Salsa Newsletter for August, 2001
Volume 1 - Issue 5Today's Salsas
Roasted Corn & Sweet Red Pepper Salsa
Quick & Easy Roasted Corn & Sweet Red Pepper Salsa
For those of you who don't know who I am, my name is Spencer Moore and I'm the chef owner of a couple of restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Mama's Royal Cafe is an upscale breakfast restaurant thought by many, myself included, to be the best breakfast place in the whole country. My other restaurant is Felix' - a dinner house specializing in original recipes and regional specialties not often found in restaurants. We also claim to have the world's largest salsa bar, with between 25 and 40 salsas on any given day. You can check out the menus at the web sites. I have some good news for any of you who have missed some of the earlier newsletters and are just dying to see what I had to offer. All the back newsletters are now available on line. Just go to my web site www.felixcabosanlucas.com and click on newsletter archives. We're still working on the recipe section and it should be up to speed sometime soon. You also might want to check out my other place at www.mamascabosanlucas.com. This is the heart of our very slowest time of year down here in Cabo -nothing more depressing than an empty restaurant for a chef/owner. My biorhythms are down, my attitude is lousy and I'm ready for a road trip. Both Mama's and Felix' will be closed the first couple of weeks in September and we'll reopen on the 17th.
It seems that there are a lot of folks out there who enjoy the way I look at the whole cooking process. "Cooking is fun and cooking is easy. if it were complicated or took any brains at all... the human race would have died out centuries ago and I would have chosen a different field of endeavor." So as long as I'm doing this stupid newsletter, I would like to have as many people as possible read it. I have very little pride and am certainly not above using bribery to get my way so I'm gonna try bribing you with a free t-shirt giveaway..... I'm going to giveaway FELIX' T-shirts to some of you who sign up new subscribers to the Newsletter. It works like this: You send me an email with the name of a new subscriber and I put your name into a hat (figuratively speaking). Sometime before the next newsletter I select 5 names at random from the hat and send them a deluxe, 100% cotton, five color, preshrunk, original, limited edition, collectible, autographed, FELIX' T-shirt. Remember just one name per email, the more emails the better your chance of getting a T-shirt.
"the time has come........"
the walrus said,
"to talk of many things: of shoes..... and ships - and sealing wax.....of cabbages........and kings"
Lewis Carroll ... 'Through the Looking Glass'"yeah, and ducks and chickens and celebrity chefs"
Spencer Moore........ 'The Felix' Newsletter'Well, judging by the cooking shows on TV, it must be summer. "It's Picnic time"....."It's BBQ time"..."Let's fire up the grill" and blah, blah, blah." All these nitwits are trying to tell us how to eat our beloved chicken , and all of these nitwits have it wrong. That's right..... "ALL OF THESE NITWITS HAVE IT WRONG!!!!" Whether it's Asian/Yuppie fusion or Hot off the Grill or the hippest thing from the 'Big Easy' or that no brain jerk from New York or that silly twit that claims to be the 'Chef to the Stars' they're trying to sell me a bill of goods and I'm not buying. Every time I see one of these self proclaimed geniuses cut into that chicken and point that 300$ knife at the pink bloody breast or thigh and proclaim "There! see, it's perfect, moist and juicy and not overcooked at all" I want to throw something at the stupid TV. If I were there in person - I'd slap the silly a--hole. I want to ask them "Do you know why hundreds and hundreds of millions of people for countless centuries have been eating their chicken and other poultry well done?"..... "Because chicken tastes better when it's well done ---You idiot!" There are a lot of things that taste good raw and there are a lot of things that taste good undercooked. Chicken and duck are not among them. Everybody in the world knows this except the food gurus. If you'd like to prove this for yourself, here's a little experiment you can try. The next time you are BBQing chicken do one real well done and do one the way the celebrity chefs tell you to (pink and just a little bloody next to the bone). I guarantee you that the well done chicken will come back with nothing but bones and the rare chicken will come back half eaten. I get the feeling that somewhere all these 'Gurus' are in a room laughing at us. I can almost hear them "Okay, they went for the bloody chicken, let's see if we can sell them on big chunks of tuna burnt on the outside and raw and cold on the inside" And what's more, I want my gravy on TOP of my mashed potatoes!!
Thanks for the newsletter. We had always gone to Mama's for breakfast every time we were in Cabo. This was the first time we knew about Felix'. We ate there twice and will be back for more. It was fantastic! We're also recommending it to friends and acquaintances who visit. You should think about selling your salsas. Most of us would buy them.
