Viva la Cocina

Sunday Morning Menudo

2010-03-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

It was a long night. You hadn't intended on drinking so much. [A shot of tequila for everyone! yeah!] You sure as hell didn't expect to cross the border partying in TJ and roll in at 4am to your parents house.

But alas, it is 9am and there is a delicious smell wafting up the stairs into your bedroom. Summoning you to the kitchen.

You are not sure why or how cow's stomach lining makes it all better, but it does. The hangover is gone....and so the mystery of menudo lives on.

If you can overlook what it is you are eating, the flavor of this classic Mexican soup is going to blow you away.
Menudo (recipe from mi suegra)

Ingredients:

6-7 lbs tripe

2-3 cans hominy

1 head of garlic

18oz can of chile colorado (brand: Las Palmas)

2 tablespoons of dry tomato broth powder (or 1 cube)

salt and dry oregano

Rinse tripe and cut off excess fat. Chop into cubes. Put in dutch oven or large pot. Fill with water. Add salt and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add Chile Colorado, tomato broth and a pinch of oregano. Simmer one hour more.

Serve hot with chopped onion and cilantro and spicy chile sauce as garnishes.

To make spicy chile sauce:

toast a handful of dried chile de arbol peppers.

Add them to a blender with one clove of garlic and a 1/4 cup water. Serve on the side to add spice as needed.

Avocado y Tomatillo Salsa

2010-02-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

We are constantly trying new salsas. Last month Ernesto made a recipe on a recommendation from his co-worker Victor. You may remember this picture.

We posted that tomatillo salsa recipe here. Only later did we find out that his recipe called for blending the ingredients (not cubing). Ha! We made a variation of Victor's [blended] salsa a couple weeks ago and 3 times since. It is a refreshing, healthy salsa. Great for tacos or eating with chips. You can adjust number of chiles to your tolerance. Avocado y Tomatillo Salsa

To a blender add:

3 avocados

3-4 serrano or jalapeno chiles

8 tomatillos cubed

1 clove garlic

handful cilantro

salt

Blend until creamy.

Habanero Salsita..Muy Picante

2010-02-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

Habaneros are one of the hottest peppers around. According to the scollville chile heat chart, there is only one pepper that is hotter. With that being said, you need to take care when handling these bad boys, they can literally burn your skin.

We never cooked with habaneros too much, but lately we have started to appreciate its unique flavor. The palomitas (popcorn) that we make every other day come out perfectly spicy with habaneros. Sometimes we add one to a big batch of pico de gallo to give it an extra kick.

The other night we were flipping through The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking cookbook, which I can't even find online. The cover pic is to the right. I bought it for Ernesto years ago at TJMaxx.

This salsa is HOT! We dipped some chips, and although the flavor was superb, it was too spicy [even for Ernesto] to eat straight. The finely chopped spring onions add a wonderful crunch.

Try adding this to a beef stew, or on tacos.

Habanero Salsa

Ingredients:

5 dried roasted habanero chiles

4 dried chile de arbol peppers

3 spring onions, finely chopped

juice of 1 orange

grated zest and juice of one lime

small bunch of cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

*Soak the habanero and chile de arbols in hot water for about 10 minutes, until softened. *Drain, reserving the soaking water.

*Remove the stems from all chiles and chop roughly

*Put chiles in food processor and add some of the soaking liquid. Puree into a fine paste.

*Scrape mixture into a bowl.

*Stir in scallions, fruit juice, lime zest and cilantro. Mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste.

Estofado de Res (beef stew)

2010-02-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

During the past couple months, it has been the coldest I can ever remember while living in Atlanta. The days of staying indoors in my pajamas all day were many. Going to the grocery store is about the only thing that took me outside. Nothing says cold winter days like a hot and spicy stew. We have tried several new ones lately (posts coming soon).

There is no shortage of delicious recipes in our favorite cookbook, Mexico: the Beautiful Cookbook. This hearty stew calls for green beans which is an ingredient I have never used in a Mexican dish. Its easy to make, delicious and comforting.

Estofado de Res (a dish from Oaxaca, in the coastal area near Guerrero)

A recipe from Mexico: the Beautiful Cookbook

Ingredients:

2lb boneless beef shank (shin)

12cups cold water

1/2 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt

4 chiles guajillos, seed and membranes removed

2 large tomatoes, roasted and peeled

1/4 small onion

1 tbsp oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 small zucchini, cubed

8oz fresh green beans, trimmed

*Place the beef shank in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with water and add 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves and the salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Discard the onion and set aside.

*On an iron skillet, toast the chiles, then soak in hot water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the tomatoes, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 onion and puree.

*Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the tomato and puree and boil for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the beef stock, bring to a boil and add the meat, potatoes and zucchini. Cook for 3 minutes, adding more broth if the stew seems too thick. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Correct the seasonings, add the beans, stir and cook, covered, over low heat for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

HEUVOS BENEDICTOS (eggs benedict)

2010-01-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for the amount of free time E and I have right now. No jobs, no obligations, just time. Time to be creative and time to cook. I know all good things come to an end (so they say) but I am going to enjoy this while it lasts. We aren't rushing off to work in the mornings or worrying about what time we should go to bed at night. We can take the time to make a more elaborate breakfast. We even have time to be inspired by cooks on TV.

This is recipe #2 that we have tried from the new Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy. (recipe #1 is here) I have read the comments on this show since it premiered 3 weeks ago. Most have been positive. Marcela has a fun personality, she's animated and she is Mexican. A couple people had concerns that this show would not be true Mexican food, but American food with a Mexican twist. We want Mexican! On the first show, Chef Marcela whipped up an authentic this chilaquiles dish. We copied it that day and loved her recipe.

The other dish she shared on her first show was "huevos benedictos" or eggs benedict. Now, this dish, although just as delicious as the chilaquiles, is questionable as a Mexican dish. Adding chipotles to the hollandaise sauce does not Mexican make. With that being said, this was a very satisfying and tasty breakfast. Muy rico!

Ingredients

Hollandaise:

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 egg yolks*

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce **

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Poached Eggs:

1 teaspoon vinegar

8 very fresh large eggs

2 large croissants, sliced in 1/2

4 slices prosciutto

Directions for the hollandaise: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter until bubbling hot. In a blender, add the egg yolks, black pepper, to taste, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Cover the blender and blend on high speed for several seconds. Either remove center cap of the blender lid or carefully remove the lid itself with blender still running. Pour the hot butter in a thin, steady stream into whirling egg mixture. Add the chipotle and pulse to combine. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. (If your sauce gets too thick, you can thin it out with a couple tablespoons of boiling hot water.)

For the eggs: In a heavy saucepan combine about 2 quarts of water and the vinegar and bring to a simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl or cup and slide the egg into a ladle. Lower the ladle into the water, and hold it there, for 1 minute before removing the ladle and leaving the egg to cook for 2 minutes more. Poach at a low simmer until the whites are firm and the yolks are still runny. Repeat with each remaining egg. Transfer the eggs, with a slotted spoon, to paper towels until ready to serve.

To assemble: Arrange a croissant half, cut side up, on each of 4 plates. Put 1 piece of prosciutto on each half, then 2 poached eggs and top with hollandaise. Serve immediately.

CHILAQUILES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

2010-01-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

If my TV is on, that means one of two things is playing: HGTV or Food Network. Last Saturday morning E and I were lounging and drinking coffee when a new show came on FN. Our ears perked because we heard "real Mexican food". I had seen the promo for this new show before and Saturday was the premier dia. Chef Marcela Valladolid is from Tijuana, just like E. Her show Mexican Made Easy is on Saturday mornings at 930am. She made three recipes, and within a couple days we made 2 of them. I was happy to see Chilaquiles on her menu Chilaquiles (pronounced chee-la-key-les) are a traditional Mexican food. There are many variations, but typically tortillas are cut in quarters, fried and then red or green salsa is poured over top and softens the crisp tortillas. Usually this dish is served for breakfast or brunch and uses leftover tortillas and salsa. We made this 2 times in one week. Once with red salsa and once with green. Serve with beans. Both are muy rico!

{chilaquiles with red salsa}

{chilaquiles with green salsa}

Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

1 pound fresh tomatillos

3 fresh serrano chiles

3 garlic cloves

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

Olive oil, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chicken broth or more as needed

Preheat the broiler or oven to 550 degrees. Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove the stickiness. Put the chiles, garlic, onion and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Season with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Put on a rack about 1 or 2 inches from the heat, and cook, turning the vegetables once, until softened and slightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and pull off the tops of the chiles. Add all the broiled ingredients to a blender along with the fresh cilantro and puree. Pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth and blend to combine. Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency.

Chilaquiles
1/3 cup vegetable oil

10 corn tortillas, cut into eighths, preferably stale (spread out to dry overnight)

3 cups roasted Tomatillo

Salsa Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

2 thin slices onion, separated into rings

1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Pour about 1/3 cup vegetable oil into a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas, working in 2 or 3 batches, and cook until lightly browned and nearly crisp. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and discard the remaining oil. Wipe the pan with a paper towel. In the same pan, add the tomatillo salsa and bring to simmer over low heat. Add the tortillas and cook until soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the mixture among 4 individual casserole dishes. Top with the cheese crumbles and onion rings. Drizzle with Mexican crema, sprinkle with some chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

A Serendipitous Green Salsa

2010-01-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

This winter, a guy from Mexico named Victor has been working with Ernesto on the xmas lights. Sometimes when he comes to our house in the mornings he brings us food that his wife has made: Tortas, tamales, strawberries and cream desert. We also have been to their house for pozole and let me tell you, she knows how to cook. So when Ernesto came home from work one day and said Victor told him about a tomatillo salsa we should try, I got to chopping right away!
This recipe is different than the salsa verde we usually make. It is raw and the crunch of the tomatillo is so good. Its tart and tangy, and mixed with the smoothness of avocados and the other ingredients make an interesting texture. The flavor is muy rica tambien! It is hard to stop eating it!

