Bittersweet / Agridulce

This week at work was filled with mixed emotions for me. We said goodbye to my best friend at work, Brian, who was promoted to a better, more important job.  Although I'm very happy for him and I wish him the best in his new job, I'm feeling very sorry for myself because I'm going to miss him a lot.

Let me introduce you to my friend: 

His name is Brian but it should be BRAIN. He is one of the smartest guys I've known. Brian loves computers and he is very good with most computer applications, his favorite is Microsoft Excel. I often walked into Brian's office and started talking to him about an idea I had to make the job easier but I needed a spreadsheet or a special tool made in Excel. He would ask me; "what do you need?" and while I was talking, he would have his fingers on the keyboard and before I knew it, in a matter of minutes he had my tool and had given me a crash course on how to use it. He is that good!

He was my fellow supervisor for several years and we enjoyed a friendly rivalry. He didn't like it when I didn't know how to do my job because he had to help me but he secretly enjoyed telling me what to do. I let him think I didn't know my job so he could feel good about himself.  Brian loves football games. I knew when he attended one because he always lost his voice from yelling too much. He pretended to be sick but I knew he was at the game the night before. 

I had a lot of fun all these years and I was very fortunate to have worked with Brian. During challenging times I could always count on him to listen and to give good advice. Everyone in the office is losing a good asset and I'm losing a fine friend. 

On the other hand, I'm extremely happy for Brian; he deserves a big promotion and a big celebration! We said goodbye to him with a potluck to celebrate his promotion and to let him know how much everyone appreciates him. Potlucks in my office are the best. We always have delicious food and lots of it! Here are some pictures of the food we had and the recipe of the dish I prepared for my friend.

Mediterranean Salad

Watermelon

Turkey Wraps

 Turron Filipino

Baba ghanoush

Oriental Salad

Fresh Strawberries

Multicolor Beans

Multicolor Bean Salad

8 sundried tomatoes (I used the ones packed in a bag, without oil)

1 can black beans (29 oz.)

1 can white cannellini beans (15 oz.)

1 each; red, yellow and green bell peppers

1 red onion

½  cup chopped parsley

Finely chop sundried tomatoes and place them in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and soak for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile drain and rinse beans in cold water. Drain well and place them in a salad bowl. Finely chop peppers and onions and add to the bowl. Drain chopped tomatoes and add to the salad bowl. Stir in the parsley and set aside.

For dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sumac (can be substitute with lime zest or any other dried herb)

½ teaspoon salt

Place all these ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well to blend. Add to bean mixture. Toss to coat all the vegetables. Serve at room temperature.

Sorrow Tastes Better with Bread / Las Penas con Pan son Buenas

June has been one very difficult month for me and my family. We have suffered the surprising death of Ray, my beloved brother-in-law, and two weeks later the death of my beloved father-in-law, Meredith, who was a second father to me. And as if that wasn't enough, I almost lost my mother who suffered two heart attacks in one week and was hospitalized while we were on needles and pins.

There's a saying in Spanish that goes, "God squeezes but he doesn't suffocate." I believe it because my mother survived and is recovering at home and I can breathe easier, now. Another saying says, in translation, "Sorrow tastes better with bread." So for my brother- and father-in-law, we will remember them with love while sharing meals of the foods they loved to eat.

My brother-in-law loved Honey Nut Cheerios. He also loved refried beans and guacamole dip. In these last days and weeks I have cooked beans for the family and the other night Rich and I had Honey Nut Cheerios to remember Ray. We ate them from big bowls with milk, in the kitchen, standing up as he used to do. It was a homage to our dearest Ray in the last day that his body was in this world. He was cremated that morning. 

My father-in-law was an expert at preparing pancakes. I have a small recipe book that he wrote including several recipes of pancakes. Surely, Rich and I will enjoy them - while remembering him - for many years at our Sunday breakfasts. In his last months my father-in-law enjoyed desserts very much; sweet dishes were sometimes all he would eat. A few weeks ago Rich and I prepared a cake of crepes with ricotta cheese and a blueberry sauce that he would have loved. We didn't have time to share it with my father-in-law but I am sure that whenever I eat a dessert I will remember him with love.

Thank God my mother and mother-in-law are still with us. But because of her heart condition my mom's diet has to be more strict and she cannot eat too many sweets or foods high in fats or salt. So, I have prepared a very healthy recipe for her that is perfect on these warm summer days. I'm sharing the recipe here.

Tomatillo Salad with Mango and Orange

3 Large tomatillos, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 Mango, peeled and chopped

3 Small oranges, peeled and segmented

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

2 Tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Summer Salads

I am very excited about the food growing in my back yard. Ever since I sowed the first seeds, I've been going out almost every morning to survey my back yard in search of new ripe veggies. I keep looking at my fennel and inspecting my carrots and zucchinis, waiting for the day I can pick something to eat. It is an inexplicable feeling but I really enjoy seeing how things take shape in my garden. I have been eating the fruits of my labor for several weeks now. I'll tell you, it is not bad for an inexperienced gardener! Things are tasting mighty good!

I made this salad with my first summer squash and tomatoes. Just thinly slice the squash and halve the tomatoes. Toss them with some avocado oil and season them with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh mint.

With these three ingredients I prepared another salad. Roast some beets in a 400° oven for 25 minutes. When cool, peel and slice them. Clean and slice the fennel and the tomato. Arrange all three ingredients on a plate and season with salt and ground black pepper plus a little bit of sumac. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half lemon. Garnish with fennel fronds.

Mmm, summer salads, what a treat!

