Hot Tamales!

 Happy Easter everybody! When I was a kid, we went to Grandma's house for Easter dinner and it wasn't ham. It was Hot Tamales. In honor of Grandma Joe I give you... Hot Tamales!

This dish is not to hard to make, but you really need a lot of time and patience.  Of which I have neither . But, anyway, crack another beer and we'll get through this. Here is a list of ingredients that we will need.

I like big butts

2 Bay leaves

2 Teaspoons of salt

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

5 lbs of pork shoulder or boston butt

1 pound bag of corn husks

Cutting the skin off the pig gave me a new found respect for anyone who has ever had to skin an animal.  It took me a good 10 minutes to clean the carcass. Poor little piggy. Once that's done, I put the pork and the spices in the crock pot on high for 5 hours. I like my meat done well.

                                                                                                                                                       Take the pork and put it in a bowl. Now drain the juice. You are going to need that for later.

you like a the juice?

Ok now to make the puree. You will need the following:

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

3 casabelle peppers 

4 ancho peppers.

3 pasilla peppers

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add ingredients. Lets boil for 15 minutes. Shut off heat and let cool. Strain the juice and put items in the blender and blend smooth until it looks like something from a horror movie.

Add a little of the broth we saved. 

stir vigorously

Mix in the puree, saving a couple of spoonfuls for the masa.

For the Masa, you're going to need a cup of lard, 2 cups of instant masa, 1 and 1/3 cup of broth we saved and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix by hand until fluffy and creamy enough to spread on your corn husks. These corn husks were very small. which made it a little difficult. Your corn husk has a smooth side and a rough side (don't we all). Put the masa on the smooth side like you're putting peanut butter on a piece of bread. When that's done, take a good pinch of your tamale meat and fill it in. Don't skimp on the meat.

Okay, now after about 60 of these I think we are ready to cook. We have this giant steamer (a tamalera we picked up at a local Spanish grocery) we filled the bottom with water and put a bowl at the bottom so the tamales don't get soggy. We steam for one hour and then its time to eat.

Tony's Rating: 3.0. 

The meat and everything was fine, but I had a problem with the tiny husks and some tamales did not get enough masa. Also, the masa got a little to much puree making the tamales a dark red, I prefer the yellow cornish looking tamales, But, the taste was good; it was the execution that was lacking.

Sandy's Rating: 3.5
The flavor was excellent, but some of the masa was a little dark.  Some of the husks were too small and that made for some less than pleasing appearing tamales, but not much you can do about it.

'Til next time, all men must dine! 

~Tony

Tom Yam Gung

This week, I decided to take a trip to the other side of the world for our Food Adventure and make up some Tom Yam Soup.  This particular recipe is from a book I bought many years ago, for a mere $2.99, simply titled Thai.  It's full of beautiful pictures and obvious translations of outstanding recipes.

This is a spicy dish, and you may need to modify the spice to your taste else you find yourself coughing each time you slurp a sip of soup.

Ingredients:
16 oz. light chicken stock
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, chopped
2-in piece of lemon grass
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce
2 small hot green chilis, deseeded & finely chopped
1 tsp. sugar
8 small shiitake or straw mushrooms, halved
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Tom Yam Sauce:
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 large hot dried red chilis, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. dried shrimp (optional)
1 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce
2 tsp. sugar

1.  Start by making the tom yam sauce.  Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add garlic and cook until just brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Add the shallot to the oil, fry until crisp, remove with slotted spoon, and reserve.  Add dried chilis, cook until dark, remove with slotted spoon, and reserve.  Remove sauce pan from heat and reserve the oil.

2.  Grind the dried shrimp, if using, in a food processor or spice grinder, add reserved chilis, garlic and shallots.  Grind to a smooth paste.  Return to sauce pan with original oil to a low heat.  Warm thoroughly.  Add fish sauce and sugar and mix.  Remove sauce pan from heat.

3.  Heat the stock and 2 Tbsp. of tom yam sauce together in a separate sauce pan.  Add the lime leaves, lemongrass, lemon juice, fish sauce, chillis, and sugar, and simmer for 2 minutes.

4.  Add the mushrooms and shrimp and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked.  Ladle into warmed serving bowls and serve immediately, garnished with spring onion strips.

Notes:

*  I have made this soup many times, most of the time it is too hot for most people to enjoy when made as written above.  I like the heat, but it will make you catch your breath.  This time I attempted to mitigate some of that and it seemed a bit bland to me.

