Like most people who love cooking, I bet you are always eager to try different or new things in the kitchen—that North African hot chilli sauce you just read about on the latest issue of your favorite cooking mag . . . those new dip chiller/warmer bowls that would be, oh, so fabulous for your next party . . . or that cute "ex" knives holder . . .
. . . and if you are anything like me, you actually end up buying some of that stuff and just keep storing it in your already cram-packed tiny kitchen! lol
Well, one of those things I bought—a vertical chicken ceramic roaster—has been sitting on my kitchen counter for some three or so years!
Instructions on the box said: "For wonderfully moist chicken, pour beer, wine, fruit juice or marinade in the center tube of the Vertical Chicken Roaster. Then stand your chicken over the tube, place some vegetables or potatoes in the roasting pan, and place the Vertical Chicken Roaster in your oven. The heat causes the marinade to seep into the chicken, soaking it with flavor. With this all-in-one Vertical Chicken Roaster, you'll have a delicious and complete meal in no time."
So . . . I had been thinking this week about finally getting to use the roaster and, last night, when I was doing my grocery shopping online—hey, a girl needs to be resourceful when she doesn't drive!—I ordered a whole chicken.
I've seen cooking tv shows about the famous "Beer Can Chicken" and read some recipes, so all I needed now was to put my shoulders to the wheel! :)
I felt confident enough to do my own version without checking again for recipes. Basically, you need beer, a rub for the chicken and some potatoes or veggies (optional). I can't tell you exact measures, but I can tell you what I made my rub with: minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and thyme. First I massaged the bird with some olive oil, so that the rub would stick to it. I poured beer (Sam Adams Boston Lager) in the center tube of the roaster and added some minced garlic and thyme. Finally, I cut some potatoes and a couple of tomatoes (rubbed them with olive oil and thyme) and put them in the roaster, around the chicken.
It's 4:30 p.m. and my chicken is now sitting in the oven (400 F for the first half hour and then I have to lower the heat to 350 F) and should be cooked in 1.5-2 hours, considering that it is a 4.5 lb bird!
And . . . voilà . . . it's 6:15 p.m. . . . here is the final product! :)
My friends Ylia and Margarita came back from Cancún, Mexico a few days ago and they were thoughtful enough to bring me a little something from their trip. I must clarify though that they were working over there and not on vacation! We have this event at the office called the "Annual Meeting" which takes place in different countries every year (and every four years in a city here in the States). This meeting always happens around the end of March or begining of April . . . and it's what kept me also busy for most part of March, like I stated a few postings ago! :)
Anyway . . . as I was saying, Ylia and Margarita thought of me and decided that they were not going to bring me any candy from Mexico, but something I could actually use for cooking . . . so they brought me this "salsa picante" . . .
and they also got me something called an "Alebrije".
“Alebrijes” are brightly-colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures, and the story about how they came to be is a very interesting one! Pedro Linares López—a papier mache artisan born in Mexico City in 1906—started out as a common “cartonero” (papier mache artist) who eked out a living in La Merced, on the outskirts of Mexico City, by making traditional piñatas, carnival masks, and Judas dolls for local fiestas. In the 1930s, he broke from tradition and started creating elaborate decorative pieces that represented imaginary creatures he called alebrijes. Inspired by a dream when he fell ill at age 30, these papier mache sculptures were painted with bright colors and intricate patterns, and frequently featured wings, horns, tails, fierce teeth, and bulgy eyes. Although Pedro Linares was the first one who used the term to describe his creations; nowadays it is also commonly used in reference to the Oaxacan woodcarvings popularized by Manuel Jimenez.
One day, at the age of 30, Pedro got very sick. Poor people didn’t have any access to doctors or medicine, so Pedro’s sisters were doing the best they could by giving him home remedies and herbs. Apparently, Pedro got worse, and the only thing the family got left were prayers to their saints.
In bed and unconscious, Pedro had this dream where he was in a very strange, interesting and peaceful place, kind of like a forest, with trees, rocks and animals, and where he could also see the sky and the clouds. Pedro said that everything was quiet, he wasn’t feeling any pain at all, and he was happily walking around when, all of a sudden, the rocks, clouds and animals turned into weird creatures: a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull horns, a lion with a dog’s head. All these creatures were yelling just one word: “Alebrijes”. He said that they were yelling louder and louder and just repeating that same word “Alebrijes, Alebrijes, Alebrijes!”
