The Final Night: Tacos al Pastor with Jicama Slaw

All good things must come to an end. After 3 years and over 170 posts, my time in Houston had reached its conclusion. Despite the mad dash to get everything finished and loaded up in time coupled with my predisposition to worry (thanks, Mom!), I still needed one last (slightly scaled back for our standards at least) cooking adventure with Kevin.

Our final night of culinary bliss (I'm gonna miss my kitchen husband) was a laid back affair with one final order of tacos, some Scotch, and several Mario scores being settled.

This bottle of Blue Label was opened to celebrate starting my job in Houston. We finished it three years later to mark my last night. The picture is made all the more sentimental by the odd sock in the background and the Netflix envelope from when I finally mailed in the DVD I had for an amount of time I'd rather not specify.

There was a lot going on, and I wanted to enjoy everything. As a result, I didn't really chronicle the recipes (nor did we really attempt to adhere to any), but if you'd like to try to make these I suggest the following:

Tacos al Pastor

I'm gonna miss you, HEB, and your never-ending supply of fantastic meats.

We cheated a little for this one. As we did not decide until the day of that this is what we were going to make, we did not have time to properly marinate the pork overnight to achieve optimal tenderness. Instead we got some always superb HEB pre-marinated pork and added a spicy blend based on this Food Network post. Let that marinate in the fridge for another 1-2 hours then grill. Top with grilled pineapple, onions, and cilantro.

Whether meat, veggies, or fruit, Kevin's grilling skills are second to none.

The tacos were amazingly tender and grilled to perfection with a great kick. I love the pairing of pineapple and pork, and this really hit the spot for a final, fairly easy to put together dinner.

Jicama Slaw

The basis for our jicama slaw came from this Cooking Channel recipe. In our haste, we did not buy any red cabbage, so it was left out, which I think helped the jicama stand out even more. For the dressing, just add enough so that it wets all the ingredients in the slaw. You don't want it soaked. The result was a wonderfully refreshing side that went well with the pineapple component of the tacos.

Thanks to a belly full of deliciousness (and some of Dennis' Mandarina Wheat) I was able to sleep surprisingly well before my semi-cross country excursion. I can only imagine that Kevin broke down in an avalanche of tears as my car pulled away. The next few days featured stops back home for my mom's amazing milanesa and Hi-Do Bakery's otherworldly croissants, being super bored driving through Alabama, getting free food at the world's fanciest hotel in Atlanta (yes, I will take a peppermint mocha while I wait to check-in), and finally arriving home to the world's happiest dog and girlfriend.

Stay tuned as I eulogize my time in Houston with my Best of Texas rankings.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Café du Monde Cupcakes

For my final Houston baking feat, I was going to have to return to the dessert that began it all- cupcakes.  Aside from raising the blood sugar levels of my coworkers, I was also hoping to give Minh a thank you for the awesome Bánh Mì Making Tutorial earlier in the week. The only logical solution was to turn Minh's famous Café du Monde Cake into convenient hand-held form.

Café du Monde Cupcakes
Modified from the Previously Seen Cake

Batter that doubles as coffee delivery system

Servings: 24 cupcakes
Time: 75 minutes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, peeled and chopped well
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp Cafe du Monde coffee powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup brewed Cafe du Monde Coffee (you can add milk to get total volume)
1 Batch previously seen Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting
Nutella

It's clearly very important to be consistent with your Nutella scooping...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk the flour, well chopped hazelnuts, baking powder, salt, and coffee powder together in a large bowl. Set Aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
5. Mix in the vanilla extract.
6. Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and brewed coffee in 2-3 batches until just mixed.
7. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
8. Fill each ~ 1/3 full with batter.
9. Add in a spoonful of Nutella.
10. Top with additional batter so the liners are ~ 2/3 full.
11. Bake for 14-18 minutes until the toothpick test comes back clean (be careful not to hit the Nutella center).
12. Let cool on wire racks.
13. Make the amazing Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting. If you're using Nutella, stay on the light side of added powdered sugar, because it already has a lot. If you use the hippie Hazelnut Butter that I did err toward the high side.
14. Find a skilled cake decorator to make up for your cupcake tips being in a box halfway across the country.
15. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with hazelnuts.

