Whatcha Cooking today?

[worth1]

Here is another surprising thing.
While listening to Spanish speakers you will sometimes hear words in English come out.
They just don't have a word for it that they would translate to Spanish.
A scissor lift is a scissor lift not elevador de tijera.
At least I've never heard it.

Then there are foods with names that come from the people that were there before the Spanish.
The Spanish picked up these names simply because they didn't have anything like it where they came from.
The tamal is but one of them.
This comes from nixtamal.
What the Aztec and others called it more or less.
They also have fried chicken in Mexico.
It's pollo frito and has nothing to do with Frito's corn chips.
Next would be some foods prepared in a certain manner.
Carne asada grilled meat but it is prepared in a certain way.
Carnitas little meats but also the dish.
Then people make the horrible mistake of calling Mexican food Spanish food.
They have practically nothing in common with each other.
On top of that people trying to be politically correct are actually not only insulting the people but also the tradition.
They want their food to be called Mexican food and nothing else because they are proud of their country and tradition.
Don't take away from it trying to be politically correct because its actually the opposite.

[worth1]

Pretty close to authentic Mexican enchiladas.
The corn tortillas were slathered in the salsa/sauce and fried in hot oil in a skillet then folded over.
That's it no filling or cheese.
Small test portion of the steak and eggs sunny side up.

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[karstopography]

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Dug up a few potatoes just now. They look good. We are going to mash them.

[pepperhead212]

Today was my Cinco de Mayo dinner, 3 days late over at a friend's house. I took some guacamole over, plus some shrimp in chipotle sauce - I made the sauce Saturday, to heat up, and cook the shrimp in today, to eat in corn tortillas. She made another taco filling, to add some vegetables to the meal, mixed with some chorizo, to make everyone eat it!
We had a few margaritas, too, but I had a small amount early, since I had to drive home.

[worth1]

I'm saving the other half of my steak to make chicken fried steak.
I ate half yesterday cooked over hot charcoal.
Along with a baked potato.

[worth1]

Tacos are on the menu with corn tortillas.
I took my very chunky pico de gallo and pulsed it in the food processor for a nice salsa cruda but more on the salsa fresca side.
Very tasty.
Usually I could eat the salsa as a meal by itself.
This is no exception because salsa fresca is my favorite salsa.

[worth1]

I'm adding some of the salsa I made and some of the red salsa/sauce I made to the remaining taco meat to put on spaghetti.
The two salsas will be cooked with the taco meat to make a nice spaghetti sauce.
Might even add a dash of soy sauce to boot.
By darn I think I will.

[karstopography]

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Pickled peppers and pickled green beans.

Mostly pepperocini peppers, but I won’t swear there aren’t some other types in there.
Super abundance of green beans demand more pickling. These have been a hit since I made a bunch last year. I still have a couple of jars from last season, but might as well make a few more.

[AKgardener]

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Well homemade sourdough bread!! I’ve had my starter for about a year still doing good

[worth1]

The great ancho chilie famin is over.
I finally came to the conclusion I had ran out.
I could have sworn i had some stashed away somewhere but to no avail they haven't turned up so I bought some more.
Very fresh and soft to.
I had enough spaghetti sauce leftover so I decided to rehydrate three ancho chilies to the sauce.
They're in the water as we speak.
The same water will have more spaghetti cooked in it.
I still can't believe I ran out of ancho chilies.

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[worth1]

OMG this is good.
You wouldn't even think the sauce is chilie based.
So flavorful.
I added some port wine to sweeten and thin it out a little.
The ancho really set it to a new level.
I also put in almost a whole head of fresh garlic in the blender with the ancho.
It was unbelievable before but even more so now.
I might add some clamato too.

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[worth1]

Arroz Tostado Loco.
Crazy toasted rice.
Basmati rice toasted in oil.
Other ingredients toasted are......
Cumin.
Mexican oregano.
Coriander.
Tomato bullion.
Garlic powder.
After the rice cooked awhile.
Jalapeños and hotlinks steamed on top of rice...
Hot links roasted in oven with jalapeños afterwards.
My leftover salsa from yesterday.

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[karstopography]

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Holy smokes, Batman! This was good. Fresh Carmello, Pineapple, Purple Boy, Sungold, and various cherry tomatoes, fresh garden Genovese basil, Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO, ancient, thick and aged Italian Balsamic vinegar, plus Texas Homemade venison sausage and DJ’s Delicious Boudin.

The fresh garden elements so complemented the smoky, rich links.

