Tropical fruited, soy glazed Salmon fillet with Habanero

Tropical fruited, soy glazed Salmon fillet with Habanero

This is the most amazing salmon recipe. The flavor is lightly tangy and delicious. People always ask for the recipe. I’ve been serving it for years and never… yes I mean never, had a complaint

1-2 Lb. Salmon fillet, skinned

2 tsp. White pepper

vegetable oil spray

¼ cup Frozen apple, mango and passion fruit juice concentrate, thawed

¼ cup coarse grain Dijon mustard

1 Tbl. Soy sauce

2 tsp. Your favorite habanero sauce, use more for extreme heat

1 fresh lemon

1 small bunch fresh dill, chopped

Light the grill. Remove any pin bones from salmon fillet. Rinse under cold water quickly and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut fillet into 6 to 8 individual steaks. Sprinkle both sides with white pepper. Spray both sides with vegetable oil spray. In a small mixing bowl stir together the fruit juice concentrate, mustard, soy sauce and habanero sauce. Turn grill to medium. Place the salmon steaks on the hot grill with the side that had the skin up. After about 10-15 seconds gently lift the salmon fillet up from the grill surface and set back down (This keeps the fish from sticking). After 2 minutes gently turn the steaks and once again gently lift them to prevent sticking. Spoon the glaze over the fish reserving some for the other side. Depending on your grill you will need to cook the fish for about 8 more minutes. The rule for grilling fish is 10 minutes of grilling for each inch of thickness…. more or less! So after 8 more minutes turn the fish one more time spoon on the remaining glaze and let cook for 30 seconds and remove from grill. Plate, drizzle a little lemon juice and top with fresh dill.

Serves 6-8

Habanero Chile and Dark Jamaican Rum Barbecue Sauce

Habanero Chile and Dark Jamaican Rum Barbecue Sauce

If you love Barbecue and spicy foods this Caribbean twist on Barbecue Sauce will blow your mind! It easy to make and absolutely delicious. If you want the heat over the top use the whole Habanero and the seeds and veins. It works very well on any grilled or slow smoked, pork, beef, poultry or for a real Island treat try it on deep pit roasted Cabrito (goat).

2 TBL Safflower oil

2 Large white onions, peeled and diced

2 TBL Fresh ginger, grated

5 CLOVES Fresh garlic, minced

1 C Meyers Dark Jamaican Rum

1 C Catsup

1/2 C Red wine vinegar

1/2 C Dark molasses

1/4 C Dark brown sugar

1/2 Habanero pepper, seeded and minced

1 TBL Ground allspice

PINCH Mace

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the onions in hot oil, in a medium saucepan, until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for about 1 minute more to allow flavors to blend.

2. Add the rum, catsup, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, Habanero, allspice, and mace. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove from heat, season, allow to cool.

Tequila Discussion and Tequila Recipes

Tequila Discussion (From my book, A Gringo’s Guide to Authentic Mexican Cooking)

If your impression of tequila is that of a cheap, clear beverage mainly used by power-drinking college students on spring break trying to drink themselves into oblivion, you are not in the minority. However, you are missing what this extremely well-produced national treasure of Mexico is all about.

Tequila, like so many things from Mexico, is meant to be slowly savored, like any fine liquor. Chugging it down would simply be a waste of good tequila, not to mention the fact that you will get as drunk as a cow and everyone will know you're from out of town.

The Mexican government officially recognizes the four following types of tequila:

Blanco

Basic, inexpensive white tequila used for margaritas cooking and bar mix. Made from 51 percent or more Blue Agave.

Oro

Gold tequila is either tequila that has a flavor added or an aged tequila that has had a little white tequila added to it. It's commonly used in the United States for premium drinks. Also made from 51 percent or more Blue Agave.

Reposado

Meaning rested, reposado is tequila that has been aged in large oak tanks for between two and twelve months. This tequila is the most popular among tequila drinkers in Mexico due to the fact that it has a full agave flavor. Usually made from 100 percent blue agave. This is also my personal favorite, so before buying I always look for "Reposado" and "100% Agave Azul" on the label.

Añejo

Añejo, meaning aged, in this case for a minimum of one year in small oak barrels. It is considered by many Americans to be the finest of tequilas, mostly because the select-oak aging process creates a flavor reminiscent of premium whisky or cognac, a flavor they recognize. After awhile, most premium tequila drinkers develop a palate for the distinct agave flavor and switch to Reposado.

Below are several of my favorite tequila recipes. Give them a try. They will add a new dimension to your cooking

Buttermilk Tequila Salad Dressing

For the show, we poured this over a Garden Salad mix. Try this on your favorite greens.

