Showing posts with label de. Show all posts
Showing posts with label de. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Tostados Served on Fresh Fried Corn Tortillas with Pico de Gallo
I have been watching the reality show "Survivor" since it premiered in 2000 and have never missed an episode. I do not know, at this point, whether I continue to watch because I love to observe the interaction between the contestants, particularly when it is confrontational, or if it has simply become a habit. Whichever the case, it has become part of my Thursday night ritual to have Mexican food, or a derivative thereof. The actual new season of Survivor does not start until next Thursday, however, there was a special "look back at Survivors past" episode which aired last night. Ive come this far, why break with tradition now?
I admit that I usually use the packaged Ortega tostado shells which are heated in the oven just before eating, when I make tostados. While obviously not resembling anything authentically Mexican, they always worked perfectly fine for my purposes. However, I recently purchased some fresh corn tortillas, which are similar in appearance to the more common flour tortilla, but made of corn, and thought I would try fry a fresh corn tortilla for tostados. Wow, what a difference! I can not believe that I have subjected myself to the comparatively chewy, stale like taste and texture of the boxed hard tostados for all these years. The freshly fried tostados made from fresh corn tortillas were light and airy but incredibly sturdy and perfectly crunchy with an authentic corn flavor. It was not at all hard to do or (sometimes more importantly) not even messy!
I heated 1/2 inch of canola oil in a large skillet until the oil was hot but not smoking. I place the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and you will know the oil is hot enough when it bubbles up around the tip of the spoon handle. Place 1 corn tortilla at a time in the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute per side or until it just starts to turn golden brown. Place on a paper towel, drain the excess oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the fried tortilla directly on the rack in a preheat 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Return to paper towels until ready to eat. This technique will create the most perfectly crispy, crunchy tortilla without a hint of greasiness or sogginess.
I had some very lovely plump tomatoes and hot chili peppers fresh from the grocery, so I decided to make a mid Winter pico de gallo. Finely chop a beautiful red ripe juicy tomato and combine in a bowl with finely chopped red onion, 1 finely chopped serrano chili pepper (or other pepper depending on your love of heat), a handful of chopped cilantro, the juice of half of a lime and plenty of salt. Stir to combine and serve freshly prepared.
Top the tostado shells with warmed refried beans, seasoned and browned ground beef, home made pico de gallo, freshly shredded crispy lettuce, queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese), hot sauce and sour cream.
Friday, April 11, 2014
As the Night Falls at the Chateau de Grey Goose
The media cannot live on heritage breed meats and sustainably farmed vegetables alone. While I was primarily in Aspen to collect and share content regarding the all-star line-up of chefs, and their dizzying array of food, it was a perfectly made cocktail that may have left me with my most enduring taste memory.The cocktail was called As the Night Falls, and was being served exclusively at Chateau de Grey Goose, Grey Goose Vodkas beautiful Aspen lair. I was invited to a cocktail party to meet its creator, François Thibault (pictured here with Dimi Lezinska, left), and taste the intriguingly named concoction.
In the spirit of full-disclosure, let me say that Im not a vodka drinker, nor do I regularly frequent cocktail parties. My wardrobe and personal style pair much more naturally with beer, but as I stood in front of the marble bar watching my As the Night Falls being muddled, measured and mixed, I was getting genuinely excited to taste this drink.
It was love at first sip – a delicious combination of Grey Goose LOrange vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, and an exotic spice blend, including ginger and pink peppercorns. As I tipped the frosty glass for a second sip, François asked me what I thought.Its moments like that where I really wish I spoke French, so I could have given him a compliment worthy of this brilliant formula – but I dont, so I said, "its really good, I like it." Stupid English.
Happily, Grey Goose was mixing drinks at events and parties throughout the Food & Wine Classic, and thanks to my As the Night Falls experience, I consumed not a single beer. Thanks to François, and his French vodka, I had become a cocktail party guy.Anyway, below Ive included the recipe for the As the Night Falls, as well as another cocktail I had a few of (five), called the Pear Flower. I don’t know if Ill be running out to buy the box set of Sex in the City anytime soon, but thanks to Grey Goose and François, I have decided to expand my drinking horizons.
If you have any questions you can check out Grey Gooses website site which has lots of recipes and information. Enjoy!
Grey Goose LOrange As the Night Falls
2 parts Grey Goose L’Orange Flavored Vodka1 part white grapefruit juice
2 coriander (cilantro) leaves
7 red peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
Small piece of ginger
whole star anise to garnish
Add the peppercorns, ginger, and cilantro to the bottom a cocktail shaker. Muddle slightly (means to crush a bit with a blunt wooden dowel) to release the flavors in the spices. Fill the shaker with ice and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and shake vigorously. Double strain into chilled coupette or martini glasses. Present a whole star anise floated on top to garnish. Learn French (optional).
Pear Flower
1 1/2 parts Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka1/2 part St. Germain® Elderflower Liqueur
3/4 parts freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/3 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 part sugar syrup
very fine granulated sugar
Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass. Roll the moistened glass in the sugar. In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake well and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pink grapefruit zest.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
An Almost Cinco de Mayo Salsa Cruda
Cinco de Mayo, or as I like to call it "Mexican St. Patrick’s Day," is almost here, and as everyone knows, the cornerstone of any great CDM celebration is the salsa cruda. It has to be homemade, and it has to be awesome. Actually, if you serve enough margaritas you could get away with store-bought, but for the sake of this post, let’s just go with it.
Salsa cruda simply means a raw sauce, and that’s really the only rule. This is also commonly called “pico de gallo,” which means “roosters beak,” apparently because it was originally eaten by “pecking” or pinching small portions from the bowl with your thumb and forefinger. I’m going to ask that you please use a chip.
One word of warning: make twice as much as you think you are going to need…this stuff is seriously addictive. By the way, as I just informed my faithful followers on YouTube, I pronounce, “salsa,” “sal-za,” simply because I find it more festive. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into a small dice
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1 or 2 large jalapenos, seeded, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
About 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 tbsp minced mint leaves
1/4 tsp dry oregano
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
pinch of sugar
pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
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