By nando, on April 25th, 2011
The first time I made this dish I called it “Mexican Mac and Cheese.” However, after tasting it, I realized it was more reminiscent of the American Southwest (from Arizona to Western Texas) than of Mexico, so I changed the name. The inspiration came to me while trying to put a Mexican spin on traditional comfort food in honor of Cinco de Mayo. In a way, I guess it’s fitting that the dish is more American than Mexican since Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the U.S. than in Mexico (with the exception of Puebla).
I chose to cook my own beans, and to roast the peppers and the corn myself, but feel free to purchase canned versions if you’re interested in saving some time. The corn and the peppers can easily be roasted in the oven together (25-30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing/turning as needed), and if you start with canned beans, it will only take you 20-25 minutes to simmer them with the correct spices (I used my recipe for Cuban black beans, but feel free to use canned).
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Notes: You can cook the bacon while the water . . . → Read More: Southwest Mac and Cheese
By nando, on April 21st, 2011
Two slices from Randy’s Pizza: one Pepperoni and one Meatball
Let us start with a philosophical question: what is New York-Style pizza? Ask 100 people and you will get 1001 answers, but I seek to boil it down to the basics. In my world, the New York style of pizza is represented by three main things: hand-tossed dough, sold by the slice or whole, and the slices are big enough that they need to be folded in half to eat. It’s that simple.
If I have one pet peeve about NY-Style pizza (outside of NY, that is), it’s that everyone seems to have an opinion as to which establishment is more “authentic,” or who makes the best representation of a NY pizza, regardless of where you live. Those that have visited/lived in NYC know that there are probably tens of thousands of pizza joints, and they vary from amazing to downright disgusting. The important thing to remember is that you’re arguing over personal preference and taste.
As far as I’m concerned, Randy’s Pizza, a local chain, makes great NY-Style pizza. The slices are huge (as you can tell from the picture), and the crust is thin without being cracker-thin. The edges can have . . . → Read More: NY-Style Pizza in Durham: Randy’s Pizza
By nando, on April 18th, 2011
I’ve been out of the “game” for a bit, so I thought I’d come back with something bold: a grilled cheese sandwich that tastes like a jalapeño popper. I’m sure most of you have ordered jalapeño poppers at a restaurant, or bought some frozen version that you can bake/fry at home, so the flavors and textures should be familiar. Most poppers are cheddar and/or cream cheese-filled jalapeños that are then breaded and baked/fried, some of them even have bacon. I decided to roast the peppers before placing them in the sandwich because I thought the crunch of the bread would be more than enough crunch for the sandwich. To roast the peppers, just toss them in some olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast them in the oven (400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning as necessary). You can then peel, seed, and slice them.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 plus 7-8 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: Feel free to add some bacon, if you wish.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter (melted)
Cream cheese (just enough to smear on one piece of bread)
2 Slices Cheddar cheese
2 Jalapeño peppers, roasted and cut into strips
2 Slices Sourdough bread (or your favorite type of . . . → Read More: Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
By nando, on March 4th, 2011
Arancini (Italian for “small orange”) are small rice balls, usually stuffed with mozzarella, that are breaded and deep fried. I’ve also seen them called Suppli al Telefono, due to the long strands of mozzarella resembling telephone cords (no joke!), but that is more of a northern-Italian name. Traditionally, cooks would use left over risotto to make the arancini because, try as you might, it’s impossible to get reheated risotto to taste as good as when it’s just been made. I guess you can say they were invented more as a way to enjoy the leftovers than by a stroke of genius (though some may argue that point).
