I’m a lucky girl; I have a pretty cool day job. When they’re not making me work for my money, I get the opportunity to accrue travel miles. Imagine my delight when I found out I was Argentina-bound. As The Hubbz’ new t-shirt says ‘Buenos F*ckn Aires’. Yeah, baby!
I have often dreamt of visiting this city and getting lost in its architectural beauty. The dream didn’t include spending hours upon hours locked up in a basement attending a conference, but hey. I’m a clever girl, I found ways to sneak away and play a little.
As I share some of the pictures with you, let me tell you my impressions of Buenos Aires. The layout and architecture reminded me of 2 of my favorite European cities: Madrid and Paris. It especially reminded me of Paris, buildings so ornate and fancy looking. Incredibly wide thoroughfares dissected by tiny-cobbled streets. Plazas at every turn. Locals casually, yet elegantly clad.
I think I’ve mentioned my love of Paris, well Buenos Aires felt to me much the same, but better because I was surrounded by fellow Spanish speakers. There is just something that makes my heart sing when I’m surrounded by Latinos. The guys were GORGEOUS, there are some seriously good genes running through those veins. I hadn’t even made it out of the airport before I was texting my single friends to book their next vacation to Bs. As. Seriously. It didn’t matter what age they were, young teens to old men in their 70s, they looked GOOD! Then they start talking and swoon over their accent. Sigh.
I have often heard that Argentines are stuck up, as a matter of fact, they’re referred to as the French of South America. I’m here to tell you that I didn’t have an unpleasant exchange with a single person in Paris or in Buenos Aires. There was a dismissive waiter at the first cafe I stopped at for lunch, but even the local sitting next to me found him to be a pill. It really was no biggie, though. OK, I tend to limit my advice tidbits to the kitchen, but let me share this little travel nugget: when you go to another country, think of it as going to someone else’s home.
My new bestie!
If you invited yourself to someone’s home, you would go out of your way to be gracious, unimposing and to appreciate their customs and traditions, even if they didn’t resonate with yours. You would respect their space and find enjoyment in their way of living. It’s the same with travel, once you let go of the mentality of the way things are supposed to be, which is probably based on American standards, and open up to the way things are in this new, undiscovered place, I promise you the locals will welcome you with open arms and hearts and your visit will be unforgettable. Trust me on that.
Anyway, no more talking or typing, for more shots, follow this link. It will take you directly to the photostream. It seemed every time I spoke to an Argentinean and thanked them for their help, they had this little reply which I need to commit to memory:
Me: Muchas gracias (thanks so much)
Them: No, por favor! (no, please!)
As if to say ‘it was MY pleasure to help you’, ‘really, don’t mention it’. I will take that with me and make it a part of my repertoire.
Still crying for more Argentina,
Anamaris
The Hubbz hates the use of the word ‘juxtapose’, he says it has become all trendy and overused. I laugh every time I hear the word and look at the disgust on his face as he rolls his little blue eyes. That said, this dish is a perfect juxtaposition of flavors. Creamy, tart, spicy, hot, and a cooling sweetness. Perfect! Just pair it with a Margarita and you have the makings of an excellent 5 de mayo celebration.
Puerco en Salsa Verde (pork in green sauce) is a very popular Mexican dish that marries chiles and tomatillos with pork meat, usually the shoulder. You’ll find a few variations, with or without corn and at various degrees of heat = picante. One element that is always present, is that zingy tang of the tomatillos.
To contrast, or juxtapose, the tang, I added a radish and red pepper raita–of sorts. Raita is an Indian or Pakistani sauce or condiment, usually prepared with yogurt, cucumbers and various herbs. My version, with a Latin flavor, used crema fresca instead of the yogurt and some colorful Easter radishes and red peppers. This made for a deliciously fresh, cool and ever so slightly sweet topping for the tomatillo and chile sauce. It is juxtaposition perfection and tastes GOOD!
