2013 End Of Year: Food & Film
I burn this fire on the last day of the year. On a piece of paper, I write my ups and downs of 2013 and sign it. I throw it into the fire. In this last blog I’m going to simply list some favorite 2013 …
Recipes and Essays
Paella for Amigas y Amigos
Paella is Spanish for friendship? I think so. Well, it should be. In Texas, the term “Spanish” was sometimes used (euphemistically) to mean Mexican, or Mexican American. Restaurants serving Mexican food sometimes called themselves “Spanish” as in Spanish Village or Spanish flowers. Not so much …
Scallops Provencale
A quick, country way to prepare scallops, and throw in vegetables that are lying around. In this classic recipe, the ingredients are not so strong as to overpower the delicate scallops. The trio of shallots, garlic and parsley shouts out, “I’m French!” The olive oil …
Salsa de Tomate y Chile Serrano – Fresh Tomato and Serrano Salsa
Three native ingredients make this traditional salsa a delectable culinary heritage: tomato, chile and salt. Each provides important nutritional elements, and the combination is, well, fresh and delicious. There is much to be said for simplicity. Our Texas Indian ancestors used the salt from two …
Fricasé De Pollo, con arroz – Fricasé of Chicken
“Fricasé” is a Boricua dish and also a Plato Cubano. I first learned to make fricasé from a Chicano friend in college who learned it from a Puerto Rican classmate. There are various Cubano and Puertorriqueño versions, but they all have green olives, and the …
Fettucine with Clams, Shrimp, Chile (Fra Diavolo)
I like to serve fettucine in a huge platter, mixed all together with clams, shrimp and colorful tomato sauce. It looks delicious and everyone can just dig in and enjoy. Fra Diavolo is the name of a 19th century Italian opera. The name, meaning brother …
Braised Leeks
Braised leeks are an elegant accompaniment to roasts. The goal of braising is to allow time and very low heat to work their twofold magic of softening the leeks and intensifying their flavor. That rich glaze is not achieved with fats (this recipe has no …
Cucumber Chile Martini
We call cucumber, pepino. This cucumber chile martini draws upon two Mexican flavor traditions. The first is adding chile to pepino, a combination of freshness and piquant that is gorgeous. The second tradition is making sweets that combine chiles with various fruits. In this “Cucumber …
Paris, Cooking with Chiles at Le Cordon Bleu
There is a Paris in Texas, but I visited that other one. I was delighted to learn new insights and techniques from Chef Frédéric Lesourd during his class, re-visiting French technique, and doing so while recalling Julia Child a graduate of this world-renowned Parisian school. …
Cognac Shrimp with Beurre Blanc Cream – A Lesson In “Denaturing”
This Cognac Shrimp is a recipe for company dinner. It says to guests, “unwind, mellow-out, welcome.” In the Beurre Blanc Cream, you taste a brightness, a tang, from the acidic white wine, but the major sensation results from the flavorful creaminess. I think Harold McGee …