Have yourself a very chile Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2013 by loschileros

Is it just me or does it feel like Thanksgiving was just last week? Now here we are with Christmas looming over us and New Year’s lurking around the corner.

If you’ve dared venture into the supermarket you can sense the siege mentality as people stock up like they’re getting ready for another Hundred Years War. To-do lists spawn secondary to-do lists and scribbled notes get shoved in coat pockets as we try to remember if we were supposed to pick up single cream, heavy, double, whipped or some other milk-based product.

At moments like this it’s important to breathe and remember if all else fails you can probably find a gas station open on Christmas Day selling microwave bean burritos. Okay, it’s not much consolation but it’s something. So, for what’s it’s worth, here are some tips/suggestion/ideas to help you navigate the holidays.

Eat more chile. Not just because it tastes great (natch) but because chile is said to help your body fight colds and let’s be honest – ‘tis the season. It’s also a great source of vitamin C.
If you’re cooking a turkey, consider a chile spice rub. Ease the skin away from the meat (gently so it doesn’t tear) and rub in a mix of chile powder, salt and softened butter. Ease the skin back and rub a bit more butter on top. If you can, do this the night before so it has a chance to soak up all that chile goodness. Yum.
Cranberries. Have you noticed how you make them and then – surprise – no one eats them. This year, place the whole berries with the zest and juice of an orange with a whole dried chile and sugar to taste. Cook until the berries start to burst. Remove from the heat and puree the chile (with or without seeds) with some of the berries then add back to the rest of the berries and stir. Very good and very spicy.
Remember the chile cornbread stuffing from Thanksgiving? It tastes just as good at Christmas.
Chile Bloody Marys are an important tool to help you put up with your in-laws. Think of them as medicine.
Avoid wearing Christmas sweaters. This has nothing to do with chile but it will prevent someone publishing embarrassing photos of you on Facebook.

So get going. It’s time to celebrate. See you in 2014.

Ho Ho Humbug

Posted on December 12, 2013 by loschileros

As soon as the words are out of your mouth you want to take them back. “Pop over for a drink during the holidays.” Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking? Pop over??? That basically means: 1) come over anytime, 2) stay for as long as you want, and 3) I’ll make sure there’s plenty to eat and drink. Big mistake.

Picture the scene…you’re watching your favorite shopping channel, just about to order that 44-piece kitchen knife set (only $29.95 and if you order in the next :30 seconds they’ll throw in a set of steak knives FREE!) when ding-dong goes the doorbell. And it’s Bob from Accounting, his kids and that lovely wife of his. So you hide your bag of cheetos, turn off the TV and hope they like your reindeer pj’s.

Now of course, if you’ve planned ahead – stashed a case or two of wine and made some nibbles, it’s really no big deal. I make a batch of Chile Logs and keep them in the fridge, ready for Bob. They’re chile-cheesy and you do want to eat more and more of them. Start with a mix of cream cheese and cheddar cheese and then hot it up with some chile powder and dust with more chile powder (cuz you can’t ever get enough chile) and sprinkle with some nuts (totally optional but definitely good eating).

And if I’m really smart (50-50 chance on that one) I make an extra batch so I can bring some along when I “pop over” to see friends. If I swing by your place this season and you’re in the middle of a big shopping channel order then not to worry. Take your time answering the doorbell. I know that steak knife freebie won’t last forever.

Chile Cheese Logs

I’d like to make this sound incredibly difficult to make but it’s not. It’s kind of ‘Mad Men’ food – you could even serve it with triscuits for a really retro feel. I like to make it in a food processor because it’s easier and less messy but you decide. The logs definitely improve with age so keep in the fridge for a day or two before serving. I made one with a dusting of chipotle and New Mexico and one with the addition of toasted pine nuts – but create your own combos.

Makes two logs; serves approximately 6-10 people

12 oz white cheddar cheese, medium grated
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Chile Molido hot
½ tsp Child Molido mild

Additional chile powder for rolling (I used a combination of Chipotle and Child Molido)

Toasted pine nuts (or chopped walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds would be good too).

Combine the first six ingredients, divide into two and shape into two logs. Roll the logs in the additional chile powder to coat and then roll in toasted pine nuts if using (make sure the nuts have cooled first). Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least a day – preferably 2 or 3 – before serving with crackers or bread. Any leftovers are great spread on toast or in sandwiches.

