Sandra's Kitchen Studio

Finally, here it is: My new cookbook cover!

2013-05-08T19:18:32-07:00

Latin American Street Food is my newest cookbook and I'm happy to report that it will hit stores this fall! It reflects my personal journey through years of enjoying the most fun and delicious street food offerings from twenty countries. I had such a great time writing it and it's my hope that you'll have an equally great time cooking from it.

The beautiful photograph on the cover was taken by my friend and talented colleague, Fred Thompson, who also shot the gorgeous and mouthwatering photos of the food found in the interior of the book. If his name sounds familiar to you, it's because he is also a very well-known cookbook author and magazine publisher. I had the best time styling the photos for the book and working alongside Fred and Kim Bryant (who is the amazingly creative Design Director for my publisher, The University of North Carolina Press), in order to bring these scrumptious dishes to life. Together we styled, designed, shot, and then ate our way through my book!

The official book launch is September 3, 2013 but I'm happy to announce that those of you who would like to be among the first ones to get my book can pre-order it directly from my publisher here and from Amazon.

I hope this cover proves to be a bit of a teaser and that it makes you want to open the book so you can find out what else is inside. Get ready for a sensorial explosion as you taste your way through Latin American Street Food one bite at a time!

©Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2013; All Rights Reserved. No part of this post or the photograph may be distributed, copied, or disseminated by any means without the express and written permission of the author.

The Next Big Thing: Latin American Street Food!

2013-02-23T09:49:29-08:00

When my friend Joe Yonan invited me to participate in this fun Blog Hop, called "THE NEXT BIG THING", I was thrilled to accept. A blog hop is like a game of tag, in which authors are invited to talk about their upcoming projects and then proceed to tag other authors to do the same. You are all encouraged to hop through our blogs to find out what we're all writing next.

To you, my virtual friends, I say: here is the exclusive news on my next cookbook! And to my cookbook author friends mentioned below: TAG! YOU'RE IT!

What is the title of your upcoming book?

Latin American STREET FOOD: The best flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina

Who is publising your book and what is the expected release date?

I'm happy to announce that it will be released in September. My publisher is The University of North Carolina Press , which also published my first book The New Southern-Latino Table, also available through amazon

How long did it take you to research and write this book?

It took me 3 years to write this book, although I must confess to having done a lot of the tasting and research for this book over many years. I know, it's a hard sacrifice to make--eating and tasting all of these wonderful street food of Latin America--but somebody had to do it. Let's just say that if you like tacos you'll want this book, and that if you want to go beyond tacos, you'll love this book!

What inspired you to write this book?

Curiously, I wasn't near Latin America when I thought of writing this book. I was actually visiting Portland, Oregon, marveling at the amazing spectrum of street food vendors in the city. Dear friends of mine--also cookbook authors--and I attempted to eat our way through a whole park filled with street foods from around the world (of course, we didn't make it to all of the carts, but we surely tried)! We each bought several dishes to sample and then shared them. The only thing missing for me, were the flavors of Latin America, which were limited. I was in street food nirvana, when it occurred to me that an entire book about Latin American street food would be loads of fun to write. After all, what better way to introduce the exciting and most varied cuisines of more than a dozen countries, than in a book that delves into some of the most fun dishes in the world?

What is your favorite aspect of writing a cookbook?

How long do we have? The entire journey, from the shaping of the concept, to writing the stories that will make up each chapter, to watching the book take shape until you get to hold it in your hands, is addictive. Then, of course, there is the matter of the recipes: writing them, testing them, and (oh yes!), eating them. I get to play with my food every day. And the recipes in this book are so colorful, fresh, and exciting! Talk about having fun with food!

What is the hardest aspect of writing a cookbook?

Having the patience to go through the entire process is the hardest part for me. There is a lot of gratification in writing a cookbook but there's just nothing instant about it. It takes a long time from the moment you sign a contract until you're able to hold that beautifully bound, fresh-from-the-printer baby in your hands. But like they say, it's a labor of love, and if you've ever had a baby and been through labor (I've done it twice!), you'll understand when I say that the moment you hold that book in your hands, you've forgotten the pain and all you want to do is to do it all over again!

What interesting things would we find in your refrigerator right now if we were to open it?

Because I'm always testing recipes, my refrigerator is always full of random ingredients. Today, you'd find bunches of cilantro, piles of tomatillos, a jar of Peruvian aji amarillos (peppers), a bottle of Sriracha, a half-dozen roasted poblano peppers, European butter, Latin American butter (a.k.a. lard--ha!), mayonnaise, lots of eggs, and freshly made crema.

What is your favorite sound in the kitchen?

