Saturday Simple!

The Saturday was perfect, just a bit cold smacked with bright sunshine. A pot to the stove, whole chicken cooked and a broth born. Next I added the Fall season's ripe tomatoes blanched, peeled and pureed with a hand blender, mince of onion and garlic, pinch of Herbes de Provence. A few hands full of baby spinach that wilted nicely once dropped into the soup. Fresh, simple & steaming. Not one drop left after visitors and I had our way with spoon and bowl. A baguette helps to sop up the goodness and a crisp Chardonnay helps spark the afternoon in just the right way. I find that entertaining doesn't have to be stacks of work. Good fresh food and the events of the day are all that's needed to make any gathering everything you wish to share with those you love. Bon Appetit, Bien Provecho e Buon Appetito! Salud!

At times one trout poses a problem. Not enough for guests and possibly too much for one's self. Solution? Side dishes that fill the plate, round out the presentation and tease the palate. Pick up the phone and call someone intriguing. Eating alone has never been appealing (no matter how often it's done). Put fresh cut flowers on the table (best if from the garden, so as not to dent the wallet). Light a candle. ¡Caray!, it's a dinner party. Who knew?

As for the bev, I find a full flavored white (low or no oak) will go with about anything except strong flavored meats and red with low tannins will go with anything including fish. I give you a foto of one trout for two, Mexican style, and a few wines that will enhance your dining pleasure.

Wine suggestion: Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Tempranillo, also the ever versatile Shiraz

Roasted Chiles

Chiles to the open flame, along with roasting tomatoes & garlic send signal that autumn has begun. No matter the temperature at noon, aroma confirms the season has changed and planets have moved in relation to one another. The sun sets earlier and morning is crisp with frost. The world has changed, and for the better, the proof is in the bushel basket. The Chile Harvest is in.

In my family, we put a fried egg in a heated corn tortilla with a crumble of fresh Mexican cheese, a roasted chile, a squeeze of lime and with a sprinkle of salt autumn has begun... don't forget cold beer calms the burning lips and the balance of flavors is euphoric.

"À la recherche du temps perdu" or "To Siberia With Love"

Central Market Irkutsk

Caviar in Irkutsk

My Proustian "Episode of the Madeleine" was prompted by the perfume of vodka (Русский стандарт, Russian Standard Platinum, a gift from a friend). A flood of involuntary memory, an itch to return to Siberia. No clattering Trans-Siberian train next trip, just time to revel in Irkutsk and Lake Baikal with it's Central Market overflowing with produce and Mongol faces.

I dream of Dachas & Banyas and ample time to enjoy the Sashimi of Siberia called Stroganina. I long to relish the fragile delicacy of Omul Caviar accompanied by classic garnishes of chopped hard-cooked egg, minced red onion and creme fraiche, morsels of Pikantny Syr spicy cheese with sprigs of dill. Yes please, pass the salt and tangy black bread with another shot of Russian Standard Platinum! Nastrovia! мой друг!

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Paila Marina! Viva Chile!

Travel holds many surprises. Yet for the person who cooks and loves to eat, the absolute best of all possible scenarios is an encounter with a chef who knows well the preparation of local specialities. Close to the Atacama Desert, clinging to a strand of beach there's a lovely little fishing village called Arica, Chile. A vibrant human presence in such an arid place is a bit of shock yet the village continues to surprise with locally produced melons, fragrant olives, ruby tomatoes, seafood empanadas, pastel de choclo and my favorite, a delectable shellfish stew bursting with prawns that is available throughout the country but never better then in Arica, PAILA MARINA! 

In the Central Market, you´ll find astoundingly fresh fish and shellfish pulled from the sea that morning. And situated at the interior, are a smattering of ¨Mom and Pop¨ eateries serving locals the dishes they love. Of the many, one easily stands out; "La Perla del Mar" (The Pearl of the Sea)! For years Chef Marcela Hernandez Barrera has been there cooking six days a week with a passion. Her PAILA MARINA is simply a marvel. Served with a typical Chilean bread (somewhat like a baking soda biscuit) and a glass of white wine. There is no room to want more.

Chef Hernandez shares her recipe:

Ingredients: 

2 Pounds of assorted shellfish
1 Pound of shrimp
1/2 Pound Firm fleshed fish cut into bite size pieces
1 Cup of fresh whole milk
1/2 Bottle Dry White wine
4 Cups Strong Fish Broth*
1 bottle Clam Juice
1/4 Cup Fresh Red Aji Sauce**
Olive oil
1/2 Onion finely chopped
2 Cloves of garlic (or more)
2 Medium tomatoes peeled and chopped
Oregano, black pepper & salt to taste

Instructions:
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes with juice, Aji Sauce, oregano, black pepper and salt. Reduce 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Clean shellfish, removing any sand. In a large pot heat fish broth and clam juice to just below boiling point, add sauted ingredients, fish, shell fish and shrimp. In a minute or two, when the seafood is just underdone, add the wine and milk and quickly serve in deep bowls to accomodate the shellfish. Garnish each bowl with a few drops of olive oil.

* Prepare the fish broth with a gift from your fishmonger of heads, tails, bones and fins. Add bay leaf.

** Aji Picante Sauce is made with the South American Chile called ¨Locoto¨. You may substitute with a fresh red chile sauce of preference or with diced red bell pepper for a milder dish.

Suggested Wine: Cousino Macul Sauvignon Gris, a dry Chilean white which delivers a lemon-lime flavour with just enough fruitiness to complement the Paila Marina. 

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2008. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Plum Compote

4 pounds ripe plums

1-1/2 cups water

1 cup raw sugar

One vanilla bean split in half lengthwise

Zest 1/2 lemon and 1 tbs lemon juice

Zest of 1/2 orange

Splash of dark rum (optional)

Wash the plums and set aside halfed and pitted. Bring the water and sugar to a boil and stir to dissolve. Add other ingredients plus plums, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 6 to 7 minutes. Plums should be tender, not mush. Remove pan from heat and allow plums to cool in syrup. Once cooled remove fruit and reserve to the side. Return syrup to heat, add a splash of rum and slowly thicken syrup.

Use as a topping for Ice Cream or Yogurt. Utilize ginger snaps as a spoon to augment flavor, bake in a ramikin with a puff pastry top, add compote al gusto to sparkling wine for a fruity aperitif.

Dance of the Sugar, Plum & Dairy

Mornings are a time of eclectic combinations, spins that entice the tastebuds and the fanciful fusions of fruits. This season, the PLUM and blender are featured in my smoothie mornings. The plum has dominated for a week or so. My father has a tree. Oh, what a plum tree. When combined with bananas, the tart of plain yogurt and mango juice the result takes the edge off the alarm clock. The coffee can wait.... until I get to the office.

M.F.K. Fisher

In the introduction to "The Art of Eating" there is a quote from Thackeray that readily explains the impulse of food writing & reading; "Next to eating good dinners, a healthy man with benevolent turn of mind, must like, I think, to read about them."

Living close to a library that feeds addictions with impunity, I ingest cookbooks and books on fork and cork by the score. I love the notes and asides and introductions that spell out the mind of the person who cooks or picks up a fork or glass with intent. This compilation of the first five books by M.F.K. Fisher is truly a feast in itself. You'll love the prose and the recipes but it's the mind of this diner that forever proves to be most delectable...

To begin anew...

I've just begun. I´ve jumped ship and now write here. Oh, much more to come! This I promise. As I receive visits from the muse, you'll be first to know. Besote!