Verdolagas - A Weed Worth Eating

Last year Rich and I saw verdolagas at the farmers' market for the first time and learned the English name; Purslane. Verdolagas is a very common thing to eat in Mexico where it is sold in most groceries stores but it is hard to find in San Diego stores. Luckily, it grows wild everywhere. A long time ago, before Rich became a vegetarian, I used to prepare this green leaf and red stem plant in a stew with shrimp. My mother, as most people I know, prepares it with beef backbone in a red chile sauce (verdolagas con espinazo). It is delish!

One day, while cleaning my garden, I discovered a new weed growing. I was very excited when I recognized this weed as Verdolagas. I decided to let it grow to harvest at a later day, and that day came! Since Rich doesn't eat meat anymore and I wanted the dish my mother used to make, I called my brother Cuco and his family to come and join me in my feast of verdolagas (I had a lot!). They brought the meat and I had the rest.

I didn't want Rich to miss the flavor of verdolagas that he used to like so much. We looked up a recipe from epicurious that uses uncooked verdolagas, grilled zucchini, tomatoes and parsley. This was the first time I ate uncooked verdolagas, I liked them.

If you recognize this weed and have it growing in your garden, don't just pull it, try to cook with it. I think you'll enjoy it.

Purslene with Backbone Stew

3 lb. backbone, beef or pork

1.1/2 medium onion

5 cloves of garlic

3 red dried chilies (california)

1 lb. tomatillo (about 6 medium)

4 bunches of fresh purslane, cleaned (from your garden or buy at the farmers' market)

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add backbone and cover with water. Add 1 onion cut in half and 3 cloves of garlic. Add salt to taste and cook at low heat for 1-2 hours or until the meat is tender.

In a medium pot, add the red chilies, 2 cloves of garlic, tomatillo, and half of onion. Cover with water and cook for 15 minutes. When cooked, process in a blender with salt and pepper to taste. Put the sauce through a strainer to separate the solids. Reserve aside.

When the meat is cooked, add the sauce to the stew and let it come to boil for 5 more minutes. If needed, add more salt and pepper. Add purslane, turn the stove off and cover. Purslane will cook with the heat of the stew and would be ready to serve in 3 minute. Serve hot accompanied with beans and corn tortillas.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Purslane and Tomato (from Epicurious)

1 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest

3 Tsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tsp finely chopped shallot

1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing zucchini

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 Tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 zucchini, halved lengthwise

12 oz purslane, thick stems removed (4 cups)

10 oz pear or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Dressing:

Whisk together zest, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, and salt in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisk until dressing is emulsified. Whisk in pepper and parsley.

Grill zucchini:

Lightly brush zucchini all over with oil. When fire is hot, grill zucchini about 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Transfer to a board and cut in 1/2-inch slices.

Toss zucchini with purslane, tomatoes and dressing in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

Good Eats!/ ¡Sabrosuras!

Lent is a time during which my family, as many Christian believers, focuses on religious disciplines of penance, prayer, renunciation, and charity.

It is a period of 40 days in which Catholicism suggests we give up the consumption of red meat (beef and pork). This is mostly observed on each Friday between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday. However, my family always tries to cook without red meat throughout the whole 40 days, which to me, means good eats!

All kinds of sea food - Fish or Shrimp Ceviche, Tortitas de Camaron con Nopalitos (dry shrimp patties with cactus), Fish Soup, Cactus Salad, Chiles Rellenos, and the traditional Capirotada (a kind of bread putting) are some of the favorites. This food is readily available throughout the year but is traditionally prepared during Lent. Most of the time the food is simple and easy to prepare but there are some dishes that are more complicated. While my mother and sisters are experts when it comes to preparing complicated Lenten food, I usually stick with the simple ones. But just because they are simple doesn't mean they are less flavorful, they are de-li-cious!

These two recipes are very similar but one is completely vegetarian. These are recipes that every Mexican knows and people add their special twist to them. I love them both!

Shrimp Ceviche

2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and heads removed

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 green jalapeño pepper, seeds removed

3 large radishes

1 small red onion

4 green scallions

3 tomatoes

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. black pepper

salt to taste

1-2 T. olive oil

Clean and chop the shrimp in small pieces the size of a garbanzo bean. Spread out the shrimp in a non-metallic bowl and completely cover with lemon juice. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

After the 8 hours the shrimp will be completely cooked. Drain in a colander to remove the excess lemon juice. Pat it dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Cut the jalapeño, radishes, red onion in a small dice and thinly slice the scallions. Halve the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds, then dice in small pieces . Finely chop the cilantro. Add all these ingredients to the shrimp and mix to combine. Season with garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Stir in the olive oil. Serve on tostadas as a main meal or eat with corn chips as an appetizer.

Nopalitos Salad

4 fresh nopalitos (cactus pads)

1/2 c water

1/2 onion

3-4 sprigs of cilantro (flat leaf parsley can be a good substitute)

1 garlic clove

1 small lemon, sliced

1 green or red jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, diced in small pieces

3 small radishes, diced in small pieces

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced in small pieces

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

2 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Holding each cactus pad with one hand (use gloves or kitchen tongs), cut off the bumps that contain the thorns with a sharp knife. Rinse the cactus well and then dice it. Place in a saucepan over the stove, add 1/2 onion, sprigs of cilantro, garlic clove, and lemon slices. Pour in the water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cactus changes color. Drain and rinse a couple of times with cold water, discard the onions, garlic, cilantro and lemon slices. Place the cooked cactus in a large bowl, add the jalapeño, scallions, white onion, radishes, tomatoes and cilantro. Mix to combine all ingredients. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on tostada shells as a main dish or use as a side dish or salad.

Note: Fresh nopales can be bought in Mexican grocery stores and sometimes in Farmers' Markets. Canned nopalitos can substitute for fresh. They come in a jar, packed in water or vinegar and are sold in most major supermarkets.