Toronto Flavours

The Ultimate "Peachy Summer" dessert

2011-08-24T21:14:00.010-04:00

When peaches can be found at Farmers Market, and a cool breeze can be felt at night; I know fall is just around the corner. And with that, the urge and need to enjoy as much as we can of those sticky summer days begin.

I leave you with this lovely and light dessert perfect to enjoy on these last sunny summer afternoons. Each bite will taste as the summer warmth we are about to leave behind....

Peach Tart with Orange Syrup

Ingredients:
3 peaches halved, stones removed
1/4 cup of sugar
90g butter, softened
1/2 cup extra sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp lemon rind
1/4 tsp baking powder

Orange Syrup

1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:
For the orange Syrup place all ingredients in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 12 mins. or until thick. Set aside to cool.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Combine the peach halves with sugar and cook cut side down until the sugar is melted and golden. Set aside. Preheat oven to 320F. Place butter and extra sugar in food processor and combine, add eggs, almond meal, flour, lemon rind and baking powder and process until just combined. Place almond mixture in a 12x35 cm rectangular dish or loose bottom tart tin. Press nectarines into the mixture and bake for 30 mins. or until cooked through. Allow to cool and serve with orange syrup.

Green Goodness

2011-08-15T19:45:00.006-04:00

I believe peas are totally underrated because we hardly used them on their own, as a main ingredient... If you give them a chance to shine they will not hesitate to amaze you!.. I tried a recipe that is going to change your entire perspective on peas, seriously. Don't get weird out by the fact that you eat them raw, because if you haven't tried peas like these before, my friend you are missing a lot!!..

Fresh Peas Tapenade

Ingredients:

2 lbs of peas in their pods
a bunch of fresh peppermint
sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil
60g grated fresh parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
juice of 1 lemon
4 slices of italian bread
1 clove of garlic cut in half
a handful of arugula

Directions:

Shell the peas and keep the smaller ones aside to use them later on in the salad. Pulse the peas, peppermint, and salt in a food processor to a thick green paste. Slowly integrate the oil while still pulsing, add the cheese and 3/4 of the lemon juice. Taste and season with a bit more salt and pepper if needed. Toast the bread on both sides and rub with the cut side of the garlic. Top with the pea tapenade and arugula. Finish it with a bit of olive oil, parmesan cheese and the loosen peas you saved in the beginning.

ENJOY!

This is the reason why I love berries...

2011-07-25T21:14:00.009-04:00

Have a lovely week...

Raspberry Sorbet

2011-07-11T19:20:00.008-04:00

Last weekend, even though strawberry season was over, we went to Andrew's Scenic Acres hoping there would be some left. I was really dissapointed to see that there were only like 3 strawberries left, until I saw a girl leaving with a big basket of raspberries. I knew then, that the cause was not lost and that I could get some berries after all. It was the perfect day for raspberry picking, it was cloudy but nicely warm and humid, just the perfect day of summer!...

So, we started picking and picking and picking when my Chaparrito turned to me and asked.. What are you planning to do with all these raspberries? ... Mmmmmm Raspberry Sorbet!! I could see his face ligthened up and enthusiastically continued to pick up more of those little red jewels!.. Not only we filled up our baskets, but we also filled our tummies too.

Once home, I started to get things going... Ohh yes! I was dying to try my delicious "hand picked by me" raspberries plus I was also melting on this 39 degrees day. And so, I started making Sorbet!..

Raspberry Sorbet

200 g of sugar
180 ml water
750 ml red wine
400 g raspberries

Bring to a boil the sugar, water and wine in order to burn the alcohol from the wine. Let boil for over a min, then remove from the heat, add the raspberries and cover. Let it sit for 1 hour, strain the mixture to get rid of all the little seeds and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream maker as instructed by the manufacturer and ENJOY!

A different Rhubarb recipe!

2011-03-27T15:45:00.012-04:00

As we are heading into spring time, I couldn't help but notice all the beautiful rhubarbs at my produce shop. I've never tried rhubarb before, so I didn't really know what the flavour would be or what to expect, but I knew I wanted to cook it in a unique way, so... I started thinking on what would be a great way to use it. I wanted to make some sweet tamales and thought that a nice rhubarb filling would be a great idea, and I was right, the taste was amazing! So I was really glad that my new creation actually went really well. I guess I was in a creative mood and really just went with it!.. I'll do this more often!

Rhubarb Sweet tamales

Ingredients:

For the Rhubarb filling:

3 rhubarbs cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean

Tamales:

2 cups of natural corn flour "Minsa Tamales" brand
1 cup of water
1 cup of sweet and condensed milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter

12 cornhusks previously boiled

Directions:

For the filling, place the rhubarb chunks with the sugar and vanilla bean seeds over medium heat, put the lid on and stir the rhubarb once every 5 mins for approx 15 mins until you get a thick marmalade consistency. Meanwhile prepare the tamales dough. First beat the butter until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine the corn flour, baking powder and salt. Add the water and sweet & condensed milk until thick. Add the thick batter to the butter and beat until everything is well combined.

