Sandra's Kitchen Studio

Cary Magazine Feature, with video!

I had a wonderful time with the folks at Cary Magazine last month. The full feature is available at their website, Learn how easy it is to make my Latin Pimiento Cheese in my new book, The New Southern-Latino Table.

In the following video, I talk about the birth of the new Southern-Latino movement and prepare some of my delicious pimiento cheese. See how quick and easy my recipes are to make! If you're looking for a succulent recipe for Super Bowl Sunday, this is it! Serve this dish with chips, crackers, or crudites.

Chile-Chocolate Brownies

[This recipe is crossposted at UNCPressBlog.]

The combination of chile and chocolate is nothing new to Latinos living in Mexico and in Guatemala. Mole (pronounced móh-leh) is a mixture of nuts, seeds, vegetables, aromatics, and spices found in the cuisines of these two Latin American countries. The most famous is the mole poblano of Puebla, Mexico, and it's the only mole out of the myriad made in the Aztec nation that actually has chocolate added to its formula. I grew up eating a delicious Mayan dessert that consisted of plantains smothered in a sugary chile and chocolate sauce called mole de plátanos that juxtaposed very sweet and spicy flavors.

I must confess that one of the first things I learned to bake as a child was a brownie recipe. I was eight years old, and had traveled to the United States on vacation, as we often did, but this time I sampled a chocolatey, moist, and chewy bar that tasted like nothing I had tasted before. I was hooked! Brownies are the ever-present dessert in children's parties, school events, and church suppers and I thought to give these popular bars a little twist by adding a subtle hint of chiles.

The result is a sweet bar that captures the essence of chocolate and that at first bite tastes sweet--like any other brownie. It's not until after you've savored it that you start feeling this faint tingle in your mouth. The more bites you take, the spicier the taste, but it doesn't overpower, it just seduces.

Did you know that the best way to counteract the natural oil in chiles that causes them to burn (called capsaicin) is to eat a dollop of sour cream or to drink milk? The fat in dairy acts as a neutralizer and lends immediate relief to the tongue (why else do you think that so many Mexican dishes are served with crema?). And what goes better with brownies than a glass of cold milk?

Go ahead, make a batch (or two) of these scrumptious brownies and discover a new way to enjoy an old favorite. And while you're at it, make a chile-free batch for the kids. You won't want to share yours with anyone!

Chile-Chocolate Brownies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons ancho chile powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

For the Glaze:

¼ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur

¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Preheat the oven to 350° F. butter a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they have melted and are well combined. Lift the bowl carefully from the pan so no water droplets come into contact with the chocolate mixture; let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the sugar; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, beating well until fully combined. Add the pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set and the brownies begin to pull back from the sides of the pan. Cool brownies for 1 hour in the pan. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter, liqueur, vanilla, and chile powder; blend until smooth. Place the glaze in a pastry bag (or zip-top bag with a snipped corner), and drizzle back and forth over the brownies. Cut them into 20 bars. Makes 20 brownies.

Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2012; All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog or its cotents or photographs may be used without express written consent of the author.

Gratitude

I have heard it said that in order to be happy one must begin by feeling grateful. If this is true, then I must be a very happy person for I have a multitude of things to feel grateful for in my life: my family, my friends, and my career, for starters.

So much of my life revolves around food-- not so much the act of eating it, but also the crafting and sharing of dishes, the cultural discovery it gives rise to, and the conversations that ensue around the table.

This space is a prolongation of the pleasures found on my table, a door into my kitchen, a window into my world of food, and as such I offer you a serving of what has been a most exciting time in my life.

 

Earlier last summer, before the craziness and excitement of my book launch and tour took over, I was fortunate to break bread with the most inspiring group of women, fellow colleagues, writers, and lovers of life and food. We laughed, we cried; we agreed and disagreed; we fixed the world and unraveled it again for someone else to try to find order. We taught each other and learned from one another, all the while embracing our differences and finding common ground. And always, in the forefront and in the background, there was food. And so I'm grateful for the food on the table and the food of the soul.

I'm also very grateful to all of you, who came out to meet me during the first leg of my book tour:

And to those of you who came to my presentations to learn more about this new cuisine I discovered in the South. Here are some moments from my tour:

At the Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem

Meeting dear friends at Park Road Books in Charlotte.

