tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88280394554729591502024-02-19T06:54:47.221-08:00Cooking with a BroadCULINARY MUSINGS, EXPERIMENTS and ADVENTURESshelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-83450862929037131692013-01-28T16:11:00.003-08:002013-01-30T13:32:20.395-08:00A 3-Chile Salsa with Oaxacan Smokiness"Oaxaca loves smoky flavours," says <b>Pilar Cabrera</b>, "roasted tomatillos, mezcal, desserts of leche quemada." She is also referring to the smoked chile pasilla de Oaxaca, an ingredient being used in the cooking class I attended last December.<br />
Pilar, owner of<a href="http://www.laolla.com.mx/"> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">La Olla</span></b></a><b> </b>Restaurant in Oaxaca and <a href="http://casadelossabores.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">La Casa de los Sabores</span></b></a> Cooking School first led us through the neighbourhood Merced market buying and pointing out key ingredients before assembling the group of willing students back to her home kitchen.<br />
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I'm a huge fan of the smoked chile, you can see my previous posts about it<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2011/04/salsa-de-chile-pasilla-de-oaxaca.html">here</a>,</span> <a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2010/05/salsa-de-chile-pasilla.html">here</a>, </span><a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2010/05/stuffed-chilie-pasilla-de-oaxaca.html" style="color: black;">and here</a>.</b><br />
The dried and smoked chile hails from the Mixe (mee-hay) region of Oaxaca and is offered in various sizes; the large ones are best used for stuffing, the small for salsas. The chiles are also ground with garlic and sea salt for<i> chintextle</i>, a delicious paste that can be thinned out using cooked tomatillos, or with tomatoes, like <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8828039455472959150#editor/target=post;postID=4440226824510186229"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I've done in the past,</span></b></a> cooked along with mushrooms for a smoky, spicy sauce for pasta.<br />
In class, we used the small pasillas along with chiles de arbol and chiles moritas for a 3-chile salsa with addition of roasted gusanos (agave worms), another Oaxaca specialty. It was a more-ish mix we liberally added to the tamales we assembled and steamed. (More on that later).<br />
Back at home, with chiles in hand, I recreated the salsa from her recipe.<br />
Five each of chiles moritas, arbol and chile pasilla de Oaxaca (clockwise, the pasilla is at top left, chile de arbol and chile morita).<br />
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Lightly toast the chiles on a heated comal, or cast iron pan, just enough to release their aroma. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Set aside to soak until softened. Remove stems from chiles. Keep those seeds in. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.<br />
On the comal, or cast iron pan, toast 350 grams of tomatillos, that have been husked and washed. Toast evenly on all sides, blackened in spots, until they change colour from bright to dull green. Toast three garlic cloves in their skins, until softened and blackened. Remove the garlic from their skins, popping them into a blender with a good pinch of sea salt. Add a few tomatillos and grind to a paste.<br />
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Alternately add the softened chilies and tomatillos to the blender, blending until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding some chile soaking water. Salt to taste.</div>
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The salsa is <i>muy picosa </i>but the heat is even and adds luscious heat and smokiness to any dish from a creamy guacamole to the chicken and bean burrito I had for lunch. </div>
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It's even hotter the next day.shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-61018754751164929152013-01-28T12:49:00.003-08:002013-01-29T09:01:18.170-08:00Burgers, Messy Food and Feeding the Roofers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
They were like feral animals. They started early, filling the ground with old roofing tiles, nails and trash, and filling the air with foul language. They smoked and spat, and dined on the ground with whatever fast food they could get their blackened hands on. The roof was being redone at long last.</div>
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Working from home as I do, and listening to them all day, I saw a perfect opportunity to make a bit of cash and cook for these wild beasts.</div>
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They fell for my offer and over the course of a week, I cooked up extreme comfort foods which they devoured like fiends. </div>
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A toasted pretzel bun became the perfect vehicle for schnitzel and a cavalcade of bacon-flecked sauerkraut and grated cheese.</div>
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The classic meatball sandwich began with a layering of sauteed mushrooms and onions, two spicy meatballs smothered in a rustic tomato sauce, covered with melting mozza. (Someone mentioned that messy was the new black in food photography).<br />
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Their hands-down favourite from my backdoor kitchen became the bacon burger explosion. A 7-ounce secret-spiced patty formed around jack cheese with the usual fixings of tomato, pickle, lettuce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and topped with bacon on a sesame seed bun. One bite revealed the molten cheese core.</div>
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Burgers are experiencing a sort of renaissance where I live. Here is my ground round up of the newest restaurants and how they stack up in <a href="http://www.westernlivingmagazine.com/FD/0412.best-burgers-in-victoria-bc-canada.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b>Western Living Magazine. </b></span></a></div>
shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-1077990905152142422013-01-20T14:43:00.002-08:002013-01-25T08:00:44.909-08:00Spud-tastic! Variation on the Scallop Potato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The mandoline is receiving a lot of press in food magazines lately. Both Fine Cooking and Bon Appetit devote space and time to the slicer in their January issues. The mandoline, made in various types of materials and sold at various prices, is a handy tool for making paper thin and fairly uniform slices. It shreds cabbage beautifully for cole slaw, and if you have attachments, makes brilliant julienne pieces. I've written about it previously for making <a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2010/09/three-sticks-of-celery.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b>my favourite celery salad.</b></span></a></div>
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Lately, I'm charmed with how it handles local red potatoes for scalloped potatoes. It's a great wintery dish and is easy to assemble. The uniformity of the thin slices lets you layer beautifully.</div>
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I was using up bits of cheese I had leftover, so this is not one of those in-your-face calorie busters. It's on the tame side. A layer of potatoes, salt and freshly ground pepper, a bit of grated cheese, and repeat.</div>
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Instead of the usual milk and cream liquid to cook the spuds in, I added chicken stock, for a take on <i>gratin savoyard</i> (scallop potatoes with meat stock and cheese), from <b>Mastering the Art of French Cooking</b> by <b>Julia Child. </b>Fill your casserole just enough to moisten the layers without drowning the whole thing.</div>
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Cover the dish with grated cheese, I used parmesan, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender, bubbling and lusciously brown on top. </div>
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Et voila!</div>
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The dish makes a lovely accompaniment at dinner or lunch. We enjoyed generous wedges with a poached egg and salad for a delicious Sunday lunch. Second helping were involved. </div>
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<b>Options:</b> freshly chopped thyme and thinly sliced onions add further interest to this easy dish and of course, dotting it with butter is always welcome.</div>
shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-67293942269252977392013-01-15T17:43:00.003-08:002013-02-10T10:03:54.744-08:00Variations on a Moroccan-Inspired Marinade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recipes are often mere springboards when faced with limited or minimal ingredients in the kitchen. With any luck, new dishes can be created that might even be better than the original. I've come across a new version from an original by Australian celebrity chef <b>Curtis Stone</b> via a friend and avid cook, <b>Keith Talent.</b> It's an easy marinade that takes inspiration from Morocco with cumin, turmeric, lemon and saffron. I've eliminated many steps from the original: the dates, green olives and almonds, and I have yet to serve the dish on couscous. I may in the future, but as it stands I can't resist this recipe's fast and easy steps to a delicious meal. (To keep it authentic, you might want to present the finished dish in a tagine, but it's certainly not necessary).</div>
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It's a simple marinade that works perfectly with chicken legs or thighs, or pork shoulder for that matter, cut into serviceable chunks.</div>
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Here we go: in a mortar and pestle, crush a couple of inches of ginger, a handful of cilantro, a couple of cloves of garlic with salt. Once a paste is achieved, add a cup of water, the juice of one lemon, a couple of spoons of crushed cumin and turmeric, some saffron, red pepper flakes and a few good turns of freshly cracked pepper. </div>
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Choose your protein, and marinate for as long as you've got time for. I usually try and marinate the meat around noon to be ready for the dinner hour, but have even made this a couple of hours before cooking time with great success.<br />
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Remove the meat from the marinade and fry, bake or grill. If frying or baking, add the leftover marinade once the meat has some colour, add in a couple of cinnamon sticks and chopped carrots for a little extra something (completely optional). If grilling, slather the marinade on at regular intervals.<br />
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Serve. Delicious!shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-54224733045259934322012-10-19T18:17:00.000-07:002013-01-25T08:07:57.605-08:00The Cookie Chronicles - A Basic Recipe to BeginSpending time over the years on various online food forums, I've met a lot of people with names such as Canucklehead, Little Frog, Viola de Gamba, Moosh, TFA, Sushi Cat, and other such handles. Some I have met in person and shared many happy meals with. Others, I have never met, but have continued a friendship of sorts, one that centers specifically around food. We've shared our likes and dislikes, our favourite restaurants and travel trips but most importantly, we've shared recipes. From exotic Thai and Filipino dishes to tips on mastering a perfect Yorkshire pudding or creating the most exquisite pillowy soft ricotta gnocchi, I cherish their recipes as much as their friendships. They're delicious keepsakes that, in the sprit of friendship, I'd like to share with you.<br />
