Tepache

Homemade hooch. About 5% alcohol.

By Cookbad

Tepache is a slightly boozy drink made from mashed up pineapple, skin and all that is left to ferment for 5 days and according to Wikipedia, Tepache is commonly made by inmates in Mexican prison.

This is my first foray into Mexican Prison cuisine, so I'm excited.

This is how I made mine, which is based on Diana Kennedy's version:

Tepache 1 very ripe pineapple (about a 2 pounder) a handful of cinnamon bark, crushed up about 2 inches of ginger, sliced to coins then slightly crushed 10 cups of cold water 1 cup sucanat or brown sugar 1 can of light beer Chop up and then crush up the pineapple into a container large enough to hold all the ingredients. Cover with 8 cups of water. Add cinnamon and ginger. Cover and set in a warm place for 3 days. On the 3rd or 4th day put 1.5 cups of water and the sugar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer until sugar is melted. Let this cool off then add to the fermented pineapple along with the beer. Stir, cover and leave for another day or 2. Strain, strain again and then finally, stain thru cheese cloth. Serve very cold.

You could make it just with the rinds of the pineapple. A nice thing to know if you hate to waste any part of whatever you are preparing.

With all my booze projects I like to take a picture of the lucky person who first gets to taste whatever I have left to ferment. This time the picture as pretty tame, as the tepache was, surprisingly not bad at all.

"It tastes like I'm drinking something I shouldn't" was his first reaction, but he went of to finish the mug.

I have to admit that we tried it only after the beer ran out, and we were slightly past the point of being able to go get more, so we were really wanting to like it.

We didn't drink that much of it, so I cannot report on hangover severity.

UPDATE: I drank all of it over a 4 hour period of time. Adding fresh lime juice made it taste really good. Adding rum to it makes it taste good and will get you drunk. Very mild if any hangover.

Tortilla Soup

1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 large tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
4tbsp olive oil
1 litre/1&3/4 pints chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6x1day old tortillas
Oil for shallow frying
2 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and chopped
To Serve:
Chopped avocado
Sour cream
Lime wedges

Put the onion chunks, tomatoes, and garlic cloves in a baking dish and roast in a preheated oven at 180/350 for 15-20 min, until the vegetables are soft and the tomato skins are beginning to look black and charred. Skin the tomatoes and puree with onions and garlic in a blender or food processor.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil and sauté the puree mixture for a few minutes. Simmer until it is thick and reduced. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes.
Cut the tortillas into thin strips and shallow fry in some oil until golden brown. Drain on some absorbent kitchen paper and then add to the soup. Simmer gently for a further 5 min.
Fry the chillies in the remaining oil in a small frying pan until crisp. Serve the soup garnished with the fried chilli, some of the chopped avocado, sour cream and lime wedges.

This was from a book called Essential Mexican Cookery . This is a good basic beginner book for Mexican cooking. The recipes don’t call for any ingredients that are terribly hard to find, and I get the feeling that it is more of an overview of Mexican cooking. If you’ve never tried Mexican cooking before, this book is definitely non-threatening. Also, I have really enjoyed the dishes I’ve made from it. I don’t know if they are the most authentic or not, but they have been consistently tasty.

This soup was lovely. The crispy bits of tortilla soak up all the soup and make it feel really hearty, and the roasting of the vegetables gives it a wonderful depth of flavor. I totally loved this. I had tortilla soup in a restaurant once and it was more of a clear broth type soup, where as this is more of a thick hearty one. I think both work for me.

Mexican Empanadas

Salty/Sweet and wrapped in dough. What could possibly be bad?



250g/8oz Flour
1/4 tsp salt
6tbsp lard, diced (I used Trex (Crisco) instead)
4tbsp butter
6-8tbsp iced water
beaten egg for glaze
sesame seeds

for the filling:
1&1/2 tbsp oil
75g/3oz chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g/8oz Pork fillet, diced (I used mince)
175g/6oz, firmly packed grated sweet potato
4 juicy prunes, stoned
125ml/4oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1tbsp tomato paste
2tsp chili powder
slat




Heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic till soft. Add pork and cook stirring till it is lightly browned, add in all the other filling ingredients and continue cooking till the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and cool.

