It’s been quite a while since I’ve written here and I’d like to say it’s because we’ve stopped eating — our waistlines would most likely appreciate it if we had — but sadly, that is not the case.  With my youngest son’s last year of high school recently drawn to a close and my own reinstatement as par-boiled domestic engineer coinciding with that of my son’s accomplishment, I’ve been distracted.  I’ve spent 31 years raising my children and had a busy career for much of it, so one might think that with endless amounts of time to look forward to, I’d roll up my sleeves and get on with whatever I’d wanted to do when time didn’t allow.  Instead, I’ve been involved in perfecting the fine arts of avoidance and procrastination.  Meals I’ve prepared have been relatively simple and those I’ve experimented with and taken the time to shoot have had photos languishing on my hard drive waiting for even the tiniest hint of motivation.  It seems that impending empty nest syndrome is alive and well in Paradise.

My son will be off to college late in August and so I’ve spent quite a bit of time taking stock of our lives.  Sounds heavy, doesn’t it?  Somewhat like pushing away from the table after a huge holiday dinner vowing never to eat again — unless it’s light and healthy, of course.  From a non-food perspective, this would mean we’re taking things lightly this summer — the summer before we’re sans children in residence.  The summer before we look at one another and say, “Where did all those years go, and how did we get to be this old?”

Time flies.

It seems that light, uncomplicated, and nutrient packed food is in order — like salmon.  Maybe we can dupe our bodies into thinking they’re spry again.  It’s a start, right?

This recipe is quick, tasty, and requires little or no prep.  Perfect for warm weather and relaxing times.

Grilled Pancetta Wrapped Salmon Skewers

1/4 c. + 2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 green onion, sliced very thin

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

1 lb. salmon

4 oz. pkg. pancetta

In a small bowl, lightly mix 1/4 c. olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, onion, salt, half the pepper and set aside.  Heat grill to medium high.

To make the skewers, slice skin from the salmon and discard.  Mix 2 T of olive oil with the remaining pepper and rub over both sides of the salmon.  Cut into even cubes about 1″ in size.  Unroll each pancetta circle, and using two for each cube of salmon, wrap one around 4 sides, then a second to cover the remaining sides, securing it with a toothpick.  Continue until all the salmon is wrapped.

Wipe a grilling basket with an oiled paper towel and set salmon pieces inside.  Place the basket on the grill and cook covered about 2 minutes before turning once.  Cook an additional 2 minutes until salmon is just cooked through.

Drizzle the parsley sauce over and serve the remaining quantity for additional dipping.

Notes:

• I adapted this from a recipe published in the June 2010 issue of Sunset magazine which calls for a more traditional threading of several salmon cubes onto longer skewers.  If you don’t have a grilling basket, this would clearly work better unless your grill grate has narrow gaps.
• If you don’t have a grill that registers temperature, in order to tell if the the heat is ready for cooking, hold the palm of your hand 5 inches from the surface of the grill.  If you can leave it there 2 seconds, then it’s about medium high heat.
• Searing the salmon pieces in a hot skillet or broiling them would be an alternative way to enjoy this recipe.
• The parsley vinaigrette is very nice.  I’m more inclined to use lemon or lime juice but enjoyed the red vinegar in this recipe, its acid just right for the richness of each bite.  I’m thinking that a good shake or two of dried pepper flakes would be a tasty addition next time.
• Pancetta is similar to bacon in that both are cured pork belly; however pancetta is not smoked.  If you substitute bacon, consider using only 1/2 slice of bacon per cube of salmon.
• We don’t often eat salmon because of its rich taste but enjoyed this recipe quite a bit.  The small portions were perfect for a light and very flavorful meal and would be a great addition to a party platter or as a starter course for a more formal dinner.
• Lucky is the person who can benefit from a couple of pieces left over the next day for lunch.  The flavor is still excellent if not more so.  Wrap well after cooled and then store in the fridge.
• I used wild-caught Alaskan Coho for this recipe.  It caught my eye because I hadn’t previously noticed it in the fish case at the market and it was less costly than the King Salmon normally sold.
• For information regarding responsible consumption of salmon and other types of fish, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is always a great resource.
• Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids reported to be of benefit for a variety of health reasons, but you probably already knew that, didn’t you?  All things considered, the recommended number of portions of salmon per week is only one.

