One of the things I’ve learned over the years about food is that often, the recipes that have a reputation for being fussy are anything but.   Souffles are a great example of this.  Think of all the times you’ve seen a cook depicted making a souffle that failed to rise, or had fallen because of a loud sound.  Why would the average cook want to waste time and ingredients on something that temperamental?

Honestly, I’ve had more trouble with brownies and biscuits before, but I’ll chalk it up to approaching a common recipe with little or no thought and then blowing it when I least expected to.  The fussy reputation of a souffle keeps me in line, and so I pay attention when I’m making one.

If you’ve never tried one, you should.  They’re perfect for a light meal on a weeknight because you will nearly always have everything you need on hand:  eggs, milk, a bit of flour, and whatever you’d like to flavor it with.  If you’re like me, your cheese drawer is always in need of attention and the combinations are just about limitless.

Just remember — it’s all about the size of the dish.

Green Chili and Cheddar Souffle

3 T unsalted butter

3 T Parmesan, freshly grated

3 T flour

1 c. milk, hot

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper, freshly ground

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

pinch cayenne

4 egg yolks, jumbo sized, room temp

1 c. extra-sharp cheddar (3 oz.)

5 egg whites, jumbo sized, room temp

4 oz. canned green chilies, chopped, well-drained

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly spray the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (3-1/2″ x 7″) with oil and dust with the grated Parmesan.  Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, heat the milk over medium heat until steam begins to rise and a film collects on the surface.  Remove from heat.  In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, continuing for about 2 minutes.  Gradually pour the hot milk into the flour mixture, stirring until smooth.  Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne and continue to cook on low about 1 minute.  It should be quite thick.  Remove from the heat.

Immediately stir in the egg yolks one by one, stirring well in between each addition.  Add the grated cheddar and green chilis and mix well.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the egg whites and cream of tartar with a pinch of salt.  Whisk on high until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Lighten the cheese mixture with about one quarter of the egg whites, carefully folding them in.  Then add the cheese mixture to the rest of the egg whites, carefully folding them in until well blended.  Scrape into the prepared souffle dish.  Smooth the top to even it out, then using a wooden skewer or knive, make a circle in the top beginning about 1-inch from the sides of the pan.

Set the souffle in the center of the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 30 minutes until nice and puffy, and a rich golden brown.

Enjoy immediately, as it will begin to deflate within minutes of removing it from the oven.

Notes:

• Julia Child’s cheese souffle was the first I made about 15 years ago and it came out perfectly the very first time. Since that time, I’ve tried many other variations, each with good results.  This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Blue Cheese Souffle.
• If choosing the right sized dish is the most important thing to consider, then not opening the oven while the souffle is baking is the second.  Consistent heat = steam = lift!
• If you’re measuring the cheese, don’t pack the measuring cup.
• Make sure the green chilis are well-drained.  Pour them into a strainer and press them with the back of a spoon just to make sure.
• Some advice from Julia:  Leave the souffle in the oven 4-5 minutes longer for a drier souffle.  A skewer inserted into the side removed clean lets you know it’s done.
• Make a nice salad while it’s in the oven.  A tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro salad tossed with some lime juice is perfect.
• Not exactly Cinco de Mayo fare — better!

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Have you ever made tamales?  No, not tamale pie.  My mother used to make that and as much as I enjoyed her cooking, tamale pie would not have been one of my favorites.  From what I can remember, it was noticeably sweet, and comprised of hamburger, corn, and canned tomatoes.  I’m not going to blame this on my mother, because I know it was the recipe.  Tamale pie could never compare to homemade tamales.

The only source of comparison I have is that of local women who tempt office workers with their once-a-week offerings, wrapped in foil, and still piping hot.  They’re amazing and so of course it’s a challenge to not eat one before taking them home to share for dinner.  I’d say that’s a fairly good model to work from.

Often, tamales are made with dried corn husks, the masa, or corn meal and filling spread on the inside of a dried corn husk, or fresh banana leaf before steaming.  The filling can be anything imaginable, and often is depending on who traditionally makes the tamales, and what region of Mexico or the Southwest U.S. they’re from.

If you’ve been studying Mexican cooking like I have the past few years, the idea of banana leaves wrapped around a savory filling is quite tempting; it sounds so exotic! A glance out my patio window focuses in on the not so big non-fruit bearing variegated leaf banana plant I’ve been nurturing as a possible source.  No, I’d have to depend on a local market, which shouldn’t be a challenge in San Diego considering the influence of Mexican cooking, but it is.

