PRESENTS THIS WEEK’S RECIPES:
ALMENDRAS ENCHIPOTLADAS (CHIPOTLE-ROASTED ALMONDS)
ENSALADA DE BETABEL, CEBOLLA MORADA, POBLANO Y LIMÓN (ROASTED
BEET SALAD WITH RED ONION, POBLANO AND LIME)
POLVORONES SEVILLANOS (SEVILLE-STYLE “SANDY” SHORTBREAD
COOKIES)
ALMENDRAS ENCHIPOTLADAS
(CHIPOTLE-ROASTED ALMONDS)
RICKbayless
This week, the legendary
Smokey Robinson—the
satin-voiced “King of
Motown”—returns to the
Hollywood Bowl to perform
his classics. The romance
and sophistication that he
gave Motown is akin to
what our featured chef,
Rick Bayless, has done for
Mexican cuisine. His recipes
and passionate
commentary convey a
soulfulness that pairs well
with an evening of Smokey
Robinson.
“Music and entertaining go handin-hand. Whenever I’m preparing
to entertain, whether at my
restaurants or at home, I always
listen to a playlist that is
reflective of the gathering ahead.
Good music is the easiest way to
set the right vibe, no matter
what the occasion, and food that
complements the music further
enhances everyone’s
experience.”
—Rick Bayless
For more information visit:
www.redorestaurant.com
www.rickbayless.com
[+click here] for our
weekend entertainment
guide
Makes 4 cups
CHEF’S NOTE:
Wanting a sweet-spicy nibble to set out for guests, I
concocted this sweet chipotle glaze for almonds (though it
works just as well on peanuts and other nuts). And you’re
reading the list of ingredients right: I used ketchup as the
medium to work the chiles, lime and brown sugar together
into one pretty fine coating that’s easy to distribute evenly.
When the nuts are ready to remove from the oven, they will
no longer feel sticky—but they won’t be crisp. That’ll happen
as they cool off. If the almonds you buy are blanched
(peeled) but not toasted, spread them on a rimmed baking
sheet and bake in a 325°F oven until they’re aromatic and
lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
Working Ahead: The cooled nuts can be stored in an air-tight
container for 4 or 5 days. If we need to keep them longer, we
avoid them becoming sticky by storing them in a sealed
container with moisture-absorbing limestone (available from
companies that supply equipment and ingredients for candy and
pastry making).
INGREDIENTS
2 canned chipotle chiles
2 tablespoons adobo (tomatoey sauce in the can of chiles)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups (1-1/4 pounds) toasted blanched almonds
PROCEDURE
1. Heat the oven to 350°F degrees.
2. Scoop the chipotle chiles, adobo, lime juice, ketchup,
sugar, and salt into a blender and process to a smooth
purée.
3. Pour into a large bowl along with the almonds and toss
until the nuts are evenly coated.
4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and
evenly spread the nuts on it. Bake until they are fragrant
and no longer moist, about 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
5. Cool the almonds on the sheet pan, then scoop into a
serving bowl and set out for all to enjoy.
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ENSALADA DE BETABEL, CEBOLLA MORADA,
POBLANO Y LIMÓN
(ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH RED ONION,
POBLANO AND LIME)
Serves 6-8
CHEF’S NOTE:
This roasted beet salad skates into new territory for most
North American eaters. Rather than pairing the natural
earthy sweetness of beets with sweet-tartness (balsamic
vinegar), boldness (blue cheese) and nuttiness (walnuts)—
you’ve probably had that now-classic modern American salad
more than once—I’ve gone green and bright. I love roasted
beets with poblano chiles, red onions, lime and cilantro, plus
a little Worcestershire to add depth. When I’m in the mood
for a touch of dairy, I’ll add a little Mexican fresh cheese
(queso fresco) or crumbled goat cheese or shards of Spanish
manchego shaved with a vegetable peeler. And during the
summer, I choose a variety of different beets from the
farmers market and grill-roast them, along with the onion
and poblano, in a perforated grill pan over a charcoal fire.