Fresh Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa

2 firm avocados, cubed

1 small white onion, chopped

4-5 tomatillos, chopped

3-4 serrano peppers, diced

handful of cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

squirt of fresh lime

This is a really quick treat to make and healthy too!

Remembering Guadalajara with Tortas Ahogadas

2009-12-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

If you have been to the awesome city of Gudalajara Mexico, you know what a diverse city it is. Art, shopping and of course food are some of the best in the country. When we visited Guadalajara this past September, the city showed us that all of the hype I had read before the trip was in fact, all true. Actually it was E's cousin Mario, who has lived in the city for the last 7 years, who showed us around. He was a great tour guide and I think he has eaten at every restaurant in the city. When I asked him the best place to "taste Guadalajara" he took me to Tortas Toño (Dirección: Av. Tepeyac # 605) for a Torta Ahogada.

Ahogada means "drowned", and it is an appropriate word to describe these sandwiches on a bread [said only to be made in Guadalajara], filled with meat and bathed with tomato and hot sauce. While some restaurants and food stalls automatically top the tortas with both salsas, most people prefer to indicate how much chile sauce they want, since it is quite hot. When serving them at home, you may want pass the chile sauce separately.

This recipe is adapted from a Mexican cookbook called 101 Recetas Mexicanas. And I must say this recipe is quite authentic, coming very close if not on par with the torta I ate not too long ago in Guadalajara.

Tortas Ahogadas

Ingredients:

For the tomato sauce:

3 pounds roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup water
salt to taste

For the chile sauce:

¼ pound arbol chiles
1 cup water
½ cup white vinegar
salt to taste
For the tortas:

8 bolillos (French rolls) split in half lengthwise
1 ½ pounds boneless pork loin or shoulder
1 onion, cut in half3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 sprig oregano
salt to taste
Preparation:

Place all tomato sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the tomatoes and onions are soft. Allow to cool, place in blender and puree. Strain the puree and set aside.
Lightly roast the arbol chiles on a comal or dry griddle, just to the point of fragrance. Do not allow them to char, as this results in a bitter flavor. Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles. Place the chiles and remaining chile sauce ingredients in a saucepan, cook until the chiles have softened, remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer sauce ingredients to a blender, puree and strain. Set aside.

Cook the meat in water to cover with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and salt to taste. When cooked through, remove from cooking liquid and allow to cool. Shred the meat with two forks, or slice thinly if preferred.Remove the soft center (called the miga) from the rolls, place the rolls on plates, and divide the meat among the rolls by placing some on the bottom half of each roll. Bathe each one with tomato sauce. The tortas are easier to eat if the top half is left "dry." Each diner can add chile sauce to taste. If possible, do as they do in Jalisco and use a plate with a lip to serve these tortas, to prevent messy dripping. Serves 8.

Birria or Stewed Lamb in Chile Sauce

2009-12-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

I am still in disbelief that Christmas is just one week away. Since putting my tree up 10 days ago, I find myself making time just to sit close by and enjoy it. Yesterday was a perfect day for just that. It was cold and rainy here in Atlanta and I had absolutely no desire to venture out. In fact I probably wouldn't have changed out of my pajamas all day if Ernesto had not flipped though our favorite cookbook and saw a recipe for Birria, or stewed lamb in chile sauce.

We bought Mexico The Beautiful Cookbook probably 7 years ago. There are stains on it and the pages are worn, but it is still beautiful and always guarantees us a delicious meal.

After looking over the Birria recipe, we decided this called for a trip to the Buford Farmers Market. This market is huge and carries any and every type of hispanic [and Asian] foods you may be looking for. Not to mention, my favorite feature, in house freshly made corn tortillas!

Speaking of fresh tortillas, this Birria dish is served with them on the side or you could even the wrap the meat is in the tortillas. This recipe is typical of Jalisco Mexico, and is hands down, the most delicious lamb I have ever tried. I bet you will not disagree.

Birria

(Stewed Lamb in Chile Sauce)

4 chiles guajillos

3 chiles anchos

1 cup hot water

1 lb boneless lean lamb, cut into pieces

1 lb lamb ribs or shanks, cut into pieces

12 cups water

6 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1 small sprig thyme

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp groung chile pequin

Garnishes

1 cup onion, chopped

3 limes, cut in half

1 cup cilantro, chopped

* On an iron skillet, toast the chiles, then soak the chiles in the hot water for 20 minutes. Transfer into blender and puree. Strain and set aside.