Gobble, gobble

Posted on November 26, 2013 by loschileros

My nominee for the next new Olympic sport is Thanksgiving. You got it – the whole darn tooting day. Think about it – you wake up, race to the kitchen, get a cup of joe and start cooking. Don’t sleep in, don’t pass go and definitely don’t collect $200. You are a man/woman/child/elderly person on a mission.

Because face it, Thanksgiving doesn’t cook itself. While everyone else is watching a bowl game or getting in a fight, you’re cooking. And we’re not talking about meat and 2 veg, we’re talking about a spread that would make a grown man/woman/child/elderly person cry.

It takes planning, it takes energy and it takes courage. Ask me – and this is borderline blasphemy here – it’s the sides that get me excited. Don’t get me wrong, I love a slice or 10 of turkey but it’s the side dishes that get me all hot and bothered. And numero uno on my list is stuffing. It’s not hard to figure out why. We’re basically talking about bread and fat bound with eggs (actually it doesn’t sound great when I put it that way, but you know what I mean).

Plus, stuffing is a carrier for gravy and that’s got to be a good thing. This stuffing is made with cornbread (doesn’t that make it gluten free and therefore good for you???) and laced with a healthy dose of chile and sausage. You can make the cornbread the day before – even sauté the celery and onion (pop them in the fridge overnight) – then just assemble. Stuff it in the bird if you want, although I’m a stuffing out-of-the-bird kind of guy – I find you get a nicer, crispier crust.

Best of all, if you haven’t invited over your whole extended family, you’ll have leftovers. And at the end of the day while you may not get an Olympic gold medal, l.o.’s are a pretty good consolation prize.

Chile Cornbread Stuffing

Serves around 8

I’ve included a cornbread recipe inspired by one I love from Cast Your Bread Upon the Water by Sister Schubert but use your own, if you want. You’ll want a 9” pan of cornbread. When you’re making the cornbread, add the chile to the other dry ingredients.

Cornbread

5 oz. butter, melted
1 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
¾ buttermilk
2 Tbsp water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups cornmeal
1 Tbsp green chile caribe
1 Tbsp red chile pequin

Preheat oven to 400º. Brush your baking pan with some of the melted butter. Mix the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry and stir to mix, being careful not to overwork. Pour into the baking pan and put in the oven. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

Stuffing

1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced onion
2 Tbsp butter
8 oz sausage meat
1 pan cornbread, crumbled
5 Tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
½ cup butter, melted
2 cups turkey or chicken broth
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350º.

Melt the 2 Tbsp butter in a pan and sauté the celery and onion until soft but not brown. Remove and place in a large mixing bowl. Crumble up the sausage and cook in the pan until just cooked through. Add the sausage meat (drain if necessary), cornbread, butter, broth, parsley, and eggs to the bowl. Mix and place into a greased casserole dish. Bake for approximately an hour until a skewer comes out clean.

Pickled

Posted on November 8, 2013 by loschileros

I catch myself every now and then, staring into the refrigerator. If it weren’t for the high price of electricity and the non-greenness of it, I could stand there for days. Weeks even. I stand there waiting like I’m expecting the refrigerator to say something to me.

And in a way, I guess I am. I’m hungry but I don’t know what to eat. Surely the refrigerator should know – it’s got everything in there. But as I peruse the shelves I’m stumped. Leftover tuna fish? (My stomach churns) The mystery brick-like substance in the back? Suddenly I think it might be from last Thanksgiving. (Cue more stomach churning)

Now if I’m honest, which I always am (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), this often happens late at night when I’ve been woken up by the neighbor’s cat or a bad dream about income taxes (and aren’t they all bad?).

So I stand there until my eyes hit a jar of pickles. I smile. My stomach stops churning and my mouth starts watering. Because pickles are the perfect thing to have on hand when you just need a little something. When a burger with cheese, grilled onions, and sautéed mushroom would simply be over the top. Not to mention there’s no sign of meat, onions or mushrooms anywhere in this fridge.

No, a couple of pickles eaten late at night by the light of the refrigerator can be just the thing. It satisfies that peckishness you have. It tells you all (or at least a whole lot) is right in the world. So you slurp and nibble until ready to go back to bed.

Thanks fridge.

“Don’t mention it.”

