Zest Fest 2011

I decided last minute to make a trip up to Zest Fest 2011, it's only a 4 hour drive and I knew I would be kickin' my booty if I didn't make it.  My deepest fear was how evil the weather would be in Northeast Texas and I think that the week of this year's Super Bowl  showed us just how it.  I beat the Blast and the weather was perfect.

The Zest Fest 2011 was actually in Irving at the very brand new Las Colinas Convention Center, a beautiful structure almost completely laced with copper.  The Zest Fest being the first event for the venue, you could tell that they were still working out issues in the background if the road construction in the area didn't give you a clue.  Personally, I had no complaints except the address was so new my GPS didn't recognize it.  I still don't know how I missed that building as I drove!  DOH!

My mission was low key, I just wanted to taste and acquire some good fiery stuff, see folks I know that had traveled miles to be there and meet up with my friend, Kathy, also a Chile Head.  I was not disappointed.  I attended the awards dinner, I met new friends, had a very nice lunch at an obscure little Mexican restaurant called Avila's and came home with a some products of fire and a stack of Chile Pepper Magazines to add to my collection.

My only disappointed was when I realized that my photos were few but I do have a bit of consolation in that Kathy was better and got a bit of video.  Thank you, Kathy!

I will have to admit that I do believe that my favorite booth was Jimmy Luv's Bloody Mary Mix.  One of the best I have every tasted and they were very generous with their samples. A mix good Jimmy took home 1st Place for Beverage Mix.   Of course, I brought some home to spread the Luv!

And it was good to see Mr. and Mrs. Flaming Joe

And one of my highlights of the trip was to the Mustangs of Las Colinas, a very powerful sculpture or really a set of many, placed in a plaza of some office buildings. 

One more stop on my way home was near Huntsville to stand at the foot of the statue of General Sam Houston as he stands tall in the pines of East Texas.  Seeing as March 2nd is the 175th Anniversary of Texas's Declaration of Independence from Mexico and the General's date of birth, I found it time I make that stop.

You can visit some of my other Zest Fest road trip photos at my Picasa.

So!  where will my next road trip be?

Happy Trails!
Beth in Texas

SOS - Savory Waffles As A Shingle

Yes, SOS aka Shit on a Shingle, that old military improvisation of gourmet dining that found it's way to civilian tables for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  While I never recall having the original version of creamed chipped beef on toast, I do remember my family's version which was typically leftover roast on toast with brown gravy.  It still brings very warm memories of comfort food and dinner with the family.

The recent Arctic Blast that sat around here for a few days makes one crave warm comfort food, especially those with childhood memories.  I had picked up a HUGE pork butt just before the frozen tundra had moved in and had been wanting to try my hand at Savory Waffles, some not sweet and could bring a bit of heat.  After searching the www I found a recipe that I could use for my own improvisation of SOS.  

The pork butt was easy in my trusty stock pot and sure that I would have a sea of chili gravy, a recipe I will share another day.  The Savory Waffle had to meet my expectations and carry such a heavy load in honor of our Armed Forces contribution to the culinary world and more.  After all, the Savory Waffle was to be the vehicle to deliver the pork!

Spicy Savory Waffles

1-1/2 C     all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp  baking powder
1-1/2 tsp  baking soda
1/2 tsp     salt (or more to taste)
2 tsp        sugar
2 tsp        chipped chives, optional (or dried, for convenience)
1 cup        milk
1 cup        sour cream
2              eggs, large
4 tbs        butter, melted & divided
2 tbs        jalapeno, finely chipped (or dried, for convenience)
1 tbs        chili powder

Preheat waffle iron, preheat oven at low setting to keep waffles warm as they cook

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.  In another bowl, mix milk, sour cream, eggs, 1/2 half of the melted butt and jalapeno together and pour into the well in the dry ingredient bowl. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry with just enough turns to keep from over mixing.

  

Brush waffle iron with a little of the melted butter and cook waffles until batter is gone.  Keep waffles warm and crisp in the low-heat oven while they all griddle.

This recipe should make 12 waffles, it made 8 "Texas" size waffles.

