Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

My husband will be single (sort of speak) for the next couple of days while I'm in Fresno and he'll be cooking bachelor meals for himself. One super easy and great tasting single-serving recipe to make is aglio, olio e peperoncino, which simply means garlic, oil and peppers. The key to this recipe is to lightly fry the garlic to a golden brown and not burn it. Good quality extra virgin olive oil is also important.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced about 1/32" to 1/16" thick
• 3 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP. Parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Peperoncino or banana peppers, sliced 1/16" thick
• Kosher salt

First, start boiling water in a large pot. Make sure you salt the water. Cook the spaghetti al dente and drain pasta, but leave it a little runny.

In a large non-stick skillet sauté the garlic and peperoncino (or banana peppers) in 2 tablespoons olive oil until golden brown. You want your garlic to caramelize NOT burn.

Add the cooked spaghetti into the skillet and add 1 additional tablespoon of oil and the finely chopped parsley. Toss and season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately.

photo by compressioncut

Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce

My husband got me the Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA cookbook for Christmas. It's a huge book of barbeque recipes from all across america. This recipe caught my eye because it uses one of my favorite fish, Ahi tuna. Make sure you buy Ahi from a fishmonger or wherever fresh fish is sold. It's customary to eat Ahi rare to medium-rare because this type of fish has literally not fat and overcooking it will dry it out.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons wasabi powder
• 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. Ahi tuna loin (each about 1 to 1-1/2 inches)
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
• Cooked white rice
• Wasabi Cream Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Make the rub: Place the untoasted sesame seeds, wasabi powder, peppercorns, and garlic salt in a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. I used a mortar and pestle and mine did not comeo out to a fine powder, but it still worked!
2. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Place the tuna in a baking dish. Sprinkle the rub all over the tuna on both sides, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Drizzle the sesame oil over the tuna and rub it on with your fingertips. Let the tuna marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat the grill on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. When ready to cook, first clean the grill and oil the grill grate with a paper towel dipped in oil. Place the tuna on the hot grate and grill tuna for 2 minutes then rotate each steak a quarter turn to create nice grill marks. Grill for another two minutes. Turn steaks over and grill in the same way again. Test for doneness using the poke method: Rare tuna will be quite soft, with just a little resistance at the surface; medium-rare tuna will be gently yielding; and medium tuna will be firm. We grilled ours for 8 minutes total for medium-rare tuna.
5. Transfer the grilled tuna to a cutting board and let it rest for 2 minutes. Carve tuna steaks into broad, thin slices. Fan out the tuna slices over a bed of white rice. Squirt zigzags of Wasabi Cream Sauce over the tuna.

WASABI CREAM SAUCE

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

• 1-1/2 tablespoons wasabi powder
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Place the wasabi in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to form a thick paste. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and soy sauce, and whisk to mix. The Wasabi Cream Sauce tastes best when it is freshly made.

Spinach and Avocado Salad

One of my favorite recipes that I came up with is this spinach and avocado with black olives salad. It's so easy to make but the key lies in the dressing. I found what is now my favorite vinaigrette ever, Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. It's a wondefully savory vinaigrette with small chunks of gorgonzala cheese. You can find the vinaigrette it in the refrigerator section of your local Trader Joe's store. This salad is enough for two large helpings and it can be easily doubled.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 bag spinach (the kind that is already clean and washed)
• 1 large tomato (or 2 small), seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 2 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
• 2 to 3 TBSP. Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette
• Handful of pine nuts (optional)

HOW TO ASSEMBLE:

Add half of the spinach bag into your serving bowl. Then simply add the remaining ingredients, except the vinaigrette. Toss gently until combined. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently again before serving. Sprinkle a few pine nuts onto each serving.

