Wednesday Weekly- Countries I have Traveled To

Countries I have Traveled

(A list from listography.com)

1. Mexico
2. Belize
3. Honduras
4. Costa Rica
5. Panama
   
6. Nicaragua
7. Colombia
8. Peru
9. Argentina
10. Chile
11. Brazil
12. Ecuador
13. Grand Cayman
    
14. Bahamas
15. Dominican Republic
16. St. Kitts
17. St. Marteen
18. Aruba
19. Canada
20. France
21. Spain
    
22. Italy
23. Greece
24. Germany
25. Czech Republic
    
26. Poland
27. Hungary
28. Scotland
29. England
30. Holland
31. Luxemburg
32. Austria
33. Switzerland
34. Turkey
35. United Emirates
36. Egypt
    
37. India
38. China

**Layovers at airports: Iceland, Japan, El Salvador

New Recipes on VLC

I don't know how many of you check my cooking blog (Viva la Cocina) but I just added a couple muy rica recipes from the new Food Network show called Mexican Made Easy.

One is a traditional Mexican dish called chilaquiles. It uses stale tortillas and drowns them in a tangy green salsa for a delicioso breakfast.

Another recipe is huevos benedictos. (eggs benedict) This one is not a traditional Mexican dish, but by using chipotles in the hollandaise sauce it has a Mexican twist. Give them a try you won't be disappointed. Buen provecho!

{chilaquiles with roasted salsa verde: recipe here}

{huevos benedictos with chipotle hollandaise: recipe here}

Estofado de Res (beef stew)

During the past couple months, it has been the coldest I can ever remember while living in Atlanta. The days of staying indoors in my pajamas all day were many. Going to the grocery store is about the only thing that took me outside. Nothing says cold winter days like a hot and spicy stew. We have tried several new ones lately (posts coming soon).

There is no shortage of delicious recipes in our favorite cookbook, Mexico: the Beautiful Cookbook. This hearty stew calls for green beans which is an ingredient I have never used in a Mexican dish. Its easy to make, delicious and comforting.

Estofado de Res (a dish from Oaxaca, in the coastal area near Guerrero)

A recipe from Mexico: the Beautiful Cookbook

Ingredients:

2lb boneless beef shank (shin)

12cups cold water

1/2 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt

4 dried chiles guajillos, seed and membranes removed

2 large tomatoes, roasted and peeled

1/4 small onion

1 tbsp oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 small zucchini, cubed

8oz fresh green beans, trimmed

*Place the beef shank in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with water and add 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves and the salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Discard the onion and set aside.

*On an iron skillet, toast the chiles, then soak in hot water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the tomatoes, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 onion and puree.

*Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the tomato and puree and boil for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the beef stock, bring to a boil and add the meat, potatoes and zucchini. Cook for 3 minutes, adding more broth if the stew seems too thick. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Correct the seasonings, add the beans, stir and cook, covered, over low heat for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Wednesday Weekly- Happy Birthday

Today is my oldest Brother, Tim's birthday and because he is the oldest, he must be teased!

This one is for you Tim!

10 Things about Tim (A Listy List from Listography)

• He is a wonderful and interactive Dad with his 2 sons
• He completed an IronMan and is a fanatic with Crossfit workouts.
• He called me up at 3am to tell me that I was going to Woodstock concert with him in NY.
• He took me to my first concert- Violent Femmes
• He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force and a pilot
• He loves mountain biking and often subjects himself to crazy challenges like endurance races. (in 24 hours, how many times can you ride a 10 mile trail? wha?!)
• He is so smart it makes my head spin, yet he has been know to lack common sense???
• He has gone running in the woods and come back with only one sock
• He lives in a cool adobe house in NM at the foot of Sandia mountain
• He married Michelle 16 years ago and the wedding was in St Thomas where she grew up. What a great trip! He is a good husband from what I can tell (right Michelle?)
• He permed his hair in high school

E and I are going to visit my brother in a week, I am so excited!

Sew Cindy- 1st Sewing Project

Finally! I got started with a project on my new sewing machine. Its funny what inspired me. My parents stopped in Atlanta for a couple days on their way home from Tampa last week and my mom and I went to Forsyth Fabrics. I have been hunting for something cool to recover my dining room chairs. (The boys went to the Albert for the delicious smoked wings)

As soon as we stepped in the door, there was a "free" box at our feet full of fabric sample books.

