photo by Kristen

I recently went to an "all-inclusive" resort in Mexico.  Having never been, I expected a landlocked version of the Love Boat.  I think the hotel made a good margin on us.  We didn't eat, drink or sun ourselves into a coma.  The food was actually much better than I expected (not so the margaritas) and there was something very Epcot Centerish about wandering around "Mexicoland" on the way to white sand beaches.  Not sure we will do it again, but it was a nice way to spend a few days.

We spent one day in Playa del Carmen, sitting out in the sand with a lunch of ceviche and tacos.  It’s a nice little town if you stay away from the frog place and Carlos and Charlie's.  There is something special about sitting in the shade, drinking Mexican beer and eating snacks while listening to the waves.

Truth be told, the tacos were pretty much the best food on the Love Boat.  Once we figured out where they were, we at lunch in the same spot (there were something like a dozen restaurants) .  Watching the guy cook them to order, I realized I have never seen tacos made exactly this way before.

For those of you that don't live in Texas, pico de gallo is a ubiquitous condiment/salsa made of tomatoes, onions, peppers and lime.  Replace it with any salsa you like.

I like these tacos on the small side, with corn tortillas, but they work just as well with flour.  With the smaller tacos, the fish lasts longer.  Be gentle once you starting cooking the fish to keep the batter from coming off.

Yucatan Fish Tacos

12 oz fish prepared using the recipe for Oistins Fish Fry

1 onion, long sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

White wine

Pinch of red pepper

1 avocado

Pico de gallo

Corn or flour tortillas

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.


2. Sauté the onion until the onion starts to become translucent.

1. Add the fish with a pinch of hot chili

1. Once the fish starts to warm, add a splash of wine.  Allow the wine to boil off and remove from heat.

1. Warm the tortillas on a griddle or flat pan.

1. Prepare the tacos with fish, a slice of avocado and some pico de gallo

photo by estebandid

I was really lucky at Thanksgiving this year…

I haven't had a Thanksgiving tradition, per se, in a long time.  Friends, family, friends of friends, pot lucks - Thanksgiving has been more about spending time with people than about tradition.  This year, I got to spend some time with great friends and have a fantastic meal.  Exceptional meal - perhaps the best lamb I have ever had.  Here's where the lucky part comes in - I was sent home with a huge quantity of leftovers.  Score.

There's a good chance others are dealing with large amounts of leftovers too.  Turkey sandwiches are great, but it seems like there are some interesting alternatives in the world of street food.

I chose empanadas, in part because its been a while since I made empanadas, but mostly because empanadas and meat pies need a considerable amount of protein.  This recipe would be great with any turkey meat, but I used dark meat from the legs.     

This is a spicy recipe, so if you don't like spice, cut way back on the hot pepper.  I use the same chilies that I use in chili - in this case Texas Red. 

I decided to make the shells (rather than picking up the pre-made La Salteña) and I think it was a perfect match.  If you make these, I recommend the same path.  I served these with mango salsa.

Turkey & Ham empanadas

Filling:

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dried red chili

1 tsp hot red chili, cayenne or reshampatti

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp mexican oregano

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, diced

1 cup cooked ham, diced

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.


2. Sauté the onion, garlic and bay leaves until the onion begins to soften and become translucent.


3. Add all the spices and cook for two minutes.


4. Add stock and wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.


5. Add olives, raisins, turkey and ham.  Return to a boil and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.


6. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves.  Allow to cool before finishing.


7. Finish using the recipe for finishing empanadas
   

photo by Rodrigo HerRaz

In Texas, quesadillas are everywhere.  You'll find them in bars, in cafeterias, in trailers and stands.   There is, of course, a downside.   At any moment, there are large portions of truly mediocre quesadillas being hurled upon unsuspecting party guests.  Cheese, microwave, cut, repeat.  It’s a sad but predictable circle of food. 

And yet, there is an upside to the quesadilla.  Every parent knows the power of the quesadilla to overcome the willpower of a kid turning their nose up at every meal.  They're such a perfect hush puppy. 

