What I Miss About America

Over the years I've met a lot of Americans traveling in France, and they're always very curious about how and why we chose to move here.
The questions come fast and furious: Why did you move to France? Did you move for a job? How long have you been here? How long will you stay? Was it difficult to get a visa? Is your husband French? Did you move here for your husband's job? How did you find a place to live? Why did you choose Normandy? Do you like living in France?

Then the inevitable question is asked:  What do you miss most about living in America?
The answer is easy. Mexican food!*



Thank heavens I can now get a fix at Candelaria in Paris when the cravings are really bad!




*even more than being able to return broken items without an argument, easily accessible public toilets and authentic Thai food




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Family, Food and Dancing in California

California.

It means enjoying time with my amazing sister, nieces and nephews, strawberries and sushi, treating myself to a pedicure, the gorgeous beaches along Monterey Bay, Peanut Buster Parfaits, laughing until I cry at my brother in law's witty sense of humor, much missed Mexican food, pastries and cakes from Gayle's Bakery, dancing in the kitchen (photos of which will not been shared to protect the innocent), wearing UGG boots without shame and cooking up Italian feasts with my dad and grandma.

Thankfully all the dancing in the kitchen helps to burn off the calories from all the eating. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Tacos

My flight finally landed at 1 o'clock Friday morning in San Francisco. I slept for a few hours and by noon my sister and I were polishing off carnitas and chicken tacos at Taqueria los Gordos in Aptos, California.
What a fantastic way to start my trip! Pin It

Photo du Jour - David Lebovitz's Carnitas

I could go on and on about David Lebovitz's carnitas recipe. Instead I'll just say that they are simply spectacular.

If you've got a few hours and are craving an aromatic mound of succulent, caramelized pork to grace your tortillas, look no further. Pin It

Pozole - A Rich Mexican Soup

About 12 years ago, a friend of mine who was born in Mexico and raised in Texas made me lunch. It was a rainy, winter day and she made Pozole, a dish that she grew up on, nothing special, just something to warm us on a cold, blustery day. Well, to me it was very special! Its rich, aromatic flavor left quite an impression. I knew that someday I would encounter this amazing dish once again...

I never did.
So finally, after all these years, I decided to make it myself.

The last time I was in the States I brought back some pozole, which are big, fat kernels of dried hominy that have been soaked in slaked lime to remove their hull and germ. I also picked up a couple of little cans of roasted, diced green chiles since fresh green chiles are often hard to come by here.

The soup called for both of my State-side purchases in addition to some boneless pork, onions, garlic and spices. Pozole was much simpler to make than I thought it would be, and the flavor was just as wonderful as I remembered!



Pozole
serves 6

1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 green chiles, roasted, peeled and diced or 1 small can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
1 jalapeno, seeded, and finely diced
2 tablespoons oil or lard
2 cups dried hominy
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups chicken stock

Soak dried hominy in lightly salted water overnight.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Sauté the onions and garlic for about two minutes then add the meat to the pan and stir it around for another minute.
Add enough water to cover the meat with a least 2 inches and stir in the soaked and drained hominy, the salt, cumin, oregano, cloves, jalapeno and chiles.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the meat from the liquid. Remove excess fat and shred the meat into small pieces. Set aside.
Add chicken stock to replace liquid, if necessary. You'll want a brothy consistency.
Simmer for an additional hour.
Add the pork and simmer for an additional 20 minutes or until hominy is thoroughly cooked.
Salt to taste.

Traditionally Pozole is accompanied by slices of radish, lemons or limes, sliced onions and chopped lettuce. I added some sliced carrots and sliced chiles.

Now the question is, can I find more hominy in France? Anyone know?

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Tinga de Pollo y Papas

Rick Bayless...who knew you were such a nebbish?

Last week I had my first chance to watch a few episodes of Mexico-One Plate at a Time on a DVD that a friend lent me and discovered that, although you're a seriously talented and passionate chef, on your show, when you're not cooking, you're kind of awkward and well...dorky.

But who cares!
Your recipes are brilliant and I've loved every single one that I've ever attempted.
Especially, as I like to call them, the knock-you-on-your-ass Margarita recipe that you so innocently call the Top of the Line Margarita. The night I made a pitcher for myself and three of my friends was the infamous evening that will forever be known as "the night we danced with the chihuahua and danced on the dining room chairs until one of us fell off."
It's an excellent recipe. Go ahead, try it. You'll see.
Then, if you remember anything the next day, let me know what you thought.

Mr Bayless, you've done more for my appreciation of the complexity and uniqueness of Mexican cuisine than a hundred trips to Mexico could have done. And I thank you for that.

So, you're kind of a nebbish. So what.
I find it endearing.