Sadly, despite already having what is essentially frosting on the inside, they still require topping.

Using my vast scientific knowledge to construct a shrinking ray to bring the Café du Monde cake to its tinier form was a success. The use of gluteny flour definitely proved to be quite the step up from the gluten-free cake I had previously made, which had a weird, falling apart consistency (but still tasted damn good). Once again, this perfectly mimicked the Cafe TH original's flavor. Sure it may have lacked the traditional ice cream scoop accompaniment, but it more than made up for it with the Nutella center of awesomitude.

Michaela's piping skills are second to none

I was worried that the cupcakes were going to have to impress with their taste alone. The great move meant a lot of my baking supplies were either donated or already sitting in Charleston, and shockingly Kevin does not have a single piping tip of his own. Fortunately he has excellent taste in girlfriends/decorators, and Michaela was able to make the best out of a just a ziploc bag with the end cut off.

The Nutella tends to sink toward the bottom, but it magically always finds its way to your mouth.

Between these cupcakes and the amazing Snickerdoodle Nutella Cookie Cake, I think I helped cement my legacy in Unipixel company lore. My last day was full of free good-bye coffee and lunch, as well as careful monitoring of the rapidly depleting dessert supply in between siting with my feet up on my cleaned out desk. I may have been slightly hurt that no one grabbed my leg in an attempt to keep me from leaving, but it was a great 3 years of entering the real world. Now, it's time to scour my myriad cookbooks  as I make use of my abundant free time until employment begins anew.

Despite being my favorite cupcake and a wonderful self-portrait, my coworkers neglected this cupcake to last due to lack of frosting goodness.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Eggless Snickerdoodle Nutella Cookie Cake

For my final day of work,  I needed to really hit my coworkers hard with the reality that I was leaving. One last time, I was going to have to delight them with my baked goods and really put the pressure on Kristina, the young, up and coming chemist/baker in the office (clearly I started a trend).

Since I had nothing to worry about the night before other than continuing my recent, improved Smash Bros. play, I decided to make two final delectable entries in my quest to cause our company's insurance premiums to go up. After much careful consideration, it was determined that Nutella was going to help me make it extra memorable.

First up was supposed to be my go-to eggless snickerdoodle cookies now filled with Nutella, but fate and my attention span had other plans.

Snickerdoodle Nutella Cookie Cake

Adapted from the Previously Seen Cookie

Servings: 1, 9" round cookie cake

Time: 35 minutes

Nutella Layer!

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar, 

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 tbsp sour cream

4 tbsp milk

2 tbsp vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2-3 tsp cinnamon

Nutella (lots)

Cinnamon Sugar combo for dusting

Failing to grease the pan may lead to structural damage 

1. Decide to make Nutella filled snickerdoodles. 
2. Give up after making one batch of cookies because it takes too long.
3. Have a eureka moment where you realize you can just make one giant cookie.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
5. Cream the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer.
6. Mix in the milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
7. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon until thoroughly incorporated.
8. Spray a 9" round cake pan.
9. Spread half the mixture in a layer in the pan.
10. Add a layer of Nutella.
11. Spread on the remaining mixture for a second layer (try to keep it between 1/2 to 2/3 full).
12. Dust the top with cinnamon and sugar.
13. Bake for 18-24 minutes. This will be tricky to tell because the snickerdoodles will rise up high while in the oven. Following removal, they will drop back down for an extremely dense cake.
14. Let cool. 
15. Frost if this isn't enough of a sugar bomb for you.

The single batch of cookies that were made. They were just as delicious.

The decision to turn this into a cookie cake may have been the greatest decision I ever made at my old company. The Nutella and snickerdoodle combined for an awesome, gooey cinnamon explosion that just might have been the best cookie cake I have ever had (take that mall cookie stands!). The dense (in both weight and flavor) cake provided the perfect change-up from typical dessert fare to really get my final baking adventure off to a killer start. Icing the cake with the leftover frosting from my other dessert may have been overkill, but no one seemed to notice, as the cake was gone before lunchtime.