6 TBL Buttermilk

2 TBL Mayonnaise

1/2 C Crème Fraiche or sour cream

1/4 C Plain yogurt

2 TBL Tequila Repesado

1 Roasted Poblano Chile, Seeds and veins removed, chopped very fine

1/2 TBL Finely chopped Italian Parsley

2 CLOVES Garlic, minced

2 TSP Key lime juice

1/2 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP White pepper

1/2 TSP Brown sugar

1. Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, crème fraiche, yogurt and tequila. Stir in all other ingredients.

2. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour for flavors to marry.

3. Makes two cups.

Tequila Shrimp

My friends Ryan And Claire live in Houston. They often take a drive down to Corpus Christie and play in the surf with their baby boy, Layne. They sent me a T-shirt that says “The White Trash Rivera” along with this delicious recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to make. I think it tastes even better with a cold Margarita while I’m wearing that Shirt.

1 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. Sweet butter
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
20 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/3 cup tequila reposado
3 Plum tomatoes, diced

2 Serrano chiles, chopped fine
Juice of 2 key limes
3 Tbl. chopped cilantro
1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter, in a medium sauté pan. When the onions are soft and translucent, but not browned, add the shrimp and continue to sauté for 2 minutes on each side, until bright pink. Then add the tequila and flame the alcohol. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the limejuice, Serrano, cilantro and avocado. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with white rice

Serves 4

Chipotle Tequila Butter with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Excellent on grilled chicken or fish.

1 Stick Sweet butter

2 Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine

1 Tbl. Premium dark tequila

juice of 1 key lime

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Ground chipotle chile

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. Dark brown sugar

Whip all ingredients together in a blender or food processor, then roll mixture into a log waxed paper and chill. Cut into slices wrap and freeze. Then pop a few slices out of the freezer whenever you want to add a Sonoran taste to your grilled chicken or fish

Soften a little before serving.

Grill-baked Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, with Sauza Tres Generations Aenjo Tequila

We have received a lot of e-mails for this one. Fans of our show on that certain diet, (you know the one), wanted a recipe for a cake without flour. Try using any favorite liqueur instead of tequila.

1 LB Semi-sweet chocolate

1 LB Butter

6 OZ Water

2 OZ Sauza Tres Generations Aenjo Tequila, cognac or your favorite liqueur (Please note that regular tequila will not work in this recipe)

1 TBL Espresso powder (you may replace this and the water with brewed coffee)

1 C Sugar

8 Eggs

1. Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler. Slowly stir in espresso powder, then set aside.

2. Beat eggs thoroughly. Mix sugar and eggs together, then stir in Tequila and water.

3. Slowly stir in chocolate mixture. Pour batter into an oiled 9-inch baking pan

4. Grill-bake indirectly at 335∫ for 1 hour in warm water bath. Halfway through cooking, rotate cake to insure even baking.

5. Allow to cool before serving. Serves 8.

Sangrita Mexicana

This drink is very popular in Mexico. There are many different recipes. I put this one together by talking to several bartenders in Guadalajara over a four-day visit. Sure, I got a headache, but that's the price I pay for giving you a great new drink recipe to enjoy!

1-1/2 C Tomato juice

1/2 C Clamato

3/4 C Orange juice

2 TSP Grenadine

1 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP Black pepper

1 DASH Worcestershire sauce

1 DASH A-1 Steak Sauce

1 DASH Tabasco

Juice of 4 key limes

Tequila

Key lime wedges

premium quality Reposado

1. Stir together all Sangrita ingredients. You will need two three-inch goblets per serving. Put about one shot of Sangrita in one and about one shot of tequila in the other. Sip a little tequila, sip a little Sangrita, and every now and then take a little bite of the lime wedge. Oh, and one more thing... slow down a little, life is good.

More Tequila... The Bloody Maria

On a warm, lazy Sunday morning out by the pool, a Bloody Maria is just the thing to get the day started. Vodka is for Russians!

1 1/2 ounces white tequila

4 ounces tomato juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1 key lime

1/2 serrano chile, seeds removed and finely minced

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper

Scallion or lime wedge for garnish

Stir together tequila, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, chile pepper, and horseradish. Pour into a glass filled with ice, sprinkle with pepper, and garnish.

Makes 1 cocktail

West Texas Tequila Slammer

West Texas Tequila Slammer

Around my house we keep the Tequila in the freezer, the bottom 1/3 of the bottle, frozen in a block of ice. The tequila comes out of the bottle thick and viscous. It’s so much sweeter than out of a hot cupboard. I learned this trick while I was a guest of the Cuervo Company in Mexico. If you are going to make West Texas Slammers it’s best to use tequila that is as cold as you can get it… and give someone your car keys.

