Ingredients

• 2 or 3 large cloves garlic
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger root
• 3 scallions
• 1 pound sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 6 ounces ground pork
• 1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Mince enough of the garlic to yield 1 tablespoon. Peel and mince the ginger to yield 1 tablespoon. Separate the scallion whites and greens; chop each. Peel the sweet potato, and either grate it in a food processor (cut into chunks first), cut it into matchsticks or use a spiralizer.

Whisk together the wine or dry sherry, the soy sauce or tamari, the Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the pork and stir with a fork to incorporate.

Heat a wok or large, well­-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat. Drizzle in the oil so that it coats the sides of the wok. Working quickly, add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites; stir-fry for 5 seconds, then add the pork mixture and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

Add the sweet potato; stir-fry for about 6 minutes and try to create some crisped edges on it, if possible. Some of the sweet potato pieces will still be somewhat firm. Remove from the heat.

Divide among individual bowls. Garnish each portion with the scallion greens. Serve hot.

Washington Post

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound Hungarian wax peppers or Italian frying peppers—cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
• Sour cream and chopped parsley, for serving

Preparation

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add all of the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.

Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with the caraway seeds and a generous pinch of salt; scrape into the casserole. Stir in both paprikas, the tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini. Add the broth and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, until the stew is richly flavored, about 1 hour.

Stir the bread crumbs into the stew and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes; serve with sour cream and parsley.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces (or 8-10 drumstick and thigh parts), trimmed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced, optional
• 1 egg
• 1 c. flour lard and butter combined, or vegetable oil
• lemon or lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

In a bowl, toss chicken with salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chili, egg, and 2 tbsp. water. When combined, blend in flour with your hands. Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with other ingredients and chicken is coated (add more water or flour if mixture is too thin or too dry; it should be dry but not powdery). Let sit while you heat fat; at this point chicken can marinate, refrigerated, for up to a day.

Choose a skillet or casserole at least 12" in diameter that can be covered. Add 1/2" of fat and turn heat to medium-high. If using butter, skim foam as it rises. When oil is hot, raise heat to high. Slowly add chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce to medium-high, and cook for 7 minutes.

Uncover, turn chicken, and cook uncovered for another 7 minutes. Turn again and cook for about 5 minutes more, turning as needed to make both sides golden brown.

Remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve chicken at any temperature, with lemon or lime wedges.

New York Times, 2003

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. white peppercorns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
• 2⁄3 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 2 lb. center-cut, skin-on salmon filet
• 1 cup dill sprigs, plus 1⁄3 cup chopped dill
• 1⁄4 cup aquavit (optional)

Preparation

In a small food processor, pulse peppercorns, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds until coarsely ground; combine with salt and sugar. Stretch plastic wrap over a plate; sprinkle with half the salt mixture. Place salmon filet on top, flesh side up. Cover with remaining salt mixture, dill sprigs, and aquavit.

Fold plastic wrap ends around salmon; wrap tightly with more plastic wrap. Refrigerate the fish on the plate for 48-72 hours, turning the package every 12 hours and using your fingers to redistribute the herb-and-spice-infused brine that accumulates as the salt pulls moisture from the salmon. The gravlax should be firm to the touch at the thickest part when fully cured.

Unwrap salmon, discarding the spices, dill, and brine. Rinse the filet under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cover a large plate with the chopped dill. Firmly press the flesh side of the gravlax into the dill to coat it evenly.

Place gravlax skin side down on a board. With a long, narrow-bladed knife (use a granton slicer if you have one; the divots along the blade make for smoother, more uniform slices), slice gravlax against grain, on the diagonal, into thin pieces. Serve with mustard-dill sauce or on knackebrod with minced onion. Refrigerate any remaining gravlax, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks.

Saveur

Ingredients

• 4 lb. chicken wings
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Preparation

Before you begin, uncover the chicken wings and leave them in the fridge for a few hours to dry out.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 250F. Line a baking tray with foil, then place a rack on the foil. Coat the rack with oil.

Place wings in a large bowl or in a ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly. Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer with the skin side up. They should just fit snugly. Place wings on the lower middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Move wings up to the upper middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425F/220C. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. Remove baking tray from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Toss wings in sauce of choice or serve it on the side to dip / drizzle on the wings, then serve.

