Fall Cravings: Creme Brulee

Crème Brulee
There is an undeniable connection with psyche and food. When I start to see all the fall decorations around me, immediately I start to crave sweet and warm desserts made with apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla and pumpkin flavors. I picture myself drinking coffee with friends and eating my treat (even though when fall in LA has thrown us couple of days at 105 F, not much need for a hot beverage). For me Apple pie is a favorite and I actually find it easy to make, so I decided to challenge myself and go for something different like Crème Brulee with vanilla cinnamon touch. I had never prepared it before; certainly I had eaten it so many times. Preparing it was easy, tasteful, and inexpensive. Above all I loved the fact, I didn’t need a torch to melt the sugar, you can use your broiler and voila! You can achieve the crunchy delicious layer of caramelized sugar. If you contain yourself and eat only one portion, it’s not as caloric as the ones you have at a restaurant; you can garnish it with berries, eat it warm or cold, enjoy it by yourself or impress your guests.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 and half cups of heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 3 tablespoons of brown sugar

PREPARATION

• Preheat the oven at 325 F In a large bowl mix the yolks, the sugar, the cinnamon and the vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the mixer, you can whisk it until all ingredients are incorporated and look creamy.
• Pour the cream in a saucepan and stir over low heat, remove it just before it boils.Let it cool for 3 minutes.
• Then mix together the cream and the eggs mixture until you create a yellow cream.
• Pour the mix in individual ramekins, you can make between 4 and 6 portions, depending how big you want them to be.
• Place the ramekins in a large baking or roasting pan and add water to cover up to the half of the ramekin in order to bake them in Bain Marie (Water Bath). Bake them for 35 minutes approximately, until they are set but the center still is soft.
• Let them cool and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
• Once they are cold, sprinkle the brown sugar (1/2 tbsp by ramekin) on top. Place the recipients under the broiler in your oven until sugar melts in 3 minutes approximately.
• Let them reach room temperature and ready to enjoy!!

* Never try just melted sugar since it can seriously burn your mouth

Journey through local food: Tacos

Life has taken me to live to different cities. When I just got there, I was barely acquainted with anyone.  Sometimes I felt I didn't know where to start to get to know my new surroundings.  I remember I would be looking through my window trying to identify the least strange of my neighbors to go and say hello, or trying to small talk with the dead serious front desk man in the lobby of my building, or wandering the wrong streets up and down trying to find a payphone  because I didn't have a cell or land phone, walking 3 kms under the Los Angeles  intense sun to get a cab (I imagined there were going to be as many as in New York).    Anyway adapting to a new environment is a process of trial and error.  It can be a frustrating and somehow a funny  journey. However I can say that I have found an almost infallible way to get to around my new location: discovering, observing and trying the local food.

For me food is a language that speaks to you. A language that talks about traditions, history, geography and customs. Every time I try a new dish, its ingredients tell me about a its background and I try to appreciate and understand the new flavors.  Right now I am living in LA. The move from New York to the West Coast was overwhelming at the beginning.  In New York my family and I had already figured out our favorite places to enjoy all kinds of food, from Shanghai soup crab and pork dumplings in Chinatown to savory soft Greek lemon potatoes in Astoria, from the tangy flavor of the mint and cilantro Indian sauce in Jackson Heights to Russian cold cuts in Brighton Beach.  When we arrived in LA  we started to trace a new map for our taste buds.

Los Angeles is a multi ethnic city that hasn’t spared  culinary surprises.  In this sunny side of the country there is an abundance of choices for burgers, for Asian Latin fusion plates and of course many other opportunities to sample international gastronomy. One big thing is the big variety of tacos  sold in Food Trucks  or in trendy Mexican eateries. You can find traditional ingredients, or adventurous mixes, such the tacos sold at Central Market made with carne asada and Korean kimchi. Tacos are made from beef, chicken, vegetables, fish and seafood. Being born and raised in Mexico I enjoy the pleasure of eating a good taco, it can come from a street vendor. or from a fine restaurant or even better from my kitchen.  Here is an  easy and tasty recipe for Shrimp Tacos and Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa.

Shrimp Tacos

 

 

Ingredients

• One pound of raw and peeled shrimp
• One big red pepper cut into strips
• One jalapeno pepper (big if you want it spicy or small if you want a smooth flavor) cut into strips
• One medium onion cut into strips
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• Half of a big onion
• Four tablespoons of chopped cilantro
• Two chopped garlic cloves
• Four tablespoons of oil (corn, vegetable or olive)
• 12 corn tortillas
• Salt and Pepper

 

 

Preparation

 

 

 

In a big skillet, warm up the oil at medium heat.  Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.  Toss them when  they start to turn orange add the garlic and the lemon juice.   Stir the ingredients together for two minutes. Then add the red pepper, cilantro, onion and jalapeno pepper strips.  Keep moving the ingredients , so the flavors can mix. When the red pepper strips start to look and feel softer. Remove the skillet from the heat. Meanwhile warm the tortillas in a skillet or in the microwave, and plate 3 tortillas in each dish, in order to make four portions. Put the shrimp on  the tortillas. Tacos are ready!!!

Basic Mexican Salsa Recipe

There is a huge variety of Mexican Salsas. This is an easy recipe that you can make with the very four basic ingredients of most salsas: peppers, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.  The variations in the amounts of ingredients alters the flavor, for example more tomatoes will make make it less spicy, more peppers will make it hotter.  The following recipe is for a medium hot taste.

Ingredients

4 big Roma tomatoes
2 medium jalapeno peppers
Half big onion
Half cup of fresh cilantro
1 tbsp of white or apple vinegar
Salt

Bring the tomatoes and jalapenos to boil. Boil them at medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until they change colors and become really tender.

 

 

Take the tomatoes and jalapenos out of the boiling water put them in the blender.  Add the cilantro and the onion, as well as the salt. Blend it until all ingredients are liquefied,you will notice how the salsa turns green.  Put in a ceramic bowl and add the vinegar and mix it with a spoon. 
Enjoy with tacos, quesadillas, sandwiches and chips.