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I thought I’d have more time to write at this point in the year, but I’ve been preoccupied by my youngest son’s graduation from high school, as well as planning for a fall trip to the UK — our first official empty nest vacation. Is there such a thing?

Both events provide me an excuse to spend time at my Mac even though one is rarely needed.  Who knew that sifting through 18 years of significant world events, pop culture, family photos and memories could be so time consuming?  Each rediscovered piece of a life gives me pause, and I can’t resist indulging myself more time than is necessary to collect this piece or that to add to a collection that will commemorate my son’s big milestone.  Memories of my own graduation day and those of my two older sons have me counting the years since, amazed at how truly quickly they have passed.

When I become too maudlin,  trip planning commences and the details of deciding which route to take from London, how many nights to spend where, and which pubs might best entice us to stop and sample a pint or two gives me something to look forward to. It doesn’t quite distract me from wondering how it will feel after so many years of having growing boys in my house, to have none.

Oh my goodness.

I’d say it’s time for some ice cream, wouldn’t you?  Or what about sherbet?

Definitely.

Berry Buttermilk Sherbet

6 oz. raspberries

6 oz. blackberries

6 oz. blueberries

1/2 c. raw sugar

1-3/4 c. buttermilk

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.  Pour into the container of an electric ice cream maker and run until frozen, but soft enough to spread into a container to place in the freezer.  Seal well and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.

Notes:

• This was adapted from a recipe in the June 2010 issue of Sunset magazine.
• First things first:  Sherbet is pronounced like this. There is no “r” in the second syllable.  But you knew that, right?  Just checking.
• Why is this a sherbet and not a sorbet?  Sherbet contains dairy products, although most often the fat content is quite low compared to that of ice cream.  Sorbet contains no dairy products.
• If the idea of seeds from the berries concerns you, then puree them first and force them through a sieve.  This in not my favorite thing to do, and I don’t mind the seeds, so no sieve and sherbet far more quickly.
• If you wanted to make this without an electric ice cream freezer, spread in a shallow metal baking pan and freeze it for 30 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and using a spatula, scrape the sherbet from the bottom of the pan and then smooth it out again.  Repeat as needed until firm enough to scoop.
• If it hardens too much to scoop, allow it to sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to soften a bit.
• Highly recommended. The berry flavor is intense, the buttermilk provides a pleasant tang, and it’s not too sweet.
• Guaranteed not to make you feel guilty, and much more healthy compared to ice cream.  Think of all those lovely antioxidants!
• OOH-LA-LA bowl below courtesy of a very nice lady who gifted it to me chock-full of fudge sauce.  Thanks, Carolyn!

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Something happened to our Sunday dinners this busy season.  They’re usually what I manage to hang on to after watching our weeknight dinners dissipate one by one from thoughtful, healthy salads and planned entrees, to a quick forage through the wilted inhabitants of my veggie bin for something to saute with rice or pasta.  Throw in some garlic and it’s dinner, right?  Hardly, but it can be eaten in a bowl, sometimes as late as 9:30 p.m. while we’re huddled in our dimly lit family room in front of a recorded show and making weary attempts at questioning one another about the day.

It’s no wonder that looking forward to uninterrupted time in the kitchen draws my attention to the weekend where the result is pleasant time together over a meal that is special — read:  is served on a plate at a reasonable hour.  The idea of “special”  seems to be part of a process to me;  a recipe catches my eye and lingers on the periphery of the minutiae that accumulates in my head, and somehow I manage to remember the main ingredient while on one of my less than stellarly organized grocery shopping trips.  The remembered ingredient is then wedged into my freezer, which just might contain the very same ingredient somewhere in its depths, as a reminder that Sunday dinner is a possibility.  Hopefully, this classifies me as an optimist.

