Tags
beef broth, bell peppers, capers, diced tomatoes, dry white wine, Garlic, green olives, Ground beef, Onions, raisins, sherry vinegar, Spices, tomato paste
Every Cuban woman (or man, I suppose) knows how to make Picadillo. It’s quick and delicious, but it’s never as good as “mami makes”! Some things transcend cultures, don’t they? I learned how to make this from my mother-in-law and from The Latin Lover’s great-aunt, both damn fine cooks. It’s a very valuable recipe to have. Continue reading
I had some mini-pepperoni that just seemed like they would be a nice addition to some lean ground beef…I was thinking maybe a taco-like thing, but The Latin Lover said, “We haven’t had meatloaf in a while. I love meatloaf”…well, what more could a Goddess want to hear? 
Sloppy Joe’s were always my birthday request when I was but a wee one. I still love them. My mother made hers with tomato soup, but I tend not to use canned soups…I think it might just be a bit of snobbery on my part, because there really was a reason I asked for them every year. They were sublimely delicious! 
Mélange, is defined as “a mixture, a medley”. It’s the perfect description of this “medley”—as this combines, shrimp, scallops, calamari rings, and imitation crabmeat, for the seafood. And the mélange of vegetables—red onion, olives, bell pepper, and recao or culantro. It’s sublime. It’s perfection…a mélange of flavors. 
This sauce is incredibly complex and absolutely delicious, with flavors leaning well into Spain and wandering just a bit into Portugal. Sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, cinnamon, olives, orange and almonds are significant players in both countries, tracing their roots back to the Moorish habitation of the peninsula for some 700 years. Make certain you have good bread to mop. You don’t want to miss a drop! 
This is a layered affair. If you aren’t familiar with Lebanese 7-Spice or Baharat, you might want to wander into a Middle Eastern market and pick some up. This blend uses the “sweet” spices, like allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, etc. But, it’s wonderful in savory dishes. It lends itself particularly well to lamb and as it turns out, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. 
Peruvian cuisine is wonderful. If you have a Peruvian restaurant near you, and haven’t tried it. Go. Go right now. Peruvian roast chicken is magic and magically delicious. But today we’re making Chaufa Rice, Peru’s version of Chinese fried rice. It’s simple. It’s delicious. And it also happens to be a great way to use leftover chicken or pork, if you don’t have fresh. 
First of all, you’re going to need to read through the recipe for 
I love stuffed peppers. I didn’t always, but the I grew up. And now I do. I love the sweetness of the pepper, after it roasts. I seem to always like whatever is stuffed into them. It always seems to work. And these Papa Rellena Stuffed Peppers…baby, do they ever work! 