Pork in Green Sauce with Radish and Crema Fresca Raita
For the pork:
1 lb pork shoulder or butt, cubed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, whole
6-8 tomatillos
1-2 serrano peppers (to taste)
1 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cp onion, chopped
2 cps fresh corn, shucked
1/2 cp cilantro, chopped
I like roasting tomatillos, this intensifies their flavors and brings out more rounded aspects of the fruit. Spread them on a baking sheet with the onion slices, serranos and garlic cloves, and broil them for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them as they brown.
Once browned, dump the whole thing (there will be plenty of juices from the tomatillos) into a blender vessel and puree with the cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Set aside.
In the meantime, season the pork with salt & pepper; in a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and then brown the pork pieces. Remove the excess fat from the pan, leaving enough to saute the extra cup of onions. Once the onions become translucent, add the pork, followed by the pureed tomatillo & pepper sauce.
If necessary, add enough water to ensure there’s enough liquid to cover the pork. Once it comes to a boil, bring the temperature to low, just so it is slowly simmering. Put a lid over it and allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the pork is tender.
Once the pork is fork tender, add the corn and cilantro, check the seasoning and adjust as necessary. Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes or so, just long enough for the corn to soften. To serve, top with some radish raita and enjoy!
For the Radish and Red Pepper Raita
1 cp radishes, julienned
1/4 cp red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cp crema fresca (creme fraiche)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
Combine all the ingredients and keep cool until ready to serve.
Where’s my Margarita?!!
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
My dear friend Norma from Platanos, Mangoes & Me–the kidnapped blog, sent me this message and I thought I would share it with you guys. I’m sure it’s made it’s way around the great big wide web, but I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to send you the warm and fuzzies. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
THIS IS A VERY TOUCHING STORY, VERY HARD TO READ, ABOUT TWO BROTHERS WHO WERE SEPARATED AT BIRTH. IT’S A STORY OF LIFE & DEATH, AND THE CRUEL TWIST OF FATE.
IT’S CERTAIN TO STIR YOUR HEART AND TOUCH YOUR SOUL.
THIS EMAIL IS ONE I COULD NOT ERASE BEFORE SHARING WITH MY FRIENDS.
Please read on.
HAPPY EASTER!
Even though Mexican food is readily available in Houston, that doesn’t mean you get good tamales. For years I enjoyed the Rolls Royce of tamales, but most restaurants here serve tamales that are closer to a Yugo. My ex-mother-in-law made the best tamales I’ve eaten to date. She made them every year and would give each of her sons a few dozens to enjoy. I cherished those days, they only came around once or twice a year, so I had a lot of time to think and dream about them. Alicia was a generous woman, but she kept her method and recipe for tamales very close to the vest. Fast forward some 15 years, you’ll find me trying my hand at recreating the coveted tamales.
Off to the interworld I went looking for recipes and tips. I found lots and lots of them, all calling for chili powder as seasoning. For some reason, I can’t picture my mother in law dumping chili powder to season her pork or chicken. So, I’m going to make this up as I go, combine some of the ingredients I saw her utilize in other dishes and see what happens. It all begins with the chilies. I used 3 different dried chiles:
- Chile Ancho is pretty mild by comparison to other dried peppers, it has a smoky fruity flavor. This isn’t surprising when you realize that Anchos are dried red poblano peppers.
- Chile Guajillo also a mildly flavored chile, that seems to bring out the best in its companions. Fruity, but with sweeter undertones than other peppers. Interestingly, guajillos are also used to make Harissa paste, a condiment popular in North African dishes.
- Chile Pasilla are very dark and wrinkled like a raisin, they’re also pretty mild heat & fruity.
I used all three chilies a few different ways. First, to braise the pork and chicken. Yes. I made 2 different types of tamales, I had to. Both meats were cooked separately and slowly with onions, garlic, cumin, cilantro and 1 or 2 of each chili. I made sure to add plenty of water for braising, because that very broth flavors the masa later. Once the meat is fork tender, I allowed it cool before shredding.
I also made additional chili sauce. One thing I remember about Alicia’s tamales, is that the dough was always very flavorful and colorful. For the chili sauce, I cooked the same aromatics: cilantro, chilies, onions, garlic, cumin and added tomatoes. Once everything had softened, I pureed and seasoned the sauce.
