August1
Here’s the perfect nibble while you’re waiting for the drinks to be poured: Sautéed Japanese shishito peppers.
What makes these grassy, nutty tasting peppers so special is how incredibly simple they are to prepare. Throw them in a skillet with hot (not smoking) olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt. Once they’ve blistered and popped, they’re ready.
You also can get all fancy-do and grill them or sauté them in sesame oil with a splash of tamari… but why mess with such an easy-to-make Spanish tapa? Bring the skillet to the table so everyone has the fun of picking them up by the stem and devouring them in one bite.
Find these peppers in Asian markets almost year round or in farmers’ markets right now.
Don’t shy away just because I said “peppers.” Only about 1 in 25 will knock your socks off… which adds to the excitement of eating them! Roulette, anyone?
January3
Only two days left as we continue counting down the 12 Days of Christmas, and today Mama’s here to tell you: The Lords are a-Leaping!
Why? Because of this spicy salsa!
It’s a real eye-opener (especially at breakfast) because it’s made with dried arbol chilies, which have a beautiful deep red color, but are searing hot! Arbol chilies are 2 to 3-inches long with a pointed tip. You can buy them fresh, dried or powdered.
Don’t forget, a little bit of this salsa goes a long way… that’s what keeps the Lords a-leaping!
Arbol Chile Salsa
prep: 10 minutes
cook: 20 minutes
you’ll need…
15 dried arbol chiles
¼ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 (12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
let’s get to it…
Toast the chiles in a large sauté pan over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often to keep them from burning; remove from heat and cool.
Remove the stems from the top of the chile and place in a blender container. Add the chopped onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes and salt. Pulse for 1 minute or until salsa is almost smooth.
Pour the salsa into the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
cooking know how: use gloves when handling the chiles.