Yummo.

[worth1]

I had a fast cheap variation of steak au poivre.
The last of my prime sirloin cooked with the traditional black pepper pressed in and covered with garlic Alfredo sauce and more black pepper on top.

I wolfed it down as fast as I could chew and swallow.

[worth1]

The other day I bought one and one quarter pounds of shrimp.
Not for sure what I'm going to do but I also got some fresh habanero too.
I didn't think I would ever see the day shrimp was cheaper than the sorriest cuts of beef.
But it is.
To me except for rare occasions inside and outside skirt or flank steak is garbage meat that has caught on to make fajitas and carne asada.
Of which by the way is very good but to me not worth the almost 12 dollars a pound they are asking.
I just can't wrap my mind around this knowing what the difference in price was in the late 70's and early 80's.
So it's fish shrimp and whatever else I can learn to like and cook that is affordable.

[worth1]

I decided on something Rick Bayless concocted.
I didn't blanch the garlic and I added 3 rehydrated Morita peppers to the mix.
The sauce is amazing and I'll not only put it on some of the shrimp in a cast iron wok.
I'll use it for some TexMex beef and cheese enchiladas as well.
Had to run up to the Mexican market for the Chipotles in adobo sauce.
While there I got more cilantro red jalapeños and some roma tomatoes on sale.
There's also a chayote waiting in the isles to roast.

[worth1]

Maybe I should just start a chayote thread, I've become very fond of this vegetable that throughout life I've walked by and ignored.
Today with my continuing theme on Mexican food I decided to come up with one of my own.
Ya just gotta do that sometimes taking basic cooking skills and creating things out of thin air.
What I've done here is slathered the diced chayote in oil, salt and pepper.
Along with it are jalapeños and a habanero seeds removed in the habanero.
This is now in the oven roasting at 400F.
Once I'm happy with it I'll mix it in with an avocado for a dip.

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[worth1]

After about 30 minutes or so in the oven the last 2 or so on broil they are ready.
In a small container cooling off.
No need to hurry, it's all in the prep.
I taste tested one and the chayote alone is now very tasty.
They took on some heat of the habanero and savory from the salt and pepper.
Sweetness in the background for sure.
These particular jalapeños are not hot in my opinion and more like a spicy green bell pepper but costs less money per pound.
Yet another reason I keep super hots around.
I think the molcajete is coming back from vacation.

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[worth1]

And there ya go another way to use chayote.
After removing skin from peppers I crushed everything up in the molcajete with the juice of a fresh lime.
Other ingredients are....
One giant clove of fresh garlic ran through the garlic press.
Fruit fresh for color retention.
A whole avocado.
After tasting I had another fresh habanero waiting chopped no seeds to add.
Salt to taste.
I think thats all.
No it's not screaming hot trust me.
Vary flavorful too.
Off to the refrigerator to get cold.
Molcajete rinsed out and waiting for next task.

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[pepperhead212]

I was in almost the entire day, due to rain, and only got out to plant that okra, which would have been better in this, though the beans were good, too. And 1 lb less in the freezer! First time I've cooked this much for a while, though it didn't take that long really, and I have a lot of leftovers!

I made a pasta dish in the Instant Pot, with some barley, as well the pasta. It started with the usual onion sautéed in some olive oil, with some garlic added last, along with some marjoram, and a large amount of parsley (something added to my favorite ratatouille), 3/4 c pearl barley, a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, and some tomato paste, from some dried tomatoes. I also stirred in some soaked dried eggplant, before pressure cooking it 20 minutes, then let it release 15 minutes, then opened it. I adjusted the seasoning, adding a little sugar, due to the dried tomatoes. Did the other cooking in a wok, while that was going.
Paste made with dried tomatoes, an equivalent to 24 oz. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

This started as about 2c of parsley, from the hydroponics, before snipping it down to 2/3c.
About 2/3 c parsley, chopped down from about 2 c. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Ham, browned before adding bell pepper, and cooking about 5 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Browned cremini, ready to combine with the ham, peppers, and beans, to add to the tomato sauce. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I stirred this basil in at the very end, chopped up, and actually needed a little more, and got about 1/4 as much more.
Generous amount of basil, from the hydroponics. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Ditalini, ready to stir into the cooked tomato sauce, to pressure cook 4 minutes, then release quickly. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Beans, ham, mushrooms, and bell peppers, ready to add the sauce and pasta to. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished pasta dish. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Pasta, with a little grated pecorino on it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr