Chile and Chocolate Pulled Pork Tostadas
A family favorite for sure, I love making this dish- Its versatile and simple so feel free to add in any spices you enjoy and watch the delighted look on the faces of those you serve!
What you need:
One large pork shoulder (called a butt)
1 small onion,
1 small carrot
2-4 tbsp of kosher salt
2- 4 tbsp of Chile powder
1 tbsp of cayenne pepper
1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate
4 cups of chicken stock
2-3 tbsp of veg oil
Pre-Heat Oven to 250
In a large dutchoven or oven proof, coverable pot, add oil-
Combine salt, chile powder and cayenne in a small bowl and rub mixture over entire pork shoulder.
Add pork to heated oil and sear on all sides, 1 minute per side.
Remove once all sides browned and add vegetables to soften.
-then add chicken broth
Once combined add in shoulder and the chocolate
Cover and place in oven for 4-5 hours.
Remove and allow to cool~
On top of tostado add pulled pork, avocado and sour cream- Enjoy!
for Hariette~
Lately, while working on my first cookbook, I’ve been attempting to interpret my life through a recipe- asking myself what one meal or ingredient could sum it up. Feeling creatively challenged, or perhaps too proud to be honest, I instead focused on another ingredient- whom I cooked for and why…
Growing up in a small, rural, south Texas town, I usually cooked because my mother was too tired or because I wanted to go to the movies with my friends and it was bribery. Even as my mom didn’t enjoy cooking, I heard the same thing every day- A womans place was in the home and that, of course, included the kitchen. At age 8, this was as good of a reason to cut off my hair and behave like a boy as any. How was God so unkind to reckon I was meant for a life of box dinners and canned mushroom soup…The times when I actually did feed the family, I was never comfortable with the idea that I needed instructions to do so. There were many many failed attempts, but then again I was forced into such slavery and thought, as such, it the perfect opportunity to experiment.
I remember often, being in my grandmothers kitchens, each so different in their style- while my fathers mother never measured a thing, my mothers mum cooked with the precision of a Parisian Baker. I would stand and watch her while she read- measured- and poured her way through the cooking. I once asked her why she still needed to read the instructions when she had made the dish so many times before…to which she said- without missing a beat- that she wasnt about to make a mistake, or miss a single step in a recipe that had happily fed her 9 children, husband and now grandchildren all these years. I thought that made great sense as she most always made, and yet slightly sad at the same time. How boring to be with the same ingredients for so many years of your life, only to make them the same way day in and day out. Either way, I happily enjoyed her casseroles and congealed fruit salads because it was her food and it meant she loved us to feed us with such great consistency.
Somehow- just as the women before me did- I have made it my place to be in the kitchen. And its a happy happy place to be.
You say Po-tay-to, I say Poh-ta-toe
I always love to see how recipes are interpreted or written once they move around the world and my personal favorite is Onion Soup Gratinee. The classic. The fact that most people know it as ” French Onion Soup” is in part because that is how “Le French” do it over there, AND it continues to be written for the us this way. However, no where in France will you see it written as such, nor will you see them label their fries, ” french fries”. Pommes Frites or simply, fried potatoes will suffice and so will this lovely recipe that will hopefully warm your kitchen before it warms your belly.
“FRENCH” ONION SOUP
Ingredients
- 4 sweet onions, sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp of butter, unsalted
- 4-5 cups beef stock
- 1 tsp of herbs de provence
- 2 tsp of salt
- 1 loaf day or two old French bread or croutons
- 2 cups grated Gruyere
Directions
Saute onions and garlic in oil, butter over low heat until caramelized and brown, just over 45 minutes. Add Herbs de Provence the last 15 minutes of caramelizing onions and then addstock and bring to a boil.. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and to taste.
Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4-inch slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F or 5 minutes under a hot broiler.
Happy New Year!
After the holidays I am always reminded, ever so un-gently, that I do not have the metabolism of a supermodel- or even myself 10 years ago. As I squeezed into my jeans this morning to run the bubs to school, I sighed. To honor all that I gained by losing it as quickly and deliciously as possible, here is one of my favorite soups- The subltey of the celery, a veg that usually I throw into a pot as a flavor base, really shines when its left on its own to develop. The key to this dish is to allow the celery and leek to warm gently with the heat, so adding it to a cold pot is essential.