Sweet, Sour & Spicy Pickles

Two caveats. If you’re looking for how-to-can 101, then you came to the wrong place. These pickles are fine and dandy in the fridge for a week or so but if you want to whip up a batch and set ‘em aside for your daughter’s wedding in 18 years (be honest, she’s only 1 ½ now), then you’ll want to get some advice on preserving like how to clean the heck out of a jar. Second point. This was inspired by the most inspiring of foodie blogs Food52. I bow down before them. I’ve used rice wine vinegar instead of cider vinegar but either is great. And of course, I added chile. Natch. Feel free to add more chile but remember, it gets hotter the longer it sits.

About 1 lb. small cucumbers (around 5)
¼ cup sugar
½ rice rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp salt
3 dried Chile de Arbol

Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can without removing a finger. Place them in a clean jar – I’ve used a .75 liter jar here but don’t get fussy. You want the cucumbers to fit in nicely with some room to top it up with the pickling liquid.

Place the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour over the cucumbers. Don’t worry if the liquid doesn’t cover the cucumbers (because it won’t). The cucumbers start to go soft and yummy soon enough. Let sit at least 4 hours then get eating. Keep in the fridge if there is anything left.

Halloween Heat Wave

Posted on October 24, 2013 by loschileros

Halloween feels a bit unfair. Think about it. Kids get to dress up, go out and bag boat loads of candy. And adults? Gosh, we get to dole the candy out and hope some wise acre doesn’t decide to toilet paper our trees or plaster our windows with shaving cream. And have you noticed that kids don’t just grab the candy, say thanks and take off? Now they give your candy the once over like they’d been expecting a Godiva gift box.

Sour grapes? Okay, maybe. Let’s face it – I’d like a pillow case full of sugar packed chocs too. And why can’t I dress up like a vampire/ghost anymore?

The answer is simple: you can. Take back Halloween. Own it. Make it yours. Put on that DVD of Psycho. Crack open an extra bag (or three) of candy and eat yourself silly. Go ahead. It’s only once a year.

And while you’re at it, invite a like-minded friend or two over for some Halloween-inspired Butternut Squash Soup. You can sip it in between chowing down on mini Mars bars.

Chile Spiked Butternut Squash Soup

Makes about 5 cups of soup which is enough for me or 3-4 normal people

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 butternut squash, around 2-2 ½ lbs.
3-4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
whipping cream (optional)
1 dried whole Negro chile
¼ tsp Chipotle chile powderSea salt flakes

Sauté the onion in a pot in 1½ tablespoon of the olive oil over low heat. While the onions are cooking, peel the butternut squash and chop it into cubes. Remove the squash seeds and reserve. When the onions are soft but not brown, add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Add the cubed butternut squash and the Negro chile. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the stock, cover and cook until you can insert a knife easily into the squash.

While the soup is cooking, rinse the squash seeds to remove the fibers around them. Place the seeds in a frying pan and toast for a minute or two. When the seeds have dried out, add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil and the chipotle chile powder and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the seeds are lightly toasted but not burned.

When the squash is cooked through, remove the Negro chile, remove the stem and seeds and chop it up. Return the chopped chile to the soup. Puree in a food processor or with a stick blender. Check for seasoning and add more chile powder if you’d like an extra bite. Add more stock and/or cream so the soup has a pourable consistency.

Serve in bowls with a drizzle of cream and topped with the chipotle squash seeds.

Calling All Hot Heads

Posted on October 9, 2013 by loschileros

We want your help. Okay not want – need. You got any idea how many chile festivals there are out there? No? We don’t either – not a blooming idea. But heck, we know it’s a lot. So why not tell us about your favorite chile festival. Maybe it’s one in your own neighbourhood. Maybe it’s one you discovered on your travels (personally we’d like to go to Chilifest Finland or how about the Sawtell Chilli Festival in Australia?).

A faithful Chile Trail follower in London, England sent us these pics from the Festival of Heat – London’s first chile (or chilli as they insist on spelling it) festival held at the Spitalfields City Farm in east London. Kind of makes you want to hop on a plane, doesn’t it?

So share your favs. Send us photos. Tell us how you gave your tongue a 3rd degree burn when you sampled that too-hot-to-trot hot sauce. Regale us with the jalapeno contest you won (or lost).

The Chile Trail awaits.

DIY Dinner

Posted on September 26, 2013 by loschileros

It used to be a no-brainer to have someone over for dinner. Pick up the phone, ask them over and they either say a) yes or b) no. Now it’s all a bit of a gastronomic minefield. It seems that everyone has some food no-no whether it’s an out-and-out allergy, food intolerance or something that’s verboten on their current lose 10 lbs. in 10 minutes diet.