As you can see to the picture, we may have gotten a little greedy. We walked out with 13 books. ("waste not want not," as mom always says)

Our creative juices were flowing, and we knew we could somehow make use of these scraps. There was much laughing [at ourselves]. My dad just shook his head when we lugged it in the front door.

The first idea that popped in my head was to make a patchwork blanket for all the picnics E and I will be making this summer.

The books arranged the swatches by color. I went through and cut the ones that I liked, mostly cotton. I also arranged them by color and in piles of 10. Greens, tans, reds, pinks, black and white, and blues.

My mom taught me a lot about sewing back in high school, and a lot of it stuck! I started by sewing together each color pile length wise. I stitched each seam twice for strength. I will continue to sew all the squares into rows and then sew the rows together into one big square. I will finish by adding a durable canvas backing and border on the edges.

I will be sure to post pictures of the finished product. Have you ever taken something from a "free box" just because it was free? (mom, you don't have to answer)

BLOG IT FORWARD

I was going through my favorite blogs this morning and a post from sfgirlbybay's got me excited. If you haven't seen Victoria's blog (where have you been?), its a beautiful design blog where she shares great pictures, design ideas and many talented artists. I always feel inspired reading it. Not surprisingly, she is based in San Francisco (hence the name) and runs an etsy shop where she sells different screen prints. My favorite is this one.

Next week she is starting a Blog it Forward Mashup with the topic of "what inspires us the most"

Anyone can participate. It will be a great way to get your blog out there and a chance to discover many new blogs. (one of my hobbies) Victoria gets 7000-9000 readers daily to her blog, so you know this will be fun.

To see the details of how you can get involved, head over to

www.sfgirlbybay.com and email Victoria by this Friday!

HEUVOS BENEDICTOS (eggs benedict)

I am grateful for the amount of free time E and I have right now. No jobs, no obligations, just time. Time to be creative and time to cook. I know all good things come to an end (so they say) but I am going to enjoy this while it lasts. We aren't rushing off to work in the mornings or worrying about what time we should go to bed at night. We can take the time to make a more elaborate breakfast. We even have time to be inspired by cooks on TV.

This is recipe #2 that we have tried from the new Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy. (recipe #1 is here) I have read the comments on this show since it premiered 3 weeks ago. Most have been positive. Marcela has a fun personality, she's animated and she is Mexican. A couple people had concerns that this show would not be true Mexican food, but American food with a Mexican twist. We want Mexican! On the first show, Chef Marcela whipped up an authentic this chilaquiles dish. We copied it that day and loved her recipe.

The other dish she shared on her first show was "huevos benedictos" or eggs benedict. Now, this dish, although just as delicious as the chilaquiles, is questionable as a Mexican dish. Adding chipotles to the hollandaise sauce does not Mexican make. With that being said, this was a very satisfying and tasty breakfast. Muy rico!

Ingredients

Hollandaise:

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 egg yolks*

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce **

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Poached Eggs:

1 teaspoon vinegar

8 very fresh large eggs

2 large croissants, sliced in 1/2

4 slices prosciutto

Directions for the hollandaise: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter until bubbling hot. In a blender, add the egg yolks, black pepper, to taste, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Cover the blender and blend on high speed for several seconds. Either remove center cap of the blender lid or carefully remove the lid itself with blender still running. Pour the hot butter in a thin, steady stream into whirling egg mixture. Add the chipotle and pulse to combine. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. (If your sauce gets too thick, you can thin it out with a couple tablespoons of boiling hot water.)

For the eggs: In a heavy saucepan combine about 2 quarts of water and the vinegar and bring to a simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl or cup and slide the egg into a ladle. Lower the ladle into the water, and hold it there, for 1 minute before removing the ladle and leaving the egg to cook for 2 minutes more. Poach at a low simmer until the whites are firm and the yolks are still runny. Repeat with each remaining egg. Transfer the eggs, with a slotted spoon, to paper towels until ready to serve.

To assemble: Arrange a croissant half, cut side up, on each of 4 plates. Put 1 piece of prosciutto on each half, then 2 poached eggs and top with hollandaise. Serve immediately.

