I typically stay in the room for one televised football game a year, and the Superbowl is the one. It is not for the commercials or half-time shows either, I am just there for the party.  This year our friend and occasional photographer Gabe is hosting and we volunteered to help with the refreshments.

In honor of the San Francisco 49ers we made a Pisco Punch. In the 19th century Pisco was the liquor of choice in Northern California where it could be easily imported from South America. Pisco Punch is made from pineapple, citrus, simple syrup, and Pisco.  This  concoction is notoriously strong but easy to imbibe.

For snacks we let Gabe handle the chicken wings and guacamole while we focused on some vegetable-based dishes.  Not ones to take sides, we decided to also honor the Baltimore Ravens with our Poor Man’s Crab Cakes, a vegetarian take on the classic, and of course we sliced up a tray of seasonal vegetables to serve with a big bowl of homemade hummus.

No matter which team reigns victorious in New Orleans, we are all winners when friends, flavor, and fiber converge.

This week I was lucky enough to be in Maryland where I discussed my “vegetarian crab cake” idea with James’ mom. Apparently, this is not a strange idea in the Old Bay State and Eleanor was almost immediately able to put her hands on a photocopy of an article “Not Quite Crab” (author, date, and publication did not make it to the Xerox machine).  The article included two recipes for Zucchini Crab Cakes which had appeared in Maryland community cook books and it was exciting to see evidence of a vege-tizing tradition around this traditional and revered Maryland food. Zucchini and crab are both in-season in the summer, but since there are no zucchinis to be found this weekend I used turnips, which impart a little more earthiness and spice.

Poor Man’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds purple-top turnips, grated
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 spring onions, minced
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 cup egg replacer
• 3 tablespoons non-margarine butter substitute, melted
• 2 cups breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Combine grated turnips and salt in a large bowl. Allow the turnips to drain for at least four hours. 
2. Drain the excess liquid from the turnips, then add onion, Old Bay seasoning, egg replacer, and melted butter substitute. Combine thoroughly with your clean hands.
3. Pour breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and set aside.
4. Form the “crab” mixture into fist shape balls squeezing firmly to remove excess liquid. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs the transfer to a greased cookie sheet and flatten gently with the palm of your hand. Repeat until all of the “crab” mixture has been used.
5. Bake the crab cakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes with a spatula then return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve warm with your favorite creamy sauce.

This spin on classic rice and beans uses food-processor processed cauliflower and quinoa as a substitute for rice.  Not only does it taste great, but it packs a whole ton of nutrients and protein!

Black Beans and Quinoa Cauliflower “Rice”

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 pound cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 a cup chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it is in uniform small rice-like pieces then set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, cumin, and pepper flakes. When the onion is transparent, add the cauliflower and quinoa and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, about two or three minutes.
3. Add the beans, tomatoes, vinegar, and vegetable broth and cover the pot. Bring the ingredients to a simmer then uncover. Stir in the cilantro and serve with an avocado and the salsa of your choice.

Spaghetti Westerns are a genre of Western movies that were made in Italy. They resemble the typical American-made Westerns, and the better ones feature unusual music and heroes with unnaturally good fighting skills and an unlikely partner.

Like Quentin Tarantino, we are  fans of quirky multi-national fusions. However, we are not in the movie business and so our Django Unchained-equivalent works are more likely to appear on small plates or glasses, rather than big screens.

Jake from Haus Alpenz pouring samples

We recently found a healthy dose of inspiration at Hopfields. If you have not made it there yet, Hopfields is a fantastic restaurant with a great beer selection and a gifted bartender – Carter – who makes some o f the best “17 [% ABV] and under” drinks in Austin.

On January 16th, Hopfields hosted a small tasting with Jake Parrott from Haus Alpenz. Haus Alpenz is an importer of unique international spirits and liqueurs, and has taken an important part in revitalizing America’s cocktail movement.  We sampled a variety of their offerings, including Cocchi Americano Rosso (the first bottle in Texas!), Cocchi Barolo Chinato, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Bhyrrh, and a few others.

Spaghetti Western Cocktail (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)

One of our favorites was Cardamaro Amaro, a wine-based bitter flavored with cardoon (not cardamom as the name might lead you to believe).  Jake suggested the this cocktail to us (and even gave us the name), so after the tasting we hurried to the liquor store to gather our ingredients.  After a few variations, we decided the following preparation was our favorite Spaghetti Western Cocktail, which mixes spicy American rye whiskey with the sweetly bitter Italian Cardamaro.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Rye
• 1 ounce Cardamaro
• 1 dash orange bitters

Preparation

1. Stir the rye and Cardamaro together in a mixing glass with several ice cubes until chilled, about 30 seconds. 
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a healthy orange twist.