Time goes by.  Other ingredients are collected in other stop-after-work trips to the store for the cat food or laundry detergent I forgot on the previous trip, and because those ingredients are often perishable, they become part of a different meal (see above).  It’s a vicious cycle.

Finally, the day arrives as it does each year.  Busy season ends, and glimmers of a normal life surface.  The long-awaited day in the kitchen and meal are planned and the big question looms:  Will it have been  worth the wait?

Absolutely.

(And this has nothing to do, of course, with the fact that Chef Voltaggio not only took the time to comment on my effort, but put a shout-out about my speck in the food universe on his site, Voltaggio Brothers in “Food Writing.”)

A gracious and hearty thanks to Michael Voltaggio!

Michael Voltaggio’s Indian-Spiced Short Ribs

1/4 c. coriander seeds
2 T cumin seeds
1 T black peppercorns
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cardamom
1 T cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 bay leaves, crumbled
2 T canola oil
4 boneless short ribs (10 to 12 ounces each), trimmed of fat
Salt
1 lg. sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
2 cups dry red wine
1 quart chicken stock or broth

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In a cast iron skillet, toast coriander and cumin seeds slowly over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Transfer seeds to a spice grinder and add peppercorns, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, crushed red pepper and bay leaves.   Pulse to a powder and set aside.

In a large casserole pan, heat the oil. Season meat with salt and cook over high heat until browned and crusty on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove to a platter and set aside.

Add onion, carrots and celery to the same pan and cook over medium until softened and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic and 3 T of the spice mix.  Cook until tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 3 minutes, then add wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Bring to boil and reduce by half.  Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add the browned meat and juices to the vegetable mixture and season with salt. Cover with foil or a lid and place in the oven about 2 hours or until just tender but not falling off the bone.

Remove meat to a baking sheet and pour the rest of the mixture through a strainer into a saucepan. Press against the solids with a spoon to extract more juice before discarding. Boil the liquid over high heat until reduced to 1 cup.

While the sauce is reducing, preheat broiler placing a rack about 6- 8 inches from heat. Brush meat with sauce, then sprinkle lightly with some of the remaining spice mixture.   Broil briefly until sizzling.

Serve short ribs with some of the sauce spooned over.

We enjoyed this recipe with Aloo Gobi, a spicy Indian cauliflower and potato dish flavored with green chilies, cilantro, and turmeric which was also fabulous.

Notes:

• This fabulous recipe can be found in the April 2010 issue of Food & Wine and is one created by last season’s winner of Top Chef.  He and his brother Bryan have a great food forum at Voltaggio Brothers.
• The spice blend is a type of garam masala.  Ingredients for this blend vary from one recipe to another, and I’ve found it’s fun to try a variety.  This one is much different than others I’ve tried as it contains both cinnamon and cardamom.  The cloves are also an addition I’m not used to.  For the spice in my blend, I chopped up half of a red serrano chili, seeds and all.
• I rarely make a recipe as written but was fairly close with this one because it is so much different than any short rib recipes I’ve tried. I was intrigued from the start.  When I make short ribs, they’re always smaller than what is described in recipes of this nature and a couple make a nice individual serving.  There’s no way to slice anything off of the bone and arrange it as I might another cut of meat that’s been braised.
• This was almost a one-pot recipe.  I used my Mario Batalli orange enameled cast iron lasagna pan for this.  (And no, I’m not selling them.)  It works great on the stove top when I want a high brown that will be deglazed, then the whole recipe popped into the oven.
• I used hot-house tomatoes because I had them on hand.  A jammy Rosenblum Cellars California Zinfandel was used in the braise– about $12.
• This is truly an excellent recipe that seems like a lot of work, but isn’t.  Many parts can be made ahead if need be — like the garam masala.  This recipe makes enough for the short ribs and leaves a scant 3 T left over for other recipes.
• We liked this so much that I’m going to try it with a larger cut of meat just to see how the incredible flavor holds up.  I’m thinking that finishing it on the barbeque would be great.