Sigh.

It makes planning dinner a bit of a headache. So if it’s a minefield then I’m going military. I meet the enemy head-on with a menu that caters to (just about) every food need/desire/penchant. Basically, I let my guests create their own dinner.

My chile shrimp with corn tortillas is a perfect example. I whip up some green chile marinaded shrimp (it cooks super quick on the BBQ) or you could grill flank steak, chicken or simply lots and lots of roasted vegetables. Even better, serve a couple of choices – why not? Serve it with warm tortillas (look ma no wheat!) and lots and lots of sides. You like cheese? Great toss it on there! Beans your worst enemy? Give ‘em a pass.

Basically everyone tops their tortilla with what they like and gives the rest a miss. They all feel extraordinarily clever for creating such a masterpiece and it’s easy because you can sort out most of the toppings before they even ring the doorbell. Any leftovers? Sit back on the sofa with some trash TV and roll-up the the extras in a tortilla. And you know what? If you want a wheat tortilla you just go ahead. This time it’s your party.

Green Chile Shrimp with Corn Tortillas and All the Fixings

Serves 4

Substitute beef, chicken, salmon, roasted veg – you name it – for the shrimp. The marinade contains lime juice which starts to ‘cook’ the shrimp so make it a super short marinade – about 15 mins is all you need. I’ve listed a long supply of possible accompaniments but add and subtract as you like!

1 batch Green Chile Sauce
4-8 corn tortillas
1 14.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can corn nibblets, drained
1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese such as Cheddar, Goat’s cheese or Feta
¾ lb cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved depending on size
1 large or 2 small avocados, peeled and sliced
1 small bunch of radishes, sliced thinly
4-6 spring onions, sliced thinly

Shrimp & marinade
Juice of one lime, freshly squeezed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp Green Jalapeño powder
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Make the green chile sauce according the instructions on the packet and set aside. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in a warm oven. Place the rest of ingredients in individual serving bowls.

Mix the lime juice, vegetable oil and green chile powder together in a bowl then add the shrimp and toss to coat. Marinade for the shrimp for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the BBQ (alternatively you can sauté these in a frying pan). Place the shrimp on skewers and cook for a minute or two, turn and cook for another minute. When cooked through, remove and place the shrimp on a serving platter.

Take the tortillas out of the oven and place on the table with the other ingredients including the shrimp. Serve the green chile sauce on the side and enjoy!

And the Golden Chile goes to…

Posted on September 13, 2013 by loschileros

They called her The Pepper Lady. I mean, that speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Her ‘real’ name was Jean Andrews. A native Texan, she did it all – a well-recognized illustrator, author, cook, collector and world traveler. Born in 1923, she got her bachelors, a masters and then earned her doctorate (she started that when she turned 50). She wrote books about wildflowers and sea shells but she’s perhaps best known for her books on peppers.

I came across Red Hot Peppers at Nicholas Potter books here in Santa Fe. I’d heard about her but surprisingly didn’t have any of her books. I snatched this one up, if for no other reason than the copy on the jacket, “A Cookbook for the not so faint of heart.” Here, here.

Turns out Jean – who died in 2010 – knew a heck of a lot about peppers. She travelled around the world tracing their path once Columbus brought them back to Europe. During her own travels, she brought back seeds from South America, Africa, and India and grew them back home. She loved chile so much that – according to an article I read – she even had a red Mercedes 380 SL with the license plate “Pequin”. Nice.

Go online and nab one of her books. Peppers: The Domesticated Capsicums or The Pepper Trail: History and Recipes from Around the World are two. Enjoy them for the recipes. Enjoy them for the illustrations – Jean’s own. But most of all, enjoy reading the words of someone who was full of life and full of love for chile.

Sweet as candy

Posted on August 29, 2013 by loschileros

Do you remember that time last winter? You know…. when the snow was up to your armpits and you were sure spring would never come. You walked into your local grocery store, staggered over to the veg department and there you saw it: a red tomato. It was a beacon saying, “Winter won’t last, I promise.” So you picked up that tomato and cradled it like a baby and went home.

