Ecuador - Food of the Mountain Gods!

Dr. Brut and I headed to Ecuador last month. What we expected - beautiful mountains, amazing views, incredible biodiversity. What we didn't expect - great food! We ate everywhere from food stalls to expensive restaurants and lounges to a acclimatization lodge at the base of Chimborazo (21,000 feet and the furthest point from the center of the earth). And it was good!

My favorite meal of the trip is pictured above...


It is corvino - sea bass - accompanied by boiled potatoes, ceviche which is to be poured over the top, tostados (basically fried corn kernels - think corn nuts) and popcorn. The ceviche in Ecuador is unlike neighboring Peru. It is more like a cold seafood soup - the seafood and fish swim in a piquant broth. It is nearly always served with popcorn which makes a great "crouton" from the soup.

This particular meal is from Corvino Don "Jimmy", a food stall in the Quito Central Market. The whole meal cost about $5 (which I think was the gringo price). It was a huge succulent piece of fish that was deep fried with a light batter. There was not a drop of grease to this even though it was fired. It was in a bowl on top of the potatoes (you could also choose rice, but potatoes are traditional). A separate bowl of ceviche comes on the side (also a gringo thing - locals didn't bother with the second bowl). The idea is to eat it as one dish. Absolutely delish and something that I would really like to make at home.

One of the tricks to Ecuadoran ceviche is orange in addition to lime in the marinade. Here is a recipe from an Ecuadoran Chef, Raul Castillo that serves 10-12 people:

2 lbs white fish (sea bass or halibut)
30 small, peeled shrimp (approx)
3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium red onions diced
1 large red bell pepper diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh orange juice - important to juice an orange (no sugar added)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
handful of chopped parsley
1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Tabasco sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut fish into bite-sized chunks. Combine all ingredients in a very large mixing bowl and toss gently to blend everything together. Adjust Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste. The ceviche will need to marinate (cook) in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve with something crunchy to finish it off, like popcorn, toasted corn kernels, plantain chips or corn chips.

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Tasty Tailgating Part One: Perfecting Pimento Cheese

For those of you who dedicate your Saturday to college pigskin or those of you who go to the church of the NFL on Sundays, I thought I would share my newest recipe for a tasty tailgating snack, adapted from a recipe I found from the Junior League of Augusta (Ga.), Pimento Cheese--which is practically soul food for many Southerners. It's a zesty cheesy dip and spread that sure to delight all. If you think pimento cheese is similar to the processed stuff you find at the grocery store--rest assured, it is not. But--it is very easy to make!


You can put it on crackers or celery sticks for a nice snack--or make the famous Masters (as in golf tournament) sandwich. The key is to grate very sharp Cheddar cheese, and one thing that is truly not debatable. While purists tend to use the sharp Cheddar, pimento peppers, Hellman's mayonnaise and a little onion, there are many versions that use cream cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pickles, garlic, and more.

Pimento Cheese

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. of sharp grated Cheddar cheese (I use a blend of white and yellow Cheddar)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of horseradish sauce (it gives it a delightful kick!)
4-5 dashes of Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 4-oz jar of chopped pimentos

Method:
Put the cheese in the food processer and pulse. Add the mayo, and pulse some more. Add the horseradish sauce and pulse some more. Add the hot sauce and pulse yet again. Add the pimentos, and you got it--pulse. Taste. Add salt and pepper as needed. Let sit in refrigerator to let the flavors meld. Voila! You can now make pimento cheese sandwiches or use as a nice spread for crackers and veggies. It will be a great snack for next week's game!
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Paella Festival at Taberna

Chef Dani Arana dazzled the crowd on Monday outside Taberna del Alabardero by creating a giant paella to kick of their Paella Festival - 15 rices in 15 days. Using a giant pan and a unique propane "stove" he managed to cook up a smokey, delicious seafood paella right on the sidewalk. The secret to the smokey flavor is to allow the rice to crisp on the bottom of the pan and to leave the rice somewhat crunchy, Dani explained to me. He said that American's don't appreciate the crunchy bit of rice from the bottom of the pan the way that Spaniards do - in Spain it is the most prized part of the dish. A list of the paella's that the restaurant will be serving after the jump...


The festival menu is available from September 15-30. The cost is $28 per person which is in line with their regular paella price (there are normally 7 paellas on the menu). There is a minimum order of 2 people. I would suggest doing what I am doing - go with 4 people and order 2 types along with a nice Rioja or Tempranillo and enjoy the flavors of Spain!