This cookie recipe comes from Snacky Cat. It's a great entry level cookie recipe, one that works every time, doesn't require a lot of complicated ingredients, and is dead easy to make. You don't have to add the chocolate chips, but they're so much better with them. You can also substitute raisins for the chocolate, or nuts and a hit of orange zest. Or just plain cookies.<br />
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<br />
<b>Snacky Cat's Basic Cookie Recipe</b><br />
350 degree F - 13 min.<br />
Yield: approx. 16 2 3/4" cookies<br />
<br />
1.2 cup butter<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 1/4 cup flour<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
Add chocolate chips (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven. Cream the butter and two sugars together. Add the egg and mix in. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the cookie dough, incorporating well. Add the vanilla and mix, and add in as many chocolate chips as you like, so they're dotted generously throughout.<br />
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Roll into balls and flatten out into the desired sizes. Place evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.<br />
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Bake until nicely browned and let cool, if you can stand the suspense.<br />
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<br />shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-42509783947279521142012-10-19T12:41:00.002-07:002013-01-30T08:14:37.954-08:00Corn Flake-Crusted Fish with Tomatillo SauceTaking cues from the tomatillo sauce from <b><a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2012/10/easy-versatile-tomatillo-sauce.html">my previous post</a>,</b> and a Rick Bayless recipe for corn flake-crusted fish, I combined the two to create a delicious dinner. Both versions keep with the easy and versatile theme - mine is minus the stock and onion for the sauce - while staying with the Mexican leitmotif, and the seasonal harvest of corn on the cob and tomatillos.<br />
Corn flakes provide an ultra crispy and delicious coating for the fish, and the sauce sees the addition of freshly roasted cob corn.<br />
Are you ready?<br />
Freshly shucked corn is thrown right on the grill, a technique that harkens back to that classic Mexican street food snack, sans the mayo and chili powder. You want to get some nice dark bits of colour, so make sure you toss it around the grill.<br />
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Once you have the desired colouring, remove from the grill and once cooled down enough, run your knife down the cob to remove the niblets and add a sufficient amount of them to your tomatillo sauce. Sufficient meaning use your eyes, your intuition and think about balance.</div>
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Keep the newly enhanced sauce on the back burner, while you proceed with your <i>mise en place</i> for the fish.</div>
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The fish you choose should have firm white flesh, such as snapper, halibut, or cod. Remove the skin and any extra bones. You could ask your local fish monger to do this for you if you lack the urge. And please, above all, choose a sustainable fish. </div>
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To coat the fish properly, you'll need flour, an egg wash, crushed corn flakes and a plate to place the coated fish on. </div>
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Dust the fish - I used ling cod - with flour, shaking off an excess. Dip in the egg wash and transfer to the crushed corn flakes, making sure all the sides are covered. Gently press the flakes on if they're uneven. Place on a plate and refrigerate briefly before frying. Cover loosely if it's going to be a few hours.</div>
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Ready to eat?</div>
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Heat your favourite frying pan over med-high heat with a good slick of light olive oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the coated fish. Fry evenly on all sides, turning carefully, but deftly, until crispy and golden. Transfer to paper towel briefly before plating. Make sure your plates are warm, and lay down a bed of corn-flecked tomatillo sauce and top with a piece of fish. Decorate with cilantro. </div>
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Buen provecho!</div>
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shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-41088923452254012542012-10-16T15:56:00.001-07:002013-01-30T08:11:16.037-08:00Easy & Versatile Tomatillo SauceThe tomatillo, a member of the gooseberry family, is distinguished by its papery husk, and is a staple of the Mexican kitchen.<br />
They're readily available - mostly - and the fall harvest is bringing them on strong, especially from our locally farmers and urban garden plots. They're easy to grow and will easily reseed themselves should you let them go to over winter. They can be used roasted, boiled or raw, in salsas, guacamoles, moles and cooked sauces. Simply remove the husk and rinse the tomatillo of any residual stickiness before using. (If there are no sources for fresh in your region, you can resort to canned but only when push comes to shove).<br />
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This sauce can be used for various proteins from eggs and cheese, to firm white fish, grilled chicken, pork or prawns. It's dead easy to make. Let's get started, shall we?<br />
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1 pound (450 gr. ) tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed<br />
4 serrrano chiles, whole<br />
1 garlic clove, chopped<br />
2 to 3 Tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp. light olive oil<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Put the tomatillos and whole chiles into a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer until both the chiles and tomatillos are soft - but not falling apart - they both will turn an olive green colour.<br />
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Remove from heat and scoop the tomatillos carefully out with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Reserve 1/3 of a cup of the cooking water for the blender. Add the chiles to the blender - stems and seeds removed - garlic and pulse until almost smooth. Add the tomatillos and blend briefly, making a fairly smooth sauce. Add cooking water if necessary to achieve the right consistency.<br />
* Hot Tip: When removing the seeds from a cooked chile, use a teaspoon for easy removal.<br />
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Over med-high heat, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the sauce all at once and reduce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and seasons. Adjust for salt and keep the sauce warm until ready to cook your protein. Add the chopped cilantro right before serving.<br />
For queso fresco, cut thick-ish slices, because you want the cheese to hold up on the grill and not fall apart.<br />
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Once it shows nice grill marks, remove to the sauce on the stove to heat through, or alternatively, deftly flip the queso and grill on the other side until heated through.<br />
Ready to plate.<br />
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<b>Options Abound</b><br />
<b>More on the sauce's versatility</b><br />
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*Once the sauce has seasoned, add in whisked eggs and let cook to make a delicious salsa-soaked version of scrambled eggs. Serve with hot corn tortillas and grilled sausages.<br />
*Use the seasoned sauce underneath grilled firm white fish such as halibut or rock cod.<br />
*When using chicken, try tenders or a chicken breast. Grill and finish cooking the meat in the sauce.<br />
*Grill spot prawns or octopus<br />
*Grilled pork chops.<br />
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<br />shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-80607418042312206882012-10-12T14:59:00.001-07:002013-01-30T08:06:36.939-08:00Soup's On! Minestrone Heats Up the Autumn ChillThe sudden turn of weather from dry, crisp and sunny to overcast, damp and chilly has us all running for warmth and comfort. Soup is the natural cure all, and with the bounty of fall vegetables coming in to our local farm markets in leaps and bounds, there's no better time to get out the stock pot and get cooking.<br />
Minestrone, that thick and hearty vegetable-pasta-bean laden soup seemed like the right fit, for both mood and weather.<br />
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Italian of origin, minestrone literally means "big soup," and is a cornerstone of the Italian table. In Genoa, recipes call for pesto and porcini, in Milan, onions and a protein such as pancetta or lardo are necessary. In North America, we've all enjoyed a myriad of interpretations on the theme. Tomatoes are the norm, but not always. The addition of beans with pasta or without, it's really not a big deal, unless you're the Italian author and food scholar Angelo Pelligrini who insisted that the base of minestrone was bean broth from the Borlotti bean. The main point though is to take inspiration from the autumn harvest and make something colourful, flavourful and nourishing.<br />
The base of my minestrone this time around was a soffritto, a slowly fried mixture of celery, onions and carrots that provides a deep, sweet base note before the addition of chicken stock along with a head of sliced garlic, chopped tomatoes, broccoli leaves and their stalks, corn off the cob, cabbage, parsley, sage and basil.<br />
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Brought to the boil and simmered for an hour of so, luscious aromas filled the air and the flavours murged into an earthy comforting concoction. Borlotti beans were added at the last - canned is really okay - and each deep bowl of soup is treated to a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling of parmesan. Not necessary, maybe a tad authentic in some circles, but welcome just the same.<br />
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<br />shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-88687161375001944712012-10-09T18:06:00.004-07:002013-02-08T08:56:42.223-08:00Pumpkin Pie Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
In spite of the extended sunshine and near drought conditions we've been experiencing, the Saanich farmlands are dotted with orange right on time. Pumpkin season is upon us.</div>
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While canned pumpkin is an option for some, making the pie filling from a real live pumpkin is a pleasure and dead easy.</div>
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Simply cut open a smaller sized pumpkin, and scrape out the seeds - save and roast them later - and place pieces of the cut pumpkin on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until the flesh is soft when pierced with a knife. </div>
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(Be aware that some pumpkins can yield a noticeable amount of liquid and should be drained before proceeding with the pie filling part of the recipe).</div>
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Once the cooked flesh is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh from the skin and measure out the required amount of cooked pumpkin. Transfer to a blender and puree the flesh with the required half and half to achieve a smooth texture and creamy final product.</div>
