Category: Tasty Recipes

The Gift of Tamales

Handmade with love: Three generations of women with one more generation on the way (congrats to Emily, due in April) worked from 7 PM to 1 AM last week making 100 tamales in the style of their Central American roots. And I was one of the lucky recipients of that labor of love. Thank you, ladies!

A banana leaf is laid flat then topped with masa prepared with lard and seasonings. Pork ribs were sliced into bite-sized pieces by their butcher, then cooked with onions and spices. The masa is topped with the cooked pork, peas, garbanzo beans, unpitted little green olives, capers, and some had achiote paste.
Wrapped up in a neat little bundle with aluminum foil to hold it all together and steamed for an hour. (To reheat, simply remove the foil and warm up in the microwave). The filling was a surprise in that there were bones and pits to watch out for. Marlene tells me this is the way they have always made it, I suspect the bones enhanced the already delicious depth of flavor and I love the authenticity.

Served with a salad of sliced tomato, white onion, avocado, a drizzle of oil and squeeze of lime. The tamale was dressed with Crema Salvadoreña (Salvadorean style sour cream) and salsa roja. Muy sabroso. And the beauty of giving tamales as a gift, they are already wrapped! Muchas gracias a la familia del Figueroa.

Turkey Mushroom Barley Soup

Doesn’t soup just hit the spot after the holiday meals?

Feeling lucky? Carve the wishbone from the turkey breast. Clean and dry the wishbone. Two people each grasp one end and twist until it breaks. The person left with the longer piece (the one who got the “lucky break”) gets to make a wish, a wish to be granted by the great turkey spirits!

Cooking the carcass for soup makes the kitchen smell like Thanksgiving all over again. I break up the carcass then simmer it for a few hours in water with rough chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Strain, cool, refrigerate overnight, remove some fat.
Add 2 bay leaves to the turkey stock and a generous cup of pearl barley. Cook for about an hour or so until the barley is tender. Meanwhile sauté chopped onions, celery, and carrots in butter until soft, then add sliced crimini mushrooms, and finally chopped garlic.
When the barley is tender, add the vegetables and leftover diced turkey to the soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes more, remove the bay. To finish, add chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
Wishbone lucky break or not,
May all your holiday wishes come true…

Thank You Blogger

Blogs of Note
Interesting and Noteworthy Blogger-powered Blogs
Compiled by the Blogger Team
We had a terrific Thanksgiving here, if you celebrate, I hope you did too. And the icing on the cake (or should I say pie?) was that Blogger picked Taste With The Eyes as the Blog of Note for Thursday, November 27! WOW. In between cooking the Big Bird (25.90 lbs.) and making the dressing, other side dishes, and playing with my nephews, I took a break to post that adorable photo of Stone. Little did I know that a neat surprise was waiting for me! There were comments from folks far and wide who had never visited Taste With The Eyes before. All this was due to the absolute honor of being chosen as the Blog of Note. I am really excited to meet new bloggers. The friendships that I have made so far are amazing. It is a special relationship that we form and how we come to care for strangers met through our blogs, a unique experience indeed. To my old and new friends alike, I sure do relish your input. To the Blogger Team and Blogger Buzz at Google thank you so much for this awesome distinction and wonderful opportunity to make new friends.
Oh, the party is not over yet. At 1 o’clock this afternoon we have 20 or more friends stopping by for our annual open house, we call it Leftover Day. We’ll be putting the leftovers out on the buffet and grilling some delectable turkey and honeybaked ham sandwiches on the new panini maker!

Last night was a blast. After dinner, we played a hilarious game called Mad Gab. Everyone was in stitches. The boys insisted we play charades, so we did that too! So I’m wondering, how do you feel about leaving the dishes until the morning? Me? I feel just fine about it. Would rather laugh and play while everyone is here. The dishes can wait. But they can’t wait too long, now we’ve got another party in a few hours, so I gotta go take care of business…

Sándwich Cubano

The Cuban Sandwich:
A common lunch for Cuban cigar and sugar mill factory workers for over a century. Popular with Cuban immigrants in Miami and Tampa, Florida. Now this sandwich is the favorite of locals and tourists alike.
The Ingredients:
Ham, Roast Pork, Swiss Cheese, and Pickle
The Spread:
Purists say yellow mustard only. Others like mayonnaise.
I made a mustard mayo blend with chopped pickled jalapeño peppers.
Spread each side of the bread with the mustard jalapeño mayonnaise.
Layer with ham and roast pork.