Paella de Langosta - Lobster Paella (add $7.00)

Arroz Negro de Pulpitos - Black Rice with Baby Octopus

Paella de Verduras de Temporada - Seasonal Vegetable Paella

Arroz de Bacalao con Almejas - Rice with Bacalao and Clams

De Judiones y Magro (cerdo) - Judiones and Magro Paella

Butifarra con Pimientos del Piquillo - Catalonian Sausage and Piquillo Peppers

Paella con Ternera y Costra de Ali-Oli - Paella with Veal and Ali-Oli Crust

Valenciana, Conejo, Pato y Verduras - Valencian, Rabbit, Duck and Vegetables

Arroz de Rape y Almejas - Monkfish and Clams (add $2.00)

Judias Verdes con Pochas y Almejas - Green Beans, Fava Beans and Clams

Paella de Setas - Wild Mushroom Paella

Caldoso de Mariscos y Cigala - Rice Casserole with Seafood and Langoustine (add $4.00)

Arroz Campero con Espárragos, Conejo y Setas - Country Rice with Asparagus, Rabbit and Wild Mushrooms

Arroz de Garbanzos y Espinacas - Rice with Spinach and Garbanzos Al Gusto del Cliente -

Suggest your Favorite flavors and inquire about availability and price

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Fres-NO

I had to hit up Fresno, CA last week for work. I was not incredibly excited to fly to the "armpit of California" especially after my culinary research showed that unique Fresno restaurants were absolutely nowhere near our hotel--and pretty hard to come by. It seems that Fresno-ites LOOOVE their chain restaurants. And there wasn't a person we came across who could recommend one hole-in-the-wall-local secret-can't miss it joint.

You can't fly direct from any of the DC airports to Fresno, so after a long flight cross-country, my colleague and I were rather tired and very hungry. And so we were basically left with three options: IHOP, Sweet Tomatoes and Chili's.

Chili's was decent, and perhaps because we were so tired and hungry, the chicken tacos were quite yummy and satisfying, with a little heat, and piquancy from the cheese. For a good meal on the run, the Chili's in Fresno was quite on spot. They also swapped my beans and rice for grilled broccoli--which helped me to hit my 5-A-Day veggie quota. They were very accommodating. The portion was ample, but reasonably healthy.

An even better surprise was the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant, which bills itself as one of the first casual eateries to offer fresh and wholesome menu options. They are very big on the West Coast (only a few shops in the Southeast), so I hadn't heard of them--but I'm glad I did!

It's an all-you-can eat menu--all for under $10!!! They have fresh produce and salads, made-from-scratch soups, hot pastas, freshly baked breads, fresh fruit, and desserts--a pretty good deal for a quick dinner out, for a family, or someone who has to limit their expense report! Plus, for a budding culinary connoisseur, I could try a little bit of everything!

The lettuces were crisp and there was a good variety of spring/mesclun mix, spinach and iceberg; plus dozens of toppings from veggies to cheeses to prepared salads to top your lettuce. The hot pastas and veggies were nice, but nothing to write home about--sauteed squash and an okay mac and cheese that looked too much like Kraft for me to take seriously.

I was impressed with the variety of soups as well, which are all made-from-scratch. I tried the French Onion, which was good but nothing special--because there was just some drippy Parmesan and croutons to sprinkle on it. I prefer Gruyere, and a nice piece of toasted bread.

Additionally, I tried some of the Three-Bean Turkey Chili which had a little heat, but was quite tasty (and low-fat!), and sprinkled some sour cream, cheese and green onions to complete it. My favorite was the Deep Kettle House Chili. Mmmh! Nice and spicy but with ground beef, and less bean. The breads available were great and I tried a bite of the corny cornbread, which was light and surprising, with bites filled with corn kernels.

To end, we took a turn at the soft-serve ice cream/yogurt bar, where we tried the vanilla yogurt. I tried a little of the chocolate sauce (rich!), caramel (sweet but not cloying!) and my favorite, rainbow jimmies/sprinkles (if you're from NE like my mom's family is, you prob call the longer logs jimmies, and the round balls sprinkles).

Anyhow, business travel is not always steak houses and fine dining. Sometimes, you have to make do with a chain. But at least, I found a new chain who offers healthier options and the ability to choose what you eat all for one low price.
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When Food Makes You Laugh

It is rare that food makes me laugh outloud, but this made me do an oldfashioned, milk-out-the-nose, gaffaw. Check out cakewrecks.com - it is a site that reports bakery missteps.


TYPE WHAT YOU WANT AFTER THE BREAK HERE

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Rasika Comes Home

I am a huge Rasika fan. It is truly inspired. If you haven't had the Palak Chaat, I usually order 2, you are truly missing something.

Indian food is one of my favorites, but can be difficult and time consuming to make at home. Anyone see the most recent Food & Wine? Once again F&W to the rescue!


They have taken Vikram Sunderam's recipes and demystified them, making them easy for the home cook. There are 7 recipes in all - Chicken Tikka,Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce, Halibut Curry, Vegetable Curry, Green Chicken Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh, Lemon-Cashew Rice, Mango Shrimp, Dal. Each recipe gives a short-cut that reduces the number of hard to find ingredients or eliminates a step - brilliant! I am going to try these out at home this weekend and will let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I suggest getting down to Rasika for a plate of Palak Chaat and a kumkwat martini.
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Fresh from the Garden

I remember summer's end as a kid - no not the back-to-school part - the warm tomato-straight-off-the-vine part. My dad was a prolific tomato grower. We had so many tomatoes that we could pick them off the vine and eat them still warm from the sun. I unfortunately have not inherited my Dad's green thumb. Perhaps it is 9-10 hours away at my job, perhaps my inattention to watering, but for the life of me I can't grow a tomato - ok I grew one, anemic-looking Roma tomato. Luckily for me, I moved from Dupont to 16th Street Heights and right next door to vegetable heaven...