RecpieTin Eats/CI

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. plus 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. Madeira or ruby port
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 c. beef broth
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp. cornstarch

Preparation

Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture on potatoes has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk in small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through. Stir cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water together in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off 1 corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure to cover entire surface. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

CI

Ingredients

• 500 g dried linguine
• 3 lemons (zest and juice)
• 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g. parmesan cheese, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the packet - in a generous amount of boiling, salted water. Drain and return to the saucepan. Mix the lemon juice and zest with the olive oil, then stir in the parmesan so that it becomes creamy. Season and add more lemon to taste. Add the lemon pasta sauce to the linguine shaking the pan to coat each strand. Garnish with some herbs to suit yourself.

Nudo

[CP: This recipe is really flexible. I made it with zucchini and summer squash (sauteeing rather than baking), and substituting the farmer’s cheese for crumbled feta, and it came out great.]

Ingredients

• 6 large poblanos (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 large butternut squash (4 pounds total)—peeled, halved, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces farmer cheese (crumbling, dry cottage cheese style cheese)
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until they are charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let them cool. Peel, stem and seed the chiles, then cut them into thin strips.

Brush the butternut squash with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread it on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the squash is tender, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the poblano strips and cook until they are very tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and season the poblano mixture with salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the poblano mixture into a large baking dish and top with half of the butternut squash and half of the Monterey Jack and farmer cheeses. Repeat with the remaining poblano mixture, butternut squash and both cheeses. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden and bubbling. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the pumpkin seeds and serve.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 16 tortillas de maiz
• 800g (1.5 lbs) pork butt
• 1/2 pineapple
• 1 lg. onion
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 8 limes
• salt

For the axiote marinade:

• juice of 2 oranges
• 300g ground axiote (powder)
• 10 dry chiles guajillos
• 1 medium size onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 stick of cinnamon

1 recipe salsa taquera

Preparation

1. Make a cut into the side of each chile guajillo, and devein them (rip out the stem and the guts) and soak them in hot water. Once they’ve hydrated and they’re soft, remove from water and place in blender. Add the vinegar, the juice of two oranges, chop up the medium sized onion and add that too. Add your garlic cloves, the cinnamon, and blend it a little. Then add the axiote, the white pepper, then blend. Then add salt to taste. Once the mix is ready, pour into a big bowl you’ll use to marinate the meat.

2. Cut your pork hiney into half steak pieces. Try to make them uniformly thick, but they don’t need to look pretty at all because we’re going to chop them all up before the end to serve in the tacos.

3. Cover each “steak” in the axiote marinade and then refrigerate them all for as long as you can afford to (at least three hours).

4. When it’s time to make dinner, start be preheating the grill.

5. Slice your 1/2 pineapple into “disks” just a bit over 1cm thick (about 1/2″). You can just cut the slices across the entire pineapple, and you don’t have to peel the outside of the pineapple off before you grill it, either.

6. With a hot grill, throw on the now-marinated pork steaks along with your pineapple pieces until both have been cooked. This should take about eight minutes, maybe a touch more. You know you’ve cooked the pineapple enough when it has become soft throughout. It’s alright if the pineapple slices get charred a bit, but do your best to keep them from burning, otherwise they will not taste good.

7. Now peel the pineapple rings off and chop the pineapple into small little cooked pieces.

8. Mince the onions, chop up the cilantro, then mix them together with the pineapple in a bowl. Take a lime and squeeze its juice into the mix and add salt to taste. Sample it to see if you need to add more lime juice.

9. Chop up the pork into little strips and pieces for filling your tacos with.

10. Make the tacos: add the meat to the tortillas first, then your pineapple-cilantro-onion mix, and then top off with your delicious authentic salsa taquera.

Authentic Mexican Recipes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup corn flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red or green jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn)
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar (about 3 ounces)
• Grapeseed or canola oil (for frying)
• Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp. salt; set aside for serving.

Whisk flour, baking powder, Old Bay seasoning, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg and buttermilk in a medium bowl, then add to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in scallions, jalapeño, shrimp, corn, and cheese.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches and adding more oil in between, drop 1/4-cupfuls corn mixture into skillet, flattening slightly, and cook until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain; season with salt and serve immediately with sour cream sauce and lemon wedges alongside.

Epicurious