Quesadillas can be made with a variety of fillings, but the basic is really simple - tortillas with cheese. 

The best, in my opinion, are simple cheese quesadillas with fresh roasted Hatch green chilies.   Since those really only make their appearance in late summer, the timing is a bit limited.

photo by crd!

Once quesadillas make the jump from pacifier to adult food, you're going to need a good salsa.  There are thousands.  My personal favorite is from a long gone chicken restaurant that made a roasted habanero salsa.  Try as I might, I have never been able to recreate that recipe.

Mango salsa is so versatile and simple.  It goes perfectly with so many dishes and rarely overpowers.

Quesadillas

Flour tortillas

3 parts Monterrey Jack cheese

1 part Queso Asadero or Queso Blanco

Directions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat that has been lightly greased with butter or olive oil.


2. Put a tortilla on the skillet and let it cook for a bit.  No more than 30 seconds.  Flip the tortilla and do the same on the other side.


3. Put whatever fillings you like on the tortilla and let it cook, letting the cheese start to melt.


4. Fold the tortilla over on itself, so that it forms a half moon.


5. Flip the quesadilla until it is cooked through.  Do not burn the tortilla.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

fresh lime juice from 1 lime

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1/2 in. ginger, grated if frozen, minced if fresh

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.


2. Can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

photo by thefancyblog

Like most Americans, I grew up with the phrase "chestnuts roasting on an open fire…" and like most, never really much in the way of actual chestnuts.  In Mexico, you'll find roasted pepitas on the street and in markets -lightly roasted with salt and chili.  With Halloween coming up and pepitas in season, the time is right for these addictive little snacks.

photo by externo

These are seriously addictive.  Roast them a couple batches at a time and they won't last more than a day.  Raw pepitas are easy to find at Whole Foods and Mexican markets.

These are also excellent on salads and other meals.  I typically keep them as a snack - especially if I plan to be cooking with anyone waiting around the kitchen.

Spicy Pepitas

1 cup raw pepitas

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp red chili, I use reshempatti from India

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.


3. Spread the pepitas out on a baking sheet or large casserole dish.


4. Bake for 15 minutes.  You can make these in batches.

photo by Duane Storey

I only know Costa Rica as a surf destination.  There are a wealth of things to do, but my experience is defined by a very cheap and lazy agenda - surf in the morning, have a good breakfast, cruise through the rest of the day with nothing really pressing or important.  If the waves are good, maybe its worth going surfing some more, but in general, they're not.  Food, was rarely at the top of my list.  Maybe this is typical of beach towns, but it seemed like every meal was some form of rice.  I thought the lack of variety actually helped with the effects of decompression.  Who needs a menu?  Just let me have some arroz con pollo and an Imperial, no need to rush.

Breakfast on the beach in Costa Rica is defined by one food - Gallo Pinto.  There must be a rule that if you have a kitchen, you have to serve it.  All that availability tends to drive down the price.  Last time I was there it seemed like $1 was the going rate for a nice plate of rice and beans with seasonings.  By the end of your first stay, Gallo Pinto seemed more natural and comforting than cereal with cold milk.

The real challenge to making Gallo Pinto outside of Costa Rica is the added sauce - Lizano Salsa.  Sure, you can substitute Worcestershire sauce, but its just not going to be the same.  I've tried to make it work with simple Worcestershire and there is something missing.  Perhaps equal parts mustard and Worcestershire sauce would do the trick, but Lizano is easier to come by than you might imagine.  Just hard to find at the corner store.  In Tamarindo, sure...

Gallo Pinto

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 medium onion

1/2 red bell pepper

1-2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 in ground ginger

1 cup cooked black beans

2 cups cooked rice

4 tsp Lizano Salsa

1 tsp butter

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.


2. Sauté the onion until the onion begins to soften and become translucent.


3. Add the garlic and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.


4. Add the cumin and ginger and mix through.


5. Add the beans and cook until hot.


6. Add the rice and cook until hot.  Break up and clumps in the rive


7. Add the salsa and butter and mix thoroughly.


8. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.