Corsicana Dawn from Hopfields (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)

Black Radish Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 pound black Spanish radishes, grated
• 1/2 pound white potatoes, grated
•  2 sprigs of green garlic, minced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon black cumin, ground
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil based spray

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form patties using about 1 cup of the mixture. Space the patties on a well oiled cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until they begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook another 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot with apple sauce or any other condiment of your choice.

Molletes – a hearty breakfast!

The first time we had molletes I thought that our hostess was being creative on behalf of the vegetarians, but it turns out that this is an easy, tasty breakfast common around central Mexico. We have had them made with traditional bolillo bread which we can get hot and fresh at our local Hispanic supermarket, Fiesta. Bolillo are a lot like french bread rolls so I would recommend a hearty and crusty bread if you cannot find bolillos locally.

Ingredients

• 2 bolillos, halved (or four thick slices of french bread)
• 2 cups refried beans
• 1/2 cup fresh cheese or grated Monterrey jack (optional)

Preparation

1. Spread the refried beans evenly among the four slices of bread and top with the cheese. 
2. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Serve hot with guacamole, pico de gallo, or a salsa of your choice.

Coseppi Michelada

As long as you have a healthy amount of lime juice and a beer, there is not a wrong way to make a michelada. We tried our fair share in around Mexico, and almost each one was different from the last, varying in spices, garnishes, and type of beer.  This is a very good version that James developed at home using nice dried Mexican chili peppers.

Ingredients

•  3 dried chiles guajillos
• 20 dried chiles de arbol
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 4 key limes
• 1 tablespoon Mexican hot sauce (such as Valentina)
• a few ice cubes
• splash of tomato juice (optional)
• 1 cold bottle of Mexican lager or a beer of your choice (we used the Alt from Hops and Grains)

Preparation

1. To make the rim spice, remove the tops of the dried peppers and shake the seeds loose. Toast the chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about two minutes. Process the peppers in a food processor until finely ground. Add salt and sesames seeds. This makes enough spice for a number of micheladas.
2. Pour the rim spice in a saucer or small plate. Run a slice of lime around the rim of a pint glass and rub the moistened rim in the spices like you would with a margarita glass.
3. Add the remaining lime juice to the rimmed pint glass. Mix in the hot sauce, a splash of tomato juice (if using), and add a few ice cubes.
4. Top the glass with your cold beer and enjoy!  Store the remaining rim spice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Michelada Rim Spice

Pickled jalapenos

Ingredients

• 2  pounds fresh jalapeno peppers, halved
• 3-6 whole large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
• 3 cups distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Divide peppers among 6 one-pint canning jars. Divide the garlic evenly among the jars.
2. Combine vinegar, water, cumin, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Carefully fill jars with brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim, covering the peppers completely.
4. Place the lids on the jars and process in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
5. Carefully remove jars from water using a jar lifter.  Allow the jars to cool to room temperature then test the lids. If they are not set consider reprocessing (or making refrigerator pickles).
6. Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to use. Refrigerate once opened.

Note: if you want to make more flavorful Mexican-style pickles consider adding a couple carrot and onion slices to each jar in step 1.

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast that use leftover or stale corn tortillas. There are hundreds of different ways to make chilaquiles in as many different sauces –  our recipe cuts down on some of the oil that may typically be used and boosts the flavor with a fresh, tangy salsa verde.

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
• 2 key limes, juiced
• 1 dozen stale corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced
• 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. To make the sauce, place the halved tomatillos on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until the skin of the tomatillos is starts to brown, about 20 minutes. Scrape the entire contents of the baking sheet including any juices into a blender and puree with the lime juice. Season with salt to taste then set this salsa verde aside.
2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute the tortilla pieces, stirring constantly, until they begin to crisp, about two minutes. Add onion, cumin, and jalapeno to the fried tortillas and continue to saute until the onions are tender, about three minutes.
3. Stir the salsa verde and cilantro into the saute and bring to a simmer.
4. Serve immediately with avocado slices, refried beans, additional salsa, or a sprinkle of cheese.