Put the flour salt and fats in the food processor, and process till it resembles bread crumbs. Add enough iced water to make a soft dough, shape into a ball and chill for 20-30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll them out to 6 inch rounds. Put one eighth of the filling in each one, dampen the edges and fold over to make half moon shapes. Press the edges and crimp with a fork. Place on a greased sheet, brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 190c/375f for 35-40 minutes

Another from the book "Essential Mexican Cookery", which I found at a car boot sale (yard sale) for about 50 cents. This was the best 50 cents I think I ever spent.

This is very different from the Spanish Empanada that I made some weeks ago. That one was one massive pie, where as these are nice small individual ones (kids love small individual anything). Also this was a much more simple pastry dough, and obviously a very different kind of filling. This one was so super easy to make, and in the end, my husband said he liked it better.

I have to admit, it was totally spot on (though I still love the Spanish one too). The filling had the salty sweet combo that I am so fond of. The pineapple juice and sweet potato were well balanced by the chili powder. It had the nicest kick to it. The sesame seeds too, really good touch, don’t skip them.

These are also a fun group cooking activity. Unfortunately my son was in the throws of a tantrum at the time, so he missed out on helping, but my mom (who is here visiting right now) made some very nice ones!

Super fun, extra good, all around fabulous recipe!!

Crab Meat Enchiladas and Guacamole

Guacamole
2 large ripe avocados
3tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 garlic cloves crushed
40g/1.5oz chopped spring onions
1-2 tbsp chopped mild green chilies, or jalapenos
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
salt and black pepper
125g/4oz Skinned, seeded and chopped tomatoes

Cut the avocados in half and carefully remove the peel and stones. Scoop out the flesh and sprinkle with a little of the lemon or lime juice to stop it from discoloring.
Coarsely mash the avocado with the remaining lemon or lime juice. Add everything else and mix well, then cover and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

Enchiladas De Jaiba (crab stuffed tortillas)
Oil for shallow frying
12 soft corn tortillas
450ml/3/4 pint red chili sauce (recipe below)
500g/1lb crab meat
250g/8oz grated cheddar cheese
125g/4oz diced mozzarella cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Heat the oil in a large shallow pan and shallow fry the tortillas one at a time over moderate heat for a few seconds until they become limp. Do not overcook them or they will crisp. (I actually skipped this part)
Pat tortillas with absorbent paper towels, then spread each one with some chili sauce (below). Put some crab meat down the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle some of the cheeses on top (making sure you are reserving some for the top). Add some chopped red onion, roll up the tortillas and place them in a buttered oven proof dish.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle over with the remaining cheese and bake at 200c/400f for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole

Salsa Roja (red chili sauce)
5 small dried chilies, crumbled
3tbsp boiling water
425g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes
4tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1.5 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Place chilies and boiling water in a food processor. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice. Add the chopped tomatoes to the processor and blend until smooth. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in all other ingredients and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

These are from a book called Essential Mexican Cookery. It doesn’t seem to have an author, but it is published by Chancellor Press. I found this book at a car boot sale (like a yard sale), for 50p. Excellent! It has already earned back it’s price and then some.

These were really good, and also really easy to make. I didn’t fry the tortillas, and I really don’t think they were any worse off for it. I also made the last two with just cheese, no crab no onion for the boys. My older son, who is going through a seriously picky eating phase, ate his whole plate, and tried to wrestle away his brothers too. That is really saying a lot.

The Guacamole was really good too. This one is a definite keeper, and I’m absolutely going to try more stuff from this book.

Mexican Albondigas Soup

Don't let my bad picture fool you, this is actually good stuff.