When I first happened on to the lone 4-lb. package of huge sections of banana tree leaves recently, I grabbed it knowing I’d procrastinated long enough and could now make my own homemade tamales. I knew I didn’t need four pounds of leaves, so attempted quite unsuccessfully to separate them.  Unfortunately, the leaf strips were enormous and all folded together, so my efforts in trying to avoid waste ended up creating something worse.  The leaves began to split, making them useless for the next shopper’s tamales.

Thankfully, my first attempt at tamales was a success thanks to the help of a very good friend.  Between the two of us, influence from a few good recipes, and a make-shift steamer, a few split banana leaves caused very few problems.

Tamales with Pibil-Style Pork and Guajillo Sauce

For the guajillo sauce…

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
16-20 dried guajillo chilies (1 4-oz. pkg.)
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
pinch ground cumin
3-2/3 c. broth
1-1/2 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 T sugar

For the pork…

1 medium onion, quartered through core
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup achiote paste (see notes)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 4 1/2- to 5-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)

For the tamales…

1 lb. banana leaves
1 lb. masa fine for tamales or 1-3/4 c. masa harina for tamales + 1 c. hot water (see notes)
1/2 c. (4 oz.) vegetable shortening or lard
2/3 c. cool broth
3/4 tsp. salt

cotton string

Directions

For the pork…

Place the onion and garlic (skins on) in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Cook about 15 minutes or until fragrant and with black spots appearing on the skins.  Allow to cool, then peel and put in a blender or food processor with the citrus juice, achiote paste, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.  Pulse to puree until smooth.

Dry the pork with paper towels and then coat exterior with citrus puree.  Place in a sealable plastic bag or wrap well with plastic.  Refrigerate for about 4 hours, or, overnight.

Cook pork in an oven or using the indirect heat grilling method at 350 degrees F or until it is extremely tender, about 3 hours.  Allow to cool, then shred, or cut into very small pieces.  Set aside.

For the guajillo sauce…

Cook the garlic as described above.

While the garlic is cooking, cut the stems from the guajillos, cut each once lengthwise to open, and remove them along with the seeds.  When the garlic is done and cooling, lay each chili in the pan.  You’ll have to press on them with a wooden spoon to toast them.  You’ll know they’re ready to be turned when you see a puff of smoke, but not a second longer.  Turn and repeat with each chili.

Place the toasted chilis in a bowl and pour enough hot water over them to cover.  Allow them to sit at least 30 minutes.  Expect to save the water for another use, if you prefer.  It can take the place of all or part of the broth in the recipe as long as it is seasoned.

When the 30 minutes has passed, using a blender or food processor, add the peeled garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, and 2/3 c. of the broth along with the chilis and puree until smooth.  Pour into a fine meshed strainer positioned over a bowl, and using a rubber spatula, rub the puree through the strainer, scraping the bottom to collect the sauce.  Continue until only small piece of the dried guajillo skin are left.  Discard.

In the same dry skillet used to roast the garlic and chilis, pour in the puree all at once.  Stir constantly over medium-high heat about 5-7 minutes until it thickens to a paste, deepens in color, and smells pungent.

Stir in the rest of the broth and simmer, covered partially, until the consistency of cream, about 30 minutes.  If it becomes too thick, then add more broth.

To finish, taste and add to your preference, salt and sugar.

Use as part of the pork filling, and as a sauce to serve over the completed tamales.

To prepare the pork filling…

Place the shredded or cubed pork in a skillet and pour over about 1/2 cup of the guajillo sauce, making sure to coat all.  Allow to simmer on very low heat while preparing the masa and banana leaves.

Make the masa batter…

Beat the shortening or lard until it is light and fluffy, less than a minute.  Add the masa (purchased fresh, or reconstituted) in several additions, beating well between additions.  Add only enough of the cool broth (1/2-2/3 c.) while beating to create a soft batter that is slightly pourable.   To test for readiness, drop a teaspoon full in a cup of cold water.  If it floats, the batter is read to be used.  Season with salt according to your taste.

For the tamales…

Cut about 20 squares of the banana leaves — each about 8×8 inches.  To prepare them for the filling, use tongs to hold them over a gas burner until they soften and become quite shiny.  It helps to have one person doing this, and another on the receiving end, but is not necessary (just more fun).  If you don’t have gas burners, then you can steam them one at a time until they’re pliable.