I was first introduced to arancini in the winter of 2000, when I spent four months in Sicily as part of a military deployment. We stayed in a town called Motta Sant’Anastasia, and there was (literally) a hole in a wall in town where you could walk up and get whatever the cook (an old Sicilian woman) had made that day. Though the menu varied daily, she always had arancini ready to be flash-fried and served piping hot! I found arancini all over Sicily, but I never had a better version than these. Most places . . . → Read More: Arancini
By nando, on March 1st, 2011
The in-laws were in town for a few days so we decided to have lunch at The Pit in Raleigh. The Pit is owned/operated by Pitmaster Ed Mitchell, who is well-known around these parts and even beat Bobby Flay in a rib throwdown. If you’re lucky, you will even see Ed roaming around the restaurant, stopping to talk to people eating at his restaurant (he even gave me the “secret” to his ribs on one of my visits there). The restaurant is exactly what you wouldn’t expect from a place called “The Pit,” as the restaurant is clean, modern, well decorated, and appropriately lit. If you ask people in The Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) for a recommendation on which Eastern North Carolina BBQ restaurant to visit, you will probably get quite a few of them that will suggest Allen and Sons, and quite a bit more that will tell you to avoid The Pit. Personally, I think The Pit gets a “bad” reputation because it’s “fancy.” Ask a person who complains about the Pit to tell you what they don’t like and you’re likely to hear the same thing: it’s too expensive or it’s . . . → Read More: Review: The Pit, Raleigh NC
By nando, on February 17th, 2011
Sorry for the lack of posting recently, but I just started working from 3:30pm to midnight and that makes it more difficult for me to cook as much as I used to. I’m whatever the polar opposite of a morning person is, so I usually wake up only to go plop down on the couch for a few hours, before finally having enough energy to make lunch (usually something out of the freezer). I need to be better about making time . . . → Read More: New Job + New Work Hours = Less Posting
By nando, on February 3rd, 2011
If you’re in Durham, NC, and you’re in the mood for a good Po Boy, make sure you stop by Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse on Route 55. Their fried shrimp Po Boy is the best one I’ve had, and that includes the ones I had all over New Orleans. The shrimp is barely breaded and it’s fried just long enough to crisp the breading and perfectly cook the shrimp (if I had to guess, I’d say the breading is a mixture of corn meal and flour). Adding a bit of Crystal hot sauce makes it that much more authentic and gives just enough cayenne flavor and heat to complement the ingredients.
I’ve also had their blackened shrimp, “yard bird” (chicken), and hanger steak Po Boys, all of which were very good to excellent, though I did find the potato salad to be a bit overdressed for my taste. The fries were crisp, thin, and wonderfully tasty, and the red beans and rice was flavorful, though I thought it lacked a bit of salt. I’m yet to try the cochon (pig) Po Boy because the fried shrimp is so good that I can’t bring myself to order . . . → Read More: Review: Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse
By nando, on January 22nd, 2011
I call them “indoor” ribs because they’re braised in the oven instead of cooked in a smoker or on an outdoor grill. They aren’t smoky but, what they lack in smoky flavor is more than made up by the tenderness and the great porky flavor that you get after a long, slow braise in the oven. I don’t say baked because even though no extra liquid is added, the ribs will release plenty of liquid on their own (thanks to the rub) and that liquid will help them braise when wrapped up in foil (I poured almost a cup of liquid from the foil pouch after cooking).
The key is to let the seasoned ribs sit in the refrigerator at least 8 hours prior to cooking. This will allow the salt to denature and firm up the meat. What results is a tasty meat that retains texture even though it’s so tender. One thing you do not want in ribs is for the meat to fall off the bone, so cooking them more than what I suggest will result in ribs that won’t hold on to the bone long enough to make the trip from the plate . . . → Read More: Indoor Baby Back Ribs
By nando, on January 18th, 2011
It’s NFL Playoff season and everyone knows that nothing says football more than buffalo wings and beer (especially during the Superbowl!). Buffalo wings are normally fried to ensure that they have a crispy enough skin to hold up to the sauce they are then drenched in. Most baked wings become soggy because by the time the exterior gets crispy enough the wings are overcooked and dry. I’ve found a way to bake them and get them just as crispy as fried wings but without adding any oil, which ensures that the wings are nice and flavorful, yet never greasy. This recipe allows you to enjoy your wings and not have to feel guilty about eating fried food.
The key to getting them crispy in the oven is to dry them out and to coat them in a bit of baking powder to ensure the skin blisters when baked. The easiest way to dry the wings is to first pat them dry, then season them and place them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). I guarantee you will never fry your wings again!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You . . . → Read More: Baked Buffalo Wings
By nando, on January 14th, 2011
Jake’s Wayback Burgers is a chain that just opened a location close to where I work; they are known for fresh (i.e. never frozen), hand-formed patties and their hand-spun milkshakes. I’d heard quite a bit of buzz concerning the new burger joint in town so I decided to give it a try.
The location is quite small, with maybe a dozen two-person tables and four stools at a counter. A coworker and I went at lunchtime on a Friday and every seat in the house was occupied and there was a line of 8-9 people waiting to order. After waiting in line about 10 minutes, we finally reached the registers and placed our orders. I ordered the Jake Cheeseburger (two patties and American cheese) with onion rings and my coworker ordered the Jake Burger with fries, plus a couple of drinks. All burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, ketchup, and mustard, plus you can add mayonnaise, grilled onions, mushrooms, and a few other toppings (I went with the included toppings but substituted grilled onions for the raw ones). We found a seat and waited for our food to be brought out to us.
The . . . → Read More: Review: Jake’s Wayback Burgers
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