To asemble, put a spoonful of the batter into the previously boiled corn husks (this make them soft and manageable). Spread the batter with your spoon in the middle of the corn husk, then add a teaspoon of the filling and wrap it to avoid the filling or the tamale batter to spread out. Steam the tamales in a deep pot for almost 1 hour or until the batter is set. You can eat them at this point or if you want for them to be more set you can let them cool in the fridge and reheat them later. ENJOY!

And if you want to kick it up a nodge, you can serve your tamales with a delicious, hot, silky and sweet atole.. believe me, on a weather like today where I am seeing just outside my window a weird mix of icy rain.... it is a great treat!

GB Breads & Cookies ...

2011-03-08T20:20:00.013-05:00

I have not been posting a lot of recipes lately, it has been a crazy winter. Taking 2 baking courses plus doing your regular work is not and easy job. So, I will just be posting today a couple of pictures to show you what I have been up to!..

I have been absolutely enjoying these courses and in May I'll come back for more!! I still have 3 weeks to go but meanwhile here is a peek of what I have baked so far..

I promise to post more recipes soon! And just letting you know I also started uploading videos on How To... some of the recipes: White Bread Video & Lemon Blossom Cookies!

Stay tuned!

White Bread

2011-02-27T22:24:00.003-05:00

Lemon Blossoms (Butter Cookies)

2011-02-20T16:35:00.005-05:00

Mexico Wonders (part I)

2011-02-12T11:36:00.024-05:00

Every time I remember and look back to my beautiful Mexico a bunch of things comes to mind, but the 4 things that really stand out are it's culture, people, colours and food. A few months ago I had the opportunity to go back home and see Mexico with a different point of view, the one that has been far away from it's beauty for a long time. 2 years to be exact. And in this time, even though I've come to love my new country too, you always get nostalgic when thinking about the place that saw you grow and the place who made you the person you are now. Being far away has made me fall in love all over again with my roots, my people and my beautiful Mexico. This last visit I had the goal to take as many pictures as I could, and show you how wonderful warm and full of life this amazing place is. I am originally from Mexico City which is an electric and chaotic place, and even though it has approx. the same population as all Canada, it seems to work out just fine.

(Fair in Mexico City, Vintage bus)

Mexico is a very colourful place, you can find colour everywhere.. the markets, houses, festivals, even the food! This amazing quality is not only due to the fantastic weather they have, but it is also a reflection of the warmth and joy you can find down there.

(Piñatas, Fair Game, Beads stand)

I truly believe Mexico has one of the best street foods in the world, of course... if you can handle it. You can go from creamy vegetables, to tacos, fried snacks (chicharrones & chips), fresh fruits, tamales... etc.. And best of all is that everything is full of spices and flavour.

(Chicharrones/Fried snacks, Fresh fried Chips, Creamy Corn stand)

You can also find people selling fresh products from other regions of Mexico, we found these amazing guys selling Oaxaca Cheese which is just unbeatable in flavour and texture, as well as grasshoppers which are extremely popular specially in the state Oaxaca where they eat it as a snack. I know for some of you might sound crazy but it is really tasty, crunchy and healthy, so.. actually way better than chips!..

(Oaxacan Products, Requeson Cheese, Grasshoppers, Oaxacan Cheese)

To be continued...

Enfrijoladas

2011-02-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

I had some left over salpicon I made the other day, and just got a little creative and decided to use it for Enfrijoladas which is in a way, similar to Enchiladas but instead of pouring salsa verde on top of your tacos, you put some "Pot" beans instead. It might sound like too many beans for some people I know, but Enfrijoladas are really a pleasure to have. You will not stop until you finish them all!

Enfrijoladas

"Pot" Beans

Ingredients:
450g Black beans
12 cups hot water
1/3 cup roughly sliced white onion
salt to taste
2 large springs of epazote (herb)

Directions:
Rinse the beans in cold water and discard any small stones or dirt. Put them into a deep pot and cover with the hot water, add the onion and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let the beans simmer for about 4 hrs or until they are just soft and the skins are breaking open. Add the salt and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour until the beans are completely soft. Add the epazote 15 mins before the end of the cooking time as it tends to loose flavour if cooked too long.

You can keep them in the fridge for 2 days or froze them for up to 3 months.