Lori A. Nord
Thanks Lori. The whole idea of the newsletter is to make it so simple that you don't have to buy the salsas. They're quick and easy and don't have any weird chemicals in them. Try it.
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Spencer
Loved the COCONUT MANGO SHRIMP and CREPES PANAMA and the French Toast. The French Toast really was the best I have ever tasted. We would love if the recipes would be include in a newsletter. Can't wait to eat there next time in Cabo.
Margo, Jasin, Fran and Randy
Check out the last newsletter on the web for the recipe for COCONUT-MANGO SHRIMP. It's virtually impossible to teach anyone to make crepes in a newsletter -- just get a recipe out of 'Joy of Cooking' or almost any cook book and experiment. It's trial and error. Remember that the crepe batter is better and easier to work with if you make it ahead of time and let it sit around the fridge for a day. I'll be giving the recipes for both the filling for Crepes Panama and 'The World's Best French Toast' in an upcoming newsletter.
Spencer
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Spencer,
On the basis that no news is good news, you have excelled in the good news department mate! I suspect that the attachment has become unattached, a more sticky bonding agent is called for! Try six year old kid snot, that sticks to anything!
Cheers mate
Ross GardinerIt turns out that the SNAFU (FUBAR if you will) with the last newsletter was because of problems with the server here in Cabo and will probably continue indefinitely.
Spencer
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Felix
I don't open attachments, last time I did I got this long drawn out virus dealie that looked like some kind of cook book......turned all my files into salsa.
George Russell
Everybody's a comedian.
Spencer
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Spencer,
how come it says "some text in this message is in a language that your computer cannot display?" and, does this mean I have to wash the cast iron pan which is still in a state of char from the last salsa letter?
T
T,
I don't have a clue.
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Spencer
got mine on your second try. Thanks so much! I made the Carnitas tonight and topped them with the Tomatillo Sauce. Yummy!
Gloria Dickson
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SPENCER-
-IF YOUR SERVER IS CABOTEL THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT THE NEWLETTER IS TOO LONG. THE PROBLEM IS CABOTEL WITH WHOM MOST OF US HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS SINCE AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. THE IN -COMING MAIL GETS STUCK. THEN EVERYTHING GOES CRAZY, EVEN AFTER THEY COME AND FIX IT. YOUR COMPUTER CLAIMS THAT YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED WHEN YOU TRY TO RECEIVE YOUR MESSAGES. IF YOU COMPOSE A MESSAGE AND SEND IT OUT YOU REPEAT THE PROCESS--YOUR COMPUTER CLAIMS YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED--THEN THE MESSAGE GOES OUT AND SOME NEW MESSAGES COME IN--FOLLOWING WHICH YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY DIS-CONNECTED.
M Partridge
This is an especially good salsa for a number of reasons. It tastes great, it's easy to prepare, its one of the prettiest salsas around and most of your friends and guests have never even heard of it, much less eaten it. They will think you are a culinary genius..... you are not obliged to tell them just how easy it is to make. As a matter of fact I would make up a more exciting name for the salsa and tell them it's an old family recipe that your Great Uncle Vladimir brought over from the Ukraine. What do they know? Call it 'Uncle Vlad's Mesquite Grilled Sonoma County Sweet Corn with Roasted Red Pepper and Hot Smoked Chipotle Chile Salsa' and wait for the compliments. This salsa goes especially well with BBQed Chicken and Pork and it's dynamite with almost anything breaded - fish especially. Most all of the other salsas I have dealt with so far are used as a dip or as a condiment for the main dishes. This Roasted Corn Salsa can actually be used as a main ingredient in lots of Mexican dishes. I like to make quesadillas using just the salsa and a little bit of cheese - it's really good with some crumbled Blue cheese, and the sound of something like "Bavarian Blue Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas with Pan Roasted Sweet Red Peppers and Cilantro Butter" will make everyone think that you went to some yuppie culinary school. Remember that when you make quesadillas to go easy on the cheese. It's very easy to turn them into a big gooey mess. This salsa is also great in Tacos or Enchiladas with a little cheese and some left-over chicken or pork. You can also make some great vegetarian Mushroom and roasted corn quesadillas or Tacos. I'm going to give you the recipe for the 'Real Deal' first and then the recipe for one that is just as pretty and almost as tasty but almost no work to make.
