Meanwhile, in ElenaLand....

Where have I been? Well, I took a spontaneous trip to Baja Norte

And snuck down to Vince's - my favorite seafood restaurant in Rosarito: 

Their Seafood Kebab is my favorite thing on the menu. The shrimp! The lobster! The calamari - huge pieces of seafood brought in fresh from the ocean, just blocks away.

We also stopped at Ceasar's on Revolución in Tijuana - 

Revived by the Plascencia family (as in Javier Plascencia, and his father Juan José), Ceasar's is the birthplace of the Ceasar Salad. Named for chef Ceasar Cardini, they've been preparing the world's most popular salad fresh, tableside since 1927. You'll find the recipe on their website, but nothing beats having it prepared at the source. As for your entrée...I absolutely recommend the duck ravioli with red wine sauce. Dark Restaurant Photos are my nemesis, but I will take one for the team and return in the name of food pics!

Just up the street from Ceasar's is the Jai Alai Palace. I'll be honest, I don't know much about Jai Alai.  I do know it's referred to as "The Fastest Sport in the World", and that I enjoy this video of an exhibition game at the Palace from 1955 - 

Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles...

My friend Faith tipped me off to the Molé Fries at Cacao Mexicantessen. Run, do not walk to this fabulous eatery in Eagle Rock. They also carry a large selection of wines from Baja's wine country, Valle de Guadalupe. 

Nestled between Altadena and Pasadena, you'll find the Oaxacan restaurant Alebrijes (1308 N Lake). Here's some of what we ordered: 

El Vampiro: beet, celery, orange, and carrot juice

Tlayuda Tradicional - a thin tortilla smeared with refried beans, cabbage, Oaxaca cheese,  tomato, avocado, and salsa.  We had ours with pork marinated in achiote seasoning. 

Chapulines - Yup, those are grasshoppers. "Chapulines" is derived from the Nahuatl word chapolin, and are most commonly prepared toasted with garlic, lime, and salt.  They are crunchy, sour, spicy, and salty. This was the first time I've had chapulines, and I would definitely eat them again. Just go for it and try not to think about it if the idea weirds you out. The earliest record of Chapulines as a snack is from the 16th Century, so if they've been around for that long, you will be fine. 

 

Now for what I've been making at home: 

BBQ Cheddar Croissant Dogs, inspired by the cheese dog at 85 Degree Bakery in Pasadena. Spread BBQ sauce on raw croissant dough, roll a hot dog up with the croissant, bake for 20 minutes in a 350F oven, sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes or until melted. You can't be fancy all the time. 

But sometimes you can be! Tonight's dinner was a quickly prepared baked salmon with balsamic mushrooms and roasted garlic polenta. 

Where are you eating?  Tell me in the comments below. To get live updates on my culinary adventures, follow me on Instagram @ElenaKimball! 

Achiote Roast Lamb, Papas Enchiladas, and The Queen of Tejano

(Amor Prohibido - Selena, Source)

You know her, you love her, and you definitely cry whenever "Dreaming of You" plays.  I always find myself reflecting on the life of Selena Quintanilla-Perez while listening to the ballad, and this year marks 20 years since she her life was tragically cut short. In this piece from All Things Considered, NPR Correspondent Cynthia Leonor Garza remembers that day and reflects on how Selena's personal style and fusion of traditional Tejano and pop music helped her connect with her Mexican heritage. 

(La Llamada - Selena, Source)

As Cynthia mentions, Selena was a trailblazer for women in Tejano music and is remembered for being one of the most celebrated Mexican American entertainers of the 20th Century. Between 1986 and 1995, she was named Best Female Vocalist nine times by the Tejano Music Awards and in 1994 she received a Grammy for her Selena Live! album. She also had two boutiques in Texas that sold her original clothing designs and offered hairstyling and manicures.  (Why couldn't I have lived in Texas in the early '90s??)

Today, she is remembered in many ways - from the Fiesta De La Flor (This April 17 & 18 in Corpus Christi, Texas!) to a recently announced hologram currrently in development.  Last week, my dad and I decided to team-cook a meal in honor of Selena's life and legacy.  

I made roast lamb using my own marinade of achiote paste, garlic, orange juice, agave necter, and apple cider vinegar. 

Achiote paste is a Mexican seasoning made from a blend of annatto seeds, Mexican oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt. It comes in a brick and is easily found in Mexican grocery stores.

The annatto seeds that give Achiote it's beautiful red color have a nutty, sweet, peppery taste that compliments anything.  It will also stain your hands and counters, though not permanently. Just be aware! 