Now let’s talk about the masa. I opted to use premixed masa instead of starting off with the dry corn stuff. But first I made lard. Yep, there’s a LOT of lard in tamales. The lard helps flavor the masa and makes it lighter, fluffier. So, I got some pork fat trimmings and rendered that fat down.
Before combining the lard and masa, I beat the lard until it was fluffy and added salt, pepper and pinch of cumin. I then worked the masa in and worked on its consistency by adding chile sauce and broth until it was about the consistency of softened ice cream.
The tamales are cooked in corn husks, these are sold in packs and need to be rehydrated before use. Once they are pliable again, you can begin the exciting task of stuffing or making the tamales. Its not a difficult process, but it is a tedious one, which is probably why it is customary to have a few friends or family members pitch in at this point.
Once your tamales are stuffed, you can stack’em into a steamer pan. I took a vegetable steamer and placed it at the bottom of the pan, built a few layers with empty corn husks, this prevents the water from seeping through and ruining the tamales at the bottom and it also add to the flavor of finished tamales.
After about 40 minutes, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked, delicious tamales. Look at that gorgeous baby.
I also made some salsa and we sprinkled some queso fresco on top. I’m not offering a recipe here, I really kept adding and tasting things until they were right. I will say these weren’t quite Rolls Royce tamales, but I think I made it to Benz status.
There are lots more pictures, you can see them here.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Just before Xmas one of my recipes was chosen by the folks at Marx Foods as their favorite use of cured Mangalitsa ham. To my surprise, they sent me more Mangalitsa goodness! Only, this time, it was a fresh, not cured, piece of meat. A neck roll, to be precise. This was a gift from Marx Foods and Heath Putnam Farms (they raise the piggies).
After some research, I learned that this cut is known as Secreto (secret) in Spain because it is the butchers’ best kept secret and I can understand why they keep this cut to themselves. Per Heath, this cut is known as pork collar or coppa and it is all the rage at the fancy eateries these days. He suggested preparing the roll in a couple different ways. First, I should slice a few pieces and sear them in a pan, then roast the rest. I listened and took his advice to heart; boy am I glad I did.
Since it arrived just around the holidays, my intention was to prepare and share with you another dish rooted in my Panamanian heritage , but, alas! I was so busy towards the end of the year, I never got around to posting it, though I did cook and eat it. Oh yes we did! I kept thinking about lomo relleno (stuffed loin), which is a dish typically served around the holidays. It can be beef or pork loin and it is generally stuffed with carrots, olives, raisins and many variations after that. Let’s talk pig!
Stuffed Mangalitsa Pork Collar
I wanted to make sure the meat itself was seasoned, so I made a nice rub for it. I combined Spanish paprika, pureed garlic, sea salt and black pepper with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and rubbed onto the pork collar, allowing it to marinate for a few hours.
For the stuffing I chopped and rendered the fat out of some bacon, then cooked in some chopped onions, garlic, cilantro and prunes. I did allow this to cool completely before stuffing the pork. I didn’t go fancy butterflying route, instead, I simply sliced the pork collar, just shy of about an inch from the opposite end and piled it with the stuffing*.
A little twine helped keep everything even and in place for searing and roasting. You can opt-out of pan searing and simply cook it at 450° for the first 15 minutes, then lowering the temperature to 300° for the remainder of the roasting time.
I placed it on a roasting rack with some carrots, onions and garlic strewn about the bottom of the pan. This was a 4-lb piece of meat an it roasted for about 3 hours or so, until the thermometer read 145°. I then removed it from the oven and allowed it to rest for about 15 minutes covered with foil. Believe me, we had a REALLY tough time staying away from it that long.
*Following Heath’s suggestion, and to keep us at bay while this baby roasted, I sliced off a few pieces of the collar before I made the cut for the stuffing. I heated a saute pan and added just a dab of olive oil and seared those little collar cutlets, they were about 1/2-inch thick and cooked for 2 minutes or so on each side, we still wanted them to be pink. That’s how we like our piggy. And…Oh.eM.Gee!!! We thought we’d died and gone to heaven.
