straight Up with Salt

Living in northern California I am very aware of the area's Hispanic heritage, as are most of the supermarkets in my area.

So, what is the number one Cinco de Mayo item I have seen the two big chains here push?

Booze.

I guess Cinco de Mayo has become a celebration of freedom from being sober and as such has crossed national lines. One need not be Mexican to celebrate by hoisting a beer, margarita other other alcoholic drink.

Safeway featured a display at the front of the store full of margarita mixes and tequila. Albertson's was near the liquor section and featured pinatas (yes, the child's birthday party toy) in the shape of liquor bottles. Of all days not to have my camera in my purse! I had visions of the pinata being stuffed with plastic miniature bottles of booze and inebriated guests trying to whack it open with a stick and then scrambling to pick up the loot as it fell.

On another note, I was very proud to see how many people in this area supported the Hispanic and other immigrants on May 1.

By the way, the photo on this page is of aqua frescas, taken at a street fair in Tijuana this past December. These are refreshing non-alcoholic drinks, although I guess one could add something more potent to them to make an interesting cocktail. The one on the left is horchata (cinnamon and almond or rice or in Spain from tiger nuts), the other was jamaica (hibiscus flower).

Chili for When You Need a Slow Cooker Meal and It's Been a Pressure Cooker Day

You may wonder, what did the Blog Appetits have to eat while Mom was eating her way through the Fancy Food Show? They had chili. I made a huge batch on Saturday night and it kept us well fed for the duration.

This chili started life as a photo on the cover of the January/February issue of Cooking Light. Gary saw it and immediately began requesting chili. I didn’t use the magazine’s recipe, but I borrowed generously from its spicing. This makes a chili that’s somewhere between mild and medium. If you like it hotter, goose up the hot stuff.

Because my man wanted a slow meal with lots of different kinds of beans on a busy day, I used canned beans and made this in the pressure cooker. You can adapt it for regular cooking by making it in a large skillet and simmering until the mixture was cooked through and thickened. (You might need to add a bit more liquid.) You could probably adapt it to a slow cooker as well. Proceed through browning the meat, reduce the liquid to 1 ½ cups each of water and stock, put all ingredients but the corn meal in a slow cooker and cook on low or medium for 6-8 hours. About a half hour before serving, switch to high, uncover and add in the corn meal, giving it a good stir every now and then.

Turkey Chili with Four Types of Beans
Serves 6 - 8

1 ½ pounds ground turkey (I used 7 percent fat, labeled "lean.")
1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons grape seed or other vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 canned chipotle chiles, chopped
1 -15 ounce can of black beans
1-15 ounce can of small white beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 ounce can of adzuki beans (or pinto or kidney if adzuki are unavailable), rinsed and drained (The adzuki beans add a slight nuttiness to the dish.)
1-15 ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock, homemade or purchase low-sodium
2 cups water
1-28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
¼ cup of corn meal

Toppings: plain yogurt or sour cream, chopped cilantro, lemon wedges, avocado slices, shredded cheese, fresh salsa, etc.

In a large bowl, mix paprika, garlic, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, black pepper and salt with ground turkey. Combine well.

Heat oil in a large pressure cooker. Working in batches if need be, brown the seasoned ground turkey mixture, breaking up the meat into clumps as it browns. Add the onion, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and chopped chipotles. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add in drained beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, water and chicken stock. Stir well.

Place and lock lid on pressure cooker. Bring up to pressure and cook at high pressure for about five minutes. Open vent and allow steam to escape until all pressure is released. Take off lid.

Over medium heat, stir in the corn meal and cook until the chili is slightly thickened.

Serve with toppings as desired.