Seven Pepper Shrimp

If you are into spicy flavored food, this is your recipe. It's not spicy hot, but just bursting with bell pepper flavor. I used seven different kinds of peppers, but you can omit the serrano (jalapeno) peppers if you prefer. Finally, buy jumbo frozen shrimp and defrost in the refrigerator when you're ready to use them. I bought my frozen shrimp with the shell on and made a quick shrimp stock with the shells. You don't have to do this, however. Chicken stock will work well with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Serrano pepper, minced
• 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 Bay leaf
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 cup Chicken stock (I used shrimp stock)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 bag of jumbo frozen shrimp (13 to 15 count), defrosted and shelled
• the juice of half a lemon
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper
• Cooked white rice

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 4 qt. pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, bay leaf and half of the minced garlic. Sautee for 5 to 8 minutes, until onion is soft and transluscent.Raise the heat to medium-high and add all the peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.Add 1 cup of chicken (or shrimp) stock and simmer, uncovered, for another 8 minutes. Add salt to taste (I added 1/2 teaspoon).

While the peppers are cooking, get a large 10" sautee pan or skillet and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on high. Once skillet is hot, add the shrimp and the remaining garlic. Sautee for three minutes then squeeze the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Remove shrimp from heat and add it (and its juices) to the simmering peppers. Cover the pot and turn off the heat and let the shrimp finish cooking, about 5 more minutes.

Discard bay leafe and serve the seven pepper shrimp with a side of white rice. Garnish with chopped parsley or with wedges of avocados. A dry, chilled white wine goes well with this meal. Try a Pinot Grigio or a Vernaccia.

Gremolata Pasta

Gremolata pasta is a very simple pasta dish that you can make in less than 15 minutes. This makes a great lunch or light dinner, but it specially tastes great as a side dish for osso bucco or braised short ribs. There are many versions of gremolata pasta: some have tomatoes, others anchovies, but to me, this recipe seems to be the best one because it's so simple and very fast to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg. fresh linguini (9 oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• Minced zest of one lemon or lime
• Salt and pepper, and
• Red pepper flakes to taste

1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions, or al dente.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large pasta bowl. Once your pasta is done, drain well and

add the hot pasta and toss to coat.

Serve immediately!

Braised Short Ribs

Who has time to cook anymore? Let alone for two hours??? Well, if for some reason you find a couple of hours of free time in your busy schedule, you MUST try this recipe. I found the braised short ribs recipe in a Cuisine at Home magazine (October 2005). I ommited a few of the ingredients from the original recipe and added a few extra ones. I also cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us. You will need a Dutch Oven for this recipe, but if you don't have one a large 4 to 6 quart pot with a lid will work, too. As always, follow these tips to make your cooking fun and easy.:

1. Always cut your veggies ahead of time
2. Get out all your ingredients, pre-measure them and have them ready to go before you start cooking
3. Get your pans or skillets out, pre-heat the oven (if necessary) and;
4. Make yourself a cocktail and and start cookin'

INGREDIENTS (serves 3)

• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 lb. bone-in short ribs (about 6)
• 1 can (14oz) chicken stock
• 3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Mill Street Red
• 1/4 cup marsala, port or a sweet wine
• 1 Tablespoon A-1 Heinz Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium zip-lock bag

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat to 300 degrees.
2. Prepare onion, carrot, celery, tomato and garlic; set aside.
   
3. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a resealable plastic bag. Add short ribs, one at a time, and shake to coat evenly (reserve unused flour).
4. Heat one tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven or 4 to 6 qt. pot over medium heat. Add dredged short ribes, bone side up, and brown slowly, about 8 minutes. Turn ribs and brown the other side for another 8 minutes. Remove ribs from the pan and set aside; pour off all fat from the pot.
5. In the same pot, add another tablespoon of oil and saute (over medium-high heat) the carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and saute for another minute. Add the reserved unused flour and stir until vegetables are coated, about one more minute.
6. Deglaze with chicken stock, wine, marsala, A-1 sauce, balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer. Arrange ribs in sauce, bone side up, cover and braise in the 300 degree oven for 2 hours. If you are not using a Dutch oven, you can braise it over the stove top on medium-low heat for 2 hours. In the meantime, you can do your nails, or watch Napoleon Dynamite for the umpth time!
7. After two hours, taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust, if necessary (mine came out perfect and I didn't have to add anymore salt).
8. Serve the ribs and sauce over Gremolata pasta!