Spoon about 1/4 of the masa batter onto the banana leaf, positioning it in the center of the square.  With the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread the mixture to the right, forming a rectangle.  Stop about an inch from the edge of the banana leaf.  Spoon a bit of the chili-pork mixture on the extreme left of the masa rectangle.  Then fold the entire right side of the banana leaf toward the center, which folds the masa over the pork.  Fold in the bottom and top sides to the center, then continue to fold the remainder toward the original direction — left.  Use a piece of cotton string to tie around the package and make a bow.  Set aside and repeat until all the banana leaf squares are filled.  You’ll have left over pork.

To cook the tamales…

I used a large roaster pan with offset baking racks set inside.  I placed the roaster over two burners on my stovetop and once the tamales were placed in a single layer on the baking racks, poured water from the tea kettle into the pan, being careful to not pour it on the tamales.  With the heat on low, I covered the roaster with foil and allowed the tamales to steam about 1 to 1-1/4 hours.  You’ll have to pull back the foil occasionally to make sure there’s water in the bottom of the roaster, so make sure you have a kettle simmering to add hot water when it’s needed.

To serve, unwrap the tamales and pour on some extra sauce.  They’re delicious.  I promise.

Notes:

• I relied heavily on Rick Bayless’ book Mexican Kitchen, his website, Frontera Kitchens, and Epicurious for these tamales.   The guajillo sauce is from Bayless’ book, but is a staple so can be found in a variety of places.  Once you learn that onions and garlic are always roasted in their skins in a dry skillet and the chilis follow, there’s not much to it.  The pork recipe was found at Epicurious, and originally used when it appeared in Bon Appetit a couple of years ago.  The masa mixture and directions came from a few places — courtesy of Bayless and various packages of masa harina and masa fina.
• Pibil pork is simply slow roasted pork.  In this case, it’s made with a citrus-based marinade to which spices and achiote are added.
• I’ve researched achiote before and was surprised to find there’s not much to it.  It’s an ingredient with ancient Mayan roots that seems to be more of a coloring than anything else.  If you’re as curious as I am — inquisitive, not odd –  then you can learn more about it here and make your very own!  I haven’t made my own yet, but I’ll get there.
• For the pork:  I’ve made this on the grill, in the oven, and in a crockpot.  The superior way to cook it is on the grill after it’s marinated overnight.  No contest.  The flavor is very good using the other two methods, but the consistency is perfect coming off a grill.  If you do use the oven like I did this time, you will have a high brown on the exterior.  Just check the interior temp, looking for 170 degrees, and you’ll be fine.  You can make this ahead like I did, and wrap well to store in the fridge overnight.  It’s worth the effort because outside of preparing the marinade, there’s no effort involved.
• I used two large portions of pork shoulder for this recipe.
• Guajillos are a type of chili.  They’re spicy, but not “hot.” I find them bagged in the section of your grocery store that features Mexican spices.   I’d double this recipe because it’s that good, and you can refrigerate or freeze what’s left over for later use.  My friend considers it “gold” for the amount of processing it takes to create.  It’s delicious.
• You can find masa harina in the flour section of your grocery store.  It usually states that it’s for tamales.  Basic directions for how to make tamales will be on the package.  If you’re lucky enough to find prepared, or fresh masa, it usually comes in 2-lb. bags.  The purchased masa is the same as what you’d mix with water from the masa harina.  Create the tamale batter from this point with either to add the fat and salt.
• While we’re on the subject of fat — or in this case, lard — it’s personal preference.  Bayless lays it all out and makes complete sense with respect to lard, and I’ve tried it.  But I’m not used to the flavor and prefer the shortening.  You may be horrified by the addition of fat, but if you look at just how much masa is on the outside of each tamale, then you know that eating one or two is clearly a good thing, and not the 5 or 6 you’d like to if no one is looking.
• You can make the pork and go without adding the guajillo sauce to it, but what the heck?  It’s amazing sauce, so why not?  But I hope you can see that if you can pull this together, then you can put whatever you’d like in a tamale, just like those who have made them traditionally for centuries — in fact thousands of years.

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I’ve been so busy lately, I barely have time to procrastinate which confirms what I’ve always suspected:  planning is but a series of decisions about what not to do so that I can do what I’d like.  Sometimes this is simply not doing anything — or anything significant, that is.  In the case of my food life, that means I’ve come to a complete standstill baking my way through Peter Rhinehart’s The Breadbaker’s Apprentice.  Although I’m not a foreigner to bread baking, it isn’t something I’ve ever done routinely, and so any excuse not to keep the original pace I set along with others in the BBA Challenge group keeps me from taking on the next recipe.

