Sandra's Kitchen Studio

Interview with Mamiverse

My interview with Mamiverse is live! We talked about the deep connections of food and family. Check it out here:

http://food.mamiverse.com/chef-talk-a-talk-with-sandra-gutierrez-6764/

Join me for Beaufort Wine and Food Weekend

This weekend I am headed to the beautiful North Carolina coast to participate in the Beaufort Wine and Food Weekend. I'll be hosting 6 events, and there will be plenty of books on hand, so come on down and join us for this wonderful festival!

Here are the details from the official press release for the event:

Having just been named "the Coolest Small Town in America" by Budget Travel magazine, Beaufort is ready to have one of the very coolest events of the year as the Beaufort Wine & Food Weekend welcomes celebrity chefs, winemakers and sommeliers to share their talents and expertise with the Crystal Coast. From April 25 -29, Beaufort’s unique laid back charm, architecture and coastal setting will be the backdrop for the 21 different events showcasing award-winning wines from winemakers visiting from around the world and irresistible food from local and visiting celebrity chefs.

Top-notch celebrity chefs featured at the 2012 event include: Sandra Gutierrez, food writer and author of the recent best-selling cookbook, The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South; Scott Howell, Chef-Owner of Nana’s in Durham, NC, 2012 James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast whose restaurant has also been recognized as one of the 20 best organic restaurants in the country by Organic Style magazine; and Keith Rhodes, recently featured on Top Chef, from Wilmington. Other celebrity chefs include: Chip Smith, James Beard Award Winner from The Inn at Celebrity Dairy, Siler City, NC; Chris Kastner of CK's Real Food in Hailey, Idaho; and nationally recognized Chef Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery, Durham, NC.

The festival will also showcase flavorful wines from wineries and winemakers around the world -- including Authentiquevin Wineries from France’s Loire Valley, Puro Uno Wineries from Argentina,  LIOCO, Tortoise Creek Winery, Arietta Vineyards and Folie a Deux, all from California, to name a few.

Tickets for this five-day charitable event are now available and can be purchased at www.beaufortwineandfood.com or at the Beaufort Historical Association, 130 Turner Street.  For more information, sponsorship packages or questions visit www.beaufortwineandfood.com, email info@beaufortwineandfood.com or call 252-728-5225.

Touring with The New Southern-Latino Table

 Have I told you lately how much I love what I do? I get to cook, write, eat, travel, and meet all sorts of wonderful people along the way. I mean--what's not to love?

I have re-launched my book tour after spending much of the winter writing my next book (more on that in a later post). This weekend, I was invited to be a part of the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, VA.

As part of the festival, I was invited to do a book signing and cooking demonstration at a beautiful cooking store called The Happy Cook http://www.thehappycook.com/ . Owners Monique and Steve welcomed me with open arms, as did their customers. There was standing room only and everyone got to sample and taste my Buttermilk-Pork Rind Biscuits from The New Southern-Latino Table.

If you'd like to have a taste of these biscuits and to enjoy the demo, check out this video. It was filmed at The Miami Culinary Institute, where I taught earlier during my book tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjOUGmxUU_Q

The next morning, I was invited as the guest chef to a class of budding chefs, under the tutelage of Chef Robert Bressan and I got to do what I love to do best: to teach the future chefs the gospel of New Southern-Latino cuisine. This was a hands-on class, where they got to join me in the kitchen. Together we prepared an entire menu from my book, from salad to dessert! 

My next stop is New York City! So if you're going to be there on April 1st, don't miss the Book and Blog Festival. There, I will be presenting my book, along with my much esteemed colleagues in the cookbook world. If you'd like to meet your favorite cookbook authors, join us here:  https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4891

So stay tuned to see when I'll visit your town. In the meantime, check out The New Southern-Latino Table in a store near you or order your copy by clicking on my book logo at the left top of this blog.

See y'all soon!

©Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez; 2012. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, nor any of its photographs may be used or published by any means without written permission from the author. 

Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

Upon first moving to the South, I was surprised to learn that deviled eggs were a staple of Southern entertaining for no other reason than that they are also extremely popular in some countries in Latin America. I love to serve them in my summer parties and ladies' luncheons because--albeit dainty and elegant--they always offer a good dose of comfort that helps guests feel at ease. Grownups love them but so do the kids, and I think it's the fact that they are just as pretty to look at as they are delicious to eat that makes them perfect for any crowd.

There are as many recipes for deviled eggs as there are cooks, and you've probably encountered them embellished with all sorts of ingredients, including relish, onion, herbs, ketchup, olives, and capers. I first started adding chiles to my recipe as a way to add a little kick of flavor and provide a contrasting crunch to the natural creaminess of the eggs. The formula proved to be popular with both my family and friends, who often requested the recipe. Try them and you'll see why.

Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons finely chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeños (seeded and deveined if less heat is desired)

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Smoked Spanish paprika (optional, for garnish)

Curly or flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Place the eggs in a medium pan and cover with cold water. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook for 12 minutes. Plunge the eggs into iced water to stop the cooking process. Once the eggs are chilled, peel off the shells. Halve each egg lengthwise; scoop out the yolk into a small bowl, and set the egg whites on a plate lined with paper towels. Using a fork, mash the egg yolks into a paste; add the mayonnaise, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, parsley, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir together well. (If not serving immediately, cover the egg whites and the filling separately with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours). Using a spoon (or a pastry bag), fill the egg white cavities with the egg yolk mixture (about 1 tablespoon). Chill them, loosely covered, until ready to serve (but no longer than 2 hours). When ready to serve, sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6.

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

Layered Potato and Egg Salad (Causa Vegetariana)

I find that both Southerners and Latinos love to entertain. And come summer time in the South, whether it's for a picnic, a church-supper, or a dinner on the grounds, you'll find at least one kind of potato salad. But did you know that potatoes are native to Peru? That is where potatoes were first domesticated, during the time of the Incas. Were you visit modern-day Peru and walk through a market, you'd find yourself surrounded by dozens and dozens of varieties of potatoes. In Peru, potatoes are red, purple, yellow, white, large, and small; there are round potatoes, fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes and even freeze-dried potatoes.

Potato salads came to America via the Germans who first introduced warm potato salad, usually dressed with mustardy vinaigrettes. In Peru, however, there is one particular way to serve potato salads that I love. They are called causas and they are layered potato salads, usually filled with a mayonnaise-based mixture of seafood, poultry, or vegetables. First, the potatoes are flavored with lime juice, olive oil, and with a yellow pepper called ají amarillo. It is the ají that gives it a most delicious flavor, adding enough spice to elevate potatoes to a new level, and also lending a vibrantly golden color to the salads. I am thrilled to tell you that ají amarillo (whether whole or in the form of a paste, like the one I use in the book) are widely available in Latin tiendas that abound in the South and around our country (I recently found them during a trip to Massachusetts). In my book, I offer you a mail-source section so you can order them online.

One day, as I was talking with my editor and friend Elaine Maisner, and telling her about these salads, she said that I should try to make a vegetarian version to include in The New Southern-Latino Table. I proceeded to tell her that one of my favorite versions of potato salads--one I often encountered in the South--included the addition of eggs and olives. We decided right there that this should be the inspiration. Here is the resulting recipe.

Layered Potato and Egg Salad (Causa Vegetariana)

For the Potato Layer:

4 pounds yellow potatoes (such as Yukon gold), boiled, peeled, and mashed

½ cup minced white onion

½ cup key lime juice

1 teaspoon ají amarillo paste 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Egg Layer:

9 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

2 tablespoons minced capers

⅓ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch salt

1 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives

¼ cup finely chopped chives

Spray a 9x13x2-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the mashed potatoes in a large bowl; add the onions and stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, ají amarillo, salt, and pepper until the ají paste is dissolved. Whisk in the oil and add the dressing to the potato mixture, stirring well to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, olives, capers, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, and salt; stir to combine. Spread half of the potato mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Spread the egg salad evenly over the potato layer; top with the remaining potatoes. Garnish with the olives and chives. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) before serving.

Serves 12.

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.

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