Wine recommendation: 2000 bottle of Benanti Rosso di Verzella. This is a Sicilian wine which is very hard to find, however I found it at 57 Degrees in Downtown, San Diego. This wine has concentrated aromas of blackberry and wild fruit with inviting hints of spice. In the mouth the wine is full, rich and warm, displaying ripe, juicy, vibrant fruit and soft, round tannins and it has a great velvety finish. This wine is ideal for braised meat or grilled meat dishes.

Basic Bean Soup - Mexican Style

Back in the day when I was a child, my grandmother used to to simmer beans all day long in an clay pot, known as an olla. Today, modern materials have replaced the olla with preassure cookers, but you can still find the burnished ollas used in rural areas and small remote towns.

These beans are meant to be quite soupy, with the beans spooned into small bowls or cups along with their flavorful broth. Nowadays, my tias make these beans as a side dish for almost everything we eat: birria, carne asada, pollo frito, etc. Here, beautiful Devin is spooning some beans onto her plate. Yum-O!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups dried pinto beans, sorted and washed, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons lard or Crisco
• 2 sprigs epazote (optional)
• 4 quarts water
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the beans in a large stockpot (or clay pot, if you have one) with the onion, garlic, lard, epazote and water. DO NOT ADD SALT. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until tender. Alternatively, beans may be cooked in a pressure cooker--just follow the manufacturer's instructions.
2. When the beans are done, remove about 1 cup of them and mash or puree them with some of their liquid. Add the mashed beans back to the pot, and continue cooking a few more minutes, until the mashed beans have thickened the bean broth a bit. Now you can add salt to taste.
3. Serve the beans in the clay pot or an attractive, heat-proof bowl. Pass a platter of garnishes - chopped onions, crumbled cheese, chopped cilantro. If you have any leftover beans, you can make refried beans out of them.

Pork Osso Bucco

The Prado restaurant is one of our favorite places to eat here in San Diego. My husband's favorite dish is the chef's specialty, pork osso bucco. It's a bit leaner than your regular beef osso bucco, but it is still full of flavor. The key to this flavorful dish is slow cooking it and braising it with wine. This is one of those recipes you want to give yourself a lot of time to prepare for and also have your family enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 pork shanks (2-1/2 to 3 inches thick)
• 8 slices of pancetta, thinly sliced
• Flour for dusting
• 3/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3/4 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
• 2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup of warm water
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3 cups tomatoes, peeled
• 3 cups chicken broth

1. Wrap the pork shanks with 2 slices of pancetta and tie with cotton string around the pork to secure the pancetta.
2. Dust the pork shanks with flour, and fry in skillet using 1/2 the butter in the skillet, turning several times until they are golden on all sides.
3. Remove the shanks and set aside.
4. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft and golden.
5. Put the pork shanks back into the pan, standing them on their side to prevent the marrow in the bones from slipping out during cooking.
6. Drain the porcini mushrooms and reserve the liquid.
7. Add all the mushrooms, celery, carrots, and season with salt and pepper.
8. Add sage and simmer for 4 minutes.
9. Add the wine and let evaporate.
10. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until cooked and tender.
11. Add more wine if sauce reduces too quickly. Sever over corn and lima bean salad or with a side of bacon and apple brussel sprouts.

Irish Mexican

To commemorate our nuptials, my husband and I came up with this cocktail. Maybe it has already been invented, but I couldn't find anything similar to it on the web. We decided to call it an Irish-Mexican because he is of Irish descent and I'm of Mexican descent. This is an after dinner apertif because it's quite sweet. You can drink it as a martini or on the rocks.

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/2 oz. Kahlua
• 1/2 oz. gold Tequila
• 1/2 oz. good Irish Whiskey

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. You can also mix all ingredients and serve it on the rocks. Try sprinkling a bit of Mexican chocolate over the top. Delicioso!

Minnesota Frost

This is the type of cocktail that one invents when it's minus 7 degrees outside with 5" of snow and there is only Grain Belt beer and Smirnoff Ice in the house. To give my cocktail its faint, bluish color, I added just a dash of Blue Curacao. If you don't like the flavor of blue curacao, you can also use blue Gatorade or blue food coloring, or leave it out altogether.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle of Premium Grain Belt beer (or any light Minnesotan beer)
• 1 bottle of Smirnoff Ice
• Sprite or 7-Up
• 1 tsp. Blue Curacao (optional)

Pour the beer 1/3 of the the way in a tall, frosty beer glass. Top it off with 1/3 of the Smirnoff Ice and 1/3 of Sprite or 7-Up. Slowly add the Blue Curacao. For maximum hangover, drink the cocktail really fast.

