Cinco de Mayo, Margaritas and More ...

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I love Cinco de Mayo. I’ve always celebrated!  It has meant mixing up margaritas, making tacos and guacamole and having a party or going out to Casa Molina, a great Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Arizona. It was a "big deal" around our house, rivaling St. Patrick's Day. 

When I moved to Mexico I heard that Cinco de Mayo was not celebrated here (except in Puebla where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla) since it is a celebration that originated in the Mexican-American communities in the United States to commemorate Mexican heritage and pride. 

But...it isn't just in Puebla. Our town of Alamos celebrates with parades, cowboys in white hats riding down our cobblestone streets, pretty girls dancing, lots of beer and in the arroyo - dancing horses.  The video shows it way better than words. 

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Beer seems to be the drink of the day but I am still going to serve up good old-fashioned margaritas (the Grand Marnier is traditional, right?)  Now these aren't the ones that are made with a lot of sugar and imitation lime juice.  This is a truer Margarita that uses the sweet orange liqueur and orange juice for all the sweetness it needs and fresh limes.  So don't substitute!

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Moisten the rim of a martini or margarita glass with the cut lime...
Spread Sal de Mar on a small plate
Dip the moistened rim of the glass into the salt until evenly crusted.

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Margarita Mixture:
2 oz. Milagro Silver Tequila (or any blanco tequila)
2 oz. Cointreau (not Triple Sec)
2 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. fresh orange juice

Garnish:
Lime slices
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

Add margarita mixture to a cocktail shaker.  Add ice and cover. Shake thoroughly to chill the mixture. Strain into into a Sal del Mar crusted glass with or without ice. Garnish with a slice of lime and the splash of Grand Marnier. Makes one cocktail.

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Salud!

You've Gotta Have Heart

Salted Fudge Brownies

Salted Fudge Brownies

I realize I haven’t written a blog for Sal del Mar since November (actually Thanksgiving) and here it is February ... almost Valentine’s Day. I sat at my computer almost every morning trying to decide where I should start. I’d think about grand ideas of something to make in the kitchen and and even visualize how I would stylize it,  but then I would think about other things to do and off I’d go to the market or to make a phone call.  I just kept putting it off. I’m pretty sure that I was suffering from some type of writing block.

Then several days ago I received an email from my friend and foodie, Vivian Bennett, who sent me her recipe for Salted Fudge Brownies.   I have sampled her delectable candies and pastries and also know her talent for the artistic ways she presents them (she has some of Martha in her.)  Because I am in Mexico and she is in Tucson, I re-made her recipe and photographed it. And voila, I have a blog!

I’ve missed writing and photographing and now have broken the writers block (or whatever it was).

Thanks Vivian!  And let’s collaborate more.

Salted Fudge Brownies

By Vivian Bennett (adapted from Food & Wine/Kate Krader)

“They are a fudgey, sweet-salty brownie.  The sea salt is recommended because it is less harsh and melts so nicely into the batter, accentuating the chocolatey sweetness.  I cut them into little hearts for a sweet Valentines Day surprise.”

1  ½ sticks unsalted butter

2 ounces bitter chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs

1  ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Sal Del Mar sea salt or more to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges.  Lightly butter the foil.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the bitter chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat.  Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugars, eggs, vanilla and flour.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.  Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter.  Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.

3.  Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter.  Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour. Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan.  Cut into hearts if desired or refrigerate until firm, about one hour then lift the brownies and cut into 16 squares.  Serve at room temperature.

Make ahead  The salted fudge brownies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and frozen for up to one month.

A Toast to Sal del Mar

Toast, honey and sea salt

Toast, honey and sea salt

I feel that I’ve been "living under a rock” as my friend Muriel (owner of The Hair Company in Chatham, MA)  would say, because as obsessed as I am with using Sal del Mar on everything from Bloody Marys to making meringue with it, it NEVER  occurred to me to use it on toast.

My revelation came recently in an editorial I read in Food and Wine that their features editor waited in-line for 20 minutes at a bake shop in San Francisco “just to pay $3.50 for a slice of sesame whole-wheat toast with local butter, honey and sea salt.”  It went on to say that even though it was inconvenient and expensive and a bit mockable, he was still talking about it five months later.

Pain D'Avignon, Hyannis

Pain D'Avignon, Hyannis

Thus I began my quest to pair bread, butter, honey and Sal del Mar for myself.  It began with a trip from Chatham, where I have spent the summer, to Hyannis to a bakery my husband and I discovered awhile ago.

