Turkey Quesadillas with Sesame-Sweet Potato Mole Sauce

Normally, a good mole (pronounced 'MO-lay') takes a good hour or so to throw together. This came from a cookbook about pairing wine with food and the author cites Rick Bayless (god of Mexican cooking in America) as being the actual author of the mole recipe.

Aside from roasting the potatoes (which took 45 minutes at 440F), this is incredibly easy and quick to put together and the taste was out of this world. I seared off the turkey after having seasoned them with some salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne.

The fresh cilantro on top REALLY makes a difference and when I do this next time, I'll be sure to put a little more on it.

½ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the pans and brushing the tortillas
2 medium onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, fresh or canned, roughly chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if necessary
2 large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
kosher salt
12 flour tortillas
1 ½ cups turkey pieces (cooked chicken or pork may be substituted), cooked, bite-sized pieces
5 ounces Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Place the sesame seeds in a small, heavy skillet and heat on medium, stirring, until browned and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Reserve 2 teaspoons of seeds for garnish.

In the same skillet, heat the oil on medium. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until the onions are just soft, about 7 minutes.

Combine the sesame seeds minus the 2 reserved teaspoons, the onion mixture, cilantro, parsley, and 1 cup broth in a blender. Puree until very smooth. This may take several minutes. To test, rub a drop between two fingers. The mixture should be smooth, not gritty.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and blend until the mixture is the consistency of applesauce, adding more broth if necessary. Add salt to taste. (The mole will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several days.)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the mole in a medium saucepan over low heat and gently warm while you prepare the quesadillas.

Lightly oil 2 baking sheets, and place 3 tortillas on each. Distribute the turkey pieces and cheese evenly on the 6 tortillas, and top with the remaining 6 tortillas. Brush the tops lightly with oil and cover with foil. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove the foil, press down on the tops of the tortillas with the back of a spatula to compact the melting cheese, and bake until the tortillas begin to brown slightly, about 4 minutes longer. Serve immediately, topped with the warm mole sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

A Mexican Christmas

Vanessa's mom spent three days or so producing DOZENS of homemade tamales, which were wonderful. I made a traditional soup called menudo (no, not the hit boy band from Puerto Rico!), which is made with tripe, hominy and spices. It all went down really well.


Mama Trevino's Tamales

TAMALE MEAT MIXTURE
6-8 pound pork roast
5 pound chicken

SPICES AND SEASONINGS
½ cup corn oil
6 tablespoons Gibhartds chili powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons salt

MASA
2 lbs. masa
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons Gibhardts Chili Powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder

CORN SHUCKS
several corn shucks

COOK THE MEATS
Start with the pork roast. Cut the roast into fist size chunks. Put the chunks into a pan, and cover with water. Boil for about 2 1/2 hours or until it becomes really tender. After the meat is really tender, take it out of the broth to cool (save the broth, you will need it for the masa!)
After the roast chunks are cool enough to handle easily, shred them with your fingers. Try to remove and discard the fat as you go. There is no need to throw a lot of fat into the tamales. If you have cooked the roast chunks thoroughly, it will be easy to shred into small pieces with your fingers.

Cover the chicken with water in a large pot, and boil for 2 hours, or until the chicken is done and tender. Take the chicken out of the broth and allow the chicken to cool. (Save the broth as well!) Remove and discard the skin. Take the chicken meat off the bones and shred them into very small filaments. Discard any large chunks of fat.

Combine both meats in very large pan, and mix together. Make sure that the meats are thoroughly combined and mixed well. Add the spices and seasonings by mixing the oil and seasonings in a small pan and warm on the stove. Do not cook the oil and seasonings mix, but just gently warm on the stove.

When the oil and seasonings mix is warm, pour over the meat and mix with your hands until it is completely distributed through the meat. It takes a good 10 minutes to get the mixture completely uniform.

The meat is now finished. You should put the meat in the refrigerator covered until ready to make the tamales. Put both the chicken broth and roast broth into the refrigerator as well. You will need the broths when you make the masa.

