gulfporter

Lemme see. Chocolate (check ☑️). Marshmallows (check ☑️). Put it on a graham cracker crust and I'm all in. Can't believe no one's created a S'mores pizza before!

My version of Buffalo Chicken Salad. Arugula, halved grape tomatoes, seedless cukes, minced shallots tossed in bleu cheese dressing. Topped with slices of a crunchy fried chicken thigh (from carryout up the street). Doused with Mexican hot sauce.

Managed to score a bagged, sanitized salad mix. Labeled "Thai" the greens were great, but the dressing was way too sweet. We added siracha and it made a big difference. Bought some arrachera (marinated skirt steak) at a local market and very pleased with both the marinade and its texture and tenderness. It grilled up fast and stayed juicy. Made for a nice Thai-Mex steak salad after a few too many pasta meals at home and some heavy meals at restaurants the past few weeks.

Last week I grilled grape tomatoes to a fare-thee-well. Yesterday I grilled thin sliced zucchinis. Labor of love....about 8 minutes per side to get level of caramelization I wanted. Dinner was pasta with grilled shrimp and the zucchini. Simple "sauce" of olive oil, reduced white wine and small amount of chicken broth. Served with garlic bread and a lot of fresh grated parm.

Made 2 pulled pork MXN style sandwiches (avocado, pickled onions, salsa) and STILL have enough left for another 2 sandwiches.

My kind of dinner!

Delivery from local chef who cooks out of his home. A giant chamorro with tortillas, refritos, rice and pico de gallo. Chamorro is a slow-roasted pork shank in an adobo sauce. We shared half of it for dinner; enough leftovers for pulled pork sandwiches for today's lunch. Cost of meal including tax and delivery was 190 pesos (just over 10 bucks USD).

Seared tuna, made into soft tuna tacos. Tacos included wasabi mayo, pickled onions and fresh avocado.

Yesterday mi esposo was in a Chocolate Mood. He's as lazy as I am at times, so he made two different 3 ingredient recipes. Both sound weird but are tasty and successful He's made this one several times and it always works; neither of us can discern the pumpkin flavor and neither could any guests who tasted it before we told them the ingredients. It is less like cake and more like a firm mousse (if you let it warm to room temp); we eat it straight from fridge and it's more like a sliceable truffle. Instead of using a blender to smooth it, it's faster/easier to use a stick blender in the mixing bowl. He pours it into a plastic storage container to firm and to keep. https://kirbiecravings.com/3-ingredient-no-bake-chocolate-cake/ He made this microwave chocolate mug cake for the first time. Given there is no flour in it, it did indeed come out like a cake and very choclatey. https://kirbiecravings.com/3-ingredient-chocolate-mug-cake/ Sorry no pic of the mug cake, but it looks like what you'd expect....we topped it with whipped cream. Here's picture of slice of the no bake "cake."

I don't think we use knives while eating more than once a month at home. Our protein of choice is seafood, usually salmon and shrimp. I sear tuna steaks for soft tacos, but I slice the steak and prepare the tacos in the kitchen. We love grilled racks of lamb, but I carve into chops in the kitchen and plate. We gnaw on the grilled chops out of hand (how gauche!). I grill pork tenderloin but these days they are so skinny, after I rest them, I slice and serve the slices on our plate that are just a one bite deal. We love chicken. I often buy rotis chicken and debone and make into a recipe (if you need a knife for a rotis chicken you're buying it at the wrong place ☺️). I have BBQ chicken and also wings delivered, both of which we eat of of hand (with lots of napkins!). We have pizza at least once a week either delivered, carryout or I bake a Costco frozen Detroit pizza. No knives needed other than to slice the Detroit pizza before eating. Other meals at home are pasta, omelets, hashes, soups and stews. I grill burgers (beef, lamb, Italian sausage) a lot in summer, too. Our table/steak knives come out for chicken sheet pan dinners and an occasional meal of arrachera (marinated skirt steak).

I managed to hold 3 to 4 lined up in my palm at a time to skewer. Didn't take that long, but worth the effort.

This was my best attempt yet at a decent char on grape tomatoes; skewering made them sit still (when loose, I picture them dancing around the grate when the grill hood is down). Pasta was surprisingly a French import (from an Italian family so the story goes). We get a lot of EU goods at our MXN stores; I had assumed the pasta was from Italy as most are. It was a good pasta and I'd buy it again. Easy meal to put together since I had grilled the shrimp earlier in the day.

Any orange liqueur can be used in margs, including this one. This brand is popular at liquor stores, sometimes it's the only orange liqueur in smaller shops.

Never a big fan of margaritas (other than Tamarindo ones). In recent years I enjoyed Ranch Water which is similar (but far better) than a margarita. After awhile I realized what I REALLY liked was the orange liqueur. So that's my after dinner drink now, sipping on a shot glass of it. Yes, I've had the Real Deals like Grand Marnier and Contreau, but my fave locally is this one. Price 98 pesos ($5.25 USD). Accompany with a square of dark chocolate and that's one great dessert.

First full day back in Ajijic after 5+ weeks in AZ which included surgery that ended well with a good pathology report. Celebrated our return at a Hole In The Wall place within a 10 minute walk from home where we've enjoyed many MXN meals. I had enmoladas de pollo, chicken (no cheese or other stuff inside, just white meat chicken) stuffed into in-house corn tortillas, smothered in the best molé sauce outside of Oaxaca. So much chicken in it, I could only eat two, brought the 3rd one home for a future snack. Mi esposo had an arrachera baguette (marinated skirt steak) that was huge; he couldn't finish all the fries (took them home, too!).

We stayed in Montepulciano as we drove around Tuscany and Umbria about 10 years ago. So hilly! Not only good wines, but great foods too.

Most recipes say 8-10 minutes to sear duck breast skin side on med high. A week+ ago time I found recipe that said sear, starting with a cold pan, on med low 15-20 min. and it was better. Today I read, sear till NO more fat rendered on low. I did, and it took 25 min. Then I flipped for 5 in. Then rested 7 min. Best we've had as far as crispy skin AND tender meat. Meat a little pinker than picture, but way more cooked than usual, and way more tender. In Tucson I buy frozen, pack of two at a Fry's Supermarket for $16. They aren't huge, but I serve 1 for the two of us, supplement with larger sides of veg, carbs.

I added crushed garlic (I buy the frozen Dorot brand) to olive oil, brushed on sliced bread (happened to be a sour dough). Because I was grilling the lamb, I put the bread on the 'bun rack' of the grill. Have to watch closely! Let them cool completely, then cubed them.

My pork tenderloin went a few minutes too long on the grill. Still tasted good, had been marinating in chipotle overnight. Side was leftover white bean, tomato salad in pesto with homemade croutons. Cherry-chipotle dipping sauce. The tail end was very thin and it was over-cooked. We sliced off the thicker end for lunch; will simmer the other pieces in bbq sauce for sandwiches later in week.

I was alcohol-free for 2 weeks prior to a recent surgery. Making up for it now. This was a better than average Pinot Noir.

I used this recipe as a guide to make lamb pistachio burgers for grilling. I hand blended crushed pistachios and the other ingredients with ground lamb. Came out very well, used his sumac yogurt as topping. https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/recipes/lamb-pistachio-patties-sumac-yoghurt-sauce