Vernacular Gastronomy

Here at ANF we realize that great literature and great food go hand in hand. In fact food often creates its own story. There is a history behind the foods we eat and the methods we use to prepare them. As American Non-Fiction’s resident chef my goal is to bring the food to the table and the fiction, well that’s always plentiful here!

Hemmingway was a great lover of food. His most notable food quote comes from A Moveable Feast.

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”

My goal is to show you the way to losing the empty feeling so that you, too, can be happy and make plans.

May the 5^th Anyone?

First on the agenda, tackling the culinary bazaar of Cinco De Mayo. Most often mistaken for Mexico’s Independence Day, Cinco De Mayo is in fact the celebration of the Mexican victory over the French in 1862’s Battle of Puebla.

Across this continent parties are thrown on both small scale and large to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. From a simple bucket of ice cold Mexican beer and some buddies to a block-party full of dishes from your whole neighborhood’s collective recipe book, this holiday stands alongside the summer grilling monsters: July 4th, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Whether you’re feeding a family of four or in search of an item to bring to a pot-luck, the ANF test kitchen has something for you.

Carne Asada and Mojo Crillo Chicken Puffy Tacos
Chicken Chile Verde w/Cilantro-Garlic Rice
Tres Leches Cake
Mango-Cilantro Margarita

First things first. What is a puffy taco? I had my first puffy taco in new mexico when I was driving cross-country with a friend back in 1998. It was rather small about 5” in diameter, puffy, light and crispy. Essentially a puffy taco is a doughy corn tortilla fried in oil instead of cooked flat on a hot griddle. A spatula or spoon placed in the center of the taco creates the gentle fold or dip in the center where the filling is placed.

Once you see how easy it is to make your own tortillas at home you will want to make this recipe more often. Puffy taco shells will hold well resting on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes so you can make several and keep them warm slightly ahead.

Puffy Tacos

2 Cups fresh masa OR instant corn flour (Maseca or Quaker masa harina)
1 1/3 Cups warm water (if using instant masa)
1/4 cup lard
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon of dried thyme
tortilla press (or rolling pin and plastic wrap)
comal or flat griddle/cast iron skillet heated to 375 degrees
peanut oil (heated to 375 or until a wooden spoon or chopstick touched to the bottom of the pot for 5 seconds, rapidly creates dozens of tiny bubbles – don’t worry it won’t create splatter) for frying

I like to work directly on my countertop when making doughs, you may also do this in a large glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. It’s important to let the lard (you may use an equal amount of plain Crisco shortening instead of lard but you will not get the same flavor) come to room temperature before you make your taco dough.

Mix the fresh masa or masa harina corn flour with the baking powder, salt and thyme. Slowly add the warm water and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Work in the
warmed lard.
.
If the mixture seems too crumbly, add more water a little at a time. If the dough sticks to your hand, it is too wet and you will need to add a little more masa.

When the dough feels, “just right” it will be not too wet and not too crumbly. Put it into a plastic bag, seal and let stand for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, pinch off a piece of the dough about 1 1/2 inches and form into a smooth ball with the palms of your hands. Keep the remaining dough in the plastic
bag to prevent it from drying out.

Open the tortilla press and lay a piece of plastic wrap or sandwich bag on the bottom half. Next, place a single ball of dough on the plastic in the center and place another piece of plastic wrap (or sandwich bag) on top of the ball and flatten slightly with your hand.

Close the press firmly, then open. Dampen your hands with a little water and peel the top bag off the tortilla, then lift the bottom plastic bag up with the tortilla still on it. Transfer the tortilla, dough side down, to your dampened hand. With your free hand, carefully peel the bag off the dough.

If you are using a rolling pin, place balls of dough on plastic wrap, press down with your palm to flatten and then place another sheet of plastic wrap over it. Use the rolling pin to press the tortilla about 1/8” thick.

Place the tortilla carefully onto the hot comal (or cast iron skillet) and let cook for 20-30 seconds. Turn over and cook for another
20-30 seconds. With a spatula, remove from the comal and gently place in the hot oil.

Let fry for about 20 -30 seconds, then with a metal spatula or slotted spoon gently flip the flat tortilla over in the hot oil. Using a pair of metal tongs or the back of a large metal slotted spoon, place in the middle of the taco and gently push down to form a ‘V’ with the tortilla. Let fry for a about 1 minute, but not until completely crisp. Remember you will be holding these in a 200 degree oven.

Carne Asada

This recipe can be assembled inside the gallon Ziplock bag you will use to marinate the meat. Skirt steak, Ranchero and Diaz Millo are all excellent cuts for carne asada. You are looking to produce a well-done steak here which is why a thinner cut with excellent marbling is choice.

For once it’s a good thing to eliminate all the pink in the middle. You will be slicing this steak into thin strips on the bias (against the natural grain of the meat) once it comes off the grill.

For the marinade, per pound of steak, you will need:

3 lemons
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 medium yellow onion
kosher salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Rinse your steak under cool water, pat dry with paper towel. Salt and pepper the meat to your personal preference and place inside your Ziplock bag.

Briskly smash your garlic with the broad side of your knife to flatten the clove and break it open, chopping it will only make more work for you later when you remove your steak from the marinade. Put the garlic into the Ziplock bag

Rinse the cilantro several times in a large bowl of water in the sink. Cilantro requires a little more time to clean than other fresh herbs as it is a magnet for grit and soil and nothing ruins a dish like the agonizing crunch of dirt. Crush the cilantro in your hands once it’s clean and rinsed, squeeze it into a ball to help it release its flavor and toss it into the large/gallon Ziplock bag.