Place lamb meat, water, garlic and onion in large dutch oven. Bring to a boil, skim the surface, cover and cook over medium to low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove and discard the onion and garlic. Add the pureed chiles, bay leaves, cumin, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper.

Cook for another 50 minutes to let the flavors blend. Meanwhile, blend the sauce ingredients in a blender.

Serve the lamb in deep bowls with hot corn tortillas and the garnishes sprinkled on top.

Add sauce according to desired spiciness.

Beef Brisket....Mexican Style!!

2009-12-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

I am a daily food shopper. This means that I never fill up a grocery cart, I usually decide what I am going to make for dinner and then I go buy the ingredients. This is why it is important that I go to a store where I enjoy the shopping experience. (A big thanks to Kroger Edgewood for expanding) "With that being said" (did you just see the Curb your Enthusiasm about that phrase? love it!) "With that being said, I do sometimes buy a hunk of meat on sale at the grocery store, and put it in the freezer for future use. I find that it aids in picking a recipe, kid of a challenge, hmmm what delicious dinner can i make with this one meat. Beef Brisket.

This was adapted from a Food Network recipe.

Mexican Beef Brisket

3 1/2 pounds beef brisket
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Flour for dredging
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
2 medium onions, chopped
10 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
5 chipotle pepers in adobo sauce (less if you can't stand the heat)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 quarts chicken stock or water
5 bay leaves
Salt to taste
4 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Start with a good piece of meat, trimmed of most of the fat.

Sprinkle the brisket with the coarse salt and pepper. Dredge in flour to coat and shake off any excess. In a large Dutch oven heat oil over high heat. Sear the meat until browned on all sides. Set aside.

Reduce heat to moderate and add the carrots and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan along with all remaining ingredients except the salt and garnishes.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat slips off a fork when pierced.

Lift out the brisket and place on a cutting board. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Pour the broth and vegetables into a blender. Puree until smooth, add salt to taste. Shred the brisket and warm up some tortillas. Place brisket in tortilla, top with freshly chopped onion, cilantro and the sauce. Serve with scallions and refried beans. To. die. for. Let me know if you agree!

La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha, Ya No Puedes Caminar

2009-11-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that show Fear Factor? Ernesto and I always used to watch it. Monday nights. I always said I would participate, but I remember several shows where the contestants had to eat cockroaches. I always thought I would have to drop out at that point. La cucaracha is a disgusting bug. But una cucaracha for breakfast is the best!

I have no idea how the name came about, but a cucaracha is a stack of tortillas, ham, and cheese - topped with salsa. Ernesto's dad made these for me one time and I was hooked. I imagine serving this to our kids. (If we ever get around to it....)

Along the same lines as french toast you will need to dip the tortillas in a bowl of scrambled eggs.

Start with one tortilla. Set the dipped tortilla in a sprayed pan. Top with one slice of ham and put cheese on top. Repeat for a total of three tortillas. Flip over to toast the top layer and finish melting the cheese.

Top la cucaracha with salsa and enjoy!

Neto's Pinto Bean Soup

2009-10-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

I often use canned beans when cooking. When you don't have a lot of time, they are a savior. On the other hand, a huge pot of beans makes the house smell delicious and ensures easy delicious meals over the next few days. This is worth the extra time and effort in my opinion. When we make a pot of pinto beans we use them for refried beans, on tortas (sandwiches) and this:

I don't have a name for it, but doesn't that look delicious? Ernesto introduced it to me and I haven't ever seen this in a cookbook, so I will call it "Neto's Pinto Bean Soup".
First, you will need to make a pot of beans.

Big 'Ol Pot of Beans

1lb. bag of dry pinto beans
1 medium white onion cut in half
6 cloves garlic

soak beans overnight in cold water, or do a quick boil (cover beans with water and bring to a boil for 15 minutes, strain) In a large pot, place beans and 4 quarts water. Simmer for 4 hours or until beans are tender.

Neto's Pinto Bean Soup

You will need the big pot of beans you made, and white rice. (1 3/4 cups water to one cup rice) Assemble while the beans and rice are still hot. Each bowl of soup is prepared individually.

Fill each bowl with beans and broth and 2 spoonfuls of the rice.

Top with fresh vegetables:
chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
diced chiles
cubed avocado
salt to taste

Carnitas in Paris?

2009-10-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, If you haven't seen David Lebovitz' blog, you should really check it out. He is an renowned American pastry chef and author living in Paris. Not only does he post recipes I want to try, he makes me laugh while reading them. One of his recent posts "8 Coping Tips for Living in Paris" is a good place to start.