Eggs cracking! It goes way back to when I was a little girl growing up in Guatemala, and we used to save egg shells during the weeks preceding "Carnaval". We'd be very careful when we cracked them open, making sure to just break a tiny lid at the top of each egg to preserve their shape. We'd wash and sun-dry them. Then my brothers and I would paint them with water colors, and fill them with paper confetti, called "pica-pica", before gluing the opening shut with colored paper. On Fat Tuesday, all of the kids would go to school with bags filled with these eggs, and during recess, we were allowed to break the eggs on each other's heads, sending confetti all over the place! Crack, crack, the egg shells would go. I bet sales of shampoo went through the roof that day every year! Even now, I smile each time I crack an egg in the kitchen.

What three ingredients can't you live without?

Eggs (it goes without saying), olive oil, salt.

So, do you have an agent?

Yes! I do have the most wonderful agents, Lisa Ekus and Sally Ekus from The Lisa Ekus Group who have believed in my work from the onset and are my biggest cheerleaders through this process. I wouldn't dream of navigating this crazy world of cookbooks without them and their amazing team by my side.

Which actors would you chose to place your main characters in the rendition of this book?

Hello...it's a cookbook...you did notice that...but if I had my choice of someone to play me, I'd say Sofia Vergara, of course! Not the she and I look ANYTHING alike (not with that perfect body of hers) but then again, like we say in Spanish: "Nena, me gustaria que me prestaras tu cuerpo aunque sea para un dia domingo" (Girl, I'd love to borrow your body at least so I could wear it on a Sunday)!

Are you a food writer interested in a review copy or in more information about my upcoming book? Send us an email to: LatinStreetFood@aol.com and we'll try our best to make it happen.

And if you'd like to find out about "THE NEXT BIG THING", keep hopping along and find out what my friends have in store for you, from their shelves to yours!

My friend Tara Mataraza Desmond is the fabulous author of the equally fabulous Almost Meatless

My friend Robin Asbell is one of the most prolific authors I know and writes about vegan and vegetarian themes. She's the author of Sweet and Easy Vegan

My buddy Ivy Manning is an amazing food writer from Portland, Oregon and author of From Farm to Table

My friend Charmian Christie is a talented Canadian food writer and blogger about to publish her first book.

And last but not least, my beautiful friend Holly Herrick is the author of five cookbooks, including Tart Love .

I can't wait to see what they're up to!

Superbowl Sunday is all about the food: Chicken Wings

2013-01-29T11:28:14-08:00

I'm into Super Bowl Sunday but not into football, and I imagine I'm not alone. Let's just say that I'm a soccer kind of girl and that as my husband can attest, I'm the first one to yell loudly at the television when a referee calls an unfair penalty, and even louder when my favorite team wins.

But ask me to explain a game of football and I'm at a loss for words.

Nevertheless, Super Bowl Sunday is something I look forward to each year, even if my enthusiasm has nothing to do with the game itself. To me, it's all about the food! While everyone is watching television and rooting for their teams, I've got my game on in the kitchen. I busy myself making all kinds of appetizers, because I may not know how many yards forward makes a good play, but I certainly know how to set up a great table.

Potato skins, hot bean and chile dip, veggie kabos, crab cakes, and nachos--you name it! Pigs in their blankets, rice fritters, and marinated olives--you got it!

And then there are the chicken wings that always make it on the menu because my family can't do without them. So every year, I make their favorite Buffalo-style chicken wings, and every year I make a new variety of wings to shake things up a little bit.

Okay, everyone has their own favorite recipe for chicken wings but mine involves grilling them. I like to think that grilling wings makes them a bit healthier to eat than frying them, plus it gives me more freedom to dress them with gooey, sticky sauces. After all, the guilt factor has already been erased--right?

And besides, eating healthier wings means there are calories to spare for dessert....Because everyone knows it's not really a touchdown until the very last, sweet bite.

Here is my recipe, just in time for your big game day.

Grilled, Sweet Asian-Inspired Chicken Wings

3.5 pounds chicken wings, and divided into sections (reserve the tips for making stock)

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon wasabi powder

Heat a grill until hot and cook the wings, turning often, until they are cooked through. Transfer the wings to a 9-in. x 13-in. x 2-inch casserole dish and set aside while you make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, butter, Sriracha, soy sauce, and wasabi in a medium pot; set it over medium heat and stir, until the butter is melted, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil, cooking, while stirring, until it has thickened slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the wings, making sure to coat them well on all sides. Bake the wings for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is sticky. Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve with lots of napkins.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Merry Christmas Cookies: A Family Tradition

2012-12-06T18:57:15-08:00

If I were to count the number of cookies I've baked for Christmas over the years, I'd be counting for a very long time. I started baking cookies when I was twelve years old and haven't stopped since.

