El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America (and this may be my smallest post on the tour). After hours of googling ‘food of El Salvador” in absolutely every contortion possible, I found hundreds of references to pupusa, a biscuit-like flatbread made from corn — and not much else that was unique. In most part, their ‘traditional dishes’ are those of their neighbors.
Further, aside from the historic saga of conquistadors and Indios, I was really stuck on what to say about the country. Then I stumbled upon an announcement from Lonely Planet naming El Salvador as one of the top 10 countries for 2010. Apparently, they have great weather all year round, their beaches are ‘the best’, it’s not over-crowded with tourists, and it’s less expensive than other destinations. Things were looking up. 
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I love Thanksgiving. The flavor palette of this holiday meal has me salivating for days before — and digesting/working it off for days after. But what if you could have all of the flavors of Thanksgiving and none of the trappings? And by ‘trappings’, I mean calories.
Imagine you had a shopping list of turkey, pumpkin, sweet potato, apples, raisins…wouldn’t you start thinking “Thanksgiving”?
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Don’t you just love your food to pop off the plate? Color, taste, texture…they please the eye and the palate.
This is a dinner I did for my family a few weeks ago and I’m looking forward to repeating it one day soon. It incorporates a variety of savory flavors, a little acid and a surprise sweet element in the cabbage. Continue Reading
I’m not a big risotto fan. Didn’t have much luck the few times I made it and I never liked the idea of standing at the stove and stirring for 20 minutes. But, I was recently served a risotto that was totally made in the microwave (shocker!) and it was pretty darn good. So that got me thinking about risotto again and I’ve since made two different ones (the old-fashioned way on the stove). Here’s the first. The second is a pumpkin risotto which I’ll post another day. Continue Reading
I’d been thinking recently about how to use Tequiza beer in cooking. (For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is produced by Anheuser Busch and combines the flavors of lime, agave and tequila). It’s very refreshing on a hot summer’s day and though I don’t drink it often, when I do…I really enjoy it!
Back to cooking. Because of the lime and tequila flavors, my mind naturally went to something Latin-inspired and the other day I came up with a dinner muy rico! Hats off to Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Peru…I used flavors from all of their kitchens (cocinas). And, I actually kept a note of what I did so herewith…a recipe! For two.
Adobo Shrimp Enchilado (spicy)
shrimp (I used 6 per person)
1 lime
1 packet Sazón (or adobo seasoning)
aji amarillo (or hot sauce) to taste
2 tbl minced chorizo (Spanish sausage)
1 garlic clove minced
2 tbl onion minced
2 tbl green pepper minced
1 sm can tomato sauce
sliced stuffed green olives & capers to taste
cider vinegar
1. Marinate shrimp for about 30 minutes with a blend of olive oil, 1 packet Sazón (adobo and annatto flavored seasoning), squeeze of fresh lime juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of Aji Amarillo paste (or splash of hot sauce) for a little heat.
2. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic. Add minced chorizo (about 2 tbl). It adds flavor and color! When it starts releasing its oil and color move to the side of the pan.
3. Add the shrimp on high heat to sear and then remove.
4. Add 1 can of tomato sauce, adobo seasoning, stuffed green olives, and capers and cook on med-low for about 15 minutes until flavors meld and it cooks down a bit. Add a drop of cider vinegar and put shrimp back in for last few minutes.
Tequiza Beer and Cilantro Rice
Pulse and set aside:
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp olive oil
S&P
a squeeze of lime
Saute
1/8 green pepper minced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 onion minced
Fold in 1/2 cup of rice and saute for a minute or two before adding 1 cup of liquid (3/4 Tequiza and 1/4 chicken broth). Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
To Serve:
• Finishing touch: a squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of crumbled Mexican cheese.
• I also made Platano Maduro (sweet plantain) which I halved and baked in the oven for a little figure-friendly take on the classic frying. It was a perfect complement to the spicy dinner.
Lastly, lucky me, this dish meets the red, white and green criteria for this month’s Royal Food Joust challenge. I’m off to enter it on the Leftover Queen’s website…
Herb-Crusted Pork Roast, Dried Fruit and Vegetable Compote,
with a Bean Puree
Behold the main entree I prepared for a family dinner. I think the only reason I didn’t get a standing ovation was they were too busy eating, reaching for seconds and loudly ooh-aahing. It was that good!
