Entrees

Homemade Tamales with Black Beans and Spanish Rice

June 5, 2014 by Charles Leave a Comment

For the best tamales, you should use your abuela’s recipe. In my case, not having an abuela of my own, I borrowed the recipe from Stephanie’s abuela — Marie E. Salazar.

At first, I thought that making tamales would be difficult and agonized over the proper ingredients and procedure. I wondered whether the effort would pay off and whether the tamales would taste like those tamales we once had from a street vendor in Santa Fe. And most of all, I wondered whether I had the energy to embark on a two-day adventure of stewing, cooking, folding, and steaming, all by myself.

In her write-up, …

Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers

May 6, 2013 by Charles 2 Comments

Indian food rarely lacks for flavor. Packed with exotic spices and chutneys, the dishes brim with colors and culinary delights. This dish is no different. And better yet, this dish won’t send you scurrying to exotic markets or stores; all of the ingredients are staples of most pantries and refrigerators.

A vegetarian and Indian take on the classic American burger, this Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burger packs a healthy punch. Sandwich it between two toasted buns and adorn with a little mayonnaise, and this vegetarian burger is bound to please. Serve alongside roasted sweet potato fries or, for the sake of regional consistency, prepare a side of Aloo Gobhi Masala.

A word of warning: this recipe …

Whole-Wheat Homemade Pizza

March 9, 2013 by Charles 1 Comment

Pizza is the ultimate convenience food. There is the restaurant pizza, ready in minutes, delivered to your table, warm and sliced. There is the delivery pizza, delivered to your doorstep with the push of a few buttons. In the freezer section, there are countless versions of the frozen variety, ready to be brought home and baked or microwaved in a manner of minutes. There are even pre-made pizza doughs and pizza crusts, leaving the harried home chef with some room for creativity and imagination.

To be sure, we’ve tried each and every one …

Beef Tacos

December 16, 2012 by Charles Leave a Comment

Caitlin and I have been watching Breaking Bad recently, a show whose plot-lines and premise may be as addicting as the “blue stuff” that plays such a critical role in the show. Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched episode after episode, pinned to the couch or nestled in bed, watching Jesse and Walter navigate a world of dirty money, secret drops, federal agents, and violent cartels. As one episode ends, we have increasingly found ourselves reaching for the next, swapping Netflix disks with such speed that we often find it necessary to download an episode or two from iTunes, unable to wait for the return mailer.

While the show has certainly taken over some of our evenings,…

Kasha Varnishkes

July 10, 2012 by Charles 4 Comments

This is one of those recipes from the old-country, dating back – literally – over a thousand years. But that doesn’t make it a relic, some phonograph gathering dust in the attic, that’s brought down once a year so that grandchildren can marvel at the sound-machines of yesteryear. This recipe is nothing more than last year’s iPod, ready to figure into the regular rotation of modern life.

This recipe has all the attributes of a modern meal. …