The List
4-5 stalks of celery, hearts and leaves separated
1 small leek, white part only, finely diced
1 tbs of good olive oil
2 tbs of unsalted butter
1 tbs of salt- or more depending on your preference
4 cups of good quality vegetable broth
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Cut celery hearts into long matchsticks and then finely dice
Rough chop the celery leaves, about 1/2 cup worth
Combine the leeks and celery hearts in a deep soup pot with the oil and butter and bring to med-low heat.
Once the heat has gently cooked the celery and leek, add in leaves and salt.
Saute the leaves until wilted and combined and then add in the broth
Cook over low heat for 30 minutes and remove to a food processor or blender and puree
Add heavy cream if desired and pulse once more to combine-
Serve and Enjoy~
*optional method is to omit cream and pulse the soup but keep a bit chunky. leftover suateed italian sausage or ground turkey makes a great addition to the soup for a heartier version-
* option 2: if you are a serious cook and want to explore the variations of flavor with different levels of heat, try pureeing a few stalks of fresh celery and adding to the base once you place it in the blender or food processor. It brightens the dish well.
A few of My Favorite Things
When December rolls around I am one of two things: Excited because I will spending Christmas outside of Texas or 2, excited because I will be spending it at home. This year it would be the latter that has me happy. I am not one to get all nutty about man-made holidays, but this holiday is one exception to the rule. And one must always have at least one exception to their rules.
One of my favorite things about Christmas is that it offers me the one chance a year to create and maintain a tradition. As we are all propelled into this crazy fast world of tomorrows and the next best things, it is such a lovely moment for me when I have hung the last ornament, plucked the last pine needle from my hair and can curl up to a dear old friend. However, the most anticipated tradition for me is waking on Dec 25th to a mimosa and a massive bowl of pigs n blankets. And no, not gourmet sausages wrapped in freshly made croissant dough. The ones my grandmother used to make which when bitten into make me feel 8 again and transport me to her warm kitchen. Tiny, processed little beef smokies nestled within puffy pillsbury -doughboy -tin croissants. The best part is taking the blanket off, as I prefer to eat my pigs naked- piling up my dough on the side of the plate, or worse reforming it so the husband thinks he missed a few when wrapping. ( he being the one who brings them to me ) The rest of the day, as long as I started it out this way, is cake. And here lies a little confession. If I do manage to skip out on all the fam affairs and stay at home with just my own, those tiny little pigs are the only thing I eat all day. Truly a luxury worth repeating…
Mimosas w Sweet Grapefruit and Pigs N Blankets
For the Mimosas
1 bottle of good quality Champagne or Prosecco ( Its Christmas after all!! )
1 large Ruby Red Grapefruit, squeezed
1 small lime, squeezed
1/4 c sugar * optional
1/4 c water
Combine all ingredients -except the champagne- in a small saucepan and over low heat, reduce by half-
Chill and pour into glasses, adding Champagne when ready to serve!
Pigs N Blankets
1- 2 packages of small croissant dough (in a tin)
1 package of Lil’ Beef Smokies
Preheat Oven to 350
Take the dough and as its already pre cut into triangles, cut once more turning each triangle into two or even three smaller ones.
Starting at a corner, place a mini smokie down and roll up-
Bake until croissant dough is nice and brown usually at least 12 minutes… Remove and serve immediately being careful not to burn yourself if you inhale them like me.
(coming soon-part 2 which covers the other Christmas’ and all the foods I love to make when forced to)
Petite Peche & Co 2010 Schedule
What a year 2010 is shaping up to be~ I will be in France from the middle of February until the end of June and hence, so will my blog. You can see what I will be up to by checking out the schedule on www.petitepecheandco.com-
As far as blogging from the city of lights, and truly the city that lights me up, I hope to bring you not only my adventures in cooking, but also my adventures in trying desperately to look as fashionable as the French. Which Im sure will provide you with more than you might wish. I promise I will never wear fur when cooking- Or fake fur as I would wear anyway. XX
Chocolate Braised Short Ribs
What you Need:
2 pounds of boneless short ribs ( serves 4-6 )
4 oz of unsweetened bakers chocolate
1 bottle of good red wine
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, diced
2 carrots finely diced
2 tbsp of Veg Oil
salt and pepper
1 -4 oz tube of tomato paste
To Make:
Season room temperature beef well with salt and lightly toss in flour, shaking off excess
Heat oil in heavy enamel deep sided pot, adding beef to sear, being careful not to overcrowd. Once shortribs have been seared well on each side, add in carrots, onion and garlic and allow the veggies to sweat a bit- After a few minutes, add the tomato puree and the red wine. Once the red wine has evaporated the alcohol- 1-2 minutes, add in the chocolate, stirring well until melted and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add in 2-3 cups of warmed water and turn heat to low, cover and allow to braise for up to 3 hours. Check on the ribs from time to time being careful to turn them occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom… If more liquid is needed, add a bit more water. The liquid should never be higher than 3/4 of the way up the beef. Add 1 tsp of salt 1/2 way through the cooking time, stirring to incorporate. Serve w Mash Potatoes, Pasta or Rice.