PARTS LIST
2 Ears of Corn....... If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with a produce market that sells a really good sweet white corn - buy it.
1 Red Bell Pepper....... roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped.
2 Cloves of Garlic....... or more, or less depending on how you feel about garlic. Chopped.
1 Chipotle Chile....... One chile will be enough to give you the smoky taste we want but it won't have much bite to it. Feel free to put in more chiles if you want it smokier and hotter.
Some Cilantro....... Chopped. If you are one of those who hates the taste of cilantro use green onions - tastes different but it's just as good.
LET'S DO IT!!
Shuck the corn and remove any silk. If you have a barbecue grill going with some nice mesquite wood - brush the corn with a little oil or butter and put it on the grill. When the corn starts to show some charring, turn it over and do the other side. Let it cool. If you don't have the barbecue fired up just put the whole shucked ears in a frying pan with almost no oil and cook them hot until they start showing some color turning them to cook on all sides. Or you can roast it in the oven with the outer leaves still on. It really doesn't matter very much. The easiest way is in a pan on top of the stove and I can guarantee you that no one will know the difference. Roast and peel the red pepper. If you have a gas stove the easiest way to do this is to hold the pepper by the stem over the open flame turning it until the skin is completely blackened, Don't worry, the pepper inside will not be burnt. When the pepper looks like it is completely ruined, wrap it in a kitchen towel or put it in a paper bag or put it in a bowl covered with some plastic wrap to let it steam until it is cool. When it is cooled peel the blackened skin off (I do this in the sink under running water or in bowl of water). Remove the seeds from the pepper and chop it. I do it into thin strips about an inch long but you can do it any damn way you want. Now about the Chipotle chiles. I haven't yet dealt with dried chiles in my newsletter - I promise I will soon - so I'm suggesting that you just use canned 'Chiles Chipotle en Adobo'. Finely chop one or two of the chiles. If you already know how to deal with dried chipotle chiles go ahead and rehydrate a couple and save the water. With your good sharp kitchen knife strip the kernels from the corn into a bowl - trying to get all of the corn and none of the cob. Add the chopped Chipotle chile and some of the Adobo liquid from the can. Add the garlic and the chopped pepper - stir . The chances are pretty good that the salsa will be a little too dry - if so, add some more liquid from the can or some water. I like a little liquid in the bottom of the salsa so when it starts to look dry I can give it a stir and make it all shiny and pretty again. Taste the salsa - you may want to add a little salt but probably not. If you want it more garlicky add some more garlic. If you want it hotter, some more chiles. Look at it. It's almost beautiful - all it needs is some green. Add the cilantro or green onions and..... bingo, you've done it again. Incidentally, if you go easy on the chipotles and maybe add some chopped roasted mild green chiles or green bell pepper, this makes a great vegetable side dish.
When I first made this salsa I did it the way I described it above and it looked beautiful and it tasted good but it wasn't quite right. The problem turned out to be with the corn that we get here in Mexico. Mexicans eat a really tough corn, tougher than anything we're used to in the States. It's real tasty but it's tough. So when I roasted the corn it got even tougher and drier. I tried canned corn and it worked great - not as good as if I had just-picked, sweet white corn but way better than what was available fresh. You can make this salsa from scratch in less than 5 minutes.
PARTS LIST
1 Can of Corn....... kernels, not creamed
1 small jar of Red Peppers....... You know the ones I mean. A little teeny jar - probably packed with garlic and oil. They may even already be chopped
2 Chipotle Chiles....... chopped. Use one if you want it mild and save the liquid from the can.
2 Cloves of Garlic...... or more, or less depending on how you like it and on how much Garlic was in the jar of Peppers.
Some Cilantro....... chopped. Once again, if you don't like Cilantro use Green onions but for appearance's sake you need something green.
LET'S DO IT!!
Drain the corn well and toss it into a very lightly oiled skillet. Pat it down so it is one layer thick - if it's piled high the corn on top won't brown. Cook it at a high temperature so it will brown on the outside without getting way over-cooked on the inside. When the Corn starts to show some color it's done. Put it in a bowl and add the other stuff except the Cilantro or Green Onions. Stir, taste and add salt or more garlic or more chiles or more whatever strikes your fancy. When it has cooled down add the Cilantro or Green Onions. This Salsa lasts a few days covered in the fridge. Let me know how it turns out.