I let the lamb marinate for about 24 hours in the fridge and let it come to room temp before roasting.  Here it is just before going into a 350F oven for about an hour and a half until it reached an internal temperature of 135F. Cooking times will vary based on the size of the leg, so use a meat thermometer to ensure the lamb is cooked to your preference. 

Meanwhile, my dad and I got to work on the Papas Enchiladas.  We used a recipe he received from a cooking class at Northgate Market.  

Basically, you let potatoes simmer in butter and olive oil and add a very simple chile sauce composed of chile de arbol, garlic, and water blended together. 

Here they are just before serving. So garlicy, so buttery, and the perfect amount of spice. The recipe is easy enough to make regularly, which is great because who doesn't want chili & garlic butter potatoes all the time? Better yet, reserve the butter after the meal and put it on anything/everything.  And the lamb?

Beautiful.  See how the achiote creates a crust on the outside? That's. The. Stuff. I added onions on the bottom to elevate the lamb a bit more, and because the idea of onions roasted in the achiote marinade and lamb fat sounded incredible. It was. 

The marinade and potato recipes are below, but first I want to share one of my favorite tracks of all time, Selena's Cumbia Medley performed live at the Houston Astrodome. 

(Cumbia Medley - Selena, Source)

Turn it up, start dancing, and get cooking!

Achiote Roast Lamb

2 3.5 oz Achiote bricks

4 cloves Garlic

1/4 c Orange Juice

1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar

3 lb boneless leg of lamb

1 medium onion, sliced

Trim any excess fat from the lamb. Blend the achiote, garlic, orange juice, agave, and apple cider vinegar together until smooth. Coat the lamb with the paste and refrigerate for 24 hours. 

Allow the lamb to come to room temperature (about an hour) and preheat the oven to 350F. Assemble the sliced onions on a rack in a roasting pan and place the lamb on top.  Insert a meat thermometer through the length of the lamb (see photo above) and roast until done to your liking: 135F for rare, 145F medium-rare, 155F medium, and 160F for well done. 

Allow the leg to rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. 

Papas Enchiladas

15 New Potatoes

4 cloves garlic

1 c butter

1/2 c olive oil

30 chile de arbol peppers (They are dried and in a bag, usually near other Mexican dried chiles)

2 c water

Garlic and Salt to Taste

Poke potatoes with a fork and set aside.  Blend chiles, garlic, and water in a blender til smooth and set aside. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the oil and pototoes, and season with garlic and salt.  Stir well, cover, and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. 

Add the blended chile marinade, stir well, and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. 

Enjoy!

Women Chefs of Ireland and Colcannon

Holiday meals are my favorite thing ever, but I've never had a St Patrick's Day meal that's kept me coming back.

When I was growing up, St Patricks Day was a holiday worthy of its own meal. Each year we went to my Grandmom's house for corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes. She cooked it all in a big pot and served it with mustard. I never looked forward to it. (Sorry, Grandmom)

Flash forward to earlier this week when I read Jessica Valenti's article at The Guardian about women chefs starting their own kitchens. Inspired by the women in Jessica's article and the opportunity for a holiday meal, I did a little research on women in Ireland's food industry.  Here's a snapshot of what I found:

Anita Thoma is the Head Chef of Dublin's Il Primo and master of Dublin's best risotto. Anita's passion for risotto began while cooking with her father, a Swiss chef who emigrated to Ireland in the 1940s. Anita talks about the key factors of a great risotto while preparing her favorite recipe, creamy smoked haddock and chive, in this snippet from the TV Show Guerilla Gourmet. 

When they opened their first itsa Bagel in 1999, Peaches and Domini Kemp imported their bagels from New York. Now the sister duo produces their bagels locally in Dublin and serves them across 7 itsa... locations. They've also added three restaurants, a cafe, and a catering company to their line up! Peaches and Domini's selection of fresh and healthy sandwiches, soups, bagels, and ethically sourced coffee highlight their commitment to health-conscious Dubliners. 

Rachel Allen is an Irish celebrity chef and author.  She studied at the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery School and debuted on RTE's Rachel's Favourite Foods.  In 2012, the University of Ulster awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in Science for her contributions to the culinary arts. 

I would like to personally thank her for the introducing me to Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale.

I used Rachel's Colcannon featured in this recipe for homemade pork sausage with colcannon and applesauce.

Take a glance at the recipe and you'll see Colcannon is very simple! Basically, if you can make mashed potatoes you can make Colcannon. I've adapted the measurements for US Chefs at the end of this post. A quick note on preparing the cabbage:

These are the stages you want to follow when slicing cabbage: Cut in half, in half again, and remove the core.  It is too stiff and fibrous to soften with the rest of the cabbage and is best discarded.  Turn the cabbage over so it lays flat and slice thinly along the exposed edge.