Frosting- perfect for covering up cookie cake deformities and for that morning pick me up

Stay tuned for the for even more sugary, hazelnutty sweetness with Cafe du Monde Cupcakes.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Bánh Mì School with Cafe TH's Minh Nguyen

The grand teacher was so proud of his pupil's accomplishment

Everyone kept asking me if there were places I had to visit one last time before leaving. What was I going to miss the most? The only place that came to mind (and that I visited at least twice a week this last month) was the char-grilled Vietnamese wonderland known as Cafe TH.

The story of how everyone falls in love with TH seems to always be the same. A friend brings them along after months of raving about it, and in short time the new TH fan is repeating the cycle and bringing in even more friends to succumb to owner Minh's unparalleled spirit and food (it's quite the grand pyramid scheme).

While I never got my name on a menu item like my TH-sires Trey and Scotty (of Trey Way and Gluttonous Ellis fame), I had a lot of great memories and meals there these past 3 years. Every Thursday, our friends would gather together for one of Minh's unbeatable 4-course prix fixe dinners (which we turned into 5 courses thanks to the Trey Way), but my fondest food memories involve the grand Saturday tradition I used to have when I lived a mere 2 minutes away for a year.

Each Saturday, I would wake up, work out, and travel to TH for the greatest bánh mì known to man, The Heart Throb, and then take the most glorious nap on the couch in front of the TV. This behemoth took everything that made bánh mì great and turbo charged it beyond safe levels. Double char-grilled pork combines with bacon, fried eggs, and the freshest ingredients in the best baguette this side of Paris for a satisfaction your stomach will never forget.

Before I left Houston, I wanted only one thing- to make my own Heart Throb. But in order to do that, I was going to have to learn the art of the bánh mì.

Bánh Mì School

All I was expecting from my bánh mì making request was watching Minh masterfully make sandwiches while telling me what makes them so damned delicious, but he had much greater things in store. I was going to learn about bánh mì by getting in the kitchen and making them myself. First up was watching Minh's padawan Maria assemble 6 sandwiches before I had time to blink. The skill was evident, and I had lofty expectations to meet.

Next up, we traveled to the kitchen where I got to live my dream of cooking like a professional chef. We needed fried eggs and bacon to complete our sandwich, and this hairnet wasn't gonna wear itself. I was a little worried that I overcooked the eggs as the pan was quite hot (and that I would commit some unforgivable health code violation), but the bacon came out perfect.

Minh knew better than to let me play with the majestic fire for the char-grilled pork, but he did let me play with his sharp knives and cut up the greatest food item known to man. It took everything in my power not to just shove it all in my mouth.

Now it was time to survey our ingredients- char-grilled pork, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, French butter (which every sandwich should be lucky enough to be graced with), pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapenos- all of which were fresh perfection. 

But we were going to need a vessel to transport all this goodness to my mouth, and a toasted French Baguette was just the ticket.

Maria was quick to let me know when I made a mistake. I could tell my uncanny natural abilities had her fearing she would be replaced. Too much pork, not enough carrots, and misplaced cucumbers were quickly corrected.

Exhausted, but relieved after 30 minutes of intense training, it was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Thanks to Maria's pointers, it looked so perfect. I almost didn't want to touch it, but since I knew what it was going to taste like, I was willing to destroy this masterpiece.

At last, I got to enjoy that first earth-shattering bite of my Heart Throb. As you can see, my fear of having overcooked the eggs was unwarranted. Not Pictured: me devouring it then laying back in my chair with my stomach hanging out, unable to move and making the other patrons uncomfortable.

Yet again, Minh had found a way to give me another memorable experience at his little oasis of awesome. Thanks so much for the years of good food, great times, and ruining my expectations for every restaurant I visit in the future. I'll be lucky to find another place with half the heart in Charleston.

And now, it's time to get to know the man himself (although the best way is always walking in those welcoming doors).

An Interview with the Prime Minhister of Bánh Mì

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you end up here today?