For the meatballs:
1tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
1tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the soup
2tbsp olive oil
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 large leek, white and light green parts, rinsed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup) or 1 cup diced yellow onion
1tbsp minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes with their juices
10 cups chicken stock
1tsp chili powder
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Make the meatballs
Heat the oil and add the onions and cook till soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, thyme and oregano, and cook 2-3 minutes.
Place the egg and cream in a small bowl and whisk till combined, add the breadcrumbs and stir.
Place beef in a medium sized bowl, add the onion mix, and the egg mix, and the salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Form into 1 inch meatballs , and place them on a platter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
Make the soup
Heat the oil, add the carrots and leek and cook till soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapenos and cook about 2 minutes
Add the tomatoes, stock, and chili powder, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the meatballs and adjust to a gentle simmer, 8-10 minutes till the meatballs are cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped cilantro


This soup is from Food to Live By.

Have you ever had something that grew on you, while you were eating it? This was one of those things. When I started, I thought, "hmm, this is ok", then it just kept getting better and better, until my husband and I wound up eating extra helpings. The meatballs had this really great creamy-ness to them, and the broth had a real kick to it.

I didn't bother giving the boys any of the broth, but my youngest liked the meatballs, they are a good size for tiny hands.

We decided in the end that this recipe is a keeper.

Squash Seed Dip

recipe # 125

This is a modified version of Diana Kennedy's Pumpkin seed dip recipe or sikil-p'ak which you can find here.
Squash Seed Dip
Yield: 6 Servings
1 c. raw squash seeds
¼ c. cashews
1 Chile habanero; or any fresh hot green chile, wiped clean
2 md tomatoes; broiled
1 ½ ts Salt; or to taste
2 tb (heaping) chopped coriander leaves
1/4 c. grilled and chopped onions
⅔ c beef, chicken or veg. broth
Tortilla chips and maybe sour cream

MAKES 1.5 CUPS Heat a thick frying pan or comal and toast the seeds, turning them constantly, until the hulls are well browned and crisp (some types of seeds will start to pop open).

Add cashews and toast for one minute more. Set them aside to cool off.

Meanwhile, toast the chile, turning it from time to time until it is blistered and black-brown in spots.

Using an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind the toasted seeds, together with the salt to a coarse powder. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

In a food processor blend the tomatoes briefly with 1/3 cup of the stock. Add the ground seeds, together with the coriander, chopped onions, and whole chile ( if you prefer a more picante dish, blend the chile with the tomatoes before mixing them with the seeds).

Serve it at room temperature, as a dip. The mixture should have the consistency of mayonnaise. If it is too thick, you may have to add a little more broth to dilute it.


It looks like cat food, doesn't it? It tastes pretty good. It has a nice slow heat and it is great with beer. I think that a dollop of sour cream wouldn't hurt either. Switching out almonds for cashews would be good too.

Anyway, it is a nice thing to do with your squash seeds or a good alternative to just plain old toasted pumpkins seeds.

tags technorati : mexican food, dip, snacks

Smut Quesadilla and Tortilla Soup

corn smut

recipe # 119 & 120

I was in Mexico City the first time I heard of huitlacoche. There was a huitlacoche caesar salad on the menu and after learning what huitlacoche was, I decided that I wasn't ready for it.

That was 10 years ago when I was a much more pedestrian eater. Now I am. So I found some in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was in a Goya can. I was with my sister, who told me that even from a can it was pretty good.

As my sister pointed out to me, huitlacoche (also known as corn smut and the corn mushroom) is INFECTED corn, not rotten corn. Nice to know. I love rotten. But infected. . .

As my sister suggested, I made quesadillas with it:
Smut Quesadillas
a bunch of corn tortillas
a can of huitlacoche
oaxacan string cheese or montery jack cheese
onions
avocados
cilantro

make a quesadilla with any combination of those ingredients. Add a squeeze of fresh lime, sour cream and some salt.

And I made tortilla soup (one of my very favortie soups) to go with it.

Tortilla Soup
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles - 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.)
4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

1 If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

2 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

3 To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

I got that recipe from here.

Serves 4.

The soup was fine. Not great. I have had it 10 times better.

The smut was not so great.

Strike one was that it was from a can.
Strike two was that it didn't taste great like so many people told me it did.
Strike three is that it looked like sludge. I was hoping for the huge engourged pieces of corn that looked like fat ticks. None of that. Just sludge.

