Good Morning!

One of the many things I love about Mexico is that breakfast there always involves an abundance of fresh fruit, including my favorite, papaya. From Leticia's kitchen in San Luis Potosí, to hotel breakfast in San Miguel de Allende... or breakfast brought right to our towel on a beach in Tulum, and every single morning at Hacienda Las Trancas... desayuno isn't desayuno without papaya and lime. I can eat this stuff every day.

Lunchtime leftovers snack.

By the way, if you've never tried Finn Crisps, you should.

Farmer's Market!

From May through December, we've got the farmer's market in Van Vorst Park every Saturday, and in the Grove Street Plaza on Mondays and Thursdays; both right around the corner from us. Here's Saturday's bounty:

With the lovely Jersey tomatoes, domestic mootzy and basil from our little fire escape herb garden (which, by the way, is growing like crazy!) I made a nice Caprese Salad. Jimmy grilled up a piece of tuna and sauteed some asparagus and squash. Fresh, easy and delish. 

Turkey Meatloaf

Last night I decided to make Meatloaf out of the ground turkey that I had.  I followed a recipe that I found on Epicurious.com.  I picked it because I had pretty much everything in the ingredients list.  This Turkey Meatloaf Recipe has you cook most of the ingredients first and I think I've always just mixed everything together and then cooked in all at once.  This recipe turned out really good though!  Cooking the aromatics together first definitely brings out more of their flavor when the meatloaf bakes.  Try it out!
Note:  I didn't have the mushrooms so I left those out, and I just used 1 egg so as not to waste the egg yolk in the 2nd egg.  AND, I used the parsley out of my herb garden!!  :)

Blue Passion Flower

Yesterday Carlinhos and I came back to our apartment and discovered this amazing flower blooming in our backyard. I have never seen this flower before and was in awe of its beauty and uniqueness - it didn't seem like it should be growing in the middle of Los Angeles.

At first we just saw one flower, but then when we looked up and saw that this flower is a vine and it had kind of taken over the back wall and the electric wires that are running up there. There were multiple blooms, and after more examination of the plant, we could see that it had little orange egg-shaped fruits.

So as I said, I wasn't sure what kind of flower it was until Mom informed me that it is a Passion Flower. And after some google-ing, I found out that this one in particular is a Blue Passion Flower and that the fruit is edible! And the kicker is that it is a native of South America, and more specifically BRASIL!
One of my favorite things to eat EVER IN THE WORLD is Mousse de Maracuja (Passion Fruit Mousse), which is basically like an ice cream made from passion fruit. I am so excited to try to make this with our new little edible discoveries! It will be interesting to see if the flavor of this type of passion fruit is as tasty as what I'm used to...I will update you as soon as I find out! :)

Buon compleanno Cheemee

It was Jimmy's Birthday Wednesday, and since we both had to work and have an early night, I just made a simple pasta, namely Tagliatelle with prosciutto and orange. It was super easy and really yummy! (The recipe was in Bon Appétit's "The Italy Issue" - you can find it here. A quick tomato sauce with some orange juice squeezed in is also very good, fyi. :) We followed it all up with one of his faves, cupcakes from Billy's. (In case you're not aware, Billy's is a very wonderful cupcake shop in NYC). We tried a new flavor: the lemon cupcake. mmm!

Brigadeiro com Morango e Banana Pizza Doce

In Brazil Pizza Doce, or sweet pizza, is a big thing.  It sounds a little weird at first since we are used to the savory pizzas here in the US.  But let me tell you, the sweet versions are really good and addicting!  In the past I have made what is called Romeu e Julieta, which is a sweet and savory pizza with goiabada (guava paste) and mozzarella cheese.  The guave paste serves as the "sauce" with the cheese laid over that, and each compliments the other giving a nice sweet/salty contrast which I happen to love!
Yesterday I made another pizza doce using brigadeiro (a chocolatey, fudgy, caramel made from sweetened condensed milk) and strawberries and bananas.

You should try to make your own Pizza Doce sometime!  You can get pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joes and then can put whatever toppings sound good and I promise it will come out good!  The possibilities are endless!
The two that I have mentioned are probably the most popular in Brasil, but there is also another one that is made with mozzarella, banana and cinnamon.  Yummy!  Bom Apetite!

The Father's Day Fiesta Spread

Carne asada, carnitas, stuffed anaheim peppers, corn salad, black beans, refried beans, tortillas, roasted chili and cheese quesadillas, sauteed onions, guacamole, crema, queso fresco, radishes, cilantro, and a few different salsas.  Good stuff!

And for dessert, I made Alfajores.  They are a shortbread cookie sandwich with dulce de leche in the middle.  It was my first time making them and they turned out pretty good, but I need to perfect the dulce de leche to make it a bit thicker so it stays in the cookie instead of dripping out.  Nevertheless, they were pretty darn good if I say so myself.

Acapulco-Style Shrimp Cocktail

Mom made this as an appetizer yesterday and it was so yummy!!! She got it from Rick Bayless and here is the recipe. It was a tomato-y, lime-y, cilantro-y melange of flavors. YUM!

