Heidibella in the Tropics

Cuban Beef Picadillo

I was standing at the kitchen counter yesterday afternoon, looking through recipes and picking out my favorites to put in a new glossy folder that I purchased. It's amazing how quickly you forget a beloved recipe, especially when you have a memory like mine. There's just so much great food out there that even if I made a different recipe every day I would die without having tried many.

One of the recipes I came across was Cuban Beef Picadillo from Williams-Sonoma.  Woah! Why haven't I made this in so long? I discovered it when we were hosting a Canasta party for my brother-in-law, Jose, and his wife Rosana a couple of years ago. The four of us used to play on a regular basis and would take turns hosting, each time with a themed cuisine. It was Cuban for us, and I found the picadillo while searching online for cuban recipes.

If you like earthy spices like cinammon and chili powder, and if you like chili, you will LOVE this picadillo. Serve it over white rice for a very satisfying meal. It is ridiculously easy to make, and so delicious! Hopefully my new glossy folder won't let me forget about this one any time soon.

Creole Chicken Fricassee

Last night I was just too tired to cook.  I had breakfast for dinner...cereal, milk, and banana. But tonight I was going to pull out all the stops.  My sister and I...or is it sisterS...Chris, did you decide to make this after all?...decided to make the same thing for dinner tonight.  Michelle suggested Creole Chicken Fricassee from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. It's very similar to what we would call in Panama, a pollo guisado. But the bay leaf and spices give it that creole flavor. I served mine with white rice, but you could do a wild rice, cous cous, or mashed potatoes. Delicious and quite satisfying!

Chunky Minestrone

Tonight's dinner was Chunky Minestrone Soup from the BBC Good Food site. It's very similar to the veggie soup I make, but the addition of the cabbage gives it a fun twist. I used mini pasta shells instead of spaghetti because, as my sister Michelle said when she sent me the recipe, "Who ever heard of Minestrone soup with spaghetti in it?" I also didn't process my veggies, I chopped them myself only because I enjoy doing it...it's a kind of therapy for me. The difference was I think it made the soup even chunkier, and the veggies took a little longer to soften than the 10 minutes the recipe calls for. This soup is hearty, healthy, and very easy to make.

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots , roughly chopped
• 1 large onion , roughly chopped
• 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 2 large potatoes , cut into small dice
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2l stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can butter or cannellini beans
• 140g spaghetti , snapped into short lengths
• 1⁄2 head savoy cabbage , shredded
• crusty bread , to serve

 

1. In a food processor, whizz the carrots, onion and celery into small pieces. Heat the oil in a pan, add the processed vegetables, garlic and potatoes, then cook over a high heat for 5 mins until softened.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 mins.
3. Tip in the beans and pasta, then cook for a further 10 mins, adding the cabbage for the final 2 mins. Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.

An orange appeal

I rediscovered oranges this morning. I couldn't tell you how long it has been since I've had an orange. I always buy oranges for the peel...it adds amazing punch to so many foods.  I usually have the fruit leftover. But today, I ate the fruit (delicious!!!!  why don't I eat oranges more often?) and had the peel leftover. What to do?

If you find yourself in this situation, here's a tip.

Fill a pot with water, add orange peels and a few cinammon sticks. Simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the pot on the stove all day. It will freshen up the kitchen, giving it a wonderful citrusy aroma.

Red Velvet Cookies

For those of you that tried the Red Velvet Cupcakes I made a while back, or if you love Red Velvet, or if you just love a damn good cookie...have I got something for you.

My friend Scott has been looking for a good Red Velvet Cookie recipe and when he couldn't find one he decided to experiment on his own. Last weekend, he emailed me that he had finally done it. I decided to make them and they are delicious!

I did find that the cookies came out a bit soft and cakey, so you might have to adjust the flour content depending on the humidity, or maybe just bake them a little longer depending on your oven. As for the icing, I decided to pipe it on but Scott's recipe uses a thumbprint method which works as well.

Give them a try!  Click here for Scott's recipe.

King Cake

I haven't made a king cake since I lived in New Orleans. Every year since moving back to Panama, my sisters and I say we're going to make king cakes and we never do. This year, Michelle and I decided we would have a proper mardi gras celebration with king cake and all...and here it is!

In true New Orleans tradition, there is a plastic baby hidden inside the cake. The person whose slice contains the baby is charged with making the next king cake. We'll have to make up a different penalty for today's party...maybe get more ice...yeah that's a good one...nobody ever wants to be the one to get more ice.