The head will be very frothy and it will remind you of a Minnesota winter.

Rosita Cocktail

If you're one of those people that had a bad experience with tequila back in college and now you can't drink it, then you must try this cocktail. The Rosita cocktail will rekindle your love to this very misunderstood liquor, tequila. Make sure you use a good qualitiy tequila such as Patron or Casadores. The Vermouth and the Campari make this a very luxurious yet refreshing drink.

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 ounce good quality Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Campari
• 1 dash bitters

Place ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake, shake, shake with ice. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with lemon twist.

Michelada

I'm not really sure how this cocktail got started, but in our family we drink micheladas on New Year's day as a hangover cure. I'm not sure if it really works but it's a tradition. Further south in Mexico they add tomato or clamato juice to the michelada. These beer cocktails are very popular down in Baja (or Blaha) California. If you're watching your sodium intake, do not try this!

INGREDIENTS

• kosher salt or margarita salt
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer (Mexican, such as Corona or Pacifico)
• 1-2 dash Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 lime, cut into wedges

1. Dip rims of 2 tall chilled glasses into a saucer of water, shake off excess, then dip rims into a saucer of salt.
2. Fill each glass halfway with ice, then about one-third full with lime juice, and top off each with beer.
3. Add tabasco to each. Garnish with lime wedges.

Mango Mojito

Everytime I drink a mojito I daydream I'm in a sandy beach in the Bahamas with warm, clear water and some hunky guys serving me drinks...ahhh. Anyway, I tried this mango mojito at the Island Grill restaurant in San Diego and it was very good. The mango and the mint work so well together. These mango'itos are easier to make than your regular mojitos since you do not have to muddle the sugar--the mango rum has enough is sugar in it already.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 oz Mango Rum (like Cruzan)
• 2 splashes of club soda
• Muddle 4 sprigs of fresh mint with a squeeze of lime

Mix all ingredients. Serve in a highball on the rocks. Garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprigs. It's that easy!

Divallini Cocktail

A couple of years ago I tried the Bellini cocktail at the Baccarat Bar in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I fell in love with it. It's a very luxurious and shi-shi drink to be enjoyed for special occassions. For this New Year's eve I invented a cocktail I called the Divallini. Like the Bellini, I use Champagne as the main ingredient. I'm going to be serving these delish cocktails at our New Year's Eve party.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
• 2 TBSP. good Brandy
• 1 TBSP. Sugar
• Chilled brut champagne
• Grenadine
• 2 chilled champagne glasses

First, place the thawed raspberries in a bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of brandy and the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let it macerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Once it has macerated, mash the raspberries with a fork or purée in a blender. This can be done well in advance and kept in the fridge.

Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoon of the raspberries into the chilled champagne glasses, 1 teaspoon of grenadine and slowly top up with champagne, stirring as you pour. You should ideally have one third raspberry purée to two thirds champagne. Serve straight away and enjoy!

Chocolate Bon Bons and M&M Brownie Bars

My cousin Kathy has a knack for baking. She loves to bake cookies, fudge and brownies. Last night, at our annual Amador Secret Santa party, she made for us these yummy chocolate covered marshmallows and M&M Fudgy Brownies. I was so excited to hear that the marshmallow recipe is incredibly easy and really fast to make. And the M&M recipe uses your favorite brownie mix. These were a hit with all the kids!

CHOCOLATE COVERED MARHSMALLOWS

• 1 c. (6 oz.) semi sweet chocolate pieces
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 lb. large marshmallows (25 to 30)
• 1/2 cup Jimmy's (optional)

In small shallow, glass casserole or mixing bowl, combine chocolate and milk. Cook uncovered 1 minute 30 seconds or until chocolate melts, stirring twice. Place toothpick in each marshmallow. Dip in chocolate and sprinkle Jimmy's on each marshmallow (this is optional). Let cool and serve cold or at room temperature.