I suppose I could blame my delay on Bittman and his salads.  After all, the hottest time of the year is finally drawing to a close here and so the ease of throwing a salad together after a very long day would keep most people from baking anything.  Or perhaps it was that last gas & electric bill reflecting three completely decadent days of central air-conditioning.  Honestly, I’ve slowed down on my salad production as well.  Although I still cook most evenings, we don’t get around to eating until nearly 8pm, so the idea of photographing any of what I prepare doesn’t compete with flopping on the sofa, visiting with the resident menfolk, and staring at the television.  No, the serious cooking usually happens on the weekend now, and last weekend seemed to feature roasted green chilis, or what are known as Anaheim chilis.

I love them.  I love their glossy bright green color, the fresh crunch of a bite right from the raw chili, and the smoky aroma that fills our house whenever I roast them on the stove.  Also known as California Chilis, Anaheims are featured in  chili rellenos.  They’re especially good added to anything with cheese or eggs.  I usually keep a can or two in my pantry, but they’re so easy to make I usually also have a few fresh chilis around.  Occasionally they sit on the counter longer than I’d planned and turn red.

Planned…yes, there’s that word again.  I won’t tell you what I planned not to do last Sunday as I wallowed in my favorite room in the house, but I did make Bittman Salad No. 25, a Fresh Creamed Corn & Green Chili Casserole, some Pan Roasted Red Potatoes with Green Chilis and Onions and a Roast Chicken that sadly did not benefit from green chilis.

Let me know if anyone has made ice cream with green chilis and I’ll be first in line.

Bittman Salad No. 25

1 Anaheim chili, fresh roasted, seeded, sliced

handful cilantro

1/4 orange bell pepper, chopped

1-2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 red onion, chopped

corn tortillas, cut into strips, fried and well drained

chili lime salt

freshly squeezed lime juice optional

Bittman suggests that you can use packaged chips for this salad, and of course, I agree, but we usually have half a package of tortillas after a taco dinner, so it’s perfect to fry a batch of strips or triangles just to enjoy.  In this salad, I used strips.  Fry in hot oil in small batches so the strips aren’t crowded.  Drain on paper towels, and salt well.

Arrange the whole fresh chilis over an open flame and turn frequently as skins blacken.  When nearly completely black, cover or wrap in a clean, dry cloth for at least 15 minutes.  Then, peel and discard skin, seeds, stem, and membranes.  Do not rinse!  Slice into strips.

Lightly toss all ingredients on a large plate and sprinkle chili lime salt over.

Notes:

• This salad has a lot of great flavor and texture, but I’m partial to these flavors.  I had to restrain myself from adding avocado.
• With no salad dressing which is usually loaded with fat this salad is diet-worthy.  Sure the tortilla strips were fried, but if the oil is hot enough, you’ll find there’s almost no oil on the paper towels you place them on after frying.  Besides, how many strips end up in a serving of this?  Four of us enjoyed this salad.  That’s not a lot of calories.
• Chili lime salt is one of those things one could find herself obsessing over.  Easily.  Such a great way to get flavor with little or no effort.  It enhances whatever it’s sprinkled on.
• This is one of Bittman’s best.  Truly.

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Being married to the most intense sports fan you'd ever imagine has helped me understand more about football than I'd have ever known otherwise.  Unfortunately, he's more of a cup-half-empty guy when it comes to sports, and suffers from knowing way too much — using all the statistics he naturally holds in his brain to calculate possibilities for their athletic demise.   It's a sight to behold, watching his intensity each week, often standing in front of the television with his arms crossed instead of slouched in a chair with a beer.

He's not much of a beer guy.  He likes Coke — and hot tea.

But he'll be at the game today, so I'll be home with our 16-year-old, cheering for our team with my usual it's not over 'till the fat lady sings attitude when it comes to our Chargers.  And no….I'm not planning on being the singing fat lady.

To spice things up a bit, I happen to have a bet going with a foodie friend Peter over at Kalofagas regarding the outcome of this game today.  His pick is Indy, and I'm saying no way on that one.  The Chargers are going all the way.  They're so due.  Over due.  Peter and I have agreed that should out team lose, we must admit our defeat, worship the winning team, and celebrate the winning city.  I sure hope he's studying about San Diego right now, because he's going to have a lot to write about. 

