Salsa Recipe as Promised

Here is a great Salsa recipe as I had promised in an earlier post. You can vary the hot peppers and add salt and lime to your particular taste so you get the best result for your tatse.
Ingredients:
Choose between 2 Jalapeños, 2 Fresnos, 1 ½ Serranos, 1 Habanero or 1 Scotch Bonnet
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Blend these until you get the desired texture.

Then add,
1/4 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

Preferably chop these by hand and stir together with the previous ingredients. If you must blend do so sparingly and in pulsating fashion. Over blending will grind these to a puree and will not result in great salsa taste.

Finally add,
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons salt
6 medium tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Remember that if heat is not your thing blend the hot peppers first and then take half of them out and add the rest at the end until you get the desired heat. For an added flavor you can put the tomatoes and Jalapeños on a frying pan with a little olive oil so they don’t stick and grill them until they turn black on the surface prior to incorporating them in the salsa. This process adds a great flavor to your salsa.

Well there it is a simple yet flavorful salsa recipe that can be made with or without Jalapeños. Enjoy…

Gazpacho Soup Recipe

Gazpacho is a great soup that was made to help you beat the summer heat. This Spanish cold tomato soup is a perfect blend of the best of summer vegetables. It is xtremely important for this soup that you use the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Make sure you taste the vegetables as you add them to ensure your final result will be the best. Vary the ingredients to suit your taste. The basic recipe is the following:


5 ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped (seeded if desired)
1/2 cucumber peeled and chopped (seeded if desired)
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped (add more if desired)
1/4 green pepper chopped
2 slices of bread in pieces
¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin preferably)
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
ice cold water


Soak the bread in water and blend it with the garlic. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil and the vinegar and blend. Drizzle the olive oil in the blender and add the vinegar. Season with sat ad pepper to taste. You can dilute with ice-cold water to the desired consistency but make sure you re-season. Keep in mind the soup is usually thick not watery. Place the soup in a non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate at least for an hour, so the flavors meld. Enjoy immediately and do not keep for more than 2 days.

Serve garnished with finely chopped cucumber, onion, bell peppers, garlic croutons and a large dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche atop each bowl as desired.

Salsa Under Seige

Salsa is currently under siege with the advisory about jalapeño peppers. The FDA has issued an advisory to consumers to avoid eating any fresh jalapeño and Serrano peppers, or products made with them, such as fresh salsa. This has been ongoing but was strengthened by FDA inspectors discovery of a single jalapeño identified with salmonella-strain. This smoking pepper was grown in Mexico and distributed by a produce shipper in McAllen, where the inspection occurred. It is yet to be determined where in the supply chain the pepper was contaminated

So short of eating salsa without jalapeños, which is glorified tomato sauce and has been compared to kissing your sister, what can you do? First do not settle for milder peppers like the Poblano and Anaheim. You could use pickled jalapeño that is also milder and not as tasty. The Serrano pepper is a natural alternative, slightly hotter, but it’s included in the advisory since it can be easily confused with the Jalapeño.

Here are the alternatives peppers you can use in order of heat:

Guero Chile - The Guero chile is somewhat milder than the Jalapeño but still carries twice the heat o the Poblano or Anaheim.

Fresno Pepper- If you want equal heat as the Jalapeño the alternative is the Fresno pepper (pictured above). These are similar to jalapenos with thinner walls and are considered excellent in salsas.

Malagueta Pepper – The Malagueta pepper is similar in heat to the Serrano, so slightly hotter than the Jalapeño.

Habanero Chile – The Habanero is an extremely hot chile with a fruity flavor. They are at their peak in the summertime. If you want to get equivalent heat reduce the quantity used in half, compared to your Jalapeño use.

Scotch Bonnet Chile - This one is nearly identical to the Habanero, except in it’s size since it's a smaller. Similar to the Habanero, if you want to get equivalent heat reduce the quantities used by half, compared to your Jalapeño use.

So you see there are alternatives that ill allow the preparation of Salsa with a kick, a passionate kiss, without having to worry about the Salmonella issue currently embroiling Jalapeños. Be on the lookout for a full article with more details about peppers and and a delicious upcoming Salsa recipe!

Cookbook Review: Sabrosuras Boricuas

Sabrosuras Boricuas is a great resource to have in your cooking arsenal. I previously posted a recommendation of the cookbook Sabrosuras Boricuas. The author of this cookbook is Erisbelia Garriga. She states it is a blend of classic and modern Boricua recipes. Boriken is the native Taino tribe’s name for the island of Puerto Rico. Boricua derived from Boriken means from Puerto Rico. I want to give you more detail about this excellent cookbook.

First, Sabrosuras Boricuas is full of delicious recipes accompanied by great photos of the finished dishes. In addition, it has great tips the preparation and management of food invaluable for the busy cooks in the house. Every detail of the book is well thought out as evidenced by a spiral bound that allows you to work with both hands while the book stays open while you do the cooking.

The main recipe sections of the book are: Appetizers, drinks, Salads, Soups & Stews, Main Dishes, Desserts and Other Plates. This organization lends itself well to preparing a well rounded menu. You could also pick and choose things from one section to round out or complement your existing menu. The sections contain many of Puerto Rico’s classic recipes as well as modern ones used in daily cooking.

This cookbook is not a definitive resource on Puerto Rico cuisine. However, it's a great starter that will give you insights into various aspects of the cuisine of Puerto Rico.

Full of great recipes and suggestions, great functionality and colorful artwork Sabrosuras Boricuas is skillfully woven into a potent yet easy to use package. It is a great resource for cooks of beginning and intermediate levels. Sabrosuras Boricuas will help you impress your family with your newfound knowledge of "Comida Boricua".

