New Year's Eve Dinner: Bacalao

I often think that my love for cooking is in my DNA. See, I come from a family of excellent cooks, if I may say so. My great-grandmother, on my dad’s side, worked as the head cook (this is before women could be considered chefs) at a restaurant in one of the best hotels in Mexico City. Her daughter, my grandmother, followed her lead and worked at several restaurants as a cook. There was not a dish she did not know how to make – in fact she made the best Chinese fried rice – and everything she made, was ridiculously good.

Although she is no longer with us, I remember with fondness when we visited her and the smell of whatever she was cooking inundated her house. Growing up, we usually spent New Year’s Eve at her house. It was a night full of fun: all of the cousins lined in her yard to hit a piñata full of candy; we were allowed to drink a small glass of rompope (Mexican eggnog); and we would stay up until midnight to eat 12 grapes for good luck in the new year. Another highlight of the night was the food, of course. My grandmother would always make Bacalao, a dish made with dried salted codfish that the Spaniards introduced to Mexico and which is traditionally eaten on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. When we moved out of Mexico City, my grandmother gave my mother the recipe to make Bacalao and since then, she makes it every year on Christmas Eve. Every time she makes it, the smell of the Bacalo takes me back to my grandmother’s house...

So, if you still don’t know what to make on New Year’s Eve (and if you like fish), try making Bacalao. It is very easy to make and it pairs beautifully with champagne. There is nothing else I would rather eat for New Year’s Eve than Bacalo.

Ingredients
2 pounds salted cod fish
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds tomatoes (diced)
2 pounds onion (diced)
1 bunch parsley (chopped)
6 garlic cloves
1 pound potatoes (peeled and diced)
1/3 cup green olives
5 or more whole banana peppers pickled

Directions
1. Soak the salted cod in hot water changing the water two times over the course of eight hours. Drain and shred the fish.
2. In a large pan, toast the garlic cloves in hot olive oil. Once they turn brown remove.
3. Sautee the onions, tomatoes, and parsley. Once cooked, add the shredded salted cod and potatoes. Keep in medium heat and covered until potatoes are cooked.
4. Add the olives and banana peppers and cooked for five more minutes.  Do not add salt.
5. Serve with baguette. It pairs very well with champagne.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

“Where have you been?” You may be asking since I haven’t posted a recipe in several weeks. Between work, Christmas parties, Holiday dinners, the gym, Christmas shopping, caroling and other shenanigans, I haven’t had time to either cook or post any recipes. I am sure you understand.

I do however, have a recipe for you. This is a recipe I meant to post a month ago: hojarascas, a type of Mexican (from Monterrey to be more specific) cookies. I wanted to give it to you so you could bake them for Christmas and give them to friends and family for the holidays. I guess you could still do that if you really make the effort. Anyhow, these type of cookies are not, per se, Christmas cookies, so you can make them whenever. However, I do not make them often because they are time-consuming and mainly because once I eat one, I have to eat 35 – and that, my friends, cannot be good for my heart or my physique (yeah, yeah, I’m shallow). So yes, they are highly addictive… but they are so good. Before you start your new year’s resolution of getting in shape (which seems to be everyone’s resolution) bake yourself some hojarascas, eat them all, and throw the recipe away. If you don’t do that, you will be very tempted to make them over and over again and, as I said before, that is not good for you.

Here it is!

Hojarascas (it makes 140 cookies approximately)

Ingredients:
Dough
2.2 pounds of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups of sugar
1.1   pound of lard
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla is preferable)
¼ cup milk (or more if necessary)

Topping
½ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350 F.

2.  In a large bowl (or electric mixer) mix eggs, lard and vanilla. Add the flower and baking powder. Add the milk slowly until the consistency of the mix is soft and it no longer crumbles. You may need to add more mlk.

3.  Divide the dough into four or five balls. In a floured surface, spread out one dough ball with a rolling pin and roll out (1/8 inch thick). Cut using a flower-shaped cookie cutter. Repeat.

4.  Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 17 min. In the meantime, mix topping (sugar and cinnamon) in a wide bowl.

5.  Take cookie sheet out of the oven and let it sit a few minutes. Use  a metal spatula to transfer cookies to the bowl where the topping is and cover each cookie with it.