At the beautiful Miami Culinary Institute.

At the Miami International Book Fair.

At a panel with my colleagues Raquel Rabade Roque and Chef Daniel Orr in Miami

This first leg of my tour took me to Nashville, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina , Florida, and through other states in this great country of ours.

 

 

 

As of late, my book tour brought me back home to North Carolina.


Here I am talking to a friend at Parker and Otis in Durham.

There is no bigger gift you can give a food writer than to read (and eat) her words. So for that, I want to thank YOU, dear reader. I am so grateful to the many of you who came to say hello and to those of you who have spread the word of my book. I'll continue my tour in the Spring (I will let you know where later, when my schedule is a bit more clear).

Everyone has heroes, or at least they should have them. I'm so grateful to mine, many of whom I met for the first time this year, all of whom inspire me.

Gratitude can mean so many things to so many people. I look upon this year, which has just started, with a deep hope that I may continue to do what I love. And I wish you health, the love of family, good friends, and many reasons to be grateful.

And to those special ladies (and you know who you are) I hope that our next retreat gives us more reasons to laugh and cry, to plan and dream, to push away and embrace, to challenge and encourage, and to celebrate big and small accomplishments around many a table in the future. Now that's something to be grateful for!

Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2012; All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog or its cotents or photographs may be used without express written consent of the author.

Cookbook Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Garden Girl, the winner of my first cookbook giveaway!!!

You have won a copy of my friend, Robin Asbell's new book BIG VEGAN. Expect to hear from her publisher soon, via email!

Thank you all for your amazing suggestions. I have a new respect for tofu, and although still not a fan, there is hope for me now that I'm armed with the wonderful suggestions you have sent me.

Now, go start off your holiday season, with joy in your hearts! Come back for future posts.

Sandra

Virtual Potluck Dinner: Big Vegan

I first met my friend Robin Asbell, cookbook author extraordinaire who has penned several amazing vegetarian cookbooks, as few years back and it was one of those things where we just immediately clicked. In one of those "opposites attract" situations, this meat-loving Latina and this vegetarian guru found plenty of common ground, and years later, we remain close friends.

Throughout the years, we've encouraged each other through writer's blocks and cheered each other enthusiastically through rounds of recipe-testing marathons. We talk a lot and laugh a lot. Robin has convinced me to eat less meat too. Mind you...meat is still on my menu--very much so. But now, I dedicate several meals a week to eating meatless. That means, my friends, means that I sometimes delve into the vegetarian--and dare I say it?--vegan world.

When Robin asked me to join her virtual blog party, her publisher sent me a copy of her book. I am delighted to participate. Not only because she is my friend and not only because she blogged about my book for my own virtual party, but because when if first read through the pages of BIG VEGAN: More than 350 Recipes No Meat/No Dairy All Delicious (Chronicle Books;2011), my mouth was watering and I couldn't wait to get into my kitchen to play with her recipes.

If you're a carnivore, like me, you may flinch at the idea of eating vegan. Personally, tofu belongs to the category of things that I steer away from in a conversation with friends, along with politics and religion. Let's just say that I have strong opinions about it and prefer to keep those to myself.

Yet, after a quick glance through the pages of Robin's book, filled with international flavors and comforting dishes, you'll understand how easy she's made it for me to change some of my eating habits. Recipes such as Green Apple and Cashew Spring Rolls, Avocado-Pepita Crostini, Braised Sweet Potato and Pecan Pasta, Lemony Quinoa-Almond Granola, and Spinach "Feta" Pies in Phyllo have made it easy for me to savor meatless meals.

This is a great book to include in any cook's library--vegan or not. Robins recipes are straightforward and truly succulent and if you don't believe me, try her recipe for Green and Red Spaghetti, below.

Soon, maybe--just maybe and I'm not promising--tofu may no longer be a four-letter word in my home. I wouldn't put it past Robin to convince me about that too. Or maybe you will. Chronicle Books has offered to send a give-away book to one of my readers. Give me your best attempt of ways in which I should try tofu to lose my aversion to it.

Whoever gives me the best suggestion, will win a free copy of BIG VEGAN. Just remember to add your email address to your comment so the good folks at Chronicle Books can contact you for a mailing address and send you a book. I will announce a winner at the end of November.

