The Most excellent Gazpacho and San Gria "Cannibal's CookBook". ©:
Both in 30 Minutes. One Catch, however....They are not for Today, but for Tomorrow!
Gazpacho is a Spanish soup prepared without the use of heat and served cold. It can be easily served as a Veggie entree by the omission of beef stock or, just as easily, prepared as a flesh eater's delight by the addition of a cup or more of beef stock in the preparation.
Gazpacho, in its many forms, has been around for centuries but, curiously, it seems that the whole world lost the recipe at the same time, except, of course, for me. Professional chefs and Wanabes, have gone berserk adding this, changing that, basically running amok in the kitchen without reasoning that this is a simple soup with a basic recipe that guarantees that it comes out perfectly each time.
After the soup is prepared, it should be put away in the frig for, at least, 24 hours. Interestingly enough, it tastes even better when left to mature for two days.
The only kitchen utensil that you will need is a food blender. (However, no one will stop if you decide to use a mortar and pestle and make the biggest mess in your kitchen since the Blob exploded on the wide screen.)
*Also, You will need a large container with a lid to hold and store the soup*.
Ingredients:
-1 Bottle of Wine. (A Bordeaux is recommended. A medium priced Margaux would be an excellent choice.)
-6 six or seven stewed tomatoes. They sell them in a can, between 11/2 to 2 pounds. Again, if you want to stew your own, go ahead: but, add another 4 to 5 hours to the recipe.
-11/2 cup tomato juice
-1 Fresh, regular size Cucumber.
-1 Green Bell Pepper. (Here, they call them Kalifornia Paprika)
-1 Medium size Onion
-2 Cloves of fresh Garlic
-For the unrepentant flesh eater, 11/2 cup of Beef Stock (more or less). If you don't like the canned variety,, you can boil 1/1/2 cups of water with one or two cubes of beef bouillon.
-Salt and Pepper to taste (Rec. 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper.
-A pinch of Basil and Oregano
-Two tablespoons Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil
-Two Tablespoons Taragon Vinegar or Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Preparation:
-Peel the Onion and dice and putting aside a very small portion for garnishing, later.
-Peel and chop the Garlic and put it aside
-Sliced and dice the Green Pepper, wash out the seeds, and put a small portion aside for garnishing, later.
-Slice and dice the Cucumber, put a little aside for garnishing, later
-Open the Wine, have a taste.
The Process:
-Put the Stewed Tomatoes into the blender and puree. Then, pour out the contents into the storage container.
--Pour back a little of the pureed tomatoes into the blender and add the Onion: Puree and pour back into the container. Mix around/
-Pour back some of the mixture back into the blender, and add the Green Pepper. Puree and pour back into the container, Mix around.
-Pour some of the mixture back into the blender and add the diced cucumber. Puree and pour back into the storage container. Mix
--Pour some of the mixture back into the blender throw in the Garlic, Extra Virgi Spanish Olive Oil, Lemon Juice (or Tarago), Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil and Puree. Pour contents back into the storage container and Mix around.
-Add the Wine and Mix
-Flesh Eaters can now add the Beef Stock and Mix around.
Cover the container and stick it in the bottom of the frig and say, "See ya' Tomorrow." Actually, you don't have to be that conservative. Six or seven hours, later, you can taste it.
Put the remaining diced Onion, Cucumber and Green Pepper in a small container and store in the frig until the soup is ready to be served. You can then, sprinkle the diced veggies on the top of the soup along with the croutons. CROUTONS? Who said anything about croutons?
No problema Croutons: (Arnie's Spanish, not mine)
An hour or so before serving, take some stale white bread, cut off the crust and dice into nice little squares. Heat up a skillet, add three or four tablespoons of butter and wait until it starts to smoke. turn off the heat, pour out the butter oil (The name for this is "Clarified Butter" and through away the burnt butter fat. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel, return the butter oil, add a couple tablespoons of Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat. When the oil mixture is hot, add the diced bread squares and stir them around until they are toast brown. Place them on paper towel to cool and dry. In a few minutes they will be ready to hold or serve.
So What's the Perfect Cool Drink to serve with the Gazpacho? San Gria of course, and this is how you make it. Also, best served when made the day before or at least 8 hours prior to serving.
The Authentic and Finest SAN GRIA served any where under the Sun.
Ingredients: Watch Out!
-4 or 5 cups of mixed melons in nice size bite pieces.