Here is the baby giving its final farewell before drowning in a sea of gooeyness.

The recipe I used for my king cake is a combination of several different Emeril Lagasse (of course!) recipes. I couldn't find one that had all the elements I wanted (filling, glaze, sugar, etc), and I'm very happy with this one. For the colored sugar, all you have to do is put some regular white granulated sugar in a jar or plastic bag, add a few drops of food coloring, and shake shake shake. Have fun...and I hope you don't get the baby!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 to 5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperatur
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 pecan half, uncooked dried bean or King Cake Baby
• 2 tablespoons milk

Glaze:

• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Purple, green and gold sugar crystals

Directions

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Combine the warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to a warm place for about 10 minutes. Combine 4 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, nutmeg, lemon rind and add warm milk, melted butter, egg yolks and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in a well-greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).

 Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Place a well-greased 2 pound coffee can or shortening can in the center of the ring to maintain the shape during baking.

Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove coffee can immediately, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the icing. Combine 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and the remaining 3 cups confectioner's sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

Cut into the cake and hope you do not get the baby.

Sunday Morning and a Biscuit

Every once in a while, a craving for homemade biscuits hits my house like a bomb. It's like all of a sudden everybody HAS to have a biscuit. It was a tradition when I made weekend trips from Boston to New York City to visit Michelle and Austin that I make biscuits on Sunday morning. For some reason, Sunday morning and a biscuit go so well together.

The trick to making good biscuits is to cut the fat (make sure it's cold) into the dry ingredients so that the fat pieces are about the size of peas. Then, when you're kneading the dough, only knead four to six times, just to bring the dough together. You still want to be able to see pieces of fat intact throughout the dough. The idea here is that the fat will melt in the hot temperature of the oven and create little air pockets that will make your biscuits flaky and oh so wonderful!

This recipe works well for me:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450F. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together so there are no lumps. Add the shortening and drop the butter into the bowl in small pieces. Cut the shortening and butter into the dry ingredients with a knife or pastry blender until the fat pieces are the size of peas. Make a well in the center and pour the milk in. Mix the dough together with a wooden spoon or other utensil just until the liquid is absorbed.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead only a few times (about four to six) just until the dough comes together. Do not over-handle the dough. Press the dough out flat until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, or a drinking glass, cut the biscuits out and put them on a baking sheet. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Enjoy with butter, honey, jam, or anything you like! Also great to accompany soups, stews, or anything with a gravy.

Parmesan Carrot Risotto

I can't remember when I discovered risotto. But there are risottos that I remember very clearly. I remember the risotto with squid ink that I had in Vegas...oh that one I will never forget. I remember the chicken risotto with carmelized onions that I made about a year ago. It was the first one I made with my risotto pot given to me by Michelle. How I love that thing! When I traveled to Porto Alegre on business for the first time and realized that risotto is a staple down there, I knew I was in heaven.

Risotto has a stigma attached to it that it's hard to make. Many people, including my Dad, think it's fattening because it's creamy, and anything creamy must have cream in it. Both of these, are untrue. Risotto is not hard to get right. It might be a bit labor-intensive in that you have to stir it often, but think of it as a good workout for your stirring arm. Good risotto is creamy, yes, but the creaminess comes from the cooking method, not cream. The more you stir a risotto, the more the grains of rice rub together. The rubbing causes some of the starch to come off the rice, thus making it creamy.

In the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food Magazine, there is a recipe for a parmesan-carrot risotto. I decided to try it out last night and all I can say is WOW! If you're watching your carbs, it's a lighter risotto than normal because it only calls for 1 1/4 cups of rice and the rest of the bulk is from 6 shredded carrots that have a similar texture to the rice and give it a wonderful, sweet flavor. It's a great one to make if it's your first risotto because there aren't a lot of ingredients, and it's so delicious that if you don't eat risotto often, you will get hooked. I decided to pair it with some flank steak on top, but this could also be served with a salad, some fish, chicken, or even on its own. Enjoy!

 

Tomatillos at last!

I have been craving tomatillos for the longest time. Well, I don't know if I can actually say I was craving them. Can you crave something you've never tasted?  I've been reading recipes that call for tomatillos, watching chefs add them to salsas and sauces, and I've been drawn to the things like bees to honey...but I have never been able to find them in Panama. Until...I went to Riba Smith and lo and behold...tomatillos!  I couldn't believe it. So I bought a bunch, not knowing what I would do with them, and my sister Michelle suggested I make Rachel Ray's (or Retchel as Michelle calls her) Tilapia with Tomatillos. I used corvina in my recipe and it was delish. Rachel suggests a filled avocado but I served mine with white rice and it was perfect because it soaked up all the delicious tomatillo sauce. If you ever find tomatillos in Panama, get some and make this recipe. It's easy, and so delicious! I'm definitely adding it to my regular routine. Thanks for the suggestion, Michelle!

