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Salt Roasted Shrimp
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Cilantro Lime Rice
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Jimmy's Food Store
My opinion of Dallas just got a little better. Foodie-Friend-Yvonne, introduced me to a new beacon of hope . . . Jimmy's Food Store. Imagine an Italian specialty store in New York transplanted to the streets of Dallas. I'm in heaven.
It is run by the DiCarlo family (The picture above is Marie DiCarlo making her famous meatballs.) They have rack after rack of Italian wine, Italian brands you can't find anywhere, and sandwiches that bring people out of the woodworks.
I asked the Sandwich Guy if they sold pork shoulder, and he bent down and pulled out a 6 1/2 pounder. I seasoned it up, and the pork shoulder pernil I wrote about earlier is now roasting in the oven.
Here are a few favorites I spotted:
Spaghetti with Pecorino Cheese
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Pork Shoulder 'Pernil' with Cilantro-Citrus Adobo
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Tender pork with crispy crust? Yes please. We're having a large family dinner this weekend, and this Puerto Rican-style pernil (pork shoulder) sounds perfect. I love anything with cilantro, and this rub of cilantro, juice from oranges and limes moistens and seals the meat. Seems like a natural fit to serve with these fried plantains.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Pork Shoulder 'Pernil' with Cilantro-Citrus Adobo
recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), skin on
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 handful fresh oregano
1 bunch fresh cilantro, plus chopped cilantro, for garnish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for serving
2 oranges, juiced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert, and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits. Prepare the adobo: In a food processor, add the garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add lime juice and orange juice. Drizzle in olive oil and pulse until you have a nice puree. Rub the marinade all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing, covered lightly with aluminum foil. Drizzle with lime juice and garnish with cilantro.
Chocolate Truffle Tart
You can see that I'm on a strict diet . . . Mac 'n cheese, pork chili and now . . . Chocolate Truffle Tart. I saw this irresistible recipe on this blog, and that stunning photo above is from the original recipe on Gourmet.com.
I am honestly not much of a baker, but that photo makes me want to whip out my exact measurements and bake a truffle tart! Maybe Valentine's weekend will be the perfect excuse.
Anyone have any special love recipes?
Chocolate Truffle Tart
For crust:
28 chocolate wafers such as Nabisco Famous, finely ground in a food processor (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely
For filling:
1/2 lb fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), coarsely chopped
3/4 stick stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Special equipment:
8-inch (20-cm) round springform pan
Garnish:
Unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling
Make filling while crust cools:
Melt chocolate and butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, then remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined well.
Assemble and bake tart:
Pour filling into cooled crust and rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until filling 1 inch from edge is set and slightly puffed but center trembles slightly when pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as it cools.)
Cool tart completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, until center is firm, about 4 hours. Remove side of pan and sprinkle with cocoa to serve.
Cooks' notes:
Tart can be chilled up to 3 days. Cover loosely after tart is completely chilled (covering before may cause condensation).
Crust, without filling, can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
Green Chili with Pork
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Purée onion, chiles, and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, stirring and breaking up clumps with a fork, just until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot and heat over moderately high heat until hot, then carefully add purée (it will spatter), cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Add pork, hominy, cilantro, and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve chili sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and cheese.
Happy Birthday - Macaroni and Cheese
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Five times a year (there are five people in my family) we light birthday candles and fill plates with this straightforward, baked macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
Birthday Macaroni and Cheese
Boil large pot of salted water.
Add 1 large bag of macaroni noodles. When tender, drain.
Shred 2 cups of your favorite cheeses (For this dish, I like Colby Jack, Mozzarella and White Cheddar)
In 9x13 glass casserole dish, lay down bottom layer of macaroni noodles.
Top with layer of shredded cheese mixture.
Continue layers of noodles and cheese until casserole dish if full (Top layer should be cheese.)
Moisten with 1/4 cup milk.
Salt and pepper lightly.
Place in preheated oven and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until top layer of cheese is slightly browned and crispy.
Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
S'mores Lava Cake
photo by Stephan Scott Gross for Rachel Ray
A friend recently pointed out that I don't post many desserts. Far be it from me to deprive anyone from oozy-gooey goodness. This is recipe that has been sitting on my counter, just waiting to be baked and enjoyed.
S'mores Lava Cake
originally featured in Everyday with Rachel Ray
SERVES 4
Prep Time: 25 min
Bake Time: 15 min
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for coating
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2/3 cup marshmallow cream
1 graham cracker sheet (2 squares), finely chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease four 6-ounce custard cups, then coat with sugar; place on a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate at medium power for 2 minutes; stir until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until foamy. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the flour. Fill the prepared custard cups two-thirds full with the batter. Bake until the edges are puffy, 13 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, microwave the heavy cream at high power for 30 seconds. Stir in the marshmallow cream until smooth.
4. Carefully invert the cakes onto plates and drizzle the marshmallow sauce on the side. Top with the graham cracker crumbs.
It's Cocktail Time
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Tomatoes and Avocado
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1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, or mixture of both 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 white onion, chopped 2 avocados, chopped High quality sea salt, such as Fleur de Sal
Toss together all ingredients. Chill 30 minutes and serve.
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