Wednesday Weekly

WHY I BLOG

( A Listy List from LISTOGRAPHY.COM)

• Because I can
• It reminds me to live a blog-able life
• It keeps my family and friends "in the know"
• I love writing (and need/want lot of practice)
• I can look back to a trip or event if I forget, and see it vividly
• I connect with people I never would have "met" offline
• Its a place to feature my best pictures
• It's a creative outlet
• I love the idea that my kids could someday get to know their mother in a different light
• I hope something [from travel and cooking and crafting] could inspire others

CHILAQUILES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

If my TV is on, that means one of two things is playing: HGTV or Food Network. Last Saturday morning E and I were lounging and drinking coffee when a new show came on FN. Our ears perked because we heard "real Mexican food". I had seen the promo for this new show before and Saturday was the premier dia. Chef Marcela Valladolid is from Tijuana, just like E. Her show Mexican Made Easy is on Saturday mornings at 930am. She made three recipes, and within a couple days we made 2 of them. I was happy to see Chilaquiles on her menu Chilaquiles (pronounced chee-la-key-les) are a traditional Mexican food. There are many variations, but typically tortillas are cut in quarters, fried and then red or green salsa is poured over top and softens the crisp tortillas. Usually this dish is served for breakfast or brunch and uses leftover tortillas and salsa. We made this 2 times in one week. Once with red salsa and once with green. Serve with beans. Both are muy rico!

{chilaquiles with red salsa}

{chilaquiles with green salsa}

Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

1 pound fresh tomatillos

3 fresh serrano chiles

3 garlic cloves

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

Olive oil, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chicken broth or more as needed

Preheat the broiler or oven to 550 degrees. Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove the stickiness. Put the chiles, garlic, onion and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Season with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Put on a rack about 1 or 2 inches from the heat, and cook, turning the vegetables once, until softened and slightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and pull off the tops of the chiles. Add all the broiled ingredients to a blender along with the fresh cilantro and puree. Pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth and blend to combine. Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency.

Chilaquiles
1/3 cup vegetable oil

10 corn tortillas, cut into eighths, preferably stale (spread out to dry overnight)

3 cups roasted Tomatillo

Salsa Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

2 thin slices onion, separated into rings

1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Pour about 1/3 cup vegetable oil into a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas, working in 2 or 3 batches, and cook until lightly browned and nearly crisp. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and discard the remaining oil. Wipe the pan with a paper towel. In the same pan, add the tomatillo salsa and bring to simmer over low heat. Add the tortillas and cook until soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the mixture among 4 individual casserole dishes. Top with the cheese crumbles and onion rings. Drizzle with Mexican crema, sprinkle with some chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

A Vacation in Asheville

After wrapping up the Christmas lights last week, Ernesto and I took off to Asheville. It is such a lovely city and a short drive from Atlanta and more importantly, my awesome brother Brrrian lives there. I was shocked when we figured out that it had been 3 years since we last visited.

He is in a new apartment, in a new area, and was he excited to have E and me as his guests. His place is on Montford Street, just a 10 minute walk to downtown Asheville and lined with beautiful old houses.

{my favorite house in Asheville with a turquoise tile roof}

When I visited before, I had made a quick assumption that Asheville is just a hippie town. Yes, there seems to be tree huggers everywhere you turn, vegan eateries, smoke shops, a very relaxed dress code, but it is so much more than that. E and I extended our weekend visit to a whole weeks vacation and really got to know Asheville. With so much to see and do here, a week isn't enough time, but we got a good taste.

History:
Since its development of a railroad in 1880, Asheville turned into a mountain getaway and therapeutic health center. Artists, poets, explorers, and visionaries flocked here. George Vanderbilt made it his home in the late 1880's and his mansion is still the largest in the US. Maybe you have hear of it? The Biltmore Estates. Although we didn't get there this trip (I am holding out to see it until spring when the garden comes alive), we did go to the Grove Park Inn, a four star resort with classic arts & crafts style with amazing panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We sipped coffee and got cozy by the huge fireplace, which was nice, but next time I want to check into the amazing spa.

{Grove Park Inn}

{Basilica of St Lawerence}

Pack Square Park in downtown was completed just last year and is a great place for people to linger around.

There are 2 performance stages, a water feature (where kids will be playing in the summer) and this awesome metal pergola. It is going to be amazing once vines are growing on it, but the structure alone is a work of art.

Cafes:

There seems to be an inviting cafe on every corner, and we hung out in several during the week while Brrrian was working.