Of course, don't forget to "get your shit warm" while you prepare the waffles.

The leftover waffles stored in a plastic bag and were very yummy after toasting in the oven.  Try some salsa as a topper for another variation of SOS, Salsa on a Shingle.

I was very pleased with the outcome of my nice warm Shit on a Shingle and even more pleased when I was able to toast the waffles for another meal.  There was enough pork and chili gravy to take me into Spring.  Yes, I got some in the freezer, ready for the next Arctic Blast should it come.

Be brave, get that waffle iron warmed up.  If I can do it, anyone can!

Happy Comfort Food!

Beth in Texas

Black Eye Peas - Not Just For New Years

From the Legumes Are Good For You Department - Black-Eyed Peas!  High protein, low fat, good carbs; these slightly sweet little beans are the New Years Day tradition of the South, the Legumes of Luck.

I was tardy with my pot of BEPs this New Year 2011, I had almost forgotten until I saw bags of fresh BEPs at the market.  My mind had been on a pot of Texas Red chili but the BEPs were a must, no matter New Years had passed. While black-eye peas have no place in a pot of chili there is no reason not to put the chiles in a pot of peas.

(pictured over white rice and served with Beer Bread Muffins and Texas Rio Ruby Grapefruit)

Black-Eye Peas in Chile Gravy

1      11 ounce      Packet of fresh black-eye peas*
2      14 ounce      Cans Beef Stock
1      cup              Water, hot
1/2   cup              Bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2   large            Red onion
1      gloves          Garlic
1      pod              Ancho chiles, dried & deseeded
1      pod              Guajillo chiles, dried & deseeded
2      pods            Pasilla chiles, dried and deseeded
5      pods            de Arbol chiles, dried & deseeded (add more for heat)
1      tsp              Salt
1      tsp              Black pepper, ground
1      tsp              Cumin, ground
1      cup              Water, cold
1/2   cup              Flour
1      cup              Queso fresco, crumbled
                           White rice, cooked (optional)

Soak chiles in hot water for 1 hour.  Add chiles, their broth, onion and garlic to blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

In 5 quart pot, cook black-eye peas, chile puree, beef stock, bacon, salt, pepper and cumin per instructions or until peas are tender.* 

Stir until smooth the cold water and flour, adding more water if too thick.

Slowly, add flour and water mixture to the pot of peas, stirring continuously, adding flour mixture until desired consistency.  Bring heat up and serve when ready.

Top servings with queso fresco  Serve with warm tortillas or with rice, ham, cornbread and/or greens. 

*Substitute 2 cans of black-eye peas, drained. 

The slight sweetness of the peas, the texture of the rice and the rich smokiness of the chiles made this my first comfort food of 2011!  The queso fresco does not truly melt and made for a very nice layer of smoothness.

I think these black-eye peas would be good anytime, especially in the cold winter, not just for New Years.


Happy New Year 2011!
Beth in Texas

Elvis Presley & Martina McBride - Blue Christmas

Chili-Lime Pecans

Recently, I found a copy of Southern Living I had not read yet.  Buried in the Food section was "12 New Ways With Pecans".  All of the "ways" are so appetizing but when I see chili & lime in a recipe, it's  a "gotta make".  After all, it is the Holidays and this is Texas and pecans are a standard, I always welcome a spiced pecan recipe with no sugar or egg.

Chili-Lime Pecans
Southern Living - November, 2009

Stir together
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
Add 3 cups pecans; toss

Spread in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350º for 12 to 14 minutes or until pecans are toasted adn dry, stirring occasionally.  Cool completely.

My notes:  The lime juice is key, used fresh squeezed it possible.  The first batch I made to recipe and it could use more heat.  The next batch,  I eliminated the paprika and substituted more cayenne and even more salt and chili powder.  Smoked paprika or other chile would be excellent.  I have a feeling that this recipe would work with other nuts especially almonds and pistachios.

By the way, these Chili-Lime Pecans are a perfect beer snack, particularly served with Shiner Bock or Dos Equis.
















Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns


Beth in Texas
Snacked Out On Pecans

The Cachucha, Sofrito And A Quesadilla Maker

Cachucha - Bountiful Harvest 2010
Sofrito - On My Recipe To Make Wish List
Quesadilla Maker - Tool On Hand To Make A Cuban Ham Sandwich

The Cachucha is an aji dulce, a seasoning pepper of the Capsicum chinense species, similar flavor and aroma of a Habanero-type chile sans the heat.  The Cachucha is popular in Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine as is the Sofrito, of which the Cachucha is a key ingredient.  I originally found the pods in the Fiesta market years ago and 2010 was going to be the last year I would be able to carry on this strain.  Besides qualities of a heatless habanero, I have always loved the curious squashed shape of the Cachucha.  By the way, I was told that Cachucha translates to "little hat" in Spanish.  That makes sense!

I found a recipe I though sounded authentic and gathered the ingredients, including the ripe Cachucha I had recently harvested.

Sofrito (recipe found at AllRecipes.com by Fivebrigs

 
Ingredients

    * 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
    * 1 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
    * 10 ajies dulces peppers, tops removed
    * 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
    * 4 onions, cut into large chunks
    * 3 medium heads garlic, peeled
    * 25 cilantro leaves with stems
    * 25 leaves recao, or culantro
    * 1 tablespoon salt
    * 1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

In a food processor, combine green peppers, red peppers ajies dulces, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Add cilantro, recao, salt, and pepper. Process to the consistency of semi-chunky salsa (not watery). Place in a ziplock freezer bag, and use as needed, or freeze in portions.

Fivebrigs Comment: 

"Sofrito is the base for most Puerto Rican dishes, and this one is better than store bought (difficult to find in the stores in the Western United States). This can be added to beans, rice, soups, stews, you name it."

My Notes:  I suppose my version was not so authentic, I did not have the culantro so I added more cilantro.  This makes a very large batch and it does freeze very well.  I added some to sour cream and cream cheese for a dip, very good.  I really like all of the garlic in the recipe.

 Here you can see that wonderful Sofrito on my Cuban Ham Sandwich
 Now read more to see how that Cuban sammie came out.....

A Piquillo Personality

Like the Oaxacan chiles, the Piquillo was a star performer this year.  I stepped it up to a 10 gallon container and that did the trick.  Of course, I wanted the seed for Peppermania but I was just pleased to have fresh pods for munching.  With their sweetness makes, many became salad and pasta companions, the rest ended up in the freezer for the near future's smoke out.

I am not into stir fry put if I was the Piquillo would be a perfect candidate.  I have never had them out of the can or jar where they come packed in oil, nor did I stuff any of my harvest.  If I had found this recipe before they landed in the deep freeze, I would have tried this with them fresh.



Very similar to roasting the New Mexican pods.  And now that you have roasted your harvest, view on for a simple recipe for tapas.....

Sleeping On The Pod

Well, not actually sleeping on the "pod" but I looked out the back door recently to find one of my cats, The Monkey, sleeping on the grill with his paw clutching a Pasilla pod I had out there drying.  I went to grab the camera and of course, he was nerved when I opened the door to take the shot.  I just like this photo of my boy and Monkey now thinks he is famous.

It takes a whole lot more that a ripening chile pod to get my old cats to play but there was a day when they would find lost pods on the floor and make a fun time swatting it around.  Eventually, I would find it dried up under the hutch along with the rabbit fur mousies.

Beth in Texas and The Monkey Gumbo

The Chiles of Oaxaca

Some of our most requested chile seeds are for that of the Chiles of Oaxaca, Mexico.  To be specific, the Chilhuacles, the heart and soul of the Oaxacan moles.  The most sought after being the the very rare Chilhuacle Negro.  I don't know for certain how word spreads of these lovely varieties, rather it be a cooking shows, foodie forums, blog posting or recipe sites, but I can always tell when these lovelies come up in discussion because I get spurts of inquiries for seed availability.

