In the Tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room

Not sure what to do this weekend?
How's does visiting a dive bar in Silver Lake sound?
The three of us set off, met a little after 5 on a Saturday afternoon and squeezed through the crowd to order a Mai Tai, Roy's Mistake, and the Blue Wave.  By an act of Ka ne, two barstools materialized in front of us,
and we could settle in, more or less comfortably, to munch on the bar crackers, and admire the two men mixing drink after drink, pouring jiggers and jiggers of rum, and other spirits swirling pineapple juice, mixing them with a small swish of the  blending machine.

They sell a t-shirt that lists all their drinks, and you check them off as you work your way through. Let me know how far you get.

Thanks for the photo, Dr David!

Tinga Poblana

Tinga is the style, Poblana means from Puebla.

First, roast your pork in the usual way.  (Braise then simmer, for hours, covered, on the stove top, adding water as necessary.  Use pork butt, or pork shoulder, 3-4 lbs).  Cool until easy to handle.  Remove bones, gristle, you know, the connective tissues that force us to consider vegetarianism.  Shred.  Return meat to its juices. Char a pound of tomatoes in a skillet, evenly, then drop into a blender.  Char a couple of garlic cloves as well.  Add 2-4 canned chipotles (depending on your heat tolerance) and the juice from half an orange, or a quarter cup of orange juice.  Blend. Add to shredded meat, let simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Garnish with:
chorizo which has been cooked down
avocado slices
red onion slivers marinated in lime juice.

Ladle over rice, or place into just heated corn tortillas.  Let me know how it turns out.

How to feed a hungry crowd.

Outta town guests still around?
Not sure how to feed them, and simultaneously get rid of them?
We got you covered.  Right here.

Best Soup this Year

Is what I made the other night from this Christmas present.  She calls it Paris Mushroom Soup.  For me, it had a depth of umami savoriness I haven't gotten elsewhere.  Up until now my mushroom soup has been the Joy of Cooking's, with its bechamel sauce and pureed onions and celery.  I think it helped that the stock I used had been from poaching a whole chicken.  Want the recipe?  It's posted right here.

From our Family to Yours

Recipe for Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

It's right here. 
And it seems to be working already!

It's that time of year

for delicious, warm things.  Here's a favorite of mine.  Take it when you're asked to bring an appetizer, or serve it to your guests.  I think credit goes to Williams-Sonoma--

Preheat oven to 325

In  your blender or food processor whiz together: 8 oz drained, cooked artichoke hearts  (frozen or canned is fine, skip the marinated ones), 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise (are you still with me?) 8 oz cream cheese, 2 cloves garlice, 2 jalapeno peppers (I always skip those, if I don't know the crowd's spice level).  Place into a quiche or pie dish.  Bake 30-40 minutes until lightly browned on top.

Let rest 5-10 minutes, then set it down in front of your  guests, with pita chips or crackers, or calorie-mitigating crudites.  Trust it to disappear quickly, and your once dignified guests will arm wrestle over the last bite.

Short Ribs for a Wintry Weekend

Cold weather and Christmas carols: I'm in heaven!  So, what to cook while the fire crackles?  Something that can get more and more tender, while it bakes in the oven.  

The other day I found boneless short ribs at an incredible price. I found this recipe at Epicurious, and am now a fan.  I'll be popping it in the oven Saturday night, and looking forward to savoring it with a terrific syrah.

Dredge 3lbs boneless ribs (or 5lbs with) in flour.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat in your dutch oven. Brown short ribs.

(News flash!  Listened to Shirley Corriher on NPR, and found out that if you put protein on hot fat, let it sit for NINETY SECONDS before turning and the protein will not stick.  Honest!  I've tested this!)

Remove ribs from fat.  Add additional bacon fat if necessary, or reduce to 2 tablespoons.  Add: one pound chopped onions, six carrots scraped and sliced, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary.  Saute until softened, then add four minced garlic cloves.  This will smell like heaven.  Add three cups beef broth, bring to a simmer.  Add the short ribs, cover, and pop into a pre-heated 350 degree oven.  Bake until absolutely tender, 2 hours minimum.  Then invite me over.