Pedro claims that the noise was terrible and that he wasn't able to stay there for a long time because he got a terrible headache and left. He then found himself on this road and saw a man walking along. He asked for help—he wanted a way out! The man told Pedro that he wasn’t supposed to be there yet, that he had to keep walking and that a few steps away he would find an exit. Pedro started running and soon found a narrow window. He was barely able to escape through it and then he woke up.
Some versions tell that Pedro suddenly woke up in the middle of his own wake, and that he heard expressions of astonishment and prayers from friends and family when they saw him “coming back from what seemed his death”. After that moment, Pedro recovered completely and started remembering his dream. He wanted his family and everyone else to know about these fantastic animals. And taking advantage of his artistic ability, Pedro grabbed some paper and molded it into these figures, painted them—just like in his dream—giving life to the “Alebrijes”.
That first of Pedro’s alebrije caught the eye of a gallery owner in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The gallery soon commissioned additional pieces. Eventually, museums around the world purchased the extraordinary, one-of-a-kind alebrijes, and Pedro traveled to participate in exhibitions throughout Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
Pedro’s family says that he used to work 16 hours every day—from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.—until the day before he died, on 26 January 1992, at age 86. His family still keeps the tradition alive.
I found a video on YouTube,"TheColorsofMexico: Alebrijes" . . . I thought you might want to watch it! :)
Last Friday I posted this recipe on my Facebook wall and had been "dreaming of it" during the weekend. This morning I wasn't feeling well (remember I told you on Saturday that I had been harboring a cold?) so I had to call in sick, something I do on very rare occasions!
Around 3 p.m. I was feeling a little bit better and hungry . . . but I knew I didn't have many things left in my pantry. After coming back from Michigan last week I kept postponing ordering groceries online, thinking that I might have the time Friday afternoon after work to go shopping. And, even though we were released at 1 p.m. because of Good Friday, it didn't happen (going shopping, that is) . . . I wasn't feeling that great and decided to go straight home.
Well, going back to my pantry . . . I found a box of Velveeta Shells & Cheese—not exactly something I like or crave, but I guess I bought it to have some sort of "life saver" on a rainy day (or sick day)! Reluctantly, I set a saucepan with water on the stove to boil it for the shell pasta and went into my fridge looking for some Parmesan cheese. To my surprise, I found half a jar of mild chunky salsa . . . hmmm . . . "I can mix that with the Velveeta cheese sauce", I said to myself . . . and then, at the very bottom of the fridge, I found a can of Guinness beer! Oh wow! That meant I could probably make the "Guinness Chocolate Cake"! I double-checked the recipe and . . . voilà . . . I found out I had everything I needed!
I turned off the stove in the meantime I started preparing the cake . . . and here are the pics . . .
. . . Totally Unexpected! That's the name of the show I was just watching on Food Network. I've seen it a few times and some of the dishes they mention are mind-blowing! Oh . . . and there are some items that are "mind-blowing" as well, but not in a good way: Deep Fried Candy Bar? . . . Proscuitto Ice Cream??? . . . give me a break! lol
I like olives and artichokes . . . so when I heard that this dish "Eggs Rose" had those two things, I wanted to find out more about it. Cat Cora—one of the Iron Chefs—was commenting about the best breakfast she had ever had at "D'Angelo Bread", in Santa Barbara, California. "The Eggs Rose is one of my favorite breakfast items I've ever had. Poached eggs on top of fresh baked Kalamata olive bread with an artichoke spread, delicious!"
Of course, I wanted the recipe! And, sure enough, I couldn't find it anywhere! :(
So, I started looking on the Internet for the different components of the dish by separate and came up with these recipes:
Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Spread
1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts 6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil 1 clove garlic, pressed 1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Pinch of salt
Drain the artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process to consistency that you like. This recipe is from "The Pampered Chef".