My neighbors have lived in their house for 48 years! They have raised a family and raised tomatoes (and cucumbers and zucchini and other veggies). In a corner of their large yard, they have a vegetable garden - one that actually produces vegetables. So last week I was the very happy recipient of a bag of sun-warmed tomatoes. I immediately ate one. The rest I turned into the most amazing salsa (more of a pico de gallo actually).

Neighborly Sun-Warmed Tomato Salsa
2 cups diced tomatoes - fresh from the garden
1 cup fresh corn - cut from about 1 uncooked ear
2 small jalapenos - seeds and membranes removed
chopped cilantro to taste
1 tsp minced garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste

I like a really small dice. Definately don't put it in the food processor. The beauty of this salsa is tasting each flavor individually and together. Mix it all up. Enjoy with your neighbors.

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Hello Cupcake!

So I hit Hello Cupcake in Dupont last week. I had a Peppermint Penny. It tasted like mint chocolate chip icecream cake (without the cold part). Enjoyable, but I really don't see this as an everyday treat. Which is weird because apparently others do - a new cupcake bakery seems to hit DC almost every month - Le Cupcake, Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake, Baked & Wired, etc. But, at $3.50 a cupcake, I'd have to give up my coffee vice for my new cupcake vice. We all know that's not happening!

Cakelove is still the mack daddy cupcakerie in my mind. Not only are the flavors the best, but the homemade aesthetic really gets me. Warren has a new book out called Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch so you can make your own love at home.

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Cooking an Octopus

As Mr. Cream described in the last post, we had a fabulous tapas dinner last Saturday night. Lest you think that I opened the nearest tin of octopus for my pulpo gallego (which by the way would be totally legit), I wanted to share this picture of my 7+ lb. monster and let you in on a couple of cooking tips.

As you know, octopus can be tough and chewy, but if cooked properly it is delicious. Interestingly I always thought that the chewiness came from overcooking, but in fact, it is undercooking.

The trick is dipping it in boiling water to bring it up to temp before submersing it for a 2 hour boil. Using a frozen octopus also helps tenderize it. I used a large octopus so I went ahead and cut off the head and discarded - you can leave the head, but remove the eyes and mouth.

Get a huge pot of salted, boiling water - really boiling. Dip the octopus in the water for about 15 seconds (use tongs or a BBQ fork and be careful of the steam). Pull it out and bring the water back to a boil and then dip again. Repeat this 3-4 times or until when you return the octopus to the pot the water continues to boil. Submerge in the pot and boil slowly for 1.5 - 2 hours. You can then remove it from the pot, cut into pieces and season as desired.

Or, you can just open a tin.

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Tapas Por Todos...Totally Terrifico!

Three couples, three courses, ten tapas, and it all ended with molten chocolate and a sorbet that included....wait for it...cava....Oh yes my friend, the game was very much on!

A night of tribute to Spain's gift to Washington DC, Chef Jose Andres, was a culinary night to remember of the Gourmet Club.


Want to really challenge yourself in the kitchen? Try a night of tapas. Trust me, you won't regret it. Not feeling up to the challenge? Then do what most people do, make reservations at Jaleo.

Last night was the stuff of songs for I was treated to a culinary journey consisting of a mix of dishes directly from the Andres portfolio and dishes closely inspired by his arsenal. All I had to do is vacuum the floor, and get my shrimp and garlic on. Here's a look at the menu.

Course One (Prepared by Cupcake and Dr. Brut)
Gazpacho (my vote for presentation)
Chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped Medjool Dates (couldn't stop eating these...best line of the night: "a tooth pick and bacon are always an excellent start")
Pulpo Gallego (my vote for the most unusua dish...who knew octopus could be that succulent?)
Cava and Pomegranate Cocktail (one word, Yummy)

Course Two (Prepared by Doubleshot and me)
Shrimp in Garlic Oil (this is the one I did, 5 minutes of prep, and 5 minutes of cooking...see book reference below)
Spinach Catalan Style (the Romesco sauce on this dish, I believe made this one the group's choice for #1 or #2)
Mushroom and potato torte (burned my hand on the pan....totally worth it)

Course Three (Prepared by Appe Teaser and Chili Head, and my vote for best group of three dishes)
Confit of Piquillo Peppers (a Spanish answer to bruschetta...awesome)
Croquetas (honorable mention for this one as I stole one from my neighbor's plate)
Beef Tenderloin with Cabrales (The other group favorite for 1st or 2nd place)

Desert (Prepared by Doubleshot)
Orange and Strawberry Cava Sorbet
Chocolate Caliente Con Churros

If you're starting to drool, then click on this link to Amazon's page for Jose's tapas book,Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, which is certainly worth the price. Read more!