Ernesto's has made David's carnitas recipe three times now, and every time we think it is the best we have ever tasted! cooking the pork for 3.5 hours really makes this tender.

David includes a beautiful red cabbage slaw to go on the tacos, but Ernesto likes to keep the toppings traditional to this Mexican dish and only tops them with chopped onion, cilantro and salsa.

Serve with a side of refried beans

Carnitas Recipe
(Recipe from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz)

4-5-pounds boneless pork should, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or neutral vegetable oil
water
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced

1. Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1- to 3-days. (You can skip this step if you want. Just be sure to salt the pork before searing the meat in the next step.)

2. Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stove top. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.

3. Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

4. Heat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.

5. Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd's submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

7. Braise in the oven uncovered for 3½ hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.

8. Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inches (7 cm), discarding any obvious big chunks of fat if you wish.

9. Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how crackly you want them.

Neto's Fish Tacos

2009-10-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

I eat fish tacos every chance I get. You see them more and more on menus these days and I like to compare them to Neto's. Rubios is a fast food place in California, that I can honestly say, makes a mean fish taco. There is a place in Atlanta called Taqueria del Sol that serves up simple yet delicious fish tacos (and many others). They fry up tilapia fish and add a white sauce with pickled jalapeno slices. When we lived here before, we would take out of town guests there, and they love it. Somehow they can't compete with Neto's tacos. When we get together with my parents, my dad always [read: every time] requests that Ernesto makes his fish tacos. They were in Atlanta this past weekend. So here you go, written out by Neto himself:

(badly lit photo taken by yours truly, sorry)

Neto's Fish Tacos

You will need:

1-1½ lbs fish (Red Snapper or other firm fish) cut into 3-4 inch pieces and lightly covered with flour

veggie or canola oil for frying fish

thick corn tortillas

Batter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

1 bottle of dark beer

salt & garlic powder to taste

White Sauce

½ cup mayo

½ cup yogurt

1-2 pickled jalapenos, diced

lime and salt to taste

Salsa

5 Roma tomatoes

15 jalapeno or Serrano peppers (2-3 for rookies)

small cilantro bunch

salt to taste

Garnish

head of cabbage, shredded

lime, cut into wedges

Instuctions

Fish:

Combine batter ingredients and start heating oil. Cover fish pieces in batter allowing excess to drip off before placing in oil (try not to let them touch). Cook until batter is a light golden color.

Salsa:

Make this roasted salsa.

Warm the tortillas flipping them a few times but don’t toast and cover them with a towel when done to keep warm.

Place everything on the table and start to assemble your tacos. They go great with Mexican beer.

How to assemble: grab a warm tortilla and place a piece of fish in it. Top with white sauce, salsa, and cabbage then add a squirt of lime. You may need to add a little salt. Enjoy!

Salsa Verde - Viva Los Tomatillos!

2009-10-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Salsa verde is an everyday salsa that you will see sitting on the table in almost any restaurant in Mexico. The main ingredient is the tomatillo, or tomate verde in Spanish. Literally translated, it means green tomato, but is different. The round fruit is covered in a paper-like husk and has a very tangy and tart flavor. If you are buying them in the grocery, make sure the fruit is firm and bright green with a slightly brown husk. Although mostly cultivated in Guatemala and Mexico, the tomatillo can be grown easily in many parts of the United States. This was the reason/ inspiration for making salsa verde last night. My aunt grew them in Ohio this year, and my mom brought us a bag. Thanks Aunt Margie!

SALSA VERDE

3 cups water

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cloves garlic

4 serrano chiles

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed

1/2 cup cilantro

1/4 cup chopped onion

Bring water and salt to a boil, add tomatillos, chiles and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain water reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Transfer to a blender, add cilantro, 1 tsp salt and puree briefly. Pour to bowl and stir in onion. Serve warm or refrigerate [for up to 3 days].

Arroz Mexicano o Mexican Rice

2009-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Rice is a staple in so many countries. I can eat rice everyday. When I lived in Costa Rica for a year, I did eat rice every day. Rice with beans, and beans with rice. I never got sick of it. Whether we are cooking Thai, Indian, or Mexican, rice is the perfect companion.

I was excited when mi suegra made Arroz Mexicano one day this summer. I wanted to learn so I quickly grabbed my notebook. This recipe is my definition of comfort food and will go with any main dish. Easy and very flavorful!
Ligia's Mexican Rice

2 cups long grain rice

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

3 tblsp of oil

2 chicken bouillon cubes

3tbsp tomato sauce

handful of cilantro, chopped

Add oil to pan. As the oil heats up, add rice and sautee. Add garlic and cook till smell. Add onion and sautee on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and sautee for a few minutes. Then add tomato sauce and cilantro. Add the water (1/1/2 cup water for every cup of rice). Bring to boil and then lower heat and cook on low covered.

