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WHEN: Tomorrow June 19th at 5:30 WHERE: De Leons Mexican Foods, 102 E. Francis Ave. Spokane.
To register, go to “classes & events” at top of page. Click pay here, submit info to PayPal. Mike Gonzalez and I look forward to seeing you there!
Visit…
http://learntocooklatin.webs.com/
and learn more about Lynne Wiedemann from cookwithus.com and Mike Gonzales, Former ABC News anchor and founder of the Hispanic Food Network, teaming up again to bring you Mexican Cooking classes at DeLeon’s Grocery in Spokane, Washington.
To sign up at cookwithus.com click on classes and events at the top of page. click on pay here, which takes you to PayPal for easy payment.
Visit, learn, and Sign up!!!
Frank and Lynne enjoyed the best Carne Asada in Manuelas Rustic Cafe in Arazola, Mexico
Everyone always asks me what my favorite Mexican restaurant is. So, I’ve set out on a journey to report my opinion on the Mexican food scene and discover the hidden gems of N. Idaho. My first foray is to the two highly recommended food trucks on the 500 block of Best Ave. Now I know I said Mexican but first I just had to try the sandwiches from the Best Sandwich Shack as they tout the best cheese steaks outside of Philadelphia. Being a Philly girl and a former owner of Franklins Hoagies I couldn’t resist the test. I ordered the Philly cheese steak, minus the mayo, and rushed home to share it with my other half. He’s a tough critic. We both loved it. Piled high with thinly sliced tender beef, melted white American cheese, with grilled onions and sweet peppers, it fairly melts in the mouth. The sandwich is moist not greasy, deliciously cheesy, and the roll is perfect; not too bready but chewy with a soft crust. The other offerings are chicken, Italian sausage, and grilled cheese. I appreciate that two people (family members) man the truck and the cook never has to make change or touch money. (Yucky!) It’s clean and well run. Most of the sandwiches cost about $8.00, a bit spendy but they are big, filling, and you get your moneys worth. Call in orders welcome. 625-0629 Hours: 11am to 8pm
I rate the Best Sandwich Shack 5 stars ***** out of 5.
Now for Mexican food from the bright orange Taco Works truck. We ordered three steak tacos on crispy shells and one soft shell shredded beef taco. You can’t beat the price, $1.50 each and they come stuffed with everything; crisp lettuce, shredded cheese, and pico de gayo salsa with a welcome touch of fragrant cilantro and chopped onion. The veggies are fresh, the meat has a tasty charred flavor, and the corn tortilla is good. The shredded beef soft taco is served on two grilled corn tortillas, just like they do in Mexico. The meat is tender and moist made perfectly spicy with the addition of their hot tomatillo salsa ( ask for it if you like extra heat) All menu items can be ordered as combo plates with Mexican rice and re-fried beans sprinkled with queso cotijo cheese. If you love burrito’s try one of the wet ones slathered in either a red enchilada sauce or a rich mole’ sauce. Really good! I haven’t tried the tamales, chile rellenos or the breakfast burritos, but I’ll be back for more for sure.
Call in orders welcome. 208-704-2091
Hours: 8am to 7:30pm Monday- Saturday, Sunday till 4pm
I rate Taco Works 5 stars***** out of 5 (so far)
Best Sandwich Shack |
Taco Works |
You can see the Two recipes here!
Please join me on March 17th for a very unique cooking class. In honor of St Patricks Day we will explore the Irish/Mexican connection as we prepare a fusion meal of Irish/ Mexican cookery.
Who would imagine that there is an Irish- Mexican connection? My research on the subject led me to an interesting article by the Honorable Society of The Irish Brigade. The secret is that the dashing Hispanic swordsman known as Zorro was actually an Irish gentleman of noble birth born in 1615 in County Wexford.
Ref.
HONOURABLE SOCIETY OF THE IRISH BRIGADE
Yay! to men who cook! The guys in this class had a great time working with Poblano chiles, preparing Chiles en Nogada stuffed with a perfect picadillo filling and topped with fresh juicy pomegranate seeds; and learning the tips for the perfect Chile Relleno, crispy on the outside and melt y cheesy inside. We made Yellow Rice so sunny and bright with the subtle flavor imparted from annatto seed.