Five Cheese Mac

This past weekend was all about rediscovering passions that I have had to move to the side for one reason or another. Coming out of a three-week stint of unending work that included being away from home for two of those weeks gave me some time on a Saturday afternoon to enjoy by myself in my almost-finished new kitchen. I can't accurately express how it felt for me to go to the grocery store and buy actual ingredients for a meal I would be cooking. I had just gotten off the plane and was already planning what I would make. Nevermind that I hadn't slept, nevermind that I felt like I had been run over by a train, exhausted...nothing was going to keep me out of that kitchen.

The first meal that I made in my new kitchen was a recipe that I saw on Food Network while in my hotel room a couple of weeks ago. It was recipe showdown, and while I cannot stand Guy Fieri (sorry to you G.F. fans out there), the contestant that won the showdown, Rick Massa, made a Five-Cheese Mac and Cheese that looked out of this world. I knew that I wanted my kitchen premiere to be something baked (of course!) and something comforting, and what is more comforting than mac & cheese?

And so I began, grating five different cheeses in my new food processor (thank you Michelle!), chopping onions, pre-heating the oven, making the white sauce, preparing the baking dish...the water boiled so fast on that new burner that I had to turn it off because I wasn't ready for it! I was in heaven. The smell of the perfect blend of melted cheese filled the kitchen, and I set the table and took a moment to take it all in with a cold beer.

It's been more than a year since that tired, trusty old oven broke down. It's been several months since my old kitchen was torn up to create a canvas for something new. But this...was worth waiting for!

 

 

The Spirit of Christmas

During this time of year, when many of us are running around trying to get things done, rushing from one obligation to another, wrapping, unwrapping, baking, calling, driving, mailing, the list is endless...it's easy to forget what Christmas is really all about. 

Yesterday, I had a reminder of true holiday spirit.

In the complex where live, we have five neighboring families. Each year, at Christmas, it's a tradition that each family gives a small token to all the neighbors, usually an edible treat. Given my current kitchenless state, I was unsure as to how I would keep up with the tradition without having to give a storebought gift. My Dad offered his kitchen, which I did try to use but all my supplies were boxed up and his oven temperature turned out to be difficult to regulate so my efforts failed. 

I shared my dilemma with my sister, Michelle, and confessed I'd probably have to either buy something or skip the tradition altogether. She then offered to bake some treats for me to give, if she had time on Christmas day. I thanked her and was grateful for the gesture, but knowing how much we still had to do I doubted she would have the time or the energy.

On Christmas morning, I came downstairs to make coffee and serve some gingerbread for breakfast, another tradition that Michelle and I keep up every year. The phone rang, and it was Michelle calling not only to say Merry Christmas, but also to let me know that my neighbors' treats were in the oven and that she would bring them to me when we would meet up at my inlaws' place later in the day.

Michelle woke up early on Christmas morning after having hosted all of us until the wee hours at her apartment for Christmas Eve (we trashed the place!), to bake treats for my neighbors so I wouldn't have to worry about breaking the tradition. When she gave me the cakes, they were beautifully packaged with ribbon and cards already written out.

It was a truly selfless act that reminded me that, as the famous Christmas carol says about the spirit of Christmas, "It's not the things you do at Christmas time, but the Christmas things you do all year through." Thank you Michi, not just for coming to my rescue, but for being such a terrific sister and wonderful friend year-round!  Merry Christmas!

Giving Thanks

Michelle and Austin hosted Thanksgiving dinner at their place last night...and what a dinner it was!  Two kinds of turkey (oven roasted and rotisserie), salad, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, stuffed potatoes, madelines, cranberry sauce, coconut rice, and pumpkin pie...WOW. Not only was the food AMAZING, but we got the opportunity to come together once again to share in this truly special tradition with family and long-time friends. As we were sitting around Michelle's gorgeous and very festive table, listening to Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, and Chris Botti (to name a few), I was observing everyone chatting and sharing and laughing until tears came out of their eyes, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling that the things that really and truly matter in this world are so simple, so basic, and at their very core are the only things you need to be really happy. 

By the way...Tia Cuchi...we tried to call you several times and didn't reach you, so we assumed you were out on the town in Guadalajara celebrating your birthday. Hope you had a good one!

