How To Tie a Tamale

For more information and recipe ideas see "Hot Tamales."1. The Masa should look like mashed potatoes. I used Alton Brown's recipe. It tasted delicious and was easy to make.2. Spread the Masa onto a dried corn husk that you soaked in hot water for at least 45 minutes. Spread the masa half way down the husk and about 1/2 inch away from the edge.3. Place the filling onto the masa. Be careful not to overfill the tamale.4. Roll the edges of the Tamale together so that the corn meal seals in the filling.5. Finish rolling the tamale until it looks like a cigar6. Fold the filled tamale in half7. Tie the tamales in bundles of three.8. Steam for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the corn pulls away from the husk. Enjoy!

Tuna Carpaccio with Fried Quail Eggs

Tuna Carpacio with Fried Quail Eggs1 Lb Sushi Grade Tuna diced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 bunch of scallions, whites and light yellow ends chopped
1 Tbs Sesame oil
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbs Toasted Sesame Seeds
chives
4 quail eggs, fried in sesame oil

Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and mustard.  Add the ginger, sesame seeds, and scallions.  Toss tuna in the dressing and marinade for up to two hours.  Serve with a fried quail egg on top!

Recipe Notes:For more information on quail eggs see my blog post, "You Never Know."  We ate this for dinner but it would also be a great appetizer or side dish.  The quail eggs are a fun addition, but they really don't taste much different from a chicken egg.  You could also eliminate the egg all together, but it does add wonderful texture and flavor to the dish.

Tomato Ragu

1 onion, copped
5 cloves garlic, minced
10 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
olive oil, salt, and pepper
1/2 cup red wine

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a sauce pan.  Add garlic and saute until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds.  Add the onion and saute until the onion is translucent.  Add the tomatoes and wine.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.  Reduce until the sauce is thick, about 45 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Recipe Notes: To easily peel the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Core the tomatoes and using a sharp knife mark an "X" in the bottom of the tomato (this will make it easier to peel the skin off).  Prepare a large bowl of ice water.  Working in batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately put the tomatoes in the ice water.  This will stop the cooking and make it easier to peel the skin off of the tomatoes.  Peel off the skin and then literally squeeze the tomatoes to remove the seeds.  You can either use the tomatoes immediately or freeze them for later use.

Eggplant Stacks with Mozzarella and Tomato Ragu

They taste as delicious as they look!4 Baby Eggplants, Sliced but not pealed
Fresh Mozzarella
Grated Parmesaman
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
1 lb dried pasta cooked in plenty of salted water
Garlic infused olive oil
1 Recipe Fresh Tomato Ragu

Heat about 1 Tbs of the Olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet.  sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt and pepper and cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the eggplant.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Work in batches until all of the eggplant is cooked.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place one piece of the eggplant on a baking sheet.  Place 1 Tbs of the tomato ragu followed by parmesan cheese, 1 basil leaf, and a thin slice of mozzarella cheese.  Place another piece of eggplant on top and continue until the stack has three layers of eggplant.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Meanwhile, toss the cooked pasta in the infused olive oil, fresh chopped basil and plenty of parmesan cheese.  Serve the eggplant stacks over the pasta and enjoy!

Medallions of Veal with Gran Marnier Reduction

Veal with Gran Marnier2 Veal Medallions
¼ cup blood orange infused olive oil
½ cup Gran Marnier
Salt and Pepper

In a large stick pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Season the veal with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Cook until meat is seared on one side, about 4 minutes ( a good trick to know when the meat is seared is to shake the pan. If it moves, it is done. If it is still stuck to the bottom of the pan, it still needs to cook longer). Flip and sear on the other side. Remove the medallions and allow the meat to rest while you finish the sauce.

Reduce heat to low. Add the Gran Marnier (be careful when you add the liquor that you don’t pour any on the flame or else you will end up with Flambé!) Reduce until the sauce is syrupy, about five minutes. Pour over veal and serve.

Recipe notes: This should still work with regular olive oil, I just happened to have blood orange infused olive oil. If you want a more intense orange flavor add 2 Tbs of orange or blood orange juice when you add the Gran Marnier.