*  On fish sauce, put frankly, it stinks and will make your house stink when you cook with it.  That same flavor can easily take over the food, and I am not particularly fond of it.  But, the food doesn't taste quite right without it, so I used one teaspoon of fish sauce and substituted soy sauce for the remaining portion of fish sauce.  I probably would adapt that to use a little more fish sauce and a little less soy sauce next time, but not much.

*  This particular batch had a lot of extra shrimp and mushrooms in it, so it was more like a stew than anything I've made or had previously.  This, combined with my efforts to avoid making it too spicy and the extra broth required, might account for the fact that this batch mostly tasted like shrimp soup with a mild hint of Asian flavor.

*  I have never found lemongrass that wasn't in a tube.  I have no idea how much would equate to 1 inch of lemongrass, so I use a tablespoon for every inch.

*  I used limes instead of lemons.  I prefer their slightly milder flavor.

*  I didn't use any kaffir lime leaves, dried shrimp or sugar, and never do.  I don't know if I would know the difference.

*  If the budget doesn't allow for shrimp, you can cut a chicken breast up into small, bite-sized pieces and use it instead.

Sandy's rating:  4 stars
It could've been spicier, and perhaps had a touch more fish sauce.  My efforts to tame the spiciness of the dish resulted in it being a little bland.  When reheating the batch in the freezer, I may need to toss in a handful of crushed red pepper for the desired level of heat.  However, it was fresh, nice and satisfying in the way boiled shrimp can be.  I also really enjoyed the mixed mushrooms we used.

Tony's rating:  3.5 stars
It's very good.  You can really taste the fish stock.  Could use a little more heat.

Cost:
Shrimp  about $18.00 (we had a 1 1/2 pounds)
mushrooms $3
chicken broth - $2.50 (but we only used half)
lemongrass - $5
garlic is a staple
fish sauce and soy sauce are staples
dried red chilis are staples
green chilis in the freezer from last year's garden
limes 6/0.99

Spaghetti with Red Claim Sauce

Hey Foodies! My turn to cook. My girlfriend says she is tired of the same old shit, so here we go. Time to bring the A-game. Tonight's Food Adventure is the sinful Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce.

This is one tasty dish and so easy it's laughable. Here's the stuff you're going to need to make your sauce:

Who ever controls the spice controls the universe.

10 oz can of whole baby clams
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
6 cloves of garlic
28 oz jar of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
2 Serrano peppers
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parley    

Start out by heating up the vegetable oil over a high heat. Roast the garlic in the oil until it is a golden brown. Stir often. Once its ready pour in your tomatoes. Add the clams next to get a good reduction and give the pasta some flavor. Add salt and the rest of the ingredients and stir and let sit for 10 minutes. We like to serve this over pasta and we had some spaghetti in the pantry, so we are good to go. This dish is so awesome because its so good and so easy to make. I just love it. Well, that was quick. Time to eat!

        

We Paired this dish with a Ecco Domani Pino Grigio. Light and sweet, a perfect balance to the spicy hot. I also made a plate of homemade crustinis for dipping. Devilishly delicious.

Tony's Rating: 5.0
Phenomenal, So easy, yet so darn good. It had some good flavor and the spice was perfect. More like a Thai dish. Sneaky heat and good to eat.

Sandy's Rating:  5.0
Amazing dinner!  Quick, easy, light and satisfying.  The added hot pepper gave it just the kick it needed, and the fresh parsley from the garden gave it a hint of color and freshness.

OK guys, 'til next time.All men must dine!

Baklava

 This week, we're going to use the rest of that box of phyllo dough we bought for spinach pie, both to get it out of the freezer and to use it while it's fresher.  That means, we're making baklava, one of my favorite desserts.  I will say again that working with phyllo dough is a tedious task and best suited for two people, the more patient of the two layering the sheets of phyllo dough.

You will need:                                                        Syrup:

4 c. chopped walnuts                                             3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar                                     1/4 c. water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon                                          1/4 c. honey
1 c. butter, melted (2 sticks)                                    1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg 16 oz, 14' x 9" sheet size, frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Butter the bottom of a 14" x 9" glass pan.

3.  Mix walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bole and set aside.

4.  Begin layering phyllo dough in the glass pan, brushing each layer with melted butter.  Do this until there are eight layers in the pan.

5.  Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly over the layers of phyllo dough.

6.  Layer four sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with melted butter.

7.  Repeat steps 5 and 6.

8.  Spread last 1/3 of the nut mixture over the phyllo dough.

9.  Layer last eight sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each.

10.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

11.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the sugar, water and honey.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for ten minutes.  Add vanilla.

