Bread #2

Pan de tierra incomoda' or loosely translated: 'rough country bread'

This is a chewy bread (that's how it's described on this old recipe card)-

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1-1/2 cps warm water
3 cps. sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cp. masa trigo....this is a high gluten flour [sub: bread flour]
1 tsp salt
2 tsp masa harina
1 tsp coarse grind cornmeal

esponja
1. mix together: yeast, 3/4 cp of water and 1 cp unbleached flour, blend well. Cover with warm towel and set in a warm, dark spot. Allow dough to rise, double in size, about 30-40 min.
2.stir in the trigo, salt and remaining water. Slowly add remaining unbleached flour until you have a slightly moist and manageable dough.
3. knead the dough on a board with flour and the masa harina. Work the dough with the base of your hands for 6-7 minutes. form dough into ball
4. place ball in a lightly oiled, deep bowl. Cover with warm towel and allow dough to again double in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. repeat steps 3 & 4
6. to keep this authentic, you will repeat steps 3,4,&5 two more times. Now's the time to start that novel you've been thinking about.
7. Finally, knead the dough one last time for 5 min.
Divide the dough in half. Form into football (USA) shapes. Lightly coat with clarified butter or canola oil
8. place each in it's own greased 8"-9" layer cake pan
9. Sprinkle each with remaining masa harina and cornmeal...cover and allow to set for 30 minutes.
10. Pre-heat oven to 500...yep, 500!
11. place an oven proof bowl half filled with cool water on lower rack. As soon as you see steam rising -
12. put bread into oven on upper rack.
13, bake bread for 15 min. keeping an eye on the water, adding more if necessary.
14. reduce oven temp to 400, cook for 15 min.
15 as soon as the loaves are a nice, brown color, remove from oven.
16. outer crust should be slightly 'separated' from rest of bread
17. allow to cool. Outer crust very crunchy. Middle, slightly firm and chewy.
Enjoy!

Give me a pan, I'll give you bread

Both of these breads or pans, have their orgins lost to the past. But, both of these breads are seeing a 'rebirth' in our east and west coast upscale restaurants. I tried to find the oldest versions of these recipes. But I just saw TV super-chef Bobby Flay make his version of this one on his Super-Bowl show as an accompaniment for chili.

Bread #1

Fry Bread
3-4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cp masa harina
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbl sweet butter
[1/2 tbl Cal, 1/2 tbl corn starch] This took a little research, but, if you can't find Cal, use 1 tbl baking powder instead of the Cal and starch.
3/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening or 1/2 cp canola or vegetable oil
(NOTE: this can be made healthy by using a light coating of shortening or oil on a cast iron flat pan)
2 cps warm water

1. mix together, by hand, all dry ingredients
2. crumble in the butter and blend well with hands
3. slowly add in the water, blending, until you get a dough that is soft yet mold able. If the dough does not hold together, add the water until it does. BUT, you do NOT want a 'wet' dough.
4. form the dough into a fat pancake and cover with fresh corn husks or plastic wrap.
5. Place in cool, dark area for 2-3 hours or in your refrigerator for 1-1 1/2 hours.
6. When ready to use, put shortening/oil in deep cast iron skillet. Heat on med. high.
7. cut the dough into several golf ball size pieces and on a floured surface roll out each piece in an oblong or football shape about 1/4 inch thick.
8. test the oil by dropping a small piece of dough into it. If the dough floats and bubbles, its ready.
9. slowly lower the dough into the oil away from you. Fry only two at a time.
10. Keep moving the dough around and turning it slowly until it is a golden brown on both sides. Remove immediately.
11. Allow to cool and drain.
12. With soups, stews, chili's, chowders. Dip it into good honey or balsamic vinegar or dark olive oil. ENJOY!!

The Sonoran cocina

If you want to keep it traditional, here are some items:
As much terra cotta cooking and bake ware as you can use: casseroles, pots, etc.
A variety of substantial wooden utensils-
Several cast iron dutch ovens, skillets, and sauce pans-
If you can find one, a paella pan.

Several varieties of dried peppers, fresh peppers. Face it, if you 'wuss' down Sonoran cuisine, you can't really call it Sonoran anymore. Shame on You!
Yellow onions and cebolla onions,
A lot of fresh garlic, if it comes out of a factory container, fresh it ain't!
Roma tomatoes, tomatillos, and nopalitos, cilantro, sweet peppers-
Kosher or sea salt, peppercorns to grind for full black pepper taste-
dried thyme, rosemary, oregano
Much Cumin!
potatos, any variety-
chicken, beef, and vegetable broths
flours: pozole', masa harina, UNbleached all purpose flour, whole wheat flour-
a variety of dried beans-

This will get you started.....

Easy as falling off a yucca-

This is one of the older recipes in my scattered collection. These are are good for a filling and quick energy lift.

1/2 cp coarse ground yellow corn meal
1/2 cp pozole' flour [this may require a search. I make my own. I buy dried hominy and using my indispensable coffee grinder, grind the hominy into a flour]
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne (sub: a very good chili powder)
1 tsp good honey
1-2/3 cp canola or vegetable oil [do not use olive oil] (sub: use a 0 trans fat vegetable shortening)

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl
2. heat 1 cp of oil
3. add rest of oil and honey to dry mix....blend well
4. with some flour on your hands roll 1 tsp of mixture into balls or footballs or any geometric shape that excites you...set on floured surface.
5. test oil...drop a small amount of mixture into oil..if starts cooking, its ready!
6. slowly put 'balls' into hot oil (you know what I mean!)
7. stir with spider or similar utensil until the corn balls turn a light golden brown. This could take less than a minute.
8. place on paper towels [option: drizzle with remaining honey while still warm]
9. enjoy!

Sonoran Clambake

Something for one of those long-sleeve t-shirt nights with good frineds or A Good Friend.

1-28 oz can Almejitas or baby clams, drained & rinsed...place in bowl
6 oz Masa Harina or Masa Pozole' (sub: unbleached flour)
5 oz any good egg substitute
1 oz Mexican Chorizo, chopped (sub: tomato paste with cayenne pepper)
2 oz vermicelli or angel hair pasta cooked just al dente'
1-2 med. sweet peppers-diced. try to use different colors of peppers
1/3 cp cilantro-torn, not chopped (sub: Italian parsley)
1 tbl dried rosemary
1 tbl cumin
3 tbl canola oil or a good olive oil-not extra virgin.
Kosher/Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Clam coating: masa to egg to masa, gently shake off excess.
3. Put pasta and half of oil in oven proof dish. Actually a nice terra cotta bean pot or casserole would work well.
4. Add Chorizo, cilantro, peppers, & rosemary to pasta
5. Gently toss pasta mixture. Put in oven for 10 minutes, covered.
6. Add clams to pasta. DO NOT stir. Cover dish.
7. Cook for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350. Cook for 10 minutes. If pasta looks dry, add 1/3 cp water.
8. Sprinkle cumin over clams. Continue baking for 6-7 min.
9. Taste Time! Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve straight from the oven! A fresh salsa and chips work well.

NOTE: NEVER, EVER use that fine grind salt and pepper. Why? Because both have many chemical additives to add to it's shelf life. And YOUR Heart really doesn't need that crap!