Taco Truck by Jamie Bordoshuk September 11, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment The last Saturday in August is a big day in my neighborhood. At 3 p.m. sharp, the street is closed off, the bounce house is inflated and the tables and chairs start lining the driveways. It’s our annual block party, and for the past 15 years it’s been our way of saying hello to each other and goodbye to summer. We’ve kept some traditions from year to year: Musical Chairs for the grown-ups, the bike parade for the kids and the family vs. family water balloon fight. The DJ keeps us going late into the night until we cap the party off with an impressive fireworks display that lights up the sky with sprays of gold, red, blue, green and white glimmering sparks. But everyone knows that a block party is only as good as the food. And ours is no exception. If you live on the north side of the street, you bring an appetizer to share. The southsiders bring dessert. It’s common to find homemade Chinese egg rolls, Indian samosas with green curry dipping sauce and Italian tiramisu sitting next to each other – a mini-replica of the cultures lining my street. Inspired by the diversity of the neighborhood, our homeowner’s association decided to mix it up for the main course this year: the Taco Movil. This taco truck was really something – with flashing lights, two serving counters and a huge side buffet filled with endless salsas, shredded cheese, greens and guacamole. It was impossible to choose between the beef, chicken or chorizo tacos, the pork carnitas and the spicy chipotle chicken tostadas. So I had them all. Here’s my take on the Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas. Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas 2015-09-10 15:01:15 Yields 16 Print Spicy Chicken Topping 1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 lbs. skinless, bone-in chicken thighs 1 (28-ounce) crushed, drained tomatoes 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 2 T. adobo sauce 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 t. ground cinnamon 2 t. ground cumin 1 medium white onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, crushed 4-6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo (about 1/2 cup), casings removed, crumbled, fried until almost crisp (optional) Tostadas 16 store-bought crispy tostada shells Kosher salt (if needed) 14 oz. can refried beans shredded iceberg lettuce thinly sliced white onion Mexican crema or sour cream queso fresco cilantro leaves with tender stems Make the spicy chicken topping Fill a large pot with 8 cups water; stir in 1/4 cup salt. Add chicken and simmer over medium-low heat until just cooked through, about 45 minutes. Drain, then chop or tear chicken into bite-size chunks. Discard bones. Meanwhile, purée tomatoes, chiles, adobo sauce, pepper, cinnamon, and cumin in a blender until smooth. Cook onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet and charred (you want more char than "caramelization"), 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes longer. Add tomato mixture to skillet, reduce heat, simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes. Divide tomato mixture in half, freeze half for another day. Add chicken and chorizo, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is well-coated and moist and liquid is reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt, if needed. Assemble the tostadas Spread 1 Tablespoon refried beans on a tostada shell. Top with 1/4 cup spicy chicken topping, then lettuce, onion, crema, queso fresco, and cilantro. Repeat with remaining tostada shells. Serve at room temperature. Notes Spicy chicken topping can be chilled for up to 3 days. Reheat and let cool to room temperature before using. By Jamie Bordoshuk Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Strawberry Lemon Sorbet September 10, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Strawberry Lemon Sorbet 2015-09-10 17:44:38 Print Ingredients 1 lemon, seeded and roughly chopped 1 or 2 lemons, juiced (1/4 cup) 1 cup sugar ½ cup water 6 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries Instructions Place lemon, lemon juice, water, and sugar into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add strawberries. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately or transfer to a lidded container in the freezer until serving. By Maureen McHugh Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Fruit Hand Pies September 10, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Fruit Hand Pies 2015-09-10 17:32:26 Yields 12 Print Crust* 2 ¼ cup flour 2 T. sugar ½ lb. unsalted butter (2 sticks), well-chilled, cut into small pieces ¼ - ½ c. ice water ½ tsp. salt Pies 2 cups fruit (blueberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, a mix of several, cut into 1/4” pieces – do not chop berries) 2-3 T. sugar zest of 1 lemon, lime, or ½ orange juice of 1 lemon, lime or ½ orange pinch of salt 1 T. cornstarch pastry for crust 1 egg, lightly beaten sugar Crust In bowl of food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pulse several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger chunks remaining. (Or by hand, cut in butter with a pastry blender). Add ice water (begin with just ¼ c.) in slow stream and mix just until dough holds together. If too crumbly, add more water 1 T at a time and mix. Do not over-mix or over process. Divide dough in half and place each half on plastic wrap. Shape into flattened rectangle. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Pies Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In large bowl, mix together fruit, sugar, zest and juice, salt and cornstarch; mix until combined. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough to a 16”x11” rectangle. Trim edges. Cut into 6 rectangles. Place these on baking sheet and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Brush edges of rectangle with water, mound about 2 Tablespoons of fruit in the center, fold dough over and press edges to seal. Crimp with fork. Place each pie on parchment lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits in top. Bake hand pies, rotating sheet halfway through until juices bubble and pastry is golden brown, about 30 min. Notes *Crust for 1 2-crust pie or 12 hand pies By Teri Hiben Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Asparagus Brie Tart September 10, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Asparagus Brie Tart 2015-09-10 17:24:59 Print Ingredients 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted soft cheese (brie, cream cheese or shredded cheese) 1 egg, beaten 1 bunch asparagus pine nuts or almonds capers garlic powder dried herbs (herbes de provence) salt and pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay pastry on parchment lined baking sheet. Pinch up edges a bit to form a crust-like rim. Spread some cheese all over, then spread beaten egg over that. Lay out asparagus in single file, trimmed to size of pastry. Sprinkle with nuts and capers. Top with garlic powder, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes then cut into squares. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt to finish, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. By Deb Forkins Adapted from The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson Adapted from The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Sauteed Shishito Peppers September 10, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Sautéed Shishito Peppers 2015-09-10 17:05:27 Print Ingredients olive oil Shishito peppers sea salt lemon juice Instructions Heat a little olive oil in a wide sauté pan until it is good and hot but not smoking. Add the peppers and cook them over medium heat, tossing and turning them frequently until they blister. They shouldn't char except in places. Don't rush. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook a panful of peppers. When they're done, toss them with sea salt and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Slide the peppers into a bowl and serve them hot. You pick them up by the stem end and eat the whole thing, minus the stem, that is! By Kelly Sears Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/