, by David Tanis. He passed it along to me because he was never "inspired." I understand where he's coming from because when flipping through the pages, I can only feel daunted by the complicated menus before me. And that's what they are...menus. This book is divided into 24 menus, all with 3 or 4 courses, referencing points in the author's culinary career. For the past few months, all I've done is flip through the pages, while looking to plan my menus, glancing at his menus, thinking that the fare sounded good, but yet, complicated...it would take all day! Let me clarify, and say that I believe this is the point of these recipes. They are meant for entertaining...an impressive spread when the boss and his wife come over, or family night ensues. |
| New Mexico |
I didn't have anything like that going on this weekend, but I decided it was time to give it a try. After flipping through all 24 recipes, I settled on Menu Twenty-One: Nuevo Mexico. This menu boasts Avocado Quesadillas, Spicy Pickled Vegetables, Green Chile Stew and for dessert, Bizcochitos. Each section starts with a short story about what this menu means to the author. This story stemmed from his time spent in New Mexico, and the local cuisine, based on Spanish fare, influenced by Mexican and Native American cultures. I don't normally cook this type of cuisine, so I was excited to get started. I began early in the afternoon because I was going to take my time putting this meal together, and I knew it would take awhile.
I started with the Spicy Pickled Vegetables, because the instructions said that they could be served at room temperature. Thinking that I could make this portion and leave them to cool was a strategic move. Once those had been cooked appropriately, I put them aside, and turned my attention to the Onion Relish, a pairing for the quesadilla. Having finished the relish, I set my sights on these so-called Bizcochitos. They are anise-flavored sugar cookies, and they are a New Mexican specialty. I enjoy messing with the quantities of ingredients, so baking does not come easily to me, but I was determined to make this entire menu, so I started to make the dough. Once the dough was made, it needed to set to a firm consistency in the refrigerator, so I turned to the stew, which needed to cook for about two hours. The Green Chile Stew has pork butt, onions, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and of course, green chiles in it. Not to mention all the spices and chicken broth. I got that simmering on the stove, and boy, did it start to make the house smell good! What a perfect dish for a cold winter's night!
I didn't make the Avocado Quesadilla until the stew was done, since I know that quesadillas don't take very long to make. While we enjoyed our meal, the cookies baked, finishing just in time for dessert!
The Outcome: The Green Chile Stew is delicious. The pork just breaks apart with a fork, and I think that the broth will be even more flavorful tomorrow, when I eat it for lunch after my yoga class! The Avocado Quesadilla was my favorite part of this meal! The onion relish really added something to the flavor profile, and there was just a burst of flavor with each bite. I could have done without the Spicy Pickled Vegetables...they were just okay. As for the Bizcochitos, I think I need to try those again. My dough was a bit too crumbly, even after the refrigeration time, so a lot of it was wasted. The cookies that I did make aren't as flaky as the recipe boasted, but the good news is that I think I know what I did wrong! The dough should have been kneaded longer, so that there were no cracks inside. I made note of this in my cookbook, so that next time I try it, I know what I need to change in my process!
This was a very labor-intensive menu, but I'm glad I made the attempt. I learned a lot about a cuisine I've never really experienced, used some spices that I had never used (epazote, anise seeds, and Mexican oregano - remember my post about spices - this is where they ALL went!). I will definitely be making more of these menus in the future, because I really enjoyed putting this one together. And maybe we'll take a little trip to New Mexico sometime...to try out the local fare, first hand!
