Category: Blog

Pork Belly Chipotle Tacos While I Dream of Mexico

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What a perfect post while in the middle of a Blizzard…

Back before Christmas, The Mexican Board of Tourism invited me along with several bloggers to experience the fine and complex cuisine of Mexico at Mexique ,a French influenced Mexican restaurant. French influenced Mexican you ask? Yes as the French occupied briefly during the whole Maximilian Affair , masterminded by Napoleon III to bring an Austrian archduke there to rule. I sat with fellow Chicago blogger Joelen with our men  as we learned about the rich history and culinary traditions of Mexico.The Mexican Board of Tourism wanted to refute the perception that Mexican food was just tacos,  burritos and tamales. Mexican food is elegant and rich with complex flavors that reflect the indigenous peoples and those that settled there. The region of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico , is where you will find blacks, former slaves. Its no surprise their cooking resembles what we think of as Caribbean food with the African roots. Oaxaca, home of the longest surviving indigenous people the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, is know as the land of the Seven Moles.Moles are labor intensive red or brown chili based sauces that are a staple of Mexican cuisine. Oaxaca is also known for Chocolate.

What I loved about our informative dinner was that the Executive  Chef Carlos Gaytan broke all my stereotypes of the food. The Ceviche was smooth and velvety without excessive use of citrus acid and rounded out by lush avocado emulsion. Pork belly  was served with butternut squash foam and mole Teloloapan, Carne Asada .Each course was a marvel followed by a decadent chocolate tamales wrapped in corn husks. Rich, bittersweet and dense. Sensational.

In the end we  were each gifted with the culinary tome Oaxaca. I haven’t made anything from the book yet , but have enjoyed reading it. Fortunately living in Chicago with a large Mexican community, I have many of these ingredients at my fingertips.

So being the improvisational cook I am , I whipped this up one weekend and realized how I have been influenced by the flavors of Mexico. While its not authentic it incorporates many elements I have been reading about and exposed to by our Mexican community in Chicago. My cooking Mojo is off this month but Certain Someone and I enjoyed these flavors immensely. It tastes even better the next day.If you like spice and are trapped in the snow , like I am you will be warmed up by this dish. I wont give a formal recipe, as this is what I call is instinctive cooking.

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Pork Belly Chipotle Tacos

You will need:

Pork Belly with skin, Can of Chipolte Peppers in Adobe, onion, chicken stock, corn tortillas,sour cream, lime, cheese( Queso or cojita optional)

  • Braise a inexpensive pork belly with the skin for 3 hours in a covered Dutch Oven at around 350F.Season it with salt and pepper.
  • Crisp it for 30 minutes .
  • Let stand.
  • In a sauce pan saute some onions in oil.
  • Add a can of Chipotle peppers in Adobo ( found in Latin sections of supermarket).
  • Slice your pork belly with skin and add to peppers and onions.
  • Add chicken stock.
  • Season to taste.
  • Simmer until all flavors are blended.
  • Serve on grilled corn tortillas.

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The winner of last weeks giveaway is… Irene E! Congratulations. I know you will enjoy Food and Friends …Recipes  and Memories from Simca’s Cuisine.

Food & Friends. Recipes and Memories from Simca’s Cuisine

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It seems like forever since I posted an actual food recipe. With the Holidays, new boss, some travel, venturing into soap making, and the whole Ebony article thing, well I’ve been busy. Did I mention the flood in my storage unit? Not pretty. Anyway I’m due for some cooking posts, some more giveaways, and a winner announcement.

First…I picked the Senseo Stay or Go Personal Coffee maker winner. I decided to pick the third name on the list  from the random generator.