Hola! We're Back From Mexico!

2009-09-26T10:18:00.001-07:00

Ernesto and I returned earlier this week from our long Mexico trip. What a great experience! If it is even possible, I am more in love with Mexico than before. If you are interested in all the details, I have written quite a bit about the different cities we visited on VivaCindy. We ate so much and truly enjoyed the food in Mexico and were inspired by so many dishes, and I can't wait to share them with you on Viva la Cocina. I ate several things that I had never tried before too. I thought I would share some photos of the food highlights of our trip first, and I promise to get a recipe up here soon!

(note: some of these pictures are not the best quality, as I only had my small camera, and sometimes low light)

{pulpo, or octopus grilled with a spicy chile sauce}

{fruta, or fruit served with lime, salt and chile powder}

{elote or corn, served with your choice of mayo,cheese, chile powder, lime, salt}

{granada, or pomegranate seeds, served in a cup with chile powder, lime and salt}

{chapulines, or grasshoppers, served dry with lime and hot sauce}

{espiropapas, or spiral chips, served with, you guessed it, hot sauce}

{pozole, or meat stew served with raw cabbage, onion, chiles, radishes, oregano}

{huarache, a foot long tortilla taco that is folded in half to eat}

{churros, Mexican donut being cooked up on the street}

{escamoles, or ant larvae, served in a green sauce, eaten in a tortilla}

{torta ahogada, a sandwich stuffed with carnitas [fried pork] and drowned in a spicy salsa}

{tacos de pastor, pork tacos served with onion, cilantro and lime and a tomatillo salsa}

{huitlacoche quesedillas, a fungus that grows on corn with cheese in a tortilla}

{chiles en nogada, a chile stuffed with ground beef and dried fruits, covered in a white walnut sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. Red, white and green, a patriotic Mexican dish}

{La Ideal Panederia, a bread store in Mexico City as big as a Kroger}

I love to visit the fruit and vegetable markets in Mexico, they are a feast for the eyes with so much color. A photographers dream. If only I had had a better camera with me.

{limones, limes}

{nopales, cactus}

{chiles, a mountain of serrano peppers}

{chiles secos, bags of dried chiles}

{mole, balls of paste are sold for many different kinds of mole}

{nueces garapinadas, candied walnuts and pecans}

Please stay tuned as I have some great new recipes coming your way. If you would like to see the non-food side of Mexico please check out VivaCindy

SEE YOU BACK HERE IN A MONTH

2009-08-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well it is midnight and we are finally packed for our trip to Mexico tomorrow morning! (please give us first class Delta!) One small roller bag for a one month trip? I hope I am not forgetting anything. Ha! Im the lightest packer ever, and really, as long as I have my camera, we are good to go. I am so excited to see new things, meet new people and of course [as always] document it all!

This trip will be a bit different though, I will be using the old fashioned method of documentation. A pen and paper! That's right my friends, I will be taking break from blogging here and at Viva Cindy while in Mexico. [but still taking many notes and hundreds of pictures to share with you later] My brother Brrrian suggested this to me earlier tonight when I was telling him that I wasn't taking my laptop with me. I don't want to live in internet cafes. I just want to live! (ok, you may see a post here and there, I would probably go into withdrawal if I totally abandon blogging)

If you are curious as to what Ernesto and I will be getting into for the next month, you can follow me on Twitter Ernesto will have his touchy-touch and we will keeps the tweets current!

We will be picking up lots of new recipes for VLC, so please check back with us!

My tweets are also posted on the right sidebar of my non-food blog!

Adios Amigos! Que tengan un buen mez!

**Picture taken on our last trip to Mexico in December 2007. We were in the Riviera Maya just south of Cancun.

Never Enough Guacamole

2009-08-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I know a guy who doesn't like green food. Period. This makes me laugh. Nothing green? I would always to think of something that could convince him he does in fact like something green. lettuce? celery? lima beans? No? ok maybe I can understand. But Asparagus? Peppers? Broccoli? Snow peas? Come on! And Avocados? This is impossible. You can't not like avocados. Can you?

Its hard to believe because I just love green food. All of it! Avocados are at the top of my list too. Although guacamole is more of a snack or appetizer, there have been many a night where this was my dinner. I can eat a whole bowl and be completely satisfied. The ingredients themselves are beautiful. I like to buy my avocados firm. I made mashed guacamole for years, but in the last year or two have taken to a more chunky style. After slicing down the middle and taking the seed out, I score the avocado into cubes and scoop out with a spoon. (This doesn't work if the avocado is too ripe)

Great Guacamole

4 firm avocados, cubed

3 roma tomatoes, deseeded and cubed

1/2 of one medium red onion, diced

3 serrano peppers (or jalapeños), diced

handful of cilantro, chopped

juice of half a lime

salt and pepper

Combine all in a bowl and serve immediately.