Artichoke and Goat Cheese Spread
1 can artichoke hearts, well drained 1 pound mild soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 roasted red bell pepper or pimiento 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
In a food processor, add the artichoke hearts, goat cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, roasted bell pepper, parsley, chives, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Place in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days in advance. This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse.
Kalamata Olive, Sun-dried Tomato, and Feta Bread
400 g water
14 g instant yeast 625 g bread flour (I used King Arthur—you might need a little more flour depending on how wet your olives and tomatoes are) 42 g dried milk powder 18 g sugar 7 g salt 1 egg, beaten 180 g pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half or thirds (I used a drained 6.5 oz. jar of TJs) 8 oz. julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (can use reconstituted dry pack if you prefer; I used an 8.5 oz. of TJs julienned sun-dried tomatoes) 25 g chopped fresh parsley (fresh basil would also be delicious) 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled Egg wash
Combine water, yeast, flour, dry milk, sugar, egg, and salt in mixer bowl. Mix with paddle just to combine. Add in tomatoes, olives and parsley at the end being careful not to break them up too much.
Let dough rest 15 minutes in covered mixer bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured counter and knead a few turn to form a ball. Place in oiled covered container and let rest another 15 minutes. Do a stretch and fold. Return dough to bowl. Wait another 15 minutes and do a 2nd stretch and fold.
Return to covered bowl and let rise until double (about an 1 1/2 hours—I can't remember exactly how long this took).
Divide dough into two equally sized balls and roll each out into a cylinder about 12" long and 1/4" thick. Sprinkle each rectangle with half the feta, and then cut the rectangle in half length-wise.
Roll up each strip of dough tightly to form a long cylinder, and then roll each cylinder back and forth until each is 24" long. Braid two cylinders together and then coil them to form a round loaf. Place each loaf on parchment, spray lightly with pan-spray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let proof until almost double, about one hour.
Place oven stone on rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375º F. Just before baking, brush loaves with egg wash. Bake directly on stone for about 35 minutes until center reaches 190º F. Makes two round loaves (can also be baked in loaf pans). This recipe is from "The Fresh Loaf".
"Easter" . . . "Pesah or Passover" . . . "Semana Santa" . . . depending on your roots, background, and where you are, you might be celebrating any of these. I have Catholic and Jewish roots in my family . . . and I'm living now in the States, so there is a little bit of everything here and there. I'm not precisely what you would call "someone religious" and I think the conflict started in my mind "ages" ago, back in my native Lima, Peru. Just picture this: a Catholic maternal side, a Jewish paternal side . . . and attending a Methodist school! Any way . . . whatever it is that you believe in and are celebrating, have a nice time! :)
I know I sort of deserted my blog for the whole month of March, but it was a really hectic time at work and it was really difficult to keep up with everything going on! Had even forgotten all about the "2010 Census" and was only able to find, fill out and mail my form yesterday! And just to make things a tad more complicated, I've been harboring a cold for the past few days . . . ah, the joys of life! lol
Growing up, my maternal side of the family was the predominant one around this time of the year and we would celebrate "Semana Santa". Of course, "Good Friday" or "Viernes Santo" meant having "Bacalao a la Vizcaína" which was served with steamed rice and garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with spinach. The "Bacalao" we used to buy was Norwegian salt-dried codfish and you had to soak it in water for a couple of days (keeping it in the fridge and changing the water every few times) to desalt and reconstitute the fish. I have to admit that I only acquired the taste for this dish over the years and really learned to appreciate it when I was in my early 20s. In fact, I would ask my mom how come we couldn't have "Bacalao a la Vizcaína" more often! But, apparently, salt-dried codfish was only available around Holy Week. "Bacalao" imported from Norway was, of course, the most traditional, coveted, less salty, and pricy one, but we weren't always able to afford it, so we would just buy the least costly—but equally flavorful—local salt-dried "Bacalao style" fish.