I am going to try this again, but not until I find some fresh. Maybe in LA.

tags technorati : mexican food, odd food, soup

mad good

recipe #79 and 80

Cemitas de Carne Enchilada

For chile-marinated pork
6 dried guajillo chiles
1 dried ancho chile
4 thin (1/2-inch) rib pork chops (1 lb total), bones discarded
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 whole clove
1 (1/2- by 1/4-inch) piece cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, quartered
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For sandwiches
4 Mexican cemita rolls
2 ripe California avocados
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
6 oz Oaxacan string cheese
4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (optional), finely chopped
1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced crosswise

Prepare chiles and pork:
Discard chile stems and cut guajillo and ancho chiles open lengthwise with kitchen shears. Discard seeds and ribs.

Heat a dry 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet or griddle over moderate heat until hot, then toast chiles, a few at a time, turning and pressing down with tongs, until softened and fragrant, about 10 seconds per side.

Transfer chiles to a bowl, then cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 20 minutes.

Flatten pork while chiles soak:
Trim fat and sinews from pork and pound between 2 sheets of wax paper with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until meat is about 1/8 inch thick.

Marinate pork:
Heat skillet over low heat until hot then toast cumin, peppercorns, clove, and cinnamon, stirring constantly, until fragrant and cumin is a shade darker, about 1 minute. Transfer hot spices to a blender and add vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and soaked chiles with about 1/3 cup soaking water, then blend until smooth. Transfer half of chile paste to an airtight container and chill or freeze for another use, then put remainder in a small bowl.

Spread a thin layer of chile paste in middle of a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to wrap all of meat and put 1 pork chop over paste. Spread a thin layer of chile paste on top, then continue layering meat, spreading each piece with chile paste. Wrap stacked pork in plastic wrap and marinate, chilled, at least 2 hours.

Cook pork and assemble sandwiches:
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Season pork chops with salt and sauté, in batches, adding more oil as necessary, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer chops as cooked to a sheet of foil and keep warm wrapped in foil.

Preheat broiler. Cut rolls in half horizontally and arrange, cut sides up, on a large baking sheet. Broil buns about 6 inches from heat until golden, about 1 minute.

Halve, pit, and lightly mash avocados in peel with a fork, then spread thickly on cut sides of rolls. Season avocado with salt, then top with papalo. Make sandwiches with pork, cheese, chipotles (if using), onion, and tomato, pressing sandwiches together.

Cooks' note:
Pork can be marinated up to 2 days.

This looks very long and intricate, but it isn't too bad and the chilie sauce can be used for so many other things. It is a great sandwich. I loved it.

I looked pretty hard for the cemita rolls (well, not that hard really) and never found them, so I used a brioche instead. goooood.

For the plantians, which I never made before I put them in the brunch sandwich, You just slice up very ripe ones and fry them in oil. Add salt. Serve with lime wedge and sour cream.

Hominy is the new black

DISH 21 and 22

Hominy is so good and goes with everything, just like black. I would wear it I love it so much. I came across this recipe for a chicken, hominy hominy and sweet potato stew and it looked like something that I could make with all local produce (minus the hominy). It also called for bottled taco sauce. . . please. So I made salsa verde and used that in the recipe as well as poured it on over the stew when I served it. I never have prepared tomatillos (the main ingredient in salsa verde) before.Here is the recipe for:

Salsa Verde
2 large fresh Anaheim chilies
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
white onions, chopped
1 large serrano chili, stemmed, seeded
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup (firmly packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon whipping cream

Char Anaheim chilies directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop chilies.

Combine tomatillos, broth, onions, serrano chili, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender. Add Anaheim chilies, cilantro, and cream. Puree until smooth. Season salsa with salt and pepper.
Makes about 2 cups.

It is great. I'm going to try it with my huevos rancheros recipe, and on eggs and with chips and in a car and in a bar and. . .

Here is the recipe for:

Hominy, Sweet Potato and Chicken Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinned chicken thighs and drumsticks
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2-ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes or cored and peeled fresh tomatoes
1 large 8- to 10-ounce) yam, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 15-ounce can golden hominy, drained

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add stewed tomatoes, yam, chilis, broth, 6 tablespoons cilantro and salsa verde. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is just tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Add hominy to skillet and boil until yam is tender and juices are reduced to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken and any collected juices to skillet. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before continuing.) Transfer to large deep serving platter. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Serves 4.