1 ½ oz. Jose Cuervo Traditional tequila, ice cold

a dash of Tabasco Habanero sauce

a Splash of soda

Pour the tequila and Tabasco in a small bar glass. Pour in a little club soda. Put one hand over the top of the glass and then slam it down on the bar. Then slam it down your throat while its still fizzing. So the order is slam the slammer, then slam the slammer. A process, which, by the way, when repeated, has landed many a Texan in the local slammer.

Fresh Pesto

Fresh Pesto

This time of year there is nothing like Pesto, pasta and a good red wine. It is light and makes you feel refreshed and satisfied without getting too full!

1 LB Basil leaves (more or less)

1/4 cup Pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/2 C Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C Freshly grated Romano cheese

1/2 C Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients, except salt and pepper, together in large bowl. Place 2/3 of mixture into food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Add last 1/3 of mixture to food processor and blend until lightly coarse. The combination of well-blended with coarse-blended pesto gives the sauce the correct feel and releases all the flavor of the basil.

3. Salt and pepper to taste.

Eastern North Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich

Eastern North Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich

This is the authentic Eastern North Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich that is a staple of the South. If you live in North Carolina or the surrounding states you know there is an ongoing argument between Eastern and Western North Carolina Barbecue Sauce; as to which is better. The Eastern being vinegar based and the Western being Tomato based. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “There ain’t but two people, in this part of the country that know about proper barbecue, and I’m both of them!” Having said that I can tell you the Eastern is far superior. The sandwich comes piled high with savory pulled pork wet with the vinegar BBQ sauce and a generous mound of the coleslaw. The true aficionado then splashes the sandwich with a blast of Louisiana Hot sauce

Pulled Pork Rub

1/4 C Ground Ancho chile powder, mild New Mexico chile powder or paprika

1 TBL Dark brown sugar

1 TBL Ground cumin

1 TBL Kosher salt

1 TBL Sugar

1/2 TBL Fresh ground black pepper

1 TSP Cayenne pepper

Sauce

3/4 C White vinegar

2 TBL Louisiana hot sauce

1 TBL Brown sugar

1 TBL Sugar

1 TBL Kosher salt

1 TSP Crushed red chile

1 TSP Fresh ground black pepper

1/2 TSP Cayenne pepper

Coleslaw

3/4 HEAD Green cabbage, shredded

1/4 HEAD Purple cabbage, shredded

3 Carrots, grated

1-1/2 C Heavy mayonnaise

1/2 C White vinegar

1 TBL Celery seeds

Salt & pepper to taste

Pulled Pork Rub

1. Mix together well. Rub over roast, and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes, or if time allows wrap in plastic and let the rub do it’s magic overnight in the regenerator, before smoking.

2. Makes enough rub for a 4-5 pound pork shoulder.

Barbecue Sauce

1. Mix in a glass bowl and cover.

2. This sauce will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 2 months.

3. Makes 1 1/2 cups

Coleslaw

1. Mix the cabbage and carrots together.

3. Whisk together all other ingredients.

4. Stir the dressing into the cabbage and mix well.

5. Refrigerate before serving.

Slow smoke the shoulder, indirectly with pecan wood and cherry wood, chips soaked in an inexpensive white wine with citrus peelings. Once the internal temperature reaches 192°f. Remove the shoulder and allow a half hour resting period with a cover or foil drape. Using two forks shred the meat add the sauce and mix well. Let flavors marry for 20 minutes before making sandwiches.

Makes about 12 sandwiches.

Prickly Pear-Margarita Sorbet

Prickly Pear-Margarita

Sorbet

I came up with this wonderful sorbet years ago, it’s still a family favorite.

Juice and pulp from 6 key limes (remove seeds)

zest of 1 lime

1 cup sugar

2 Tbl. 100% Agave Tequila

1/4 cup corn syrup

2 1/2 cups very cold water (use bottled)

1 Tbl prickly pear syrup

Stir the tequila, water, sugar, and corn syrup, until sugar dissolves. Stir in lime juice, lime zest, and prickly pear syrup.

Transfer ingredients to an ice-cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Put the sorbet in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving. Sorbet will be hard enough to scoop into servings. Garnish with mint leaf and wedge of lime.

Camarones en Mojo de Ajo (Mexican Shrimp wet with Garlic!)

Camarones en Mojo de Ajo

Shrimp Wet with Garlic

From my book A gringo's guide to Authentic Mexican Cooking

Mexico’s version of scampi: Mmmm . . .

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon coarse salt

5 black peppercorns

2 chiles de arbol

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled

In a molcajete, (Mexican Mortar and pestle) crush and grind the garlic and salt to a paste. Then grind in the black peppercorns and chiles de arbol. Set aside.

