Pay de Lima (Lime Pie)

I love key lime pie. Love. It. I don't know that I've ever made it at home, as it isn't Dave's favorite. But that's ok, I'll keep him.

I will say that I had a hard time getting the slices out of the dish, but that might have been more on me than on the recipe. A piece of lime pie with a dollop of whipped cream was a great way to cap off the evening.

Pay de Lima (Lime Pie)
From Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking, by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve of crackers)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
4 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lime zest
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 8 to 9 limes)
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

To prepare crust, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix until they come together. Using your fingers, press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. The crust should be about ¼ inch thick all the way around.

To prepare the filling, bring a pot of water to a boil. Combine the eggs, sugar, lime zest, and lime juice in a stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over the boiling water and whisk constantly for 15 minutes, until the mixture doubles in size, turns frothy and opaque, and forms ribbon-like folds off the end of he whisk. Gradually add the butter and whisk until completely melted.

Pour the batter into the crust and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving. Any leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Serves 6.

See the recipe...

Seis de Mayo

Because May 5th is Grandpa Day at my house, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the 6th instead. I asked Dave to pick something else out of the Dona Tomas book, and I even tried the other version of rice, and I made beans from the book. (Pie is coming later this evening).

Again, this is a somewhat time-consuming meal, but also well worth it. I'm coming to decide that this might be my favorite book of the moment (I do have an un-read stack of them, though). So, either go out and get it, or enter HHDD #12 for a chance to win your very own!

We'll have the leftovers tomorrow night for dinner, but I couldn't help but think that this would have been the perfect meal for company. I was able to get most of the prep done before noon (I've been having trouble sleeping past 7 AM; its made me exceedingly productive on weekends!), and because there were such fun toppings for the beans, it made for a really pretty table. Enjoy!

Note: The achiote paste was a really tricky thing for me to find. Don't do what I did and pop into your local chain grocery and expect to find it (unless your shop is cool like that). Skip right to the International Food Store, and go to their spices section. Took me two days to find it, and I was so excited to actually see it in real life, I bought three. :) Also worth noting, you could make it yourself, from allrecipes.com, but you'd still need strange ingredients.

Note: 5/7 - If you know you're going to have leftovers, try to reserve some aioli for the future meal. I reheated the shrimp in the oven, to try to maintain some crunchiness, and we ended up spooning the aioli onto each taco as we went. Also, the shrimp/lime/cilantro party is really great without the tortilla.

Arroz Achiote (Achiote Rice)
From Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking, by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky

Achiote Marinade:
Makes ¾ cup (enough for 3 batches of rice)
2 ounces achiote paste
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or ¼ cup orange juice and ¼ cup lime juice)
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 pinch allspice
1 clove garlic, chopped

Rice:
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ white onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 ½ cups medium- or long-grain white rice
2 ¾ cups water
2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt

To prepare the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed. The marinade can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, just be certain to remix with a whisk before using.

Place a saucepan over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, decrease the heat to medium, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the rice and continue to sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the grains are well coated with oil and begin to slightly brown.

Add the water, salt and ¼ cup of the marinade and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium. Cover and gently simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fork tender. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.
Frijoles Con Todo (Pinto Beans with Everything)
From Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking, by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky

2 cups pinto beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
About 3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 avocados, cut into ¾-inch dice
2 heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch dice
½ red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
¼ lb queso Oaxaca, shredded
2 serrano chiles, minced
½ bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped

Place the beans in a heavy-duty saucepan and cover with cold water so that the waterline is about 3 inches above the beans. (The traditional method would be to cook the beans in an olla or earthenware pot, but any ceramic or heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan, preferably with a copper-bottom will do.)

Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and add the salt. Simmer for 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure they aren’t sticking to the bottom, until the beans are tender. Add more hot water from time to time to keep the beans fully submerged.

Stop adding water after 2 to 3 hours, when the beans seem close to becoming tender all the way through. The liquid at this point should be somewhat milky and cloudy and will start to thicken with the starch from the beans. You’ll want the water to slowly reduce until its just covering the beans when they’re perfectly tender.

Adjust the seasoning with salt as necessary. Ladle the beans and broth into each bowl and top with healthy portions of the avocado, tomatoes, onion, cheese, chiles, and cilantro right before serving.

Serves 4.Tacos de Camarones Fritos (Batter-fried Shrimp Tacos with Chile de Arbol Aioli)
From Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking, by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky

Chile de Arbol Aioli:
1 dried chile de arbol
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno chile
2 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
3 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons water
1 egg yolk
¾ cup canola oil
About 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Batter:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 egg

3 cups canola oil
2 pounds shrimp (21/25 count), peeled, deveined, and split lengthwise
Kosher salt

16 (5 inch) fresh corn tortillas
¼ bunch cilantro sprigs
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

The aioli can be prepared well ahead of time. Place a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the chile and toast for about 1 minute, pressing it into the pan and turning occasionally with tongs to prevent burning, until lightly browned. While the chile is still hot, remove the stem and submerge in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Drain the chile and transfer to a blender. Add the garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, sugar, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and puree for about 1 minute, until liquefied.