Slice the big pickle lengthwise. Add pickle and Swiss cheese to the sandwich.

Butter the outside of the bread then grill the sandwich on a traditional plancha, or use a panini maker. This is my new toy “The Griddler.”  I promised my brother that I would have a panini maker in time for Leftover Day, so now, on the day after Thanksgiving, we can grill up some awesome turkey sandwiches. But I’m thinking when he sees this blog post, he is going to want a Cubano too.

A tender bread with a nice crust, a piquant spread, lots of thin-sliced deli ham, melting Swiss, zesty pickle, and juicy roast pork. A sandwich masterpiece! ¿Qué piensa usted?

Foie Gras

The Whole Foie Gras – presented on a platter to the table…
…taken back to the kitchen and served thusly!
Per Se, New York City

Foie Gras ‘en torchon’ with Wasabi Crisp
Muscat, Cardamon, and Chenin Blanc Syrup
Alex, Las Vegas

Foie Gras Seared with Cherries and Cassia Gastrique
Water Grill, Los Angeles

Ahi Tuna and Foie Gras Sushi Roll
Caviar Russe, New York City

Foie Gras Parfait with Orange Cognac Gelée
Water Grill, Los Angeles

Seared Sonoma Foie Gras, Figs, Port, Brioche
Carneros Bistro, Sonoma
Moulard Duck Foie Gras in Terrine
Field Rhubarb Relish, Sicilian Pistachio Miettes
The French Laundry, Yountville
Are you a fan of foie gras?
“Oh, ‘crise de foie,’ that French sole was so delicious!” penned Julia Child.
Crisis of the Liver? I get such a kick out of that expression!
This latest compilation of photographs was prompted by an email that came from Thailand yesterday morning. My sister-in-law’s father, Jim, is in Pattaya. He thought we might be interested in what they are serving up over in his neck of the woods: A Complete Menu of Foie Gras! Incredible – I just had to post it here:
APPETIZERS
Foie Gras Teriyaki  300
Charcoal grilled sweet soy sauce marinated goose liver, baby leek gently glazed with teriyaki sauce
Sushi Foie Gras  400
Steamed Japanese rice topped with pan-seared Foie Gras, scented with a sweet cherry & preserved Chinese plum sauce
Foie Gras Spring Rolls  650
Deep-fried spring rolls filled with duck Foie Gras & scented with port wine, Oriental mushroom duxelles, chilli & coriander sauce
Foie Gras Dumplings  400
A blend of steamed pork & shrimp dumpling, coupled with seared Foie Gras – to amuse your bouche…
Foie Gras Bruschetta  850
Pan-seared goose liver, on toasted brioche with orange sauce & mesclun leaves – how often can you say ‘wow’!
Foie Gras Fritter  850
Deep-fried port wine marinated Foie Gras served, with a wild berry dip – you’ve struck gold!
MAIN COURSES
Foie Gras with Spicy Sauce  750
Wok-fried crispy goose liver, onions, chilli, garlic & hot basil leaves with white truffle scented fried rice – try this Thai twist…
Foie Gras Pizza  850
Pan-seared goose liver, blue figs, tomato sauce, mozzarella & fontina cheese, with wild arugula salad & Italian parsley
Foie Gras with Angel Hair Pasta  850
Capellini pasta & grilled chicken, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil & chicken jus, topped with pan-seared goose liver & grated Parmesan cheese – a little Italian twist…
Foie Gras with XO Sauce  950
Chinese wok-fried goose liver, white asparagus, honey beans, maple glazed walnuts & XO sauce, served with crispy egg noodles… Ohhhhhh soooo fabulous!
Foie Gras Risotto  1,250
Arborio rice gently cooked in special broth, seasoned with Parmesan cheese & truffle, topped with pan-seared goose liver & black cherry sauce
Beef Sirloin & Foie Gras  3,000
Charcoal-grilled US prime selected sirloin of beef, with pan-fried goose liver caramelized onions, sautéed potatoes & a port wine reduction – inspirational or simply sensational?!
Gratinated Beef & Foie Gras  3,500
Lavastone grilled US fillet of beef, artichoke & goose liver topped with cheese, wild mushrooms & black truffle sauce – ah the good life – wine, dine, recline…
MANTRA RESTAURANT & BAR in Pattaya, Thailand. This is their special menu for November. The prices are in baht, approx. 35 baht to one US dollar.

So, foie fans, what do you think? Shall we meet in Pattaya?