In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter until it is bubbling but not browned; add the shrimp. Sauté until almost done, then add the garlic mixture. Continue cooking until the shrimp are done and the garlic has fully cooked.

Serves 4

Whole Grill-roasted Sea Bass

Whole Grill-roasted Sea Bass

This technique applies to grill-roasting any fish.

1 2-3 LB Sea Bass, scaled

1 TBL Olive oil

Kosher salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

1 SLICE Lemon

1 SLICE Orange

1 SLICE Lime

2-3 LEAVES Basil (or whatever herb you prefer)

1 TSP Ancho chile powder

2 Green onions, chopped fine

1 Lemon

1. Rinse the fish under very cold water, then dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut 4 deep slits down each side of the fish. Rub both sides of the fish well with olive oil. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.

3. Place the slices of citrus and basil in the cavity of the fish. Roast the fish on a very clean, medium-hot grill, turning only once.

4. After turning, sprinkle with chili powder and dress with green onions. To check for doneness you can look inside the slits.

5. Remove from grill; squeeze a little lemon over the fish and serve.

6. Serves 2.

Meawhile Back at the Bread 7-27-11

We are now getting a very stable product. It is uniformly rising to a round, full shape. The crust is crunchy and the sponge is chewy. We now have a constant, mild, back palate, sour flavor. The loaves are stable for about four days and the bread freezes well. At this point the area of concentration needs to be in the firing of the oven.

As our loaf requirements grow we will need to extend the number of bakings that one fire will allow. I’m finding the gas re-firing with a roofing torch, for about 4 minutes is helpful, allowing a second, third and even forth baking. If you are learning about bread baking, I suggest “Tartine Baking” as a great reference book. Pay attention to all of the mechanical components of the dough development. The times allow flavor maturation and the tensioning of the dough causes the oven spring to do its job, creating a full rise.

My mistake was in not building enough tension into my dough and I had semi-flat loaves. In the bake you need to understand a proper level of oven moister; too much and the crust is too thick, too little and the crust is weak. Well it’s time to run half of the bread through the slicer and to drop it off with my ever-growing customer list.

See you back at the bread. And remember if you have any questions please ask and I’ll do the best I can, in finding an answer.

Shipping Container Building Update

Connex Box update

As some of you know I’m interested in low cost housing. My reasoning is simple. In a world where the average American worker makes $20,000 to $35,000 a year and the average house sells for around $200,000 the average family will soon be renting instead of owning. We need an alternative that an unskilled laborer can handle; so I’m looking at Rammed Earth, Straw bale, Adobe bricks, Cast in Place Adobe, a product called Super Adobe and Connex box; also called Shipping container, buildings. I’m building a cooking school out of straw bales and a studio out of Connex boxes.

Let’s talk about the Connex box structure. I chose a decommissioned box (no longer being used for international shipping) that was 40 feet long and 8 feet wide and what is called “High Cube” 9.5 feet tall (standard boxes are 8 feet tall.) These boxes come with wooden floors and can handle a properly engineered roof load of around a half million pounds, which allows them to be stacked in interesting ways.

Foundation poured of concrete with rebar to hold fencing a center of wall

The box cast me $2700, delivered, which is cheaper and stronger than the pre-fabed sheds and garages offered currently. I use a cutoff wheel to cut in my windows and doors and if need be it can be moved.

I’m wrapping three sides in 2-inch foam for insulation and on the south side I’m attaching a 1-foot thick cast in place adobe wall.

Fencing in place, notice the scrap wood I use to hold the form at proper width

In the wall I’m adding a diaphragm of used chain link fencing in the center of the wall and attaching more 2-inch foam on the outside of this wall, for insulated thermal mass.

Rebar holding the foam, all of this had to be replaced, the wire is working fine

I had been tieing the fence to the box and the foam to the fencing, creating tension to hold the foam in place and giving me the ability to tie wire mesh at a later point for a stucco finish.

I was doing the tieing with cheap nylon twine, which is strong and wont rust like tie wire.

I drilled hundreds of hole to hold the twine. The new strapping is a much better choice

The other day I was getting some adobe poured in the forms and the chain link fencing came loose from the box. What I hadn’t planned for was the fact that the twine is not UV resistant and all of my twine had basically decomposed.

Plan B, I’m now using Plumber’s tape which is a cheap form of strapping.

This shot shows how strong the twine is and it will work well if you are not waiting to stucco

I can use a screw gun to pull the screws and then re-screw the plumber’s tape in place to hold the fencing at center wall and then I’m using galvanized wire to hold the foam in place and I can use it to attach the stucco wire later. I plan on making a living roof to finish the studio off. Please comment or ask any questions that you may have. This project is a learning lab and I will post my findings.