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I love ricotta, but I’ve never had truly fresh ricotta, so I decided to make my own.  It requires very little time, no special equipment, and few ingredients, so I was able to prepare it one evening, then drain it over night for use the next day.  I had no idea what I might make with it once it was finished, but that’s the story of my life right now.  How bad could it be to simply nibble on fresh ricotta sprinkled with sea salt and perhaps a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil?  Of course, sprinkling it over a nice salad could be fabulous as well.  Perfectly simple, right?

Simple seems never to be in my repertoire.

With less than a week until Easter and no real plans for a holiday meal in the works, I decided to look for dessert recipes that included ricotta and almost immediately found quite a few for a traditional Easter Pie, or in some cases, Pasteria.  It’s like a cheesecake, but it’s made with ricotta and grain.  Although the grain is most often wheat, some recipes use rice.  Others are made with a crust and latticed top — but some are completely without either — and leave it to me to make one in the least traditional way possible, lacking crust, wheat, and candied fruit.

This small dessert is perfect for spring, or when berries are at their best.

“Pasteria” with Balsamic Strawberries and Basil

For the fresh ricotta…

1 qt. whole milk

1 c. buttermilk

Line a large strainer with 4-5 layers of cheesecloth over the sink (or a bowl if you’re planning on saving the whey).

In a large saucepan over high heat, mix both types of milk, stirring to keep the mixture from scalding.  When steam begins to rise from the mixture, stop stirring.  You should begin to see curds rise from the mixture.  Gently use a spatula to slowly scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any curds which may be attached to the bottom.  Check the temperature of the mixture — at 175 degrees F, the curds will completely separate from the whey.

Remove the pan from the heat and using a slotted spoon or wire scoop, gently remove the curds to the prepared strainer and allow to drain.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

For a more moist, creamy ricotta, use immediately.  For a more firm ricotta, gather the ends of the cheesecloth and without squeezing, twist or tie them together.  Tie the bundle to the handle of a wooden spoon and suspend it over a bowl in the fridge over night.

Unwrap and enjoy.

Notes:

• I used raw milk and cultured buttermilk, but you don’t have to.  If you’re interested in the controversy surrounding raw milk, here’s a recent piece in the NYTimes that will catch you up on things.
• Because our lives are hectic at this time of year, I ended up not using the ricotta for 3 days and it was just fine:  firm, but still moist and flavorful.  To store, leave it wrapped in the cheesecloth and place it in a well-sealed container.
• Many thanks to 101 Cookbooks for the inspiration and homemade ricotta recipe from which mine was adapted.

For the “Pasteria”…

11 oz. low fat milk

1/4 c. arborio rice

1/4 tsp. cardamom

pinch of salt

1/2 vanilla bean, split

1/2 c. sugar

12 oz. fresh ricotta

1 whole egg + 1 yolk

1 tsp. tangerine zest

Heat the milk and stir in the rice, cinnamon, and salt in a small sauce pan.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture in the pan along with the bean.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and all the milk is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes.  Stir in 1/4 c. of the sugar and let the mixture cool.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Using a 6″ cake pan with a removable bottom (or a springform pan), coat with olive oil lightly, and then give a dusting of flour.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, eggs, remaining 1/4 c. sugar, tangerine zest, and cooled rice mixture until well blended.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake until golden on top and the center is nearly set, about 50 minutes.

Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then using a sharp knife, score around the edges before releasing it from the pan to cool completely on a rack.  The cake will sink as it cools. If not using immediately, wrap well and refrigerate.