Cooking Class at The Kitchen Engine
Check out our slide show!
CookWithUs.com recipe
This rice is delicately flavored and colored yellow with annatto seeds which are indigenous to the Yucatan area of Mexico.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, fry the annatto seeds in oil. Remove the seeds when they turn dark brown and discard. The oil should be a dark orange color.
Add the washed and well drained rice to the oil and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft.
In another pan bring the stock to a boil. Add salt if necessary. Add the boiling stock to the rice, lower the flame, cover pot, and simmer on low until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. (20-25 minutes)
Serves 6-8
Surround the bowl of yellow rice with fresh tomato wedges and cilantro for a colorful presentation.
CookWithUs.com
The Oxman girls hit Chicago!
0r, how much can two sisters eat in two days in Chicago? A lot!
I wanted to eat dinner at Topolobampo more than anything. This highly rated Mexican restaurant in downtown Chicago is owned by Rick Bayless. Rick is big into authentic Mexican cuisine and he channels his love for all things Mexico into wonderfully informative cookbooks and celebrated PBS cooking shows. He’s good.
Luckily we snagged reservations for 9:15 Wednesday night as reservations typically are out eight to ten weeks in advance. When we arrived the place was hoppin with patrons lined up outside while others dined al fresco in the warm October night. Surprisingly the building houses both his famous restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo side by side. We entered through the Frontera front door where an elaborate 3-tiered Day of the Dead alter greeted us. Colorful Mexican folk art, laughing dancing skeletons, and ghoulish skulls welcomed the dearly departed and those of us just out celebrating. A bit early for our reservation we wound our way through the crowd to the bar shared by both restaurants and squeezed in next to some friendly folks. The bar coils down one side of the long narrow room with small dining tables hugging the other side of the aisle. The brightly painted walls are adorned with an eclectic mix of original Mexican fine art collected by the Bayless’ during their travels in Mexico. Large whimsical pieces of folk art dangle from the high ceilings. The vibe is a convivial mix of happy voices, bustling staff and kitchen clatter in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Most everyone is eating and the food looks delicious. The guy next to us is thoroughly enjoying his bowl of cochinita pibil, a savory Yucatan pork dish, while Seattle guy on the other side has a steaming plate of tacos and a trio of salsa’s in front of him. Chatting with our seat mates they encourage us to stay and eat claiming Frontera’s casual menu the better of the two and much less expensive. But we are on a mission so when our hostess finds us at the bar we are ready to move into the next room.
Topolobampo’s dining room is sleek and classy, with more of a fine dining ambience than Frontera. Ricks interpretation of the new wave of contemporary Mexican cuisine known as Mexicana Cocina Nueva is evident in his creative fusion of regional Mexican dishes with locally sourced ingredients and innovative presentation. You won’t find guacamole and chips on the menu much to my sisters’ consternation but you will find an eclectic assortment of intriguing dishes We hungrily peruse the ten seafood choices from the Mexican Raw Bar menu and quickly settle on “Coctel Clasico de Mariscos” and “Ceviche Express”. The menu states that all seafood is sustainably raised or caught and tested for purity.
Our order arrives promptly; the portions are small and exquisitely executed. Every nuance is considered on the plate, Banana leaves encase succulent pieces of crab, mussels and octopus in my seafood cocktail and Suzy’s Ceviche made with sashimi grade Pacific yellowtail is equally impressive with bacon scented olive oil drizzled over the chile salsa infused with mescal.
We order from the Salads and Appetizers section of the menu for our second course. Suzy’s bowl of Sopa Azteca achieves the perfect balance of flavor and texture with the earthy heat of roasted pasilla chile puree combined with chicken, avocado, Jack cheese, crema and crispy tortilla chips. My “Ensalada Clasica is fresh with the taste of fresh lime and walnut oil.
The pace is leisurely and the wine excellent. We are slowly gearing up for the entrée course. I pick the “Siete Mares estilo Topolo”, a brothy dish of smokey whitefish, roasted tomato, homemade chipotle chiles and epazote. The fish is served in a shallow white enamel bowl and though the Mackinaw trout has a lovely texture, light and tender, the dish itself looks bland. The few slices of fingerling potatoes add no overall color and the portion is so skimpy I have to ask the waiter for more to finish up with my fish.