TASTY! I'm going to marry hominy.

Del.icio.us tags
[tomatillos]
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Pork and Hominy Stew with Red Chilies (Pozole Rojo)

I'm going on vacation to Burning Man and the end of the month. While I am going to be gone my mother in law is coming to stay with my husband to help him take care of the kids. This is all fine and good, but the idea of her cooking them dinner and keeping them from destroying the apartment at the same time doesn't seem likely. So, for the next few days I'm going to make a few extra meals and freeze most of it for later. I've never cooked with hominy or guajillo chilies. But I love corn and pork is the best, so I have high hopes.

1 large head garlic
4 lb country-style pork ribs (not lean)
12 cups cold water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (32 fl oz)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
6 dried New Mexico or guajillo red chiles* (2 oz)
1 1/2 cups boiling-hot water
1 cup coarsely chopped white onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon salt
4 (15-oz) cans white hominy (also called pozole), drained and rinsed

Accompaniments: fried tortilla strips (see cooks' note, below); 1/2-inch cubes of California avocado; thinly sliced cabbage or lettuce; chopped white onion; chopped radishes; lime wedges; crumbled dried oregano (preferably Mexican); dried hot red pepper flakes

Peel garlic and reserve 2 whole cloves, then slice remaining cloves. Combine sliced garlic, pork, water, and broth in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, skimming froth. Add oregano, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally, until pork is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.


Meanwhile, discard stems from chiles (do not seed), then soak in boiling-hot water (1 1/2 cups) in a bowl, turning occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes (do not drain). Purée chiles with soaking water, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and reserved garlic cloves in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute.


Transfer pork with tongs to a large bowl, reserving broth in pot. Shred pork, using 2 forks (discard bones). Return pork to broth, then add hominy, chile purée, and remaining teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, skimming froth and stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Season with salt. 3Serve pozole in shallow bowls with accompaniments.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Holy good. This stuff is the shit. I added a cube of chix. bouillon and I think that helped. Hominy is some tasty stuff. It was really easy and country ribs are cheap meat.

Huevos Rancheros

There are many versions of this, but the one I'm going with is from the Cafe Pongo Cookbook. Cafe Pongo was this great place (for a while) in Tivoli NY. My husband and I both went to Bard College which is the next town down and are very nostalgic about the food there. For his birthday a few years ago I got him the cookbook that was written by one of Pongo's former owners. The cookbook has some real gems in it. The red cabbage slaw, the chicken salad. . . a few others. It is pretty much a winter time food cookbook, so I'll be breaking it out more often when the weather gets cold. I remember the huevos were a very good breakfast. Esspecially if hungover I'm not expecting to be hungover, but just in case.

6 corn tortillas
2 cups of black beans (I a can of goya black bean soup w/ the red lable)
1 1/2 c. salsa
1/4 c. carmelized onions (Says to cook them for 30 minutes v. slowly)
4 oz. sharp cheddar
4-6 eggs
cilantro
bronwen's gaucamole

line bottom of pyrex dish with tortillas, cover with beans, then salsa, then cheese then onions. Cook at 350 until cheese is melted and browning. Top with fried eggs and chopped fresh cilantro.

Amazingly tasty. I served it with my sister guacamole. I love it. I'm making it once a week. The recipe calls for 35 minutes to cook the onions, which I did. It was very worth it. I used jarred salsa. It was fine. I made a second batch (without the eggs) that I froze for later.

Bronwen's Guacamole

Since I didn't do anything yesterday I am making 2 today. I am at my mother's house and my sister and her husband aree living here for a while. She and her huband met while they were both working at a cooking school in Oaxaca. She learned how to make a damn good guac while there (amoung other things) and today she told me how.

The proprtions are to taste.

nice ripe avocados
lime juice
white onion
cilantro
fresh jalapeno
salt

mash up diced onion, jalepeno and cilantro in a mortor and pestle. Mix in with mashed avocado, add juice and salt to taste.

serve with corn tortilla chips you make yourself.