Eating In

I’ve gotten to the stage where I am cooking and eating in a lot more. Why? The last three times I’ve eaten out, the food has been run of the mill at best and they were at 3 highly recommended restaurants.

I’m disappointed. I can’t rely on Michael Coons to feed me – although he has a cooking class almost every week. More about Michael in a few weeks when I do another tasting in his kitchen. The last one was incredible. 

My standards are very high and simple when it comes to food…when I spend money to eat out, I expect good food.

Sourcing ingredients here has been somewhat difficult but I am gaining confidence as I cooked another terrific Sunday dinner at home. I’ve never been a huge fan of Rachel Ray but this recipe was good. I savor the fresh peaches as long as they are in season.

Of course, the Watermelon Margarita helped boost my confidence. So much so I had to have two.

Buen Apetito!

Chicken and Peaches

Recipe by Rachel Ray

2 tablespoons butter
4 peaches, pitted, thickly sliced or halved
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced
3/4 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup peach preserves
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat a medium skillet with the butter over medium heat. Add the peaches and the juice of 1/2 lemon, and cook until tender and lightly golden, 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. 

Cut the chicken breasts in half across the center of each breast to make 4 equal portions.

Add the chicken breasts to the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes, then remove to a plate and cover with foil.

Drizzle the pan with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan. 

Add the chopped shallot, and the ginger, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the stock, the preserves, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and season with black pepper, to taste.

Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes to thicken.

Arrange the chicken and peaches on a platter and douse with peach sauce.

This was both delicious and strong. A few sips and I was already looking for my second one. 

You can switch out the fruit. I tried it with rum and loved it.

Blender Watermelon Margarita

Makes 1 cocktail

4 to 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 parts tequila

1 parts vodka or rum

Dash of triple sec

2 cups mashed watermelon flesh, seeds removed

3 tbsp. sugar

3 cups crushed ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into the glass and garnish with watermelon or a lime wedge. 

Frozen Key Lime

I love Key Lime and this adaptation of the TGI Friday’s favorite is an indulgence that’s perfect for cooling you off after a long day at the pool.

Frozen Key Lime

1 1/4 ounces light rum

2 ounces lime juice

1 tablespoon bar sugar

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

1/2 scoop crushed ice

Combine ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.

Serve in a tall specialty glass.

Garnish with a lime wheel.

Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I’m hooked on this cookie recipe which first appeared in Bon Appetit in 2006. 

This delicious Chocolate chip cookie with a peanut butter filling goes down effortlessly with an ice cold glass of milk.

Warning: Ration these because they are highly addictive. Before you know it, you’ve eaten half the jar.

Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Bon Appétit | February 2006

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/3 cups (about 8 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, and butter in large bowl to blend.

Add peanut butter; beat until creamy.

Gradually beat in vegetable oil and vanilla extract, then egg. Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Stir in milk chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by level tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Cool slightly, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

For Filling:

3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

6 tablespoons whipping cream

Place chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and kosher salt in medium bowl.

Bring whipping cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Chill until filling is thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Spread about 1 rounded teaspoonful chocolate-peanut butter filling on flat side of 1 cookie.

Top with second cookie, forming sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. (Cookie sandwiches can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Cravings...

What foods do you crave in the summer more than a BLT, hamburger or fried chicken? The holy trinity of summer picnics.

I would have my fill by now if I were in Chicago – burgers at Etzos, BLT’s at the Lake Bluff Golf Club and fried chicken at Big Jones – and would be done with it. I wouldn’t even be thinking about food. But I am and it’s been constant and that adds up to multiple food cravings, which I’ve never had.

Just give me a BLT, a Burger and Fried Chicken and I’ll be happy. Call it my gringa cravings.

The BLT:

I stopped at La Mesa Grande, Zacateros 49. I knew they had wonderful baked goods because a few weeks back I picked up a bag of their homemade English Muffins – expensive by Mexican standards - but really high-quality. They are also known for their pizzas because their ingredients are superbly fresh.

I was going to order the pizza until I saw a BLT on the menu. It was served on multigrain bread which they bake fresh daily. Stacked with a layer of fresh lettuce and tomato, it was topped with a heap of bacon.

Wow – that was quick. One craving down and two to go!

The Burger:

I tried burgers at several places this week including my own kitchen. Turns out when I asked the butcher for hamburguesa he gave me ground pork instead of beef. Actually it wasn’t that bad topped with gouda cheese but it still didn’t satisfy that craving. I actually wasn’t sure if the craving was for a burger or just grilled food in general.