M&M BROWNIE BARS

• 1 (21 to 23 ounce) package fudge brownie mix
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1 cup plain M&M's

Prepare brownie mix according to package for cake-like brownies; spread batter into greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan.

Combine nuts, oats, sugar, coconut and butter. Mix well. Sprinkle evenly over brownie mixture. Sprinkle top with 1 cup candies. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Egg Noodles with Tarragon

Tarragon is my new favorite herb. I recently used it on halibut and on a corn and lima bean salad and boy, is it good! The herb has a fresh, woodsy flavor with a licorice flavor. Now, I'm not a big licorice fan, but this herb is quite good. You can use it on fish, chicken and it tastes phenomenal on roast pork loin. I came up with this recipe because I had not gone grocery shopping in a while and all I had in the fridge was fresh Tarragon and egg noodles. This simple dish is great for a lunch or as a side dish to a hearty steak or roast pork.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• 2 TBSP of fresh Tarragon, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsp. Olive oil
• 2 TBSP. Butter
• 1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 8 oz (or two large handfuls) egg noodles
• Freshly grated Pitxun cheese or Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot, start boiling water. Add a good pinch of salt and cook the noodles to package directions. Drain the pasta and mix in one teaspoon olive oil and set aside.
2. Heat a large, 10" skillet with one teaspoon olive oil and one tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add one tablespoon of the chopped Tarragon, 1/2 tsp. each of red pepper flakes, ground black pepper and salt. Cook for another minute, not letting the garlic burn.
3. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Add the remaining one tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the last one tablespoon of Tarragon and serve immediately. Grate some Pitxun or Parmesan cheese over it and enjoy!

Gløgg

Every year my parent's have a Christmas block party in their neighborhood. Each family visits a neighbor's house for drinks or cookies or appetizers. And every year, their neighbors, the Lovewells, make their famour (or infamous?) glogg. Glogg is a spicy alcoholic beverage made with red wine and whiskey and served hot usually during Christmas. It's a traditional hot drink served in Sweden. Glogg is similar to mulled wine, but it's got more of a kick. You can buy bottles of Glogg now at certain supermarkets (Trader Joe's) and you just need to heat and serve. Basically, to me, glogg is just a more fancy Hot Toddy. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (1 serving)

• 1/2 teaspoon finely Shredded Orange Peel
• 1 Stick Cinnamon, Broken
• 2 Whole Cloves
• 1 Cardamom Pod, Opened
• 3/4 cup Red Wine
• 2 tablespoons Whiskey
• 2 tablespoons Madeira or Port
• 1 teaspoon Raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon Honey, or more to taste
• 2 Whole, Blanched Almonds

For spice bag, tie the shredded orange peel, cinnamon, whole cloves, and opened cardamom pod in a double layer of cheesecloth (or you can use a coffee filter). In a 2-cup microwave safe measuring cup combine wine, whiskey, madeira or port, raisins, honey, and spice bag. Microwave, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes or till heated through, but not boiling. Remove from microwave and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to develop more flavor.

When ready to serve, microwave for 1 to 2 minutes more or untill heated through, but not boiling. Remove spice bag. Serve in a mug. Add almonds and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

French Cheese Tasting

My step-mom, Elaine, received an incredible gift from her boss this year: a trio of imported French cheeses and crackers. And so last night, Matthew and I visited my folks for a French cheese tasting. As soon as we saw the cheeses we knew they were special. Each cheese had its own distinct packaging and one could tell that the French really take their fromage seriously. And, I'm happy to report, that last night was a night of indulgence. We accompanied our cheeses with warm sourdough bread and a bottle of 2001 Tamas Estates Cabernet Sauvignon.

First, we tasted a Brillat-Savarin Affiné. This is decadent triple cream cheese and should only be eaten with your loved ones or your friends! It is one of the richest cheeses you will ever taste, so a full pound of it will easily serve 12 people. The cheese if soft and buttery and it has the consistency of cream cheese. Brillat-Savarin is native to Normandy; however this cheese came by way of Bourgogne or Burgundy. The cheese is perfect for dessert and should be served with ripe, fresh fruit and crusty, French or sourdough bread. I don't even want to know how much fat is in this cheese but it was out of this world!