In short, I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit but really had no mastery of any skilled labor. So, when an opportunity knocked where I could work next to where I live, help grow in an area w/ potential, and become self sufficient then I seized it. I went with a ‘gut’ feeling vs. a sensible one.

What's the best part of owning TH?

The best part is definitely greeting & meeting new and regular customers w/ good energy. Connecting w/ ppl some how some way makes my soul more complete.

What's the secret to a good bánh mì? Is it love? I'm betting it's love. 

It’s the love! hmmm… Quality ingredients made fresh in a timely manner.

What's your favorite bánh mì? Favorite menu item? 

Generally speaking, I really like simple foods. This constantly changes but if I had to stick w/ a tried and true one, I’d say the char-grilled chicken and tofu w/ a hint of kim chi. Wait, that seemed to be complex. Again, my favorite menu item changes day to day, but I’d have to go with the pho. It’s incredibly nutrious and can do wonders for your soul.

How were my bánh mì making skills? 

Your skills were top notch. I’d have to say that you were valedictorian of your class.

Any big plans for the restaurant in the coming year?

I always have plans but how much of it gets accomplished is another. We shall see bc if it happens, I’m sure you will notice.

What does Houston's most eligible restaurateur look for in a mate? (from Kevin and probably every single woman who has ever set foot in TH)

.

I'm pretty sure this is what heaven looks like

Hmmm…where did you get these questions from?..lol…... other than the typical traits ppl look for, I’d add: empathy, competent, assertiveness, there’s an endless list but I feel like if you know, you know. Some sort of feeling you have and it’s somewhat explainable in a few words but not really.

When will you be expanding to Charleston?

Whenever you and Robin are ready. Gimme the green light.

Anything you'd like to add?

I’d like to say that this anchorman persona is quite impressive and should put your engineering career away. Thx for being a good pal, and I hope that Houston finds you again.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Shrimp Creole and Cornbread

As the countdown to the big move reached its final week, it was time to kick-off one last series of adventures in H-town. In order to make the last week as memorable as possible, I was gonna need a new kitchen, and my cousin Melissa presented the perfect opportunity. After years of being a neglectful relative, it was time for me to suck it up and drive out to suburbia for one final family catch-up session.  After two decades of gathering over our grandmother's incomparable cooking, the pressure was now on, and I was going to have to win Melissa, Kevin, Ryan, and Olivia over with the Cajun food of our hometown (and teach Olivia what Cajun means).


Shrimp Creole
Modified from Emeril 
Servings: 6-8
Time: 1 hour

The smell of sauteing veggies in Cajun cooking always wins

4 oz butter or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste
Tony Chachere's to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
Black pepper to taste
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Green onions, chopped for garnish
2 cups long grain white rice

1. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Saute the onions, peppers, and celery.
3. Season with salt and cayenne.
4. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste, and garlic. Season with salt, cayenne, oregano, Tony Chachere's, and black pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add in the chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer then let reduce for 20 minutes.
7. Splash in some Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
8. Thicken the mix with flour. Let cook for 3 minutes while it thickens.
9. Add in the shrimp and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until they turn orange and curl. Re-season to account for the shrimp.
10. Serve over cooked long grain rice and top with green onions.

One big pot of deliciousness

I was immediately taken aback by how nice and sparkly their kitchen was (complete with gas stove and awesome island). I almost felt bad for the mess I was about to make, but I figured the Cajun food coma would be enough to compensate and give me the time I needed to escape the damage. Clearly, I had made a mistake not upping my family game sooner.  The shrimp creole required an absurd amount of chopping, but then there was just a lot of time to hang around the aforementioned glorious kitchen and exchange stories about dance lessons, vacations, cooking adventures, and future plans.

Once dinner was finally ready, we were treated to a great reminder of the good old days back in Louisiana. The Shrimp Creole was really all about the glorious shrimp, as it wasn't overpowered by tomato as is too often the case. All the fantastic peppers and spices came together for a big, bold dish that hit the spot.

