The Pro-Am

My beautiful wife, Kitty, enlisted me to cook for a political fundraiser last week. I never mind helping her out, particularly when it means that people will be eating my food, but this one was particularly exciting gig. I've recently come to know and love the guys from Parlor Market, Craig, Gary, Jesse and Ryan and at this event, I got to share the kitchen with them. The event had a Latin "Fiesta" theme so we met for drinks and decided to make some great Mexican street food. With trips to McDade's and Carneceria Valdez, we put together a menu of Pork Tacos, Chicken Tacos and Watermelon Chipotle Salsa.

The night before the event we all gathered at the private event space of Parlor Market and knocked out the prep work and made the salsa. We also made the decision to braise the pork overnight in a braising liquid with plenty of Rogue Mocha Porter and Chipotle Ale.

The day of the event, we made the sauces, cooked and shredded the chickens, pulled the pork, packed everything up at set up at the sky terrace of the Electric 308 Building. About ten minutes after we got everything set up, the rain started and we had to make a double-time effort to move it all to the main lobby on the first floor. We served the pork tacos with a redeye gravy mayo and the chicken tacos with a tomatillo salsa verde. We also gave the party-goers the options of pickled onions, pickled radishes, chopped cilantro and lime.

The food was a big hit and everything went beautifully with Kitty's red wine sangria. And best of all...I got to hit the kitchen with the hottest new pros in the Jackson culinary scene. Perfect.

A Beautiful Gift from Sidney

As many of you know, Kitty's father Sidney passed away recently. He had been ill for quite some time, but the end of great lives is always a sad occasion. He and Lynn had recently moved from a house in the country, out side of Drew, Mississippi, to a house in the big city of Cleveland, Mississippi. The new house was right next door to the library (where Lynn works) and right behind the Episcopal church. If they had a grocery store and a wine shop in the same block, they would have never needed a car, except to take the dogs to the vet. They kept the old place near Drew and today, Kitty, Lynn and I made the trip out there to pick up some furniture and other odds and ends. I managed to throw my back out lifting the first piece for furniture and luckily it was the only heavy one. JT, a big man in his 60's who had once worked for Sidney, did the rest of the heavy lifting and even managed to whip a nest of wasps into a real frenzy while removing a window unit a/c.

This was the first time Kitty and I had been out to the old house since they had moved. I felt a deep sense of regret that I hadn't had the opportunity to go back out there with Sidney and dig up a truckload of the native plants that were all around the place. While I was gingerly moving some sticks out of the way for the moving van, I spotted some wild garlic plants and asked Lynn if I could pull up a few. She told me to take all I wanted and I ignored the searing pain in my back as I pulled up about two dozen plants. They were still a little green and milky, but I figured I wouldn't have the opportunity to get back up there any time soon. We loaded them in the back of the moving van, next to the bed, the mattress, the dishwasher and the formerly wasp-filled window units and made one more walk around the old place. Kitty cut a few branches off of the big Bay Tree behind the shed and I spotted an anvil that I would seriously like to have in my workshop. Kitty got her bays home. I had to leave the anvil for another trip.

When we got home, Stuart, Kitty and I cut the bulbs and tops from the garlic and stuck them in some loose soil in the big planter on the porch. I know the bulbs will take root and I hope some of the tops will do the same. While separating the tops and the roots, I noticed that the lower half of the stalks were quite tender. I bit into one of them to check for bitterness and was delighted to find that they had bright, yet earthy taste like a cross between a ramp, a green onion and garlic. We were so tired from moving that we had discussed getting takeout for supper, but the taste of the wild garlic changed my mind. Instead of some protein-in-a-box nightmare, I got in to the kitchen and whipped up a hearty soup with the garlic stalks as the star.

As you can see, it turned out beautiful. Thanks Sidney.

Bon Appetit
~Tom

Mexican Adventure

Stuart's graduation practice was this morning and I figured he was deserving of a break when he finished around 11:30. When I asked Stuart if he was in the mood for authentic Mexican tacos, he enthusiastically replied YES!

Kitty and I recently learned about a trio of taquerias in Ridgeland, Mississippi just past County Line Road. Earlier in the week, accompanied by we tried Taqueria Guadalupe and Carneceria Valdez. Both were fantastic, but we preferred Carneceria Valdez because of the presentation of limes and radishes along with the trio of sauces. We also liked the fact that when you ordered your tacos, you saw the butcher/cook grab a handful of meat and run to the back, emerging minutes later with a basket of steamy goodness. We attempted to sample all three that day, but La Morena is open every day but Tuesday (the day we visited).

So today, with Stuart in-tow, we went directly to La Morena to complete our taqueria tour. It was certainly worth the wait. When we waled in the door and I spotted one of the cooks mashing a ball of corn meal in a tortilla press, I knew we made the right choice. Stuart ordered two tacos (one beef, one pork) and a Mexican Coke, which he had never had before. Kitty also got two tacos (one beef, one chicken) and a Mineragua and I upped the ante with three tacos (one pork, one chorizo, one tongue) and a Tamarind Soda. All were served with the traditional sprinkling of white onions and fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.

