2010
06.26
Tags: Celebrity Chef, Diet-of-Insects, Italian sandwiches, Italian sausage, Italian Sausage-Pepper-Onion sandwiches, Italians do it with sausage, nonnas, red onions, shim the DJ, yellow bell peppers
Posted in Home Cookin', Italian/pizza, sandwiches | 1 Comment »
While it seems my buddy Shim The DJ over at Diet-of-Insects is taking all the credit for the tasty Italian Sausage-Pepper-Onion sandwiches *I* made this afternoon for lunch, the fact remains that these bad-boys are a tasty, inexpeez, and non house-heatingly delicious way to kick it up a notch.
Used with permission
Okay, so he came up with the idea to try this recipe when we were fumbling around at the grocery store, asking ourselves “What should we eat?” But that’s about it. He’s currently spouting some nonsense about my just being “the vessel” for his “genius,” which you can take or leave. I mean, it’s obviously an old Italian recipe passed down by generations of nonnas. Still, you ought to try these sandwiches. Check his blog for the deets on how to make ‘em, and then give him the gears for reducing me to a mere “Celebrity Chef” footnote!
2010
05.31
Tags: breakfast tacos, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cilantro, Crema Salvadoreña, cumin, Diet-of-Insects, El Salvadorean creme fraiche, garlic, great homemade tacos, ground beef, ground coriander seed, guacamole, Herdez salsa, homemade tacos, I hate pre-packaged taco seasoning, La Vaquita, lettuce, Mexican cooking, Mt. Olive mild banana pepper rings, Old El Paso, onion, oregano, pepper, recipes, salsa, Salsa Casera, Salsa Verde, salt, shallot, Shim, spices, spicy tacos, taco seasoning, Tex-Mex, the secret to making great tacos, the world's best tacos, tomato, white cheddar cheese
Posted in Home Cookin', Tex-Mex, tacos | 1 Comment »
The secret to delicious homemade tacos does not, number one, lie within:
Old El Paso isn’t being particularly singled out here; it’s just one example among many. People seem to think that you need “taco seasoning,” purchased in a packet such as this one, in order to make great tacos.
This is a lie.
The way to great tacos, my friends, lies in combining just five important seasonings you probably already own. They are:
- chili powder
- cayenne pepper
- cumin
- oregano
- salt
You can also toss in some ground coriander seed, to bump up the corianderliciousness of your cilantro leaves (sprinkled over the top of the finished dish), but it’s purely optional. If you’ve got chili powder, cayenne, cumin, oregano and salt, you’ve got it made in the shade. Enough with the pre-packaged “taco seasoning”! Free your kitchen of this sodium-laden packet of injustice, and marinate your meat in deliciousness.
DIRECTIONS:
- Brown about a pound of ground beef (or pork, or chicken, or whatever) in a buttered skillet.
- Chuck in your minced garlic (2 or 3 good sized cloves) and chopped red onion or shallot.
- Add your spices, as mentioned above, plus about a cup of water to create the “sauce.” My spice ratio is about a teaspoon to a tablespoon each of the coriander seed, oregano and cayenne pepper, plus about 1/8 of a cup of both cumin and chili powder; adjust these as you please for heat and general taste, adding more if you like it more savory. Simmer down your sauce, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated—about 10 minutes or so.
- Spread on your favorite tortilla, garnish as desired, and enjoy. Suggested garnishes include: lettuce, tomato, white cheddar cheese, cilantro, guacamole, salsa (I enjoy both red Salsa Casera and green Salsa Verde from Herdez), pickled banana pepper rings (I’ve been using some from Mt. Olive), and Celebrity Intern’s favorite, La Vaquita’s Crema Salvadoreña, a kind of El Salvadorean crème fraiche.
That’s it, that’s all. No fuss, no muss. Just great tacos. You’re welcome.
Also, if you’re looking for a great recipe for breakfast tacos, my fellow blogger Shim’s got you covered, over at Diet-of-Insects. (And no edible insects, I promise.)