When my husband and I got married, my Christmas cookie production really exploded. Partly, this was due to the fact that he had come to love an abundance of baked goods that reminded him of his childhood. Partly, it came out of a desire of mine to build new and palpable edible traditions to pass on to our young children.

I began baking them just for our family but gradually, it became a yearly obsession. Soon, every Christmas became an opportunity to give baked gifts to friends and family. When my children were little, we would lovingly wrap dozens of cookies to give away. We loved nothing more than to deliver them door to door until they were all gone. At one point, we were delivering more than 120 dozen cookies.

When it comes to Christmas cookies, variety rules in my kitchen. I relish on presenting platters filled with different shaped cookies of varying textures and flavors. Every year, I make sure to offer an assortment that includes as many categories as I can: chewy, crispy, nutty, chocolatey, lacey, sugary, sticky, bar, sliced, dropped, filled, rolled--you name it.

Years later, my family members each have their favorite cookies. Those are the ones that I must include. I can always digress and add more but only after I've made the ones they can't go without. They've come to look forward to the days when I crank both ovens, lay parchment paper-lined sheets all over the kitchen counters, and do nothing but bake, bake, and bake,while the stereo plays our favorite carols of the season. This cookie-baking marathon is what signals the start of the Christmas season in our home.

The manger is set, the tree decorated, the house dressed for the holidays, and the bushes covered in lights. However, our Christmas is not complete without our cookies. I wouldn't have it any other way.

In the spirit of giving, I offer you one of my favorite recipes for sugar cookies. I've been baking these for my girls for over two decades. I hope you'll include them in your repertoire too. As you can see from the photo, we have fun with the shapes of cookies we make each year. Our tradition for sugar cookies always includes angels and trees. We also throw in fun shapes such as jalapeno peppers as our way of spicing up our Christmas and keep things fun and witty.

Well, here is the recipe. Feliz Navidad, y'all!

Sandra's Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until it's creamy and fluffy, about 1 minute (use a hand-held or standing mixer). Add the egg, vanilla, and cream and beat until combined. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; add this to the butter mixture, while beating on low speed until the dough comes together. Roll the dough into a ball; chill for 3-6 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out shapes. Knead scraps together and chill for 20 minutes before re-rolling and cutting more shapes. Bake cookies for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Cool for 2 minutes on the sheets; transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Decorate with store bought icing, royal icing, or candies.

Makes 30-36 cookies (depending on the size of your cutters).

Join me in Charlotte for Sabor Latino!

2012-09-26T18:20:16-07:00

The Latin American Women's Association invites you to Sabor Latino!

Latin Flavor is part of a series of events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. At Sabor Latino you will enjoy the taste of authentic Latin American dishes prepared by local Latino chefs. To enhance the experience, the tasting will be facilitated by Sandra Gutierrez, an expert Culinary Latinista.

Sandra will describe history, origins, and world connections of the dishes, their preparation and ingredients.

Purchase your tickets via PayPal now!

You many also purchase your ticket by phone 704.552.1003 or send your check to LAWA

Ticket door price $35.00

Latin American Women's Association
7810 Ballantyne Common Parkway - Suite 300
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
704-552-1003

Book Signing and Cooking Class At A Southern Season with Sandra A. Gutierrez

2012-09-06T11:42:09-07:00

Join Sandra A. Gutierrez at a Book Signing Event and Cooking Class on September 13 a A Southern Season www.southernseason.com in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the premier cooking store in the Triangle.

The book signing event is FREE and open to the public. Sandra will be signing books in the downstairs area of the store from 2:00-4:00pm.

Then she will teach a cooking class upstairs at CLASS starting at 6:00pm. The class is $40 per person and includes recipes from her recently released cookbook The New Southern-Latino Table.

The Menu: Jalapeno Deviled Eggs; Collard Greens, Orange, and Pepita Salad with Buttermilk Dressing; Pino and Grits Casserole (a New Southern Tamale pie); and Peach and Bourbon Tres Leches.

Come and meet the author. Registered cooking students will enjoy a tasting of each one of the dishes prepared and a delicious wine pairing.

Don't Miss Sandra A. Gutierrez UNC TV Special Guest Appearance on Bookwatch with D.G. Martin as they discuss The New Southern-Latino Table on Friday August 31 at 9:30 Pm and Sunday, September 2 at 5:00 pm

2012-08-26T11:42:04-07:00

Sandra Gutierrez

Pecan Rum Cake with Figs

2012-08-16T07:59:15-07:00

Call me a romantic, but there is something about the idea of eating a slice of cake and drinking a cup of hot tea on a Southern porch that makes me think of an era long gone, when women with gloved hands used to visit each other for hours of long conversation and social camaraderie. This is the kind of cake that will make you want to grab your finest china and set the table, even if just to enjoy it by yourself. I recently heard a friend comparing eating a fig to a kiss. How appropriate then, that this delicious cake is enhanced by a combination of sweet figs and meaty pecans.