Let me just try to explain something about Mangalitsa pork. It is obnoxiously delicious! I mean, I just know those little pigs trot around the pen mocking the other pigs and telling them how much better tasting they are. And you know what? THEY ARE!!! The Hubbz said this was better than beef tenderloin, yep. THAT good. The fat in the Mangalitsa is almost creamy buttery. And the meat has a slight gamey sweetness to it. I don’t know what to say or think about it, all I know is this is some really good sh#t!
Back to the roast. Once it rested and all the juices had redistributed around, we snipped off the twine and began slicing the roast.
Undoubtedly, the prunes added a delicious sweetness to the meat, just a hint, don’t worry. We feasted on this roast for a couple of days. By the time we were down to just a few bits and ends, I pan fried them to get a bit of a crust on the meat and used it to topped toasts points that had been toasted with olive oil and gotten a light spread of a fig & olive tapennade. JOOOOOOOOOYYYYY!!!! Sorry, no pictures of that madness.
I will admit that we are completely in love with Mangalitsa and with the Secreto cut. I also have to admit this will be one of those things we purchase once a year for VERY special occasions, but purchase it we will! I’d like to thank Marx Foods and Heath Putnam Farms again for such a generous and DELICIOUS treat. You can see all the porky shots here.
Mangalitsa longingly yours,
Anamaris
The beginning of a year brings with it resolutions, promises, contracts, lists and lists. I don’t usually do the resolution thing, but I’ve been thinking about shaking things up, making myself a bit uncomfortable. Here are some thoughts:
The Personal Front
- Slow it down and reconnect with friends and family
- Move. Physically move and increase my activity level
- Help my puppy with her doggy manners
- Organize (purge) the kitchen
- Take non-food pictures every month
- Read… like books
- Have a set volunteering schedule
The Blogging Stuff
- Move Chef It Yourself to www.chefityourself.com
- Redefine my blog’s direction/purpose
- Figure out the SEO and social media stuff (it’s a jungle out there)
- Improve photography skills
- Foodie networking
- Interview/introduce new bloggers I like
- Restaurant reviews
In the spirit of slowing it down, I’m stopping there. How about you? What big plans do you have in store for the new year? I would also love to hear from you; any suggestions you may have regarding changes or improvements to this little blog would be greatly appreciated.
For now, I wish you every happiness and fun and love and good food you can hold in your outstretched arms. Rock 2011!
Anamaris
The last post was a word-free one. This one…, sorta. Twelve months, twelve dishes. Check it.
January: Those asparagus rolls were very popular, but this one, this was crazy good: Shrimp & Grits.
February: Lots of desserts that month, of course I would pick these. They’re good and pretty. Pretty and good, damn good and pretty. Pears with Bleu Cheese.
March: There was a LOT of food this month, a huge Foodbuzz event for me, that’s probably what led me to drinking. Have a Lemon Drop.
April: Tropical fruits and peeling a mango.
May: I made up dishes with pickles. Pickle & Onion Ravioli.
June: Sometimes you just want some dessert, have some Tres Leches.
July: There was pastry and beef. El Burek-o.
August: My Latina side finally kicked in, Fish al Ajillo, nena!
September: means there’s a lot of grilling still going on if you live in Houston, best Pasta Salad evahh!
October: A close look at foods in Panama. Memories and still trying to figure things out.
November: I shared my yuca-ddiction… Enyucado.
December: I went for the comfort foods. Maczetti!
These are some of my favorite dishes for 2010, here’s wishing you and yours a lot of goodness in the new year.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
I’ve been slow around these parts, the year end has blasted through and left me completely depleted. I apologize for the lapses, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that I need to take some time to show myself some TLC. I will keep you posted, though.
Let me share some good news with you, though. A few months ago, Thas over at Cooking with Thasneen invited me to share one of my favorite recipes for the year. Chacko’s Kitchen, a blog by Susan and Abraham, was putting together a list of the 30 Best Recipes of 2010. So I sent them my Asparagus Roll and my little recipe was selected! You should definitely check out the other 29 recipes, there’s a lot of yummy food on there.