But guess what? You sliced that puppy up and it tasted like nothing. Absolutely nothing. Cuz tomatoes may look nice in winter but they don’t taste so hot. So here you are – it’s late summer and winter seems pretty far away. But it’s not. So now is the time to eat your fill of tomatoes. Eat them raw, cooked and anything in between. Eat them until you’re positive you can’t stomach another.

Because sooner than you think, winter’s going to be back. So make some memories now that will last you a good long time. This Tomato tart is a great way to boost your tomato intake. We slow roast them in the oven so the flavor is super concentrated – they taste like candy only way better. We use a store bought pastry because life is short and who needs the hassle of making it? But we don’t go for the cheapo stuff – we like Dufour pastry. Why? Because it’s made with lots and lots and lots of butter. Need we say more? And we didn’t say this recipe was lo-cal, ok?

Here’s another tip. Make an extra batch or two of the tomatoes. Pop them in a plastic container and put them in the freezer. That should get you through this year’s winter.

Sweet.

Roasted Tomato, Green Chile & Goat’s Cheese Tart

Serves 4-6

1 ¾ lbs cherry tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp chile molido mild
14 oz. puff pastry
3 oz. soft goat’s cheese
½ package New Mexico green chile, rehydrated

Preheat the oven to 220°.

Slice the tomatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and chile molido over the top. Place the tomatoes in the oven and cook for 1 ½-2 hours until the tomatoes have lost their moisture. They should be soft and slightly chewy. Remove from the oven.

Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Place the puff pastry on another baking sheet. Place the tomatoes on the puff pastry, leaving a small border along all the edges. Slice the green chile into strips and add to the tomatoes then crumble the goat’s cheese on top.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the tart for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned and the cheese warm and melted. Slice into squares and serve hot or at room temperature.

Happy Birthday Honey

Posted on August 15, 2013 by loschileros

3:00 a.m. and you wake up in a cold sweat. A sea of panic rolls over you. Whose idea was it for you to host this birthday party anyway? Of course you then remember you offered to do. I think your exact words were: “It’s no big deal.” And it’s not really a big deal is it? It’s not like you haven’t hosted parties before.

But a birthday party is different. There is an expectation that the day is going to be perfect (whatever that means) and guess whose shoulders that bad boy falls on? You got it champ – you.

So turn on the bedside lamp, take a deep breath, get a pad of paper and don’t freak out. Make a list – what you’re going to serve, when you’re going to make it and what you’re going to serve it on. And before you start dreaming about baked Alaska and flambéing steaks table-side, think again.

The key to a birthday party – any part in fact – is to do-ahead as much as you can. No one – your guests or you – wants you stuck in the kitchen. It makes you grumpy and they feel vaguely guilty. You miss all the good gossip and are tuckered out before the first bite of food.

So for this birthday party I did it all ahead – well practically. Giant couscous salad with artichoke hearts and black olives; roasted sweet potatoes and red onions with a cilantro oil; tossed salad and French bread. But every meal needs a secret weapon and mine was a honey, chile and thyme marinated pork tenderloin. I let it sit in the fridge all day so the flavors were there then popped that puppy on the grill.

The real secret was the honey. I got it from an amazing woman named Diane Ravens – an incredible beekeeper who lives in Ocoee, Tennessee at foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This is a woman who loves her bees and has been creating amazing honey for almost 20 years. I used her Sourwood honey which has an incredible taste to it – I’m talking spoon-it-out of-the-jar-and-eat it delicious. Using her Appalachian Bee honey reminded me that food doesn’t need to be fussy when you use the very best ingredients and trust me, her honey is the best. You can find out more about Diane, her bees and even order some super yummy honey at www.honeybeesrock.com.

Honey, chile & thyme pork tenderloin

Serves 8-10

2 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
¼ cup sourwood honey or other honey
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp mild chile molido (or half mild and half hot)
1 ½ Tbsp thyme leaves

Make the marinade by mixing together the honey, olive oil, chile and thyme leaves. Pour over the pork and ensure the pork is evenly coated. Store in a bowl or large plastic baggie. Place in the fridge and marinade for several hours or over night. Remove from the fridge about half an hour before grilling.

Heat the barbecue and remove the pork from the marinade. Sear the pork on all sides, reduce the heat and barbecue until cooked through. I like my pork pink in middle, about 15 minutes total. If you’re unsure, use a meat thermometer (the USDA recommends 145º). But please, please don’t over cook it!

Remove, let rest then slice and serve.