I don't know what happened this growing season but the Oaxacan chiles have performed beyond any other season that I have grown them.  They can be very difficult here on the Texas Gulf Coast, namely due to the coastal humidity and of course, the fact the I have to grow them containers. Everything must have been just right this season.  Not too much rain but just enough, the extreme heat did not arrive until August.  What ever the case, it has been a bountiful season for the Oaxacans in Texas.

Here is a photo of the Tres Chilhuacles.  

The Chilhuacle Amarillo - My personal favorite for it's citrus and tangy flavor bearing smokey undertones.  I particularly like this one to season rice cooked in chicken broth.  The fruit are very hardy on the plant.

The Chilhuacle Negro - The rich smokey flavor with deep raisin / plum overtones cannot be compared.  Because the pods seem to begin to hold too much moisture and tend to rot even without any sign on the exterior, the timing of the harvest is paramount, at least in humid conditions.  Once harvested, cut open the pod and allow to dry unless using immediately.

The Chilhuacle Rojo - The most versatile, prolific and hardy of the trio.  With all of these favorable traits, the Rojo variation can be used fresh for beautiful rich red sauces or dried and ground to powder for chili sauces and seasoning blends.

We found this informative website of the chiles, spices, foods and cuisine of Oaxaca, Mexico. I think you will enjoy exploring Oaxacan-Restaurants.com

Peppermania if proud to offer The Chilhuacles and other chiles of Mexico for Season 2011.

Look for recipes incorporating the Oaxacan chiles posted at Peppermania Texas in the future.

Adios!
Beth in Texas

Hatch Chile Shrimp Boats

This recipe was inspired by one of my visits to New Mexico. I made a point to visit the Albuquerque Aquarium which resides on the Rio Grande River. There was an "on the water" display of an authentic shrimp boat moored to a small dock. I spoke with a very gentlemanly volunteer about how much I enjoyed the shrimp boat display. He was very passionate when he explained the neighborly bond New Mexico shared with Texas, bound by the River Rio Grande.  I present Texas Shrimp with New Mexico Chiles.  And yes, I had New Mexico chiles and Texas Shrimp on the ready.  The shrimp actually absorbed more of the chile flavor than I had anticipated so was a nice compliment to the marinade.

Grilled Hatch Chile Shrimp Boats

8 - 10 Limes, juiced
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 C Red Onion, coursely chopped*
1 Clove Elephant Garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbs Red Chile Flakes, Cayenne recommended
1-1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Course Ground Black Pepper
1 Pound Medium Shrimp, shelled and de-veined, Texas Wild shrimp recommended
6 - 8 Hatch Chiles, large with 1 flat side, room temperature
8 Cups Mexican rice or other, cooked (optional)

Marinade*:
Combine first seven (7) ingredients for the marinade.  Add prepared shrimp into a covered container or zipper bag.  Seal and refrigerate for at least one hour but no more than 3 hours or you will have the makings of ceviche.

Preparation:
Prepare grill grate by coating with cooking oil or spray oil.  Preheat grill to 300º
Set Hatch Chiles on their “flatside” and with a sharp knife cut out approximate 3/4" opening the length of the chile pod. Remove seeds but leave stem intact.  Add small amount of Red Onion and Elephant Garlic from marinade into the Hatch Chile “boats”.  Add 5 - 6 Shrimp into each “boat”, laying them on the backs with “head and tail” up.

Place loaded Shrimp Boats on the grill surface, offset from direct flame.  Grill until Shrimp just turn pink, approximately 10 - 15 minutes.  Keep grill cover closed to retain heat but check and/or move Shrimp Boats as needed as not to char the Hatch chiles too much.

Serving:
Carefully remove Hatch Chile Shrimp Boats from grill to platter.  Plate each Shrimp Boat on bed of Mexican rice or rice seasoned to your taste.  Serve with salad suggestion*

*Cool Summer Salad Suggestion:
Set aside 1/4 Cup of marinade to dress salad BEFORE adding to shrimp.  
Chop extra ½ Cup Red Onion for optional side salad of chopped ½ Cup Red Orion, 2 Diced Tomatoes and 1 Chopped Cucumber.  Add marinade dressing and toss.