6.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mocha Martini

December is here, and with it, the holidays. I personally love December, not only because it is my birthday month (hint, hint), but because there are parties galore, twinkling lights glimmer the streets, carols are sung all around, cookies and treats abound, you get to put a freshly cut pine in your living room and decorate it with ridiculous ornaments (who thought about that?), and because most people are in a festive and giving mood. If you are one of those jolly people who will be hosting a Christmas party, or a Hanukkah party, or Kwanza party, or a “I don’t believe in shit” party, this recipe is for you: mocha martini. It is delicious and will make you and your guests warm inside. In fact, I can guarantee you that after two mocha martinis, even the “grinchiest” person will start growing a heart and a smile will appear on his face. 

Without further ado, below is the recipe for this very festive drink.

Mocha Martini

Ingredients:
One part spiced Rum
One part Whipped Cream Vodka
One part Kahlua
One part chocolate liquor
One part heavy cream
Dash of ground cinnamon
Crushed ice

Directions:
Mix all the liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour into a martini glass with crushed ice. Sprinkle with powder cinnamon.

Apple Pie

Thanksgiving is only a few days away. This year, we’ll be hosting Thanksgiving at our house and I just finalized the menu for this holiday: 

•  Appetizers: Baked Brie (Brie cheese drizzled with a raspberry and chipotle sauce with walnuts and cranberries and then wrapped in puff pastry). Olives marinated in olive oil and fresh herbs.
• Main Course – Turkey with fresh herbs and wine; stuffing with pancetta and chestnuts; mashed potatoes;  esquites (Mexican corn dish); and roasted root vegetables drizzled balsamic vinaigrette.
• Dessert: apple pie and caramel flan.

I still have a lot of prep work to do, so let’s cut to the chase. Today I am giving you my apple pie recipe. If you still don’t know what kind of dessert to make for Thanksgiving, try this recipe. It is a crowd pleaser.

Apple Pie

Adapted from Desserts, Mouthwatering recipes for delicious dishes by Rosemary Wilkinson.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds apples

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup sugar

1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter, diced.

Store bought pie crust (because, who has time to make it from scratch? Not me)

Directions:

1. Spread butter over the surface of a pie pan. Sprinkle with flour. Place crust on pie pan.

2. Preheat oven to  425 F.

3. Peel, core and slice the apples. Place in a large bowl. Toss with the flour, sugar, lemon juice, spices and salt. Spoon into the pie shell and dot with butter.

4. Roll out the remaining pie crust. Place on top of pie and trim to leave a ¾ inch overhang. Fold the overhang under the bottom dough and press to seal. Cut steam vents. Protect the edge of the pie with foil.

5. Bake for 10 min. Reduce the heat to 350 F and bake until golden (40 to 45 min.).

Fresh Cheese - Queso Fresco Mexicano

Last Saturday I struck up a conversation with a Mennonite lady who was selling organic raw milk, yogurt, cheese and honey. Her family’s farm, Sunset Valley Farm, is located in Perry County, Pennsylvania.  When she wasn’t too busy, I asked her about the difference between raw milk and pasteurized milk, its benefits and uses. She proceeded by giving me a sample of raw milk. I was a bit hesitant – not because it was not pasteurized – but because I am not a big milk fan (unless it has cocoa powder in it). I tried it and was surprised to find that I actually really liked it: it was very creamy and somewhat sweet. It was also very fresh, a quality you cannot find in the milk you buy at the supermarket.  She told me that raw milk has many uses – you can make cheese, yogurt, butter, ice-cream etc. She told me that if I wanted, I could make my own butter, since all you have to do is to whip the raw milk until it creams. She told me that the “liquid” that separates from the butter is buttermilk, which you can use to make pancakes or breads.  You learn something new every day.

We continued talking and, after a few minutes, I told her that I have wanted to make cheese but that I had not been able to find raw milk – which I thought would be more appropriate than pasteurized milk.  She told that making cheese – such as mozzarella or ricotta – is quite easy. However, venturing into “harder” cheeses – such as Gouda, cheddar, Swiss – is a more complex process. She gave me some tips and the confidence to finally make cheese. That day I bought from her half gallon of raw milk – and fresh eggs, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.