-1 or 2 sliced peaches
-1 or 2 Bananas
-1 cup of pineapple pieces
-1 cup of apple slices
-lots of Strawberries
-1 bottle of not-too-expensive Spanish Brandy
-4 bottles of inexpensive Spanish Red Wine
Mix everything together and let stand in a closed container (NOT ALUMINUM) in the frig for a day.
This is the Real Thing! If it sounds dangerous, it's because it can be. Everything, including the fruit is impregnated with alcohol. Everyone has a different alcohol tolerance, but more than two cups of San Gria are supposed to put you in the mood for fun. .not for driving. It's Great, but warn your guests to be careful.
Adios,
De Madrid
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Three Great Caribbean Sandwiches
Three Great Caribbean Sandwiches: Serve Hot or Cold
You will need these ingredients:
-French or Italian Bread
-Garlic cloves [Garlic is very important: fresh never powdered. I know that most of the powdered garlic in the world now comes from China, and is heavily spiked with M.S.G. (Monosodium Glutamate). If you like headaches, great, go with the powder.]
-Oregano.
-Sliced Onion Rings (For The Beef Sandwich)
-Ground Black Pepper.....I know a story from Marco Polo, that I'm sure that you would not be interested in, however, I can take this opportunity to point out, that Black Pepper was a common product in Southern China, prized in the North.
-Salt
-Mild vinegar
-Olive oil or Corn oil (go with the Corn oil), the others suck, royally, and leave a distinctive taste in one's mouth, that tells the memory circuits, that the food really sucked. Of course, no science here, just my opinion.
All three sandwiches, Chicken, Pork and thinly sliced Round Steak will use these ingredients in one form or another, plus sliced onion rings with the beef.
As long as we are talking about beef, I have to tell you that I won't buy beef in Hungary. I think that Hungarians became used to not having beef during the Soviet era, that they don't know what the different cuts are.
I think, that all the Sirloin, Round, Filets and Porter House cuts were sold for export and continue to be exported for cash. All that was left is that string of meat that runs along the spine and cuts that I don't recognize and the nastiest looking ground beef that I have ever seen anywhere in my life. The upshot is, I eat a lot of chicken and some pork. The fish is too tainted by sewage, chemicals and female hormones to even consider eating. Further, What is called "fresh" from the Mediterranean or else where wouldn't be fit for cat food in the States: anyway, I hate fish.
Okay, okay, I'm getting to it:
1. CHICKEN: This is an old Caribbean recipe Most people have forgotten how to prepare it. Not the old folks and not me) You can call it "Caribbean Chicken."
Spice and Preparation for one Chicken Breast
Make a paste by smashing (or however else you do it) of the garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt. The ratio I use say on a full filleted chicken breast is: six nice size cloves of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (I haven't really ever measured it), a teaspoon, or more, of oregano, and a 1/2 a teaspoon of the black pepper. The paste should be a little wet from the garlic.
Rub the spice paste on the skinned chicken breast and let it sit in a shallow bath of vinegar and oil over night. Next day, fry the seasoned and cured chicken in corn oil, over a medium flame until golden brown.
Cut or break up the chicken into pieces, serve on bread (roll, Italian loaf: your choice). I like it with Dijon mustard on one side, a little mayonnaise on the other. OR, no mayonnaise, OR, no mustard, with or without tomato and lettuce.
If prepared correctly, your mouth should start to water.
2. PORK: Call it a "Fidel" a "Che" call it anything, but don't call it a Cuban Sandwich. In the States, somehow it got the name "Cuban Sandwich" but it's, actually, Spanish in origin.
You'll need a shoulder or a hind roast. Coat the same herb paste all over the roast. Poke holes into the roast and stuff the paste deep into it. Make deep linear slices on the skin's surface rubbing the herb paste into the crevices.. I don't eat roasted pork skin, but you'd be surprised how many people love it. Wrap it up and put in into the frig until the next day.
Bake in a hot oven (350 F.) for approximately three hours. Watch out for the drippings. Turn the roast every half hour or so. Don't worry about burning or losing the skin. The roast is done, when the meat is light brown or white (depending on the cut).
Slice up the meat (I like it lean, some people actually like it with some fat..ugh). Serve it in a sandwich of roll or Italian bread. Some people like it with lettuce. Your call
3. BEEF: One Thin Lean ˝ lb. Round Steak (Serving for one)
Coat the Round Steak with,.........
Six cloves of smashed garlic,
1/4/ teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 -to- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Place it in a bath containing 3 tables spoons of vinegar, 1/4 cup of corn oil, and a few (?) tablespoons of water. Cover the steak with one sliced onion (rings). Put it away overnight, in a closed container. The following day, sauté the beef over a moderate flame in its own bath until the onions are very soft and translucent. (It would help if the meat is cooked too).
