Before it's too late . . .

Yep . . . I know my last post was a little bit over four months ago, but I went through a lot of issues during this time, including knee surgery, and kinda lost my "mojo".  I was finally able to come out of my "black cloud" and decided that it was about time to start writing again!  :)

During these months, however, I thought of different things I wanted to write about.  There was this one article, though, that I read in the March issue of "Bon Appétit" and that got stuck in my head—Save Your Recipes Before It's Too Late, by Monica Bhide.

I always tell everyone how I got my inspiration for cooking from my mom (Mami Amparo) and my paternal grandmother (Mama Sultana).  Reading this article brought back memories of the times when, as a kid, I watched my mom cooking, or when, later on, we used to cook together, or of those times when I would call her long distance (after I moved to the States) to ask her about a certain recipe.  I still keep some old note pads in my mom's handwriting with recipes she wrote down while watching cooking tv shows (there weren't that many back then) or notes from a cooking class she attended.  Unfortunately, I don't have any of her own recipes written anywhere!  I wish I would have thought of doing this while she was still around!  She was such a good cook and could whip up a delicious meal in no time at all!

Mama Sultana, curiously enough, didn't know how to read or write, but she would bake the most amazing things!  I clearly remember (when I was in my teens) one Saturday she was staying home with us and I asked her if she would share some of her recipes with me.  Armed with pen and paper, I sat down by her side on the couch in the living room and, listening to all her fascinating stories, I started writing down all of her detailed explanations.  Later, I gathered all my recipes and put them together in a plastic folder.  That same year, on the last day of school, I had the most unfortunate idea:  I took my plastic folder with me to school to show it to some of my classmates.  One girl asked to borrow it and promised to return it soon.  Hesitantly, I agreed.  To make a long story short, that was the last time I saw this girl and my folder with my treasured recipes!  :(

I know that if I read certain cookbooks or look into other people's cooking sites on the Internet, I would probably be able to recreate some of Mami Amparo's or Mama Sultana's recipes . . . but it's never going to be the same!  So, if you happen to read this posting and you are lucky enough to have your mom or your grandmother alive and enjoy their food, do yourself a huge favor:  ask for the recipes and save them before it's too late!

This is exactly one of the reasons why I started my blog:  to preserve memories.  So, I decided to post a very old but simple recipe that I used to prepare at home whenever there was a birthday party or any other gathering and we had guests.  I think I have kept this recipe for some 30 years now!  :)

Jamón del Diablo (Deviled Ham Spread)

Odd enough, this recipe doesn't have any ham or hot sauce in its ingredients!  Also, back in the day, I would prepare it in a blender, but you may use a food processor, as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into small chunks (reserve the stock* resulting from cooking the chicken)
• 4 hot dogs, boiled and cut into slices (any kind you prefer)
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• few drops of red food coloring
• 1/2 Knorr chicken bouillon cube
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients (start with a little amount of the chicken stock) in a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth.  Add more chicken stock, if needed, to bind ingredients.  Pour mixture in a mold and refrigerate for, at least, three hours or over night, until it sets.  Unmold and serve with crackers, bread or toasts.

*  Cook the chicken breast with bone and skin in enough water to cover it.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Also, if you want, you can add vegetables and herbs to the stock to make it more flavorful (carrots, onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf, etc.).  Once the chicken is cooked (it takes anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes), strain the stock and discard solids.  Also, discard bone and skin before cutting chicken breast into chunks.

Before it's too late . . .

Vladimir . . . the new kid on the block!

Vladimir came into my life two weeks ago . . . Berta, one of my coworkers, gave him to me as a gift . . . here are some photos of him . . .

The little guy lives in a small bowl on my desk, surrounded by my plants and everybody at the office has always something nice to say about him! :)

He is very finicky when it comes to eating and if any of his food lands on the bottom of the bowl, he simply ignores it, so now I only feed him one or two little pellets of food two or three times a day and that seems to work!