Four days later, I bought citric acid (aka sour salt) and cheese cloth and ventured to make cheese.  I settled for a recipe I had wanted to make: Queso Fresco, a mild Mexican cheese that resembles the taste of mozzarella but its consistency is that of feta cheese.  The Mennonite lady was right, making cheese was quite easy – you basically mix the warm milk with citric acid, drain it and let it cool. Yes, it’s that easy. You may be wondering “ok, you said it was really easy to make but, was it good?” Yes, it was. It tasted like queso fresco but a bit creamier. It was really good and actually, I am planning on making it for the holidays. Maybe I’ll add some dry herbs or fresh chopped jalapeno pepper. This is what the husband had to say about it:

“I was shocked that the cheese came out like, well, cheese on the first attempt! The consistency was perfect, and the smell and taste were as well. I was also surprised that it didn’t take all that long… I was expecting maybe a days-long process. My wife can do it all. She made a pie a few minutes later!”

If you are a culinary adventurer, why don’t you try to make your own cheese? It is a fun experience.



The final product



Fresh Cheese

Queso Fresco Mexicano

Adapted from Fiesta at Ricks, by Rick Bayless

Makes about 1/2 pound

Ingredients

½  gallon raw milk (if you cannot find raw milk use ½ gallon 2% milk plus 1 cup buttermilk)
1 teaspoon citric acid – aka sour salt (if you cannot find it, use 1 cup fresh lime juice)
1  teaspoon salt (pure fine-ground sea salt works best here)

Directions

1.  Culture the milk.   Pour the milk into a large (at least 8-quart) pot. Attach an accurate thermometer that registers temperatures as low as 75 degrees and set the pot over medium heat.  When the temperature reaches 75 degrees, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand 3 or 4 hours.

Raw milk

Citric Acid - AKA Sour Salt

2.  Set the curd.   If using citric acid, stir it into 1/4 cup cool water, continuing to stir until dissolved.  Uncover the pot, set over medium heat and stir in the dissolved citric acid or the fresh lime juice. You will start seeing small curds start to form.  Every couple of minutes, stir slowly, gently and thoroughly over the entire bottom of the pot until the milk reaches 195˚F—it’ll take just over 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes without stirring.

3.  Drain the curd from the whey.   Wet a large piece of cheesecloth and drape it into a large colander. Set the colander in the sink.  Using a large slotted spoon or a fine-mesh skimmer, carefully ladle all of the curd into the colander. Sprinkle with salt. Gather the cheesecloth up around the curd and gently press with the back of a large spoon to expel a bit more whey. Unwrap the curd onto a plate.  

4.  Finish the cheese.   Gather the cheese curds into a 1-inch-thick disk, transfer to a plate, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  The cheese should last about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Veal in White Sauce - Blanquette de Veau

A few weeks ago we received a beautiful 3 pound piece of veal from North Mountain Pastures, our meat CSA. The beauty of CSAs is that you never know what you are going to get which, if you receive a piece of meat or a vegetable you are not familiar with, forces you to explore new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. I digress.  I had never made veal before – in fact I had only eaten it once in my life – so I was not sure what to make with it. I perused my cooking book library and found several veal recipes that looked appetizing. However, I settled for one that had a wine creamy sauce… I love wine and cream.

The next day I went grocery shopping. Once home, I gathered all the ingredients and started cooking. Few hours later – the veal takes several hours to cook – we had a delicious French dinner. I don’t mean to sound pretentious but the dish was wonderful – the veal very tender and the sauce complimented the meat and vegetables perfectly. My husband loved it. In fact he had a second serving and ate it for lunch the following day. Although this recipe was time consuming, it was really easy to make.

If you like veal, believe me, you can easily make it at home. It will be cheaper and very, very good. Give this recipe a try.