MAKE THE MASA
Start with 2 pounds of the masa flour. Now, skim the fat off the broth that you saved from the pork and chicken we made earlier. Throw the fat away, and save the broth. Warm the broth from the pork and chicken up. Don't get it hot, just nice and warm. Now put the masa in a large bowl. Add the dry spices to the masa and mix until it is completely incorporated. Mix well, as you don't want a clump of spices in a tamale. Now add 2 cups of corn oil to the masa mixture. After adding the oil, begin to slowly work in 2 quarts of the warm chicken/pork broth, about a cup at a time. Work the mixture with your hands to make dough. If it is too dry, add enough warm water to get it right for spreading. It should be about like thick peanut butter. If it is too thin add more masa; if it is too thick, add more broth or warm water. Thick peanut butter is the consistency you are trying for.

Soak the shucks in a sink full of warm water for about 2 hours. You will need to carefully separate them when they get soft. Try to not tear or damage the corn shucks. It is easier to make the tamales if the shucks are in one piece.

ASSEMBLE THE TAMALES
After the corn shucks are soft, take some of them out of the water, shake the water off, lay them on the counter on a towel.

Pick up a shuck, lay it across the palm of your hand with the small end toward your fingers. scoop up about 1/2 cup of the masa dough with a spatula, and then smear it on the shuck. Cover about left 2/3 of the shuck with masa, leave 1/3 on the right uncovered. Similarly, cover the bottom 2/3 of the shuck, and leave the top 1/3 uncovered. You need to leave the top and side uncovered so you can fold it up later. Now, go to the next shuck and do the same, laying them out on the counter as you put the masa on them. When you have covered 5-10 of the shucks with masa, it is time to add the meat. Take about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture, and lay it on the masa about 1 in from the left edge.

Starting on the left side (the side where the Masa dough goes all the way to the edge), roll the tamale all the way to the right edge. Now, fold the top of the shuck over like an envelope and lay tamale on the counter with the fold on the under side. Roll the next one the same until all your shucks with masa on them are rolled. Keep repeating this entire process until all the tamales are built. You will have about 4 dozen or more.

COOK THE TAMALES
You need a very large pot that has something in the bottom to keep the tamales out of the water while they steam. Add about 3 pints of water to the pot, then start stacking the tamales upright until full. The envelope end of the tamale will be on the bottom, the open end of the tamale should be on top. Continue to fill the pot. The tamales need to pack tight enough that they do not fall over and begin to unfold. Cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for at least 2 hours. Check water several times and add more if it is getting low, you DON’T want to boil it dry; add more water as you need to.

When done, take one tamale out and leave it on the counter for about 5 minutes to test. Unwrap it and it should be firm, with no raw masa. When done, remove all the tamales and let them cool on the counter, then put in bags for the freezer. If eating right away, serve hot with some hot sauce.
Red Chile Tripe Soup with Fresh Garnishes (Menudo Rojo)

MENUDO
2 lbs. beef tripe
1 tablespoon salt
1 large lime, juiced
1 medium pig's foot, split lengthwise (see Ingredients in Cook's Notes)
1 lb. marrow bones, cut in 1-inch cross sections
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 medium chiles cascabeles nortenos or California/New Mexico chiles, dried, stemmed, seeded and deveined
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1 teaspoon salt

FOR THE CONDIMENTS
2 small limes, quartered
½ cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

TRIPE

Wash the tripe thoroughly in several changes of warm water. Place it in a large bowl, sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon salt and the lime juice; vigorously work the salt and lime into the tripe with a scrubbing motion. Let stand 30 minutes, then wash the tripe again in several changes of warm water. Slice the tripe into small pieces about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Place in a large kettle or stockpot, cover with several quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour into a colander set in the sink, let drain a minute, then return to the pan.

