Although the world and our immediate way of life has changed for sure, I find myself feeling very fortunate. My family are all safe and doing what they need to do to stay safe and I am able to continue working to help support them. One thing that I have realized, which is something I have known for some time, is that we can handle any situation if we know it is not permanent. For myself, knowing that there is an end in sight, no matter how far in the distance is the saving grace. One thing that I do not do much at home is cook. I guess because I spend my workday cooking or dealing with food in some way that at home, I tend to eat what is easy or to be honest whatever my wife cooks. The times that I do cook at home it usually turns into an all-day affair. The other day I found myself in a place where I could not watch another Netflix show, all the books I own I have read multiple times and you can only cut the grass so much. I decided I was going to cook. I have always been passionate about cooking; I love the whole process from the planning to the execution of the various techniques involved in a single dish to plating the items and of course serving the finished dish. The kitchen has always been a place where I let go of the outside noise and distractions and focus on the task at hand, although I usually do this at work and maybe why I have been called a workaholic at times in my life. I found that on this day at home was no different. I was so focused on the dish, focused on each specific detail, that every technique was executed properly and with precision that for those few hours everything that is happening around the world and in our own communities faded away. I did not even realize this until much later when my wife and I were enjoying our meal. Then it hit me that I had not even thought about all the stuff that is going on around us and how nice that was. Remember that just because life changes and the way of life that we know changes doesn’t mean that our deepest ideas and passions must change as well. Stay safe everyone and know that we can make it through anything if we know it is not permanent.
Beer battered fish tacos with Pico de Gallo, little gem lettuce, Mango honey mustard
(Makes 8 Tacos)
Ingredients:
Beer Battered Fish
1 lb. Mahi Mahi, Halibut or other white flake fish, cut into 2 oz. pcs.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup dark beer like Dos Equis
Pico de Gallo
5 ea. Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 ea. jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 ea. garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 ea. lime, juiced
Mango Honey Mustard
1 ea. fresh mango, peeled and diced or 1/2 cup mango puree
1/4 cup creole mustard
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. local honey, I use Yazoo honey
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Chipotle pepper in adobo
For Taco’s
8 ea. 6 in. flour tortillas or corn if you prefer
1 cup Little gem lettuce, chiffonade cut or shredded
Limes to garnish
Directions:
Beer batter
Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl and set aside.
Pico de Gallo
Dice Roma tomatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Add red onion, jalapeno, garlic and lime. Stir to mix well, add lime juice and salt and pepper, stir to mix well. Let sit for about 30 minutes before serving.
Mango honey mustard
In a blender or food processor add all ingredients and blend until fully incorporated, set aside.
To prepare taco’s – heat oil in a Fry Daddy or another home fryer to 350. Dip fish into beer batter and gently place in fryer. Fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and fish is fully cooked. Drain on a paper towel. Heat shell slightly and fill with fish, toss lettuce with a little of the mango sauce and top fish. Add some Pico to each taco with a little more honey mustard and a lime wheel.
Tony’s Tamales with sweet corn puree, roasted heirloom carrot salsa and poblano cream
Ingredients:
2 packs Tony Tamales, prepare according to directions
2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen if that is
all you have
1/4 stick butter, unsalted (cold)
3 tbs. water
1 ea. poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
1 lb. heirloom baby carrots, I got mine from
Two Dogs Farm
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, fine diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 ea. limes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 ea. jalapeno, diced (you can use more if
you want some more spice)
1 tsp. olive oil
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400. Peel carrots and remove tops (you can save some of the tops for garnish if you like) and add to a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place carrots on a baking sheet and roast until they are tender but still have a little bit to them. In a mixing bowl, coat the poblano pepper with oil and place alongside the carrots. Roast the pepper until it
begins to char, and skin turns color. Remove pepper and place back in mixing and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for about 10 minutes before peeling and remove seeds, set pepper aside for now. On a separate baking pan brushed with oil add corn and roast for about 10 minutes or so or until corn begins to color slightly. While the corn is still hot, add to a blender with the cold butter and blend on high. Add water a little at time until the corn is pureed and is sauce consistency, season with salt and pepper to taste, keep warm. Cut carrots into small rounds and add to mixing bowl with diced onion and jalapeno. Squeeze two of the limes into bowl, add cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine, set aside. In a blender add Greek yogurt, roasted poblano and juice of a half lime. Blend on high until pepper is pureed and incorporated with yogurt, set aside. On a serving plate ad corn puree topped with the heated tamales. Top tamales with the salsa and the poblano cream. Garnish with a wedge of lime and a little of the carrot top.