Sweet and Spicy, Pepsi Cola BBQ Baby Back Rib Sauce and Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

Being a barbecue purest, I’m a guy that uses rubs and believes that barbecue sauce should be served on the side. However its not just about me, so if you want the stickiest, gooiest, twelve napkin usingest, ribs you’ve ever eaten try out either of these recipes. Oh and wear an old shirt they’re more than messy!

Sweet and Spicy, Pepsi Cola Baby Back Ribs

1 Cup Pepsi Cola

1 Cup Tomato sauce

1/2 Cup Dark brown sugar

1/2 Cup Dark molasses

1/2 Cup White vinegar

1 6-oz. Can Tomato paste

1/4 Cup Sweet butter

1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbl Balsamic vinegar

2 Tbl Maple syrup

1 Tbl Dry mustard

1 Tbl Ancho chile powder or paprika

1/2 Tbl Kosher salt

1/2 Tbl Fresh-ground black pepper

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Marjoram

1 tsp. Granulated garlic

1 tsp. Onion powder

2 dashes Tabasco® Habanero Sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together and simmer over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Baste over Baby back ribs while slow smoking or barbecuing

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

1/2 C Jack Daniels whiskey

1/2 White onion, chopped

4 CLOVES Garlic, minced

2 C Ketchup

3/4 C Dark molasses

1/2 C Brown sugar, packed

1/3 C White vinegar

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

1/4 C Tomato paste

1 Jalepeño chile, minced

1/2 TBL Salt

1/2 TSP Fresh ground pepper

1/2 TSP White pepper

2 DASHES Tabasco Habanero sauce

1-2 DROPS Liquid Mesquite Smoke

1. Saute` onion, garlic and bourbon in a medium saucepan until onion and garlic are soft, translucent and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 20 min. stirring constantly. Strain if you want a smooth sauce. Makes 4 cups.

"The life" from my ongoing online novel "Willie"

With a quick poke, the needle pierces the big, pulsing vein on Willie’s right arm just below a three and a half inch line of tracks that follow the vein to his current injection site, revealing several years of intravenous drug use. He pushes a small amount of the dark brown liquid into his arm. It is still warm from cooking it up in the spoon, with the burned bottom, that is laying on the table next him. He pops loose the rubber surgical hose, tying his arm off, and starts to feel the warm rush. Drawing blood back into the syringe it mixes with the sweet brown nectar, a swirling cloud of narcotic heaven that Willie is now shooting three or four times a day. He slowly pushes the plunger down. As the syringe empties he feels the opiates ooze into every pore in his body; like warm honey. Fading into a tranquil dream and then nodding out, he is floating in the arms of his one true love… Heroin.

After about twenty minutes, Willie slowly opens one lazy eye; with a sleepy smile he thinks to himself, “well… time to earn.”

He unbuttons his fly and picks up a second syringe, filled with smack that is lying on the table next to the burnt spoon. Checking to make sure the plastic cap covering the needle is secure he then tapes the syringe, point down, to the inside of his thigh, just below his crotch, with a wide strip of surgical tape, and then pulls his pants back up.

Driving over to the job, Hank Williams is on the crackling old radio in his 1965, piece of shit, Plymouth Valiant.

Even though it’s the middle of the night and snowing outside, he’s warm and toasty, partially from the heater but mostly from the heroin. With a dreamy smile on his face he follows along, “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, he sounds too blue to fly…”

His mind wonders over to thinking about her… hotter then doughnut grease, that one. It’s not his fault, if her old man doesn’t know what she really needs. Most straight johns have no idea how to treat women. He snickers to himself, ”It’s okay honey we can try again next month.” She couldn’t get enough of him, then he turned her on to the shit and that was the end of her Betty Crocker days. By now he’s singing at the top of his lungs with the old car radio, “And as I wonder where you are, I’m so lonesome I could cry!”

“Man oh man is this some great shit,” he thinks s to himself.

She told Willie about her boss, the middle-aged lawyer, with thinning hair and a huge paunch. He was always standing too close, with his perpetual bad breath and those eyes that were always peaking down her blouse. Then one afternoon, as Willie was leaving her house, before her husband got home, she mentioned the safe in his office.

“Does he keep cash in it?” Willie asked.

“Not usually, but he’s been meeting with a client that owns topless bars all over town and he always pays in cash. My boss keeps bitching about it,”

She tells Willie “I’m pretty sure he’s holding the cash in the safe, so he won’t have to claim it.”