SIMMERING THE TRIPE
Add the cow's or pig's foot, the marrow bones and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and skim off the foam that rises during the first few minutes of cooking. Add half the garlic to the pot along with the onion and oregano; partially cover and simmer until the tripe is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.

CHILE FLAVORING AND FINAL PREPARATION
When the tripe is nearly tender, heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium. Tear the chiles into flat pieces and toast them a few at a time by laying them on the hot surface, pressing them flat with a metal spatula for several seconds, until they blister and color a little, then flipping them over and pressing down for a few seconds more. Place them in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged, and soak 30 minutes.

Remove the cow's or pig's foot and all the marrow bones from the broth, then skim off any fat floating on top. If you wish, let the foot cool a little, then cut out and discard all the bone and cartilage, chop what remains into small pieces and return it to the pot.

Drain the chiles and place them in a blender jar with the remaining garlic and the ground cumin. Add 1/3 cup of the menudo broth, blend until smooth, then strain through a medium-mesh sieve into the pot. Season with salt, partially cover and simmer 30 minutes.

SERVING THE SOUP
When you are ready to serve, place the condiments in small bowls on the table. Serve large bowls of the steaming soup and pass the condiments for each guest to add to his or her liking.

VARIATION
Menudo with Hominy

Prepare (3/4 cup) dried field corn as Half-Cooked Hominy (or use a large can of hominy, drained, and you won't need to cook it beforehand). It using raw, simmer in 3 quarts water until nearly tender, about 3 hours. Add the blanched tripe, foot and bones, skim, add the flavorings, then cook slowly until the tripe is tender. Finish the soup as directed.

Spanish-Style Potato Omelette (Tortilla Espanola)

I would normally wait to post a blog until at least a few hours after making something. I have things to do, such as clearing the table off or doing dishes. Eventually, I'll get around to making the post...

Not so today. I have forsaken everything else to get this message out to the masses. This is the best Spanish tortilla I have ever made. It is also the best one I have ever eaten. In Spain, or wherever. If you have olive oil, eggs, a potato and an onion you can be off to the races with this one.

I will add my normal Spanish food disclaimer and say that, yes, some smoked Spanish paprika brings this to a whole new level. MAKE THIS NOW.

2 ¼ cups Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. Idaho potatoes, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1 Spanish onion, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
6 large eggs

Heat 2 cups of the olive oil in a saute pan over a medium flame. You'll know the oil is hot enough for frying (275 degrees) when a chunk of potato dropped in the oil jumps a little. Once the oil is hot enough, add the potato slices and fry on both sides until they are lightly browned and the edges are slightly crisp. This should take 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the potatoes, reserving the oil. Season the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.

In another saute pan, heat all but 3 tablespoons of the reserved potato-cooking oil over a medium-low flame. Add the onion slices and cook until slightly browned, being careful not to burn them, around 8 minutes. Strain the onions and reserve.

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them vigorously 3 or 4 times. The eggs should still keep much of their thick, gelatinous consistency. Add the potatoes and onions, plus the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and whisk together. Add the 3 tablespoons of reserved potato-cooking oil to a 6-inch saute pan, and place over a medium flame. When the oil begins to smoke slightly, add the egg mixture to the pan. As you pour in the eggs, shake the pan vigorously for 10 or 15 seconds to make sure the-eggs come together. Then cook for 30 seconds without shaking. Lower the heat and continue to cook for a few minutes. Flip the tortilla when the edges are cooked but the center is still wobbly. Place a plate over the pan and invert the pan and plate together so the tortilla winds up on the plate, raw side down. If the pan looks dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of fresh oil. Return the tortilla to the pan by sliding it back in, raw side down. Continue cooking for another 60 seconds. Serve immediately.

Spanish Tapas

We decided to keep it low-key for Christmas Eve, since it was just Vanessa, her mom and I for dinner. I had spent all day making a traditional Mexican classic (menudo) which we will be having Christmas day.

The great thing about tapas is that they aren't terribly complicated, you can make a bunch of them (so you have a lot of different flavors working) and they're amazing and delicious.