Assembling
Ingredients:
"Pot Beans"
Salpicon
Around 12 tortillas

Directions:
In a medium high heat pan, fry the salpicon until crispy in order to add some more flavour to it. Put some of the meat in the tortilla and roll it to make a taco. Once you have all your tortillas rolled out, in the same pan give them a quick fry just to make the tortilla crispy. Put 3 on each plate and pour on top of the tacos either one or two scoops of the beans. You can put some sour cream on top, crumbled cheese, cilantro, avocados, etc.. all the extra yummy stuff you love!...

Enjoy!

Feb 2 - Day of "La Candelaria"

2011-02-02T17:21:00.008-05:00

For the indigenous people the purification cycle initiated with this celebration "Fiesta de la Candelaria" followed by Easter and the rest of the Catholic celebrations that were introduced by the Spaniards. This festivity has been commemorated since the colonial times in Mexico and represents the harvest and the 4 seasons which define their religious, social, commercial and cultural life.

This festivity involves dances, processions, music, theatrical representations, fireworks, food and of course the Baby Jesus blessing.

In Mexico the tradition of Dia de la Candelaria is that those who got the little Baby Jesus on the Rosca de Reyes will need to perform some tasks as they have become Baby Jesus' godparents.

As a godparent you are supposed to take Baby Jesus from the nativity scene, dress him up, present him to the community Church and take care of him for the whole year until the next Rosca de Reyes is sliced. Also he or she would be one of the hosts for the atole and tamales feast.

This ritual was born due to a mix of two cultures and religions: The Catholic religion which refers to the Virgin Mary who took baby Jesus to the temple, and the prehispanic culture where Tamales where offered to honor their Gods Tláloc, a Chalchiuhtlicue (water Gods) and the tlaloques (Gods helpers), who made the water go down to Earth and feed their harvest.

This Festivity's name, "Candelaria" which means Candles comes from the Spanish ritual of honoring Virgin of Candelaria.

Here, far away from our Mexican roots, we found the ingredients and spirit to celebrate this tradition. So..... tamales and atole were served to keep us warm on this crazy snowy day which brought around 25cm of snow.

Happy Dia de la Candelaria!

Tamales

Tamales Dough
Ingredients:
2 cups of Nixtamalized corn flour to make tamales (Minsa Brand)
2 cups of Chicken stock or water
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of lard
15 corn husks dried
Filling

Directions:
In a pot bring water to a boil and add the dried husks until soft and manageable. Meanwhile, in a mixer, blend the lard until light and fluffy. I n a separate bowl add the corn flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Add the chicken stock to the dry ingredients and mix well. Once everything is well incorporated mix the dough with the lard and make sure once m ore everything is well incorporated.
Once the husks are soft, open them and spread the dough in the middle of the husk, then put the filling in the centre and roll the husk in order to cover all the filling. In a steamer put all the tamales together and cook for almost 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.

For the Atole I used David's recipe and was super super delicious.....

Enjoy!

George Brown - The Art of Breads & Cookies..

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am starting the new year with 2 more George Brown courses that I'll be taking at the same time. As if life wasn't as busy and crazy as it is, now I'll have 2 more commitments per week. My weekends will be quite busy for the next 3 months. With late class on Fridays and afternoon class on Sundays, I'll try to become a better baker and improve in 2 areas: Breads & Cookies!..

I really really really LOVE baking bread! It is one of my favourite things to bake, it is just soooooo pretty and puffed that you cannot even believe you could have done such a gorgeous thing by yourself!.. And cookies .. ohhh cookies.... they can be tricky; a couple of mins more on the oven and they'll be hard, or an over greased pan and they will expand so much they'll loose their shape. You need to put so much care into baking those little guys that I am glad I am actually taking this course!

A couple of Notes from my class that I'll hope it will be of good use to you!...

When a recipe asks for fresh yeast and you cannot find that thing anywhere... remember that you can actually use traditional yeast or instant yeast, just know that the ratio is to use only 1/3 of the amount stated for fresh yeast.

Most of the recipes for bread ask for water and try not to replace with milk because your dough will not rise properly.

When you want to accelerate your recipe remember to dissolve your yeast in lukewarm water (40 to 45 C) and never go above 50 C.

If you want to get a crustier CRUST! remember this... the wetter the dough the better, it will stop sticking to the surface if you knead the dough right and for a long time, there is no need to add more flour.

Ohh and the most important thing of all... BE PATIENT let your dough rise properly and give it the time it needs to relax so you can bake amazing bread.

Rosca de Reyes

2011-01-16T09:43:00.008-05:00

I know this post comes in a little late, but I wanted to share with you the Mexican tradition of Rosca de Reyes which takes place on January 6th. The Rosca de Reyes is a very elaborated bread that takes a lot of time and effort to prepare, it usually takes a couple of hours to knead the dough and a couple of days to put it all together. This bread is usually decorated with candied winter fruits such as figs and a delicious sugar paste. The traditional shape of this bread was round but over the years people have been making it oval as well, both shapes are accepted. This ring shape bread symbolizes the sky. People used to put inside the bread little porcelaine figurines which represented baby Jesus, in some cases people inserted beans as a way to keep costs down, but as everyone ended up eating the little beans, now we use little plastic figurines which are more practical and cheap.