Add the yolk to the blender and turn the motor on low speed. Carefully remove the lid and add the oil in a slow, steady stream so it forms an emulsion with the yolk and the chile puree. If the mixture is too thick ad won’t blend well with the oil, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water, then resume adding the oil. If you add the oil too quickly the sauce will not emulsify and you’ll have to start over.

The final aioli should have the consistency of thin mayonnaise with a speckled red color. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 2 teaspoons salt, using more or less to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

To prepare the batter, sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the water and egg and briskly whisk together until all the lumps have dissipated. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then stir briefly before using.

Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of ¾ inch, and place over high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on your skillet and stove), until it reaches 350°F. Test the oil by dropping in a drip of batter; it should begin frying as soon as it hits the oil. Working in 3 batches, dredge the shrimp in the batter, then carefully place in the oil. Fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until golden brown and crispy (the crispy texture is imperative as you don’t want the shrimp to become soggy when tossed with the aioli). Transfer the shrimp to paper towels to drain.

Once all the shrimp are fried and drained, toss them with a few pinches of salt and about ¾ cup of the aioli to lightly coat. Adjust the consistency, heat, and flavor with more aioli if necessary.

Place a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Working in batches as necessary, warm both sides of the tortillas in the skillet. Place them in stacks of 2 on individual plates or a platter, so that each taco ends up with a double layer of tortilla. Evenly divide the shrimp among the 8 stacks. Top each taco with 4 to 5 cilantro sprigs and serve at once with the lime wedges.

Serves 4.

See the recipe...

Lemon-Coconut Bars for LiveStrong Day

When I read about Barbara's A Taste of Yellow event, I couldn't not want to participate.

LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation's (LAF) grassroots advocacy initiative to unify people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about cancer survivorship issues on a national level and in local communities across the country. LIVESTRONG Day 2007 will occur on Wednesday, May 16.

It takes remarkable strength to fight such an awful disease, and every little bit we can do to help is needed. We all know someone that has fought or is currently battling the disease, which is why its so important to show your support.

Sure, lemon bars won't fight cancer. But maybe they'll get you thinking about donating, volunteering, participating in an event, or just talking to people about what they can to to help. Fighting cancer isn't just about wearing bracelets (though that helps), its about taking care of the people you love, its about looking forward, not back.

Lemon Coconut Bars
Bon Appetit, April 2004
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/109406

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, cooled
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Butter foil. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add coconut and butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden at edges, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling:
Combine 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, flour, baking powder, and salt in processor. Blend filling until smooth.

Remove crust from oven. Pour filling evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling begins to brown at edges and is just set and springy to touch in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool lemon bars completely.

Using foil as aid, transfer lemon bars to work surface. Flatten foil edges. Cut into 16 bars. Sift powdered sugar over. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight in single layer in refrigerator.)

Makes 16.

Bon Appétit
April 2004

See the recipe...

Hay Hay its Donna Day 12: Caesar Salad

All craziness of this past week aside, I still have to pinch myself about this. I could barely contain myself when I got the email from Helen on Tuesday, sharing my win with me. Anyone I work with will tell you, I squealed (seriously) and bounced up and down the halls. I called my husband and squealed at him. Called my mom and squealed at her. I think all the nearby dogs heard me squeal in pitches unheard by man.

Why all the giddiness? Because I've only been blogging a month. Rookie luck? Probably. But I'll take it! I'll take it and I'll tell you why. I've always felt awkward: I never know what to say, strangers freak me out, yadda yadda... but talking about food? With other people that love food? Totally my element. And winning this event, to me, is kinda like not being picked last in gym class. My heart is all filled up and I thank you for that. (Could I be ANY lamer??) :)

Once the bouncing passed, I got to wondering what my theme would be for HHDD #12. I quizzed Barbara, creator of these lovely HHDD events, on how this process works. Without her, I think I'd still be brainstorming and pouring over recipes.

Then it came to me, with the last two months of fantastic, mouth-watering sweets, that I could really really use a salad. You know that feeling? You glut your way through a weekend, and you really just want some nice crunchy lettuce? Mind you, this caesar has bacon... but its crunchy, too, so... yah. :)

So, ladies and gentlemen, send me your salads, your wraps, your pizzas and your stuffed things. Anything with the main elements of caesar, and I want to see it. You all are a crafty bunch and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Fine print:
Please post your caesar salad recipe by May 27th. Once posted, please email it to me at otherpeoplesfood AT gmail DOT com, including your name, name of your blog and its URL, title of your recipe and the URL to your post, and a picture of your caesar. (Whew!) I will post the round-up on June 3rd, winner declared June 10th. To the winner goes a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks and the hosting duties of HHDD #13 (lucky!)

To get you started, I picked Donna Hay's Caesar Salad from her Modern Classics Book 1, posted after the jump.

