Papooses for baby chorizos

2 cups Masa harina (sold in the ethnic food isle of most grocery stores; look for a white flour-style bag with green lettering that says Maseca) 1 cup warm water 1½ cups Filling (see variations)

1. In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and water and knead well. Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time, if needed to make a moist, yet firm dough. (It should not crack at the edges when you press down on it.) Cover and set aside to rest 5-10 minutes.

2. Make a ball about the size of a squash ball (smaller than a baseball) with the masa.

3. Use your thumb to make a small bowl out of the ball. Make sure the dough is spread evenly throughout and does not exceed 1 cm in thickness at any point.

4. Put a generous 1 tablespoon of desired filling into each “masa bowl” and fold the dough over to completely enclose it in the ball.

5. Carefully press the ball out with your palms (it helps to moisten them a little to prevent sticking) to form a fat tortilla-like disc (about 1 cm thick), taking care that that the filling doesn’t spill out and the edges don’t crack.

6. Heat an ungreased skillet over medium-high flame. Cook each pupusa for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and hold warm until all pupusas are done. Serve with curtido and salsa roja.

Variations • Pupusas de Frijol y Queso: Bean and cheese filling. Use grated quesillo, queso fresco, farmer’s cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese or a combination. Add some minced green chile if you like. Refried pinto beans from a work fine for the beans. Use a shallow tablespoon of each.

• Pupusas de Chicharrones: With a filling of fried chopped pork and a little tomato sauce. A reasonable approximation can be made by grinding 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor. • Pupusas Revueltas: Use a mixture of chicharrones, cheese and refried beans.

• Pupusas de Queso y Loroco: With a cheese and tropical vine flower filling. Loroco can be found in jars at many Latin markets.

Whack-a-mole-y (a.k.a. Guacamole with Edamame, Broccoli & Spinach)

2 avocadoes

1 roma tomato, diced

1/2 cup of diced onion

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, minced (or to your taste)

Juice of 2 limes

3/4 cups shelled edamame, thawed

1 cup broccoli crowns, steamed

1 cup packed baby spinach

Salt and pepper

Handful of cilantro

1. In the food processor, puree edamame, steamed broccoli, spinach, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno until smooth. 2. Mix in avocado and tomato, allowing the bits to distribute evenly through the dip. Taste and adjust seasonings. You might need more lime juice, salt or even a dash of hot sauce.

And now a story I hope you will enjoy as much as I did. Have your partner read it aloud as you prepare this.

(blows otu) this remind me of my friend names qwerts. about 4 year ago he was married to this lady names henry etta. every thing seem normal in the outside. sure they have they problems (what couple dont) and they have good times too. one time at teh carnival qwerts threw quarter and it land perfectly on a red hole and bigno, he win a car. that night we all drive around until teh sun come up, laughin and talkin about that great throw he make. qwerts have his arm around henry etta teh whole time and they was kissin and smilin and you just knews that it was probly teh greatest time in the history of a world for them. i remember that night so clear because henry etta win that cd by kelly clarpson at the whackmole. we was playing it in the car and every time she sing since you is gone, huerta would burp real loud. it was one of them magic night where everything was perfect.

so a few month later I see qwerts and lets just put it this way, he is devistating. I ask him what is wrong "hey qwerts, you look sad, what is problem." "hey stups, it is henry etta. a few night ago she act all weird and next thing i knews, she is gone like a candle of a wind." So i just pet him on teh head and tell him everything gonna be alright and maybe she just forget somethin somewhere and she go to get it. you never really know what it could be. maybe she just see animals and she following them. who knows.

well, (bloews out) about 4 day later we get an answer. and just thinkin about it make knots on my stomach. qwerts was still sad so me and huerta decide that we gonna take him to teh carnival to cheer him up. huerta even buy that kelly clarks cd and teh way there we play that song over and over and huerta burps everytime...lol. we was really laughin and having great time and for one moments, it like qwerts was smilin and he forget about he problems. mission accomplist.