I remembered that Ten Ten Pie  - Cuna de Allende and Cuadrante - had burgers because I go there quite often. Besides having good food at a reasonable price, the staff is really friendly and I love to sit outside on the tiered terrace and watch San Miguel go by. It’s quiet because it’s off the main square but their corner is actually pretty busy and the people watching is great.

Much to my delight – and different from the way I normally eat them – it came stacked with cheese, bacon, ham and all the fixing. The French fries were also served just the way I like them – extra crispy.

Ten Ten Pie also has a place at Stirling Dickenson called Ten Ten Pie al Carbón. Al carbon means charcoal-grilled, and that's their specialty. This Mexican Arrachera was right off the grill and my sudden need to go out and buy a grill was put to rest. Grilled food never tasted so good.

Two down and last but not least…

The Fried Chicken:

Of all the things I’ve been craving, fried chicken was at the top of my list. It’s always been my go-to comfort food.

I obviously had a memory lapse when I got excited about the fried chicken on the menu at Pueblo Viejo, Urman 6. I ordered it and this is what I got.

Actually I couldn’t stop laughing. There is a reason why the butcher always tries to pound my chicken before I buy it. It’s called Mexican Fried Chicken.

What it does remind me of is Chicken Fried Chicken without the gravy. For this dish, a boneless, skinless chicken breast is pounded flat, sort of like a schnitzel and then dredged in flour and fried. I use to eat it when I lived in the south but smothered it with white gravy to enhance the taste. I didn’t love it back then either.

On a scale of one to ten, this was a two and was saved only by inserting it into a bolillo and slathering it with mustard. Mustard does wonders for bad food.

Stop Craving and Lets Cook…

It’s Sunday and this was a recipe rescue. Whenever I can’t get something out, I find a recipe and cook it in.

I remembered that I had Saveur’s fried chicken recipe from Martha Lou’s Kitchen in Charleston, S.C. It was in an article called “Specialty of the House” back in 2011 (yes, I’ve saved every Saveur and Bon Appetit from day one) and the list of ingredients were so simple I knew that I could get them all here in San Miguel. What I improvised on? No Dutch Oven or deep-fry thermometer so I used a fry pan and took a wild guess at the temperature. It worked.

What I had for Sunday dinner today would delight anyone who truly loves fried chicken not to mention it was perfectly cooked. In fact, I think that this is the first time I’ve cooked textbook fried chicken.

Isn’t it funny that you have to go to Mexico to learn how to make good fried chicken? This must be what southern living is all about.

So for now I can go back to eating great Mexican food…at least until one of those gringa food cravings kick in again.

Buen Apetito!

Martha Lou’s Kitchen Fried Chicken

Peanut oil, for frying ( I could not find peanut oil so I used regular vegetable oil)

4 cups flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 3–4 lb. whole chickens, cut into quarters

2 cups milk

2 eggs

Pour oil into an 8-qt. Dutch oven to a depth of 3″, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°.

Place flour in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Season chicken all over with salt and pepper.

Whisk milk and eggs in a large bowl and, working in batches, dip chicken quarters in milk mixture, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Place in oil and fry, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and dark brown, 15 minutes for white meat, 20 minutes for dark meat.

Drain on paper towels and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Hot Chocolate

I’ve found two great restaurants for hot chocolate… both with a different temptation. One serves chocolate from Chiapas and Tabasco and the other from Morelia.

Why didn’t I know there was so much wonderful chocolate in Mexico?

Chocolates Johfrej

Chocaholics beware. At Jesus 2A this chocolate shop has an addictive selection of hand crafted chocolates. My favorite is the dark chocolate with a bit of chile.

Johfrej uses cacao nacional from Tabasco and Chiapas.

I also loved the cup of hot chocolate. The best part was the elegant, Mexican inspired chocolate set it was served in which gave me two full cups for just 25 pesos.

Round II? I heard the ice cream is ridiculously good.

  

Café Cathedral

I’ll always walk out of my way to grab a good eye opener…especially when it involves chocolate and it was worth the trip to Canal 88 to get a delightful cup of cappuccino from Café Cathedral. Café Cathedral comes to San Miguel from Puerto Vallerta and their experience making great coffee shows.

They also use the best ingredients which includes organic coffee from Chipas and chocolate from Morelia.

The bonus: Everything is priced under 20 pesos.

Buen Apetito!