Suzy goes for seafood also and orders the crispy Arctic Char and roasted Main lobster medallions. Prepared with a mouthwatering “mojo of black and white garlic, savory white camote flan, sesame glazed cipollini onions, and smokey green beans” she’s in heaven, proclaiming her dish amazing. I have to take her word for it since I never had a chance!
At this point in the evening we are satiated but somehow our sweet and attentive waiter talks us into sharing a piece of Tres Leche cake created by their in-house pastry chef, Jennifer Jones. We are not disappointed. The Tres Leche cake is decadent, it’s infused with toasted hazelnuts and cradled by homemade Oaxacan chocolate ice-cream, vanilla poached quince, housemade ricotta, hazelenut crumble and meringue. It is sooo good and we are so happy.
Topolobampo an upscale gourmet Mexican restaurant has garnered numerous awards and accolades including 4 stars out of 4 from Chicago Magazine. It is a mecca for serious gourmands and will change the opinion of diners who think they don’t like Mexican into Mexican food aficionados!
Topolobampo pricing; $15.00 – $30.00 Mexican Raw Bar
$9.00 – $12.00 Salads and Appetizers
$25.00 – $40.00 Entrees
Topolobampo also offers three different tasting menus each with five courses.
Tasting pricing; $100.00; with 5 perfectly matched wines, add $60.00
Topolobampo/ 445 North Clark/ Chicago, Illinois / 312-661-1434
“Siete Mares” estilo Topolo ~ wood-grilled Macinac lake trout & PEI mussels, smoky whitefish broth (roasted tomato, homemade chipotle chiles, epazote), Nichols Farm fingerling potatoes, smoky green beans. $35
Our first pilot for Latino Sabor, our Latin inspired cooking show, featured these decadent little truffles, so popular in Brazil.
Brazillian Fudge Truffles / Brigadeiros
These gooey little bon-bons have a chocolaty caramel flavor and are traditionally served in frilly paper cups as a party treat.
Pour the condensed milk into a heavy saucepan. Stir in the cocoa powder and salt. Cook stirring constantly over low heat. Keep the mixture barely at a boil to prevent scorching.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the mixture becomes very thick and shiny and starts to pull away from bottom and sides of pan. The batter is done when it slides to one side of the pan and leaves a thick residue on the bottom. Learning when to stop the cooking process is the trickiest part about making brigadeiros. If they are undercooked they will be too soft, if cooked too long they will be hard and chewy.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Chill in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes. With buttered hands, roll the mixture into one inch smooth balls. Roll each ball into the chocolate sprinkles and place in a festive paper cup.
Chill until ready to serve.
*Try rolling them in chopped pistachios or shredded coconut for variety.
A Cook With Us Recipe
Mike Gonzales, my partner at the Hispanic Food Network, demonstrates how to prepare Sopa de Calabasa in the cookwithus.com kitchen. Check out the video below.
Squash Soup / Sopa de Calabasa
The nutty taste of pumpkin seeds combined with ancho chiles gives this soup an authentic flavor of old world Mexico.
Cut squash in halves, remove seeds and membrane. Place in oven proof pan (cut side down), add 1 cup water, bake at 350 degrees for approximately ½ hour or until soft, allow to cool. Stem and seed chiles, lightly roast in dry skillet or comal. Note: Take care not to over roast chiles for they may taste bitter. Place chiles in warm water for 10-15 minutes to re-hydrate.
Heat butter in skillet, add onion and garlic, sauté until soft and lightly brown. Add ancho chiles (coarse chopped) and remove from heat.
Toast pumpkin seeds in small skillet until lightly browned or begin “popping”, allow to cool, fine grind in spice mill.
In blender add two cups milk and half of: squash, onion, garlic, and chile. Add ground pumpkin seeds, puree and add to soup kettle. Repeat process with 2 cups milk and remaining: squash, onion/garlic/chile. Cook over low heat, add cream, lime juice, cumin, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper (to taste). Gently stir and allow to heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove cinnamon, thin soup to desired consistency with extra milk or water. Serve hot with fresh mint leaves as garnish.
Serves six