So we get to teh carnival and we doin all the thing we like to do. we all ride the coaster, me and huerta ride the swingin pirate ship and sit on the ends across from each other and when one of us get as high as we can we make funny face at the other guy. qwerts even go to the quarter toss to try to win another car but they dont let him throw one because he probly is so good at it. finally it is gettin late and qwerts decide he wanna play wackmoles before we go. he saw last time that one of they prizes was a paddle ball and he dog (at teh time) jimmy c had chewed the ball off he old paddle so he needed a new one anyways.

Just as he walk up to the game, he see something that will change he life forever. It is henry etta and she is playin whackmoles with another man. They is playin together and teh other man is behind her and they is holdin that mallet together. They was laughin and havin what look like the time of a life. Qwerts start walking over to them and huerta try to stop him, but I grab huerta arm and say "let'm go". Qwerts go over to them and say "henry etta, what is goin on. I am so sad and i dont knew where you is and now I come here and see you playin whackmoles with another man." I am so sad." It turn out that the other man is names Paul Swish. Some of you may know that he grandfather Josia Swish invent whackmoles and Paul been around that game he whole life. That is why henry etta like him because she favorite game is whackmoles and in teh wackmole world, teh swish name is Royal T.

We start walkin away and then huerta have an idea. "hey swish, how about you and qwerts play one whackmole game. who ever get hi score get henry etta." qwerts stop and he turn around to look over at paul and henry etta and they look at each other and think for a moment. Paul nod and wink at henry etta and he yell back " ok, you on." Wow, my heart start beatin like triples. This is exciting, this is a game that will change life for everyone involve. Me and huerta start rubbin querts shoulders. Huerta pull a towel out of he back pocket and put it around he neck. Qwerts step up to he machine and paul swish step up to his. A huge crowd is now gathered around as news spread of teh whackmole show down where the winner get henry etta. It is qwerts verse Paul swish. And now the game of a lifetime starts.

Teh moles is comin up fast and qwerts is really concentrate, he hittin almost all of them. he is biting his toungue and sweatin, he is tryin he best. I look over at paul swish to see how he doin. I will never forget what I see as long as i live. he is holdin that mallet sideways out in front of him with he hand in teh middle of it and he turning it with only he wrist and he hittin moles with both the top of the mallet and teh bottom of it (teh handle!). He is hittin moles so fast that teh crowd is screaming and applause. He other hand is on his hip and he look like a spanished bullfighter. It is breathtaking! And the worst part is that he is beating qwerts by thousand of points. It almost like he knews which hole that moles is comin out of before the moles do. Finally the game is over and qwerts have 520 points. He look over to see what paul swish score is and he see 340. He jump in the air and scream "I win!! henry etta is mine!" Then huerta tell him that he don't see the 6 in front of the 340. Paul swish actually score 6340 points and simply demolish qwerts. Paul and henry etta hug and kiss and they skip away forever, laughing and hi-fiving to teh crowd. paul was signin autogramphs as well.

That was 4 years ago and now qwerts is married to a real nice lady. He don't like to talk about henry etta and now when we go to teh carnivals, he avoid whackmoles all together (he only do squirt baloons). But he get through it and he a better man for it. we heard a few year ago that paul swish get beat at whackmoles by a chinesed boy and lose henry etta so qwerts take some comfort in that. Last we hear was henry etta live honk kong.
so basically what i sayin is you never know. life is unexpect and just kind of gotta roll in it.
stud+s
p and s while i was typin this huerta leave me voice mail that was just him doin burps...lol

Fran's Filling Staion is GO!

Please go eat at Fran's Filling Station located just off Park Rd. in Charlotte, NC. The food is an amalgamation of Southern comfort food and Tex-Mex. Be sure to try the Navaho fish tacos (not really sure if that fell into the category just menitoned but yummy just the same). Ask for Amanda, she will fix you up.

cou⋅pon /ˈkupɒn, [koo-pon, kyoo-]

I bought two bags of chips (only 5 oz.) and got three free. I bought two bags of shredded cheese and got three free. Work those coupons people. And yes, I AM making potato chip nachos for the rest of the week but they are good. And motivational. Take adavantage of Sunday newspaper inserts and don't strictly dine at Lowes' et al. free sample self-server's. Stock it away. If it's in your belly.okay. Take time to think about it. Food can become an overwehlming cost if you do not shop right. Correctly, that is. Make a plan, make it work in there. Put away the Penrose and Hershey's (both dear to my heat) and buy a boat. Made out of food.