I want to say thanks to our hosts, Michelle and Austin, for making it such a special Thanksgiving. Mom would have been SO proud of you guys!  Pictures here. 

Chez Michelle

On Thursday I went to Michelle and Austin's after work to cook dinner. Michi took pity on me and lent me her kitchen to cook something from my Everyday Food magazine: Braised Chicken with Dried Plums.  It felt like the old days when I would drop my latest magazine into my bag before going to work, and just before leaving I scan it to see what I want to make for dinner that night.  Michelle and I emailed a bit back and forth about what we would make, and she let me choose since she knew I was really yearning for some time in the kitchen.

So I went to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients that Michi didn't already have, and I went over to her place.  We had such a great time cooking and relaxing and chatting.  I took care of the chicken (except Michelle removed the skins, THANK YOU) and Michi made the mashed potatoes which were AMAZING.  I am officially making Michelle the queen of mashed potatoes!

This recipe is so easy and can be customized in many ways.  I'd definitely serve it with something that can soak up the white wine gravy which is delicious.  We did mashed potatoes but you could do rice or cous cous or polenta.  The chicken comes out tender and juicy (don't overcook it!) and the plums give it a tangy bite.

Thanks Michi...for letting me be in a real kitchen for the first time in what feels like forever!  And thanks for the second picture of the plating...because we used paper plates when I got home with half the food we made (no sink and all that. :)

 

And on the 92nd day he said, "Let them have tile."

Here's a quick update on the kitchen makeover.  Progress!

 

 

Sweet Blue Monday

It may be blue Monday but not because the weekend is over. Today is a holiday in Panama so no work for me...but thanks to Michelle I had a delicious jumbo blueberry muffin for breakfast. It was so moist and yummy...a great way to start the day.

Gracias hermana!

Halloween is for pumpkins

We had a fun night on All Hallow's Eve. Michi and Austin hosted an intimate pumpkin-themed Halloween supper for us. Baked pasta with pumpkin and sage, garlic bread, pumpkin cupcakes, and all the candy you could eat. Ghooolishly delicious!

You can't have Halloween without a scary movie, so the choice for the evening was The Strangers with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. 

Thanks for a fun Halloween guys!

Spooky pics here.

A Makeshift Kitchen

Nah, I didn't make this yummilicious rice. Last night when I got home, Gabs had prepared his version of 'arroz con pollo' in a funny kitchen setup that he put together in the terrace at the back of the house. It was so good...it had chunks of onion and green and yellow pepper, and had a slightly asian twist to it. Rotisserie chicken from the supermarket has become our best friend since being kitchenless, and it's a great bargain if you think about it...about $4.85 for a whole, juicy chicken. 

I am grateful at this point that Gabs is comfortable cooking in this insanity...because I could never. I need order in my life, I need order when I cook. And, as much as I love food, if given a choice between total order or a delicious meal, I would go for total order. No, I'd go for food. No...order. No...food. Order? Food? Ok, ok so they're pretty much both up there, but there's nothing like cooking a great meal in a kitchen that's perfectly organized, neat, and clean. I can just imagine all the ingredients set out ready to go, pre-measured preferably.  All the utensils clean and shiny, maybe even some music playing in the background...a cold beer or glass of wine on the side for those quick 2 second breaks in between whisks. It's coming back to me soon....I hope.

Click here for new pictures of the kitchen fiasco.

If I could cook today...

I got the November issue of Everyday Food in the mail. Normally I would take the magazine to work so I could have it handy at the grocery store when deciding what to make for dinner. Then I would post the results here if the recipe turned out to be good. But...since my kitchen is still under construction, we're doing chinese take-out and pressed sandwiches on the panini press. Still, that shouldn't keep me from posting about what I would have selected for tonight's recipe, right? I can't test it for you, but here is what I would have chosen. Let me know if it's any good!

Pasta with mixed mushrooms and thyme

Click on recipe to enlarge.

My current wallpaper

What a game!

What a game! There is nothing like watching the Red Sox come back from a 3-1 deficit in the ALCS. As a Red Sox fan, I should be used to it by now...but when you haven't scored anything in the 7th inning and Tampa Bay is using the Sox bullpen for batting practice, it's hard to be positive. I poured myself this goodbye beer to say, "See ya next year" to my beloved Sox. But it quickly turned into a celebratory brew when the Big Papi we all know showed up, and sent one into the stands. I finished my beer, I'm going to bed...happy that Red Sox baseball continues. See ya in game 6!