Blanquette de Veau – Veal in White Sauce

Serves 6

Adapted from France The Beautiful Cookbook

Ingredients:

3 lb veal (shoulder & on the bone)

1 white onion

2 cloves

Bouquet garni (1 bay leaf; 1 spring thyme, 6 springs parsley; 2 celery stalks; white part of 1 leek)

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 4 chunks

¾ cup dry white wine

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 egg yolks

4 pinches of freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

To garnish:

45 pearl onions (you can find them in the frozen section)

8 oz. mushrooms (washed and quartered)

2 oz. butter

6 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Directions

1. Peel the onion and stud with cloves. Tie together the herbs for the bouquet garni. Place the meat in a Dutch oven and add the carrot, onion and bouquet garni. Pour in the wine and water just to cover. Bring to boil, skimming the surface (brown foam) for the first 10 minutes., then cover and simmer very gently for 2 ½ hours.

2. About 45 minutes before the meat is ready, prepare the garnish. Melt half the butter in a non-stick skillet and cook the onions until golden. Add the water, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered for 20 minutes or until tender.  Melt the remaining butter in a second skillet and add the mushroom and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are golden and no longer give out any liquid. Add to the onions and keep warm.

3. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plated.

4. Strain the cooking liquid that is the Dutch over. Pour back in and boil over high heat until reduced to about 1 cup. In a bowl beat the cream and the egg yolks. Blend in 3 tablespoons of the hot stock. Return to Dutch Oven and cook stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk the sauce to a smooth, velvety consistency. Add the nutmeg, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and whisk for 30 seconds longer.

5. Transfer the meat to a serving plate. Surround with vegetables. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Serve.

Note: the next time I make it, I will add more mushrooms and one more carrot.

Apple Sponge Cake

Fall is clearly here: fallen red leaves adorn the streets and trees paint the mountains with a beautiful combination of orange hues. One of the things I look forward during fall is apple and pumpkin picking.  For the past two years, we have gone to Paulus Orchards in York County, Pennsylvania, to pick apples. This season was no exception. Last Sunday, after having coffee and toast, the beautiful weather inspired us to get out of the house and go apple picking. Once at the orchard, we walked through the apple trees seeking the best apples. Many trees only had apples at the top which inspired Nate to pick me up on his shoulders so I could reach them. I am sure it was a funny sight – but our technique worked and we ended up with approximately 15 pounds of Fiji apples.

When we got home, we could not resist the fresh smell of the apples and ate one. Dear readers, the apples were delicious: crisp, sweet and full with flavor. That same day I decided to make an apple cake because the following day our friends Lou and Lauren were coming over for dinner. After reviewing several recipes, I decided to make an Apple Sponge Cake. The recipe was from a book I have had for years but had never tried before. Although the recipe did not look complicated, I was aware it was going to be time-consuming since the apples had to be cooked in butter and making a sponge cake always takes more time than making a “normal” cake. Sponge cakes are cakes that do not call for baking powder or baking soda and the eggs in the batter are the only leavening. Although I had made sponge cakes before, I had never used the genoise technique (you can read more about it here http://www.joyofbaking.com/FoamCakesTechniques.html ) this recipe called for. I ventured to try it and well… it was interesting. Although I truly believe that I performed the technique correctly (and as a consequence my right arm was sore for a day from beating the egg mix), the batter never rose more than an inch. Based on other sponge cake recipes I have tried, I believe that the batter should be doubled. The recipe only called for three eggs, other sponge cake recipes call for at least six eggs.

Although my cake looked incredibly thin – even with its apple filling – it looked beautifull. The cooked apples on top gave the cake a very classic look. The cake, although somewhat flat, was very good. It let the flavor of the apples shine but at the same time, the bread had a good sweet vanilla taste. My friends and husband loved it. I would make this recipe again; however, I would double the ingredients for the batter and use the separate egg technique rather than the genoise method.

So readers, if you have some apples in your kitchen, try this recipe. The cake is not fancy but it’s an excellent way to celebrate the arrival of autumn.

Genoese Sponge with Apples

Adapted from Le  Cordon Bleu, Home Collection, Cakes

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 large apples, peeled, halved and cored

1 ½ tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

3 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ tablespoons butter – melted but cool

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the cake pan (grease, dust with flour and put it in the freezer).

2. Slice two of the apples into half rings. In a small skillet, gently melt the butter and vanilla together. Cook until brown and caramelized. Add the apple slices and cook over medium-heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside to cool.

3. Coarsely dice the third apple into small pieces. Add a little more butter to the skillet of butter and sugar residue and cook the apple pieces quickly to golden. Allow to cool.

4. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from the heat. Following the beating method (see below) combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl or the top insert of a double boiler. Place over the pan, without touching the water and beat until the mixture is light and has tripled in volume.

5. Remove the bowl from the water and continue to beat until the mixture is cold. Sift together the flour and cinnamon and fold in until barely blended, then drizzle in the cool melted butter and fold carefully to incorporate.

6. Arrange the cooled apple slices neatly overlapping in the base of the prepared pan.

7. Spoon half the mixture into the cake pan, sprinkle the diced apples over the top and spoon the remaining  cake mixture over it.

8. Bake for about 25-30 min. or until the top is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of the case. Cool for 5-10 min before turning out, then remove the paper. Serve warm.

Beating method

a. Put the eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl.

b. Place the bowl insert over a pan of hot water and beat using a balloon whisk or electric portable mixer until the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk is lifted.

c. Remove the bowl or insert from the pan and continue to beat until cold. Gently fold in the sifted ingredients until just combined. Do not over fold or you will lose the air that has been beaten into the mixture.

Birria - Mexican Lamb Stew

Fall is here. Summer was over too soon and now foggy, rainy and windy mornings are the norm. During this time of the year, I crave stews and soups. I find it very comforting to come home after a long day at work and start making a good soup or stew accompanied by a good piece of freshly baked bread. It warms me up and reminds me that winter will be here soon.

Birria is a type of lamb stew very popular in Mexico City. I decided to make this dish when we joined North Mountain Pastures (a local meat CSA) and received a chunk of organic lamb as part of our monthly share. As soon as I realized we had lamb in our share, I remembered eating Birria in Mexico City for dinner at a local restaurant when I was younger. I had not had it in over 10 years but could still remember the taste of it. When I told my husband about it, he was not very excited. Although he likes lamb, he thought it would be “too plain” because the stew did not call for any vegetables or grains. I still made it and he, being the good sport that he is, tried it… and loved it. Making Birria is very easy. You only have to make the sauce for the stew and let all the ingredients cook in a Dutch oven for approximately three hours. In fact, we let it simmer unsupervised – as in we went out to watch a college football game at the local bar – for about two hours. When we came back, the house smelled like the stew I used to eat when I was little. The next day I added garbanzo beans to the stew because most of the meat was gone. If you feel like this stew is “too simple” add garbanzo beans. It makes a very good pairing with the rest of the ingredients.

Birria used to be peasants’ food and as a result, it is beautifully simple. It is very different from American stews as it is not dense and it does not call for potatoes or carrots. It is in fact very light – I guess due to the fact that peasants did not have a lot of food available to them. But do not let the simplicity of this dish fool you. The broth itself has a very complex and spicy – but not hot – taste. It is made mainly from hot dried peppers that are easily found in your local grocery store. The lamb adds a gamey flavor to the broth. Birria allows the flavors of the dried peppers and the sweetness of the lamb to merge, creating a delectable stew that will keep you warm after eating it.

So if you like lamb and want to try something new, give Birria a try. My husband, who was hesitant about the dish, raved about it.

P.S. If you live in Central Pennsylvania, check North Mountain Pastures, a farm in Perry County, PA, that sells organic meat. In addition, they are committed to sustainable agriculture and treat their animals very humanly. Here is the link:  http://www.northmountainpastures.com/

Birria  
Adapted from Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook
By Susanna Palazuelos

Ingredients:
4 chiles guajillos
3 chiles anchos
1 cup hot water
2 lb boneless lean lamb or lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
12 cups water
6 garlic cloves
½ white onion
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. thyme
1 ½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Hot sauce, such as Valentina or Cholula

Garnishes:
3 limes
Chopped cilantro and onion

Directions:
1. On an iron skillet, toast the peppers, then remove the seeds and membranes. Soak the peppers in the hot water for about 20 minutes. Transfer the peppers and hot water to a blender and puree.

2. Place the lamb meat, water, garlic, and onion in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, skim the surface, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove and discard the onion and garlic. Add the pureed peppers, bay leaves, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper.

3. Cook for another 30 – 60 minutes so that the flavors blend.

4. Serve the stew in deep bowls. Add lime juice, hot sauce, onion and cilantro. Eat with warm corn tortillas.