In the meantime, I leave you with Robin's magnificent recipe for Green and Red Spaghetti. It's the perfect juxtaposition of flavors and textures. A balance of crunchiness and creaminess combine seamlessly. I'm particularly fascinated by the combination of pistachios and avocados, which creat an explosion of "umami" in the palate, followed by a sweet and tangy bit of sun-dried tomatoes. It's easy to put together and cleanup is a cinch. Try it. You won't be dissapointed. I wasn't. In fact, I think I'll add an extra meatless meal to my winter menu.

Green and Red Spaghetti (Recipe from Big Vegan by Robin Asbell: Chronicle Books, 2011)

1 large avocado, cubed

1/2 cup or 15 g fresh parsley, chopped

8 large sun-dried tomatoe halves, rehydrated and chpped

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 oz/225 g dried whole-wheat/wholemeal spaghetti

2 cups/140g snap peas or snow peas/mangetouts

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup/30g pistachios, finely chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a serving bowl, combine the avocado, parsley, tomatoes, and oil.

2. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions, adding the peas for the last 2 minutes. When the pasta is al dente, drain it well, and return it to the hot cooking pot. Dump in the avocado mixture. Over low heat, toss the pasta and sauce to heat them through and to let the oil absorb into the pasta. Add the salt and pepper.

3.Serve the pasta hot, topped with the pistachios.

 Check out Robin Asbell at www.robinasbell.com and at www.robincooksveg.wordpress.com

Here are the other blogs from great food bloggers participating in this party. Check them out and join our virtual party!

http://www.veganplanet.blospot.com/

http://www.juliehasson.com

www.theasiangrandmotherscookbook.wordpress.com

http://vegangoodthings.blogspot.com/

http://crumbsonmykeyboard.com/

http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2011/10/cookbook-review-big-vegan-by-robin.html

http://nanciemcdermott.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/big-vegan-potluck-with-korean-miso-tofu-soup/

http://www.theveggiequeen.com/blog/

http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-vegan-potluck-day-2-armenian-lentil.html

 

A quick side salad for your table: Ensalada Mixta

As Latin ingredients go, few as are underrated as hearts of palm or "palmitos". These edible center cores of palm trees grown in Latin America (most famously, in Brazil). Their taste is similar to that of artichoke hearts but their texture is reminiscent of asparagus.

You'll be pressed to find them fresh in the U.S., but they are widely available in jars or canned in most grocery stores. They are great just out of a jar but I love to add them to my salads. I also enjoy cooking with them. I use them intercheangably with artichoke hearts in my favorite recipes for dips (warm mayo-based dips, especially), mixed into rice dishes or in soups.

Hearts of palm are low in calories, which of course gives me the perfect excuse to eat them often. The ensalada mixta or mixed salad is commonly enjoyed as a side dish in Latin homes every day. It can be a mixture of lettuces, some sliced tomatoes, and a few extras. Here is one of my favorite ways to make this salad a bit more special.

Ensalada de Palmitos y Tomates

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thinly

7-8 hearts if palm, sliced into 1-inch slices

1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Salt and Pepper to taste

Arrange the tomatoes attractively on a large platter. Sprinkle the hearts of palm all over the top of the tomatoes; mound the onions in the center of the salad. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Copyright© Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2011; All Rights Reserved. No part of this post nor any photographs or recipes can be copied, re-posted, or otherwise disseminated without the proper, written consent of the author.

The New Southern-Latino Table Book Launch: It's Party Time, Y'all!

 

Hi All!

It has been a whirlwhind two weeks since my book launched across the country and I can't begin to tell you how exciting this time has been!

In the next few posts, I will share with you some of the thrilling "happenings" and events that have taken place.

On September 22, 2011 we launched my book with a very elegant party at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina. Hundreds of you attended the event and I can't tell you how very grateful I was to see you all there.

 

 
I wish all of you could have been there with me to celebrate this very exciting moment. Many wonderful people flew in for the event, including my dear friends, photographed above: Lisa Ekus, who happens to be my very good friend but also my most amazing agent: www.lisaekus.com and Virginia Willis, author extraordinaire (her book is the best-selling Bon Appetit, Y'all!) www.virginiawillis.com . The handsome man standing with us is my beloved husband, Luis.

The launch of a book is akin to a debutante party, where the book is presented to the community at large. You could feel the excitement reverberate throughout the room. I was touched by the presence of my family, friends, colleagues, students, and food-loving folks, who gathered to offer their congratulations!