The other fun thing happened with your input. Thanks for helping me pick another great recipe for the year. The results were close, but in the end you voted for those scrumptious Tamarind Ribs and that shall be the recipe I submit to Nancy’s blog for her countdown. That list will be up in a few days and I’ll give you the heads up when it is.
Speaking of best of roundups, stay tuned for some more.
Enjoy your holidays!
I have to admit, I’m pooped. I’ve overdone it yet again. I went cruh-ah-zee with it all and I’m now feeling like cartoon characters probably do when they go splat against the wall.
I literally haven’t stopped since I got back from Panama and the funeral. I hit it hard at work and on the blog, hurling myself at every possible distraction and project that would keep me moving. I’m like a shark right now, constantly on the move, never resting, always on to the next thing. I don’t want this to be a woe is me post, I’m just trying to say I think I will slow it down a bit for the next few weeks. There will be posting, no worries, but I’m probably gonna mix it up a bit with new and old-er posts.
So what’s on the menu today? Well, you’re probably getting ready for the holidays. For most people that means lots of shopping, for me, its food and menu planning. What can I say, I love my food. So, I’m going to point you to a couple of old posts. Both of these showcase dishes that are ALWAYS present on a Panamanian holiday table. They also happen to be 2 of my absolute favorites. Ready?
There is Arroz con Pollo. There always is Arroz con Pollo, I think it may be a law, one I will happily and faithfully abide by. When you see arroz con pollo on your plate, you know that the beautiful bright yellow rice is having a party of flavors with the chicken and the raisins and the olives and the capers and… The rice is having a really good time, trust me. Click the link for the recipe and you can see the full photostream here.
Then there will be Tamales. Whether they’re filled with chicken, pork, seafood or a combination of all of those, you will find these at your Tia’s table. I love these so much, I need to make another batch. You can too, just click this link for the recipe, the food shots are here.
What is always present on your holiday table?
Foreword: You have to read this using voices for the different characters and narrator. Trust me. You just do.
Once upon a time in a land called Foodietown, there was a foodie called Chefoodie, she was looking for love, I mean, inspiration in all the wrong places. Chefoodie wandered through the world, also known as the world-wide web, searching for the love of a lifetime: new and exciting ingredients.
One day Chefoodie’s messenger (i.e. Inbox) came bearing grand news. She had been selected to join the Foodie Fairy and participate in a great adventure in a far away land known as Marxland (that’s on the interweb again). Chefoodie was happy as a clam, or a Mangalitsa ham, to hear of this great honor. To add to her merriment, the Foodie Fairy had also sent a magic wand that would grant the same honor to two deserving citizens of Foodietown.
Overjoyed, Chefoodie pranced around Foodietown sharing the amazing news and all her fellow foodies joined in the prancing about. Then Curiousoodie asked ‘who will you choose?’. Chefoodie was troubled, because she knew she couldn’t pick just two. Then Wiseoodie said, ‘let the Wizard Random.org do the picking.’ Chefoodie thanked Wiseoodie and was merry again. And a few days later Chefoodie and two foodies chosen by the wizard went on to the great adventure in Marxland and lived happily ever after. At least until the next contest.
The End.
Not quite the end. I got a bit goofy, but hey, I’m super excited! So, here’s the 
whats. The awesome Marx people are having a party or contest and they’re inviting us. There are stockings being filled, goodies being shipped and recipes being imagined. And, as luck would have it, I get to hand out 2 stockings to one of you.
My friends at Marx Foods have their own set of participation rules, I’m going to mix it up a bit. However, you will still have to participate in the recipe challenge planned for January and submit a recipe according to their rules (tbd).
What do you need to do now?
Leave a comment here telling us:
- Which one of the ingredients listed below you’d like to see in your stocking; and
- What naughty things you plan to do with said ingredient.
aged balsamic vinegar, natural truffle oil, fennel pollen, bourbon vanilla beans or saffron threads
Answer the questions by noon (CST) on Wednesday, December 15th. You may submit several comments, but they must be for different ingredients each time. I will then visit the wizard and announce 2 lucky foodies who will then receive the selected ingredient and stocking from Marx Foods.
PS: Sorry, you must reside within the contiguous United States.
Fairy Godmotherly yours,
Anamaris