Refried Beans

2009-08-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Matt Armendariz's blog MattBites has been in my reader for a long time now. I love his writing style and his photos are phenomenal. When he invited his readers to Summer Fest 2009, I wanted to participate. What a fun idea. Its four weeks of sharing recipes. Pop over to his blog to see what others are posting. The first two weeks of summerfest were delicious with one week of Herbs and another week of Fruits from Trees.

This weeks theme is "Beans & Greens"

Immediately I thought of refried beans. Tortillas. Salsa. Beans. These are all staples of Mexican cooking. Served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, beans are low in fat and high in protein. They are definitely a staple in our house.

You won't believe how easy they are to make either. You can start with dry pinto beans that you have already cooked or use canned beans. We do both ways, but since we make these so frequently, we more often use canned beans. One benefit is that this can be ready in less than 10 minutes, another is that no salt is needed. (canned beans come with enough sodium added. You won't want to rinse these as the juice is key to the consistency.
Refried Beans

1Tbsp canola oil

3-4 dried chile de arbol peppers (available in most grocery stores)

1 24 oz can of whole pinto beans (make sure they aren't cooked with pork)

Heat the canola oil and add peppers. Cook until blackened. Take pan off heat and let cool [or it will splatter] Add beans. Simmer. Mash. Serve. Que rico!

Mango, Cucumber & Jicama! Oh my!

2009-08-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things in Latin America is the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for little cost. While living in Costa Rica, I would always stop for a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a bag of sliced of mangos at the park after my run, or on the street walking to work. They had this delicious hot chile sauce that was made with vinegar. There is something about chile on mangos.

In Mexico you see a lot of cucumber and Jicama in cups with chile powder and lime juice.

Actually I had been thinking about making this treat ever since mi suegra brought home this Jicama from the store. Jicama [pronounced he-ca-ma] is a crispy, sweet, edible root that resembles a turnip in physical appearance, although the plants are not related.

You could use a peeler to take the skin off the Jicama, but I find it very easy to cut the root end off and peel the skin off in one swoop.

Cut jicama, mango, cucumber into matchstick slices. Squeeze juice of one lime over the top and sprinkle on chile powder and salt. So refreshing!

Ernesto's Shrimp Ceviche

2009-08-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Peru is said to be the birthplace of ceviche. This statement will be disputed, I know. It seems every country in Latin Amercia has their own claim to fame & their own style. One thing is true: It was the birthplace for me. The first time I ever tasted ceviche was on a beach south of Lima, Peru about 10 years ago. I was visiting a friend and he ordered fish ceviche and it came with yucca fries and corn on the cobb. It was love at first taste! In Panama, they served it in little pastry shells, in Ecuador I ate it with corn nuts, in Costa Rica with fried plantains, and in Mexico with crackers or on tostadas. In my house we eat it with good 'ol tortilla chips.

Back in 2002, I wrote in to the Atlanta Journal Constitution about Ernesto's cooking for their Thursday food section. A few weeks later Ernesto was featured in the paper. Re-reading the interview really made me smile. A few things are outdated, but the ceviche recipe he chose to share the is still the best I have ever tasted. If you have ever tried it, you know what Im talking about. If you look at the original article you will see that they advised cooking the shrimp because they did not want to recommend uncooked shrimp to the public. I took that part out below and want to clarify that by NO MEANS should you cook the shrimp for this recipe. There was a great picture that the newspaper took of Ernesto in our tiny tiny kitchen, but unfortunately it's not posted online. So I added this one from a cookout a couple weeks ago.

I posted Ernesto's shrimp ceviche recipe about a month ago on my non-food blog Viva Cindy, and I was amazed at how many people were searching for one. Well, not amazed, I guess, I mean it is one of the best foods in the whole world! Of course people are searching how to make it. I am a bit biased, but this recipe below is my favorite. Please let me know what you think!

Ceviche is raw fish marinated in citrus juice. Though the fish is not technically cooked, the acid in the marinade turns the fish opaque and firms it up. Serve with tortilla chips or as topping for tostadas.

Ernesto's Shrimp Ceviche|

(Preparation time: 20 minutes of chopping , plus 1 hour to marinate)

1 pound large raw tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 small white onion, chopped

3 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon clamato juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

6 limes

Peel, devein and cut shrimp into 1/4-inch pieces. In a bowl, combine shrimp, tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, Clamato juice and olive oil. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lime over combined ingredients and mix well in large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain excess lime juice before serving.