The wonderful chefs at The Umstead prepared food from my book and it was beautifully presented:

 

 
Here is one of the dessert tables, featuring my Chile-Chocolate Brownies, miniature versions of my Layered Guava Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, and my Cajeta Bread Pudding.

 

 

Following the reception, I signed books. This is the view of the line. There were dozens and dozens of people. The line turned into the ballroom and around!

This was a night that allowed me to thank the many people who have helped me get here. Thank you all for your support of my work! Now the work begins....I have started a book tour and hope to visit many places (first in the Southeastern region of the U.S.). So please spread the word and tell your friends! Come see me! I'd love to meet you all!

Now....keep on cookin' and partyin', and adding spice to your life, y'all!

Copyright text and phototgraphs 2011 Sandra A. Gutierrez; All Rights Reserved. No part of this article or any of the photographs may be used, published, copied, or disseminated in any way, form or shape without express written consent of the author.

The New Southern-Latino Table Dinner Party, Part 3!

What a ride it's been--and it's only just beginning! We had a fabulous book launch event last week in Cary, NC, and celebrated the publication of The New Southern-Latino Table with friends and family from the Triangle and beyond. You can see some photos at the book's Facebook page. Glad to see so many of our dinner party food bloggers there!

Thank you for dining along with us. We hope you've been inspired to try some of these dishes in your kitchen. And maybe you've discovered a new food blogger or two whose blogs you'll continue to visit. We thank all our fabulous foodies for helping make this dinner party series a success. Today's roundup post is crossposted at uncpressblog.com.

Our final menu is filled with these scrumptious dishes:

Chile-Cheese Biscuits, from Cheryl Sternman Rule of 5 Second Rule
Carrot Escabeche and Jalapeño Deviled Eggs prepared by Domenica Marchetti of Domenica Cooks
Pumpkin Seed Brittle, from Johanna Kramer of Durhamfoodie

In case you missed our last 2 dinner parties, you're in luck--we saved you some leftovers! Here's what we enjoyed last week:

Spiced Pepitas, prepared by Meghan Prichard of nestMeg
Layered Potato and Egg Salad (Causa Vegetariana), from Robin Asbell of The New Vegetarian
Chile-Chocolate Brownies, prepared by Dean McCord of VarmintBites.

And here's what we served at our first dinner party:

Peach Salsa, prepared by Tara Mataraza Desmond of Crumbs on My Keyboard
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, prepared by Jill Warren Lucas of Eating My Words
Pecan Rum Cake with Figs, prepared by Amy Lewis of The Practical Cook

Our 2nd New Southern-Latino Table Dinner Party!

I'm sure you're still stuffed from our first dinner party last week, but it's time for another virtual feast! We're celebrating the publication of The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South, by Sandra A. Gutierrez. Guest food bloggers are cooking the recipes, and we're crossposting their experiences here and at UNC Press blog, uncpressblog.com.

Our second dinner party features:

Spiced Pepitas, prepared by Meghan Prichard of nestMeg
Layered Potato and Egg Salad (Causa Vegetariana), from Robin Asbell of The New Vegetarian
Chile-Chocolate Brownies, prepared by Dean McCord of VarmintBites.

If you missed out on our first dinner party, here's what we ate:

Peach Salsa, prepared by Tara Mataraza Desmond of Crumbs on My Keyboard
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, prepared by Jill Warren Lucas of Eating My Words
Pecan Rum Cake with Figs, prepared by Amy Lewis of The Practical Cook

And if you're in the Triangle area this Thursday, come to The New Southern-Latino Table Launch Party.  For more information and to RSVP, check out the Facebook event page, and we'll see you there!

Welcome to the New Southern-Latino Table Dinner Party!

Welcome to the first New Southern-Latino Table Dinner Party! This virtual dinner party is the first of three such events we'll be hosting to help celebrate the publication of The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South, by Sandra A. Gutierrez.

We asked nine food bloggers to cook, photograph, and blog about recipes from the book. Each of three dinner parties will feature posts from three bloggers who have prepared different dishes. Their entries---including the recipes from the book---will be crossposted in full here and at UNC Press Blog, uncpressblog.com, and we'll link to the sites where the posts originally appeared so you can go explore those sites and get to know some food bloggers that may be new to you.

