Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo. (not my photo)

Do a search for Pico de Gallo and it's likely you'll run across a lot of different recipes for this traditional Mexican condiment.  Many of them claim to be "authentic".  I don't care for the term "authentic" as it relates to food.  In my experience it often means the author has had a dish someone prepared in a way that didn't match up to their expectation.  I fully acknowledge the heritage of this condiment has Mexican roots... but what part of Mexico?  It's a diverse place and a cuisine with a HUGE range of preparations and ingredients.

A few weeks ago I was involved in the assembly of a casual backyard party and thought Pico de Gallo would be an easy side to serve with chips.  Like many people I felt I didn't have the time to pull something together from scratch.  Hoo boy was that a mistake!  I bought a tub from the deli section of my supermarket.  It had absolutely no flavor.  There is no reason on earth to rely on anything but your own taste buds and some fresh ingredients to made this easy condiment.  I like it on chips, grilled fish, and especially shrimp tacos!

Once consistent complaint I have on commercially available versions of this is they use WAY too much tomato and not enough onion and other goodies.  This is a simple dish using simple ingredients and takes about 10 minutes start to finish.  Below are a few tips, observations, and suggestions to get the most flavor possible.

Ingredients:

2 medium whole tomatoes (seeded and chopped fine)
1 medium red onion (chopped fine)
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and minced, or 2 serrano)
2 cloves garlic (smashed to a paste)
1 tsp olive oil 
1 lime (zest AND juice)
6 sprigs cilantro (leaves and stems minced)
to taste:
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Method:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit refrigerated for at least an hour or overnight.

Tips:

Use the best tomatoes you can afford.  I'm writing this in peak tomato season and my local farmers market is fantastic.  Many of the vendors have samples of their tomatoes cut up for tasting.  Today I opted for medium sized round beefsteaks on the vine.  The heirloom varieties were sweeter, but also much more expensive.  Off season, I would likely choose Romas.  Take the time to seed them.  The seeds and membranes can be bitter.

My first choice of onion is red.  They have a great bite and the added bonus of their purple color.  White would be my 2nd choice.  Yellow onions are fantastic too, but I prefer the bite of a red or white onion.  I like a ratio of about 1.5:2 tomato to onion by volume.

Peppers: In my research I found some recipes use jalapeno while some used serrano peppers. I have a high heat tolerance so if I were making this just for me I'd go with serranos.  If you are making for a mixed crowd consider opting for the milder jalapeno.

Garlic: I can't stand bottled minced garlic and always choose fresh for this.  It takes very little time to mince a clove of garlic and the flavor difference is huge.  Drizzle a little olive oil on the minced garlic and then using the side of a chefs knife scrape and flatten it into a paste.  I lean toward a variety that has a solid "stem" inside with a slight purple cast. 

Limes: Limes we get in North America often don't have intense flavor in the juice.  This is why I ALWAYS use the zest too.  The rind of the lime contains flavorful oils that adds a bold lime flavor to the mixture.

Salt: I know many people try to limit their salt, but it performs another function besides seasoning.  It helps draw the liquids out of all the other ingredients.  It's important!  Don't skip it.  You don't need much.  Start with a pinch and then adjust the seasoning right before service.

Cilantro:  Many in the culinary world may wince at using the stems.  In this dish I don't mind them.  If the stems are cut finely it adds an earthy tone to the floral finish of this herb.  Many people despise cilantro but without it Pico de Gallo seems flat.

Pizza Sauce

This weekend I tried out a recipe I've been meaning to try for some time...
 http://www.pizzamaking.com/thincrust.php

I am a HUGE fan of pizza and I have been ever since I can remember.  One of my favorite activities as a kid was when the whole family went to Me & Eds Pizza to celebrate birthdays.  I recall they had a wonderful bubbly cracker crust and lately I've been seeking to replicate it.  It seems where I live, the fashion in pizza is a very thick, doughy crust.  In my abbreviated research this is often referred to as a "Chicago" crust.  The above recipe is referred to as a "California" crust.  It comes as close as any I've found to matching the texture I'm after.  It is crisp yet chewy and stands up to heavy toppings.