Serve in Italian or French Bread with the Sautéed onions and a few pieces of lettuce. This sandwich, if correctly prepared, is the best of them all and deserves to be called, "San Juan Beef" Sandwich.
You will need these ingredients:
-French or Italian Bread
-Garlic cloves [Garlic is very important: fresh never powdered. I know that most of the powdered garlic in the world now comes from China, and is heavily spiked with M.S.G. (Monosodium Glutamate). If you like headaches, great, go with the powder.]
-Oregano.
-Sliced Onion Rings (For The Beef Sandwich)
-Ground Black Pepper.....I know a story from Marco Polo, that I'm sure that you would not be interested in, however, I can take this opportunity to point out, that Black Pepper was a common product in Southern China, prized in the North.
-Salt
-Mild vinegar
-Olive oil or Corn oil (go with the Corn oil), the others suck, royally, and leave a distinctive taste in one's mouth, that tells the memory circuits, that the food really sucked. Of course, no science here, just my opinion.
All three sandwiches, Chicken, Pork and thinly sliced Round Steak will use these ingredients in one form or another, plus sliced onion rings with the beef.
As long as we are talking about beef, I have to tell you that I won't buy beef in Hungary. I think that Hungarians became used to not having beef during the Soviet era, that they don't know what the different cuts are.
I think, that all the Sirloin, Round, Filets and Porter House cuts were sold for export and continue to be exported for cash. All that was left is that string of meat that runs along the spine and cuts that I don't recognize and the nastiest looking ground beef that I have ever seen anywhere in my life. The upshot is, I eat a lot of chicken and some pork. The fish is too tainted by sewage, chemicals and female hormones to even consider eating. Further, What is called "fresh" from the Mediterranean or else where wouldn't be fit for cat food in the States: anyway, I hate fish.
Okay, okay, I'm getting to it:
1. CHICKEN: This is an old Caribbean recipe Most people have forgotten how to prepare it. Not the old folks and not me) You can call it "Caribbean Chicken."
Spice and Preparation for one Chicken Breast
Make a paste by smashing (or however else you do it) of the garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt. The ratio I use say on a full filleted chicken breast is: six nice size cloves of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (I haven't really ever measured it), a teaspoon, or more, of oregano, and a 1/2 a teaspoon of the black pepper. The paste should be a little wet from the garlic.
Rub the spice paste on the skinned chicken breast and let it sit in a shallow bath of vinegar and oil over night. Next day, fry the seasoned and cured chicken in corn oil, over a medium flame until golden brown.
Cut or break up the chicken into pieces, serve on bread (roll, Italian loaf: your choice). I like it with Dijon mustard on one side, a little mayonnaise on the other. OR, no mayonnaise, OR, no mustard, with or without tomato and lettuce.
If prepared correctly, your mouth should start to water.
2. PORK: Call it a "Fidel" a "Che" call it anything, but don't call it a Cuban Sandwich. In the States, somehow it got the name "Cuban Sandwich" but it's, actually, Spanish in origin.
You'll need a shoulder or a hind roast. Coat the same herb paste all over the roast. Poke holes into the roast and stuff the paste deep into it. Make deep linear slices on the skin's surface rubbing the herb paste into the crevices.. I don't eat roasted pork skin, but you'd be surprised how many people love it. Wrap it up and put in into the frig until the next day.
Bake in a hot oven (350 F.) for approximately three hours. Watch out for the drippings. Turn the roast every half hour or so. Don't worry about burning or losing the skin. The roast is done, when the meat is light brown or white (depending on the cut).
Slice up the meat (I like it lean, some people actually like it with some fat..ugh). Serve it in a sandwich of roll or Italian bread. Some people like it with lettuce. Your call
3. BEEF: One Thin Lean ˝ lb. Round Steak (Serving for one)
Coat the Round Steak with,.........
Six cloves of smashed garlic,
1/4/ teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 -to- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Place it in a bath containing 3 tables spoons of vinegar, 1/4 cup of corn oil, and a few (?) tablespoons of water. Cover the steak with one sliced onion (rings). Put it away overnight, in a closed container. The following day, sauté the beef over a moderate flame in its own bath until the onions are very soft and translucent. (It would help if the meat is cooked too).
Serve in Italian or French Bread with the Sautéed onions and a few pieces of lettuce. This sandwich, if correctly prepared, is the best of them all and deserves to be called, "San Juan Beef" Sandwich.
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