I also keep a lamp on over the bowl most part of the day . . . but, unfortunately, the security guards at work turn off the lights late at night and during the weekends . . . eventhough I put a note on the lamp for them not to turn it off! :(

My boyfriend wrote a poem for Vladimir and I thought it was so cute, that I decided to share it with you here:

Vlad The Beta

When Vladimir thinks he sinks.
If Vladimir thinks he sees you,
he sinks down to focus true.
If Vladimir thinks he smells food,
he sinks down to mellow his mood.

If Vlad thinks he sees another beta,
his instincts will always win.
He uses his strongest blue fin
to feather fluff the purple-ish-red fins,
until every one of his fins are puffin’.

Vladie’s bad but never stays sad.
He is always thinking and sinking
or fin fluffing and huff puffing,
erecting each of his colorful fins,
attracting your friendship, he always wins.


R Jay Slais

Vladimir . . . the new kid on the block!

"Picante de Camarones" . . . Hot or Spicy?

If you look up on the Internet for a "Picante de Camarones", you'll mainly find it described as "shrimp in spicy sauce", "shrimp in hot sauce" or "shrimp in aji sauce".

When it comes to translating into English names of Peruvian dishes that use the words "picante" or "ají" (which means that some kind of hot or chilli peppers have been used), people often use the words "hot" and "spicy" interchangeably. However, these two words represent two different taste sensations in our palate. When we talk about a food being "hot" in taste, we really mean that it produces a burning sensation in our mouth. On the other hand, "spicy" traditionally describes savory and flavorful foods, foods that have been heavily seasoned with spices, foods that have a pungent flavor . . . but that are not necessarily hot.

So . . . is a "Picante de Camarones" hot or spicy? . . . well . . . it's both!  It's a dish prepared with shrimp (camarones), bathed in a creamy, flavorful hot and spicy sauce . . . yum!!!

Last Sunday I was checking my Facebook wall and came across a recipe for "Picante de Camarones" posted by Peruvian Chef Herbert Ackermann on his page "Perejil and Culantro" (translates as "Parsley and Cilantro").  A quick glance at the list of ingredients . . . and, yep, I had them all!  It isn't everyday that I have shrimp in my freezer (I had just bought them), so I jumped at the opportunity to prepare a Peruvian dish!  Well, I didn't exactly have the same ingredients, but it was close enough (for instance, can tomatoes instead of fresh ones), so I adapted the recipe to what I had . . . and it was a success!!!  As I started cooking, I decided to take photos, but then I got so involved in the preparation that I completely forgot about them until the very end!  I only took three or four snaps . . . you'll see what I mean!  Also, I was so hungry by the time the dish was ready, that I didn't bother taking a photo of the "Picante" on the plate . . .  and just sat to chow down! :)

I really hadn't initially thought of posting the recipe, but my friends Ylia and Margarita loved it (they both tried it at the office) and that encouraged me to do it!

Picante de Camarones (Shrimp in Hot-Spicy Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb cooked shrimp (had a 2 lb bag, 51-60 count, tail on, frozen)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 2 fish bouillon cubes (optional)
• 3 teaspoons of minced roasted garlic
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, no salt
• 3 teaspoons of "pasta de ají amarillo" (Peruvian yellow peppers paste, found at any Latin store)
• 3 slices of white sandwich bread
• 6 oz of evaporated milk (half a can)

Preparation:

The preparation of this dish won't take more than 20 minutes, so it's better to have your "mise en place" ready before you start cooking!

• If, like me, you happen to have a bag of frozen tail-on shrimp, start by preping them first.  The original recipe called for uncooked shrimp and making sort of a broth with the heads.  My twist on this:  Cut the tails off, put them in a small saucepan and cook them in one cup of water and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt for 3 minutes.  Pour everything in the blender and process it for about a minute.  Strain the liquid and reserve.  Keep the tail-off shrimp in a bowl until you are ready to use them.