Simply Provence
My, what a heady past few weeks its been. I kicked off October with my first culinary tour in France, where 16 of us languished in the sun kissed Provencial landscape outside Aix-en-Provence, ending the week in high style with a gourmet picnic in Paris in one of her most beautiful gardens, Jardin du Luxembourg. The experience was thrilling and has sent me into a cloud of inspiration whereby I am residing most days. The environment was so profoundly intoxicating and the flavors and aromas of the markets were cause for a few small tears of delight. Needless to say I am busily preparing for the next 3 weeks of classes in late Feb and early March where we will also be trekking along on a truffle hunt. Yippee! Oh to be a dog in the south of France ! I honestly think its the ultimate reincarnation of the furry and four legged kind. The ingredients in Mediterranean cooking are found overflowing here in baskets, fields, farms and markets such as Olives, Almonds, Honeys, Herbs, Goat Cheese and wildly fresh fruits. The bleached landscape of lavenders, oranges, yellows and greys remains an iconic match against the topaz blue of the Mediterranean Ocean. The most wonderful aspect was to see the continued dependence on the daily markets for everything and anything one might need to cook, entertain or dress themselves. I was incredibly humbled and greatly moved by the circle of support and reliance on the regions farmers and purveyors by the village- In the coming weeks I will seek to download the gems and recipes I developed and enjoyed whilst being in the great and culinary muse that is Provence.
Departures
Departures are always a bit tricky… There is the excitement that comes with leaving, the stress of making sure you take everything you need, and of course the goodbye’s to those you love. In my case, that would be my 22 month old son and Im having a tough time… I continue to remind myself that I love him madly and deeply and that to continue being an interesting, happy human being I must continue to be inspired- and inspiration to me comes in the form of putting myself in elements that test my abilities… I fully expect he will point at the sky when he sees me after my 10 day voyage and say pleh ( for plane ) without missing a beat. Why is it that we project so much of our own baggage/ feeling/ emotion on others when none might be felt. I personally feel that its in part easier to live with the feeling that you are doing the right, safe thing over not- But what are those right, safe things? How many decisions did my parents make without asking whether I was cool with them? ( 0 ) In fact I moved schools every year until 11th grade and never thought my parents were irresponsible because of their career decisions or financial situtions. ( I mean I thought other things about them but then again I was a teenager ) I must say that this adventure of starting a business in France is a big one. One that comes with great costs. But when I really take a look at life, and all the available choices we can make or not, I soon realize that doing nothing has its own costs as well- And frankly I would rather choose the former. Trudge on petite peche- and all you out there pushing for your own dream~ Trudge on.
Crisp Chicken and Cauliflower Puree
I am busily preparing for the upcoming tour and didn’t feel all that inspired to cook last night. Which is when I turn to chicken. ( oddly enough its also what I turn to for comfort and Sunday afternoons ) I also had a lovely head of organic cauliflower in the fridge drawer so I decided a good puree would be an elegant and easy accompaniment to the family chook. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
1 pound of flattened chicken breasts, seasoned w salt, pepper
juice of a lemon
5 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of veg oil
2 sage leaves, rolled and chopped lengthwise
1 head of Cauliflower, trimmed and chopped
1 c of half and half or milk
Salt and pepper
Take a saute pan and heat with half the butter and all the oil, adding in the seasoned chicken breasts when ready.
Take your cauliflower and steam in a micro steamer or stovetop steamer- Remove when pierced easily with a knife.
Turn chicken once, and allow to cook on both sides for roughly 3-4 minutes per side, or until when pierced juice runs clear.
Remove from pan and add 1 tbsp of butter to pan, and sage. When sage crispens, remove from heat and add back the chicken to pan.
Take Cauliflower and add to a blender, along with remaining butter, half and half and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Add a large spoonful of Cauliflower puree and chicken and spoon sage pan jus over the chicken- Serve
