Hungry Mouth

Sopapillas Rellenos

Two months since I made a post! I've been busy traveling and entertaining guests plus it's been too hot to feel like cooking. Time to get back in the groove.

One of my favorite New Mexican specialties is Sopapillas (also spelled Sopaipillas). They are a lovely puffy deep fried bread similar to the beignets of New Orleans. Usually served with honey or cinnamon sugar as a dessert, I prefer them with a savory filling. Somehow during the 4 days I spent in New Mexico this summer, I never had a chance to order them. A terrible oversight which I corrected tonight by cooking some up.

I stuffed them with Machaca and served them with Rancho Gordo's Anazazi beans. Let me put in a plug for Rancho Gordo. These are by far the best beans I have ever tasted. I've tried 3 varieties so far and they are all excellent....it's no wonder that great chefs like Thomas Keller at The French Laundry uses them. They are fresh so cook quickly and need no seasoning except salt.

Sopapillas

2 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 T oil
1/2-3/4 warm water (as needed to form dough)

Combine ingredients and knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 20 minutes. Roll into a square 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3X3 inch squares. Deep fry in 400 degree oil a few at a time. Be sure to hold them down in the oil initially and flip after a minute or so. If the oil is hot enough they will puff up almost immediately. Fry til nicely golden brown. Drain well and keep warm.

Machaca

1 lb beef chuck
salt
1 onion, minced
3 clove garlic, minced
3-6 roasted Hatch green chiles, chopped, to taste*
1 large tomato, chopped
cumin, salt, pepper to taste

Cover beef with salted water and simmer til tender. Drain (reserve one cup broth) and shred with two forks. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add shredded beef. Saute 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients plus reserved broth. Simmer for about 15 minutes til tomato is cooked.

Assembly: Split open sopapillas and stuff with beef. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and serve. For a fancier presentation have ready warm red or green chile sauce. Place stuffed sopapillas in a baking pan, pour sauce on, spinkle with cheese and broil til cheese melts.

*While in New Mexico this summer I bought 30 pounds of freshly roasted Hatch chiles, packed them in a cooler and froze them when I got home. I had a choice of heat levels and picked medium-hot. OMG! These are VERY hot even with all seeds removed. Be sure to taste test chiles before adding.

Fresh cherry pie

So I drove out to Brentwood and picked fresh bing cherries. My favorite cherry farmer grows a small crop, they sell out almost immediately, of a Bing relative called "Coral Champagne". Best bings ever. They are huge and sweet. A tip for those of you who pick your own cherries: taste a cherry from the tree before you pick...in the same grove, trees vary widely in sweetness.

I love picking my own fruit/vegies. Not necessarily less expensive, the cherries were $2/lb, but I get to pick and choose perfect fruit. As the season progresses I'll pick strawberries, boysenberries, ollalaberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn, squash, etc.

Is that a beautiful pie?

I confess I am not a talented baker. I never even made pie (the crusts were so bad) until I found this easy recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

In a food processor combine:

2 1/2 c flour
2T sugar
1 t salt

Add:

12 T cold butter
8 T crisco

Process for 5-6 one second spurts

Pour into bowl.

Add 6-8 T ice cold water. Stir in with a spatula. Divide into 2. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Roll out two crusts (top and bottom).

Filling (you can substitute any fresh fruit/berries but need to compensate for juiciness):

6 cups fresh cherries, pitted
1 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t all aspice
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t lemon zest
2 T cornstarch

Mix all. Pour into bottom pie shell. Dot 2 T butter across top. Top with other crust. Brush with 1 egg white whipped with a bit of water for shiny crust. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and cook another 35-40 mintues.

Ok...I couldnt wait til it cooled down to cut it, so it was still a bit runny. I like thin juices for combining with ice cream. If you prefer thicker juices just add a bit more cornstarch.

Pie for breakfast, anyone?

Prior to leaving for Greece, I read that breakfast there consists of a strong cup of coffee and a cigarette. That didn't concern me much as I am not typically a breakfast person...I don't eat eggs. But it's a funny thing. When I am on the road, and jumping out of bed at 6 am to go birding, I find I develop quite an early morning appetite. So imagine my joy when I discovered that pie is the national breakfast food of Greece. Sweet pies, yes, but even better, savory pies. Spinach pies, cheese pies, cheese and spinach pies...the baker pictured earlier served a fabulous ham, cheese and tomato pie that literally made my knees weak. Pies are the perfect breakfast food for the busy traveler. Just buy one and eat as you go. If it cools off, it still tastes good.

To my surprise most of the pies were not made with a filo dough crust. The crust was more like a croissant, or Danish pastry crust. I miss Greek pies.

Traditional Baking in Greece

On our first evening in Skala Kalloni, a fishing port village on Lesvos, I saw a sign for a bakery which pointed down a dark alley. Early the next morning I headed for the bakery to see if they had anything for breakfast. The bakery was actually below street level by several steps. I descended the steps and entered a very small room, probably about 10X15 ft. Inside the elderly baker and his young assistant were busy shifting breads around in the wood-fired stone oven with long-handled wooden peels.

I was very excited to actually see one of these ovens in action. All over Europe they are quickly becoming just a memory. As the old bakers die there is noone to replace them. The younger generation of bakers typically go for the modern electric oven, and the bread suffers as a consequence.

In the background of this picture are the long wooden troughs where the bread is placed to rise.

Fresh baked croissants.

The breads were delicious. It was nice to see that the baker was training a young apprentice. Maybe in this village, at least, the tradition will continue.

Oh...and let's not forget breakfast. The Judge likes sweets so I got him a chocolate croissant. The baker took a fresh croissant, shoved it onto a metal tube poking out of a large device clamped to one of the tables, cranked a handle and chocolate cream filled it. I like savory so I had a choice between Spinach Pie, Cheese Pie, and Ham/Cheese/Tomato Pie.