This tradition is about celebrating the arrival of the 3 wise men and is meant to end up all the Christmas Celebrations (from the born of Jesus on Dec 25th until the arrival of the 3 wise men on Jan 6). Long story short to me this is just another excuse to continue celebrating, eating delicious traditional food and spending more time with your family. The fun part of these tradition other than eating the delicious bread, is actually cutting your slice. Everyone sits around the table and tries to slice that piece that will be free of baby Jesus figurines as those lucky enough to get them, will need to come together and organize a feast for everyone else on February 2nd which is Candlemas Day or "Dia de la Candelaria". Of course, this feast will consist of Tamales and Chocolate Caliente or Atole. Getting the little baby Jesus figurines is meant to bring you luck for the rest of the year, although I know some people who aren't really looking to be that lucky. Believe me, making this feast and pay for the tamales is not an easy job to get done. In the past and still nowadays the tradition states that before having the big dinner, those who got these figurines are supposed to take baby Jesus and present him to both, the Church and their community.

Mexico is one of the few countries where this Rosca de Reyes bread is prepared. This tradition was passed to us from the Spaniards during the time of the mixing races.
Some say that the tradition of eating this type of bread comes from the Romans who prepared it to their God "Saturn" who was meant to eat this bread to prepare himself for the harsh winter. They welcomed their God with this ring like shape bread that was filled with all sorts of winter fruits to give him energy. Later on, this tradition was passed to the Spaniards who then made it relevant to fit their catholic beliefs and on the same token passed it on to the Mexican people.
Other countries celebrate this tradition also on January 6th; the french for example, prepare the Gallette de Rois which was traditionally filled with goodies such as silver, gold, diamonds or porcelain.

This year I prepare one Rosca de Reyes just for me and my Chaparrito who was anxiously craving for one... I didn't have enough time to make a big one to share with all my friends, but at least I was able to keep my tradition alive at home.

Mexican Cuisine is now Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

2011-01-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

Mexican Hot Chocolate "Chocolate Caliente"

2010-12-27T13:20:00.009-05:00

We have to thank Mexico for giving the world lots of things used nowadays, but one of the best jewels Mexico gave to the world was Cacao, which later on was processed and turned into chocolate. During the pre-Hispanic period, chocolate was a drink reserved for nobles who only drank it on very special occasions. The plebeians were not allowed to have the drink of the Gods and they only drank atole and water, they were only allowed to drink chocolate if ordered by the nobles on particular feast days. After the Spanish conquest, chocolate became a more popular drink but it was very expensive. Cacao was one of the most demanded products by the Spaniards who accepted it as currency. Oaxaca was and still continues to be one of the principal markets for the commerce of Cacao, the Dominican friars desacralized the use of cacao and accepted it as a source of energy and a remedy for sunstroke, sores, kidney and stomach problems.

Although chocolate became very popular among the clergy, there were those who criticized the use of it outside a medicinal context. Some friars believed that the devil perverted this "medicine" by the sinful addition of sugar and by drinking it at all hours of day saying it will be one of the causes of an epidemic that decimated the population. Other Dominicans defended chocolate as it provided a source of energy and a consolation to the heart. Nevertheless, this succulent drink was never absent during the religious fiestas. In life outside the convent, chocolate was used until the seventeenth century when it was dissolved in hot water or milk and sweetened with raw sugar, vanilla or cinnamon.

The Spaniards introduced chocolate to the rest of Europe making it one of the most desired products amongst different cultures. Hot chocolate was born to satisfy Spaniards palates as an adaptation of the indigenous Oaxacan drink that was drunk cold. The cacao was mixed with ground corn, diluted with water and sweetened with honey, it was also flavoured with chiles or herbs. Even though around the world chocolate has been modified from the ancient ways it was drunk, many people in Oaxaca still continue to prepare it in their unique ways. Even now, some Oaxacan communities still believe drinking chocolate signifies honoring life, being at one with family and friends, God and the dead. This is probably why chocolate never misses an important celebration in Mexico. The thick and delicious foam on the chocolate means happiness, brotherhood and hope. There is No fiesta without Chocolate.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Ingredients & Directions:

It really depends on where you buy your chocolate to really know the quantity and measures, you will need to play with quantities to get the flavour that is right for you.
I bought artesanal Mexican chocolate from Puebla grounded to perfection with sugar and cinnamon made by the indigenous people. The result was a smooth, NO GRAINY AT ALL, so full of flavour, HOT chocolate!!
Ingredients for this one was only 1 tablet per 2 cups of whole milk and it was simply perfect!!