Lechon Asado

In an effort to share more visual displays that liven the discussion of cooking I will be adding more photos to the minute gourmet blog. As a starter I thought this one from my family's cookout last Christmas would be interesting. This is a classic Puertorrican tradition of "Lechon Asado" or pork roasting over coals. This is a lengthy process that unites everybody within hours of being done since it's such a great tasting event! I can feel the crackling of the cuerito (skin) in my mouth and the combination of perfect seasoning and cooking method making for a great taste everyone enjoys.

Jalapeños Identified as Culprit, Advisory Continues

The FDA confirmed that a jalapeno pepper sample is a positive genetic match with the Salmonella strain causing the current Salmonella outbreak. The sample was obtained at a produce distribution center in McAllen, Texas and grown on a farm in Mexico. However it is still unclear where the contamination occured. This distribution center does not account for all the persons affected therefore the advisory issued earlier still remains. Elderly persons, infants and people with impaired immune systems should avoid eating raw serrano peppers or food made from raw serrano peppers until further notice. The investigation continues to determine if there is any evidence that the contamination occurred on the farm in which the pepper was grown or at anywhere esle in the supply chain before the distribution centers.

Tomatoes safe once more, Jalapeños still Suspect

After the FDA did not detect salmonella in any of the 1700 tomato samples it tested and since there are no more tomatoes coming into the market from producers that were being looked at as possible sources of contamination, the tomato warning has been lifted. However, fresh jalapeno and Serrano peppers should be avoided by young children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems. The search still continues for the culprit of the outbreak but for now tomatoes are off the hook.

Salmonella Outbreak continues...and E Coli found in Beef!

So now you can add to the tomatoes jalapeño peppers and fresh cilantro....

Weeks into the salmonella investigation, the list of foods has gotten bigger. Make sure you take care in the recommended use of these vegetables. The advice for now is to continue avoiding certain raw tomatoes — red round, plum and Roma, that is unless they were grown in areas cleared of suspicion. The elderly, people with weak immune systems and infants, who are most at risk, should not eat raw jalapeno and serrano peppers according to the Center for Disease Control. Also note Serranos peppers are also on the list because they're hard to distinguish from jalapenos.

An E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 32 people in Ohio and Michigan is potentially linked to ground beef sold in Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. A recall of all ground beef products sold at Kroger between May 21 and June 8 has been initiated.

E. coli bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomting. Recovery time is usually five to seven days. However, cases may be life-threatening and like with salmonella infants, elders, and people with weak immune systems are particularly at risk.

Make sure you carefully follow instructions provided by public health officials on what foods to avoid in order to protect yourself and your family from infection. Make sure you cook all ground beef thoroughly to 160 degrees Fahrenheit measured in the thickest part of the meat.

How to Best Freeze Meat

In order to protect your meats until the day of the BBQ here is a reminder of seven tips to follow for better taste and nutrition:

1. Thaw meats in the refrigerator a day or so before use – this helps ensure safety and preserve proteins.

2. Put foods to be frozen in the freezer as fast as you can and in the coldest part of the fridge – the faster meat freezes the better quality it will retain, faster is better.

3. Buy separate refrigerator and freezer thermometers. Keep the fridge between 34 °F and 40 °F and the freezer below 0 °F.

4. Keep the freezer as full as you can and label date frozen foods – this helps keep the temperature

5. Never refreeze meats specially seafood – Texture and taste will be affected and if completely thawed food safety might be a problem.

6. Use packaging materials made for freezing – Freezer bags/wraps help protect food and avoid freezer burn.

7. If you must freeze, buy commercially frozen products – These will generally retain their eating and nutritional qualities better than home frozen products. Your fridge will not freeze food as fast as commercial freezing processes do and they will typically freeze these when they are fresher.

All these tips translate to better taste and nutrition than you can attain at home.

Quick Tips for Great BBQ Ribs

Here are a few quick tips to make your BBQ ribs tastier and juicier. For great ribs follow these tips:

1. Marinade the meat or rub in the seasonings at least 1 hr before cooking more is better but if it’s done too long, unless it’s a tough cut, you could overpower the meat. Anywhere from one to six hours is good enough.

2. Grill ribs bone side down until the bones start to separate from the meat without turning. This is a key point that helps produce tender ribs.

3. Brush BBQ sauce or any sauce that has sugar only at the tail end of cooking.

4. Allow the ribs to sit for 10 minutes before eating or cutting this helps the meat stay juicy.

5. Use tongs to handle the meat forks will pierce the meat and allow the juices to escape. Piercing the meat reduces the flavor and moisture of the meat.

You can try this tips this weekend or the next time you grill ribs and you will see and taste the difference.

Summer Food Festivals

I was reading about the second annual Chicago Pizza Fest which features an wide choice of pizzas from deep dish to thin to stuffed. It also has live music, wine tastings, a pizza-eating contest, a “best pizza” contest, dough tossing, and a cornhole tournament. Summer is here and so are Summer Food Street Festivals.

These festivals are a great way to taste a lot of different foods at a reasonable price and great family entertainment. When you go, be adventurous and make sure you record what you and your family really likes and give those dishes a try at home. Talk as much as you can with the owners and trade opinions with the other patrons. You will be amazed at all the great information you learn and the fun you will have.

Look around your community for some of the upcoming festivals. I can vouch for the San Gennaro in NYC being a fun all-around experience but there are others you could take a look at. Get out there and have great fun for the whole family at reasonable prices.