Even though I saw my maternal grandmother and my mother preparing this dish many times along the years, it's really hard for me to recall exact measures, but after chatting online with my brother Kike and exchanging thoughts, we came up with this version:
Bacalao a la Vizcaína (Basque Style Codfish)
Ingredients:
1 lb Norwegian salt-dried codfish fillets
1 lb onions cut in thick julienne
1/2 cup of tomato paste
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons of "ají panca molido" (sundried red chili paste or "Panca Pepper"—found in Latin markets)
Olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine
2 cups of water or low sodium stock
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, boiled and cut in slices
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Soak the salt-dried codfish for 12 to 24 hours and keep it in the refrigerator, changing the water at least three times a day, until the water doesn't taste salty anymore. Drain the water, gently pat dry the fish and remove bones, if any. Put aside. Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet or pot and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt (not too much) and pepper to taste. Then add tomato paste and "ají panca" and cook for another minute. Add bell peppers and sauté until they soften a little bit. Deglaze with white wine and let alcohol evaporate Add 2 cups of water (or low sodium stock) and then add shredded "bacalao". Cover skillet or pot and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice and making sure there's enough liquid. Also, taste and rectify seasoning. Serve with steamed rice and boiled potatoes. It can also be served with garbanzo beans cooked with spinach or chard. Serves 4.
Just what is Chinese New Year? There's actually a lot more to it than lion dances and firecrackers, although these two pieces of tradition are integral and more visible, Chinese New Year to China is like Christmas to the West. In essence, Chinese New Year is spending time with family, gift giving and, the all important, food-fest. While—if you're lucky—may get Christmas Eve day off in addition to Christmas Day, Chinese New Year festivities officially last for 15 days!!!
Chinese New Year celebrations have their origin with end-of-harvest celebrations when people would offer thanks to gods for good harvests and pray for a good crop in the following year. Although they varied according to the different calendars used, the customs were formalized under Han Dynasty (206BC-AD 25) rule.
2010 brings the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese lunar calendar and the New Year started on 14 February.
In Lima, Peru—where I was born and raised—a traditional arch welcomes you to the "Barrio Chino" (Chinatown) at the corner of Jirón Ucayali and Jirón Andahuaylas, right next to Lima’s "Mercado Central" (Central Market). And between blocks 7 and 8 of Jirón Andahuaylas you'll find the well-known "Calle Capón" (Capon Street), where all the "chifas" (Chinese restaurants) are located.
"Chifa" is a term used in Peru to refer to a style of food produced by the fusion of creole Peruvian food with Chinese food brought by Chinese immigrants mainly from the southern province of Guangdong and particularly its capital city, Canton, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also used to define a restaurant where this type of food is served. "Chifa" has become one of the most popular types of food in Peru and has achieved international fame. Nowadays, "chifa" has evolved enormously and has acquired its own personality forming part of Peruvian gastronomy. A few interesting tidbits:
There are more chinese restaurants in Peru than in any other Latin American country: around 6,000, just in Lima.
In Peru, ginger is known by the Chinese world "kion" rather than the Spanish "gengibre", and soy sauce is "sillau" rather than "salsa de soya".
Fried rice is known as "arroz chaufa" or simply "chaufa" rather than the Spanish "arroz frito" or "arroz chino".
There are no "fortune cookies" at the end of your meal . . . rather, you get a white, soft, chewy candy wrapped in a thin edible paper-like wrapping made from sticky rice.
Everyone who knows me well is aware of my "passion" for Peruvian-Chinese cuisine or "chifa". I've been known to eat "chifa" for three days in a row whenever I'm back in Lima on vacation! :) When I was a kid, I would await with delight Friday nights . . . it was "chifa" night! We always went to the same restaurant, "Chifa Taiwan", which was an unassuming, small but clean place. We would always take one of the private booths, closed off with red curtains. The dinner fare typically included fried wontons with tamarind dipping sauce, wonton soup, pork or chicken fried rice, chicken in oyster sauce, roast pork with scallions, and sauté noodles with snow peas, mushrooms and quail eggs . . . all washed down with Inca Kola! :) It was a feast! Ahhh . . . those times! As I grew up, I realized there were "other" Chinese dishes, equally tasty, that soon became part of my favorites:
Chi Jau Kai chicken (boned chicken pieces marinated in oil, salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, garlic, pisco, soy sauce, and "mensí" or black bean paste sauce, vapor cooked, then drenched in cornstarch, deep fried, and served with oyster sauce and sesame seeds)
Chicken Roll-ups with Asparagus (chicken filets stuffed with asparagus, drenched in cornstarch, deep fried and served, also, with oyster sauce)
Crab Claws (Crab claws wrapped in a paste prepared with shrimp, egg white, salt, pepper, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil, drenched in cornstarch, fried, and served with lime juice and Chinese cinnamon)
Seriously . . . this is really ridiculous! Have been snowed in since Friday last week!!! The bad news: it is still snowing and can't even see outside the window! The good news, on the other hand: my flight to Detroit tomorrow hasn't been cancelled so far!!! Yay!!! :)
I was checking my "News Feed" on Facebook and got across this: "Food & Wine: We're proud to announce the winner of our first-ever Home Cook Superstar Search, Sarah Simmons, a digital marketing consultant in New York City! To learn more about Sarah and for more great entrants we loved: http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/home-cook-superstar/Home-Cook-Superstar."