Notes:

• We liked the rice in this.  It has a completely different texture and taste than cheesecake, and is very pleasant.  It’s sweeter than I thought it would be, but not extremely sweet.
• Having tried this now, of course I want to make a more traditional version with wheat and a latticed crust.
• Honestly, I’d never have used the fresh ricotta for this if it hadn’t been in the fridge for a couple of days.  Why bake fresh ricotta?
• If it wasn’t for the balsamic strawberries (see below) this would have been on the mellow side as far as dessert goes.  But I enjoy rice pudding and bread pudding, so I’d categorize it with those.
• For additional versions of Neapolitan Easter Pie,  see Buff Chickpea, or Our Italian Table (whose recipe influenced mine), both of whom have recipes inspired by Martha Stewart’s version.
• For a more traditional version of Pasteria, see this article in the Chicago Tribune.

For the Balsamic Strawberries with Basil…

1/3 c. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. + 2 T raw sugar or turbinado

1/2 tsp. fresh orange juice

1 pt. fresh strawberries

1/3 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced

In a small sauce pan, stir the vinegar, orange juice, and 2 tsp. of sugar until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until it reduces to about 1/4 cup.  It should be somewhat like a syrup.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While cooling, hull the strawberries and quarter them.  Sprinkle the remaining sugar over and toss lightly.  Set aside.

When the syrup has completely cooled, pour over the strawberries, and lightly toss.  Sprinkle in the basil just before serving.

Notes:

• There are varying recipes for balsamic strawberries as with most other recipes, but this one, adapted from an Epicurious recipe, is fabulous.  In fact, if you watch it carefully and the heat is very low, you can reduce the vinegar down to something quite decadent that still works well with the berries and basil.
• The peppery taste of basil with the sweet berries and tang of the balsamic reduction is very satisfying.  If you’re not sure about whether it’s a flavor for you, don’t mix the balsamic into the strawberries.  Just drizzle a bit over.
• To serve the dessert, plate a slice of the pie, top with berries, and spoon a bit of the syrup over.

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Yesterday was my oldest son’s birthday, and although I do make him a cake from one year to the next (he’s 31),  I didn’t this year.   Retrospectively, I did decide that the cupcakes made as a Valentine’s Day treat for my two remaining menfolk-in-residence might be as good a reason as any to coerce me to sit and write something in celebration.  My oldest loves chocolate cake, and had I asked what he might enjoy for his birthday, he’d have said chocolate.  Anything with chocolate.  Like his mother, he can do without the calories, so I think it’s fitting this year that a photo of a birthday cupcake take the place of the real McCoy as long as I can get him to look at my blog.  I’m not holding my breath because as my grandmother would have said, the chances are “slim to none and Slim’s on a fast train out of town.”

Where was I?

Cupcakes.  True to form, I haven’t tried either the cake or frosting recipe before, but have tried many others from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.  This is the book I go to when I want to experiment.  If you’re not familiar with it, you won’t see glossy photos of each recipe.  It’s more of a work horse cookbook.  What sets it apart from other cookbooks is the way the ingredients are listed.  Measurements are provided by volume and weight which makes it quite easy to divide a recipe or to adjust ingredient quantities.  Cakes are presented in one section and toppings in another and although Beranbaum makes suggestions about which go best together, I enjoy considering all the options.  Each recipe also contains a brief section on “understanding” where the science is explained.  As much as I’ve been an avid cook most of my life, I don’t always understand how or why certain ingredients interact with one another, so it’s helpful to understand what may not work when I’m experimenting.

What caught my attention with this recipe was the brown sugar — not something I’m used to seeing in a recipe for chocolate cake.  Equally interesting was the recipe for the buttercream.  Yes, it has an alarming amount of butter in it (hence the name “butter” cream…), but it’s made with egg whites instead of egg yolks, and they aren’t cooked as they would be in a mousseline buttercream.  Both recipes work quite nicely with one another and make a very chocolatey combo that the resident menfolk finished off in a couple of bites — even if it wasn’t in celebration of either of their birthdays.