Garden Greatness

Over the weekend, I was at home and as you know they have quite the garden going, and this is such an amazing time of year for a garden.  Mom has leeks growing in the back and if you don't know what the flower looks like, you must take a look!  Not only do you get a tasty vegetable in the garlic and onion family, but they also produce the most beautiful flowers!  I am obsessed!  (and aren't the buds the blooms come out of like little elf hats - so cute!)

And Harold has so many tomatoes growing everywhere - it's like a tomato jungle in the back.  I can't wait to taste them all!  It will be soon because there are baby tomatoes and buds all over the plants.  So exciting!  Why buy shelf-ripened produce, when you can grow it yourself for free?!!!

A shrimp stir-fry

Namely, Chinese Trinidadian Stir-Fried Shrimp with Rum. This is another recipe out of Grace Young's book, Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge. This is one of the easiest dishes I've stir-fried yet, and it's really flavorful.

Best. Tacos. Ever.

We've been enjoying the super-good tacos at Jersey City's Taqueria Downtown since we moved here. These dudes originally from LA are bringing serious authentic Mexican-flavored realness. But in the 3 years or so that Jimmy and I have been eating here, we've rarely ordered outside our usual repertoire of tacos: Carnitas, Bistec and Pescado. I've gone for the Nopalitos (cactus) taco a couple times, and it is also delicious. And I do love the avocado and bean tostada. But usually we're all about pork, steak and fish tacos... because they are amazing, seriously. Last night however, we ventured out. I got the Chorizo taco, and it was yummy enough. But Jimmy got the Barbacoa (lamb) and OH MY GOD, so freakin good. I think we have a new regular in the rotation.

P.S. For those of you living in Manhattan or Brooklyn, the Taqueria has recently opened a 2nd location on the Lower East Side. You better go.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." -George Bernard Shaw

A friendly mushroom living in our kitchen plant

Jimmy is totally grossed out by it - I think it's neat.

Pretty

The broken rose branch I rescued from the park, currently brightening up our kitchen.

Tiny Brats

With all the talk of wieners these days, I thought I'd point out another recent TJ's find that I'm very excited about. These tiny Bratwursts! We picked them up just to try - I was a bit skeptical as they didn't really look like the typical brat. But let me tell you they're delicious! A very nice traditional bratwurst flavor.

Quickly heated in a skillet, served with some lovely spring asparagus, little pan-fried potatoes, a good mustard and a crisp Hofbräu Original... a nice little würstlparty.

Coffee

Jimmy brought home coffee. He said he picked a flavor to represent us both. :)

Cupcake Pops

I made these cupcake pops for my friend Jennifer's 30th birthday.  I went with a purple theme...

Hot Nicoise Salad

I got this idea from Gwyneth Paltrow - she was featured in Food and Wine magazine a couple months ago because she just came out with a cookbook.  This hearty meal is very easy...take whatever vegetables you want (I used a red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, haricots verts, asparagus and olives), add some chopped basil and toss it all in olive oil and S&P and put in a roasting pan.  Crack an egg into a ramekin and pour a little olive oil over it and season with S&P.  Coat the tuna with olive oil and S&P and nestle it into the veggies.  Cook in an oven which has been preheated to 400 degrees.  For the dressing you can combine some olive oil and lemon juice, or I just added a little balsamic vinegar to what juices and olive oil were already there.  Bon Appetit!

Herbs, East Side

Here's our little herb garden so far - basil, chives and mint. I want to get more soon. Last year we had some other stuff including tarragon which I used a lot, but we have trouble with squirrels out there. So far this year they haven't found our new plants, and I'd like to get some chicken wire before they do. Jimmy found that little lantern, and we might try to turn it into a mini tomato greenhouse or something. :)

A week filled with Porcini Mushrooms

So I bought a container of Porcini Mushrooms from Whole Foods the other day for a recipe that I was making. It was way more than what the recipe called for but it was the only amount I could buy there. When I opened the container, the smell overwhelmed me! or rather I should say the stench! The odor that the dried porcinis give off is somewhat reminiscent of Vietnamese fish sauce, and if you've ever come in contact with that then you know it is a very unappetizing smell, and one that doesn't seem like it should be ingested. Despite this, I continued on with my cooking...

This is what they look like dried, but in order to use them in most recipes you need to soak them in hot water so that they return to a moist state. And thank goodness because this makes that awful smell dissipate into a more appetizing aroma!
The first recipe that I made using the dried porcini mushrooms was Braised Chicken with Pancetta. I made this along with some creamy polenta, which is made by boiling water with salt and slowly whisking in 1-1/2 cups of polenta. Then continue stirring so that no lumps form. Lower the heat and let it cook for 35-40 minutes stirring frequently until it starts to pull away from the pot. Then I grated about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese into the pot and stirred until incorporated. (you can also substitute milk for the water, and/or add butter to make it even creamier). I served the chicken over a serving of this polenta.