Good luck, and happy caesaring! :)


Caesar Salad
From “Modern Classics Book 1” by Donna Hay

6 rashers bacon
1 large cos (romaine) lettuce
sea salt and cracked black pepper
¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
croutons
1 thin baguette, sliced (32 slices)
olive oil
1 clove garlic, halved
dressing
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 anchovy fillets
¼ finely grated parmesan cheese
½ cup (4 fl oz.) vegetable oil

To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Place the baguette slices on a baking tray, brush with the olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Rub each slice with the cut garlic and set aside.

Place the bacon on a baking tray and cook under a hot grill (broiler) until crisp. When cooled, tear into large pieces. Trim the lettuce leaves, reserving the smaller inner leaves and roughly chopping the larger ones.

To make the dressing, process the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, anchovies and parmesan in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, gradually add the oil and process until smooth and creamy. To serve, toss together the lettuce, two-thirds of the dressing, the bacon, croutons, salt and pepper. Spoon over the remaining dressing and top with the shaved parmesan.

Serves 4.

See the recipe...

Grandpa Dinner

Today would have been my Grandpa's birthday. On nights he wanted some peace and quiet (two of his favorite things) he would send my Grandma, Mom, and me out for dinner on him. He would stay home and have a great big bowl of cereal for dinner - he'd mix them all up into one bowl, too. Otherwise, one of his favorite dinners, even on special occasions, would be beans and franks with a side of sauteed sliced white potatoes. (He was a pretty easy man to please, in that regard.)

So, on his birthday and on the day of his passing, Dave and I have Grandpa Dinner. Its nothing fancy, which is just how he'd want it.

See the recipe...

Saturday Update

All - I had a bit of an oogy week. Wanted to let you all know that the HHDD post will be tonight! Sorry to keep you waiting!

See the recipe...

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 16 - Something New

Sara at I Like to Cook's Weekend Cookbook Challenge 16 is all about Something New. Sara and her sites are new to me, blogging is still mostly new, and I have a couple of new cookbooks, so I thought, why not?

This dinner itself added up to a couple of new things, actually. Lentils and individual pies. And considering I didn't have individual pie dishes and therefore used an over-sized muffin tin, I think it only gets me half credit.

I wouldn't suggest deviating from the pie dishes. Once these babies were done, it made more sense. Couldn't get them out of the muffin pan without breaking them, so we ate them directly from the tin. I'd hoped for a nice pretty picture with the wee cute pie on the plate with the pretty salad... no dice. Dave and I both found them really tasty, though, so even if you don't mind sharing eating from the tin, go forth.

Lentils are nice. They boiled away happily as I fought with the phyllo dough. Let me tell you... don't get phyllo from Wegmans, get it from Whole Foods. (I can't vouch for anywhere else.) I thank the cooking spirits that my first phyllo experience was flawless, because tonight... omg... If tonight had been my first night, I'd've never gone back. The sheets were all stuck together... which just lead to more tearing... bleh. Nightmare.

I even want to liken tonight to sports. When the super kick-ass team is playing the crappiest... and they walk in all puffed up, like its in the bag.... and then they lose. I thought I had this. Goat cheese, awesome. New lentil experience, check. Phyllo, rockin... 'cept... not so much. In the end, I just buttered and stuck broken sheets together... cause, really, what CAN'T butter fix?


Lentil and Goats Cheese Tarts
From “Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry” by Donna Hay

150 g (5 oz) du puy lentils
6 sheets phyllo pastry
50 g (1 ½ oz) butter, melted
500 g (1 lb) ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1 ½ cups (12 fl oz) milk
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
cracked black pepper and sea salt
180 g (6 oz) goat’s cheese, sliced ▪

Place the lentils in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 160° C (325° F). Cut the pastry sheets in half to make squares. Lightly brush the pastry squares with the butter and make piles of 3 sheets each. Line 6 greased 1 cup (8 fl oz) capacity dishes (or large muffin tin) with the pastry, folding to fit the edges in the dishes.

To make the filling, mix the ricotta, eggs and milk in a food processor until smooth. Place in a bowl and stir through the cooked lentils, parsley, pepper and salt.

Pour the mixture into the pastry shells and top with the goat’s cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is set. Serve warm.

Serves 4.

▪ You can also use blue cheese or aged cheddar.

See the recipe...

We Love Polenta!

I also love our Supper Club. We all get together and eat each other's food (ha!) and then we email bomb each other with recipes so we can make the dishes ourselves.

This is where tonight's dinner came from. I brought home the leftovers, and Dave said, "I really liked the yellow things." I did as well, and considering I've never made polenta before, I very much wanted to try it out. So, Stephanie, we loved your Polenta Bites last week, and we love them again this week!

She made them in mini-muffin tins, I think for ease of travel and because it was darn cute. I'd planned to do the same thing, but rationalized that it would taste the same, and I wouldn't have to clean the muffin tin, if we just had it in a bowl. I also cooked up some chorizo I had in the freezer, but I didn't really like the two together. (But I also think I don't really like chorizo.)

I don't have the recipe in this post, but you can find it here.

See the recipe...