12.  Pour syrup over the warm pie and allow to cool.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes:

*  The package of chopped walnuts available in our grocery store was 3 1/2 cups and cost something like $7.59.  I didn't buy any additional to make up for the missing 1/2 cup of nuts and didn't notice it.

*  The package of phyllo dough we purchased had two rolls of 20 sheets of phyllo dough.  We adapted the recipe above by shaving one sheet from each layer.

*  We did not use a full two sticks of butter, instead only requiring one and 1/5 sticks.   It appeared to be swimming in butter, too.

*  When you pour the syrup over the pie, it will appear to be swimming in it.  Do not worry.  It will be absorbed by the pie and will caramelize in the bottom of the pan.

*  We ate them warm, and quickly figured out why that isn't the norm.  It was messy and the syrup hadn't hardened.  I wouldn't do it again.

Rating:

Sandy 4.5

I think after refrigeration, it will be perfect.  Eating them warm, they crumbled and collapsed. and streams of syrup ran down to my elbows.  The flavor was good, but not as set as it normally is.  Still, all-in-all it was very satisfying treat.

Tony 4.0

Great way to use up the rest of the phyllo dough.  Sweet and crispy and light and flaky.  The honey doesn't make it too sweet, it makes it just right.  I love it.  In fact, I'm going to get another piece right now.

Cost:
butter - is a staple and we had it, but typically a four pack is about 4 bucks
walnuts - about $7.59 for 3 1/2 cups
brown sugar - a staple, of which we are now out, but I still do not know the cost
phyllo dough - I don't remember, we bought the box for spinach pie
honey - about 8 bucks, it's a staple and we did not have enough.
sugar - we had plenty on hand so I don't know the cost.
cinnamon - again, a staple

This is not a cheap dish, but it will satisfy a sweet tooth.  I mostly make it around the holidays, since walnuts are on sale a lot then.

Spinach Pie

Hey Guys! Tony here. You can not get a good spinach pie in the state of Florida. And, it's not on the menu at Chik-Fil-A. So, if you want something done right, you have to do it your self. Behold, this week's Food Adventure:  the sinfully good Spinach pie.

 Time to break out ye olde cookbook. Betty Crocker is my Bible. She doesn't fail to deliver.  For starters, let's go ahead and fire up that oven to 375 degrees.  You can do your prep while the oven heats up.  Things you will need:

Feta make it mo better.

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion (1/2 cup)
1 package of cream cheese (8oz)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of dill weed
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach (9 oz each)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 cup of feta cheese
20 sheets of frozen phyllo dough (thawed)  

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet on medium heat. So, get your big pan and start cooking. Add your olive oil and start sauteeing those onions and garlic. Once they are just starting to brown, add your spinach. Stir it up good.  Next, add the cream cheese, feta and your eggs and pretty much everything but the dough and the butter. Mix that stuff up good, and it's showtime.

I like pie.

This is the fun part. Layering the phyllo dough one sheet at a time into a glass pan, the bottom generously smeared with butter, and the brushing-on of generous amount of melted, unsalted butter.
We did six layers of dough before adding our first layer of the spinach mixture. Then, we repeated the process of laying down another six layers of dough, one sheet at a time and buttering each sheet before laying down the next, and adding a second layer of the spinach mixture.  Place the remaining sheets of the phyllo dough on top of the second layer of spinach, brushing each sheet with butter, and you're good to go.

Your oven should be good and hot by now. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. We checked it at 25 and let it bake the full 35 minutes.  Let it cool for ten minutes. By this time, I'm ready to drink some wine and eat some pie. Let's eat!

Tony's Rating : 5.0
Flawless victory! So good. I felt like I was a kid again eating at Olga's Kitchen. Fan-freaking-tastic! Satisfying on so many levels. Comfort food like this gives me a warm sense of well being. We ate it all. We are piggy-doggies. =)

Total cost to make around 15 bucks.

Sandy's Rating:  5.0
This was a home run.  The phyllo was flaky and crunchy.  The spinach filling was perfectly creamy and cheesy.  And, immensely satisfying after a long day of yard work.  It takes a lot of patience to make this dish, but it is so very worth it.


Until the next Food Adventure.
~All men must dine.

Chiles Rellenos

For this week's food adventure, I thought I'd try something from this cookbook we've had for a long time and never done more than look through:  Mexico The Beautiful Cookbook.  I like chiles rellenos, so why not?

