We go from Star Wars Day to Cinqo de Mayo tomorrow. There are tons of recipes for all kinds of traditional Mexican cuisine both here and at Central. If different is what you’re after, though, how about this killer Tequila Porterhouse Steak? It’s from Rick Browne’s terrific book, The Ultimate Guide to Grilling.
Habanero Cashew Brittle
This crunchy candy puts a hot new twist on a traditional brittles. Be very careful when removing the candy from the microwave because it will be very, very hot. The times given here are approximate and can vary because of the power differences of the ovens, so be sure to monitor the candy closely.
Thai Lemon Grass Marinade
Lemon grass makes a nice houseplant and a continuous supplier of lemony stalks–simply root a stalk in water and then plant it in a pot. Put it in partial sun and it will grow and separate. This marinade is excellent with chicken and fish. Warning: the marinade tastes so good your will want to drink it. Go ahead, call it lemon grass tea. Use this marinade for poultry, fish, or pork, or as a dressing for a salad. Dave serves it over noodles and calls it a pseudo-curry.
Melinda’s Costa Rican ‘Perked’ Coffee BBQ Sauce
A prize-winning recipe for barbecue sauce that’s a real eye opener.
Spicy Truffles
Here is Harald Zoschke’s recipe for truffles. He notes: “If you are a chocoholic (like me), and like it spicy (like me), you’ll love these melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles. They have a pleasant zing, which you will notice shortly after you taste the nice chocolate-fruit flavor. Best of all, this is a truffle recipe that’s easy to prepare! Melting the chocolate in a bowl over hot water is necessary because it would burn easily with direct heat, rendering it useless. Also, avoid even smallest amounts of water getting in contact with your melted chocolate; it would get lumpy, and you would have to start over, melting fresh chocolate.”
Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream
This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!
Tex-Mex Chiltepin Tequila
Chiles and cumin combine here to create the olfactory essence of the Border. Most any type of small chile pepper that you can get in the bottle will work. Be sure to taste it often and remove the chiles when it reaches the desired heat–the longer the chiles are left in, the hotter the liquor will get!