Thin crust pepperoni pizza with green peppers and mushrooms

Another challenge on my quest for pizza perfection is the sauce.  Too often when I make pizza at home I open a can or a bottle and try to be happy with what comes out.  No more!  I prefer a pasty sauce to a liquid sauce and I feel it holds more flavor in the high temperatures of cooking pizza.

1.5 oz dried sun-dried tomato
6 floz boiling water
6 oz Tomato past
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 small fresh shallot
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (crushed)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp honey
1t white wine
salt & pepper to taste

1. Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes in 6oz. boiling water til soft.  Reserve tomato water.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse til blended and coarsely chopped.  When blended turn processor on and add water and wine in a continuous thin stream.  Blend til smooth.  Refrigerate about 30 min. prior to using to allow flavors to meld.

Simple Spanish Rice

This recipe uses what is called the Pilaf method.  It is easy and allows for opportunity to flavor the rice more subtly while maintaining a great finished texture.  Rice is such a great basic affordable staple you can do so much with.  This is something I use as a side-dish when I make Southwestern or Mexican inspired dishes.

Ingredients:
1 small shallot (ciseler)
1 tablespoon olive oil
~~~~~
1 cup white medium or long grain rice (rinsed)
1-2 tsp dried oregano 
1 bay leaf
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
~~~~~
tt kosher salt
tt white pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Heat oil in a small saucepan to shimmy.  Add shallots.  Saute, coating all sides of shallots.  Cook til just translucent (do not caramelize)
3. Add rinsed rice to hot mixture and saute or stir to coat rice evenly.  Add in dried oregano, stir to distribute evenly, then add tomato juice all at once.  Stir to even out the mixture and bring to slow simmer.
4. Remove pan from heat, cover with tight fitting lid.  Let sit in oven 10-15 min. or until liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Discard bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

Tips:

• If you don't have a lid for your saucepan, you can use foil.  Just make sure it is tight fitting to allow the steam to do all the work.
• One key to making fluffy, moist rice is to select a pot that holds the amount you need to cook, but has the smallest possible surface area.

Chardonnay Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

As a young single person, one of my weeknight "go-to" dishes was a tomato Alfredo sauce served over pasta.  Typically, I would reheat a bottle of commercially available sauce, and toss into it whatever pasta was in the pantry and crown it with whatever steamed vegetable  the "crisper" had to offer (usually broccoli).

My tastes have evolved since then and much has changed about my knowledge of how to extract maximum flavor from simple ingredients.  This is an ongoing project for me and I continue to refine the flavor profile.  Deconstructing what I loved about the dish I set out to develop a sauce that has a creamy texture, a strong tomato flavor, A notably boozy note, and a salty finish.

 I'm happy to introduce this as I find it a marked improvement over what you can buy commercially.  I selected Chardonnay  for this dish because I like its robust oakiness.  Any dry white wine would work.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups heavy cream

2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (dry style, very thinly sliced)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove (crushed)

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/8 tsp salt

1 sweet yellow onion (peeled, thin pole to pole slices)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 ounce tomato paste

8 ounces chardonnay

8 ounces tomato juice

2 ounces Parmigiano Regiano (finely grated)

white roux

Method:  

1. Infuse the cream:  In a small saucepan over low heat combine cream, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and 1 crushed garlic clove.  Bring to scald, lower heat, and reduce to about 1 cup volume.  Remove bay leaf and keep warm.  
2. Caramelize aromatics:  In a large sateuse, heat olive oil over medium heat.  When oil is ready add onions and toss lightly with salt to draw out the moisture.  Saute onions until they start to caramelize.  Add minced garlic and stir to combine.  If garlic begins to burn, reduce heat.  Add a bit more oil to the pan if things get too dry.    
3. Deglaze, reduce, and thicken sauce: When the onions and garlic have caramelized, add the tomato paste and stir well.  Heat for about 1 minute or until the tomato paste begins to stick to the pan.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, scrape the suc from the pan.  Add warm cream mixture and tomato juice, stirring well.  Heat through and thicken with white roux and reduce to desired consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese a little at a time.  
4. Serve over hot al-dente pasta.