Juice your lemons directly into the bags, don’t worry about seeds, they won’t find their way onto the grill.

Slice your onion into 1/4″ rings as they lay flat this way and can press up against the meat to lend their flavor. If you have a fancy-pants propane grill with a griddle alongside you may want to reserve these onions once the meat hits the grill and cook them on the griddle-top. If you are grilling on a standard grill you will find it’s easier to just discard them with the rest of the marinade.

Add the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Remove as much air from the bag as possible, zip the top and use your hands to gently massage the marinade around the bag and into the meat. Place in your refrigerator for at least 2 hours but do not exceed 6 hours. Take steak out of the fridge 20 minutes before grilling and remove any onions, garlic or cilantro that may have stuck to the steak, before it hits the grill.

Chop the steak and serve atop your Puffy Taco with your favorite condiments. I recommend guacamole, chopped raw onion or a fresh salsa and some sour cream.

Mojo Crillo Marinade for Chicken

(enough for 1 to 2 pounds of chicken, double recipe for 3 or more pounds)

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 12 limes
juice of 4 large navel oranges + the zest of 1
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
8 garlic cloves smashed
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper/or 50 grinds of your pepper mill

Combine all ingredients in a gallon size Ziplock storage bag with up to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours or up to 24, in the refrigerator. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 faranheit or until the juices run clear when you cut into the thickest part.

You will want to chop the thighs into ½” pieces or smaller so they rest on top of your puffy taco without falling off. Top your mojo crillo chicken with your favourite salsa or guacamole recipe.

Chicken Chile Verde is a moderately mild to aggressive stew. The heat can be adjusted easily with the addition of more jalapenos to increase the heat factor or omit one or 2 jalapenos and replace with one extra mild Anaheim chile. This recipe keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and when made in a Dutch Oven can go straight from fridge to stovetop or oven.

Chicken Chile Verde

3 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Cups chopped onions
3 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 Cups chopped fresh Anaheim chilies* (about 4)
2 green bell peppers, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
5 Cups chicken stock + ½ Cup reserved* (pre-made stock is available in foil-lined paper cartons in your store’s soup aisle next to the broth)
2 Tablespoons corn starch* reserved
12 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
3 jalapenos, sliced (remove seeds if you prefer)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tablespoon dried
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

This recipe works best in a 5qt (or larger) Non-Stick or Enameled Cast Iron, Dutch Oven.
I like to serve it over rice with a few smashed raw garlic cloves and a handful of fresh cilantro into the cooking water.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. You are not cooking the chicken all the way through, just browning the outside. Chicken will stew once all the ingredients are added. Transfer to large bowl and set aside. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken and add to large bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add Anaheim chilies, jalapenos and green bell peppers. Sauté until they’re tender, about 4 minutes.

Add chicken, tomatillos, and onions back into the Dutch Oven. Add the chicken broth (reserve ½ cup) oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika and cinnamon to the pot. Bring liquid to boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. For a thicker stew mix 2 Tablespoons of corn starch and the remaining ½ cup of chicken stock together to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the stew, simmer another 10 minutes and serve.

Tres Leches Cake is a popular Latin dessert. The name Tres Leches comes from the addition of 3 types of, “milk” in the recipe. It is a delightfully light and fluffy cake with a sweet taste. The addition of a little rum in the sweet glaze really adds to the fun.

Tres Leches Cake

1 1/4 Cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup oil
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups of whole milk
1 Cup of sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 Cups of heavy cream
1 Tablespoon rum OR 1 teaspoon of rum flavor/extract
1 pinch salt

Combine flour and baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl or bowl fitted for an electric mixer, combine the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk, then gently fold in the flour mixture a little at a time.

Pour batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool until it feels room temperature.

Turn it over onto a platter with raised edges. Pierce cake with a fork or chopstick 20-30 times. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.
Whisk together 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of heavy cream and the rum or rum extract. Slowly pour over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Occasionally, spoon the milk runoff back onto the cake.

In a mixing bowl add remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Beat until peaks form. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream over each slice of cake.

Mango Cilantro Margarita

(makes 2 drinks)
1/2 small mango, pitted, peeled, chopped (substitute 1 Cup of thawed frozen mango)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup 100% blue agave silver tequila
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons Simple Syrup (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier other orange liqueur
2 cups ice cubes, divided
Fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

Combine mango and cilantro leaves in medium bowl. Press firmly on the solids with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and Cointreau/Grand Marnier, then 1 cup ice. Stir to blend well. Strain into large glass measuring cup. Divide remaining ice between 2 tall glasses. Pour Margarita mixture over. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

*simple syrup recipe
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Stir sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Cool. The syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Well kids, that’s all she wrote for now. This is my first post here at American NonFiction and I’m looking forward to bringing you more ideas and recipes in the months ahead. Not just for holidays but for dinner parties and get-togethers of all kinds. I hope you all get a chance to try these recipes, if not for this weekend’s celebration, then sometime in the near future.

While the above listed recipes may seem difficult, I assure you they’re quite simple. You will be excited to have leftovers but with these crowd pleasers it’s rare to see anything but empty plates!

So here at American Non-Fiction we urge you to take this holiday opportunity to gather with friends and loved ones or volunteer to bring one of these dishes to your neighborhood block party. Feel free to drop me a line here at ANF and tell me about your awesome Cinco party ideas, maybe next year you’ll see your recipe posted!

Get your hands dirty and let your inner chef come out to play!

Lizzie