A Little About My Family
When you move from one state to another as I did (NYC to South FL), you are truly blessed to find everyone you thought you were leaving sitting at the dining table with you. This is what happened with us. First my mother and grandmother left NY 30 years ago; the next generation (me, my sister, her husband) left 14 years ago; and, little by little, our children and their children set roots in South Florida. We now number 16 around the dinner table and range in age from 86 to 2 years old. (Wish I could say I was dead middle.) When the last branch of the family tree moved down several years ago, we started a new tradition…instead of the conventional offering of grace or toast and clinking glasses, we start every family dinner with a bellowing rendition of Hail, Hail…the gang’s all here. Family dinners are frequent, celebratory, raucously loud and over-abundant with food!
So, without too much further ado, this is the main course I prepared for my sister’s birthday. My niece did appys and a first course — dare I tell you it was pasta? We’re mostly Italian. It’s a hard thing to give up on Sunday (and other days) for some family members.
The Pictorial
The Undeniably Colorful Fruit & Veggie Compote
The meat and beans presentation.
The Artistic View
For Roast Pork:
boneless pork loin, garlic, rosemary, crushed walnuts, thyme, fennel seed, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, bread crumbs, mustard, honey, tablespoon orange marmalade, OO, S&P.
• Spray pan and pork roast with olive oil.
• S&P meat and strategically add some garlic studs.
• Prepare dry rub of herbs and crushed walnuts, mix with a little honey and a tablespoon or two of orange marmalade and pat onto roast.
• At this point, I decided to add some breadcrumbs to the top to create a crust and stop marmalade glaze from burning. It worked well.
• Bake at 325 (170 internal) for about 20 minutes per pound.
For Dried Fruit & Vegetable Compote (gorgeous, isn’t it?):
dried dates, dried plums, carrots, baby pearl onions, green olives, mini sweet peppers, capers, chicken broth, Sweet Vermouth.
The technique is to basically throw everything into a pot with some chicken broth until fruit gets all soft and deliciously gooey, the vegetables are tender, and the saltiness and sweetness have melded. I added the Sweet Vermouth towards the end.
For Bean Puree:
beans, toasted walnuts, OO, S&P, chopped parsley
I use canned beans (white, black or, in this case, chick peas) and it couldn’t be simpler. Heat, pulse lightly so that it still has some texture, add a little S&P, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of parsley and decorate with toasted walnuts.
[See my favorite pulsing kitchen item in right column. I use it for the bean puree, making pesto, scrambling eggs...etc.]
While many food bloggers are presenting the last rays of summer — lots of fresh tomato and berry dishes (not together), others have begun to turn their attention to Fall and more hearty dishes. Here’s one that sort of bridges the gap between Summer and Fall depending on how you serve it.
Category: This could be an interesting brunch buffet item, a light summer lunch with a salad, or different type accompaniment to a hearty dinner like lamb shank (pictured here) or osso buco.
Ingredients: 4 brussels sprouts, 1 pint skim milk ricotta, 1 egg, generous amount of parmesan (like a handful), sprinkle of bacon bits and sun-dried tomatoes (see http://foodalogue.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-in-your-pantry.html) dash of nutmeg, S&P. Yields 4 muffins.
Technique: Peel leaves and saute to soften with a drizzle of olive oil and chicken broth. (Note: I always cook vegetables in chicken broth rather than water. It adds a layer of flavor from the onset.)
Mix ricotta, beaten egg, and all dry ingredients. Fold in leaves and spoon mixture into muffin pans. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.
Lamb Shank: Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, fennel seed and oregano. Brown meat in a little olive oil, add carrot, sliced onion, a few prunes, 1 can tomato sauce, and a little chicken broth if too thick. Cook until meat begins to fall from bone (at least an hour). Add peas.
The guests ‘may’ be sober, but the bird is definitely juiced! It arrives with a few cups of tequila and Grand Marnier in its belly.
whole carrots, whole beets, mini sweet peppers, french string beans, purple potatoes, cipollini onions and a head of garlic (in their skins).*
Everything was brushed with a mixture of olive oil, S&P, thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds (the carrots and beets got a splash of balsamic glaze in their mixture). Roasted at 350 degrees till tender.
Mojo Rojo: Puree 1 jar Goya piquillo peppers (or sweet pimentos), 1/2 cup olive oil, a little salt, a splash of sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup of walnuts and almonds.
Corn, avocado, cheddar cheese, black olives, capers, scallions dressed with fresh tomato salsa and extra squeezes of lemon.
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