But as I won't have Puebla so close to me now that I am back in Toronto, I bought fair trade chocolate from Chocosol which in fact comes from Oaxaca. From Chocosol's Chocolate I used 40g of Chocolate per 800ml of whole milk, then I added sugar to taste, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 whole clove and a bit of vanilla. It was perfect, just the way I like it!!!...

Remember to use your molinillo in the end, to make that fantastic foam which is the main characteristic of Mexican Hot Chocolate!

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-25T10:42:00.005-05:00

Feliz Navidad!

I hope you have a great time with your family and friends on these holidays!
May all your wishes come true!

George Brown is over!..

2010-12-17T09:00:00.003-05:00

So.... my first course of Baking Arts certificate is over, and the last couple of weeks pass by so quickly I didn't even have time to post all the incredible recipes I've learned. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for my next classes to begin in January!! I'll be taking "The Art of Breads" and "The Art of Cookies". It will be a tough 3 months as on top of everything I am starting my new job and I am sure I'll be pretty busy trying to bake delicious breads while at the same time learning lots of new things!.. I guess it will be pretty challenging, but life is full of that; once you find yourself too comfortable, Change has to happened and move your comfort zone just a little, to make it interesting again!..

Anyways, all of you who are really thinking on taking a good cooking course I would really tell you to go for it, I believe the cooking course I took at George Brown was really good, lots of great practice and also eye opening as you keep learning and learning. There were a couple of basic recipes but nevertheless the teacher always had tips for us that I didn't really know about. Anyways .. I am getting ready for the holidays and will be traveling to Mexico for a couple of days. I'll promise to take tons of pictures so you can really get to see the amazing food as well as all the interesting places you can find there!.

Where does your Chocolate come from?

2010-12-11T09:20:00.006-05:00

By desesperately searching for Cacao traders in Toronto as wanted to prepare an authentic mexican hot chocolate from my favourite "My Sweet Mexico" cookbook, I bumped into these AMAZING guys 'ChocoSol' who to me is a very inspiring community/social enterprise!.. They basically stand for fair trade, organic and artisanal Chocolate. They import Chocolate from communities in Oaxaca, Mexico where they have built relationships and support community growers. The more I read about industrialized cacao and the slavery created by the excessive demand and the unconcious exploitation of natural resources from both, consumers and multinational companies, the more I convince myself that we all need to support sustainable initiatives that ultimately come from people who are trying to make a difference. I found this interview with Chocosol & this chocolate slavery article online that really inspired me to question where my food is comming from and making sure that the integrity and soul of those involved is kept whole.

Believe me when I tell you that the taste of Real Cacao and artisanal chocolate is highly superior than any other I've ever bought. From now on I'll make my own chocolate at home. This has really opened my eyes to do the right thing and strongly support those that also know change has to be made.

Yucatecan Shredded Meat "Salpicon Yucateco"

2010-12-08T20:37:00.008-05:00

In Yucatan, Mexico ..

..... the most common "salpicon" is made of shredded venison that has first been cooked in a pit barbecue called a pib. It is then mixed with orange juice, cilantro and radishes to make a fresh crisp filling on a hot day. In the Gulf of Mexico area, you can find "salpicon de jaiba" shredded crab meat cooked with onion, chiles and cilantro or shredded fish with olives, raisins and capers which it's called "saragalla". Yucatecan cuisine has its own unique style and is very different from what most people would consider "Mexican" food. It includes influences from the local Mayan culture, as well as Caribbean, Mexican, European (French) and Middle Eastern cultures. Chile Habanero and tortillas are found in a lot of different Yucatecan dishes. Some of the most common ingredients are pumpkin seeds, oregano, red onion, orange, sweet chile, lemon, achiote, chile xcat, chile habanero and cilantro. All these secret ingredients that are part of the Mayan heritage, are responsible for the distinct flavour of Yucatecan food. Mayan people had a very strong connection to corn which became the main pillar of their diet. In the Popol Vuh, a sacred Mayan book, they stated and believed that men originated from corn. If you want to try the real flavours of the Yucatecan cuisine you cannot pass this recipe and serve it with some nice warm corn tortillas ....

Salpicon Yucateco

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked and shredded meat
1/2 cup of Seville orange juice: (1 tsp finely grated lemon rind, 2 tbsp fresh orange juice, 2 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice, 4 tbsp fresh lime juice)
2/3 cup very finely chopped radishes
3 tbsp very finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and let them season for 30 mins before serving. Serve at room temperature with fresh hot tortillas! It's finger licken' good! I added my personal twist as I don't really enjoy radishes, so I swap them for chopped tomatoes and it tasted heavenly!...

Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Meat "Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo"

2010-12-02T20:34:00.014-05:00

My Chaparrito just turned 30.. something, and for this birthday, he didn't ask for any fancy gifts, JUST FOOD! So I gave him just that. He actually got more than what he asked for as we celebrated all weekend and each day I cooked something especial for him. The challenge was to prepare Chiles Rellenos as I have never cooked that before and it seemed like a little bit overwhelming at first, but then, as I kept going getting the perfect chiles was really easy. There is always this anticipation when you eat chiles rellenos because you could get either a very hot hot super spicy chile or a mild one, you'll never know until you try it. Luckily almost all of them were spicy but not too much, except for one that made my Chaparrito cry a little but nevertheless he ate it all.

The thing with spicy food is that we end up loving it so much in part because it releases endorphins in the body. When capsaicin, the element of chili peppers that cause the "spicy" sensation, comes into contact with the tongue, the body is tricked into believing that it is in pain and releases the pain-relieving endorphins. This explains why, like anything that releases endorphins, spicy food can become somewhat addictive, believe I know! Once you start getting into spicy food you will crave it and build tolerance levels so that what was extremely hot in the beginning will now become mild to you.

To me, spicy is one of the healthiest addictions anyone can develop. Research shows hot chili peppers actually protect the stomach lining and may prevent the gastric damage associated with anti-inflammatory painkillers. They are high in nutrients such as calcium plus vitamins A and C, and there’s some evidence that hot chilies can reduce cardiovascular disease risk, help prevent diabetes and boost metabolism. They may also have some ability to prevent cancer.

So next time you are thinking about avoiding chiles... THINK TWICE!

There are many variations of chiles rellenos, but, the most popular ones are Poblano Chiles stuffed with meat or cheese filling fried in an airy batter. The poblano is a mild chile pepper original from the State of Puebla, Mexico. Dried it is called an ancho chile. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color but eventually turns a red so dark as to be nearly black.

"Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo"
Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Meat

Ingredients:

Meat Filling "Picadillo"

2 lbs of ground pork
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
2/3 cup of finely chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
8 pepper corns
5 whole cloves
1/2 inch of cinnamon stick
3 tbsp of raisins
2 tbsp of slivered almonds
2 tbsp of candied fruit (I personally don't enjoy the candied fruit so I left this ingredient out of my picadillo and it tasted great, but if you like it you might want to add it).
1 1/4 lbs tomatoes roughly chopped.

Tomato Broth

1 1/4 lbs of tomatoes (briefly blended, you still want to see the pieces of tomato)
3 tbsp of white onion (roughly chopped)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
4 whole cloves
6 pepper corns
2 bay leaves
2 springs of fresh thyme
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
3 cups of pork broth
salt to taste

The Chile

8 chiles poblanos (charred and peeled; you can see how to in this recipe)

The Batter

4 large eggs, separated
vegetable oil for frying
1/4 tsp of salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour (more if needed)

Directions:

Over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the meat and let cook until it begins to brown (put the meat together doing a big patty as if making a huge burger, that way you'll get it to brown easier, if it's too big, do it in batches as by browning it you'll get amazing flavour). Crush the spices roughly and add them together with the rest of the "picadillo" ingredients except the tomatoes and add them to the meat. Cook everything for 5 more mins and then add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for about 10 mins over high heat. Should be moist but not juicy. Stir from time to time to avoid sticking.

To prepare the tomato broth blend tomatoes, onion and garlic until smooth. Over a high heat pan add the oil, once it is hot enough start adding all the ingredient except for the pork broth. Let the salsa fry for about 5 mins stirring occasionally. Then you are good to add the broth, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 mins. You are looking for a broth rather than a salsa so it should be still runny.

To prepare the chiles, Make a slit in the side of each of the chiles and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the Chile. Stuff each chile depends on the size, but approx 1/2 cup of the meat filling "picadillo" until they are well filled.

To prepare the batter heat the oil in a deep skillet. Meanwhile beat the egg whites until they are firm, but not too dry. Add the salt and egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition. Prepare one chile at a time: Pat the chile completely dry and sprinkle them lightly with flour. Coat with the batter and Fry them in a hot oil. You are looking for a deep golden colour batter.

Place the chiles in the tomato broth and serve. I love all the Mexican favourites that go so well with every dish .. so I added sour cream, avocados and queso fresco.

Mmmmmmm!!!