List Randomizer

There were 23 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

  1. Sabrina December 31, 2010 at 2:42 pm [edit]
  2. @parmie January 2, 2011 at 9:50 pm [edit]
  3. Louise January 1, 2011 at 8:06 am [edit]
  4. Megan January 4, 2011 at 2:42 pm [edit]
  5. Vicki (veeezeee) December 31, 2010 at 2:34 pm [edit]
  6. Henderson Honey January 4, 2011 at 9:07 am [edit]
  7. Pat R January 1, 2011 at 2:11 pm [edit]
  8. Carolina Epicurean January 3, 2011 at 1:33 pm [edit]
  9. Lynne Estes January 7, 2011 at 2:15 pm [edit]
  10. Megan January 4, 2011 at 2:43 pm [edit]
  11. Pat R January 1, 2011 at 2:13 pm [edit]
  12. John Ariatti January 4, 2011 at 9:41 am [edit]

And the winner is Louise of Month of Edible Celebrations. She needs it as she writes some pretty prolific and wonderful food history posts. Enjoy my friend.

Now onto the book review. I was given this wonderful book in November and in my spare moments of time read a bit here and there.Holidays are a bad time to try to read.Food and Recipes was first published in 1991, but with the resurgence of popularity of all things Julia Child, has been reprinted. Anyway most you you Francophiles and foodies know Simone Beck as the coauthor of Mastering the Art of French Cooking with Julia Child. After meeting in the women s cooking club Cercles des Gourmettes in Paris they began teaching private lessons together and collaborating on Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Stories of growing up Haute Bourgeois to an industrialist father  and Benedictine heiress mother in scenic Normandy, are interspersed with recipes and menus from another time and era. Luncheons after a Hunt, dinner parties in Paris  are are detailed with wine notes and recipes. Simone, or Simca she preferred to be called later on, chronicles learning how to make a roux and chocolate cakes for father from the family cooks. The reader sees how she emerges from a bad first marriage to a proper gentleman, to finally coming into her own and find a true love and partner.Scenes from the war, and finally Julia, and other great culinary figures such as James Beard and Richard Olney are told as well. Its a nice thick read, but half of the book is recipes. Recipes that haven’t been adapted to a modern day kitchen , but still work and offer great insight into technique.

I chose to make Croquettes au Fromage from A Hunt Dinner in Solange menu because I had the ingredients on hand. I did substitute out the French Gruyere cheese for Parmesan Reggiano figuring they were similar in texture. These were tasty nibbles that I think I could play on and even add more to. I found the recipe was like a pate  a choux that I ended up modernizing by a final whiz in my Kitchen Aid to really incorporate the final addition of egg yolks and cheese. I found the measurements may be questionable as the the description of the process , belied the measurements. But it still turned out  very nice. I also didn’t let it rest 12-24 hrs. but more like 6 hours as I felt those extra hours really didn’t matter. Remember these recipes were from another time but are still invaluable for technique and inspiration.

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Croquettes au Fromage

Cheese Croquettes

adapted from Food& Friends . Recipes and Memories From Simca’s Cuisine

  • 3 1/2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 cup sifted flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 oz Gruyere Cheese
  • Pepper
  • 1 egg white
  • 2/3cup bread crumbs
  • Fried Parsley for garnish
  1. Heat Butter in thick bottomed sauce pan. Melt.
  2. Stir in flour and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Pour in milk nand whisk until smooth.
  5. Return to heat and bring to boil while constantly stirring. ( Mine was to thick to boil but I heated it up again).
  6. Let cool slightly and whisk in egg yolk and cheese.( I transferred mine to Kitchen Aid and whisked it there).
  7. Add pepper.
  8. Spread on a oiled baking sheet and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.( I covered mine with plastic and chilled for 6 hrs).
  9. One hour before serving, shape the croquettes rolling chilled  mixture into small balls.
  10. Roll first in a plate of flour.
  11. Dip in egg whites.
  12. Roll in Bread Crumbs.
  13. Fry croquettes in small batches until golden.
  14. Remove and drain on paper towel.
  15. Can keep in warming oven until ready to serve.
  16. Garnish with fried parsley.

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I am giving away a copy of Food and Friends . Recipes and Memories from Simca’s Cuisine. Comments to win close on January 22. Tweeting , signing up for Coco Cooks by email,or joining my fanpage will give an extra entry. Just tell me you did so.