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Seeing how<a href="http://cookingwithabroad.blogspot.ca/2010/03/pecan-pie.html"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b>my pie crust recipe makes two crusts</b></span></a><b>,</b> I decided to double the pumpkin pie recipe and make two pies. Oh well!</div>
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Even so, I was left with more pie filling. So out came the custard cups and I baked them in a bain marie (water bath) at 250 degrees until they set like jello, around 45 minutes.</div>
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Once cool, I covered each with plastic wrap and refrigerated until use. Before serving, I got out my trusty blow torch and bruleed the tops with a layer of sugar. (Every cook should own a blow torch).</div>
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Breaking open the hard sugary top with a spoon is one of life's simple and immensely satisfying pleasures. </div>
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Here is my recipe for pumpkin pie filling, based on 2.5 cups of cooked pumpkin flesh for one (prebaked) pie shell.</div>
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2 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin flesh</div>
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3/4 cup of sugar</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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2 cups half and half or light cream</div>
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3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon</div>
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3/4 tsp. ground ginger</div>
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1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg</div>
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pinch of ground cloves</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the spices and salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree and half and half (you've pureed them together, remember?). Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</div>
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Place the prebaked pie shell on a sheet pan. Pour in the mixture and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture shakes like firm jello. Cool on a rack and serve slices with a big dollop of whipped cream.</div>
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Notes on prebaking the crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Once rolled out and formed into the pie plate, refrigerate for 15 minutes. Before baking, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with foil and weigh it down with fancy pie weights or kick it old school with dried beans or rice. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and pie weights - carefully - and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is a lovely shade of brown, not too dark and not too light. Remove and cool slightly before adding pie filling. Or let cool completely and reserve for later use.</div>
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shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-33872213764526338232012-08-08T17:01:00.002-07:002012-08-08T18:45:02.751-07:00In Pursuit of PurslanePurslane, aka verdolagas in Spanish, is a delicious wild edible, a ground creeper and hugely underutilized where I live in Victoria. Succulent and tart with a flavour similar to cactus paddles (nopales), or sea asparagus without the saltiness, it's fantastic in salads and curiously found in many cuisines of the world - Mexico and throughout the Middle East for example.<br />
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A few years ago, I enjoyed an unforgettable dish of purslane with Greek designs at a Chicago area restaurant, Taxim. The freshly picked leaves were tossed in a simple treatment of olive oil, preserved lemon, dill and capers, and served with grilled Halloumi cheese.<br />
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I'd been craving the salad recently and a chef friend led me to the vast greenhouses of <a href="http://www.daffodil.com/farm_site/HOME.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Vantreight Farm </span></b></a>where <b>Ryan Vantreight</b> was unaware of purslanes potential in the marketplace. While its cute, oval, green and fleshy leaves don't have the PR power behind it like, let's say, nettles or garlic scapes, with a little spin, purslane could be the next darling of the locavore movement.<br />
As he showed me the beautiful array of organic vegetables, herbs and berries throughout the greenhouses, he also pointed out the purslane growing in between the beds of basil and okra, where it regularly has to be weeded out. (As an aside, I bet you didn't know that okra flowers were so beautiful).<br />
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So giving new meaning to the phrase, 'in the weeds', I was offered the chance to pick at my leisure, and fill a basket with the vigorous weed. </div>
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Armed with several meals worth, I spoke briefly about verdolagas with one of the Mexican workers at the farm and discussed its use in Mexico. He mentioned a pork and tomatillo stew, and I remembered a wonderful recipe in <b>Diana Kennedy</b>'s book, <b>The Essential Cuisines of Mexico</b>, that I had made years earlier. Inspiration!</div>
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To get me closer to the salad, I stopped in to visit <b>Yasser Youssef</b> at the <b><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/317/1530797/restaurant/Victoria/Mediterranean-Speciality-Foods-Lakehill-Grocery-Saanich">Lakehill Grocery</a>.</b> He recognized the plant immediately and I gifted him with a big bunch. Youssef spoke about dishes in his native Lebanon that incorporates the green: one a salad, and the other, mini pies of leavened dough wrapped around a filling of purslane, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice and olive oil. Sounds delicious, doesn't it?<br />
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For the sake of experimentation, I purchased two styles of Halloumi from Yasser, one from Cyprus, a combination of sheep and goat cheese, the other called Halloum (no 'i') made with cow's milk. ( Many salads later, the Halloum came across as too salty, while the Cypriot cheese, had more depth of flavour - a little more baaah for your buck).</div>
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Back at home and with no preserved lemon in sight, I added chopped lemon zest to the mix and added in a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, and sumac powder for a decorative touch. Lemony, tart and tanginess, capers, salty notes, crunch from the pine nuts, the grassiness from the olive oil, this is a dish I could return to regularly - and I have - a completely refreshing first course in the summer.</div>
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The Mexican pork, tomatillo and purslane stew came next. Simple in execution - baby back ribs with tomatillos and jalapenos with subtle hits of cumin and Mexican oregano. Absolutely delicious.</div>
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More Middle Eastern dishes using purslane can be also be found in <b>Paula Wolfert'</b>s books, and via <b>Peter Minakis</b>'s wise writing on Greek cuisine at Kalofagas.ca, where I found a wonderful variation on the<a href="http://www.kalofagas.ca/2011/07/04/purslane-tzatziki/"> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">classic tzatziki</span></b></a> where purslane stands in for cucumber.</div>
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The dish cried out for grilled lamb to accompany it, and I complied, adding a bay leaf in between chunks of the meat.</div>
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Grilled pita bread was all that was needed to complete this purslane, thick yogurt and garlic delight.</div>
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If you'd like to jump on the bandwagon, ask for purslane at your nearest farmers' market or reputable grocer, one that supports and sells locally grown produce. (I've also seen it growing in between the rose bushes at Beacon Hill Park where you can pick it for free). You could even give <b>Vantrieght Farm</b>s a call, and request a big box load to be delivered to your restaurant. He just might show you some of the farm's amazing produce, produce that makes Victoria such an amazing place to live and dine.<br />
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<br />shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-70592039360315519942012-07-17T09:51:00.004-07:002012-07-17T09:55:16.306-07:00Mixiote. Gift of the MagueyThrough many trips south of the border and the many cookbooks on my shelves, Mexico continues to deliver the delicious and the exotic and never ceases to pique my curiosity. A market is always my first stop on a trip and I always return home heavily laden with dried herbs and chiles and cooking tools, ready to tackle another recipe.<br />
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For years I'd been reading about mixiotes, chile-marinated meats wrapped in the skin of the maguey plant, and had yet to track down the exotic wrapper in the country's marketplaces. Until recently.</div>
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The maguey, or century plant, dots the Mexican landscape and are commonly associated with pulque, that milky lightly fermented beverage that predates mezcal. But that's not all. The tough outer skin of each giant pointed leaf is peeled off, and used as a wrapping before the meat is pit cooked to perfection. What a thrill then, to find a bundle of the rare specimen, beautifully wrapped, while wandering the market in Jalapa.</div>
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Their texture is tough and very much like parchment paper - even stronger - and you can still see the pointed ends from the original leaf shape.</div>
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Once home, I used a Diana Kennedy recipe for mixiotes as a springboard. I created a chile paste using toasted guajillo and pasilla chilies, soaking them in a mixture of hot water and beer. The beer is a substitue for the pulque - which I couldn't seem to locate in my neighbourhood! </div>
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Here and garlic were handground in my trusty molcajete and add to the chile mix. Blended together they became a smooth, velvety paste to be slathered over meaty beef ribs to marinate for 12 hours. </div>
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Once the maguey skin was soaked in hot water and unfurled and one rib per leaf, with extra chile marinade was gift wrapped. </div>
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Traditionally, mixiotes would be steamed-cooked in a pit, but I had to suffice with a big roasting pan and the packages elevated from the bottom with a rack and steamed with beer and water for two hours. </div>
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I served the dish with garlic mash and green beans, and allowed each guest to unwrap their gift at the table. </div>
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Completely delicious. Completely exotic. </div>