• Blend the whole can of diced tomatoes to the consistency of a smooth purée and reserve
• Soak the slices of bread in the milk for 5 minutes and then blend them to the consistency of a smooth purée and reserve

Heat the oil in a dutch oven pan and sauté onions for two or three minutes to soften them.  Add the fish bouillon cubes and stir with a wooden spoon to break them up.  Then add the garlic and sauté for one more minute.  Season with pepper to taste.  Keep cooking and stirring with the wooden spoon until you notice little brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan, which will take about a couple of minutes.  Add the tomato purée and scrape up the brown bits.  Add the "ají amarillo" paste.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.  If the preparation looks too thick, thin it out with a little bit of the reserved shrimp broth.  Then add the reserved bread and milk purée and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.  Adjust seasoning if needed.  Keep adding the shrimp broth as needed.  Finally, add the reserved tail-off shrimp and let them heat through in the sauce for no longer than 5 minutes.

If you want to eat this dish "Peruvian style", serve it with rice, slices of boiled potatoes and half a boiled egg.  Enjoy!!! :)

• The photo at the beginning of this posting was downloaded from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvia1230/4003266315/
• The photo for "Ajíes Peruanos" was downloaded from: http://www.agendameperu.com/2009/09/25/ajies-peruanos-sazon-para-el-mundo/

"Picante de Camarones" . . . Hot or Spicy?

Ah, the holidays!

I'm spending my end-of-the-year vacation in Michigan with Bobby and I'm having the best time ever! Our main activity during the week was "hunting" for Xmas gifts in the midst of rush hour, but we still managed to have lots of fun! On Xmas eve we went to his sister's house for dinner with the rest of the family and yesterday, Xmas day, we had a nice day at home with his kids, opening Santa's presents and being lazy for the most part of the rest of the day! :)

For dinner at Susie's place I was looking for appetizer recipes that could go well with Manhattans (the family's favorite cocktail) and something to end the meal on a sweet note . . .

Found an appetizer recipe on Southern Living (November 2003 issue) called "Cranberry-Cheese Box", but modified it and created my own version:

Susy's Rhubarb-Cheese Spread

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup shallots, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick's Black & Red Pepper Blend
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1-8 oz. container Chive & Onion Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread
• 1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons Daisy Light Sour Cream
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• Zest from 1 orange
• 1 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon McCormick's Black & Red Pepper Blend
• 1-10 oz. block Kraft's Cracker Barrel Natural Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1-7 oz. block Kraft's Natural Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 5 oz. rhubarb marmalade (I used more or less half of a 9.5 oz. container of American Spoon's Rhubarb Marmalade)
• Garnishes: whole toasted pecans and dried cherries
• Crackers

Preparation:

Fry shallots in vegetable oil until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Set aside until cooled to room temperature. In a big bowl mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. Add pecans, orange zest and dried cherries. Season with salt and pepper. Add grated cheeses and mix well. Spoon mixture into an 8- x 8- x 115/32-inch square foil pan. Cover and chill 8 hours (or up to two days). Unmold and spoon rhubarb marmalade on top; garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers.

*************************************************

I must admit that I was greatly impressed with own my creation, especially since I also got rave reviews from everyone at the party! :)

Now, for the "sweet note" at the end of the meal, I went with the "Dulce de Leche Coffee" from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" site. I adapted the ingredients to what I was able to find at the store. All I can say is . . . you've got to try it! It's simply yummy!!! :)

Dulce de Leche Coffee

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6

 Ingredients:  

• 4 cups strongly brewed good coffee (bought a 12 oz. package of "Folgers Gourmet Selections Chocolate Truffle Ground Coffee")
• 6 ounces, fluid “dulce de leche” (bought a 15.8 oz. bottle of "Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche"
• 6 tablespoons Kahlua—more if preferred! (bought a bottle of "Sabroso Licor de Café"—imported from Mexico)
• 1 cup heavy cream (instead of making my own whipped cream, I bought a 7 oz. can of "Extra Creamy Reddi-wip whipped topping" . . . if you do this, omit the next ingredient, sugar)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons chocolate, grated (bought a 3.5 oz. bar of "Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate")

