Don't Cry For Me Argentina

“Are you sure you want to have a big dinner party on Saturday?” I typed.

But I knew what her answer would be before it landed in my inbox.

“Yes. I need to stay focused,” She wrote.

I knew because it was the same answer I would have given.

The simple truth of cooking is that it’s not always a means to an end. The act itself is what we seek.

In The Solace of Open Spaces, author Gretel Ehrlich writes of the healing power of the vast Wyoming landscape. She’d moved there after suffering a personal tragedy and found to her surprise that backbreaking ranch work woke her up rather than dulled her senses as she’d hoped. “The vitality of the people I was working with flushed out what had become a hallucinatory rawness inside me. I threw away my clothes and bought new ones; I cut my hair. The arid country was a clean slate. Its absolute indifference steadied me.”

This weekend my friend’s succor would be found closer than the red-earthed mesas of a high desert.

“Are you sure I can’t bring something?” I asked.

“I’ve got it covered. I roasted beets last night for empanadas.”


I pictured her in her yellow kitchen rolling out empanada dough on a floured counter top, reaching over to gently stir the filling sautéing on the stove; cutting circles from the dough, stuffing the discs, pinching the edges, baking. The slow, methodical process rounding off the edges of her worry.

These days the paychecks don’t quite stretch two weeks. An aging parent asks me now, “Are you a neighbor?” And so, those quiet moments in the kitchen caramelizing onions, shelling favas, stirring risotto, corral my thoughts. The unhurried, familiar tasks point me inward and leave me centered.

On this morning, a husband’s pathology results didn’t arrive as promised, a beloved daughter was leaving too soon for a year abroad, a son’s wife was in labor an ocean away and a father with all his blustery presence was arriving for a visit in the morning.

“I need to cook.” She said, simply.

And I understood.

Later, the warm embrace of friendship around the dinner table, laughter. As we raise our glasses to that singular good fortune, warm empanadas waiting, we both say a silent toast to effort well spent and the solace of counter spaces.


This recipe for Swiss Chard, Beet and Goat Cheese Empanadas comes from www.laylita.com.

12 medium size or 20 small empanada discs

4 small beets, peeled, boiled until tender and diced

1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

½ white onion, sliced

2 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbs finely chopped fresh oregano

1 egg, yolk and white separated and lightly whisked

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
2. Add the chopped swiss chard and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat, cool down and mix with the diced beets, crumbled goat cheese and chopped oregano.
4. To assemble the empanadas spoon the stuffing on to the center of each empanada disc.
5. Brush the inside edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, this is will help them seal better and keep the filling from leaking while baking .
6. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges, use a fork to help seal the empanadas.
7. Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give a nice golden glow when they bake.
8. Chill the empanadas for at least 30 minutes, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
9. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
10. Serve warm with Creme Fraiche Sauce

Creme Fraiche Sauce

Ingredients:

8 oz crème fraiche

1 medium sized bunch of mint, about ½ cup coarsely chopped

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves

1-2 serrano or other hot peppers, seeded

3 tbs lemon juice, about ½ lemon

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend well, the sauce will be very liquid after you blend it, but if you return it to the refrigerator it will thicken.

If you can find frozen empanada discs in California - please let me know where. If like me, you live in an area where empanada discs are non-existent, here is a recipe also from Laylita that is delicious and flaky.

Empanada Dough

Ingredients for 15 medium size or 25 small empanada discs:

3 cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 oz unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), cold and cut into 12 pieces

1 egg

4-5 tbs water

Preparation:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
2. Add the butter, egg and water until a clumpy dough forms.
3. Form a ball and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
5. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer to use later.

Blogs and Fog

We’re slowly getting the hang of this blog thing.

One of these days we’ll figure out how to do captions and get all the fonts the same size. The other key thing we need to remember to do is to take a photo of the finished dish. By the time the cooking is done, we’re thinking about a glass of wine and we’d rather dig in than dig out the camera. Such is the case with the following recipe.

We’re noticing a trend beginning to emerge with Holy Mole and that’s a distinct proliferation of Latin inspired dishes. It must have something to do with the unrelenting fog here on the Central Coast that has plagued us this summer. So, we tend to take refuge in our food. The sunny colors of citrus, smoked paprika and dried chiles substitute for absent sunsets. A little heat on our tongues transports us to balmier locales.

Last night we attended a tenth anniversary party for some old friends and basked in warmth of a different kind.

As we drove up the coastal valley to the couple’s hilltop ranch, I wondered, “Who will I know?”

Later, as I perused the buffet table heaped with offerings made with love and well wishes I realized it didn’t matter. That evening I was reminded again and again of the unifying force of cooking as new friendships were forged through common ground. Kinship with strangers was quickly established: A playful debate over the proper temperature for a new york strip, the magical properties of true Chimayo chile, an oral recipe swap by firelight, ferreting out the secret ingredient in a perfect chocolate chip cookie.

When the full moon rose and the campfire faded we prepared to leave. Nearby, a new mother juggled infant twins. As we drove down back down the dusty road I wished for these babies that they are graced in life by friends who celebrate the warmth of these little moments.

These carnitas are warming and satisfying and if you can talk your partner into washing the dutch oven when it’s time to do the dishes you should consider yourself lucky. You’ll see in the photo an overnight soak might be in order. Fortunately, the results are well worth the dirty pan.



I’ve been making the accompanying Avocado-Tomatillo salsa all summer long. Its sunny zip compliments any taco perfectly and the leftovers are wonderful on eggs the next morning.

Tacos of Carnitas Roasted with Orange, Milk, and Pepper
Adapted from a recipe by Deborah Schneider
Amor y Tacos: Modern Mexican Tacos, Margaritas, and Antojitos

Schneider writes, “Pork cooked this way is moist and succulent, sweet from the natural caramelization of the milk, with the slightest hint of orange and black pepper. For an over-the-top garnish, crumble chicharrón (fried pork skin) on the soft roast meat for a porky, crunchy textural contrast.”

Serve the carnitas with warm corn tortillas, a raw tomatillo avocado salsa, and extra onions and cilantro if desired.


Serves 6

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (butt) or boneless country pork ribs
1 tablespoon peanut oil, olive oil or lard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 orange, well washed, cut in half
1 cup whole milk
About 2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Warm corn tortillas

Tomatillo-Avocado salsa, recipe follows





1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the pork into 6 or 8 pieces. Heat oil or melt the lard in a heavy Dutch oven just large enough to hold the meat in one layer. Brown the meat on all sides and season with salt. If needed, brown the meat in batches, removing to a bowl as you rotate all the pieces in. Don’t overcrowd or the meat will steam instead of brown.
3. Squeeze the orange over the meat and toss the rind into the pan. Pour the milk over the meat and add enough water to almost cover the meat. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
4. To finish, uncover the meat and break into into largish pieces. Remove the orange rind and discard. (note: I usually spoon some of the liquid off at this point if there’s a large quantity left in the pan) Roast, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes, turning the meat with tongs occasionally to encourage even browning. Cook until the meat is brown and crisp on the edges.
5. To assemble the tacos, fill a warm tortilla with shredded pork. Top with avocado tomatillo salsa, a little of the chicharrón if using, and finish with generous amounts of onion and cilantro.

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa





10-12 large bright green tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed well, chopped.
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, leaves chopped (about a cup’s worth after chopping)
2-3 large, ripe Hass avocados, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced. (or more to taste)
Juice of one lime
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients gently in a large bowl. The salsa can be made a couple of hours in advance. Refrigerate and allow to return to room temperature before serving.