The following is taken from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen


Smoky Shredded Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Tomatoes
Tinga de Pollo y Papas
serves 4 as a light main dish (with about 4 cups of finished tinga)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 medium (1 ½ pounds total) chicken thighs, skin removed
• 4 medium boiling potatoes (like the red-skin ones)
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• Salt, about ¾ teaspoon
• 1/3 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or pressed, salted farmer's cheese
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 3/8-inch dice
• 1 recipe Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato Chipotle Sauce (recipe below)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. The chicken and potatoes -- Nestle the skinless thighs into the sauce, cover, and set over medium-low heat. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the meat is thoroughly tender. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving as much sauce as possible in the pan. Cool, then pull the meat from the bones in large shreds; there will be about 2 cups.
2. With a food processor or hand grater, coarsely shred the potatoes. Squeeze between your hands to remove as much water as possible.
3. Finishing the dish -- Heat the remaining I tablespoon of the oil over medium-high in a large (10- to 12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet. Add the onion and potatoes and cook, stirring and scraping up any sticking bits, until well browned, about 15 minutes. Scrape in the sauce and oregano, bring to a boil, stir in the chicken, and heat through, about 2 minutes.
4. Taste and season with salt.
5. Scoop the mixture into a warm, deep, decorative serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese, strew with avocado and serve without hesitation.

Advance Preparation: The tinga can be finished a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Warm in a 400-degree oven, covered with foil, garnish with avocado and cheese, and serve.

Shortcuts: A drained 15-ounce can of tomatoes can replace the roasted fresh ones.

Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato Chipotle Sauce
makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 stemmed, dried chipotle chiles or canned chipotle chiles en adobo
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 12 ounces (2 medium-small round or 4 to 6 plum) ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. For dried chiles, toast them on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning regularly and pressing flat with a spatula until very aromatic, 30 seconds. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water. (Canned chiles need only be removed from their sauce.)
2. While the chiles are soaking, roast the unpeeled garlic on the griddle or skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they will blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side. Cool, then peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes and their juices, rehydrated or canned chiles and garlic to a medium-fine puree. Heat I tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan over medium-high.
4. Add the puree and stir for about 5 minutes as it sears and thickens.

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Tapas

There's a group of eight of us that get together every so often to cook and eat and enjoy each other's company. It started as a once a month curry night and has evolved into a whenever-we-can-get-our-schedules-coordinated ethnic night. Thus far, we've had the original Indian curry night, a fabulous Turkish evening, a Mexican night with killer Margaritas and a super, spicy Thai supper.
For our next get together, the first we've had since December (yes it is strangely difficult to get eight people together for dinner) we're making a big assortment of Spanish tapas. And I think (and hope) that someone is making a big pitcher of sangria to enjoy with them!

My contribution includes a chickpea salad, a vegetable coca (like a tart) and patatas bravas.

Chickpea Salad
recipe taken from Euroresidentes.com

• 1/2 kg chickpeas
• hard boiled eggs
• 4 red peppers (pimientos del piquillo)
• small bunch of spring onions
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 large tomato
• fresh parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 50g cured ham

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas (if using dried chickpeas soak overnight and then boil the next day in a pressure cooker for 10 mins or boil for 1 hour 10 mins in a pan)
2. Prepare the tomato by blanching it and removing the skin and pips following this cut it into small cubes and place in a bowl
3. Add the red peppers to the tomato (if you can´t find the spanish pimientos del piquillo you will need to roast the red peppers for about 20 mins and then remove the skin and cut into strips)
4. Cut the cured ham into small squares and add to the bowl.
   
5. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar over and season with salt and pepper
6. Add the chickpeas to the salad mixture
7. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve

Vegetable Coca
recipe taken from Tienda.com
serves 4

for the dough:

• ¾ cup water, hand hot
• a pinch of sugar
• 1½ teaspoon dried yeast
• 9 oz strong plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lard

for the topping

• 9 oz chard or spinach, shredded
• 9 oz spinach, shredded
• ½ bunch spring onions, cut into 4 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp pimentón
• salt
• 1 tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped

1. Mix 1/2 cup of the water, the sugar, and the yeast and leave for about 10 minutes until a frothy head forms.
2. Mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture, oil, and lard, and add just enough of the remaining water to mix to a soft, pliable dough.
3. Knead well for about 10 minutes, then place in an oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, put the chard and spinach in a saucepan with a small amount of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Let sit for 3 minutes then drain, squeezing out the excess water.
5. Add the spring onions, parsley, garlic, and oil. Season with paprika and salt and blend well.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and curl up the edges to make a border.
8. Place on a greased baking tray and spread the vegetables over the dough, sprinkle with tomato, season with salt, and bake for 30 to 50 minutes.

From Spain on a Plate by María José Sevilla

I'll be making a few changes to the above recipe. For one, I don't have chard so will use only spinach and I'm replacing the lard with the equivalent amount of olive oil.



I'm still hunting for the perfect patatas bravas recipe. Pin It