Working Ahead: The vegetables can be roasted several hours
ahead (even the day before in a pinch); just cover and
refrigerate. Finish the salad within a couple of hours of serving,
leaving it at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 pounds small beets (about 1-1/2 inches in
diameter), well-scrubbed, stem- and root-ends trimmed,
quartered (you’ll have about 4 loosely packed cups)
1 large red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 fresh poblano chiles
1/3 cup olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
PROCEDURE
Roast the Vegetables:
1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beets, onion and poblanos.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil,
Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Drizzle mixture
over the beets and toss (I like to use my hands here) to
coat everything evenly and break the onion apart.
4. Scoop onto a rimmed baking sheet, slide in the oven and
roast, stirring carefully every 10 minutes, until the
poblano is blistered and soft, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the chiles, then continue roasting, stirring every
10 minutes, until the beets are tender, 20 to 30 minutes
more. Cool.
6. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, peel off the
blistered skin, pull out the stems and seed pods, then
quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds and bits of skin.
Cut into 1/4-inch slices about 2 inches long.
Finish the salad:
1. In a wide shallow serving bowl, combine the beets, onion
and poblanos.
2. Drizzle with the lime juice, sprinkle with the cilantro and
toss to combine.
3. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if you think
necessary. Your roasted beet salad is ready to serve.
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POLVORONES SEVILLANOS
(SEVILLE-STYLE “SANDY” SHORTBREAD
COOKIES)
Makes about 4 dozen
CHEF’S NOTE:
These polvorones are the real deal—soul satisfying flavor
poised elegantly on the cusp of sweet and savory, delivered
in the most remarkable, meltingly rich, farinaceous texture.
Think of them as the most delicate shortbread you’ve ever
put in your mouth. They’re so fragile, in fact, that they’re
always individually wrapped like tiny gifts, which is exactly
what they are to me. Learning the intricacies of making them
was a gift, too, as I watched Gabriela Bojalil turn out
hundreds of them one December afternoon in Puebla.
Judging by how diligently you have to search for them
nowadays in Mexico, however, not just anyone is tackling
their old-fashioned preparation. I think it’s the ingredients,
the toasted flour and the fresh pork lard. Both stop most
American cooks in their tracks—the flour simply because of
its oddity, the lard because, well, because it’s lard, and for
five or six decades now we’ve bought the bunk that food
made with lard will taste, ipso facto, a little off, greasy for
sure, maybe, dare I say, even morally inferior to lardless
preparations. Butter’s where it’s at, we’ve been schooled.
Which is a little narrow, don’t you think, when there’s no
arguable reason for it? Fresh lard contributes a pure, cleantasting richness; greasiness is just the result of bad cooking;
and that moral stuff, well that’s just cultural prejudice.
Bad nutrition, then? The scientific community has even
determined that lard’s actually less harmful than butter. So
what are you waiting for? Oh, maybe you’re waiting to
encounter fresh lard, which seems to have been so
marginalized that even well-stocked groceries aren’t carrying
it—or they’re only carrying the tasteless, couldn’t-be-worsefor-you hydrogenated cubes distributed by large meat
companies. The real fresh lard comes from butchers who
render it or from ethnic markets that have connections to
those who do. Or you can render cubed pork fat yourself in a
325°F oven. It’s a no-tend process that takes about an hour.
Before using your fresh lard, be sure to strain out the
browned bits. They’re delicious added to beans.
Working Ahead: Polvorones can be made a couple of weeks
ahead. Store them in air-tight containers.
INGREDIENTS
3-1/2 cups (1 pound) all-purpose flour (divided use)
2 cups (8 ounces) powdered sugar, plus a cup or more for
coating the finished cookies
3 scant tablespoons cinnamon, preferably fresh ground
Mexican canela
1 cup fresh pork lard, at cool room temperature
PROCEDURE
1. Toast Flour: Heat the oven to 350°F degrees. Measure
1-3/4 cups flour into a large skillet, set over medium-high
heat and stir regularly until the color is uniformly creamybeige and the flour smells toasty, about 8 minutes. Cool,
then sift through a medium-mesh strainer onto your work
surface.