Posana Cafe was a elegant place with leather couches and chairs, a perfect place to sit for hours with your laptop. (or chat with someone of course) There are also tables to order lunch.

Green Sage is more casual place with a bakery (great biscotti) and a funny, friendly staff!

Izzy's Coffee Den is a dingy coffee house that plays screaming music and is not really built for comfort. Maybe I was unlucky with the music selection that day and the 2 annoying guys high on something (other than pot) that were sitting right beside us, but it's not a repeater for me. I crossed the street to the dreamy garden store Shady Grove, and dreamt about owning a similar store one day.

Probably the coolest coffee shop, for obvious reasons was Double D's.

This bus retired from British public transit in the late 70's, was then a party bus in Atlanta until in landed in Asheville in 1999. The new owners renovated it and the inside is turquoise!

Beer:

Asheville knows beer. There are 8 breweries. The newest is called The LAB (Lexington Avenue Brewery). We went a couple times. I really liked the beer sampler. 6 different beers starting with a Belgian white each one getting darker till you get to the chocolate stout. My favorites were the middle two IPA's. I'm not a pilsner fan. (sorry Budweiser)

MLK day was sunny and fairly warm Wedge Brewing Company was a great place to sit outside and enjoy it. Its located in the River Arts District which looked to be an industrial part of town.

{river running in front of The Wedge Brewery}

Order your beers inside, grab a bowl of peanuts, a bucket, then grab a table out on the patio which is enclosed by old metal "parts" welded together to create a fence.

I like how the huge stainless steel drums are visible from the bar.

We were told about a "Brews Cruise" that you can take with a tour company, guiding you through each one. I thought that idea was genius, (with a clever name) but we guided ourselves and ended up a in other cool places for enjoying the local brews.

The Vault, once a bank, was reborn into a swanky lounge. The small money vault can be reserved for a party and it is set up as a living room, complete with a flat screen. Very comfy.

Barley's has a great beer selection, a full menu and pool tables and darts upstairs.

You won't find may places in Asheville that don't have a good beer selection, but besides this, I found it to be a city with good coffee and international foods and many cultural activities. One afternoon we went to the Fine Arts Theatre and saw a foreign film starring Penelope Cruz called Los Abrazos Rotos ("Broken Embraces") I really liked it. Watch the trailer here.

Speaking of....

Art:

Oh the art is everywhere! Every other store is showcasing art, from painting to ceramics to jewelry, you will find something you like. One place that you must check out is Woolworth Walk, an old storefront on Haywood Street. It is filled with art by more than 150 local artists and each "room" is set up as that artists' gallery. So beautiful and inspiring!

Brrrian is a middle school art teacher and had a long weekend due to the holiday!

Thanks MLK! (not kidding, thank you for everything you did Mr King)
Brrrian showed us his classroom and it looked like a fun place to work.

Outdoor Adventures:
Hard to believe that Asheville was covered with snow the week before we arrived, but it warmed up and we had some decent weather. Saturday Brrrian planned a great hike in the Pisgah National Forrest. The trail was filled with rhododendron trees, which bloom heavily in the spring and summer. It would be amazing to hike it then. Can you imagine this whole trail in bloom?I would prefer hiking this when it's more green, but the benefit of no leaves is a further view into the mountains.

At a fork in the trail, Brrrian and Nester consulted the map.

We walked along the river for part of the trail, and came to this little waterfall. Look how daring E is as he tries to balance over the water. He is so brave!It took us three hours and although it was not difficult, it was tiring. This was probably the steepest part of the hike.

Bottom line:

Asheville is a great place to vacation and even sweeter if you have family to visit. If you would like to flip through all of the pictures from our Asheville trip, click on the pic below.

Asheville Jan 2010

PS. We took a different route on our drive back to Atlanta. More mountains and curvy roads, it was a beautiful drive. There was still a lot of ice hanging around.

We decided to go through Helen GA. We had both heard what a cute little town it was. Its 90 minutes north of Atlanta in the mountains.

Supposedly a re-creation of a little German alpine town, it was bad. It was a couple blocks of the cheapest souvenir shops (not inexpensive though) and some restaurants. My carmel apple and E's ice cream cone were delicious, but we was scared to eat there for fear of more disappointment. We walked the whole town, took the obligatory picture and left. I see no need to ever go there again.