Ingredients:
6 poblano chiles
1 Tbsp. oil
10 oz. tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks  
2 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 tsp. salt
1 c. thick cream (creme fraiche)
1 1/2 cups grated queso manchego (or Monterey Jack or medium-sharp cheddar cheese)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, separated
oil for frying

1.  Roast the chiles over medium heat until the entire skins are "charred."  They will blister and turnbrown.  You don't want to char the pepper under the skin, so turn them as needed.  When they are fully roasted, remove to a dish and cover with a warm, damp towel for 10-15 minutes.  This will make them sweat and will make the skins easier to remove.  Peel the chiles, cut a slit in the side and remove the seeds and membranes.  Set aside.

2.  Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large skillet.  Add tomatillos and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.  Add onion, cook for 3 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook another 3 minutes.  Stir in the cream and salt, cover and cook over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  Stuff chiles with cheese.  Spread the flour on a plate.

4.  Beat egg whites until the form stiff peaks, then stir in the yolks one at a time.  Turn the chiles in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Dip each chile in the beaten eggs, so that it is well coated.

5.  Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet.  When hot, add the chiles one or two at a time.   Fry on each side until lightly browned.  Drain in a colander.

6.  Before serving, heat the sauce.  Add the chiles to it, cover and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, just until the chiles are hot. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1.  I modified the recipe from the start by not using the dried peppers it suggests using.

2.  As you can see, I poured the sauce over the chiles.  I expected the tomatillos to cook down more than they did, and I cooked them for longer than it says to in an effort to get them to do so.

3.  Manchego cheese is expensive.  We used muenster, like Tony's grandma used to.  It melts well and has a good flavor.

4.  Be careful not to let the oil get to hot.  Mine got a little hotter than I wanted for the last batch of peppers and not sure I cooked them well enough to melt the cheese very good.

5.  This was a lot of food.  One pepper was plenty, and would be good with beans and rice but not sauce.

6.  I didn't find creme fraiche in the store.  I looked it up and wasn't going to buy  buttermilk for just a few tablespoons, so I mixed heavy cream with some sour cream.

Ratings:

Sandy:  2.5

It wasn't such a good week for the Food Adventure.  The stuffed peppers had a good flavor with a subtle hint of heat to them.  And, the cheese melted smoothly and had good flavor.  But, the sauce was horrible and ruined the whole dish.  The large chunks of veggies it suggests did not cook down enough in the time periods listed in the recipe, or the additional time that I cooked it, and tomatillos are quite sour in large chunks.  I don't like to waste food and wasn't going to just dip the peppers and throw out those veggies.  I didn't particularly care for the cream on it, and I don't think it is solely because I substituted sour cream for buttermilk.  I would not make the sauce again.  I would top these with a little warmed salsa or pico de gallo instead.

Tony:  1.5

I feel bad that she worked so hard on it and it turned out so bad.  The peppers and cheese were okay, but the sauce was horrible.  My first bite was a large chunk of tomatillo and it was very sour.

Cost:
poblanos - $2.57
tomatillos - $0.84
tomatoes - $0.89
onion - $0.30
heavy cream - $2.29
muenster - $6.39

Total:  $13.28
*eggs, oil and flour are staples, the cost is not factored in the total

Shrimp Etouffee

Hey Foodies! Tony here. Saturday night and it's my turn to cook.
I am dying for some seafood. We have this Cajun Etouffee base packet, some rice and a pound of fresh uncooked shrimp. We are ready to get started.

Begin by melting 5 tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pan. Once all the butter is melted, pour the contents of the packet into the skillet and stir constantly to make a roux.  Add 2 cups of water. Stir until it is a medium brown. It's the easiest thing in the world. Lucky for me it only takes a few minutes, because I am hungry as hell and it's damned good to eat. So, stir it up nice. Once you achieve the gravy-like consistency, add a pound of uncooked shrimp. Bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, cover and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally to prevent the gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 15 more minutes. This gives the etouffee base time to thicken and work its magic.  I like to serve it over white rice. They suggest that it's good over pasta, but I don't know about that. OK. Time to eat.

Review :

The shrimp was very tender. It's a little on the salty side but the rice is perfect. What I like about this dish is it is quick, easy and exotic. Might not be for everybody. It's really good and about 6 hours faster than the Paul Prudomme's recipe. Just like being back in good, old New Orleans.

Tony's Rating 4.0

The shrimp was cooked perfectly.  It is a premixed base, so it's salty compared to what we usually make, but not bad.  It is a good substitute from the long version in the cookbook and makes up a lot quicker. Cheap dish. Under 15 bucks.

Sandy's rating 4.0


Until next time. All men must dine.