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<br /></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-13379693356786565332012-06-10T12:40:00.001-07:002012-08-29T09:14:29.719-07:00Pancakes - It's What's for BreakfastPancakes should be delicate, not leaden. You can best achieve this with beaten eggs whites folded in to the mix, to lighten them up. The milk required can be substituted with buttermilk or yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta. A simple recipe is best, like the following one, shared with me by <b>Sivia Sadofsky</b> of <b><a href="http://www.siviapreserves.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Gypsy Jams</span>.</a></b> I jazzed it up with the addition of chopped lemon zest and frozen blueberries. Maple syrup was all that was needed.<br />
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<b>Sivia's Pancakes</b><br />
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2 eggs, separated<br />
2 cups milk<br />
2 cups flour<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
2 Tbsp. melted butter<br />
2 tsp. sugar<br />
1/2 tsp. or less of salt<br />
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Mix all the ingredients together - minus the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Fold in to the pancake batter and let rest 1/2 hour in the fridge before use.<br />
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Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add butter or oil, around a tablespoon, and swirl around the pan to evenly coat. Add a scant cup of batter and let set in the pan until bubbles form on the surface and the edges are turning a nice golden colour. Carefully flip the pancake and cook until done.Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Add butter and maple syrup as you see fit. Bacon is always a good accompaniment.<br />
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* Options: add chopped lemon or orange zest to the batter. Add fruit on top of each pancake on the griddle from apples, chopped and tossed with cinnamon, to frozen blueberries.shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-22986278540072059852012-05-27T18:54:00.000-07:002012-06-11T08:52:27.119-07:00Sunday Rewards - Limonada & ComidaMexican agua frescas, or fresh waters, are common throughout that country, usually held in big glass jars lining the counter of a comedor or fonda. They can be made with every kind of fruit imaginable from cantaloupe and watermelon to pineapple, hibiscus flowers and even nopales (cactus paddles). The classic agua fresca is limonada, and if it's not too sweet, it's my go-to agua fresca of choice. I made up a batch for a refreshing reward for a day's gardening.<br />
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Using a little over a cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, I added sugar in increments to get the right level of sweetness (between 1/3 and 1/2 cup). Poured into a pitcher of choice, I topped it up with ice and sparkling water. Stir and serve. </div>
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Agua frescas are always included in set price lunch menus in Mexico, usually called <i>comida corrida</i>, and today's comida became a quick fix of mushrooms sauteed with onions, tomatoes and a hit of chintextle, that fiery, smokey chile paste from Oaxaca - so good snuggled inside a hot corn tortilla. Seasonal asparagus was also essential, as was my new favourite salsa made with raw ingredients: tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno and avocado. It's dead easy to make and has proven to be a winner as a dip for spears of jicama, tostadas, chips and most recently, roasted baby potatoes. </div>
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A real keeper, baby.</div>
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<br /></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-90595061763208934552012-05-01T20:41:00.001-07:002012-06-11T08:53:29.682-07:00Waldorf Salad Redo - Soup's On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XIcHEf0Y3m7vlaDhBsPZX-TbVTCI8YT004G2wQJ8_twD3e7L-gBCdkXdVScmCRaWnJcShUgV8Ac17hDh8QEFkBSITlLPeL9nPrfGv3f-rk5Ft6jjzL12piu6ngN3dQFm36AHJt_A7vtQ/s1600/P1020401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XIcHEf0Y3m7vlaDhBsPZX-TbVTCI8YT004G2wQJ8_twD3e7L-gBCdkXdVScmCRaWnJcShUgV8Ac17hDh8QEFkBSITlLPeL9nPrfGv3f-rk5Ft6jjzL12piu6ngN3dQFm36AHJt_A7vtQ/s640/P1020401.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The Waldorf Salad, an American classic, was invented somewhere between 1893 and 1896 at New York's Waldorf Hotel. The gist of it finds apples, celery and walnuts tossed in mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce, iceberg preferably.</div>
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There have been many variations over the years, the addition of green grapes is common, chicken for a protein hit - which makes an amazing sandwich filling - the clear-out-the-fridge versions, etc.</div>
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My version is more of a soup than a salad, topped with crab meat mixed with preserved lemon and fresh garden chives - actually, kind of a soup and salad combination.</div>
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The base of the soup is celery with potato added for extra body, thyme, a bit of tart green apple and chicken stock. Once simmered and cooked through, the soup is pureed. </div>
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Per serving, I drizzle each bowl with walnut oil, add tiny cubes of jalapeno for texture contrast and a bit of zing. The crab salad is delicately floated on top of an arugula leaf pad. </div>
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The broth is delicate with light, bright hits of lemon, jalapeno, chives and arugula for contrast. A lovely soup for springtime. </div>
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<br /></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-44402268245101862292012-03-28T16:35:00.003-07:002013-01-30T13:31:12.641-08:00Chintextle Sauteed Mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Chintextle</b>, or chintestle, is a savoury chile paste hailing from <b>Oaxaca,</b> a state known for its distinct culinary riches. The paste, made with the smoked chile pasilla of Oaxaca, or chile Mixe, named after the region of Oaxaca it's from, is ground with the addition of garlic, salt and yerba santa. It often has the addition of dried shrimp or, as I've heard recently, pumpkin seeds. </div>
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It is used predominately as a "pilgrim's paste," something easily spread over a tortilla with fresh cheese for sustenance on long journeys. I've enjoyed it for breakfast in the Zapotec village of <b>Teotitlan del Valle</b>, spread on a tlayuda with stewed black beans and scrambled eggs. </div>
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On a recent trip, I went through the mornings-only market in Teotitlan with <b>Reyna Mendoza</b> as my guide, and luckily spied a vendor with little packets of freshly made chintextle for sale, this one made with dried shrimp, yerba santa and and roasted garlic. I promptly bought all six. </div>
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I've been using the paste in my kitchen in Canada, adding it into sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes and tossed in pasta, or atop a hot corn tortilla for tacos. </div>
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Chintextle imparts some fiery smoky heat, so I would recommend adding it in increments of a teaspoon at a time. (A teaspoonful was sufficient for 4 cups of sliced mushrooms and 4 chopped Roma tomatoes). </div>
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The resulting tacos are one of my favourites. </div>
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Recently, I sauteed a mixture of shitake and field mushrooms with tomatoes and chintextle and served it over lightly braised and garlicky winter greens for an elegant first course. Delicious.</div>
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When you're in Oaxaca, pick up some of the paste. It's easily tucked into luggage, and if you're feeling adventurous in the kitchen and find all the right ingredients, there are recipes for making your own chintextle in the <b>Diana Kennedy</b> tome, <b>Oaxaca Al Gusto</b>, and <b>Susanna Trilling</b>'s book, <b>Seasons of My Heart</b>, where Trilling recommends thinning the paste with honey, orange juice and bit of olive oil and rubbing it all over a chicken before roasting. Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?</div>
<br />shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-63654795035677159732012-03-28T14:33:00.002-07:002012-03-29T09:45:20.168-07:00Spaghetti Pie - Leftovers Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spaghetti pie first came into my life during a trip to Italy. I enjoyed a slice of the rustic pie in a tiny cafe in Naples after viewing the ruins of Pompeii. The latter impressed me with its gruesome remnants, the former, in its delicious simplicity of pasta, cheese and a bit of prosciutto mixed with eggs. It's a frugal dish, a way to use up leftover noodles and works beautifully for lunch, brunch or dinner. It's also great cold from the fridge.<br />
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Rooting around in the fridge, I created a version riffing on the classic of my memory, using sauteed leeks and chicken from Sunday's roast. The ingredients were tossed evenly among the leftover spaghetti with olive oil, just enough to moisten the mix, and around one cup of grated cheese, and seasoned with salt and pepper.</div>
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The resulting tangle was placed in a fairly deep pie plate and an egg custard using five eggs and one cup of milk, beaten together, was poured over top of the dish. </div>
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Bake at 300 degrees for around 45 minutes, or until set. (Cover the top with tin foil so it does not overcook).</div>
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Enjoy! </div>
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Here are a few ideas of other ingredients to add to the pasta. Use them as a springboard for your own ideas. Substitute cream for milk, add garlic but just don't forget the cheese.</div>
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1. Sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella</div>
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2. Guanciale, cream and a healthy dose of pecorino romano for a different version of spaghetti all" Amatriciana or Carbonara. Option it by topping with bread crumbs before baking.</div>
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3. Smoky bacon, cream and cheese.</div>
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4. Zucchini, sauteed green onions and thyme.</div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-34622458190098644422012-03-27T13:30:00.000-07:002013-02-08T09:04:49.582-08:00Fire Roasted Anaheims with Orzo & Vegetables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The challenge this week is to scour the fridge and use up the bits, the stem ends and the ingredients bought - in a now forgotten - flash of inspiration. </div>
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The majority of my menus veer towards the Mexican and the Mediterranean, and with a bit of ingenuity, adventure and fearlessness, the two can be blended together quite successfully. </div>
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I'd been eyeing a bag of orzo in the cupboard for quite some time and it became the base for my project.<br />
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(Did you know that orzo is a pasta shaped like flat rice but goes by an Italian name that actually means barley). Why? Better sales? Quien sabe!</div>