But now for some real spice.

How about a big ol' pot o' chili for the game?

Game Day Chili Beans

3 T olive oil
1-1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1-1/2 lbs ground pork
2 brown onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chilis, seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T Reshampatti chili
2 T ground cumin
2 T ground coriander
1 T sugar
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. Mexican oregano, dried
3 c. beef broth
28 oz. can pinto beans, juice included
28 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
5 chipotle chilis in adobo, chopped
1 c. salsa de chili fresca
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 T cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, heat oil and cook the pork and beef over high heat, allowing it to sit as long as possible to brown before breaking it up. 

Add onions, red pepper, and chilis to the pot and cook until onions are softened.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, sugar, thyme, oregano, and cook about 10 minutes, until well blended and very fragrant.

Pour in broth, beans with juice, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, chipotles, and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer over very low heat at least 1-1/2 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. 

Before serving, taste, and add salt to your liking along with the juice of 1 lime.

Serve with some freshly chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese.  Extra lime slices and a hand full of tortilla chips are perfect.

Notes:

• I don't have a favorite chili recipe so am forever looking for a new one.  I found the original recipe for Grant Achatz' Beef Chili with Beans at Food & Wine, and although I kept the "bones" of his recipe, there was no way I could include the amount of heat and have anyone but myself, my sister, and her husband be able to eat it.  His recipe called for 6 T of two different kinds of chili powder and 1 tsp. cayenne in addition to the chipotles in adobo and some black pepper.  That's quite a bit o' burn.
• Reshampatti chili powder can be found at the Indian grocers or on line.  I had some in my pantry because of an Indian dinner party my friends and I had last year.  It's much more spicy than regular chili powder, and bright red in color.  Although I also have chipotle powder, which isn't as spicy, I decided not to use it since I'd be adding the chipotles in adobo.  When I'm deciding which spices to include, I taste them plain.  It's the only way to judge without spoiling an entire dinner. 
• Speaking of the chipotles in adobo — chipotles are dried jalapeno peppers.  Adobo is a rich tomato-based sauce they're marinated in.  You can find them canned in many grocery stores (Embassa label) or on line.
• I choose lean ground meat for good flavor and little fat that rises to the surface during cooking and needs to be ladled off.
• Salsa de chili fresco is a delicious hot tomato sauce and another canned product (El Pato) that can be found in the grocery store or on line.  Plain tomato sauce will work just fine if you're not into heat.
• I love beans in chili, and although this is very good, I'd add another can, but without the additional liquid.  It has a tendency to be a little sweet, and I think that would spoil the balance of heat in this.
• The heat in this chili is way back in the mouth on the sides of your tongue.  It's a slow, warm burn that takes a while to build.  We all classified it as "hot" but those who don't prefer spice in their food were still able to enjoy it. 
• Salty chips intensifies the heat, so by all means, use those tortilla chips to scoop up the chili and don't forget to squeeze that lime.
• Everyone was quite pleased with this recipe, and as often happens, it was even better the next day.  

Okay, everyone, wish me luck in my bet.  Goooooooo Chargers!

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But it's not just the election.  Having to pack four rooms in our house to prepare for a big remodel isn't helping.  It's great to be busy, though,  since the time is flying by.  Each book or knick knack I take from the shelf to pack is accompanied by my nagging alter ego which is reminding me I should have gotten rid of this crap a very long time ago.

And then there's the little matter of a trip I'm taking in a couple of days, leaving the hunkster to finish what I've not managed to do to prepare the house.  Maybe that's why I'm giddy with excitement as well.  I'm headed to the Midwest to meet with several food bloggers.  In fact, it's for a wedding:  Lis' wedding.  You know Lis, right?  Co-founder of The Daring Bakers? La Mia Cucina Lis.   And guess who's making the wedding cake?  Helen.  Helen, Tartelette Helen.  Now how exciting is that?

Seriously exciting if you ask me.  So I'm pretty much a basket case right now, stomach in nervous knots and finishing almost nothing that I start.

Wait.  That sounds somewhat like a normal day now that I think of it.  The not finishing anything I start part.  Whatever…

So food is definitely in the low maintenance zone at our house right now and since the hunkster wanted to know what was on the Election Day menu, I figured Batter Fried Calamari & Jalapeno Poppers would work just fine.  And I have the perfect accompaniment for both — a sauce made with a bit o' spicy love. 

