Monday, August 10, 2009

Milanesa a la napolitana

On what happened to be Abby's birthday (8/8), I got to do something I know she would enjoy. I learned to cook a new dish, and an Argentinian one at that.

So, from Alicante, Spain, this post is dedicated to Abby.

Because I learned this recipe in Spanish, it is here bilingual. Although it may be imperfectly transcribed, it is definitely a dish I'll make again.

Milanesa o berenjena a la napolitana






picar ajo y perejil muy chico
mezclar con 4 huevos y mostasa
poquitito de sal


pelar/cortar berenjena
salar berenjena,
dejar para que se le baja el sabor amargo

salar carne

pasar berenjena en el huevo
y luego por pan rayado

despues, freirla
bastante aceite



pasar carne en el huevo
y luego por pan rayado
repetir y presionar

se puede anadir mas huevos para alcanzar

salsa
picar cebolla, ajo
y con marron/pimiento
saltear
agregar tomato de late natural cortado
y con pure de tomate
sal, perejil

fuego bajo hasta que no sea muy acida la tomate
15-20 m

colocar salsa, queso, sobre milanesa
calentar en horno



chop garlic and parsley very small
mix with 4 eggs and mustard
a little salt

peel and cut eggplant into slabs
salt the eggplant and set aside
so that the bitter taste drains

salt the meat

dip the eggplant in the egg mixture
and then in fine bread crumbs


fry it in an oil bath

dip the meat in the egg mixture
and then in fine bread crumbs
pass it twice through for a thicker crust
press the batter firmly into the meat
fry it in an oil bath for several minutes

more eggs can be added if needed

sauce
chop onion and garlic
add black pepper
fry lightly
add canned whole tomatoes, chopped
and tomato sauce
add salt, parsley

cook on low heat 15-20 minutes
until the tomatoes lose their acidity

add sauce and cheese on the milanesa
heat in oven


Friday, July 31, 2009

July ends in Madrid

Last night was a treat!

I impulsively decided to take the metro downtown to meet Ashly when she got off work at 9pm. While I waited on the street for her to come out, an enormous crowd of bicycles and roller blades came tearing down Gran Vía, through the heart of Madrid, protesting gasoline dependency (and enjoying themselves). Ash came out to find me taking pictures and introduced me to two new friends of hers.


While we were all deciding where to go, a girl walked up to us and offered two free tickets to the ballet that had just started at the theater we were standing outside of. Surprised, we accepted. We agreed to make plans with the new friends another night. The ballet had already started, but they let us slip in.

At the first intermission we dashed over to the place Ashly always gets coffee during her breaks, just down from the theater and next door to her work. (It's called Don Jamón (Sir Ham!) and she's a vegetarian! ..but the coffee was delicious.)



We loved the ballet. It was so beautiful. It was a Russian dance company performing Don Quijote... the dance, the costumes, the story, it was an incredible experience. To top it off, our tickets were in the 5th row from the stage, in the center.


When it ended after 11, we scouted a new place to have a caña and Spanish tortilla and were drawn to the tables in the alleyway between two buildings, washed in yellow light and decorated with grafiti. With our beer, we were brought paella and bread by default. Even after ordering tortilla as well, the total was only 6 euros. Not bad!


We spent the night taking photos of the street... but I'll spare you all of those for now.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Pizza at the Chateau

The arrival of June is the announcement that summer is really here, and no amount of hanging on to my winter coats will put the brakes on the year.

Alright. Embrace it.

Starting with a long overdue trip to Grants Pass.




On Friday Abby and I made pizza from a recipe we picked up in Oaxaca.

Barbara H. Pizza Crust (as transcribed)
about 1 1/2 c warm water
1/2 tbsp sugar
sprinkle dry yeast on top
wait for yeast to activate

oil pan - light oven on high (450)

add 1 tsp (for 2 c flour) salt to mix
add flour to yeast mix
until still a bit sticky consistency
put on pan add flour to top
and spread out on oiled pan

add topping

bake 15-20 min (on high 450)