Stuff my Mother-in-Law Cooks

My mother-in-law is a great cook. When she lived with us for a time a few years back, she was always cooking up a storm. We've never eaten so well.

Here's a random sampling of the things we've been fortunate enough to eat over the years:

Roast ham, slathered in mustard and studded with cloves.

Posole made with various pig parts, including feet.

Chile verde, made with pork ribs.

Chicken mole.

New Year's Menudo

Happy New Year, everybody!

MIL made menudo for New Year's - a day of prepping and chopping, followed by a day of cooking. It's a hell of a lot of work, but so good.















She started by washing tripe and pig's feet (which she had the butcher cut into manageable pieces), then boiled each one twice to remove the yuckiness. Dried chiles had to be rehydrated and seeded, then blended with garlic and onion.

Because I didn't get to see any of it, and MIL's always rather vague when it comes to sharing recipes, I'm not sure what happened next. I know the tripe got chopped into bite-size pieces. I know 3 large cans of hominy were used. And I'm guessing the blended chile sauce was diluted with water to create the soup. Maybe she added stock cube or 2, maybe some MSG. (Yes, there's a bag of MSG in my pantry.)

Toppings were chopped and sliced - radishes, cilantro, green onion, white onion, lemon wedges. Plus oregano and chile flakes for sprinkling.

End result was a huge pot of tasty deliciousness. I even ate a pig's foot, which I had previously sworn I'd never do, because of the texture. But this was good. Damn good.

Fried Chicken and Collard Greens

MIL made fried chicken wings and collard greens yesterday. I think I'm still full over 24 hours later. (I ate lunch today out of habit, not out of hunger.)















She marinated the wings in 4 different types of mustard (yes, I have 4 types of mustard in my fridge, probably 5 or 6), garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, black pepper and Accent. Then she coated them in a mix of Dixie Fry and Luzianne with a little flour, and some seasoning. Then fried in canola oil until crispy and happy. Served with homemade red chili sauce.















The collards started with a pot of water and a hamhock, boiled forever with onion and garlic. She hacked up the hock, returned it to the pot with the chopped greens, some white vinegar, and some seasonings, and simmered until done. I was a little disappointed with the hamhock - it was mostly fat, barely any meat. But the greens were still incredible tasty.

Big A$$ Steak

Look what was waiting for me when I walked in the door:
















Can you believe the size of that thing? I started by cutting off the larger half, and saving it for lunch tomorrow (steak and eggs with slow roasted tomatoes, anyone?). I ate the remaining part, and the dogs got to nibble the bits from the bone. Happy me. Happy dogs. But now I feel a steak-coma coming on, and need a nap.

Tasty Deliciousness for Dinner

Once again, no pictures, sorry. But with 4 adults and 4 children, taking a picture really wasn't an option. Well, it was, but it wouldn't have been pretty.

Let me set the scene: I smelled something beautiful before I even opened the front door. Wondering what tasty treats were on offer, I opened the door, and stepped inside. I was immediately hit with the fragrance of garlic. Mmm...

Then I detected the unmistakable smell of pork. Ribs? Chops? I couldn't tell.

But wait, there's something else. Smells of the sea. Shrimp?

I make it to the kitchen, and finally see tonight's offerings:

• Thin breaded fried pork chops
• Shrimp sauteed in garlic and butter
• Pork ribs braised in a tomato-based sauce with green pepper, ginger, and a ton of black pepper
• White rice
• Green salad with tomatoes, radish, green onion, avocado, and a secret seasoning (I suspect Accent)
• Homemade red chili sauce
• Plus leftover Israeli couscous salad with tomatoes and cucumber
• and chili-lime pistachios that I made yesterday

All eight of us (8!) ate well, and there are still leftovers for tomorrow's lunches. And I wasn't allowed to do dishes or help clean up, but was instead instructed to sit on the porch and relax with a glass of wine. Who am I to argue?

Right now, it's good to live in my house.

Tostadas

MIL made tostadas last night. We make these all the time, but for some reason, hers are better.















Brown some ground beef and onions, seasoned with garlic powder and salt.

Open a can of refried beans, add some butter, milk and chili powder, and heat up.

Shred lettuce and cheese, chop tomatoes and green onions. I usually also have chopped black olives and cilantro.

Fry some corn tortillas in oil.

Assemble your tostada - spread on some beans, then some meat, some cheese, and veggies of your choice. Top with your favorite hot sauce. Eat. Repeat.

Shawarma and a Job

Tonight's dinner was chicken and lamb shawarma from Pita's Mediterranean Grill in San Marcos. I love this place. The meat is always seasoned perfectly, and I could live off their hummus and garlic sauce. They don't have a website, but here's a Chowhound review that I completely agree with.

But the highlight of the day? MIL got a job! The second day she was here, we drove her around to show her the town - she saw the hospital and said "I want to work there." We applied online, they called 2 days later, the interview was today, and she's hired!

I think this calls for a sushi splurge this weekend.

Mystery Dinner and a Plea

This is what I was greeted with when I came home this evening.
















Mystery Plate #1: Thin Breaded Fried Pork Chops
















Mystery Plate #2: Potatoes Au Gratin
















Mystery Plate #3: Fideos
















Chops were thin and fried, so you could eat the fatty parts without that nasty congealy fat texture. Yum. Potatoes were from a box, but MIL doctored them up somehow. Yum again. Fideos weren't what I'm used to, they were more soupy and not spicy. But yum.

So this brings me to my plea: Can someone in North County San Diego please offer my MIL a job? She's a registered CNA and specializes in restorative care for the elderly. If she doesn't find gainful employment soon, we're all going to weigh 300 lbs.

My Mother-In-Law Cleaned my Fridge

I can't find a thing. But I love it.

Not Much Cooking...

...by me anyway.

MIL has been doing all the cooking lately, and I just can't seem to get in the habit of photographing other people's cooking.

Last night we had home-made taquitos. She boiled a flank steak for over an hour until it was extremely tender, mixed it with sauteed onions and tomatoes, rolled that in corn tortillas, then shallow-fried, served with her homemade green chili sauce (HOT!) and guacamole.

Tonight we had adobo. Chicken marinated in pickling spice, then simmered in vinegar, soy sauce and tomato sauce, served over rice with a salad on the side.

For tomorrow, she's talking about chiles rellenos.

I'm spoiled. I love that for the past week I haven't had to think about cooking after working all day. But at the same time, I kind of want my kitchen back. I find myself sneaking in to make a batch of granola bars while she's napping. And I made a yogurt dressing today for a salad that I swear we're going to eat tomorrow, no matter what she cooks.

Did I mention she mopped my floor? I love this woman.

Chili Verde con Puerco

My MIL's chili verde con puerco, pinto beans, with tortillas. No, you can't have the recipe, I'm afraid of what she'd do to me.