I grew up in Latin America, eating cakes soaked in rum that we used to call borrachos or drunken cakes. Rum, after all, is made out of sugarcane and in my opinion, that is enough of a reason to feature it in baked goods. Here, instead of adding it in the form of rum syrup, I add it straight into the batter, which infuses it with a subtle essence and therefore makes it suitable for romantics of all ages. Figs grow so abundantly in the southern United States and I love preserving them when they are in season; this way I can enjoy them well into the holiday season. You'll find a recipe for my Figs Preserves in my book but you can also use the store-bought kind (although I'll be honest and say that I think it worth your while to make my recipe for those too). The combination of flavors in this elegant cake will hopefully seduce your senses as much as it does mine.

Pecan Rum Cake with Figs

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

6 eggs, at room temperature

⅓ cup dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ cup fig preserves

¼ cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, allspice, and salt into a large bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients; blend until well incorporated, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the rum and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the mayonnaise and beat for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the pecans and preserves. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove the sides of the pan and cool completely. Invert the cake to remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment and transfer it, right side up, onto a platter; sprinkle liberally with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 1 cake (10-12 servings).

©Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2012; All Rights Reserved. This recipe as a whole or its parts may not be used, photocopied, copied, distributed, taught or disseminated by any means, without express written consent of the author.

More Good News: I'm writing another book!

2012-06-29T11:16:27-07:00

It's official!

The ink is barely dry but I can confirm that I have just signed my third book deal!

Stay tuned for details...

In the meantime, off to write I go! More to come later.

Cooking from the Pantry: Bulghur and Chickpea Salad

2012-06-25T15:52:52-07:00

I like to think that my kitchen is among the most organized you'll ever see. On any given day, every cup, spoon, and plate will be in its designated place. I have a cupboard for spices, another one just for salt, and yet another for my oils and assorted kinds of vinegar.

Oh yes, my kitchen is an oasis of neatness. That is, until I start working on a cookbook project. Then, everything seems to lose its place! It hasn't failed yet.

Every project is different. The ingredients I found myself reaching for the most for book one were not necessarily the ones I used in book two. Invariably, some ingredients ended up getting shuffled to the back of the pantry. Months and months of testing and re-testing recipes also mean that sometimes bulk items, such as flour and grains, may not get completely used up.

So when friends ask me what I do the days immediately following the delivery of my books and how I relax and unwind after completing a manuscript, they don't believe me when I say that I begin by organizing my pantry. Yet, that's exactly what I do.

You see, there is a certain level of anxiety that envelops me the moment I deliver a manuscript. It's a funny feeling--part relief because the work is completed and part angst because I have to let go of it and it's out of my control. I'm told it's not uncommon to feel this way. Other authors have told me it's akin to giving birth, except that you don't get to hold your baby for another few months. Normal or not, one thing is for sure: it's unnerving. Whenever I feel like this, I clean.

I get a sense of calmness from organizing spices by color, arranging cans by ingredients, and stacking boxes neatly back into place. I mourn my cans of expired tomatoes that went unused because I abandoned my inspired bouts of Italian cooking and I marvel at the huge inventory of ingredients that I must use now before they follow suit. This time around, I've got to smile at the huge number of dulce de leche bottles that made it to my pantry--some given to me by dear friends who thought I could use another one, and others bought on a whim. Thank goodness, it's summer and I'll use those to make ice cream and sticky-gooey cakes to take to picnics with family and friends (the same ones who gifted me a bottle may even get their own cake as a thank you gift from me).

As you can see, my pantry is organized once more and that means I must be ready for another project. Once more, my kitchen is pristine and quiet as I cook for play and pleasure. This time around, I was pleasantly surprised to find a half-used bag of bulghur and a can of chickpeas that were nearing their expiration date. Here is the salad I made with them.

Pantry Bulghur and Chickpea Salad

2 cups bulghur wheat

3 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups seeded and chopped tomato

1 1/4 cup chopped English cucumber

1 cup finely chopped parsley

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup finely sliced green onions (light and dark parts)

1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained

2/3 cups lemon juice, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the bulghur in a large bowl and stir in the boiling water; cover, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain the bulgur in a sieve to remove excess liquid and place it in a large bowl; chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and fluff it up with a fork. Stir in the cucumber, tomato, parlsey, cilantro, green onions, and chickpeas. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oil. Pour the dressing onto the bulghur and stir well; chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

©Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2012; All Rights
Reserved. This recipe as a whole or its parts may not be used, photocopied,
copied, distributed, taught or disseminated by any means, without express
written consent of the author.