When I made the Braised Chicken I only used about a quarter of the container of porcinis, so a few days later I decided to make the same sauce but instead of braising bone-in chicken I used 3 boneless chicken breasts. I followed the same recipe but just shredded the chicken breasts into the sauce at the end, and I substituted penne for the polenta.  It was very tasty as well!

And finally last night, I saw an easy recipe on David Rocco's show Dolce Vita for Porcini Gnocchi. If you haven't seen his show before, you should really check it out. He travels through Italy and gives a few recipes each episode for Italian fare which are really simple and look very delizioso! I always figured gnocchi would be difficult to make, but in fact they are quite simple. Here is the recipe link for the Porcini Gnocchi I made. Buon appetito!

So there ya have it! I ended up using the entire container of dried porcinis in one week! And after I first opened that container, I never thought I would! So don't be afraid. Once they soak in the water, they give a very woodsy, meaty flavor to whatever you are cooking. I'm a fan!

Easy Snack! and it's healthy too!

Mom turned me on to this one. All you need is one package of steamed lentils and one of the fresh bruschetta sauce from Trader Joes (both in the refrigerated section). Mix them together in a bowl and voila! you've got yourself a lovely little snack. I eat it just like that, but you could also put them on toasted bread just like you would normal bruschetta. Bon appetite!

Taking it right to the sky's edge

When I say things like "I'm cooking with my flavors," I usually mean Mexican flavors. I never met a lime, an avocado or a jalapeño I didn't like. But over the last year, thanks to a wok-wedding present and a really great cookbook by Grace Young, I've discovered the joys of cooking Chinese food. I had "stir fried" before, but never knew what I was doing so it was never any good. After hearing Young on the radio, I immediately bought her book "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge," and I highly recommend it if you're interested in exploring this wonderful technique. Basically, it's all about the Mise en place...

A pantry stocked with a few stir-frying staples, your fresh ingredients and you are ready to go. The process is mainly prepping, which is so lovely b/c all of the flavors come together as you chop. The smell of ginger and garlic, rice wine and sichuan peppercorns is amazing. You get everything ready to go, because the actual cooking time is very hot and very fast. As a result, everything comes out so fresh and flavorful.

In the last week, I made Stir-Fried Salmon with Wine Sauce, with a side of Stir-Fried Ginger Broccoli (now my favorite way to cook broccoli), and Stir-Fried Chicken with Black Bean Sauce, with a side of Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Sichuan Pepper and Salt. Everything I've tried so far has been super delish. My favorite so far is the Spicy Orange Chicken, so I thought I'd post that recipe here.

*Notes: Make sure your ingredients are well dried. Also, whenever Sichuan peppercorns are called for they must be first roasted and ground. Put 1/4 cup in a dry, cold wok and remove any stems. Stir over medium-low for 3-5 minutes til they are fragrant and slightly smoking. Be careful not to let them burn. Once they're cooled grind them in a mortar, then store them in a jar.

Spicy Orange Chicken

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch-thick bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded ginger
• 2 tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon chili bean sauce
• 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges, or 1 cup grape tomates, halved (about 5 ounces)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

In a medium bowl combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon of the ginger, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Stir to combine. In a small bowl combine the broth, rice vinegar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch.

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the oil, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until the ginger is fragrant. Push the ginger to the sides of the wok, carefully add the chicken, and spread it evenly in one layer in the wok. Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting the chicken begin to sear. Add the orange zest and chili bean sauce. Then stir-fry 1 minute, or until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry 30 seconds or until just combined. Restir the broth mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the scallions, sprinkle on the salt, and stir-fry 1 minute or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish with rice or 4 as part of a multicourse meal.

Brazilian-Style BBQ

Carlinhos and I had a BBQ on Sunday with all of his friends from Brazil.  And beforehand, I was worried about how the meat was going to be cooked and who was going to cook it, etc.  He insisted not to worry, that they were Brazilians and all they needed was course sea salt.  I ended up doing a carne asada marinade for some meat...just in case.  And in fact, sea salt was all that they used.  They bought big pieces of picanha and coated them with the salt and put them on the grill.  (Note:  Some say Picanha is a cut of tri-tip and some say it is top sirloin.  But either way it a cut from the rump).  The meat came out so tasty and I was so surprised that salt was all it needed, when I am constantly hearing about the best rubs, the best marinades and the best sauces for meat grilling.  Try it next time you want to grill some meat!

Oh, I also ate my first coracao de galinha (chicken hearts), which were quickly marinated in vinegar and garlic and then put in skewers on the grill.  The taste is pretty good, but they feel very rubbery!  I'd eat them again though!

Easy Turkey Tacos

For nights when you want to make a really quick and easy dinner, buy a can of El Pato and some ground turkey.  There is the regular yellow can, or this green can which is slightly spicier.  All you have to do is brown the turkey with some onions and S&P, then add the entire can until hot.  Serve on tortillas of choice with whatever taco condiments you prefer.  Now of course these are not the best tacos you will ever have, or even come close to tacos you would buy off a truck; BUT if you want a healthier taco and a very easy taco, then El Pato is your guy.