Preparation:

Add Dulce de Leche to the very hot coffee; stir until completely dissolved and combined. Keep coffee hot. Combine cream with sugar and whip until stiff. Add 1 tablespoon Kahlua to each coffee cup. May add 1 1/2 if desired, or may add whiskey or brandy in addition. Pour the coffee/dulce de leche mixture into each glass. Top with a heaping tablespoon whipped cream and grated chocolate of your choice. Absolutely sinful!

Note: Dulce de Leche is sold in the Hispanic aisle of supermarkets, or in Hispanic specialty markets. It is sold in solid 15 ounce blocks, or in cans or bottles in more of a liquid form. You can also find recipes for making your own Dulce de Leche using sweetened condensed milk. Yum!
.
.

Ah, the holidays!

Au Gratin Potatoes Casserole

This year I wanted to contribute with a dish for our Thanksgiving dinner up-north and spent a good week searching for recipes on the Internet, although I sort of knew I wanted something with potatoes.  I love Au Gratin Potatoes or Scalloped Potatoes, but it's hard to find a good recipe, and I've tried several versions . . . some of them not even worth mentioning!

And then I came across this one recipe from Southern Living magazine.  The recipe looked yummy and easy, but then I started reading the ratings and reviews and one link even took me to a similar recipe from Cracker Barrel . . . and more reviews . . . so I read them carefully, modified and combined ingredients from the two recipes and came up with my own version . . . of course, I forgot to take a picture of the final product, but this one I "stole" from Taste of Home looks very similar! :)

One more thing . . . I prepared the casserole the night before and stored it in the fridge (covered with foil).  I read somewhere on the reviews that doing so would help the flavors meld better.  I guess you can also prepare the casserole a day in advance and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake.  My problem with doing this was that I wasn't sure if I would have the oven available at the party, since I knew that Bruce (Bobby's brother) was cooking several dishes at once!  Well, all I can (proudly) say is that everybody seemed to like my dish (even me) and a couple of people even asked me for the recipe! :)



Au Gratin Potatoes Casserole

• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps fresh thyme
• 2 tsps Aunt Jane's Krazy Mixed-up salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated Colby-jack cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1-10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1-8 oz container sour cream
• 3 tbsps chives, finely chopped
• 1 bag (32 oz.) Ore-Ide southern style hash browns, completely thawed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses (1/4 cup of each)

1. Fry onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add thyme, seasoned salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
2. In a big bowl mix next 7 ingredients. Add onion mixture. Add thawed hash browns and mix well.
3. Spoon mixture into a slightly oiled 9” x 13” pyrex dish. Smooth top with the back of a spoon.
4. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mixed grated cheeses on top.
5. Bake in a 350 F oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Note:  If you notice that top of casserole is getting too brown, cover with foil during last minutes of baking time. Test doneness by pricking potatoes with the tip of a knife. There shouldn’t be any resistance at all.

Au Gratin Potatoes Casserole

Who mentioned chicken???

Didn't I say I wouldn't feel guilty if I craved chicken and actually ate it?  Well . . . I did! :)

Last time I ordered my groceries online I included a whole chicken for the first time in months!  I had been dreaming with roasting a chicken with potatoes and tomatoes . . . yum!  In the past I've tried different recipes—always looking for the perfect roast chicken—but, invariably, each time I would find something that I could have changed or done slightly differently to improve the flavor.  So . . . this time I decided to take ideas from two different recipes, with my own inputs . . . and I got a winner!!!