Can you smell the bread?

Can you smell the bread?

Pain D’Avignon had the perfect bread that fit the Food & Wine description and was highly recommended to me by Andrew who waited on me.  When I told him that I wanted a bread to make the perfect toast, he sold me on their multigrain bread. It is rustic in appearance with a deep brown crust and is sprinked with seeds. 

Andrew

Andrew

Andrew told me that he personally recommended it for toast and that he has it all the time toasted with olive oil and sea salt! (I am taking him a Sal del Mar bag on our next trip to Hyannis). I definitely have been “living under a rock.”

Yum!

Yum!

So a toast to Sal del Mar...and toast!  Try it: Bread, Butter, Honey and Sal del Mar.

Pavlova Takes a Bow

Mixed Berry Pavlova

Mixed Berry Pavlova

Funny that I would choose a meringue recipe to feature on my blog when  a) it is a summer recipe and it is now September,  and  b) I am trying to write more blogs with recipes using Sal del Mar.  The Pavlova recipe is a bit of a stretch to feature Sal del Mar as an ingredient since only a pinch of salt (not even an 1/8 teaspoon) is called for in the recipe.

But I have wanted to make it since earlier this summer when Gisela Asimus, a friend and part of the Karafotas-summer-Chatham-family, introduced it to me. Gisela and her family live in London and she and her husband, Sylvain, are foodies like us.  I liked the Pavlova immediately because it is not only delicious but beautiful!  And, of course that matters to me. It is also one of the best low fat (non-gluten, too) dishes to serve with seasonal fruit.

meringue

meringue

The ingredients for Pavolva are simple....egg whites, vanilla, Sal del Mar, cornstarch, white vinegar and sugar... and when beaten into “glossy peaks” it is beautiful.  The bowl looked so delicious I wanted to lick it all.  (Okay, I admit to several.)

meringue ready to bake

meringue ready to bake

Spoon the meringue into a 9-inch circle on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. The story goes that the meringue, when spooned out into a circle, looks like a ballerina’s tutu and is thus named “ Pavlova” for a famous Russian ballerina.

baked meringue

baked meringue

The next trick is to allow enough time for the Pavlova to bake in the oven and then cool down.... without opening the oven door!  The recipe calls for 1½ hours, plus cooling in the oven.  Be prepared to not need the oven for cooking anything else.  I would plan more time next time I make it...even leaving it to cool in the oven overnight.

Pavlova

Pavlova

MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA

INGREDIENTS

4  extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of Sal del Mar

1 cup sugar (superfine is best)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Fresh berries: stawberies, hulled and sliced; blueberries and raspberries

Preheat oven to 300.

Beat egg whites and salt together with an electric mixer until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar a little at a time, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy.

Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; gently fold to combine.

Mound the meringue in the center of a 9-inch circle on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Using a spatula, evenly spread meringue out toward the edges of the cirlce. Transfer the baking sheet to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Turn off oven and let meringue cool completely in oven (overnight is best). When meringue is cool and compleately dry, top with whipped cream and desired fruits.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

(Recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

This sauce is delicious and adds a depth of elegance.

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam (12-ounce)

1 tablespoon frambroise liquer

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill

Simple is Sometimes Better

Radishes with Sal del Mar sea salt

Radishes with Sal del Mar sea salt

I have been thinking for days about what to post for a 4th of July picnic recipe. I finally had an idea flash... a crudités...something I always love to serve with barbecue picnics of hot dogs, hamburgers and corn-on-the cob.

Radishes are my favorite crudités. They are best served ice-cold and on warm summer evenings (I sometimes serve them on ice).  I use a variety of radishes, if available, especially French breakfast and baby Easter Egg radishes.

The classic way to serve them is with soft unsalted butter and, of course, Sal del Mar gourmet sea salt. Eating them with butter and Sal del Mar is absolutely decadent. (Use the European style of unsalted butter).

Of course, half the dish for me is stylizing it. Clean and trim the radishes, leaving a few pretty leaves on top. Arrange on a plate with Sal del Mar. Serve the butter in a small dish or ramekins. Simple!

Memorial Day By The Sea

Our view of Memorial Day began with sails filling the blue sky and kayaks and paddle boards dotting the blue waters on the bay where we live. There is a sense of celebration of the beginning of summer.