2. Make Dough: Sift the remaining flour, the powdered
sugar and the cinnamon on top of the toasted flour. Using
your fingers, mix the dry ingredients until the mixture has
a uniform color. Make a well in the middle, then scoop in
the lard. Use your fingers to work the flour mixture into
the lard, creating a uniform—but somewhat crumbly—
dough. Work quickly so as not to melt the lard.
3. Cut and Bake Cookies: Press half of the dough into a
1/2-inch-thick round. (The dough will crack a little around
the edges.) Use a 1-1/2-inch cutter or Mexican shot glass
(caballito) to cut out cookies, transferring them to an
ungreased cookie sheet as you go. Repeat with the
remaining dough. Bake for about 14 minutes to set the
cookies (they will not brown, but will develop a slight skin
of tiny bubbles on top that will stick to your fingertip when
touched.) When you think the cookies are done, break
one open and (carefully) taste it: they shouldn’t have
baked so long that they developed a crisp crust (they
should melt in your mouth), the texture should be
noticeably less pasty than the raw dough, and the flavor
more integrated. Cool for an hour or more, to ensure that
the cookies are completely set.
4. Sugar the Cookies: Spread powdered sugar into a pie
pan or small baking dish. One by one, turn the cookies in
the sugar, coating them completely. Set them on a
serving dish or wrap each one in tissue paper a la
mexicana.
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Peju Province Winery proudly offers pairings to complete your Hollywood Bowl picnic:
ALMENDRAS ENCHIPOTLADAS
(CHIPOTLE-ROASTED ALMONDS)
Paired with 2008 Merlot, Napa Valley, $35 (New release)
A bold and alluring wine, the 2008 Merlot unfolds layer after well-integrated layer of rich,
luscious flavor. What starts as bright plum and juicy Bing cherry moves into black
current and rich, black fruit. Hints of anise, cigar box and vanilla peek out to entice you
for more.
[+buy now]
ENSALADA DE BETABEL, CEBOLLA MORADA, POBLANO Y LIMÓN
(ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH RED ONION, POBLANO AND LIME)
Paired with 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, $22
The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is an irresistible expression of fruit. Luscious and complex
on the nose, this wine glows with dried apricot, peaches, and bright citrus to finish. A
warm mouthfeel and modest acidity makes this a quaffable gem.
[+buy now]
POLVORONES SEVILLANOS
(SEVILLE-STYLE “SANDY” SHORTBREAD COOKIES)
Paired with Provence-California Red & White Blend, $22
A proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel along with barrel
fermented Chardonnay and French Colombard. Refreshing finish that begs for a second
glass.
[+buy now]
Visit our tasting rooms and gardens including a 50-foot French Provincial tasting room
tower complete with moat and dancing fountains in Rutherford, Napa Valley.
www.peju.com
HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR TICKETS TO THE BOWL? DON'T MISS:
JOSHUA BELL PLAYS MENDELSSOHN
Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 8:00pm
Thursday, July 19, 2012, 8:00pm
Virtuoso bassist and composer Edgar Meyer, who has amassed countless fans through his
stunning playing and uniquely American music, joins Joshua Bell to give the West Coast
premiere of Meyer’s Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass. In addition to hearing Bell
soar through Mendelssohn’s lyrical masterwork, the Bowl audience will be among the very first
to hear what promises to be another Meyer masterpiece.
[for TUESDAY tickets]
[for THURSDAY tickets]
SMOKEY ROBINSON
Friday, July 20, 2012, 8:00pm
Saturday, July 21, 2012, 8:00pm
King of Motown, satin-voiced vocalist and brilliant songwriter Smokey Robinson is known for
classic hits such as “Tears of A Clown,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Tracks of My Tears” and
many more. His show is pure romance, sophistication, soul and above all cool!
[for FRIDAY tickets]
[for SATURDAY tickets]
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To download a pdf of this recipe, [click here].
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