La Azotea's Secret Weapon: Jicama Tacos

La Azotea, Umaran 6,is my new favorite restaurant in San Miguel. It also happens to be a favorite of almost everyone I talk to who wants to chat about food. Outside of the remarkable sunset views, the people watching was really fun but the food…now that was a statement. Upstairs from the Pueblo Viejo, this restaurant has one secret weapon that keeps customers coming back time and time again – the Jicama Taco. Honestly, I see myself eating them at least once a week. Will I get sick of them? Highly doubtful since I was seriously addicted to them after just one bite.

Served in a Jicama tortilla, I had the lightly breaded shrimp topped with fried leeks, mayo with chipotle and a tamarind sauce. It’s also served with tuna or a breaded brie. It was perhaps one of the best tacos I’ve had anywhere in Mexico.The place looks expensive but by no means is with the Jicama Tacos priced at $40 pesos or $3.10 US. They have plenty of other unusual and inexpensive tapas to try. I’ve also heard their cucumber martini is another obsession you need to sample.

I wasn’t as crazy about the Tacote which was a combination of carnitas, avocado sauce and jalapenos but the fiery salsa that they served with it was remarkable. Now all I have to do is figure out the recipe – something I always manage to do in time but this one may be a little more difficult. The taste and appearance of this sauce suggests lots of ingredients.

If I find a place that has better atmosphere and food I’ll let you know. For now, I’m adding this to my list of celebrated restaurants to bring out of town guests to.

That list, I might add, is pretty short.

Buen Apetito!

Cooking with Chef Paco Cardenas

Taking a cooking class in San Miguel is a gamble, especially when you don't know anything about the cooking schools. There are so many places to take lessons and some of them maintain you will learn “real” Mexican cooking in one easy lesson. That’s an astonishing claim since Mexican cooking is one of the most complex cuisines on the planet.

                                                                             Photo from Petit 4 Website

I lucked out. I happen to be in Petit 4 Bakery when I noticed a sign for a market and cooking class the following Monday. What followed was perhaps one of the best kitchen experiences I’ve had…and I’ve had many.

As chance would have it, I also met up with three of the most inspiring classmates who taught me things I never knew about cooking. Isn’t it amazing how quickly foodies bond? Minutes into the conversation we were already exchanging recipes. Kathy had a prickly pear martini that I just had to try.

Chef Cardenas met us at 11:00 AM and we headed to the market for a lesson in local shopping. To me, this was the most important part of the class. After two hours in the market, I knew exactly who to buy meat, carnitas, chickens, vegetables, spices, cazuela’s and even fabrics from for the next 6 months. Money well spent I thought, even at that point.

Chef also showed us where to eat in the market and introduced us to an old friend who made the exceptional mole. She insisted that I taste it and I could not believe just how good it was.

Kathy and I both mentioned that we really wanted to learn how to make carnitas. While we were sampling them at the little shop across the street from the market, Paco was buying a slab of ribs to take home. Much to our delight, he added them to the cooking menu for the day.

So what was on the menu at this class? Chayotes Salteados en Mantequilla (did someone just mention butter?), Guacamole, Nopales a la Cazuela, Rajas Con Crema, Salsa De Xoconostle, Salsa Verde con Aguacate, Salsa Ranchera en Molcajete, Sopa de Flor de Calabaza, Puerco en Achiote Y Naranja Adria, Tortillas de Maiz, Carnitas and Postre de Chocolate Y Tequila. In all 12 recipes which I thought was a lot.

Chef Cardenas is a friend of Diana Kennedy and uses some of her recipes in his mix. Others are traditional coming from both his aunts – one of them is in Chicago - and his grandmothers.

The surprise of the day? I was finally converted from flour to corn tortillas. About time don’t you think? The taste of corn tortillas when you grind the corn and then make the dough from scratch is truly remarkable. I was also astonished at how fast the process went.

I’ve had Noplaes before – made on the grill – but I also liked the Nopales we cooked in a Cazuela with a little onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and Mexican oregano.

Of course the guacamole and the salsa verde were delicious and I got a few tips on how to improve my own recipes. It helped to have all the fresh produce that we just picked up from the market. Much of it comes in fresh daily.

How beautiful and creamy the Squash Blossom Soup was after throwing all of those rough cut ingredients into the cazuela. Kathy mentioned how expensive Squash Blossoms are up in the mountains of Arizona ($1 each) so this was a treat for them as well.

What better way to close out a dinner than a chocolate and tequila dessert served with a beautiful Valle de Guadalupe red. I am a white wine drinker but you could certainly change my drinking habits with the quality of this 2007 Syrah. It was one of the best I’ve had.

I intend to take all of the cooking classes offered while I’m in San Miguel but Chef Cardenas set the bar so high the first time around we’ll see if any of the others can measure up.

They have a tough act to follow.

Buen Apetito!