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Anaheim chile peppers, a common sight in my fridge, are lovely green oblong peppers, mild in flavour that improves with roasting and peeling. They are terrific used as a stuffed chile (chiles rellenos), and so with orzo and Anaheims, the start of a Mexi-Medi-inspired dinner began.</div>
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Collecting the little bags and bowls of bits from the fridge in front of me, I managed a saute of garlic, green onions, spinach, chopped mushroom stems, Roma tomatoes and a jalapeno. Added to the cooked orzo, they became a<i> tour de force</i> of bright vibrant flavours and patriotic colours reminiscent of both the Italian and Mexican flags.</div>
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Once the charred chiles were peeled, I made a slit on the side of each pepper and carefully removed the inner membrane and seeds. Each chile was stuffed generously with the orzo mix and stood up side by each in a baking pan. The finish touch was a lavish topping of whatever cheese that needed using up. Baked until heated through at 325 degrees. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6CYLl1KpNKts-zmHutLikp8jnHGVXmAfPu6LqD9HqjAuZrc16nkfGJY2d7okMh3PhxTp2i5-QjP9N8MSXFbyVHnkQFIp2eq9cDcp7AiW4zjbGg3IokwpnuPBzWl-yamufXxc7oUjb7x6/s1600/P1020135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6CYLl1KpNKts-zmHutLikp8jnHGVXmAfPu6LqD9HqjAuZrc16nkfGJY2d7okMh3PhxTp2i5-QjP9N8MSXFbyVHnkQFIp2eq9cDcp7AiW4zjbGg3IokwpnuPBzWl-yamufXxc7oUjb7x6/s320/P1020135.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Dinner is served. </div>
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shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-32510309091982637402012-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:002012-06-11T09:48:03.672-07:00Madeleines<div style="text-align: justify;">
Listen macaron, you've had your day in the sun. With your loud colours and buttercream filling, it's time for the unappreciated Madeleine to take a stand in the spotlight. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709105429525978114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzEOV_owwwb7VJjpJNLouKEEgB2ROcOMA5TVnyTS0eVIN_yKakeP1bblaLaefOjEGuT9zAW56BV_yp4RsPVeHRlLvCpLaZCWRDCzakM3K2uxHDlUzFG-DovGd_YySB09D6M-p7IkTh-pd/s400/P1020028.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphwuZ3Oqy6xBb21rRP8VeSQDKN4vHqmVlQOHmjWC2cAZI6jhC-t4XZYfNdqcInVRut5SgacdO8paxcyo2fR7bJ4C5__iOdNP3bbAWQXn7QtcNpUJGffpFJ0q6vp2gaZTnalQGLwwULw6G/s1600/P1020029.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphwuZ3Oqy6xBb21rRP8VeSQDKN4vHqmVlQOHmjWC2cAZI6jhC-t4XZYfNdqcInVRut5SgacdO8paxcyo2fR7bJ4C5__iOdNP3bbAWQXn7QtcNpUJGffpFJ0q6vp2gaZTnalQGLwwULw6G/s1600/P1020029.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphwuZ3Oqy6xBb21rRP8VeSQDKN4vHqmVlQOHmjWC2cAZI6jhC-t4XZYfNdqcInVRut5SgacdO8paxcyo2fR7bJ4C5__iOdNP3bbAWQXn7QtcNpUJGffpFJ0q6vp2gaZTnalQGLwwULw6G/s1600/P1020029.JPG"></a></div>
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Delicate and airy, the mini sponge cake treat hails from Commercy, France and is baked in a traditional shell-shaped baking pan. </div>
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It's a cinch to make so I can't understand why it's not served at every patisserie and smart bakery, or even on restaurant menus, made-to-order. From start to finish the recipe took an hour to make. The batter can be made ahead, baked to order. You can add to the basic recipe with lemon or orange zest, and since today is Valentine's Day, I added the chopped up zest of a blood orange.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; clear: left; color: #0000ee; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709105415676203938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDxbThh-Kf_GFZHE8YAyCW1Au69PvIfbGf9V5ks3JmPn-D3dDsY9ZMLKpZeVvnQQaJL2S4muULDzDWUgtJNlg3J2n5b7vWCk0P6CcOq6wE-CxX3tYL4nn6QGYCLs_6S2DacV3tgEBM8z_/s400/P1020026.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709105422805601746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMV2Snxfbqywtn3P8x8SdE5HQr2owVPemfn1QB3doFqhV5lqvLyUpQJ6If93w6-Z3ohtEDyu3nhNTHMg2R-jye6GsnLZth5Qvo-_QnMJijyooL2lyIj0MCfJZ0CbYSv4RNkKMggM1QfS7z/s400/P1020027.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphwuZ3Oqy6xBb21rRP8VeSQDKN4vHqmVlQOHmjWC2cAZI6jhC-t4XZYfNdqcInVRut5SgacdO8paxcyo2fR7bJ4C5__iOdNP3bbAWQXn7QtcNpUJGffpFJ0q6vp2gaZTnalQGLwwULw6G/s1600/P1020029.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709105441002442834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphwuZ3Oqy6xBb21rRP8VeSQDKN4vHqmVlQOHmjWC2cAZI6jhC-t4XZYfNdqcInVRut5SgacdO8paxcyo2fR7bJ4C5__iOdNP3bbAWQXn7QtcNpUJGffpFJ0q6vp2gaZTnalQGLwwULw6G/s640/P1020029.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" width="480" /></a><b></b><br />
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You can gild the lilly by serving them with creme chantilly and a luscious preserve - blood red cherry seemed to do the trick here. Add strong cups of coffee or, as my friend TFA suggests, glasses of port.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>TFA's Madeleines au Miel</b></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Makes 12 or so</span></b></div>
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F<br />
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2 eggs</div>
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75 gram white sugar</div>
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10 gram dark sugar</div>
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Pinch salt</div>
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90 gram flour</div>
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1 tsp. baking powder</div>
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Vanilla essence</div>
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90 gram melted butter, cooled</div>
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10 gram clear honey</div>
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Whisk eggs, sugar and salt. Sift flour and baking powder. Fold into the egg and sugar mixture. Add vanilla and optional citrus zest.</div>
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Pour in the honey and butter and fold gently but thoroughly.</div>
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Spoon batter into each shell shape.</div>
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Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully. Let cool slightly before removing each from their shell-shaped confines.</div>
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Serve with creme chantilly (whipped cream sweetened with icing sugar and vanilla), blackcurrent jelly and Port.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzEOV_owwwb7VJjpJNLouKEEgB2ROcOMA5TVnyTS0eVIN_yKakeP1bblaLaefOjEGuT9zAW56BV_yp4RsPVeHRlLvCpLaZCWRDCzakM3K2uxHDlUzFG-DovGd_YySB09D6M-p7IkTh-pd/s1600/P1020028.JPG"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDxbThh-Kf_GFZHE8YAyCW1Au69PvIfbGf9V5ks3JmPn-D3dDsY9ZMLKpZeVvnQQaJL2S4muULDzDWUgtJNlg3J2n5b7vWCk0P6CcOq6wE-CxX3tYL4nn6QGYCLs_6S2DacV3tgEBM8z_/s1600/P1020026.JPG"></a></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-17410194160247519992012-02-07T13:38:00.000-08:002012-06-22T09:16:50.907-07:00Carrot Top<div style="text-align: justify;">
Out foraging at the local farms the other day, it's clear the last of the carrot harvest is upon us. At <b>Michell Farms</b>, 10 pound bags of carrots can be had for song, and I'm determined to sing their praises.</div>
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They might be big and woody-looking, but their flavour is intense, not only for juicing, but for a few versatile and easy to make dishes. One is a warm sliced carrot salad, the other, a dip to be used with warm pita or other Middle Eastern breads, or even slices of freshly baked baguette. Both take cues from Middle Eastern spices, with cumin, paprika and hits of olive oil and vinegar.They can be used as a side dish, condiment or accompaniment or delicious appetizer.</div>
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Here we go!<br />
<b>Keith Talent's Carrot Salad</b></div>
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Serves Two</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; clear: left; color: #0000ee; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706527252897055282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpqboLj9POvNNkvKYkzOcQ2ZgcKL-5evsLWB40wYyZGns3I22A86Ep4VPjydXWirVEeJGVHgh2g0DBO16el6vubEaKbQSB7wfxwMxnRxkupIhsiSEYQB70tHATOJooS0ZfwHN4Pa6P56v/s640/P1020021.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" width="480" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;"> 1 lb carrots, peeled and cooked whole until al dente and sliced into coins</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1 clove garlic, crushed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1/4 cup lemon juice</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1/4 cup olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1/2 cup chopped parsley</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1/2 tsp. cumin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">1 tsp. paprika</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Red chile flakes to taste</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Salt to taste</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Cook the carrots in boiling salted water until almost done, or al dente. Meanwhile, make the dressing, keeping the chopped parsley aside. Slice the just cooked and still warm carrots into coins or other shapes that take your fancy. Of course, this all depends on the size of your carrots. (I had to split mine in half lengthwise, and then cut diagonals). Toss the carrot shapes in the dressing and toss in the parsley. Plate and enjoy while still warm.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Moroccan Carrot Dip</b><br />
Makes about 3 cups</div>
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2 lbs. old carrots, peeled and chunked</div>
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2 tsp. harissa</div>
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4 tsp. ground cumin </div>
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6 Tbsp. red wine vinegar</div>
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8 Tbsp. olive oil</div>
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3 cloves garlic, crushed</div>
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1 tsp. ginger</div>
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salt to taste</div>
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Olives for garnish</div>
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Cook the peeled and chunked carrots in boiling salty water until very soft. Drain and add to a blender or food processor, adding the rest of the ingredients until you have a cohesive mash - but don't overdo it. Taste for salt or other spices, but remember, refrigeration will intensify these flavours. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with hot pita, lavash, sangak or baguette slices. Delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9L0a2nOMQOq-ut0S5X01E38HLEuiJf-vMwEYMPv0-EGnF9pR1Q1u6FkTUMuxvxm0znkx078BLFpJgOv2SiC8elrR9t50TECKE71tP2pz-tzzpyhaP7gGkPIcv9C0Et2ZKAALUfgiFZESE/s1600/P1020020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706527250303686306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9L0a2nOMQOq-ut0S5X01E38HLEuiJf-vMwEYMPv0-EGnF9pR1Q1u6FkTUMuxvxm0znkx078BLFpJgOv2SiC8elrR9t50TECKE71tP2pz-tzzpyhaP7gGkPIcv9C0Et2ZKAALUfgiFZESE/s320/P1020020.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" width="240" /></a></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-21783460978072912192012-01-18T16:48:00.000-08:002012-06-11T09:40:32.912-07:00Carrot-Almond Torte<div>