Next, we had Pitxun Sheep Cheese. This is an artisanal cheese with a natural crust by way of the French Basque Country. Pitxun is made from raw sheep milk and is handcrafted by the sheepherders. Pitxun has a natural rind which has been rolled in ashes. The rind is quite tough and you will need a sharp knife to cut through it. The cheese tastes the way a cheese should taste: It is firm and has a slightly flaky consistency. Pitxun is quite nutty and a little salty, making it a perfect mate to sweets and to Basque wines. You can also grate it over light flavored pastas. This was probably my favorite cheese and it tasted great on a piece of crusty bread.

Finally, we had Chèvre Du Poitou, which is a soft, ripened cheese from the famous goat-breeding region of Poitou. The flavor is more profound and sharp. It's a Camembert-style cheese and this goat’s milk version has a silky, creamy texture, and a smooth goaty flavor. This cheese would go best with a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

All in all, we had a great time tasting the cheeses. I can't wait to see what my step-mom gets for Christmas next year!!!

Easy Atole (Mexican Hot Drink)

During Christmastime, Mexican families everywhere enjoy homemade atole, a cornstarch-based Mexican hot chocolate drink, also known as champurrado. One of my tias still likes to make her atole from scratch but I learned from my grandmother that one can make super easy atole (AH-toh-lay) from a package: Maizena.

You can find Maizena in most grocery stores now. Maizena is a brand of Mexican cornstarch. You want to buy the flavored cornstarch which comes in 1.59 oz packages. They have all kinds of flavors from vanilla to strawberry, chocolate to cinnamon. For this recipe, though, you will need the chocolate flavored maizena. You will also need cold water, whole or 2% milk, sugar and cinnamon sticks, and follow the directions on the package.

First, mix the package contents with cold water. DO NOT mix it with hot water. This mixture is called a slurry.

Cornstarch + Cold Water = Slurry

In a large sauce pot, slowly bring milk to a boil. Stir frequently so that you do not burn the milk. Once the milk is hot enough pour the slurry (the maizena and cold water) mixture and stir with a wire whisk.

Add sugar to taste and keep stirring with the wire whisk until it gets to a slightly thick consistency and a glossy finish. Serve immediately with a few cinnamon sticks for decoration.

We like to drink our atole super hot and with a side of sweet tamales. YUMMY!

Pictures courtesy of cookingmadesimple.net

Sunday Breakfast: The Mission

The Mission describes itself as a "Chino Latino restaurant" since it serves Latin food with an Asian twist (such as the ginger-sesame chicken roll-up in a tomato tortilla) but I highly recommend going there for breakfast. All their specials are fabulous, specially the Latin breakfast menu. They also serve all types of coffee drinks and have (I've heard) quite yummy bloody mary's. The Mission was also features in $40 dollars a day with Rachel Ray, which goes to show that this place is quite popular. The Mission has three locations, but we like their venue in Downtown, San Diego, it just seems more cozy and less crowded.

My brother, Tom, and my dad both ordered The Mission French Toast ($6.95), which is fresh-baked cinnamon bread on a palette of berry purée, accented with an array of fresh fruit. Isn't the presentation awesome? My sister, Nathalie, got the Ranchos Verde ($6.50.) plate. It's fresh flour tortillas with over-medium eggs, cheese and topped with roasted chile verde sauce, served with a side of black beans. My husband, Matthew, ordered the Strawberry Granola Pancakes ($6.95). He got three huge pancakes with fresh strawberries and grain cereal and a side of two scrambled eggs and double smoked bacon (you slightly see a picture of it in the background). Lindsey, my sister-in-law, ordered the Scrambled Egg Quesadilla ($6.50) which is a large flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa fresca. Elaine and I ordered the Plato Verde con Huevos ($6.95). It's a huge plate with a sweet corn tamale, eggs over medium, covered with roasted tomatillo sauce and a side of black beans.

The Mission is located at: 1250 J St. San Diego, CA 92101