My First Print Article in Ebony Magazine…When In Rome Life is Abbondanza

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I have crossed a milestone. My work is in print! Be sure to check out my article entitled When in Rome…Life is Abbondanza . I had the pleasure of interviewing several African American expats, including NYC Caribbean Ragazza, and paying tribute to late uncle who called the Eternal City home for many years. Support Coco Cooks and traditional print and be sure to pick up a copy of the February issue of Ebony Magazine. There are three covers to chose from celebrating the Hottest couples of 2011.

Coco Cooks Up Homemade Soap…A New Year of Projects

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A few weeks ago thoughts of personal care products cooked up in my own kitchen came to me after looking through a flavoring catalog for my pastry needs. They had wholesale aromatherapy and spa products too. Salves, balms, creams and soaps could be made in my own kitchen! A friend had earlier suggested why don’t I blog about beauty and cosmetics as I have been in the industry since college (20+ years) and it’s what I know. Honestly, there are so many beauty fashion blogs out there, I just didn’t feel it. But I could get into blogging and writing about my experiences making homemade beauty products. Now that would be fascinating to me.I was bent on a mission to play as a little Christmas treat. Wandering a craft store aisle, I saw some soap making kits. Nice place to start and learn with Melt and Pour Cheap bases, but crap products.

I then delved into the Internet forums, blogs, and tutorials, and became obsessed with worlds of possibilities in crafting my own soaps.  There a lot of complicated information out there based on Chemistry, in which I was never good at. But once you grasp the info, it’s just basic science and common sense. Plus the Internet is full of Lye Calculators, Essential Oil Charts, and SAP Value charts (The higher the value the more lather, but not necessarily the most moisturizing) that practically do the work for you. So you will know how much Lye and liquid to add, which fats makes a hard, moisturizing or lathering bar .You will find yourself using the common sense you apply to baking and cooking. In fact that’s why I love soap making because I see so many correlations between the culinary arts and crafting soaps.It’s all about ratios. Choosing the right fat/oil bases, adding natural additives and exfoliates right from my pantry, and watching how Sodium Hydroxide ( LYE) and fat ( animal or vegetable, or a combo) saponify in a magical process  to transform into soap. You can enrich your bars with superfatting after Trace. Our ancestors made soap, why can’t I? So for the past week I have been playing and have made two batches. One animal based and one pure vegetable. Soap making can be expensive, not to mention Hit or Miss. But using a safe approach (goggles, ventilation, gloves, no kids or animals present) mixed with the creative you can create a particle work of art that not only cleanses you, but looks good in your bathroom as well.

Certain Someone naturally thinks I’m crazy. Images of Fight Club came to his head and he has taken to calling me Tyler Durden. He says I’m not focused. But as he’s not a creative, he can’t see how this interest is tied up with all my other interests. Just a natural progression of being cognizant of what I put in my body and on it. Plus , it’s a way to create in the kitchen, minus the calories intake.  Most commercial soaps are not only expensive and full of chemicals. I’m loving the way my bars feel on my skin so far. I haven’t even waited the total curing time (1-2 weeks  for Hot Process to make soap milder) but am in love already. I have found some fellow food bloggers who make soaps. The Internet has some great soap blogs and Etsy shops out there that are full of inspirations. So far I have only made small batch Hot Process soaps via a Crock Pot Method.I have decided to dedicate my crock pot and separate Kitchen supplies to just soap making. Be sure your molds are only made of heavy duty plastic, silicone, wood, cardboard. Molds can be found in items around your home. Wood boxes, cars board boxes, plastic containers, etc.Pots should be stainless steel. Do not use Aluminum based items!

One more thing. You can’t make soap without Lye. No matter how its labeled it’s Lye. If you see Saponified this and that, it’s a Fat /Oil that has undergone the chemical process via Lye. If someone says they have Lye Free soap, it’s a LIE ( Pun intended).

