Tostados Tonight.

In spite of everything I had prepared today, when Mr. Hawthorne got home from work, he immediately started fixing the hamburger meat for tacos.

The orange sauce on top is my Mango/Habanero Sauce.
See here:

Mango Habanero Sauce
Scroll down a bit.

So, here's a delicious tostado from the Mexican market, with Mr. H.'s seasoned ground beef, some "pre-shredded" cheese, a la Sandra, some of Mr. Hawthorne's jalopenos he canned last summer, some shredded lettuce, and my Mango/Habanero Sauce I made the other week. I had tried that sauce with fish, but when I tasted it, I knew it would be terrific with beef tacos.
I wasn't wrong about that.
The sweetness of the mango and the heat of the habanero - wonderful!

More of My Cooking.

Happy March 1st everyone!

Only 3 more weeks until spring!
















But it's looking more and more
like spring here.

Jonquils from my garden.

Mr. Hawthorne took the leftover chuck roast and its gelatinous mass from the other night, added celery, carrots, onions, peas, edamame, 2-3 cups beef boullion, and V8 juice, which was not fitting properly in my fridge. It was a HUGE bottle.
Simmered for a few hours.
This was dinner for the boys last night.

Schwann's has a delicious frozen baguette loaf that you bake for about 13 minutes.
My boys love it.

Here's my semi-mise-en-place for whatever I might be making today.
I haven't quite decided yet, but the secret ingredient is JICAMA.
That's jicama over on the right hand side, above the limes and between the cabbage and celery.

Let's see what I have to work with: cilantro, red onion, cabbage, jicama, celery, limes, green onions, potato, yellow pepper, green pepper, and snow peas.

I have a plan.








First, I made a salsa, with really crappy, piss-poor tomatoes that were nothing but mealy-assed pulp. I added some balsamic vinegar, hoping that would help, some cider vinegar, some sugar, chopped red onions, green onions, jalapenoes, cilantro,
and salt and pepper.

Next, I diced my potato and boiled it until tender.
I diced my jicama the same size.
Surprise!
Look the same, but different texture and flavors.
I chopped some red onions, green onions, snow peas, yellow and green peppers, cilantro and
added that to the mix, along with a jar of pimientos.

I had made some Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing using both mayo and sour cream and milk and buttermilk.
Added that to my potato/jicama mixture.

In the meantime, I had been cooking black beans.
I added the beans, along with the sad, sad salsa.

Here's my finished product: potato/jicama/black bean salad
with salsa enhanced Ranch Dressing.

Next, I made cole slaw, consisting of my sliced cabbage, shredded jicama, shredded carrots, some cider vinegar, a bit of sugar, salt and pepper, and just enough mayo to barely coat.

I'm really liking the addition of the jicama, both texture wise and taste wise.



Finally, I made matchstick jicamas.

Cut into fat matchsticks, then put in a dish with ice water and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Drain and pat dry.

Then I squeezed a bunch of limes, added some chili powder,
and tossed the little sticks in that.
Very nice snack.

Here are today's efforts:
Clockwise from top left, potato/jicama/black bean salad, jicama coleslaw, matchstick jicama treats, and salsa with tomatoes I'd be embarrassed to serve, much less sell.

Ooooh. Oooooh Oooooooh!
Guess what today's theme is!!!!

Call Me.

Hello, faithful readers. Notice at the top right of my blog, there's a new button. If I set this up correctly, you will be able to call me and actually leave me a message. Oh, please, somebody try.

Dinner And Breakfast At The Hawthornes.

Mr. Hawthorne slo-kukked dinner last night.
Pot roast with potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery with a nice helping of Merlot in the pot.
I got to clean out the pot this morning.

When I checked outside, there was Middle Hawthorne's car.
He'd gotten in late last night.
I checked Daughter Hawthorne's room and that was occupied by
Brycer Sweetness,
so, I decided to make one of my boys' favorites -
homemade sausage biscuits with gravy.

As Mr. Hawthorne is fond of saying, if there ain't no biscuit dough on the ax handle, then you know I've been shirking my chores.

Here's the sausage.

Now, I'm making the roux. Add a bit of flour to the sausage joos and cook.

Season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and onion powder.

Add melk, cook and stir until nice and thick.
('n rich 'n delicious)

Here are my flaky buttermelk biscuits.

Wallah!
All six sausage patties and 8 biscuits were gone in minutes.

Outer Banks Taste Of The Beach.