Cornbread

Modified from All Recipes

Previously sort of seen Here

Servings: 12

Time: 30 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 can of corn, drained

Olivia- The world's most talented sous chef (and the pickiest eater)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Convince a precocious 9 year old to do most of the work for you under the pretense of "teaching".
3. Mix all the ingredients except for the corn together in a bowl until smooth. 
4. Marvel that said child is far more skilled than you were at that age since no egg shell ended up in the mix.
5. Stir the corn in well.
6. Pour into a lightly greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean and the top has nicely browned.

It is also acceptable to forgo the rice and just pour the Shrimp Creole directly on top of the cornbread.

This sweet cornbread has been a go to for me for the past 3 years (Hey, what do you know? That's just when I moved back to Houston!), and it continued to amaze. I mixed things up this time by adding in the actual corn for some texture and added flavor (an idea I stole from Robin), and the decision proved to be a winner. More impressive than the golden cornbread, however, were Olivia's skills in the kitchen. I made about 5 times the mess she did (all those dance classes must have really helped her coordination), and she provided a perfectly smooth batter primed for making awesome cornbread.

The night was definitely a success and well worth the drive. It was great sharing a nice home-cooked meal with family on a Sunday night. It's a shame we can't do it again anytime soon, but I'm so glad we got around to it.

Cajun Cubanos

It's rare that a movie speaks to your soul, and even rarer when it manages to hit on just about every aspect of it. The magnificent foodie-porn film Chef combined my love of cooking with both my Cuban and New Orleans heritage for the most enjoyable and fun movie I've seen in quite some time (especially impressive given that I watched it on a plane). Immediately upon seeing it, I went about convincing Kevin he had to watch it, so we could quit our jobs and open up a food truck (At least 1/3 of that equation has now been completed. Stop holding out, Kevin!).

Finally, this Sunday we got together to watch the Saints dominate the Packers and did our best to reenact the movie in our fanciest guayaberas (or at least I did).

Would our Cajun spins on the most perfect sandwich (It's grilled cheese stuffed with pork!) provide us with all the mojo we needed to enjoy the Saints game, or would we learn that it's best to stick with tradition?

With enough prodding, I'm sure I could get Kevin to wear a guayabera. I mean he did wear nothing but Hawaiian shirts when we met.

The Ingredient List

Cuban Bread (see below)
Mojo Pork (see below)
Ham (we used maple glazed honey ham)
Prosciutto
Swiss Cheese
Havarti Cheese
Olive Salad (see below)
Mojo Spread (see below)
Remoulade (Previously seen here but with cilantro in place of parsley)
Kevin's mom's homemade pickles
Momma Kennair's fried shrimp
And most importantly- butter

1. Start calculating the cost of a food truck.
2. Decide it's far too expensive and that your friend's kitchen is "just as good".
3. Determine which of these 3 awesome sandwiches deserves your mouth's immediate attention. 
4. Recreate the stack-up as shown. I recommend putting the spread you pick on both pieces of bread.
5. Combine the two sides into proper sandwich form. Slather with butter.
6. Grill in a buttered skillet over medium to medium-low heat while applying pressure with a weight. Flip and repeat. We used a heavy cast-iron cover to weigh ours down, but you could be fancy and use an actual sandwich press.
7. Embrace your Cuban heritage in the most delicious way possible.

The Traditional

The Traditional Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (3 slices), Swiss cheese (3-4 slices), pickles, and Dijon mustard.

Now this was a sandwich. Our first attempt may have just been the greatest Cuban sandwich any of us had eaten (for the next few minutes at least). The mojo pork was fantastic, and Kevin's last second audible to add cloves paid off by really bringing complexity and uniqueness to the juicy goodness. His contributions to this sandwich's success weren't over, though, as his mom's homemade pickles were spot-on (and infinitely better than any store bought pickle I've ever had). Top it all off with poweful Dijon mustard, and this was all the joy that a Cuban sandwich is supposed to be.

This sandwich looked kind of like a sad duck following grilling and cutting. 

The Cuban Muffaletta

The Cuban Muffaletta Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (2 slices), prosciutto, Havarti (4 slices), olive salad, and mojo spread.