So, I clicked on the link and started reading about the winner . . . then went to the second entrant and read the following: "Contestant Melissa Ainslie of Miami, blogs about her cooking adventures at bitchincamero.com." And, of course, had to check her blog!
I looooove figs! And, guess what? Melissa's current posting is precisely about figs . . . here it is:
Fig & Balsamic Jam
Published by mel on February 8, 2010 in breakfast, recipe and sides & bites
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a bit persnickety about my kitchen. I like everything to be immaculately clean and orderly – counter tops shining and everything put away. No toaster or blender or mixer out on the counter. I like as much space as possible to make a real mess on when I’m cooking. So, it’s an absolute wonder that I’ve kept my new Ad Hoc at Home cookbook on the counter for the past month. It’s just so beautiful and inspiring and I like to peruse it while I’m wondering what to make for dinner.
One of the recipes that kept catching my eye was a Fig & Balsamic Jam that sounded like the perfect accompaniment to a large hunk of Manchego taking up room in the cheese drawer (Yes, I keep an entire drawer of cheese… Don’t judge me.). Of course, it’s winter and fresh figs are still a few months away. But I wanted some fig jam now! So, I tweaked the recipe to see if it would work with dried figs. And happy surprise – it did!
This jam is super quick and endlessly delicious. Paired with cheese, it’s just dreamy. Brings a little bit of summer to your plate. I highly recommend you make it as soon as possible.
In case you’re wondering, that’s a Fig jam, Manchego and chorizo sandwich in the background. My favorite kind of food…
Fig & Balsamic Jam Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home.
1 lb. dried mission figs (or other dried figs), roughly chopped 1 cup demerara sugar (or cane sugar) 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup water 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Place the figs, sugar, balsamic and water in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Once it comes to a bubbling simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the figs have absorbed most of the cooking liquid.
Remove from heat and carefully use a blender or food processor to puree the jam, breaking up any large pieces of dried figs.
Stir in the lemon juice and let cool completely to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
After being trapped in my apartment for three days now, I'm starting to feel just a tad bored. There's nothing particularly interesting to watch on tv, I'm bored of playing Bejeweled Blitz and Mah Jongg Toy Chest on Facebook, there's not much happening on Facebook itself, and can't spend all day long eating or talking with Bobby on the phone! lol . . . I'm not quite sure how I ended up on this blog—Baking Obsession—but, I'll try to retrace my steps: Let's see . . . I went to my blog, then clicked on the link "Next Blog" (on the top part of the site) and it took me to "Crabby Days". Then I clicked on a couple of the links under "Places I am Currently Lurking ...": "Anne's Food" from Sweden, and "Cooking the Books" from Scotland, both with interesting recipes. On "Cooking the Books" clicked on the author's "View My Complete Profile" link. Once there, went over the list of her "Blogs I Follow" and decided to click on the last link of the list, "The Goddess's Kitchen". Again, interesting recipes, and even got sidetracked for a minute with a cute photo of a cat named Coco! On the right side of the blog found several other links, but the one that caught my eyes was "Member of Cook It, Blog It", so I went in there. OMG! I found a huge list of—you guessed it!—more food blogs! OK . . . I was going through the whole list of sites and, somehow, resisted the temptation of clicking on any of them. Finally, decided to click on the last link, "From My Motorhome to Yours", but quickly left the site after listening to the music being played: "Shake Rattle and Roll" from Bill Haley and his Comets! Not precisely my favorite type of music! So, decided to go to the link immediately before that one, "Ria's Collection". The author is a young girl from India—and I'm not particularly keen on Indian food—but, nevertheless, I kept looking through her postings . . . I thought there might be something interesting if she had 130 followers! Well, my sight stopped on a Tiramisu Cake recipe which claimed to be made with homemade Mascarpone cheese! Skipped the Tiramisu recipe and went straight to the cheese recipe, just to find out that it had been copied form another site: "Recipe adapted verbatim from Vera's blog Baking Obsession" . . . so, obviously, my next stop was "Baking Obsession", and that's how I ended up with this recipe:
Homemade Mascarpone Cheese
Much easier to make than it might seem, homemade mascarpone is a tastier and less expensive alternative to a store-bought cheese.