I like America's Test Kitchen recipe for "Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Chicken with Potatoes", which includes brining the chicken, but this time I added ingredients to the brine—which I found in a Thanksgiving turkey recipe from Alton Brown—and left the bird in it for a much longer time.  I also varied the ingredients for the flavored butter applied underneath the chicken skin.  Well . . . here is the recipe:


Susy's Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes


Ingredients:


For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1-half gallon (64 fl oz) container of apple cider
• 2-14 oz cans of vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

For the flavored butter:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons roasted garlic
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Ground black pepper to taste

Rest of ingredients:

• 1-4.5 lb chicken, giblets removed (do not use a kosher chicken—it is salted and has a taste and texture similar to a brined bird)
• 8 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil

Preparation:


1. Start with the brine the night before. Dissolve salt and sugar in apple cider and vegetable broth in large container. Add the peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and garlic and mix. Immerse chicken and refrigerate overnight.


2. Early in the morning next day, remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Following illustrations 1 through 6 (below, under "Technique"), butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, apply flavored butter (to prepare it, mash together all ingredients in a small bowl), and position chicken on broiler pan rack; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.  For extra crisp skin, after applying the flavored butter, let the chicken dry uncovered in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours.


3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line bottom of broiler pan with heavy duty foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.


4. Toss potatoes and tomatoes with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, thyme and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Spread potatoes and tomatoes in even layer in foil-lined broiler pan bottom. Place broiler pan rack with chicken on top. Rub chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil.

5. Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 2 hours, until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in thickest part of breast. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let it rest (loosely cover with foil) for 15-20 minutes. Cut chicken into serving pieces and serve with potatoes and tomatoes.


Technique
Step by step: Preparing to Roast


1. Cut through bones on either side of backbone, then remove and discard backbone.

2. Flip chicken over as shown and use the heel of your hand to flatten breastbone.

3. If using a compound butter, slip your fingers between skin and breast, loosening the membrane.

4. Scoop some of the butter onto a spoon, slide it under breast skin, and push off with your fingers.

5. Work butter under skin to cover breast evenly. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with each drumstick and thigh.

6. Transfer to broiling rack and push legs up to rest between thighs and the breast.



Who mentioned chicken???

You are only human!!!

That's what Bobby told me last night when we were talking on the phone and I was sort of complaining about how I was struggling to keep up with the vegan diet.  He said that I shouldn't be so hard on myself.  And, yes, he's right . . . I'm only human!!! :)

So, I've decided that I'll make a concession here:  I'll try to eat vegan a couple of times a week, at least, and I won't feel guilty if I crave chicken . . . and actually eat it!  I'll just take it a day at a time and I think I'll feel better about myself this way.  It's not what I had intended to do but, oh well!  I'll try to keep posting vegan dishes every now and then, but I'll also post no-vegan recipes as well.  After all, I'm eclectic! lol

Having said this (phew!) . . . last weekend I was hankering something sweet and—in an attempt to use up things I had in my fridge/pantry . . . and keep it vegan—I came up with this recipe:

Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1-32 fl oz carton of vanilla flavored almond milk
• 2-4 oz containers of organic apple sauce with cinnamon
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup fig preserve
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup dried mixed berries (golden raisins, cherries, cranberries and blueberries)
• 4 cups day-old bread cut in cubes

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In a 4.5 quarts (4.25 liters) bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (you might want to start with less almond milk and adjust the amount depending on how dry your bread is.), spices, salt, dried mixed berries, and walnuts.  Start adding the bread cubes and, with the help of a wooden spoon, try to break them down and mix well.  You should end up with a fairly stiff but still moist batter—your wooden spoon should stand up in the batter.  Pour the mixture into a rectangular 7.5"x12" baking pyrex dish and bake for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Turn off the oven and, with the door slightly open, let the bread pudding cool down.  The top of the bread pudding should be golden brown.  You can eat it warm or cover the baking dish with foil and put it in the fridge until the next day.  I prefer to eat my bread pudding the day after, cold and when all the flavors have completely melded!

I took 3/4 of the bread pudding to work and some friends tried it . . . no one could believe it didn't have any dairy or eggs!  But, what was more gratifying to me was that they all loved it!!! :)

You are only human!!!