Late Nite with Kernersville Eateries

Main Street in Kernersville boasts a disproportianate amount of late night gnoshing establishments compared to W-S. Burgers and fries are well represented with Cook Out staying open until... well I have driven past it at 1:30 so I will guess 2 while the local Hardees is open around the clock. These are both drive-thru's so watch your trousers if u cannot resist the temptation tho drive with one hand while applying mayonnaise to the top bun of your purchase (and does anyone else use the actual packet as a spreading knife? I do, but am thinking it very, if not extremely, unwise to do so, even out of the car).

Next is proverbial favorite Denny's. The one on Main St. is an amalgamation of thrift-store, diner-chic and nursing home aymosphere in the mostly pre-dawn hours. The Grand-Slam is affordable and if you apply enough syrup to everything, including the coffee, you might just make it out okay.

Harris Teeter. Buy what you want. Fix it how you want. The meal normally ends up as something you cook and time by Led Zepplin's 'Moby Dick'. But get creative. They leave the olive bar open save for the wax paper they toss on there to discourage 'sample seekers'. Spice up that Totinos with a slice of tomato and pretzels are usually on sale.

Owls eat rats. Night owls don't have to.

Fasting is so Passe

Tumultuos turn of events. A moved away to start her own restaraunt (and you thought we were doing this for fun) and in order to "further my career" I moved to 2nd shift. Needless to say, IGAGPTSIWYW has been on hiatus and as Lil' Kim said we "aint eatin' right". Difficult to whip up prawns in ginger sauce at 3:00 in the a.m. Difficult but not unheard of. Plus, I had some difficulties with my camera which made the blog tick-tock-ya-don't-stop. But fear not I bought a card reader (seriously they are only $10) so I can begin anew. Maybe bachelor food segments (last night I made bacon and eggs then chopped them up, with sauteed onions and threw it all in a bowl of refried beans with ample amounts of Food Lion Hot Pepper Sauce, result: the bomb-- take that as you may) will ensue. We did go to TX for SXSW '09 and visited some great Tex-Mex and BBQ joints (not the NC kind, mind you) and I have one lonely pic to show. Photo is remains of a hearty plate of ribs, bbq'd chicken, collards and beans at the famous Stubbs BBQ joint on 6th St. Austin, TX. Music + Food + A= Inspirado. Blog is back.

Reading: The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

Watched: Bad Manners (orig. stage-play, witty banter, sex-tension), Waitress (all gotten from local public library, thanks digital t.v. changeover)

Listening: YACHT, King Khan, Heartless Bastards, Black Joe Lewis, Cage, Bisc 1, Black Lips, Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Capsicum: not just a crossword answer

Capsicum green and tall, but when cut in half a revolutionary diversion from the way your momma does it. T said these peppers were better than any he had ever tasted. Oh sure he says that about everything I cook, but that's what he oughta say. We were already on a meatball roll with all the neccessary ingredients on hand and those green beauties were suitable for the stuffing. A nice serving of crunchy steamed broccoli was lightly buttered and sprinkled with lemon juice. Iced tea is in our fridge AT ALL TIMES. Although, not sweetend it washes down just about every meal in this house. If you happen to try out this recipe, let me know how it turns out. Because almost every recipe I get off the Internet is very often wrong, wrong, wrong.