Twenty minutes later, Willie drives into the parking space in back of the law office. He wonders around to the trunk of his car to get his tool bag. Checking his pocket to make sure he brought the key, he heads into the empty office. Once inside he waits a few minutes with his eyes closed, to adjust to the darkness. While he waits he hums the Hank William’s tune he had been singing earlier enjoying the warm narcotic haze.

Opening his eyes, there is enough light to proceed with out a flashlight. First he throws furniture and the contents of desk drawers around the room knowing full well that the safe is upstairs. If he goes directly to the safe the cops will know it was an inside job. He then goes upstairs and ransacks the other offices, saving her bosses office for last.

Once at the safe, he points a small flashlight at the dial and puts on the stethoscope. Three full turns to the left to clear the tumblers.

Hank starts singing in his head “I’ve never seen a night so low.”

Concentrate, he firmly tells himself.

“When tears get in your eyes”

The dial starts to look a little fuzzy.

Willie quickly realizes, he’s way to high to open the safe. Plan b… He’ll have to take it back home and crack it after he comes down. A quick nudge and he can tell it’s been bolted to the concrete floor… no problem.

Willie gets out his pocketknife and walks over to a beautiful dark brown leather couch in the center of the office. He cuts out a 20-inch square of the leather from the seat cushion. Looking through his tools he takes out a splitting wedge and a 12-pound sledgehammer. He wraps the wedge in the soft leather and tucks the edge under the front of the safe. He adjusts the light to shine on the wedge and stands up. Holding the sledgehammer like a golf club, he pretends to look down a fairway and quietly says, “four” to himself and takes a full swing at the splitting wedge. The leather muffles the sound, but the safe doesn’t budge. For the next 10 minutes, Willie constantly beats on the wedge, occasionally taking out his frustrations by smashing the expensive walnut furniture, lamps and assorted decorations that are scattered about the room.

The safe finally gives; a few more whacks and it breaks free. He lifts the safe, checking the weight. It’s heavy, maybe 125 pounds. Lifting it all the way up he thinks, “I’ll need a shortcut.” Willie drops the safe on a coffee table just for fun, and looks around the room. He walks on over to the huge picture window that has the words Law Office painted backwards in black and gold old English letters. Looking up and down the street, the coast is clear. Willie walks back, picks up the safe and runs at the window, raising it up as high as he can, as he gets closer. One last heft and the safe sails through the second story window. As it breaks through the glass the silence is shattered with the screaming clang of an alarm.

“Shit” he says out loud…”Time to go!”

Not wanting to waste second Willie steps out through the broken window on to the ledge. The safe is lying down on the sidewalk surrounded by the shattered glass, about 12 feet below. He leaps down, but what he doesn’t see is the ice covering the sidewalk. When he hits the ground his feet fly out from underneath him and the back his head smashes into the corner of the safe. Lying in broken glass he feels the warm blood dripping down his neck and back. The police cars sirens are now drowning out the clang of the alarm. Several squad cars screech to a stop a few feet away. The cops jump out and surround Willie, guns drawn.

He blurts out, “Man, am I glad to see you guys! I was walking down the street, minding my own business when that safe came flying out the window and hit me right here on the back of my head. I’m lucky to be alive. Just wait tell my lawyer gets a hold of these guys.”

The cops, less than convinced, spend the next five minutes cuffing and kicking the shit out of Willie, followed by a quick search. They empty his pockets and overlook the dope hidden in his pants. At the jail, Willie gives a call to his lawyer and they toss him in a cell with a few drunks and assorted Nair-do-wells. The guard leaves, Willie reaches inside his pants and pulls out the syringe.

“Anybody want to party?” he asks the other men. They all decline. Willie tears off a piece of his shirtsleeve and ties off his arm. He shoots the dope as the other men look on in horror. His eyes roll back in his head and the world is once again right. After about 10 minutes he comes to and bums a smoke off of one of the other men. Leaning back with a big smile, he takes a slow drag off the cigarette, blows a few rings and starts singing, “And as I wonder where you are, I’m so lonesome I could cry!”

By Mad Coyote Joe

Meanwhile back at the Bread 7-19-11

As I’ve said over the years, “The trick in becoming a great cook is learning the nature of what ever you’re learning to make!”

Nothing could be more true than in the case of becoming a baker. With each batch I learn more about how bread acts and feels. My hands are learning the proper way to handle the dough. When I started baking the dough would stick to my hands; now I understand how to keep the dough moving at a rate that prevents sticking.

I can now tell if I need to rework my dough at the bench rest in order to build structure. Each loaf is now standing up and more like a slightly deflated ball; where-as they used to look like a flat ball. And the flavor is now more uniform along with the sponge. This is real bread that stands up and can make a meal by it’s self; add a little herb butter or good cheese and a bottle of wine and it’s hard to beat!