We went with garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo) using some fresh, raw gulf shrimp. Don't even DREAM of making this with out the smoked Spanish paprika, which brings a nifty smokiness to anything it is used it. Also, do NOT use frozen or, God forbid, pre-cooked shrimp. This dish really deserves the freshest shrimp you can find.

Also, we did Catalan-Style Tomato Bread (pan con tomate), which can be found on any menu in Spain, in any region, at any restaurant. You could also melt a strip of manchego cheese on top when you bake it (as the recipe implies), but this time we did it without.

Also, we had a quickly assembled plate of manchego cheese, membrillo paste, some Spanish-style chorizo picante and some olives infused with chile.

To drink, Vanessa makes a wonderful Sangria which uses a bunch of berries. This is the sangria we keep coming back to and it has NEVER failed us. You could also dump a bottle of Spanish Cava in there to get the fizz going!

Manchego Cheese with Catalan Tomato Bread
2 large ripe tomatoes (about 1/4 pound)
4 slices rustic sourdough bread, toasted
Spanish extra-virgin olive oil to taste
Salt to taste
4 slices (about 2 ounces) Manchego cheese

The traditional way
Cut the tomatoes in half. Rub the open face of the tomatoes into the toast until the flesh is absorbed. Throwaway the skin. Drizzle the tomato-rubbed bread with olive oil-be as liberal with the oil as you like. Season to taste with salt. Place a slice of cheese on top, drizzle with a little more oil, and serve.

The modern way
Cut the tomatoes in half. Place a grater over a large mixing bowl. Rub the open face of the tomatoes onto the grater until all the flesh is grated. Throwaway the skin. Add the olive oil to the grated tomato (be liberal). Season to taste with salt. Spoon the tomato-oil mixture onto the toast. Place a slice of cheese on top, drizzle with a little more oil, and serve.

Spanish Shrimp in Garlic Sauce (Gambas al Ajillo)
¾ lbs. fresh medium shrimp
coarse salt to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 small hot dried red chili pepper, seeded and crumbled
¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Devein the shrimp by cutting through the back with the shell still on. Spread them open, but leave the shell attached. Salt lightly and reserve.

Heat the oil in an 8-inch flameproof earthenware casserole over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and chili pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Immediately add the shrimp, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just cooked through, being careful not to overcook.

Taste for seasoning, and sprinkle shrimp with coarse salt if desired. Discard the bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley, and serve very hot in the earthenware casserole, with crusty bread on the side.

Sangria
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
4 strawberries, quartered
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup blackberries
8 slices peeled orange
2-½ cups dry red wine
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup Grand Marnier or Amaretto
¾ cup sparkling water (or a bottle of Cava!)

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.

Combine the fruit in a bowl. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar-water, wine, orange juice, and Grand Marnier. Add the fruit and stir gently to combine. (The sangria can be prepared ahead to this point and held in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before serving.)

Just before serving, add the sparkling water to the pitcher. Serve the sangria in wineglasses.

Carrot and Cilantro Soup

This is one of Vanessa's favorite soups, and one she prepares rather well. She had high hopes of throwing this together last night, but wound up feeling dramatically under the weather. I picked up the slack and brought it home. Lovely, warm spices running through this. A good substitute for the spice mixture in here would be garam masala or, as I used, hot Madras curry powder (about 2 tablespoons).

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
800 g carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
1.25 liters chicken stock
½ cup yogurt, thick and natural
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and carrot and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Add the bay leaf and spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the carrot is tender. Cool slightly, then blend in batches in a food processor (or puree with a stick blender). Return to the saucepan and gently reheat. Season as necessary with salt and pepper.

Combine the coriander and yogurt in a bowl. Pour the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of the yogurt mixture. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Catfish with Fennel and Orange Salad

Vanessa and I went down to Edinburg, TX, which is about 15 minutes away from the Mexican border, to visit her Aunt Mary. Eventually, lunchtime came around and we really didn't have much of a plan together, so I offered to go grocery shopping to see what was good. We ran into some fresh Gulf catfish which looked suitable and I got to thinking about classic pairings with seafood: fennel and citrus.