Check it out folks: http://www.obxtasteofthebeach.com/scheduleofevents.htm I've already signed up for FIVE different events. On Monday, March 3, from 4-6, I'll be "Learning the Secrets of Seafood." Learning the Secrets of Seafood Join others in learning how to cook some of The Outer Banks most popular catches. Learn how to break down a fresh tuna and prepare it three different ways. Explore North Carolina Shrimp, local clams and whatever is fresh on the docks that day. On Thursday, March 6, from 10-12, I'll be "Learning the Basics of Soups, Stocks, and Sauces." Learning the basics of Soups, Stocks & Sauces Learn the basics of classic stock, soup & sauce making. Create traditional recipes using a variety of bone & shell based stocks. Featured will be beef stock, fish stock & crab stock. Make & taste homemade onion soup, seafood chowder & crab bisque. On Friday, March 7, from 6-8, I'll be at Kelly's Restaurant, enjoying OYSTERS. Kelly's Outer Banks Restaurant & TavernNAGS HEADNC Ooo, What an Eastern North Carolina Night Nothing finer than the Taste of Eastern North Carolina! Ooo, how good it is... Oysters & Tenderloin Feast Enjoy an Outer Banks tradition at Kelly's Restaurant & Tavern. Savor the flavor of North Carolina Rose Bay Oysters. Have Oyster Stew, Oyster Fritters, Stuffed Oysters (5 selective delicacies), Fried Oysters (perfectly fried and seasoned with corn meal), Raw & Steamed Oysters. Next comes dinner - Delight in Pork Tenderloin, served with a Spinach Salad topped with warm oyster vinaigrette, a medley of winter vegetables, and Kelly's famous sweet potato biscuits. For dessert you have your choice of Sweet Potato Pie or Crème Brulee. Dinner also includes 2 glasses of beer, wine or champagne. On Saturday, March 8, from 9-11 AM, I'll be at "Advanced Culinary Techniques for Food Service Professionals." Advanced Culinary Techniques For Food Service Professionals Take a step outside your current restaurant position and spend the morning exploring new or forgotten techniques. Tips & Tricks of the professional chef. Later, on Saturday, March 8, at 3 PM, I'll be at Lucky 12 Tavern: All About Oysters. All About Oysters Come and join the fun in learning everything you ever wanted to know about Oysters; Where they come from, how to select the best; Shuck them, fry them, grill them and steam them. Enjoy tasting them prepared all ways, then learn how to make the prefect cocktail sauce to enjoy with them! To top off the event you can enjoy some of the newest beers on the market and a famous "Oyster Shooter". Please go to the website and click on purchase tickets. Read it and see if you'd like to suggest anything for me to go to. I'm thinking about the 4 course Asian dinner on Thursday, March 6. Four Course Asian Influenced Dinner Enjoy a four course Asian dinner at Lucky 12 Tavern. Head Chef Felicia Miller loves to cook Asian food and is looking forward to sharing her specialties with you. Begin the evening with Pork Wonton Soup. Next enjoy Salt & Chili Prawns served with a Citrus Dipping Sauce. The entrée will consist of a Thai Style Beef with Soba Noodles in an Asian Broth. Dinner will wind down with dessert; Sago in coconut Milk Pudding Drizzled with Palm Sugar. I'd really love to go to the Seven Course Chef's Tasting Menu, but golly, it's $99. Maybe, just maybe I can talk Mr. Hawthorne into this, or Glowria, or Xmaskatie. Any takers? Seven Course Chef's Tasting Menu Sit back, relax, and enjoy a sumptuous feast! The Left Banks seven course chef's tasting menu prepared especially for your by Chef de Cuisine Joel Sardinha and the staff of The Left Bank. Chef Joe's seasonally inspired menu is sure to be a hit! Paired wines available.

Of course, I'll have my digi-cam and will photograph and blog all this for my loyal readers.

Today's Lunch.

Mr. Hawthorne came home with 2 fillets of mahi mahi (the reddish meat)
and two fillets of flounder.
The flounder was much thinner, so we doubled that over.

I had some leftover mixture to encrust my fillets with:

about 10 minced rock shrimps
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
1 aig
1/2 stick buttah

In the back on the left is my Magic Bullet filled with chopped pistachios.

Here are the encrusted fillets,
with pistachios pressed INto the top.

Heat butter (Land o' Lakes Unsalted - there is NO other butter) and light olive oil in oven proof saute pan, encrusted side down, over medium/low heat.
Brown first side - about 2-3 minutes.

Then flip over and cook second side 2-3 minutes.
You can see the pinkness inside.

Pop INto 350-degree preheated oven and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
Do NOT overcook.

Here are my condiments:
Tall bottle on back left is Mango/Habanero Sauce.
Jar on back right is my Dijon Mustard Emulsion.
Small bottle on bottom right is Basil/Celery infused oil.
Medium bottle on bottom left is Parika infused oil.

In the meantime, Mr. Hawthorne sauteed some asparagus.
I threw in some almonds for good measure.

Mahi mahi on top. Flounder on bottom.

Oh wait.

Needs some "dolling" up.

This was very good.

Gotta Love Those Workmen!

What is it about workmen?
See the two white trucks - one at the end of my driveway, the other IN MY YARD?
Why would one presume that it's perfectly acceptable to park one's vehicle in someone's FRONT YARD?

Are they that damn lazy that they don't want to walk the extra 10 feet?

I know there's nothing green out there, but that's because
my Bermuda Grass is DORMANT!

Actually, my septic system is right there, and it is generally considered to NOT be a good practice to park on top of the septic system.

What is wrong with these people?

If you go to someone's house, do you ever feel inclined to just pull up in the front yard and park?