My Three Kates

Seeing this picture of my beautiful wife, our lovely daughter and our recently lost Kathryn Zalem; Kathy’s mother, I can’t help but think of the poem I wrote the morning she passed. I thought I’d share it with my readers again for those that missed it

For Zalem

A Poem by Daigneault

Forged in the dark earth of Kansas by a preacher and his wife

She was an educated woman in a time when such was rare

Never much for foolishness she worked hard and watched the money

Then one day when the kids had grown he said he was leaving

For a while the tears and questions kept her down

But she did her own time and found her own way

So through thirty years of solitude, hers was a life of books and antiques

Watercolors and brushes and time with the children, but she lived alone

She watched movies every Christmas with Ila and loved “Frosties”

Reading everything, she had knowledge where others had only opinion

As her twilight approached she quietly cut the lines that moored us together

And started on her way, leaving us grateful in the bedrock of her example

Like a glacier, quietly, gracefully, moving to the sea of her memories

We watched as she finally wondered back home to a Kansas of an earlier day

In the end she was as light as air, giving all, even her body

Leaving behind only a few precious strands of her beautiful white hair

Thank you Kathryn

Tequila and Magic In a Mexican Garden

Tequila and Magic

In a Mexican Garden

By Mad Coyote Joe

Looking over at the kitchen window, making sure that his wife Norma isn’t watching, Santiago reaches into the big burlap bag and produces a half empty bottle of tequila. He slowly takes a generous gulp of the golden brown liquid. Smacking his lips together, he utters, “Madre de dios, I needed that.”

We are in the garden collecting hibiscus flowers for Norma. After they dry she will use them to make Jamaica tea. I am thirteen years old and spending the summer in Guadalajara, Mexico with Santiago and Norma. Years ago they worked on my grandfather’s avocado farm in Escondido, California. They are both in their late seventies.

“ Now you want to be careful to pinch the stem just below the base, like this,” Santiago said, carefully removing the flower from the bush. “Turn the flower facing up and gently slide your fingers inside without crushing the flesh of the flower or disturbing the delicate core.” The old vaquero gets a little smile on his sun darkened face and continues, “Trust me mijo, one day, when you have a senorita, she will be very happy that you know how to do this.” He reaches over messing up my hair, while patting me on the head and then goes on. “Pinch this part, called the pestle, at the base and carefully remove it. Then take off the green cup that surrounds the flower, make sure there are no little bugs and then drop the flower into this burlap bag.”

As he drops the deep red blossom into the bag, he gestures with his calloused hand, suggesting that I start picking. “Be gentle, and do me a favor, hurry up every chance you get. I don’t pay you nothing for nothing.” He says with a grin. “Every time you pick one of these flowers a new one will grow back the next day.”

Checking over and then dropping one of the flowers in the bag, I look up and ask “Why?”

The lines around the old man’s face tighten a little, as his smile grows and I can almost see the story coming into focus behind his eyes, “Well… a long time ago, a beautiful woman lived in a little Casita, that eventually was added onto and finally became our big house that you see before you. Her husband got hurt and could no longer work.

“How did he get hurt?” I ask.

“How the fuck do I know? Maybe he worked in the circus washing the elephant’s balls and the elephant sat on him. Whatever happened he couldn’t work.” The old man pauses, taking another slow sip of the tequila, “Ahh! Que bueno… Soon the couple had no money, not even for food. The woman was very worried and would cry every night right here, on this very spot. One night a little fairy was out collecting moonlight and he heard her and asked why she was crying. She said that she needed work, anything to feed her family. The fairy, feeling sorry for her, said he would try to help. He touched the earth and said something in a secret language that only fairies know, and then he disappeared.

I break in, going along with the story, “A fairy… really abuelito, did you ever see a fairy?”

“Gordito hush!” Santiago says, as he sharpens his focus on me raising his index finger, in an attempt to look serious. “Pay attention. The next morning the very first one these bushes, popped up right here where her tears hit the ground, and the bush had one perfect red flower. It was so beautiful that the woman thought it must be a sign of good luck. She put it in her hair and went to town to look for work. Times were hard and there was no work to be had, but richest man in the town was having café’ on his terrace. The wonderful scent of the flower intoxicated him. Looking up he saw the beautiful woman with the flower in her hair, and had to have her. He offered her money to spend the night with him. She was so desperate that she agreed.

The next day, when she left the rich man’s home, she was overwhelmed with guilt, and went to the church to pray for forgiveness. As she looked into the font of holy water, in her reflection, the shame of what she had done was as clear on her face as the perfection of the flower that was still in her hair. And then it happened, as she touched the surface of the holy water, the flower shriveled and died… her shame left. She could feel her sins disappear. Then the dried up flower fell from her hair, into the holy water, which instantly turned dark red, like the blood of Christo.”