Hablamos de Chiles

2009-07-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

If you are a chile eater, you have probably seen or heard of the Scoville Chile Heat Chart. The Scoville scale measures the hotness of a chili pepper, as defined by the amount of capsaicin (a chemical compound that stimulates nerve endings in the skin) present. In other words the amount of burn you are going to feel. The scale is named after its an American chemist named Wilbur Scoville. He developed a test for rating the pungency of chiles.

(If you'd like to learn more about this test, click here)

I found this chart on a great website called Eat More Chilies. Apparently the site grew from one chile pepper writing assignment in Arizona to a huge chile handbook. There are recipes, event info and a lot of chile facts. Some of which I thought quite interesting:

Did you know...?

• Chiles are healthy! They are low in sodium and calories and are cholesterol free. Chilis are a good source of vitamins A, B, C, and E, folic acid, and potassium.

• Eating chiles can help with digestion. The capsaicin in chiles increases gastric secretions and the flow of saliva, combining to ease the digestion process.

• In 2007, salsa surpassed ketchup as the most widely used condiment in the United States.

• A Chile’s heat or intensity is commonly, but incorrectly, said to come from the seeds in the chili. The heat actually comes from capsaicinoids - the combination of capsaicin (the active component of a chile) and a few other related chemicals - that is found along placental tissue in the center of the chile where the seeds are found.

• The color of a chili pepper actually has nothing to do with its heat level. Rather, the color typically signifies the maturity of the fruit.

• Birds are not affected by the heat or pungency of capsaicin because they do not have a receptor to detect it. This allows capsicum plant seeds to be dispersed through avian travel.

Palomitas o Popcorn

2009-07-23T00:38:00.000-07:00

We usually eat dinner between 9 and 10pm. My parents always give us a hard time because we eat dinner so late. I could say it's because we don't have kids so we can prepare dinner at our leisure. This is true. But I think the real reason is because we are snackers. We probably have the snacking thing backwards, but it works for us. For example, most of my family and friends prepare dinner when they get home from work, and then snack later in the evening. We, on the other hand snack immediately upon arrival to the house, then head to the grocery store to buy our ingredients for dinner that night.

Our snack, 99% of the time, is either salsa or popcorn.

Not just any popcorn. Spicy popcorn. Because everything has to be spicy according to Neto. My brother Tim, who is also crazy about spicy food, shared this recipe with us years ago.

With the invention of microwave popcorn, you may never have even made popcorn the "traditional" way. But trust me, it is worth the 5 extra minutes (and more healthy too)!

Pepper Popcorn

1Tbsp canola oil

2-3 hot peppers

Leave on high heat until charred.

Add 3/4 cup popcorn

Shake pan every 30 seconds until pan is full

Snack then dinner. I think it makes sense. What time do you guys eat dinner?

Flautas

2009-07-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

En la Cocina con.....Ligia Espinoza (my Mother-in-law o mi suegra)

This summer we have been lucky enough to spend a couple months living in San Diego with my in-laws. Some of you may cringe at the thought of this, but I kid you not, I love mis suegras. From Day 1 (almost 10 years ago) they made me feel like their daughter. They are so wonderful.

Living with them, I can fool myself that I am really in Mexico. Family is constantly in and out of the house, we always speak Spanish, and the food is authentic Mexican. I have been eating mi suegra's food for years, but to be in the kitchen with her has been a real treat. Last night she asked what I would like to cook. I was craving flautas. I mean taquitos.

Hmmm. Are they flautas or a taquitos?

You can call them either name depending on your location. Some say the difference is if they are made with corn tortillas (taquitos) or with Flour tortillas (flautas) My mother-in-law calls them flautas, and I'm going to stick with that. When it comes to Mexican food, she knows what she is talking about. Flautas means "flutes" in Spanish and this is what they look like, right?

They are easy and the finished product is like a piece of art.

Ligia's Flautas

You will need to start with:

The freshest corn tortillas you can buy.**

(**In San Diego this is easily done. Fresh tortillas are sold everywhere. In Canton, Ohio where my parents live - not so easy. You may need to try several packaged brands to find the best.)

The stuffing for the flautas could be several things. Usually pork, chicken, or beef.

Mi suegra used shredded beef. (In the store labeled as "roast.") Boiled until cooked through and then shredded. Add salt.

In a frying pan add 1/2 inch vegetable oil and heat on high.

Place some shredded beef in a line down the middle of the tortilla.

Roll it. Fry until golden. (see pic above) Repeat.

The pure deliciousness of this dish comes in the toppings.

Chopped iceburg lettuce

Sour cream

Red vinegar onions (sliced and soaked in white or apple cider vinegar, salt & pepperfor at least 30 minutes)

Salsa Navarro (roasted salsa with oregano-recipe here)

Queso fresco (crumbled white cheese, sold in most stores in Mexican isle)

Plate 4 or so flautas, pile with toppings and enjoy! Refill plate. Oh, yes you will!