All of the tacos were delightful, but the chorizo was my favorite. The singular thing that made La Morena stand head and shoulders above the other two places was the fresh tortillas. There is no way to duplicate this flavor with commercial brands and with the taco, the tortilla is the star. This star was a supernova. The edges were rough and rustic, the feel was firm with the grain of the corn retaining its texture. I could really appreciate the aroma of the corn as the steam rose up from the tortiallas to greet my nose. The meats were well seasoned and expertly cooked, retaining their moisture. The three fresh-made sauces offered a great variety from the bright and tart green one, the fiery hot orange one to the smoky red one. They each had their own distinct characteristics and I would have been happy to have any one of them.

After we ate, I visited with the owner while we browsed through the selection of boots, cowboy shirts and Mexican grocery items in the back. When we first arrived, I saw a young boy (her son) get very excited when one of the cooks emerged from the back part of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of meatballs. I asked her about them and she explained that each day she has a different special and that today's was a braised meatball. Although we were full from the tacos, I had to give one of these a try.

I went back to the service counter and asked about the meatballs. The cook flashed a big smile and brought me a bowl of rice with two meatballs, topped with a rich tomato and tamarind sauce. i called to the back for Kitty and Stuart to try this with me. I regretted that I had to share. They were one of the best things I've ever had, and that is saying a lot. The meat was well seasoned, but no overly so and each ball contained a little surprise in the center...a quarter of a boiled egg. The sauce was the perfect silky consistency and had small slices of carrot and garlic. When the cook saw how happy we were, she brought out a little more rice and sauce along with three steaming, fresh tortillas. We ate every bite and sopped up the last bits of sauce with the last pieces of tortilla.

When we left, Stuart proclaimed that he would never even bother with Mexican food anywhere else and debated whether he would tell his friends about La Morena or just keep it as his own little secret.

I wanted him to try the chicharones at Valdez so we made a quick stop there and picked up a half pound to enjoy on the ride home. Kitty REALLY loves chicharones, but we were so full that some of them managed to make it home, where they were devoured by Zak after school.

I can recommend any of these three spots, but the best is clearly La Morena. Just remember that they are closed on Tuesday and they don't accept credit cards. Oh yea, and save some room for the candied fruit.

Bon Appetit

~Tom

Valentine's Night Pot Roast (Because nothing says "I love you!" like Pot Roast)

I am generally a pretty romantic guy. As a matter of fact, I'm a bit of a softie. So it might surprise many of you that when I proposed to Kitty, it was perhaps the most un-romantic thing I've ever done. Seriously. Two words...speaker-phone. That's right foodies and gourmands, the guy who writes all of these love stories to food, pressed speed dial #1, called his girlfriend and said "How does October 8th look for you?"

To which she replied "For what?"

"For getting married." I said, as if she should have known.

"Why, are you proposing to me?"

"I just want to make sure that date is open. I'm going over my calendar and trying to get some things planned in advance." I said.

"Looks fine to me baby." She said, surely holding back either venom or tears.

"Thanks hon." I said as I reached for the "call cncl" button.

It wasn't until hours later that I was cognizant of my terrible, terrible mistake. But Kitty is a real trooper and, aside from good natured ribbing that I fear will never cease to be funny, she let me get away with my faux pas unscathed. 

In honor of my actions, worthy of the anti-cupid, I decided to have a sweet but decidedly unromantic dinner for Kitty on Valentine's Day. Card with a monkey face? check! All the boy-kids at home (plus a cousin)? check! Pot Roast? check! We didn't sweep her off her feet but she definitely felt loved. And isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about? The cards full of bad poetry in soft shades of pink? That's the stuff of men who cant say how much they love their wives in their own words and actions. Fancy, expensive meals in posh restaurants? Merely make up dates for all the times she was left at home while the fellas whooped it up on "guy's night out." Expensive sparkly-things? They scream "I'm compensating for affection with this gift that someone else suggested." As for me, romance is found in the sweet, silent smile and the soft touch on the arm as we pass each other in the kitchen while one is doing dishes and the other is getting back to homework. Passion is found in the kiss on the neck, from over the back of the sofa that says "The kids are asleep and you can watch Top Gear tomorrow on Hulu." Love is found in the ordinary times. My cupid haunts the daily routines. Our life is love.

With all of that said. Here is the recipe for Brandy Pot Roast. Cook it with love.

Brandy Pot Roast

1  5 lb. pot roast

2 large yellow onions

4 carrots

4 stalks celery

6 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. thyme

½ cup brandy

1 32 oz. container beef stock*

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. butter

Salt

Pepper

Prep

Roughly chop onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season roast with salt and pepper.

Cook

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Heat a large iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and continue heating until oil smokes. Add seasoned pot roast and brown on both sides. Add chopped vegetables and transfer to oven. With the oven open and the skillet on the middle rack, add brandy, herbs and ½ tsp. black pepper. Add beef stock until liquid is almost to the rim of the skillet. Top loosely with foil and cook for 2 hours. Slide out the oven rack, turn the meat and stir the vegetables. Add more liquid to cover vegetables an cook for an additional 3 hours or until the meat tears apart with a fork. It is really better if you can allow it to cook for eight hours, basting with the liquids every 30 minutes.

When cooked, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving bowl and cover with foil until ready to serve. Place the pan on the stovetop and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by ½ of original volume. If there is any liquid standing in the serving bowl, drain it into the reduced liquid and reduce again to ½ of original volume. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the butter.

Plate

Serve meat over some form of starch (toast, rice, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower) and top with vegetables and reduction sauce.

(Serves 6)