In Victoria, snow makes us kind of giddy. People tend to smile more and greet strangers on the street. Small independent businesses have shuttered early, with notices such as, "We're off to play in the snow, see you tomorrow!" or "We've gone to make some snow angels!" </div>
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Snow pants, extra gloves and scarves are dragged out and many have made the pilgrimage to Beacon Hill today with their makeshift toboggans. </div>
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For me, it drives me to bake. Nothing beats the smell of baking when it's cold outside. This simple-to-make torte uses carrots for moisture and sweetness along with ground up ladyfingers - you know, the kind you use for making tiramisu. </div>
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The recipe has been passed along from friend to friend and I'm here to pass it on to you. Easy to make and <i>really</i> easy to eat, you can enjoy it as is or with sweetened whipped cream with liqueur, creme fraiche or even honey-sweetened pressed yogurt. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc2-OgM1T69jVg99C1KVpIPZu1nzu1EBC9NQLXxqXIzp0jCFF-CWM-Fs1PSxgAuKI7X67r9ki8IvSomg1w5Q_V_ALqq-EbEVkji3XTeXtae8lT9me9O2jYDjpdVC6dzFc7oKBp3NdVF03/s1600/P1010974.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699138877974686770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc2-OgM1T69jVg99C1KVpIPZu1nzu1EBC9NQLXxqXIzp0jCFF-CWM-Fs1PSxgAuKI7X67r9ki8IvSomg1w5Q_V_ALqq-EbEVkji3XTeXtae8lT9me9O2jYDjpdVC6dzFc7oKBp3NdVF03/s400/P1010974.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><b>Carrot-Almond Torte</b><br />
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9 oz. (1 1/2 cups) unpeeled almonds (or finely ground almonds)</div>
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1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar</div>
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9 oz. (about 6 small) carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces</div>
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1/4 lb. (14) lady fingers</div>
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1 1/2 tsp. baking powder</div>
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1 Tbsp. Amaretto or Frangelico liqueur</div>
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1/4 tsp. salt</div>
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4 large eggs, separated</div>
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10 inch springform pan, greased bottom and sides</div>
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Whipped cream, flavoured with sugar and liqueur, creme fraiche or honey-sweetened pressed yogurt for garnish.</div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees</div>
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Put almonds and sugar in a food processor or blender and chop very fine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. (If you're using the ground almonds, just mix it with the sugar in the mixing bowl). Chop the carrots as fine as possible in the processor or blender (I grated mine on the fine grate blade of my box grater). Add to almond-sugar and mix.</div>
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Break up the ladyfingers into small pieces and chop in processor or blender until fine. Add to almond mixture. Add baking powder, liqueur and salt to almond mixture. Blend thoroughly. </div>
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Add egg yolks and mix into the mixture.</div>
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In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold into the cake batter in three batches, folding in gently but thoroughly.</div>
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Pour into the prepared springform pan, levelling off without pressing down.</div>
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Bake on middle shelf of oven 40 - 60 minutes. Check after 40 minutes using a toothpick.</div>
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When the cake has cooled to lukewarm, remove from pan. Start getting giddy. Serve at room temperature.</div>
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Like snow in Victoria, should you be faced with that rare occurrence of having leftovers, wrap in tin foil. It will keep several days without refrigeration.</div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-26707370556500731552012-01-17T09:39:00.000-08:002012-01-17T13:44:31.149-08:00Speaking with a Broad: Chef Patricio Sandoval at Villas Carrizalillo<div style="text-align: justify;">Mention the name Sandoval in the restaurant world and the first thing that comes to mind is <a href="http://www.richardsandoval.com/index.php"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Ricardo Sandoval</span></b></a>. With 28 modern Mexican restaurants under his belt, spanning North America and even Dubai, it's no wonder. He's in the news a lot. But following in his corporate footsteps comes his younger brother Patricio. As owner of <a href="http://www.mercaditorestaurants.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Mercadito</span></b></a> with four locations spread between New York, Miami and Chicago, he is carving out his own niche of Mexican flavours with a more casual vibe. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I recently caught up with Patricio at <a href="http://villascarrizalillo.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Villas Carrizalillo</span></b></a> where he was setting up a new menu at the Villas new restaurant, <b>Espadin. </b>The new palapa restaurant overlooking beautiful Carrizalillo Bay with ringside sunset views is not part of his corporate portfolio, but as a side hobby to cook and enjoy the ingredients of the region. Living the dream, as some would say.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoyXXs3PZhnOFStXlZAE8Iixk_Op6JEavsIFS5gcyaqYpE52rLG3zxDL2mua3X_KICYpJJedfeHMlCXrFYPqucM3vPXmICYA5dhZCPozupK3HznVbiuto6Ivx8F0ZDmkgzLhk8DwnoWZG/s1600/Sandovalburger.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wO9OZ3uyTzUTKrwxsUnnq2LExKHHsxQPrgX4xkYMRuLew18IZt8v_Yko949oKilQqkrWlCn8GEEQ5TdDcqWXOo1Z8X3TfgMd7U38mfbGUpqRVuPCuuC6mnxzZyoW3u-oAC_tJ2HezxjG/s1600/Sandovaltaco.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eH_DuLvkJvwBnWKsW_LnFSeCClxmKqN4SvCFUi6hSOpfIjjd7K6tFnj_z-L478sNqg-E7Nv3R9aFtAKAXQYqZFP9BCddxwGANF-uFdMO6Nd4FQf_IGyCIX5u0B_JB7lfbVvfgym19Dxa/s1600/Patricioportrait.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eH_DuLvkJvwBnWKsW_LnFSeCClxmKqN4SvCFUi6hSOpfIjjd7K6tFnj_z-L478sNqg-E7Nv3R9aFtAKAXQYqZFP9BCddxwGANF-uFdMO6Nd4FQf_IGyCIX5u0B_JB7lfbVvfgym19Dxa/s400/Patricioportrait.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698707360444337442" /></a><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Can you describe your approach to cooking?</b></div><div>Well, I went to French culinary school, so I love French food, I love Mediterranean food. I worked at French and Mediterranean restaurants while in culinary school. And prior to that I cooked Mexican food with my brother, Ricardo. And that's when I started to discover my style of cooking. I realize now that a lot of my cooking goes back to the things that I learned at those French and Mediterranean restaurants: marinating the meats, using different herbs, different layering. roasted garlic, acidic elements, the spices. Instead of making it two dimensional, I like to make it three or four dimensional. Then I take the traditional flavours of Mexico with the chiles, things that I grew up eating. </div><div>A few years ago, I had a chance to travel to Oaxaca and Veracruz, all the way down to the Pacific Coast so I'm still learning. I still haven't been down to the Yucatan Peninsula yet. So, I'm still learning Mexican food, as I left Mexico when I was eleven. Back then I never thought about cooking.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What is your first food memory? </b></div><div>Growing up in Acapulco and always being surrounded by food. My father opened his restaurant when I was five years old. I remember going out to eat with my brother every Sunday at fancy restaurants and being treated like adults.</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b>Is there an ingredient you can't live without?</b></div><div>Chiles.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ingredient that's overrated?</b></div><div>Tuna. I usually don't work with tuna. For one thing it's overfished and the flavour is so difficult to use with different ingredients and not overpower the flavour of it. I think the best way to eat tuna is sashimi-style.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What's your go-to comfort food?</b></div><div>I love burgers. Every time I go to New York, I have to have a burger at this place I've been going to for 12 years.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>(The burger at Espadin)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoyXXs3PZhnOFStXlZAE8Iixk_Op6JEavsIFS5gcyaqYpE52rLG3zxDL2mua3X_KICYpJJedfeHMlCXrFYPqucM3vPXmICYA5dhZCPozupK3HznVbiuto6Ivx8F0ZDmkgzLhk8DwnoWZG/s400/Sandovalburger.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698707730118518482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><b>Where?</b></div><div><a href="http://cornerbistrony.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Corner Bistro</span></b></a> on the westside. A divey bar. They only serve burgers. When I started going there they were $4.75, now they're $6.75.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Can you describe it?</b></div><div>Sesame seed bun. They do their meat on a salamander. They don't grill it or put it on a flat top. Cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo, pickles. That's it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Who are your mentors and why?</b></div><div>My brother Richard who discovered me as far as seeing that I had the capabilities of working in a kitchen. He had just opened a Mexican restaurant (<a href="http://www.richardsandoval.com/mayany/index.php"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Maya</span></b></a>) in New York, and said why don't you come and work and learn the restaurant business from the bottom until you become a general manager. So I said great. Right at the beginning part of the training was to be three months in the kitchen, and he noticed that I caught on to the flavours pretty quickly as someone who never cooked before. And he asked me if I would rather stay in the kitchen. I really enjoyed the pace of it. I always knew when I was growing up that I would never be in an office. And then when I found cooking - that's what I love about it - the fast pace. I love the adrenaline of it, the rush, you're always doing something and you're always surrounded by people.</div><div>And a year and half later, my brother tells me, I think you need to start coming up with your own ideas, your own specials. So, I'd go home at the end of the night and always came back to things that were on his menu that I would redo, but I would never come up with anything and I'd think, am I ever going to create something that's my own, that this is my own dish. And of course, I realize that now, the reason why I didn't know what to do was because you need to have an array, like a library in your head, of ingredients, different cuisines to create what's your own style. So I realize that, back then I couldn't have done anything, I had no idea what are all the ingredients that are out there, and what was possible. I had only seen techniques of his food that I couldn't expand my knowledge any farther than what I was seeing everyday. So six or seven years later after culinary school and cooking at all these restaurants, I came up with my food. That's why they say, the chef's jacket doesn't make you a chef. And school doesn't make you a chef. It's the experience that gives you the knowledge to become a chef, to be able to run a kitchen, create food, that's your own food. That's what a chef is.