“Was it blood?” I asked.

“No, the holy water just turned the color of blood. The woman went to the confessional and told the Padre about the rich man and the magic flower and the blood red holy water. He thought it must be a sign from god, so he absolved her of her sins. She went home with food and told her husband that she had paid all the bills. She was free of guilt and her husband had no suspicions.

After she left the Padre went to look at the holy water that looked like blood. He worried it would scare away his flock, coming to confession. He had a big problem… he couldn’t just throw it out, so he blessed himself and drank it.”

“What did it taste like?” I ask?

“I don’t know, but it looked like blood and that padre had the cajones to drink it! Well the next morning when the woman went outside, the bush had grown a new flower, just as beautiful. The woman, thinking that it might be a good idea to make a little more money to put aside in case of hard times, put the flower in her hair and went to town. Another rich man fell under the flower’s spell and this time they went to a hotel. Again she felt the guilt and again she went to church and again the flower shriveled and died along with her sin, but this time, not wanting the Padre to know what she had been doing, she caught the flower before it fell into the holy font. She went home and tossed the dried flower into a big empty vase. This went on for a while; every day a new flower, everyday more money and her husband never suspected a thing. And their little shack soon turned into this big beautiful hacienda.”

Santiago takes the flower I am working on out of my hand and inspects it, “Good, make sure the center is all gone, it can make the tea bitter.” He drops my flower into the bag and pulls out the bottle taking another sip. As he savors the tequila he thinks about the story, then he continues. “I tell you Mijo, living a lie is a funny thing, it eats away at you. Finally the woman could take it no longer. She went and told the Padre what she was doing. The Padre made her promise to quit. Then he told her about drinking the holy water.”

“Did she keep her promise?” I asked.

“Yes, she did, but every morning the bush kept making the flowers. She would pick them, but she was afraid to just throw them out so she put them in the vase, which was filling up very fast. She decided to get rid of the flowers before they caused any more trouble. Remembering the Padre’s story, she made a tea with them and served it to her husband… and this is the same Jamaica tea we drink today.

Now maybe it was the holy water and maybe it was the miracle of her forgiven sin… the tea she made at home was delicious and it truly quenched her husband’s thirst; but not like the Padre who after the first drink of the magic tea, was never thirsty again, and the people around here say that he never took a drink of anything except the wine at communion, as long as he lived.”

Katie’s Taco Meat

My daughter Katie learned Spanish at the age of 8 from the little Mexican girls next door. She spent many an afternoon at their house, playing, talking, and cooking. She brought this recipe home and made it for us when she was 11 or 12. It’s a family favorite. And it makes the best taco salad you’ve ever eaten.

1/2 white onion, minced

2 cloves garlic

4 tomatoes, diced

1 large bunch cilantro

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound breakfast steaks (round steak thinly sliced), sliced into little strips

Salt to taste

Corn tortillas, warmed

Garnish:

Shredded green cabbage, finely chopped white onion, avocado slices, crumbled queso ranchero, key lime wedges, and chile tepins

Place the onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a skillet and start sautéing. As soon as the tomatoes give off their liquid, add all other ingredients. Cook until the meat is done. Serve with warm corn tortillas and garnishes.

Serves 4

Meanwhile back at the Bread 7-14-11

When last we baked the summer monsoons were in full tilt! I was standing outside in a dust storm that made national news for being 3 miles high and 50 miles wide along with a raging summer rain. It was like working in a wet, muddy, blanket that a group of pit bulls had been sleeping in. The bread refused to rise. This made me think long and hard about my choice to bake in an oven that was outside in our yard.

On our current bake I, once again, made a few changes. In an attempt to lower the moister content of the loaves, I reduced the hydration percentage by 37 grams per 600-gram loaf or about 21%.

This is huge and can only be achieved after learning how to handle wet, sticky dough! In past bakes when the rise was weak I think it was from not working the structure enough. In my bench rest I would not pay enough attention to the sag of the individual loaves. This is key, if the loaves are sagging after the bench rest re-stretch and rebuild the tension and allow an extra bench rest.

The loaves should have a smooth but tight feel after the stretch. I’m also starting my fire earlier and burning less wood, in an attempt to get more even oven heat. I sweep the oven very well after the fire has been removed and only use a damp mop not a wet mop… just enough to remove the ash and coals. And last no additional pot of water. Just a few moist towels on the door and a few sprays of water as most of the humidity comes from the loaves. The result is beautiful loaves that have complete oven spring and full caramel color. The sponge is just right. So… I’m off to deliver bread!

See you on the net.

Mad Coyote Joe