Convent Cookies (Galletas de Convento)

2010-11-25T19:22:00.006-05:00

This recipe was great for some afternoon tea cookies, and as I was enjoying the extremely rich and melt-in-your-mouth delights, I was thanking the ancient tradition that Mexican recipes have. You can actually taste that tradition and can only imagine with how much care these recipes were created. This one comes from the nuns, who found a way to escape from the rigors of religion by experimenting with new flavours in the Kitchen. In Mexico, it is very well known that nuns are great cooks and are big contributors to the immense sweet options we can find in Mexican Cuisine. In History of the Gastronomy in Mexico City, Salvador Novo wrote, "And when sugar arrived to this land, the fruits of this were absorbed through the delicate hands of the nuns". There is a vast selection of candies that nuns have been making for centuries, in the old days convents got additional income by selling their culinary creations as well as from teaching rich girls how to set a table and bake amongst other things. Nowadays you can still find some convents that prepare several of the sweets found in that time; especially in the state of Puebla, where every corner from the downtown area is full of Candy stores that only sell Authentic Mexican Candy.

The original recipes asks for Almonds but after getting all my ingredients ready I realized I only had pistachios, so I used them instead. OH! let me tell you it was a great substitute... absolutely amazing!!!

Convent Cookies (Galletas de Convento)

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole almonds skin on (I used pistachios instead)
1 cup of sugar Plus extra for topping
1/4 cup water
7 oz unsalted butter softened
5 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
2 egg whites
sliced or slivered almonds, for topping (whole pistachios)

Directions:

Toast the almonds until golden and let cool completely. Combine the water and sugar in a small sauce pan, wipe the edges with a wet brush and cook until it turns golden. By wipping the edges you avoid the sugar to crystallize. Once golden, add the almonds, stir quickly and pour onto a baking sheet previously greased or with parchment paper. Let cool and then grind in a food processor until it looks like sugar rocks.

Cream the butter in a mixer until pale and fluffy, then add the egg yolks one at a time. In a separate bowl combine the flour with the salt and add gradually to the butter mixture. Finally add the caramelized almonds until combined. Roll the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. If it is very sticky you can roll the dough to the size of your baking sheet between 2 parchment papers and then freeze it for 10 mins so it gets easier to handle. Once ready cut out 2 1/2 inch circles of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet (greased or with parchment paper).

Preheat oven to 350°F
Beat the egg whites and brush the top of the cookies. Decorate with a slice of almond and a bit of sugar. Bake until the edges begin to brown, for about 10 mins. Let cool for 5 mins and then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Seed Salsa for Enchiladas

2010-11-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

When I started this blog I really didn't know what was going to be my main focus. It wasn't until I came to Toronto that I started falling in love with cooking and becoming a real "foodie", I mean I have always appreciated food but never the way I have come to appreciate it here. When we first moved to Canada, I found myself with enough free time to actually focus on something else in my life, and cooking in a way, gave me that strength and enjoyment that kept me going.

I know some of you understand how hard it is to move and start your life in a whole different country, and finding something you love that opens your eyes to new and different possibilities is quite awesome. Cooking here has made me realize how much amazing flavours I had back home that I never quite appreciated before. So more and more as I really immerse myself into my ancestors traditions and food culture I know that this is what I was really trying to share with you.

Sometimes I feel really bad that even though I grew up eating Mexican food, I never learned how to prepare all those flavourful recipes, that is why from now on as I am trying to tackle one of my most beloved cookbooks of all times "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico", you will see all types of Mexican recipes posted from now on in this blog. The best part of all is that most of the ingredients are available here, and even though it takes me a good hour to get there, I really enjoy the smells of that little store in the core of Kensington Market.

So... anywhooooooo..
Here it goes

Pumpkin Seed Salsa for Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 cup of hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of unhulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 to 2 chiles serranos
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
340g of green tomatoes broiled (tomatillos asados)
1/2 cup of water, or more if needed
2 heaped tbsp of cilantro
2 heaped tbsp of white onions

Directions:

In a frying pan toast the unhulled pumpkin seeds until browned and crispy, stir continuously. Then, add the hulled pumpkin seeds and toast for another minute or so. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Meanwhile toast the chile until blistered and black brown in spots. Using a food processor, grind the toasted seeds together with the salt to a coarse powder, then add the tomatoes, chile, cilantro, water & onions and process until it has the consistency of salsa. If it is too thick add more water. Note: Add water little by little to get the desired consistency, your salsa might not need the full 1/2 cup, it depends on how thick or runny you like it.
Serve it at room temperature on top of "Taquitos Dorados de Pollo" Chicken tacos, or use as a salsa for quesadillas, etc..

Week 7 & 8 @ George Brown

2010-11-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Weeks keep passing by so quickly I can't believe I have only 4 more weeks to go before my first course is finished.

In Week 7 we made Choux paste. The secret to make perfect hollow balls is to melt the butter or shortening completely in the water before adding the flour, also make sure you stir constantly to prevent any lumps. Oh! and when adding eggs you have to do it one by and make sure it is well incorporated before adding the next one. Just keep in mind this and it will really help you bake the perfect Eclaires or profiteroles.