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>When you came to Puerto Escondido and Villas Carrizalillo did you have an idea right away what direction the menu was to take?</b></div><div>I said I would definitely do Mexican, and give people what they want. I don't think people that come here want Italian, it's funny but that's what every place serves. It's the mentality, oh, they want pasta. No, they don't. Traditional Mexican food, if it's done well, they're going to eat it. So that was my whole idea.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Did you take popular items from your restaurant?</b></div><div>I try not to do the same things that I do over there. Same style of course. The tacos are the same, some of the ideas are the same, but none of the flavour combinations are the same.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wO9OZ3uyTzUTKrwxsUnnq2LExKHHsxQPrgX4xkYMRuLew18IZt8v_Yko949oKilQqkrWlCn8GEEQ5TdDcqWXOo1Z8X3TfgMd7U38mfbGUpqRVuPCuuC6mnxzZyoW3u-oAC_tJ2HezxjG/s400/Sandovaltaco.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698707644511596290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><b>First time in Puerto Escondido?</b></div><div>I lived in Oaxaca City back in '07 for six months but this is the first time in Puerto.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>How do you like the market? </b></div><div>I love it. I go there almost every day. I love to see the product that comes in. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>How do you find the ingredients here?</b></div><div>Very inspiring. Just to be able to work with a lot of ingredients that you never get to see in the States. That was one of my biggest attractions. For me, one of the things was not to make money from this place, I wanted to come to the market and make whatever I want, something you don't get to do in the States very much. That was a big thing for me, to come here, go to the market and be a part of this. Just to be in the culture and come back here four or fives times a year, and just do cooking.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Where there any ingredients in the market that really stood out for you?</b></div><div>I always like to see the huitlacoche. You see it the States frozen, fresh frozen, but to see it here on the corn. And also the cheese: the quesillo, the queso fresco.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A kitchen tool that you can't live without?</b></div><div>Molcajete</div><div><br /></div><div><b>If you weren't a chef, what would you be?</b></div><div>I wanted to be a doctor when I was growing up, but I knew it was going to be too much homework! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Guilty pleasure?</b></div><div>Drinking.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tequila or Mezcal?</b></div><div>Mezcal.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Straight or mixed?</b></div><div>Straight. Blanco. Always.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What is your most prized possession?</b></div><div>A spoon that we've had in New York since we opened the restaurant seven years ago, and we still use it for service. It's a serving spoon. Stainless steel with a big handle and we still have it. Which is rare for it not to get lost.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Why did you chose the cities you chose for opening up Mercadito?</b></div><div>New York because my brother and I lived in New York when I had the opportunity for the location. Then, we chose Chicago because we already had three in New York before we opened in Chicago, then my brother Alfredo worked in Chicago for a long time at Sushi Samba and he knew a lot of people, and knew someone with a building that had a lot of different restaurants that never worked out. People were saying this place is cursed, nothing ever going to work. So we went in there, and we've been doing amazing. Then just a natural progression from New York, Chicago and then Miami, and there's plans in doing Vegas next.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Any advise for budding cooks that want to learn Mexican cuisine?</b></div><div>I think one of the things is to be able to use the chiles, how to control the spiciness, but also be able to get the flavour and also to get to enhance the food. You know I always say that in order to have spice you got to have something to kind of cover up the spice a little bit. Like a balance of acidic, saltiness, sweet. I use honey in my cooking because that balances out the spikiness of the chile. It gives you the spice but it doesn't give you the burn. And in a lot of my sauces I use a lot of sweet butter. It just rounds out the all the ingredients together, makes it creamy, richer, so you don't have that spiciness in your mouth the whole time.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What would be your desert island dish?</b></div><div>Shrimp tacos. Roasted garlic shrimp with lime, butter and chile and tortillas.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>And mezcal?</b></div><div>100 percent.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA3jz2hQqn494kYygQ7LGK-vsvjRQ_dFAJcrTrCCGsd0IjcYgyQR6PI0csJ77iVCzBlxhMi0k_bxq6cEw9oT_-i1HH7Bkq8fntZQ8AcHtikgsIC3cj6EG2tjsb1PwxmBgF9HLYOXR810x/s400/patricio.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698708415370568322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*The interview was edited for clarity and brevity.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-17233227802610944802012-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:002012-01-03T16:59:10.520-08:00Drinking with a Broad. Tropical Afternoon Cocktails Part Two<div style="text-align: justify;">Seeing Red</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsmC_5aTB2IdVTwQ5unhhMBChAaPILBvnvLvxx2oKoB_cpMANJR3OZOSHG73pUKpQRLrd-uKqjKfkkvRrQX7aG7r-gdTrjzV62zVN6z8G35LnRFjv3EzBcwot20hmtmBCWREO1AE5Hk5F/s1600/P1010270.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VVqDATc3Pgt8bncxvHny4z_4Q445kqM3VXG65CuFHDguSxubucalbfrQc4T3nkIRTNZx0V836Zy5LPh9TN21prz753oSQ2iJU_13Hn8XoneLsJsIE8FmTiDMjvbwqJw7rlCRjlBPgmPE/s1600/P1010219.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VVqDATc3Pgt8bncxvHny4z_4Q445kqM3VXG65CuFHDguSxubucalbfrQc4T3nkIRTNZx0V836Zy5LPh9TN21prz753oSQ2iJU_13Hn8XoneLsJsIE8FmTiDMjvbwqJw7rlCRjlBPgmPE/s400/P1010219.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693572714838231570" /></a><br />Deep red hibiscus flowers, known as <i>flor de</i> <i>jamaica </i>in Mexico, are infused in water to create a cool refreshing agua. Its tart cranberry-like flavour, packed with vitamins, is especially welcome in the hot tropical sun - just add sugar to taste and pour over ice. For more adult tastes, a round of silver tequila makes seeing red all the more seductive for an afternoon beach-side respite .<div><br /></div><div><div><b>Jamaica Margaritas </b></div><div><b>(a big ol' pitcher full, non-breakable of course)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Start the day by bringing two cups of the flowers to the boil in six cups of water. Sugar to taste. Lid on pot and let steep, off the heat, for a couple of hours. Go to the market. Have breakfast, etc.</div><div>Strain the flowers threw a sieve, pressing down on them to extract as much liquid as possible.</div><div>To the resulting liquid, add:</div><div>3 ounces of the finest silver tequila (100 % Blue Agave only)</div><div>3 ounces Controy</div><div>Juice of 2 fresh limes</div><div>Top the pitcher with ice</div><div><br /></div><div>Collect your glassware and set up your station with a good book, sunglasses and sunscreen. The world is your oyster.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsmC_5aTB2IdVTwQ5unhhMBChAaPILBvnvLvxx2oKoB_cpMANJR3OZOSHG73pUKpQRLrd-uKqjKfkkvRrQX7aG7r-gdTrjzV62zVN6z8G35LnRFjv3EzBcwot20hmtmBCWREO1AE5Hk5F/s400/P1010270.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693572715793823730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-79809290081638101052011-12-14T12:26:00.000-08:002012-01-03T16:36:37.809-08:00Drinking with a Broad. Tropical Afternoon Cocktails<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DBpp48Gmiiron7LNPBtuhaA9814rVX2RnGITKH4I_PTAbEUv2SSJs0e3FCZ3NyQUa8cwUNXBSwICMMwbQUwmhsM3brYsFRAmD0XyGDQqNv7icZBni0kZCtOXCo9rWI_xSuv9a52lfRXl/s1600/P1010173.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DBpp48Gmiiron7LNPBtuhaA9814rVX2RnGITKH4I_PTAbEUv2SSJs0e3FCZ3NyQUa8cwUNXBSwICMMwbQUwmhsM3brYsFRAmD0XyGDQqNv7icZBni0kZCtOXCo9rWI_xSuv9a52lfRXl/s400/P1010173.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686084099854362450" /></a>It's hot here. Very hot. And the thought of making a complicated lunch, or any lunch for that matter, seems far too daunting a task. But a woman must stay hydrated, so I have created lunch in the form of a cocktail that has been dubbed the Escondido Caesar. Part cocktail, part lunch, part woman's best friend, this little number provides salvation and nutrition, a perfect segue to Hora Feliz just around the corner.<div><br /><div><b>Escondido Caesar </b></div><div><b>(recipe for two, because no one should drink alone)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>One chile serrano, chopped, seeds removed, divided among two glasses.</b></div><div><b>Clamato juice</b></div><div><b>One market fresh nopal, cleaned and sliced into spears</b></div><div><b>One plump and ripe fresh cherry tomato</b></div><div><b>Juice of one lime, divided among two glasses</b></div><div><b>100% agave tequila</b></div><div><b>Lots of ice</b></div><div><b>Large glass (non-breakable preferred - for poolside safety)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Fill glass with ice. Add 1 ounce of 100 percent agave tequila per glass. Divide the chopped chile among the two glasses, add clamato and lime juice to almost the top. Stir. Decorate with spears of nopal cactus and halved tomatoes, sprinkle with salt. Salud!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-72970271948683029182011-11-16T14:36:00.000-08:002011-11-16T23:09:47.305-08:00Free the Brussels Sprout<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KcRBsJCE21k6jj5x7CKEKd3_J4sx3FJNX8fWMGZ9rSwmgF4LWhUE1DwknUbw732JfVlonZqYSi1dsuXOerOr3T-Enm_8Q-bk3oXXzJNStdB1pk9MEEDoUecMuaTULfKKZSwg8UTPwwZJ/s400/PICT0955.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675733035493950194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span>It's time to loosen up the baby cabbage from its tightly bound confines. For years it's been served whole after being boiled to a dull green, a sad specimen associated with many a family turkey dinner gone by.<div>But no longer. The <i>Brassica oleracea</i> is coming of age, shaking free of its leafy corset, and showing its true colours and versatility at the dinner table.</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVLJxF7XakJG9RXs7u9cOWWhzDCWYtJHTJngzApDAAuW1LuLJC2erRoZPP3JUhUqtuKWfWtcf77vHETsdofFJIPuxQ-7mT7YKu8H8He8Ks7ngEBJcy1wy_yIe_jSkiqtsx5Uy0DnHxN9a/s400/PICT0959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732729643555090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span>When trimming Brussels, those leaves that fall away can be put to good use. Washed, then blanched, and shocked in cold water, they turn a brilliant green. <div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnnqnvn8DGlqYGB1oV33CP0piE4znscQKW9aB37cljMJmz7XTUGykSNIQyv8N8uw_zrqU7BfnRfEDeTJs5ClKFCmOxQ8k4KCKwrM3DqFAwFRgSbv3nl3QplPao6Zhh0iVhS-H6Ns3WGLb/s400/PICT0964.