Mash up those potatoes and mix in some buttery cabbage with parsley. Rachel Allen has elevated bangers and mash to an elegant weeknight meal I'll be making beyond St Patrick's Day! 

(Mmmmm, potatoes)

Full disclosure: I baked some Silva Irish Bangers in the oven and used applesauce from a jar. The sausage tasted more like breakfast sausage than I was expecting, but I enjoyed the taste, texture, and snap of the casing. I never thought to add applesauce to the plate! The sweetness complimented the sausage and brought out the earthiness of the potato and cabbage. 

If your mouth isn't watering yet, listen to The Black Family perform the folk song "Colcannon"

                   

(The Black Family "Colcannon", Source)

Rachel Allen's Colcannon (Adapted for US Measurements)

3lb 5oz potatoes, scrubbed

7 Tbsp butter, divided

1lb 2oz green cabbage, shredded

1 cup hot milk

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Stretching Pizza Dough

How are your pizzas coming? Post a photo Instagram and Twitter and tag me (@ElenaKimball) so I can see!

Stretching dough can feel intimidating the first time, but there is no need! I think everyone stretches pizza dough differently, but there are some core techniques that make it easier.  This video of Chef Paul Guerrero from the Cooking School Academy in Chicago is a great demonstration of how to stretch that ball into submission:


(Source)

Thanks, PG!

Gratuitously Homemade: Pizza

My best friend and I are watching Twin Peaks together for the first time. We just finished watching "The Condemned Woman" from Season 2, and can't stop guessing what is going on in that town...

We are in a long-distance friendship, so we coordinated our schedules to enjoy an episode binge over Netflix during her dinner and my lunch. When B told me she was having pizza for dinner, my path was clear:

Pizza. Pepperoni and mushroom. With chunky tomato sauce and a homemade crust.

I've been after a soft, golden crust that reheats nicely in the oven, and this Basic Pizza Dough recipe from Chopped judge and Food Network Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli checks all the boxes. 

You mean we're going to make it from scratch?! Yup. We're focusing on the dough today because that's the scariest part. 

Fortunately, it's also easy. Just look at the first step:

Exciting

This is dry active yeast mixed with lukewarm warm (100-110F/37-43C) water. The bubbles mean we are in business. This step, called "proofing", lets us know the yeast is alive and kickin'. 

Adding the spices when only half the flour has been mixed allows you to fully incorporate their flavors into the dough. Here, white pepper and salt are balanced with the sweet honey.

Alex's recipe calls for sifting the flour, which is tedious but worth the effort.  Sifting aerates flour and eliminates clumps, so you should sift your flour if it's settled or packed into its container. You can totally use a strainer if you don't have a sifter! 

Once you've added all the dry ingredients, move to the counter.

What a beauty! This puppy is ready to sit in an olive oil coated mixing bowl for an hour and a half. This is the worst part because you are so close yet seemingly so far from amazing pizza. This is a great opportunity to do the dishes and watch more episodes of Twin Peaks while you wait patiently. 

Congratulations, you have made pizza dough! I cut this in half and put the rest in the fridge so I'm guaranteed fresh pizza twice in the same week.

Now, let's shape this thing:

This dough is nice and pliable. Make sure you have a generous amount of flour on your working surface before you begin shaping to ensure your pizza doesn't stick to the pan! To shape, press down gently on the dough ball to get a nice disk shape. Working from the center, make the disk larger by spreading your fingers and pushing the dough outward.

Pick up the dough and move your hands along the edges. Keep turning the dough as you go, gravity will help pull it. Don't forget to have fun! It's just dough. Once you have the size pizza you want, transfer it to your (preheated) pizza stone/pan and add the toppings

It's basically an enchanted forest of meat, cheese, and veggies.  I used my homemade pasta sauce, with hand crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh parsley. For a golden crust, brush the edges with olive oil before sticking in the oven. Bake in a 500F/260C oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese and crust are to your liking. 

I like my pizza to be a golden, bubbly dream that I can eat all in one sitting.

(What drama...)

Fleshy tomato chunks. Golden, chewy cheese. Soft mushrooms and fresh sliced pepperoni from Claro's Italian Market . And Alex's crust? Lightly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the base is sturdy enough to hold all those topping without sacrificing the flavor or texture. I used all-purpose flour, but I'll definitely remake this crust with bread flour.  Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose, which yields an even chewier crust.

If you exhibited restraint and have leftovers, you are basically the smartest person ever because this reheats beautifully. I put a couple slices under the broiler in the toaster oven at work for 5 minutes the next day, and I think it was even better than it was the night before! The crust maintained it's crispiness and chew, and the flavors married perfectly.

Show me how your pizza turns out on Instagram and Twitter. You'll find me @ElenaKimball!