Our first Cajun fusion attempt managed the seemingly impossible by toppling our traditional sandwich in our personal rankings. The prosciutto added some extra New Orleans worthy decadence, while the Havarti proved once and for all that it should be the official cheese sponsor of sandwiches, and the mojo spread amplified everything that made the pork special. The MVP (can you tell I'm writing this while watching the World Series), however, was the distinguishing factor of any good Muffaletta- the olive salad (I really need to figure out how to get giardiniera in my life). Marrying together the best aspects of a Cuban sandwich with those of a Muffaletta produced the gold standard for all future sandwiches, and has surely ruined us for life.

I'm jealous of this picture because it has olive salad and I do not.

The Cuban Po' Boy

The Cuban Po' boy Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (2 slices), Havarti cheese (4 slices), fried shrimp (~10),  pickles, and remoulade.

My original vision of my hypothetical Cajun fusion food truck with Kevin was the Cuban Po' Boy. As a kid, my favorite Po' Boy was always the fried shrimp, and no one made better fried shrimp than my Cuban mother (full circle fusion!). After stealing the secret family recipe she keeps locked in a safe at the bottom of a bayou (read: calling my mother), I was ready to tackle the defining food of my childhood. While the end result was quite good, they did not manage to reach the heights I'm used to as the nice mustard finish was noticeably absent, meaning I'll probably need to train under my mother's tutelage until I perfect it. The sandwich itself was still pretty great, but it suffered from an overabundance of meat (yeah, I didn't know that was possible either), making it slightly dry. Future attempts at the Cuban Po' Boy will likely need either removing one of the ham or pork, using thinner pork, or really lathering on the remoulade.

Despite being absurdly full, we found ourselves still picking out and eating all the shrimp.

Between the Saints finally looking good and non-stop amazing sandwiches, Sunday was a resounding success and surely proved beyond any reasonable doubt or logical thought that a Cajun fusion food truck needs to be in our future.

All the Recipes You'll Need

Cuban Bread
Recipe from Taste of Cuba
Servings: 4 loaves
Time: 3 hours (plus 1 day for starter)

Starter
3/4 tsp active dry yeast (1/3 envelope)
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup bread flour

Dough
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 envelopes)
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water, divided
4 tbsp vegetable shortening, room temp
1/2 batch starter 
1 tbsp salt
4-5 cups bread flour
Kitchen twine, dampened

The best and fanciest bread I have made yet. The slightly extra work involved with making a starter really pays off.

1. The day before you plan to make the bread, mix up the starter by dissolving the yeast in the warm water. Then mix in the flour until a thick paste forms. Cover with plastic wrap and "ripen" in the fridge for 12-24 hours (the longer the better).
2. The day of, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3 tbsp water in a large bowl. Allow 5-10 minutes for a foam to develop.
3. Mix in the vegetable shortening, remaining water, salt, and 1/2 batch of the starter you made yesterday. 
4. Be kind of sad that you still have 1/2 a batch of starter that will never see its lifelong dreams of being bread come to fruition.
5. Add flour in 1 cup at a time and mix well with the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer. Continue adding flour until you have a workable dough that is not sticky. 
6. Let the dough hook knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until elastic, or knead it yourself on a lightly floured surface.
7. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until it doubles (~ 45-60 minutes).
8. Separate into 4 equally sized balls. Roll out each into a long tube (~8-12 inches) and place on baking sheets spaced at least 6 inches apart. 
9. Cover with damp paper towels and let rise for another hour until they double again.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
11. Place dampened pieces of twine in cool patterns on top of the dough. 
12. Bake until tops are brown and it sounds hollow when tapped (25-30 minutes), rotating once during.
13. Let cool on wire racks and remove the strings.
14. Turn into ridiculous Cuban sandwiches.

Muffaletta Olive Salad

Adapted from Cooking for Two 

Time: 5 minutes (plus a day)

3/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives
1/4-1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup giardiniera
2 large pepperoncini
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Drain all the ingredients.
2. Chop finely, mix in the pepper, red chili flakes, lemon juice and olive oil, and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.

