Food

FOOD! I love the stuff. Here are a few of the things that make my life smile. First, tastes and smells that comfort me, second, flavors that take me to different places as well as bring me back home. Pure deliciousness to my heart…”…something sweet, something mellow.

 

 

 

No Knead Bread

Bread, I dig the stuff! But, I am not a baker. A friend of mine turned me on to this concept. So what do I do, Google it! Here’s a recipe I found that was easy and enjoyable to make. The first slide show is the recipe, the second is the process in pictures. FREAKIN’ EASY!! Why wait? Go make you some!

Tortillas

The Holy Grail of childhood table memories. They’re warm, soft, fluffy and full of love. Full of memories of your grandmother’s house. The pleasant aroma that filled your nasal taste buds as you walked in the house after school, the swift way that tortilla wrapped itself around your sister’s face the time you flung one at her. The smile on your sons face as they bit into one hot off the comal. What, those aren’t your memories? Hmmm, come on, one of those had to have aroused some deep morsel in that head. Okay, well, those are just a few of many memories at least. Tortillas, best served hot! I wish I could say I learned to make them from my mom or even my dad, but I have to give credit to my tia Chavela (Elizabeth) while helping take care of my dad (her brother), during his battle with cancer she taught me. It was then I learned the magic of love that went into the little testales which would become a tortilla. I once used the tag “Tortillas…Where eating with your hands is culture” thinking that was clever and wise. Now realizing the hands that made them are my culture and it’s that same culture I now consume.

Tortilla Recipe (from memory of course)

  • If I watched correctly, and listened in tune, this is how she told me, what her hands showed me.

    First, turn on your comal (cast iron, iron skillet, something) on medium heat.

    You’ll need: Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, Shortening, Hot Water

    Tortilla_017

    2 Cups of All Purpose Flour

    1 Teaspoon of Salt

    1 Teaspoon of Clabor Girl Baking Powder

    (mix in a bowl – then add)

    1 “Golfball” Size Clump of Crisco (shortening)

    (more mixing/knead well together)

    Hot Water, about one and a half (1 1/2) Cup.

    (add water slowly as you knead until you get a smooth loaf, you’ll have to judge the texture to a consistency where you think you can roll out into a tortilla. You can dash some flower here and there if needed to compensate for “over watering!” lol!)

    Once kneaded well, put in bowl and cover with a towel or something. Sometimes I use a plate over the bowl, for about 15 minutes. After that time tear apart little testales, or round balls and get ready to roll.

    (Now the measuring cup put some flour in. Hold on, I’m about to fill you in.)

    Okay, so get you a ball, dip it lightly in the cup of flour, press it, squash it, make a small “pattie”, flip it and put the rolling pin to work. Best done from the center out. After each up and down roll, rotate the tortilla in making clockwise for you righties, counter clockwise for you lefties. This will be a skill that will be honed in time. Flop that puppy on the comal till it starts to “bubble” up some and flip,give it a second then it’s done. Bam! you have a tortilla. Now place them, wrap wrap them in a container, love it within a dish towel, cover and keep stacking.

    Don’t forget the magic, close your eye’s and add it!