The wrinkle is that Aunt Mary's oven and stove don't work. All she has is one little plug-in electric hot plate burner, which produces a staggeringly low amount of heat.

Fans of the blog know of my recent trials in BOQ in Dahlgren (see previous post entitled: EXTREME Cooking) and know that I have been training up to make it work in less-than-ideal situations.

The pan simply did not get hot enough to put a good sear (or any real color at all) on the catfish. That said, it did cook through and tasted wonderful. The fennel + citrus + seafood combination overcame my equipment shortcomings just fine.

CATFISH WITH A FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD

CATFISH
3 fillets of catfish, skinned and boned
olive oil
salt
lemon pepper

SALAD
olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 bulbs fennel, cored, sliced very thinly, small handful of fronds reserved
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
2 oranges, peeled and segmented into supremes (google it!),
supremes set aside, juice squeezed out of what's left of the oranges and reserved

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. While it is getting hot, drizzle the catfish with olive oil, then season well with salt and lemon pepper.

Heat another skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the shallots and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened somewhat. Add the fennel and continue to saute until starting to soften up a bit. Reserve nine orange segments, and add the rest to the pan, along with the reserved orange juice, the parsley, some of the fennel fronds and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Saute for a few more minutes and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Take off the heat and set aside.

When you are ready to do the fish, put the fish in the other hot pan and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until the fish has browned some. Watch the color of the fish change as it cooks from the bottom up. When the color has moved 2/3 the way up the fish, flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds or so, then remove from the heat.

Put some fennel and orange salad down on a plate. Top with the fish, then top each fish fillet with three orange segments and a bit of fennel fronds. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Chettiar Aubergine Curry

I saw this made when I attended a masterclass at Benares in London. The thing that struck me most about it was that, in the end, we're just talking about eggplant and potato. You wouldn't normally associate these thing with creating a sexy dish. This was totally satisfying and a real testament to what can be done with humble ingredients.

8-10 baby aubergines (eegplant), or use 2 large ones, diced
3 medium potatoes
salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
5cm cassia bark or cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 curry leaves
2 large onions, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
10 dried red chillies, crushed
3 tablespoons toasted coriander seeds, crushed
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
400 milliliters coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Cut the baby aubergines in half lengthways. Cut the potatoes into wedges and par-boil in salted water for 8-10 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or kadhai and saute the cassia or cinnamon, fennel seeds and curry leaves for a minute or two until they crackle. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until the onions are softened and browned, then add the crushed chillies and coriander seeds and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add the aubergines and potatoes, and cook for few minutes until the aubergines soften. Add the tomato, coconut milk, 100ml water and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Scatter with chopped coriander leaves to serve.

Vanessa's Truck Stop Chili

Vanessa normally handles the cocktails and wine selection. She does this VERY well, and it's the perfect compliment to my contribution, which is normally the cooking. Since being in Dahlgren, Vanessa has embraced the inner cook and yesterday, spent six hours making this chili. The topper was serving this to guests in our little room.

The chili was amazing! Smoky, rich and spicy... but not so spicy as to not taste everything in it. We were supposed to eat it again later in the week, but we ended up killing it. Chalk another one up for one-pot cooking!

¼ pound bacon
3 lbs. trimmed beef brisket, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 lb. onions, chopped
1-½ tablespoons ground cumin
3-½ tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika, smoked if available
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 can beef broth
1 can plum tomatoes in puree
1 dried chipotle chile

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve.

Over high heat, brown the beef in the bacon drippings left in the skillet and set the meat aside. Over medium heat, saute the onions in the remaining drippings for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Toast the cumin in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the toasted cumin, chili powder, paprika, ancho chile powder, oregano, black pepper, thyme, salt, and garlic to the cooked onions and saute for 1 minute. Crumble in the bacon, add the beef broth, 1 cup water, tomatoes, chiles, and the beef. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender, adding water as needed to maintain the desired consistency.