Makes about 12 oz Ingredients: 500 ml whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
And here we go again! Snowed in for the second time since winter started. Very unsual as they keep saying on the news . . . and we even had thunder and lightning last night! Tens of thousands of homes were without power across the region early this morning. Metro bus service has been suspended until further notice, while Metrorail trains are only servicing underground stations. Virtually all flights are canceled at D.C. area airports. Right now is almost 2 p.m. and we already have some 18 inches of snow accumulated . . . and it keeps falling! Around 8 a.m. this morning I saw outside my bedroom window how this guy was trying—in vain—to dig out his car, start it and leave. He gave up after almost 30 minutes. You can't see the car anymore . . . it disappeared into a white mound of snow! By the way, it was President Obama who called Snowmageddon this storm that has shut down Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. News are certainly confusing when it comes to the total snow accumulation expected by the end of the day. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the official numbers are. The bad news is that we are expecting more snow on Tuesday . . . and I have a flight to take on Thursday! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and, hopefully, I'll be able to make it to Michigan for Valentine's Day!
Very few cocktails are as exquisite as Pisco Sour. It exudes a particular aroma, fragrance and a powerful presence. Yes . . . Pisco Sour is this and much more. It also happens to be Peru's flagship drink. And, as a well-deserved homage, the Peruvian Government (via its Ministry of Production through Supreme Decree Nº 161-2004-Produce) decided to institute "Pisco Sour Day" on the first Saturday of February since 2004. What is "Pisco Sour"?—you'll ask—A Pisco Sour is a cocktail containing Pisco (Peruvian grape brandy), lime juice, egg whites, "jarabe de goma" (similar to simple syrup), and regional bitters (like Amargo bitters, though Angostura bitters work if regional bitters are unavailable).
The origins of the drink can be traced back to the era of the Viceroyalty of Peru in the eighteenth century when Pisco used to be mixed with lime in bars adjacent to the bullring in downtown Lima, the country's capital city. But the first mention of Pisco Sour itself dates back to 1924 on a flyer promoting "Bar Morris" in Lima, which highlighted the cocktail as one of its specialties.
It was offered as a novel drink inspired by its counterpart, whisky sour, and was believed to have been first prepared by three Peruvian bartenders. On the other hand, in Jose Antonio Schiaffino's book "The origin of Pisco Sour" it is claimed the inventor of the recipe was Californian Victor V. Morris, the owner of Bar Morris. Now, if you're a tourist heading to Lima, interested in sampling the cocktail in the very premises where it was first served, you'll be a little bit disappointed: the bar that first opened its doors in 1915 has been closed since 1933.
But don't get disheartened that soon. Following the pioneering work that took place at Bar Morris, many of the more elegant hotels in Lima of that era started to imitate the drink, including "Hotel Maury" and the exclusive "Hotel Bolivar" on Plaza San Martin, which is still one of the most famous places in Lima to sip on a Pisco sour. It is said that the legendary American writer Ernest Hemingway holds the record for the most Pisco Sours consumed in one sitting there.
