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by Borracho

Peeps Ceviche

At first it seemed like a challenge straight out of Chopped. With Easter fast approaching, the ES crew put our minds to the task of concocting recipes from that prototypical Easter candy: Peeps. Running through the possibilities of pureeing, broiling or melting the marshmallow-y treats, I decided to stick to a raw application so that my kitchen wouldn’t become an even bigger mess than it usually is.

So sticking with the raw idea, I settled on peeps ceviche. Typical ceviche in it’s simplest form is a dish of of raw fish marinated in citrus and spiced with chili peppers. With that as a starting point it was fairly easy to come up with a plan for a sweet Peeps “ceviche” dish.

Friday Food Porn: Lost in Translation

This was my view at a recent stop to a local taqueria. If you live in an area with a large Hispanic population, you may be familiar with this image. Bimbo bakery is the largest bakery in the world, with brands in Mexico, Europe and the US. You would think someone in the marketing department would have called a meeting about the name and the fact that the mascot is a satisfied looking bear with an eclair phallus. Apparently not.

in Photos 3 comments

by Borracho

Torta Reform

Due to the nature of my regular nine to ~~five six seven~~ whenever-I’m-done job, I am what you may call a Road Warrior. I spend 80% of my time traveling throughout the wonderful state of Pennsylvania. As an added bonus, this has led to some really great food finds that I would not otherwise have known about.

I found myself last week without a lunch and only about 15 minutes away from a small Mexican restaurant a friend of mine had recommended. This friend grew up in southern Texas and is pretty stringent in his standards for Mexican food. He will rail against the evils of pre-packaged taco shells and refuses to even say the words “taco” and “bell” in the same sentence, so I felt that I could trust his opinion. Pulling up to the restaurant, I was a little unsure. The GPS told me I had arrived but the fact that I had pulled up to a small storefront with no signage was a little concerning. Once I stepped out of the car though, I was comforted by the fantastic smells of coastal Mexico.

As soon as I walked in, I knew I had come to a seriously tasty place.

Friday Food Porn: I Want a Slice of That

Happy National Sourdough Bread Day, folks! Look at those beautiful air holes and that sumptuous Maillard-y crust! You don’t have to fantasize…go grab a loaf and celebrate.

(Photo: Nathan Leamy)

in Holiday / Photos 2 comments

by Borracho

Meat TV: How Steak Becomes Steak

The Perennial Plate Episode 14: Meat from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

I almost feel blasphemous for this post after forkitude’s great article earlier last week about the inordinate amount of meat the average American eats. Don’t get me wrong, I firmly agree that our intake is out of whack and personally make a point to only consume red meat once or twice a month. However, I also believe a nice cut of beef with a simple pan sauce is one of the greatest things in the world and probably why we have canine teeth.

But I also know a lot of you believe in knowing more about where your meat comes from. The video above, from The Perennial Plate, offers a brief glimpse into a Minnesota meat processing plant that provides locally sourced, grass fed beef to their community. For a blunt look at the (after)life of a steer, press play above. The video is a fairly graphic, so it probably shouldn’t be watched by the squeamish or those at work, but isn’t that what the internet is for?

in Red Meat 0 comments

by Borracho

Friday Food Porn: It’s All About the Nuts

March 25th is National Pecan Day! Do your part and grab a handful….We won’t judge.

(Photo: Judy Baxter)

in Holiday / Photos 0 comments

by Borracho

It’s Not Easy Being Green in Winter

Once spring and summer return (soon!), you will be able to read ES’ odes to fresh produce, farmer’s markets and the like, but right now we are still stuck in limbo. Not to knock all the delicious winter vegetables available this time of year, but I am more than ready for the days of walking onto my deck and picking some fresh lettuce for a salad. But even the 12 inches of snow we got last week in Pennsylvania couldn’t dull my appetite for a fresh simple salad, and I immediately thought of a book I have been reading by David Tanis, Chez Panisse’s well known executive co-chef.

While I seldom follow cookbooks too closely, this one is different. Not quite a diary and not quite a cookbook, this is more of a love letter to the beauty of cooking with care. Starting with stories of his personal kitchen rituals, Heart of the Artichoke has quickly turned into a very engrossing read for me.

The book is arranged by season and I had recently come across a winter meal that included a romaine hearts salad, which I thought would be a perfect fix for my leafy longing. Now this is not a book that will blow your mind with avant garde technique and gastronomic excess and neither is the recipe. It is more a distillation of fairly standard methods that let the ingredients shine through, so feel free to try any variations you can think of.

Romaine Hearts with Shaved Parmigiano and Lemon Dressing