Spicy Pasta

Vanessa normally gets to sit around in our room while I am at school all day, which I'm betting is a real treat. Well, she decided to get to work in the "kitchen" (see last post for the explanation of the quotes). There are many tomato-based pasta sauces, but if you break it down, there's a few ingredients which are constant. This pasta was wonderful and goes to show that no matter how crappy your cooking facilities are, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BREAK DOWN AND BUY RAGU OR SOME OTHER CRAP. You can make a superior sauce on your own, with minimal effort, and it will be 1 zillion times better than some storebought garbage which was put in the jar back during the Clinton administration.

The sauce was lovely and spicy, and got a nice hint of sweetness from using the San Marzano tomatoes, which are great and grow near Naples.

olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 large can (28 oz.) chopped San Marzano tomatoes (Cento is a good brand)
500g pasta
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and onions and saute until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the spices and stir through to combine. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. When it boils, turn the heat down to low and simmer, mostly covered with a lid, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce is almost done, cook up a package (500g) of the pasta of your choice in boiling salted water according to package directions. Take a 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce. Drain the rest of the pasta in a colander.

Put the pasta in the pot with the sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper and spices. Serve with some grated Parmesan, or in our case, with some Parmesan that you cut very finely with a paring knife at an extreme angle to LOOK (sort of) like grated Parmesan.

No matter how you slice it, this was delicious.

EXTREME Cooking: Middle-of-Nowhere-Edition

Well... all good things must come to an end. Our 3+ year boondoggle, which included near-worldwide travel and living abroad, has finally truly come to an end. I am working again, albeit as a student, which has brought Vanessa and I to Dahlgren, Virginia. Look it up on Google Maps if you like. Go ahead and check out the satellite view, too, while you're at it so you can hopefully see just the kind of desolation we're dealing with out here.

Dahlgren is in the middle of nowhere. It was in the middle of nowhere the last time we were here in 2004, as well, so you can imagine how excited we were to come back. On the upside, we're less than an hour out of Washington DC (we'll be checking that out this weekend).

Meanwhile, we're staying in a Navy hotel of sorts. The room itself is actually pretty nice... it's a suite with a few rooms and plenty of room for the both of us and all of our stuff we brought with us. The rub is, our stay here will be nine weeks total (with a break for Christmas and New Year's). You might be asking yourself, "How the hell are you, unabashed foodies, going to survive out there with only a few Mom and Pop joints to eat at?"

Never fear. We have an enormous kitchen...
And loads of prep space....
So we decided that we were going to make this work. After all, I DID bring all of my spices with me. We have a fridge. I look at it as a challenge. The next few weeks (until late February) will chronicle our attempts at cooking in what is easily the most austere of kitchens. No oven. No blender. No water bath or immersion circulators. No food processors.

A two burner stove. One pot and a few skillets. Let's see what we can do.

Pan-Seared Ras-el-Hanout Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Spinach and a Balsamic Vinaigrette

CHICKEN
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp ras-el-hanout

VINAIGRETTE
3 parts olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

SALAD
3 large handfuls spinach, rinsed and patted dry
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (if you're lucky enough to have a grater!)

For the chicken, combine all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least one hour. About 30 minutes before you want to cook, pull the chicken out and leave at room temperature.

Get a skillet going over high heat. When hot, place the chicken in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Flip over and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down and cover the skillet and allow the chicken to cook for another 3-5 minutes until just cooked through.

Get the chicken out of the pan and let rest while you make the dressing (by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and stirring them up) and divide the spinach between two plates.

Cut the chicken across the grain on the bias and check for doneness. If not done, put back into the still hot pan for just a few seconds until done.

Put the chicken on the spinach and top with Parmesan and dressing to taste.