Of course, "Pisco Sour" wouldn't exist in the first place if it weren't for Pisco. In Peru, most types of Pisco belong to one of the four following categories: Pure, Aromatic, Green Must, and Acholado. Pure Pisco is made from a single grape variety, usually the traditional Quebranta grape. Aromatic Pisco is made from Muscat, or similar strains of grape, such as Torontel and Italia, which are closely related to Muscat. Production of Green Must Pisco incorporates the use of partially fermented must. Acholado Pisco, also known as Half-breed Pisco, is Pisco that is blended from more than one grape varietal.
I've posted here a two-part video “Pisco, Cultural Heritage of Peru” that walks you through the origins of Pisco.
And now, the famous recipe . . .
PISCO SOUR RECIPE FOR SHAKER
3 Parts (3 oz.) Pisco
1 Part (1 oz.) Fresh Lime Juice*
1 Part (1 oz.) "Jarabe de Goma"**
1 Egg White (or 1 tablespoon of pasteurized egg whites, which are available in most supermarkets)
1 Drop of Angostura Bitters
In shaker with 5 large ice cubes (not crushed ice), combine liquids adding egg whites last. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Strain into six ounce rocks glass (be careful not allow any ice to pour into the cocktail.
Ice is the enemy of a great Pisco Sour … it will melt and dilute the cocktail. Garnish with one drop Angostura Bitters (the one drop of bitters is for garnish only, do not stir into the Pisco Sour or you will affect the taste).
*To best match the taste of Peruvian limes (which are not available today in the U.S.) use limes from Mexico or Florida key limes when possible. Or you can use ½ lemon juice, and ½ Persian lime juice to replicate the taste of Peruvian lime juice.
** Superfine granulated sugar or simple syrup can be substituted for the "jarabe de goma" in any of these cocktails. If using sugar, use a little less than if using simple syrup.
PISCO SOUR RECIPE FOR BLENDER
(Makes approximately 6-8 servings)
Pour 1 and ½ cup of Pisco into a blender, followed by ½ cup lime juice (see note above regarding best ways to replicate Peruvian lime juice), and ¼ cup of "jarabe de goma" (or super fine sugar or simple syrup). Blend for 30 seconds until sugar is dissolved. Add 6-8 large ice cubes (do not use crushed ice) and add 2 egg whites (you can purchase pasteurized egg whites in a carton at most supermarkets…add about 2 tablespoons of pasteurized egg whites rather than fresh egg whites). Then blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into six ounce rocks’ glass. Allow to sit for 20 seconds until the frothy head forms on top of the Pisco Sour. Drop just one drop of angostura bitters on the center of foam. If made properly the one drop of bitters will form a bull’s eye in the middle of the foam. Do not stir the bitters into the cocktail as it will affect the taste, the drop of bitters is just for decoration.
I had always been curious about Limoncello—even the name sounds cool!—and, finally, had the chance to taste it for the first time three months ago. A friend from work, Sherry, invited me and another friend, Sandi, for dinner at her house. Sherry's and Sandi's birhtdays had been the day before. It was Halloween and kids kept knocking on the door for treats, even though it was pouring outside! We started the night with Mojitos, cheese and prosciutto, followed by the wonderful menu concocted by Sherry, complemented with a delicious red wine.
Photos at Sherry's house courtesy of Sandi
And then, after dessert, Sherry suggested we should try Limoncello . . .
Limoncello (or lemoncello) is an Italian lemon liqueur primarily produced in Southern Italy, mainly in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi and islands of Procida, Ischia and Capri, but also in Sicily, Sardinia, Menton in France and the Maltese island of Gozo. Traditionally, it is made from the Sorrento lemon, though most lemons will produce satisfactory limoncello.
Limoncello is traditionally served chilled as an after dinner “digestivo” (digestif, which is an alcoholic beverage that is taken just after a meal, purportedly as an aid to digestion—hence the name). Along the Amalfi Coast, it is usually served in small ceramic glasses themselves often chilled, the Amalfi coast being a center of both ceramic and limoncello production. This tradition has been carried into other parts of Italy.
So . . . had you ever heard of it? I found out that you can easily make your own Limoncello at home. Of course, you can also buy it, but it's a little bit on the pricy side. There are many recipes online—and most of them come along with a story. I found this one (at "Living in the Boot" http://livingintheboot.squarespace.com/blog/2009/5/17/limoncello.html) particularly easy to follow. I'll just copy the recipe here, but you can click on the link to check the blog for photos and an interesting story.