My friend Jerry of Cooking by the Seat of My Pants would be proud of me today since that's exactly how I put these two recipes together.  It's the epitome of "winging it," right Jerry?

Batter-Fried Calamari

Frozen calamari rings, thawed
flour for dusting on two separate plates
eggs, beaten in a small bowl
salt, pepper, and whatever other seasoning you like
fresh lemon
vegetable oil

Equipment:  Deep narrow pot, slotted spoon, cooking thermometer OR an electric wok or skillet OR a good old fashioned cast iron skillet.  Two baking sheets:  one for before frying and one lined with paper towels for after frying.

Organize your counter in an assembly line like so:  bowl of calamari rings, plate of seasoned flour, bowl of eggs, second plate of flour, baking sheet to set the rings before frying.

Make sure you keep one set of fingers clean and I highly recommend using a fork for as much dipping as possible. 

Method:  Dust each ring in the seasoned flour, flipping to dust all surfaces.  Dip in the mixed eggs, flipping once, then drop in the second plate of flour and flip once.  Remove to the waiting baking pan.  Give a final shake of salt and pepper over the rings.

Heat oil to 375 degrees F.  Dunk one or two rings into the hot oil and let cook until golden brown.  Remove to drain on paper towel-covered baking pan and repeat.  Keep an eye on the thermometer to ensure that the temp returns to 375 before dropping more rings into the oil.

Jalapeno Poppers

2 fresh whole jalapenos per person

cream cheese (or other soft cheese)

grated cheese like sharp cheddar (anything will do)

bacon

milk for dipping

flour for dusting

bread crumbs for rolling

salt & pepper

Equipment:  See Above

Organization:  Line everything up as stated above.

Method:  Slice jalapenos carefully from just beneath the stem to the end.  Ease the halves apart and with your fingers, remove membrane and seeds.

Cook bacon and drain well. Crumble or cut into very small pieces.

Mix softened cream cheese with shredded cheese.  Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you may like.  Add the bacon and mix well. Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture and press closed.

Dip in the milk first, then the flour, then the milk again, then the bread crumbs.  Set on a baking sheet until finished and fry at 350 degrees F until golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel covered baking pan to drain.

Dipping Sauce

mayonnaise

sour cream

hot sauce

Salt & Pepper

Mix equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream.  Add several dashes of hot sauce and use seasonings to your liking.

Notes:

• I'm by no means a proficient deep fat cooker person.  My husband seems to love it so he mans the pot and thermometer.  I'm sure it's because it has numbers on it.  I do the dipping, but one person could get this done just fine.
• I've used a wok successfully to make both of these — it was electric and had a dial I could set the temp on.  Nice.
• The calamari was HUGE.  I've never seen rings this enormous and wondered, but couldn't pass them up.  Plus they were quite the bargain.  I found them at Food for Less which always has a great selection of frozen seafood I can't pass up.
• You will seriously regret making both of these if you don't keep one hand clean.  Really.
• Use any mix of cheese you have in your fridge.  A bit of soft and bit of hard is good.  The bacon was genius.  I wish it had been my idea.  Make sure you season the cheese mixture well.
• Use packaged breadcrumbs.  Add some minced rosemary or parsley or whatever you want
• Our jalapenos weren't the slightest bit spicy.  It was sad.  They were large peppers, so who knows.  Often, the large ones are not as spicy.  But maybe you enjoy them less spicy!

I am going to try to get a couple of quick posts done before I leave, but am usually not very good at the whole post ahead thing.  If I don't succeed, have a lovely rest of the week, and I'll be thinking of you while I'm gone.  Trust me — with several food bloggers in one place, what else will be talked about?

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1. Hot Wings with Gorgonzola Sauce I’ve often accused my husband of being a fair weather...

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It was the yellow and orange squash I continued to not like the idea of, and I think it may have had something to do with texture.  When I saw it prepared, it was always soft and mushy, and ironically, sweet.  It's always been a challenge for me to consider eating meat or vegetables that have been sweetened…well, as long as nobody counts Sweet & Sour Chicken, right? 

Thankfully, I've gotten past the few issues I've had with squash, so when I saw the copper pot full of glistening "Texas Beef Brisket Chili" on the cover of Bon Appetit last month and realized those orange chunks nestled up against the beef were nuggets of savory butternut squash, I knew what we were having for dinner and quick.

But there was just one thing…this dish was anything but quick.  In fact, it was the epitome of slow and low — and just perfect for football watching on Sunday.

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