Chiles Toreados And a cooling bowl of tomatoes

Chiles Toreados have an amazing flavor! These are a great addition to any Mexican meal, but if you planning to feast on these, serve with a bowl of cut up salted tomatoes.

Olive oil

10 jalapeño pepper
Salt
Sweet summer tomatoes
Chopped cilantro

Place the peppers to roast on a shallow sheet in a hot oven til they blacken. Turn 1/2 through while blackening. Take fry oven to cool while you prepare the tomatoes.

Chop medium or large tomatoes to bite size bit. Salt.  Drizzle with a good oil. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve both in bowels

Saveur’s Sumac Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

 Cookbook author Suzanne Zeidy cooks this juicy chicken—rubbed all over in bracing, floral sumac—in a rotisserie, although an oven yields equally delicious results. Allow at least 24 hours for brining the chicken.

½ cup kosher salt, plus more

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. black peppercorns

10 rosemary sprigs, divided

10 thyme sprigs, divided

2 medium heads of garlic, papery skins discarded, plus 5 cloves (4 smashed, 1 finely chopped)

4 medium lemons, thinly sliced, divided

1 whole chicken (about 3½ lb.)

2 Tbsp. ground sumac

1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil, divided

Marinate the chicken: In a small pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup kosher salt, sugar, peppercorns, 5 of the rosemary sprigs, 5 of the thyme sprigs, the smashed garlic, and the slices from 3 of the lemons. Pour into a large bowl, add 8 cups of cold water, then submerge the chicken in the brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12–36 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. 

On a sheet of foil, place one of the heads of garlic, then drizzle with 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil and wrap to enclose; repeat with the remaining head of garlic and transfer to a roasting pan or large rimmed baking sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together the sumac and lemon zest. 

Drain the chicken, discard the brine, and use paper towels to pat the chicken dry inside and out. Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the flesh and rub the sumac mixture under the skin beneath the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Transfer breast-side up to the roasting pan with the garlic bundles.

In a bowl, stir together the chopped garlic and remaining rosemary, thyme, lemon slices, and olive oil. Stuff the cavity with the rosemary, thyme, and lemon, then rub the outside of the chicken all over with the oil mixture and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Bake until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160°F, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board (do not discard the pan juices) and let stand for 10 minutes.

To serve, carve the chicken and transfer the meat to a platter, then tent with foil.

 Unwrap the garlic, cut the heads in half crosswise, and squeeze the cloves into the roasting pan. Whisk the garlic into the pan juices, then pour the sauce into a bowl and serve alongside the chicken.

Korean Pork Belly

 

1slab of pork belly
Large thumb of Ginger, smashed
Garlic smashed
Water, to cover by 1/2 inch
I whole yellow onion, cut in slivers
1Tsp. Fermented soy bean paste
2 or 3 scallions

Cover then boil on simmer for 1hour.

Drain pork, and dry on paper towels.

Roasting sauce

2 Tbls. Minced ginger
Hot Pepper Paste, Korean Fermented Jang (Gochujang) or bean paste

2 Tbls. Honey

Cut off skin. Coat entire surfaces. Roast at 350 F around 25 minutes so glaze is shiny. 

Serving Sauce

Bean Paste

Ginger

Shredded yellow onion

Sesame seeds

Toasted sesame oil

Serve slices with red lettuce, steamed white rice, Kim she, Hot Pepper Paste, fermented radishes. 

Mostarda Ala Stefano (Mustard Relish)

This recipe was inspired by a picture appearing in the Cooking of Italy of a Cremona factory Mostarda, a Lombardy relish resembling chutney that is flavored with mustard oil. This flavor, however, was adapted from my Mango-jalapeno chutney. This is a very colorful eye-appealing mixture that can perk up a plate nicely.

Italian Mostarda is fruit with grapes preserved in syrup that gains quite a kick from a healthy jolt of powdered mustard seed, and is one of the standard condiments served with boiled meats in northern Italy. Found all over Northern Italy, the best known variation is that from Cremona (Mostarda di Cremona), which is also produced commercially. The true Mostarda is made from the grape "must" in the late fall and is characterized by the presence of candied fruit in a spicy syrup. This is somewhat different but delicious.

1 cup water

1/3 cup fine red wine vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup Molasses

1/3 cup Dark Karo syrup

Powdered ginger

1 tablespoon dry hot mustard

White pepper

Pinch of salt

Allspice

Ground cloves

Small pinch cinnamon

Chopped Dried apricots

Golden raisins

Black Raisins

Dried cranberries

Small boiled white onions (fork tender)

Oil cured pitted black olives (optional)

White grapes

Black grapes

Red grapes

Lemon juice for one lemon

Maraschino Cherries

Add liquid ingredients and spices to a saucepan. Bring to boil. Then cool to warm before combining with ingredients.

Toss in stainless steel bowl. Toss well. Wait ½ hour. Taste for seasonings. If not spicy, salty, hot, sweet, sour enough, correct seasoning accordingly. This needs to be tossed for three or more hours (overnight is good) and should be best served warm. If preparing a day ahead refrigerate but remove and return to room temperature several hours before serving with main course.

Serve at the table in decorative Italian dish. Let everybody help themselves. Goes well with paella, Italian style cured meats, steak, lamb, or pork.

Notes:

1. I have seen recipes that claim the right ingredients or amounts are such-and-such. I venture there are no "correct" or "exact" anything when it comes to recipes that are handed down for decades or more. It is made from one or more available seasonal fruits. Mostarda di Cremona is a fruited mustard, like a chutney. It is made in Cremona, Lombardy on the River Po.
2. The fruits can be whole, sliced or chopped, but they are usually peeled first, then simmered in sugar water.
3. Types include: Agrumi is made from whole citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and tangerines;
4. Mostarda di Cremona Frutta Mista is made from mixed fruits such as apples, lemons, oranges, pears and tangerines;
5. Mostarda di Mantova is made with apples
6. Mostarda di Milano is made with citrus fruit and cherries. Mostarda di Milano is made with citrus fruit and cherries
7. The taste combination of sweet, sour and spicy may date this back to Romans.