Authentic Italian Limoncello 1 liter (1,000 ml) of Everclear alcohol (can be made with vodka, too, but not as authentic) 10 medium to large lemons - the best quality you can find 1 1/2 liters (1500 ml) of bottled water 3 lbs (6 cups) sugar
1. Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any dirt, pesticides or wax; pat dry. Using a good vegetable peeler, take all the lemon rind off, very carefully, avoiding any white pith which is bitter.
2. Place lemon peels in glass container with Everclear. Place in cool, dark place (where no kids can get a hold of it!) for 2 weeks.
3. After 2 weeks, place water and sugar in large saucepan, and bring to a fast simmer for about 15 minutes, until thickened some. Let simple syrup cool to room temperature. Strain lemon peels out of alcohol (it should be a lovely shade of yellow and the peels will be stripped of color), and add cooled syrup. Place in dark, cool spot again and let sit 1-2 weeks.
4. After second rest period, slowly filter alcohol through a coffee filter, to remove any residue, into a large pitcher. This takes time; just set up on counter and poor a little, walk away and let filter, come back add more, etc. This really helps "clean out" the limoncello. Place filtered limoncello in glass containers (rinsed liquor bottles work well) and freeze! Voilà!
Limoncello should be served out of the freezer, very cold, in a cold shot glass, sipped after a meal.
I also found recipes that included Limoncello in their ingredients:
Baker’s notes: This cake’s texture isn’t like that of a traditional pound cake (do to the amount of almond paste in it). I find it tastes best served the next day, after the limoncello has had a chance to completely soak in. I also like to serve the slices warm (a 15 second zap in the microwave does the trick). I highly recommend serving with whipped cream and fresh berries, but a dusting of powdered sugar will also do.
3/4 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup light olive oil (alternative: lemon-flavored olive oil) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 10 ounces almond paste (not marzipan), finely crumbled 2-3 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel 4 large eggs 1/3 cup limoncello liquer Whipped cream Assorted fresh berries
Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup sugar, oil and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the almond paste and lemon peel. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; stir to blend. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cake until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature). Remove pan sides from cake and transfer to serving plate. Poke holes all around top of cake with a wooden skewer and slowly brush the limoncello over the top, allowing it to completely soak in. Cut into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
Ingredients:
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons 4 tbsp double cream 100g pack ground almonds 5 eggs 100g butter , melted 8 tbsp limoncello liqueur 6 plums , stoned and cut into wedges 200g golden caster sugar Method: Roll out the pastry and use to line a loose-bottomed tart tin, 25cm diameter and about 3.5-4cm deep. Chill for at least half an hour.
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove beans and paper.
Put the lemon zest and juice, cream, almonds, sugar, eggs and melted butter in a large bowl and whisk until smooth then stir in the limoncello.
Put the plums in the pastry case then pour the custard mixture over. Bake for about 20-30 mins until the custard is just set. Allow to cool then dredge with icing sugar before serving.
A verrine is a confection, originally from Paris, made by artfully layering ingredients in a small glass, and may be either savory or sweet. Very chic and trendy--this one is served in a shot-glass! Use the larger 2.5 to 3 ounce shotglasses, or use ramekins. Makes about 8 Verrines.
Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup fresh raspberry (optional)
* 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
* 1 cup prepared lemon curd
* 4 tablespoons limoncello (1 jigger plus 1 tablespoon)
* 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Directions:
1. Rinse and drain raspberries, gently pat dry and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest and the lemon curd. Stir in the Limoncello liqueur, whisking briskly until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Beat in the lemon extract. Fold in the mascarpone and stir gently; combine well.
4. In 8 large shot-glasses or ramekins, evenly and attractively layer the lemon curd mixture and the mascarpone mousse (use a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, if desired).
5. Top with the fresh berries, and garnish with a mint leaf.
6. Chill until serving time.
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru, by a Catholic mother and a Jewish father . . . and attended a Methodist school! So, me and religion are like oil and vinegar! :)
As far as I can remember, I have always been in love with food and cooking. My mom and my paternal grandmother were fabulous cooks and I must have inherited my "cooking genes" from them!
