gulfporter

Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel. One of best I've tried here in Tucson

Shiitake and scallion pancake. A tad disappointing compared to what we get at Asian restaurants. But my dipping sauce perked it up.

Sorry for the pixelated pic! Shiitake pasta. EZ PZ used Udon pre-cooked noodles. Fresh basil and shaved parm to top.

Caneles. A few too many cul-blancs (white asses), but overall satisfied.

Blueberry Pie. Again. But the Peruvian berries I'm getting here in Tucson are quite nice and juicy!

Chilly weather calls for Chili. Chicken chili with cannellini beans, Rotel tomatoes, canned diced chilies. Topped with sour cream, scallions and cilantro. I bought an avocado but mi esposo ruled it was not ripe enough. He put it in a paper bag in the fridge and says it'll be ripe before we run out of leftover chili 🥑

I mentioned the dry pan method because we have a glass top electric stove here in AZ. When in MX I throw the tortillas directly on my gas burners a quick off and on. On the duck, brand is Maple Leaf Farms. I found it a tad tough the first few times I seared it (medium to med-high heat, 12 minutes). After research and trial/error, I now sear at low for 20 minutes, starting in a cold pan. I don't touch them during that time, other than to tilt the pan to spoon off (and reserve) the duck fat. Yesterday's result was the most tender with crispiest skin. I turn them over at the 20 minute mark for 3 or 4 minutes. Then I rest for another 7 minutes. It's not fast, but happy with outcome.

Last night I seared 2 duck breasts; one we made into a 'proper' dinner meal (see post in Dinner 2026). I saved the smaller 1 for today's lunch. fyi, I buy these at the Tucson grocery chain, Frys Foods; they come frozen 2 to a pack with no separation between them. Impossible to separate the breasts unless you thaw the entire pack. Lunch was the duck, fresh corn off the cob (surprisingly sweet for January), chopped green onions and cilantro. I quickly browned the flour tortillas in a hot and dry non-stick pan, immediately wrapping in foil to keep them soft. To assemble I slathered the open tortilla with hoisin sauce (and a few dots of siracha) before adding the fillings and rolling them up. We both agreed we liked this meal better than dinner last night.

Seared duck breasts. Dandelion greens sauteed in duck fat with white beans and shaved parm. Cherry chipotle dipping sauce.

Blackened salmon sandwich with tartar sauce and tomato on a toasted croissant.

Shrimp, poblanos and onions over cheesy and creamy polenta.

It's not a looker, but it tasted great. On New Years Day we are leaving for over a month so are going thru fridge/freezer to use up foods. Leftover charred tomatoes, leftover grilled asparagus, a previously cut shallot, 2 rashers of bacon. Tossed with fettuccine and grated parm. .

I usually buy a MXN orange liqueur (Salamander brand) to sip after dinner (a poor Señora's version of Grand Marnier). I ran out and didn't want to make the trek to my usual liquor store in the heavy holiday traffic, plus we're leaving for a month+ in a few days. When I stopped at our local grocery I was surprised to see a line-up of miniatures behind the cashier. I asked if any were 'de naranja' and she looked thru them and said wit a question mark, "este??" I had already held up the line long enough so I said, bien and bought it. It's quite nice! Not orange, but an interesting blend of citrus and spices, with big vanilla notes. Definitely sippable. I found this online description,

https://www.forkknifeswoon.com/bakery-style-cranberry-scones/ fyi, I did put a hefty sprinkle of sugar on the top before baking which was a suggested 'option' in the recipe.

This is why I often quit baking for months at a time ☹️ I followed the recipe to the letter; it resulted in the most sour scones ever made! The recipe emphasized to use fresh cranberries, not dried. I don’t crave overly sweet bakes, I sometimes reduce the sugar called for (as long as I think it won't impact the results). I used the full amount of sugar in this recipe. After they cooled, I removed the cranberries using a toothpick and in some cases breaking the scones open. You can see the holes left behind in my 2nd photo. I hate wasting food so will try to salvage these scones.

One would think after 15 years of part and full-time living in Mexico that I'd have learned not to panic and instead invoke the mantra, "usually everything in Mexico works out....eventually" I started shopping for oxtails (cola de res) early this week to be sure to have them since 2 chain MXN carnicerias departed our village a few years ago and the smaller shops can be hit or miss on pretty much any item. None found Tuesday thru Friday at either of 2 village shops. Staff saying "mañana" but with a question mark after it. Found a bounty of them today. Will pop in freezer until I instant pot them on Xmas Day. fyi, to price compare, they cost equivalent of USD $4.50 per pound; when I purchased in Tucson last winter I paid $12.99 a pound.

Another gorgeous label fom España. Tastes great, too.

Recipe says 'pour' into pan but mixture is very thick. I place in pan and even out the top. If using frozen berries add 5 minutes to bake time. I toast the pecas before adding. And I beat eggs and sugar 5 minutes because our MXN white sugar isn't ground very fine. I don’t think you can overbake this, so no harm in erring on the longer side of baking.

Cranberry Squares. I make them most every Xmas season. It wasn't easy finding fresh cranberries here in Central Mexico in mid-December. One of the 'gringo' markets imports them in October for CDN Thanksgiving, estimating what they'll be able to sell thru US Thanksgiving and Christmas. I got one of the last 2 bagsj crammed in the back of his freezer! We were in US thru mid-November and buying cranberries didn't cross my mind until a few days ago. Baking in my un-insulated and thermostat-less Mexican oven is a challenge. It managed to mostly hold the 350 degrees (it's recipes above that temperature that often fail). I added an extra 10 minutes to the 1 hour bake time as the last 2 attempts at this recipe had a dip in the center with some underbaking. We just took a taste and these are spot on!

Grilled salmon with 'green' sauce. It was a puree of arugula and cilantro (4:1 in favor of arugula) with serrano chiles, garlic, lime and olive oil. Sides were chunked grape tomatoes and Persian cukes, along side of (store- bought frozen) fried breaded medallions of espinaca and queso.

Fettuccine with bacon, shallots, charred grape tomatoes in a white wine reduction. I am making more pastas now that I boil a big bag of it very al dente then freeze in meal sized portions. I thaw ziplock in cold water then add to sauce to heat thru. Saves time and an extra pot to wash.

I use Bartenders Friend for stains in mugs. I always have it on hand for stainless steel sinks and my talavera toilet.

This is mi esposo's favorite mug. He had it made for his Dad a few years before my FIL died. His Dad used it daily. My husband is the child in the stroller and on his Dad's lap. The obverse shows my husband's grandfather as well as a favorite Uncle of his father. This was the only item mi esposo wanted from his Dad's house after he died