Last Saturday we made Piped Spritz Cookies, I have to say I do need a lot of practice with my pipping technique as honestly it is not the best! Anywhoooo.. The important thing to remember when doing these cookies is that in order for them to be buttery you really need to beat the butter for at least 4 - 5 mins before starting adding the rest of the ingredients. By beating it for a while it will become super light and will help you get the right consistency which is "buttery melt in your mouth" cookies. If you want to test the butter to know if it has the right consistency, once beaten, you can put a tiny piece of butter in a glass filled with cold water, if it floats, you've got it!

You can pair these buttery soft cookies with an "Aromatic Sweet Coffee" or "Café de Olla" to keep warm in these cold winter days.

Pork in Prune Sauce

2010-11-14T18:00:00.003-05:00

We have been adapting to Canadian festivities and this year's thanksgiving wasn't the exception. I know I am coming with this post somewhat late, but nevertheless wanted to share this delicious recipe with all of you because it was pretty amazing. We didn't go the traditional way this year, which all of you know is TURKEY, but instead I prepared this very special meal as the flavours are just out of this world. It is a very well known recipe in Mexico and sometimes used for fancy special dinners, at my sister's house we have had it for Christmas. This is the type of recipe you probably would stay away from any regular day, as it takes a long time to prepare, but as we needed something special for Thanksgiving.. and this was the perfect opportunity to try something fancy and laborious other than Turkey..... well I ended up prepping and cooking for 2 days, and it was WORTH IT!.. This was just so so so good we almost ate the entire thing that night!..

Some of you would prefer having Turkey for Thanksgiving but if you want to try something new once in a while and surprise your guests.. please try this one!! I don't even know what else to say to persuade you into cooking this recipe, but please do!!.. it is so good you will just want to eat the entire thing by yourself!.. And before you hesitate saying something like .. ohhh I would try it but I don't like prunes.. let me tell you .. I don't like them either .. but all the flavours melt together in this recipe and you don't even know where are they coming from.. so .. don't be afraid to try it!

Pork in Prune Sauce

Ingredients:

750g Pork
The juice of 2 limes
5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of Chile ancho (grounded)
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
salt to taste
1 white onion (chopped)
250 ml of chicken stock
12 tomatoes (chopped)
12 prunes
1 tsp sugar
a pinch of grind cinnamon
a pinch of pepper
a pinch of cumin

Directions:

Combine the pork, lime juice, garlic, chile powder, salt and half the oil and let marinate for a whole night. You can do this using a plastic bag such as ziploc bags. Preheat the oven at 350°F, meanwhile remove the pork from the sauce, dry it with a paper towel and sear it on both sides in a high heat oven proof pot, reserve the sauce. Once the meat is evenly fried on both sides, add the sauce, chicken stock and onion. Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 2 to 3 hours or until the pork is tender. Remove the pot from the oven, with a spoon try to remove as much fat as possible, then add the tomatoes and bake for 20 mins more. Then add the prunes, sugar, cinnamon, cumin and pepper, rise the temperature to 400°F and bake for 20 more mins or until the pork is super super tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve with hot tortillas or serve as is with some veggies.

Café de Olla (Aromatic Sweet Coffee)

2010-11-13T18:39:00.004-05:00

Winter is here.. again, and for these cold days there is nothing better to warm up than a "Cafecito de Olla" or Aromatic Sweet Coffee. This specialty Mexican hot drink is made from freshly ground dark roast coffee which has to be toasted in ceramic plates and ground afterwards in metates which are stone tools use to grind seeds; at least, that was the way it used to be in the old days before roasters existed. Small towns in Mexico still prefer to hand grind their beans, which I find awesome, but for me the easiest thing is just to go buy it. The exact translation for this Coffee would be Clay Pot Coffee, as it is typically prepared in a big clay pot with a narrow neck which helps cook the coffee beans, cinnamon stick and piloncillo the proper way to achieve its particular flavour. Unfortunately, I don't have one at home, which by the way I am dying to buy, but still I used a stainless steel pot and it worked OK.

Drink it hot with some "Garabatos" Scribble cookies and enjoy a warm cozy afternoon on any winter day!

Café de Olla (Aromatic Sweet Coffee)

Ingredients:

3 cups of water
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 ounces of piloncillo or... 2 1/2 tbsp of firmly packed dark brown sugar + 1/2 tsp of molasses
1 little strip of orange zest (avoid cutting the white stuff, you want only the orange skin)
2 tbsp of freshly ground dark roast coffee

Directions:

Combine the water, cinnamon stick, piloncillo, cloves & orange zest in a clay pot or stainless steel pot and cook over medium heat until the piloncillo is dissolved. Add the coffee and stir. Continue to simmer for about 5 mins more, strain and serve hot.