Today's dinner party features:

Peach Salsa, prepared by Tara Mataraza Desmond of Crumbs on My Keyboard
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, prepared by Jill Warren Lucas of Eating My Words
Pecan Rum Cake with Figs, prepared by Amy Lewis of The Practical Cook

 

Breaking Stereotypes: Latin Aji Chicken

 

My mission as a food writer has always been to dispel the many stereotypes that surround Latin cuisines. There are many and I'm sure you've heard some of them, if not all. Put simply: we don't all eat tacos, we don't all eat heavily spiced-up food, and we don't share the same cuisines throughout. Surprised?

As I talk to more people both in and outside of my industry, I am still surprised to see how little is truly known about the differences in Latin cuisines. Furthermore, as of late, I've asked myself what happened? How is it possible that American palates have embraced most of the ethnic flavors from faraway places even before discovering those that thrive within their own side of the hemisphere?

It may very well be part of "the grass is always greener" effect. Perhaps it's just a belief that if something comes from very far away in the distance, it's therefore automatically exotic and much more exciting than a neighboring cuisine. Ask yourself why this is the case. Let me know your thoughts about why you think this is so.

Now don't misunderstand me. I love Thai and Italian foods as much as I love Chilean cuisine--which is very much--but still, one does have to wonder why so many distinct culinary traditions remain undiscovered by the general palate.

My solution--albeit a very small drop in a bucket--is to begin here, on this blog and in order to do so, I'm inviting you on a virtual culinary journey. Here, I will write about the different regions, our diverse ingredients, and about the interesting flavors that make up our many cuisines--more than two dozen of them. My aim is to make these cuisines accessible to your everyday cooking.

Sometimes, I will give you  examples of very traditional dishes; others, we'll explore simple recipes that you can prepare with a Latin flair. Nothing complicated. All will reflect my practical and easy style of cooking at home. So pack up virtual bags and passports, practice your Spanish, and join me!

Our first port of entrance will be Peru, where potatoes abound and chiles take on the vibrant colors of a sunset. Let me introduce you to the aji amarillo, the bright yellow-orange chile that is the quintessential ingredient featured in Peruvian cookery. Although you'll find other important chiles in this cuisine, this one, with its golden accent and gutsy heat, stands among the others. It's often transformed into pastes, cooked down to blend into sauces, and sliced into ceviches; they lend color and heat to potato salads, and a pungent kick to sashimi-style dishes, called tiraditos.

 

 

If you're lucky, you'll find aji amarillos sold fresh in Latin stores but you can also get them preserved in jars--both whole or transformed into paste--and dried. As with all chiles, you should seed and devein them when you're using them, if you desire less heat in your dishes;the veins are hubs for  capsaicin , the spicy oils in chiles and most recipes in Peru call for you to do this. This chile is very fruity, and many recipes that use it take advantage of this fruitiness and of the fact that the heat it imparts is milder than the spiciness of other chiles. You will always use aji amarillo for its flavor, as much as for its heat. The key word here is: balance.

Today's recipe showcases this exotic chile; it's easy to make and exquisitely delicious. Cooks often run out of ideas on how to prepare chicken and here, I offer you an everyday solution that yields exciting flavor without the fanfare of hours spent in the kitchen.

The longer you marinate the chicken, the deeper its flavor will be--but don't marinate it over 24 hours or the lime will destroy the texture of the flesh--. The aji colors it brightly but will not make it too spicy for you. I serve mine over mounds of steamed white rice--abundant in Peruvian cuisine--and simply sauteed vegetables. I leave you with the recipe and with the hope that you'll join me as we continue our journey.

Aji Chicken

4 chicken leg quarters

1/4 cup aji amarillo paste (available in Latin stores)

1/3 cup sour orange juice (or half lemon and orange juices)

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves (loosely measured)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

 In large, non-reactive bowl, place the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the aji and sour orange juice; pour the marinade over the chicken and cover; chill for at least 30  minutes (or up to 24 hours). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch oven-safe dish; sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper.

 
Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes; uncover and roast for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear and the top of the chicken is golden. 

 
Serve hot, over steamed white rice.

Serves 4

Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2011; All Rights Reserved. No part or whole of this post or any of its photographs may be distributed, or copied without the express written consent of the author.