Tonight: Brazil



We made Peixe Ensopado and Arroz Brasileiro.

Peixe Ensopado



I marinated black sea bass in lime juice, salt and pepper for an hour.



I sauteed the onion, garlic and olives until the onion was done, then mixed in the cilantro.





I added the fish and simmered until done.



I mixed in tomato paste, seeded jalapeño, and coconut milk, and simmered for 5 minutes.



Arroz Brasileiro



I mashed the garlic, and chopped the onion and tomato. I heated the vegetable oil and added the garlic, sauteeing for a minute, then added the onion and tomato.



When softened, I added the water, salt and brought to a boil, then added the rinsed rice and cooked until done.

Finished Product:



Results: It was nice to have fish again, and the Peixe Ensopado did not disappoint. It was simple, fairly light, and the olives, jalepeño, cilantro and coconut milk were an interesting and wonderful combination. The recipe called for badejo. I used black sea bass, which I think was the best alternative to badejo available to me fresh. I love black sea bass and it isn't always available so it was a special treat. The rice was simple and delicious as well.

Tonight: Mexico



We made mole negro Oaxaqueño and Oaxacan rice and beans.

Mole Negro Oaxaqueño:



First I boiled the chicken with carrots, onions and celery. When the chicken was done I put it in the refrigerator, reserving the stock.



In the mean time I prepped the dried chilies - chiles negros mexicanos, guajillos, pasillas Mexicanos, anchos negros and chipotles mecos. I seeded and deveined, reserving the seeds.







I roasted the chilies in a dry cast iron skillet until slightly blackened, then put into a pot and covered with boiling water and set aside for half an hour, then processed into a paste.







I cooked the onion and garlic in the dry cast iron skillet for 10 minutes then set aside. I toasted the almonds, peanuts, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves in the dry cast iron skillet then set aside.




I moved outside for ventilation and toasted the chile seeds until blackened. I then put the seeds in a bowl and covered with ice water for a few minutes, then drained and processed them, then added to the chile paste.





I heated sunflower oil in the cast iron skillet and fried raisins until plump, then set aside.



I fried a slice of egg bagel in the same oil, burned it, threw it out, then fried another slice of egg bagel then set aside.



I fried the plantain in the same oil until well done.



I added more sunflower oil and browned the sesame seeds and pecans, then removed them from heat, let col, and using a mortar Sarah ground it into a paste .





I wiped out the frying pan then fried the tomatoes, tomatillos, thyme and oregano until dry. Then I processed with a bit of stock until smooth.





Next I processed the nuts, bagel, plaintain, raisins, onion, garlic and spices with a bit of stock until smooth.



In a stockpot I heated some lard until smoking then fried the chile paste for 20 mintues stirring constantly.



Next I added the tomato mix and fried until quite thick.



Then I added the nut/onion/garlic/spice mix and sesame/pecan mix, stirring constantly for 10 minutes.





I added a cup of stock, mixed, and simmered for 20 minutes. Finally, I added the chocolate stirring until melted, then added chicken stock until I reached a nice consistency and simmered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of stock as needed as the mole thinned. We added salt and fat to taste.



At the same time, I reheated the chicken on the stove top in the stock.



Oaxacan rice and beans:



First, we prepared the black beans with onion and garlic.



We cooked the carrot, onion, anaheim, serrano, and garlic in hot oil for about 3 minutes.



Then we added the rice, stirring until browned. Then we transferred to a different skillet, added stock, covered and cooked until the rice was al dente. Then we added green beans and a bit of stock and cooked until done.





Then we stirred in the black beans.



We made fresh tortillas for dinner.





With beer:



Finished product:



Results: This is one of the most complex dishes I have ever made. It turned out really really good. I'm quite relieved, because it took 6 hours to make the mole -an hour and a half longer than advertised - and I knew that there was ample opportunity to screw it up and end up eating takeout tonight. I am pretty proud of this one because of the time and energy invested - there wasn't much down time in the six plus hours in the kitchen. My five year old even ate it. It didn't hurt that we called it chocolate sauce. I also dirtied every dish in my kitchen at least twice. The mole made the mousakka I made a few days ago look like Mac & Cheese on the difficulty scale.

Sarah and I honeymooned on the Oaxaca coast, and it is really a special place with great food. I look forward to going back someday.

Last Night: USA



I'm from the USA and this was our Independence Day, so I went all out. We made Texas style smoked brisket and ribs with corn bread, ranch beans, smoked almonds and a patriotic yellow cake.

Smoked meat:





First, I made a dry rub, slightly different for the brisket and the ribs, made of paprika, chili powder, salt, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, and oregano.







Then I set the meat to smoke over lump mesquite charcoal and soaked mixed hardwood chips.









Texas Ranch beans:



First I soaked the beans overnight. Then I put in the crock pot slow cooker the onions, garlic, bacon, beans and water to cover, and cooked for 6 hours on low.



Then I added salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, green pepper, sugar and Tapatio hot sauce and transferred to a pot on the stove to reduce the liquid.



Smoked Almonds



I cooked the almonds in butter on the stove top until well sauteed, then drained.





Then I added seasoned salt, sugar, and onion powder and set on the smoker.



My Uncle Bob was an almond farmer and was a spokesman for Blue Diamond Almonds. He was a straight shooting salt of the earth kind of guy, and we will miss him. He started pitching almonds back in the 1980s, and many of you may recognize him and/or the ad campaign "A can a week, that's all we ask". I've been all over the country over the last 20 years, and he would always pop up in the most out of the way places.



He was a constant in my life, even if I didn't actually talk to him very often. Seeing his face on an advertisement was enough to remind me of where I am from. He was a role model, a veteran, a man's man, and I am proud to have known him. RIP Uncle Bob.

Corn bread:



We mixed the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, oil, and salt.





Yellow Cake:



We made a cake then decorated the whipped cream frosting, blueberries and strawberries into a flag.



Beer:

Bar-b-que demands beer. We went with northern California beer.



Final Product:







Results: The meat was quite spicy - the ribs were too spicy for the kids. Everything else was fantastic - especially the beans. We chose Texas bar-b-que over other regional fare because Texas has unique, fantastic bar-b-que and it seems the most fitting for Independence Day.

Also, go buy a can of Blue Diamond almonds. A can a week, that's all we ask.