Our menu for Memorial Day isn’t what I grew up having . . . . hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, cole slaw, and corn on the cob.  We are having spicy shrimp with a smoked paprika mayonnaise and a watermelon salad.

WATERMELON SALAD

  • Seedless Watermelon (we used watermelon with seed and took out most of the seeds) cut into large but bite-size pieces

  • Feta cut into chunks

  • Chopped Fresh Basil

  • Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss and serve as cold as you can get it.  Add a pinch or two of Sal del Mar, of course!

Buen Provecho

watermelon salad

Our celebration of summer is only part of our day as we take time to remember how fortunate we are as Americans for the sacrifices of our brave countrymen that made our precious freedom possible.

The Hunt

The hunt is on. It is the peak season for tomatoes and I'm off to every farmers market searching up and down the stalls laden with the last of summer's bounty. Yes there are beautiful eggplant, beets, squash, arugula and green beans... but my eyes are only on the tomatoes.

I spot my favorite heirlooms and rush over to fill my bag with their vibrant red, yellow and even green succulent varieties. I buy three in one stall and five in another unable to resist leaving any behind.  My bag is so heavy that I'm almost dragging it.

I could go on till more bags are filled but stop myself with the realization that I have enough for a family of twelve and "it's just the two of us " to cook for the next week.

At home unpacking my treasures, I can't believe that I ever worried that I might have too many.

There are tomato pies to be made; caprese salads; bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches; tomato; squash; basil pastas; and gazpacho soup.

It will be time for another hunt soon.

This is the recipe I tried first. It is from "Food to Live By" by Myra Goodman. It is easy and features the garden fresh taste of the Farmer's Market tomatoes:

SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, AND BASIL

Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course

2 medium-size ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups cut into 1/2 inch dice) or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon truffle oil, or l additional tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Pinch of dried red pepper flakes Sal del Mar 1 pound dried spaghetti (I used linguini) 2 medium-size zucchini (about 8 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups) l large clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the truffle oil, basil, parsley, and pepper flakes in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Season with Sal del Mar to taste. Let the tomato mixture sit a room temperature until the flavor develops.  About 1 hour.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water (of course, with Sal del Mar) to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium size skillet over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the zucchini with black pepper to taste.

4. Drain the spaghetti into a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomato and zucchini mixtures to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more Sal del Mar and/or pepper, if needed. Serve the spaghetti warm or at room temperature.

Buen Provecho!

!VIVA RICK BAYLESS (he recommends sal del mar)!

I have at least four Rick Bayless cookbooks. He is masterful at translating traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. As you may know I live in Mexico but I never get Mexican food here better than when I make a dish from one of his cookbooks. Imagine my thrill when I received word that Chef Bayless is recommending Sal del Mar to all his followers on OpenSky.

In celebration of “the thrill,” we are going to make his recipe for Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana for dinner tonight.  Here’s his recipe… perfect for a hot summer evening.

Fiesta at Rick's Cookbook Cover

Fiesta at Rick's Cookbook Cover

Avocado-Dressed Shrimp á la Mexicana Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate, Makes about 3 cups

This version of Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate uses sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.  You'll find the original recipe in the Fiesta at Rick's cookbook.  The oil packed sun-dried tomatoes won't work well in this recipe.  Look for the recipe ready version which is usually sold in the produce section of select grocery stores.  They come in a re-sealable package.

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 oz. medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, rinsed under cold running water and drained

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped recipe ready sundried tomatoes + extra for garnish

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice

  • Hot green chiles to taste -- usually 3 serranos  or 1-2 jalapenos, stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 1 medium, ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin

  • 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro, thick bottom stems cut off + extra for garnish

  • Sal del Mar to taste

  • Mini baked tostadas (we like the Sanissimo brand)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, and 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes. Measure the lime juice into a food processor or blender. Cover and turn on.  Drop the chiles and when chopped, turn off and scoop in the avocado and cilantro. Process until smooth. Thin to a "creamy dressing" consistency with water, usually 2-3 tablespoons. Taste and season with Sal del Mar, usually about 1 teaspoon.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Mix the dressing into the shrimp mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the shrimp and refrigerate.  When you're ready to serve, scoop onto the mini tostadas and decorate with cilantro and diced sundried tomatoes.

Buen provecho!