Ground Vanilla Bean & Spiced Oatmeal  Bar

Animal fat based. Some people are zealous about not using animal fats in soap making. Our ancestors first used this. The fats are transformed and the soap makes a nice rice bar. Read more about animal fat based soaps here. In fact most widely used commercial soaps use animal fats.

I used what was on hand. Even rendered goose fat.  Made a nice mild bar with pleasant mild order. Nice lather.

Oil/Fat        Quantity          Percentage

Almond Oil Sweet      2 oz.                       4.969 %

Beeswax                       1 oz.                      2.484 %

Coconut Oil                  12 oz.                    29.814 %

Goose Fat                       4 oz.                     9.938 %

Leaf Lard                                11 oz.                   27.329 %

Olive Oil                        7.25 oz.                18.012 %

Sesame Seed Oil          3 oz.                      7.453 %

Total Amount of Oils 40.25 oz.

Superfat

2.01 oz      5 % (mix sesame, almond, olive)

5.614 oz Lye

11.2 oz water

Oatmeal, cinnamon, ginger

Rebatched small pieces from scraps . Added Honey, more Jojoba and Turmeric for natural color. Softer finish, less suds. Also rebatched cubed weren’t fine enough and gives appearance of Salami. Certain Someone almost ate a piece.

Island Citrus . An all Vegetable Shortening based soap with Essential Lime oil and Grated Nutmeg.

Basic Soap making Processes ( click here)

  • Melt and Pour

  • Cold Process

  • Hot Process

  • Re-batched / Hand Milled

Helpful Links with Tutorials:

Miller’s Homemade Soap Pages

TeachSoap

The Soap Making Forum

Best Crock Pot Hot Process Tutorial Link

Gracefruit

Beautiful  and Helpful Soap Making Blogs

The Soap Bar

Soap History

Loving soap.com

Sourcing Supplies

Bramble Berry

Wholesale Cash and Carry Restaurant Supply outlets  or Ethnic markets for large quantities of Olive Oil, Coconut Oils, Palm Oils

If you are a foodie who makes soap, let me know about your own adventures. Maybe we can have event roundup this year. It would be awesome.

Senseo Stay or Go Single Serve Coffee Maker Giveaway

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Happy New Year!

The madness of the holidays is almost over and many of us are about to turn over a new leaf in 2011. Maybe one of your resolutions was for more efficiency and less waste? Well then I have the Giveaway for you. The Senseo Stay or Go Personal Coffee Maker.

Confession: I have resisted the individual coffee makers and pods for a while. My first experience years ago didn’t leave a favorable impression. So I stuck to my old school methods of grinding my beans and brewing. With it just being Certain Someone and myself, that could lead to a lot of expensive wasted coffee. Then I was lucky to get a Senseo Stay or Go to try and I have used it daily for the past few weeks. So easy and convenient with no waste. I have very large mugs and like to make it strong with two Senseo pods. You can fit your travel mug or cup underneath. Ironically after receiving my Senseo from Hamilton Beach, I have been seeing everyone is on the Single Serve Coffee maker trend at all the houses I visited over the holidays. Most important was taste. Certain Someone and I cant agree on coffee and strengths,  but both of us are mutually pleased. He’s picky you know.Germans are the worlds biggest coffee drinkers , besides beer.

So to kick off 2011 I am giving away a Senseo Stay or Go Single Serve Coffee Maker which comes complete with an assortment of Senseo Coffee pods. Its going to be a week of Giveways to kick off the new year. All I need you to do is leave a comment here. If you join my Coco Cooks Fan Page or Tweet this, that counts as double vote. Please be sure to tell me you joined my Fan Page or tweeted in your comments. I will be picking the winner on Saturday , January 8, 2011.

I wish you health, happiness, joy, and prosperity in 2011.

*Coco Cooks received a Senseo Stay or Go Single Serve Coffee Maker from MWW Group for review and for a Giveaway.