Speaking of birthdays, Sass & Veracity turns a big three years old this month and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to share with you that Saveur magazine has graciously nominated me in their 1st Annual Best Food Blog Awards in the “Best Individual Post” category.  I’m very honored considering those whose work is sitting alongside mine.  They understand the time and effort it takes to put a good post together — let alone two or three in a week.  The post Saveur has chosen to focus on is one I wrote after returning from Puerto Vallarta last spring at about the time that H1N1 was gaining momentum.  A group of friends and I met there in celebration of a 40th birthday only to find that we may have trouble getting back across the border.  We didn’t, of course, and thankfully I was able to have fun with my own version of Mexican street tacos, which have absolutely nothing to do with chocolate fudge cupcakes or birthdays.

Are you with me?

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

3/4 c. + 3 T unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa

1-1/2 c. boiling water

3 lg. eggs

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. cake flour, sifted

2 c. light brown sugar

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the boiling water over the cocoa in a medium bowl and stir until well combined, then cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, 1/4 of the cooled cocoa mixture, and the vanilla.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the rest of the dry ingredients and  mix on low until combined.  Add the butter and the remaining cocoa mixture, then mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated until well moistened.  Beat for an additional 1-1/2 minutes, then scrape down the sides.  Add the egg mixture a third at a time, making sure to beat at least 20 seconds after each addition.  Scrape down the sides again.

Fill 24 paper-lined cups with the batter.  They will be full.  Bake in the center of the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cupcake springs back when pressed.  When removed from the oven, let sit briefly in the pans, then remove to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Notes:

• I’ve had to deal with the whole Dutch-processed debacle before and finally found it at Henry’s — a sort of home town market here in San Diego.  They have it available in bulk, which is nice.  If you don’t have that kind of cocoa available,  Beranbaum suggests that you can use 1 cup of non-alkalized cocoa like Hershey’s instead.
• The batter is really lovely once you get it past the curdle stage, and trust me, it curdles.  Just turn the motor up to high and let it rip.  At some point, it will all come together again.  It will.  I promise.  Then, carry on.
• Spray the top of your pans with oil, or rub them lightly with a paper towel dipped in oil.  This recipe fills the cups so full, should they over shoot the cups (and they shouldn’t) you wouldn’t want them to stick on the surface of the pans, right?
• They rise beautifully, but I have to admit, I used my convection oven set at 340 degrees F for 20 minutes.  I turned the trays half way through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.  We’ll chalk this up to paranoia.
• I let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turned them out to cool completely on racks before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 c. unsalted butter, softened

4 lg. egg whites

1 c. granulated sugar

Over low heat, in a double boiler, heat chocolate until it begins to melt, stirring frequently until smooth.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the egg whites on medium high to the soft peak stage.  On medium, beat the sugar in gradually until stiff peaks are formed.  Add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, beating briefly before another tablespoon is added.  If the mixture begins to curdle, increase the speed of the mixer and beat until it comes together again before continuing with the butter additions.

Add the cooled chocolate and beat until completely smooth and incorporated. Set aside until ready to use on the completely cooled cupcakes.

Notes:

• This frosting is completely divine.  Period.
• I used an unsweetened chocolate for this recipe because that’s what I had on hand.  To make sure the recipe was as close to the original as possible, I added 1 T of granulated sugar for each ounce of chocolate in the recipe.  I added the sugar after the chocolate was melted and stirred until all was smooth.
• When the chocolate is added to the  butter mixture, please know that if it is too cool, chunks will stay in the frosting.  This isn’t alarming unless you plan to pipe it.  Then it’s extremely alarming if you’re me.  Chunks clog the nozzle, and although you attempt valiantly to create perfect swirls of chocolate that entice potential indulgent individuals to sample your cupcakes, the chunks cause more than a small problem.  Then you’re forced to frost each cupcake by hand, making sure each is perfectly coiffed.  But the chunks of chocolate should you happen onto one one?  Oh.  My.
• All in all, they’re a delightful mouthful of chocolate if you’re ever in need of one.
• Oh, and if you haven’t voted for me yet, please think about it. I’d grin from ear to ear knowing that you had.

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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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