Mexican Snack

Sorry, I really don't know what else to call it. Maybe "really big nacho"? Mexican thin-crust pizza?

I made a chile sauce today from some aji mirasol chiles. Guajillos, pasillas, or cascabels would work too. Sear 4 chiles in a hot pan, then plunge in water to soften. Cook 2 cloves of garlic in their skins over a medium-hot skillet. Drain the chiles, and remove most of the seeds. Chop and mash the chiles until you get a very fine paste (or use a blender), add the de-skinned garlic, some oregano, salt, tomato paste (or sauce), and water. If it's too spicy, add more tomato/water.

Spread a corn tortilla with a thin layer of the sauce. Place in the oven to crisp up. When the bottom is crispy, throw on some shredded cheese (I used cheddar) and a little more chile sauce, and put back in the oven to melt the cheese.

When the cheese is melted, remove from the oven, let cool a little, then fold in half, and eat.

Time Out

Hello?


Hello? Is this thing on?


I apologize for the unexplained absence. My Youngest took my camera to LA for an extended trip. She's currently galavanting around Los Angeles and its surrounding 'burbs. I hope my baby makes it back ok. (I'm sure the kid will be fine, it's the camera I'm concerned about.) (Wait, "about which I am concerned". Stupid grammar.)

As for cooking....I made some beautiful lamb, onion, and bell pepper skewers on the grill. Also some bigass steaks, and corn with chili-lime butter. Some dehydrated and microwaved crispy asparagus and mushrooms. A chestnut risotto drizzled with honey. A coconut cherry macaroon-type dessert (needle-nose pliers make great cherry-pitters). Spicy "Chinese-style" green beans. Asparagus quick-sauteed with oyster and soy sauce and garlic. Today I was going to make kung pao chicken with white rice and a cold cucumber salad, but I was asked not to cook, because it's just too damn hot.

Because I hate a post without a picture, here's my baby, sleeping on her Raider monkey.

















And this is probably more suited to Twitter, but whatever, I'm already typing here - something just exploded, probably at Pendleton, and it made my windows rattle.

Kid and camera should be back in a week or so. Hope to see you then.

Happy 4th of July!

In honor of the 4th, here's a video from PES, my favorite stop-motion guys.