Mojo Spread

Adapted from The Cooking Channel

Time: 5 minutes

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth like your sweet Cuban dance moves.

Mojo Pork

Adapted from Tyler Florence

Time: 1 hour

How could that not turn out awesome?

2-3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or tenderloin

Salt

Pepper 

Red chili flakes

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed

1 onion, sliced

1 cup orange juice

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

Cloves

So tender and juicy and delicious

1. Cut the pork into 4-5 pieces. Season well with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
2. Saute the garlic, onion, and chili flakes in olive oil in a pressure cooker on the brown setting until fragrant and soft
3. Brown the pork on all sides. 
4. Add the orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and cloves. Cover and set the pressure cooker to high for 40 minutes. 
5. Follow all the safety precautions and wait for the pressure to be released before opening. 
6. Lightly pull the pork into large, juicy chunks.

Momma Kennair's Fried Shrimp

2 eggs, scrambled

Milk

Mustard

Soy Sauce

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Shrimp, peeled and deveined

Oil for frying

One day I will properly honor your fried shrimp, Momma Kennair.

1. Heat oil to 375 F.
2. Mix the eggs, milk, mustard and soy sauce into one bowl and the flour and spices into another.
3. Dip the shrimp in the liquid mixture with one hand and into the powder mix with the other. Shake off excess batter.
4. Fry until golden brown (~ 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. You can store these in an oven set to 200 F for later if needed.

Lazy Sunday: Korean Short Rib and Kimchi Tacos

On this rare occasion of actually being home on a Sunday with nothing to do aside from trying to meld with my couch, I realized that I needed something equally lazy to make. Following some of Cafe TH's addictive Vietnamese tacos for lunch Saturday, I decided to stay with the Mexican-Asian Fusion theme of my weekend and to revisit an old friend long neglected since I left L.A.- the powerful and pungent kimchi.

Would having to go to two stores for supplies ruin my lazy Sunday? Would my tacos burn after their wonderful aroma lulled me into a deep sleep?

Korean Tacos
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Servings: 10-12 tacos
Time: 5 1/2 hours (inactive for 5)

The super packed braising liquid

Slow Cooker
10 oz pear juice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 white onion, sliced
4 tbsp ginger, minced or grated
1 1/2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup gochujang (which I couldn't find so I used Korean BBQ Marinade)
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil

You'll somehow find room for the meat

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 pear, peeled, cored and grated
5 lbs beef short ribs on the bone
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola or peanut oil

Serving
Flour tortillas
Kimchi
Cilantro
Sriracha
Jalapenos
Pear slices
Sriracha

1. Combine the pear juice, garlic, onion, ginger, jalapeno, brown sugar, gochujang (or Korean BBQ marinade), mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce and grated pear together in a slow cooker. Cover and turn to high.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat a large pan over medium. Add oil and brown each side of the short ribs until a crust forms (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may have to do this in shifts. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.
4. Add the short ribs to the slow cooker. Cover and let cook over high for 5 hours until tender and falling off the bone.
5. Take the ribs out from the slow cooker. Lightly pull the short ribs, removing the bones, excess fat, and connective tissue. You may want to let the fat separate out from the liquid before adding it back to the short ribs, or you may end up with an overly oily taco.
6. Serve in a flour tortilla topped with kimchi, cilantro, jalapeno slices, pear slices and sriracha.

Short ribs at their tender finest

I don't even know where to begin with these titans of the taco realm. The short ribs themselves were fall apart tender, but also maintained a lot of moisture and flavor on their own without the need for additional liquid. But that is not to say that you should ignore the braising liquid as it is a treasure trove of amazing (again, just make sure you separate out some excess oil). The dominant flavor is a wonderful sesame and soy combo highlighting the Korean origins, while the cooked down onion and jalapenos are perfect at delivering all that soaked up goodness. It only got better with the toppings, as the kimchi really stood out with the powerful, spicy, tangy and crunchy fermented cabbage, while the pears added even more juiciness and freshness, and the sriracha helped cement a wonderful lip-tingling spiciness. If only all Sundays could be like this.

Works even better with HEB Southwest Tortillas