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732734445956722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Riffing on a treatment I heard about at a Vancouver restaurant, chop capers and lemon zest together. Grate some parmesan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLiRLPS3gc6m41fN7WccfW1z_kSaRtz4luKvI1xPKxjDO5y3KdvfkPJuDV9sWgq_1FXdsQdd95H65hoK2QmqW_0NBv56rKXf7zlAQYp5NgNWm2olrFTcU9HC1wA_ZKeFCP_nEFhmvt0fx/s1600/PICT0956.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLiRLPS3gc6m41fN7WccfW1z_kSaRtz4luKvI1xPKxjDO5y3KdvfkPJuDV9sWgq_1FXdsQdd95H65hoK2QmqW_0NBv56rKXf7zlAQYp5NgNWm2olrFTcU9HC1wA_ZKeFCP_nEFhmvt0fx/s400/PICT0956.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675733032340571586" /></a>Heat olive oil in a saute pan and toss the leaves, coating evenly with oil and season. Throw in the caper-lemon mixture and toss evenly. Heat the leaves through, tossing all the while.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KcRBsJCE21k6jj5x7CKEKd3_J4sx3FJNX8fWMGZ9rSwmgF4LWhUE1DwknUbw732JfVlonZqYSi1dsuXOerOr3T-Enm_8Q-bk3oXXzJNStdB1pk9MEEDoUecMuaTULfKKZSwg8UTPwwZJ/s1600/PICT0955.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPJnbFvL19tyKYaDSLeaWHJm0tWdPd0fBrkXHbWcR_6DJsR19XS34QzCL4yorSy27ldHiiQmg6OgyceiZKNzk3zd9y2H8z4CexnILLNda8YSq6VT2GqmiB-ljgw-uqmAqR8_pGG5OVzVt/s1600/PICT0967.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPJnbFvL19tyKYaDSLeaWHJm0tWdPd0fBrkXHbWcR_6DJsR19XS34QzCL4yorSy27ldHiiQmg6OgyceiZKNzk3zd9y2H8z4CexnILLNda8YSq6VT2GqmiB-ljgw-uqmAqR8_pGG5OVzVt/s400/PICT0967.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732739196127698" /></a>Sprinkle with the grated parmesan and serve. Serve alone or alongside a juicy pork chop, a slice of turkey or other roasted bird. It's crazy delicious.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7ewkwchnjYk1PgFgghszJzpWi2pP9BjDr2cI33mxGXCovpdgs06U95EpaK14W767PD8k11TCu5V521mz6Vr24YFJ4HArPrIOavIat_aorOw5xXF_y7BOR2FKREAhYhIiGlWHSIJoBGrJ/s1600/PICT0969.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7ewkwchnjYk1PgFgghszJzpWi2pP9BjDr2cI33mxGXCovpdgs06U95EpaK14W767PD8k11TCu5V521mz6Vr24YFJ4HArPrIOavIat_aorOw5xXF_y7BOR2FKREAhYhIiGlWHSIJoBGrJ/s400/PICT0969.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732503737653634" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7ewkwchnjYk1PgFgghszJzpWi2pP9BjDr2cI33mxGXCovpdgs06U95EpaK14W767PD8k11TCu5V521mz6Vr24YFJ4HArPrIOavIat_aorOw5xXF_y7BOR2FKREAhYhIiGlWHSIJoBGrJ/s1600/PICT0969.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Another treatment is to cut the sprout in half and slice each half in to 4 or 5 pieces - depending on the size. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnnqnvn8DGlqYGB1oV33CP0piE4znscQKW9aB37cljMJmz7XTUGykSNIQyv8N8uw_zrqU7BfnRfEDeTJs5ClKFCmOxQ8k4KCKwrM3DqFAwFRgSbv3nl3QplPao6Zhh0iVhS-H6Ns3WGLb/s1600/PICT0964.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rWx287rrd_2CS319j8j9Ma0WtgmJJsnmUGRlS6_t_Fgc5ASJeVvfltp9N5Gs6iL2O0Hfy-aPfIFTO6b88u1nGabDCpo_pCRUUsoh5F59B10ZN6QzK0WUrMPKNd833OzHUBxPRorjHLeX/s1600/PICT0962.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rWx287rrd_2CS319j8j9Ma0WtgmJJsnmUGRlS6_t_Fgc5ASJeVvfltp9N5Gs6iL2O0Hfy-aPfIFTO6b88u1nGabDCpo_pCRUUsoh5F59B10ZN6QzK0WUrMPKNd833OzHUBxPRorjHLeX/s400/PICT0962.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732729952594658" /></a>Blanch and keep at the ready. Next, fry some good quality smoked bacon and add some reduced balsamic - a sticky sweet addition.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEDdQac10hcNX_VJl_mrkBrVHO0dN7mqXkImjm_yzaL6_x5V7_4EtGv-zGOGyMq2LUCjKLP20mFKCQJHZv2jbBQ9ENqnNIU_788mx3YOVmRp4zWIiI3D0HzpX13tU_79XKNsANG6BbrwX/s400/PICT0971.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732511092717442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Add the sliced Brussels and a couple of splashes of chicken stock. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and cook until heated through. Taste, adding more balsamic if needed. Serve.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsevUm0EDqAoqq2WVXxvuHdpZE0tv6937McmDtsaKpnl5JHThUsx77sDWHN0aYr8tnPeBj6Atj9stNjkphv2jIzsVX_cqC0Gv-RfywtR0pj0E8mkB0x01FpzvAnHvazhHw_FGzFnaHypJx/s400/PICT0975.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732513175624386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVLJxF7XakJG9RXs7u9cOWWhzDCWYtJHTJngzApDAAuW1LuLJC2erRoZPP3JUhUqtuKWfWtcf77vHETsdofFJIPuxQ-7mT7YKu8H8He8Ks7ngEBJcy1wy_yIe_jSkiqtsx5Uy0DnHxN9a/s1600/PICT0959.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmODG3SpDNvFgi23NX3pvKGOgwd4s_LT7qQ5WCtKKgrDeuGoHrvqRqBmojDmSV-eTqyu37Tclly2WEhL0hETIpuMaq41gPywEkXwOTCyjzLlSmdh0hHTISp1Mf5dx-15PuiZFLSXLS6gM/s1600/PICT0977.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmODG3SpDNvFgi23NX3pvKGOgwd4s_LT7qQ5WCtKKgrDeuGoHrvqRqBmojDmSV-eTqyu37Tclly2WEhL0hETIpuMaq41gPywEkXwOTCyjzLlSmdh0hHTISp1Mf5dx-15PuiZFLSXLS6gM/s400/PICT0977.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675732519802278834" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thank God Almighty. Free at last.</div><br /></div></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828039455472959150.post-61334637484104627112011-11-15T14:44:00.000-08:002011-11-23T11:35:42.453-08:00Enchiladas with Chicken and an Ancho-Tomato SalsaEnchiladas, a dish of stuffed and rolled tortillas bathed in a chile sauce, has many permutations. At its most trashy, it contains an overdose of cheap gooey cheeses and is laden with salts and fats. But at its very best, it's hearty and rustic fare, dead easy to make and is a great dish to feed a posse. <div>This version uses chile anchos, canned tomatoes, garlic, onion and chicken stock. The filling is chicken, which I had leftover from a roast, but the dish could easily be turned into a vegetarian dish by using braised collard greens or Swiss chard sauteed with a bit of white onion and tossed with queso fresco.<div>In Oaxaca, sauce from leftover mole is a shoo-in for mole enchiladas, and if you have leftover roasted salsa verde or roja around, you can also use it for enchiladas - for enchiladas verdes or enchiladas rojas respectively. </div><div>The steps in making them are the same no matter what kind of salsa you use, so feel free to use this technique as a stepping stone.</div><div>My stepping stone here is from the book Mexican by Marilyn Tausend. I've tweaked it just a tad by foregoing the frying of the tortillas, preferring instead to heat them to make them pliable, then dipping in the chile sauce. </div><div>Enough talk. Let's start cooking.</div><div>Ten beautiful chile anchos are stemmed and seeded, ripped into pieces and soaked in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHUXuIusuw48KbUXXQHzFYvWjusjcql7weGyaAQnI3cyG5w7nqK-oHfmYREhXdMJO-k1VlM7K2Q13Tj4DHR7b73CVM9HkJUGx5f7oWSglKJiL4scHGhsFaE7cQGHWtf_KrN-QXEJI-pya/s1600/PICT0951.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHUXuIusuw48KbUXXQHzFYvWjusjcql7weGyaAQnI3cyG5w7nqK-oHfmYREhXdMJO-k1VlM7K2Q13Tj4DHR7b73CVM9HkJUGx5f7oWSglKJiL4scHGhsFaE7cQGHWtf_KrN-QXEJI-pya/s400/PICT0951.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366657746283586" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Once hydrated and softened, transfer the chiles to a blender jar along with 15 ounces of whole canned tomatoes, six cloves garlic, half a white onion, coarsely chopped, and a sprinkling of Mexican oregano. Blend until smooth.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFYu1BHCxSfPAG77klH_NmXSv89MOriV4U2ZY_BXnNl7PNF8EIqUyk49YYU4zSXCjmSsmfhuool8sB-pKxR2K_Qi9C_eHRVjRYdNWppi-ksHS045N-pKeTJBWH1NuFnU9Qnj4Y-uKe_q6/s400/PICT0939.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366518703850898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Like other Mexican sauces and moles, this mixture needs to be fried and seasoned. Heat a deep saucepan with light olive oil, and pour in the sauce, stirring quickly. You may have to wipe down the walls, ceiling and yourself at this point! No matter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Add four cups of chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until you have a velvety sauce. Season.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7kspKZ4mVrsNxh47Yi3-jP2C9wQpLuI-Dn4ERP0oB4c8Sshv-KBMphqaD0BVGOn5oQZtHVjEHEXXgNmgtETRjUj3LGxu6BFspyBrKQYwqoSY6MTLw49nod91IP8U9cZpb9TuJqfHihBx/s400/PICT0942.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366523190247138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Preheat oven to 325 F. Add a layer of ancho-tomato sauce to a casserole dish. Make the enchiladas.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Heat the corn tortillas on a cast iron comal or pan until pliable. Dip the tortillas into the chile sauce and transfer to a plate. (Yes, it's going to get messy. Get used to it).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dxY_bTSMTrBCIjdezMueslQyQyyNm895iJsnYMHeK2HtsDZYa-zqb1q42QbW5FM9ZTreYQ5t2yXzIIxPzEKnidb0PHHarpLZkC54lzkjmI5Ops5G27dR6yK1fIqKQHT2Uesb1ZYesaLV/s400/PICT0944.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366532553233730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></div><div>Crumble the chicken along the side closest to you and roll up. Place seam side down into the casserole dish.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghT_iTX-QZzwpgxqasFpFwUA5DNbmhgxyhxDqZ1ua7beYTtYPZmrHrzw7IN83chG2HZw5AjxIofabD8Gi30Nis4CL8_BlyYTgRd9RHM3bHofylwg2ahA2XCxxA886dp9UZ1fLrjE8FZeij/s1600/PICT0945.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghT_iTX-QZzwpgxqasFpFwUA5DNbmhgxyhxDqZ1ua7beYTtYPZmrHrzw7IN83chG2HZw5AjxIofabD8Gi30Nis4CL8_BlyYTgRd9RHM3bHofylwg2ahA2XCxxA886dp9UZ1fLrjE8FZeij/s400/PICT0945.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366536835509826" /></a>Repeat until the casserole is filled and firmly nestled together. Cover the dish with more chile sauce, place in the oven and heat through.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFYu1BHCxSfPAG77klH_NmXSv89MOriV4U2ZY_BXnNl7PNF8EIqUyk49YYU4zSXCjmSsmfhuool8sB-pKxR2K_Qi9C_eHRVjRYdNWppi-ksHS045N-pKeTJBWH1NuFnU9Qnj4Y-uKe_q6/s1600/PICT0939.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOW51xObePsLFFMVixdp5R_XTGRyqYe420LSi1hwUywqrYWL1DvIiDXXMjjSqTdNRFE_7vLvFJVcn5PkUYchJRouGLRIaV6pRDcPrsQxs1MHOwFkrbYxa5QLHWnil54CHy4LZakWXqMy2/s1600/PICT0946.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOW51xObePsLFFMVixdp5R_XTGRyqYe420LSi1hwUywqrYWL1DvIiDXXMjjSqTdNRFE_7vLvFJVcn5PkUYchJRouGLRIaV6pRDcPrsQxs1MHOwFkrbYxa5QLHWnil54CHy4LZakWXqMy2/s400/PICT0946.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675366091526866930" /></a>Serve, garnished with crema - creme fraiche if you parlez-vous francais - thinly sliced white onion and radishes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfr9ZyILBPAL6v-1CfXv0L0TshhzP6G8EBIcc0Peqjw5v9sf3seK4DL8LKQy5OCuhSp5p7VaD3IuNsnwT9VFc3A48qTrWvKaG-jryk18AQlBVs1-mrSyt_kLhzHA3K07rKQILYB7XbLzNv/s1600/PICT0948.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfr9ZyILBPAL6v-1CfXv0L0TshhzP6G8EBIcc0Peqjw5v9sf3seK4DL8LKQy5OCuhSp5p7VaD3IuNsnwT9VFc3A48qTrWvKaG-jryk18AQlBVs1-mrSyt_kLhzHA3K07rKQILYB7XbLzNv/s400/PICT0948.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675363438550547602" /></a>If you really need cheese, knock yourself out. Damn good eating either way.</div><div>Makes about six cups of sauce, enough for days of enchiladas.</div><div><br /></div><div>*<b>Update:</b> After feasting on enchiladas, I still had sauce left and added it to a batch of stewed black beans. Heaven!<br /><br /></div>shelora sheldan - Cooking with a Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05219018502212704434noreply@blogger.com2