Reading: I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Looking Forward to Reading: Liars Poker (Michael Lewis), Service Included, Unlocked (Louis Ferrati)
Listening: Mitch Easter, Western Civ, Embarrasing Fruits, Santogold, The Notwist and Barak Obama's adress to Congress

Watching: SNL's "Really!" skit & lots of Sarah Silverman stand-up on YouTube, The Reader, The Wrecking Crew

Contemplating:

Enchilada Intifada

in⋅ti⋅fa⋅da 
/ˌɪntəˈfɑdə/
–noun
(sometimes initial capital letter) a revolt begun in December 1987 by Palestinian Arabs to protest Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

As an homage to Oliver Stone's "W." biopic we made enchiladas. W. was always a sucker for Tex-Mex. And really, was that flick even IN theaters? Now, we have made enchiladas before, and we are tending to go south of the border on this blog lately, but A. made these hurt so good (so good in fact TAGAMET is now petitioning to advertise on this blog, but we will not relent!). From secret wars in Nicaragua (you have to say that with a really wide mouth, contracting the tongue, not really emphasising the "c" sound) to Lawyer-gate, this is a meal that could feed the entire Superdome!! Please enjoy:

Recipe is coming soon.....

Meatballs vs. Meatwad (A Love Story)

versus

A meatball of some form or other is made in countries all over the world. Humans have a fascination with grinding up flesh and balling it up. Now, the Vegans will say they won't eat anything with a face and all other NORMAL people say "Meat is good, meat is great, give me meatballs on my plate." So I have to pose the question, would you eat a meatball that had a face?
Everyone has loved making a spitball at one time or another. Maybe an extra gooey one to throw at your brother. We humans probably love to swirl and stir, mash and squish meat together because of our attraction to geometrical shapes (i.e. balloons that blow up into those funny animal shapes). Any way you slice it meatballs are round.

Mandy's Meatwads, for two, for two days



1.57 lbs 93% lean ground beef
.5 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic pressed
.5 onion
1 cup parsley
4 or 5 slices dry bread
1 egg
1 cup milk

For the sauce:
1 can diced/crushed tomatoes
5 cloves garlic pressed
.2 tsp ground oregano
2 tbs
.5 onion
2 tbspns dried basil
1.5 can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
14 oz. tomato sauce

Method:
1. Sautee onions, garlic, chicken broth and tomato paste. Once that is brown and pasty add 1.5 cup red wine and reduce, i tell you, back to pasty and brown.
2. Add tomatoes, oregano and basil and let simmer for 45 min.
3. Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large mixing dish. Quickly and loosely combine with your hands being careful not to work too much, no longer than 60 seconds. Form into balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 40-45 mins.
4. Remove metballs from oven and place in sauce to continue cooking.
5. Serve with favorite pasta, chilled salad and crusty bread.

Chainsaw Massacre. One of the children wielded what she thought to be the most spot on miniaturized plastic version of an actual power tool that she had ever seen. The other children feigned agonizing and messy deaths on the patch of grass that served as dog-run, yard sale territory and now imaginary house of terror for the residents at Birchwood Manor. It could all be observed from her room. Late inthe day she would watch the cars and their drivers return from someplace, maybe work, maybe shopping. There was a busy road outside as well. She would try to imagine where these people were going and what they would encounter when they got there. These were the movements. She moved through this window. She was each and every stride and flailing death knell that the little girl outside proffered. She could not move in the conventional sense of the term but never felt still.

Charro Beans

You may have had something like this at you're local Mexican restaurant. It's a dance of pinto beans, bacon, tomatoes, onions and the herb element NOT cilantro! I made 'em with parsley!

Here's the recipe to fall in love with.

CHARRO BEANS
4 cups pintos (soaked for 4 hours)
4 strips bacon
2 green onions
1/2 tomato
2 cloves garlic
4 cups boiling water
1 cup chicken stock
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 pablano pepper
1 cup of jalapeno salsa (half pint from Aldi)
1/2 cup monterrey/cheddar

THE BEANS
A little soak during the workday makes them cook up faster. Boil them in the chicken stock while you work on the....THE BACON...Cook the bacon in a pot or a dutch oven. Add poblano pepper and garlic. THE BEANS and liquids are added into your pot then simmer 1 hour.
Add the green onions and tomatoes to simmer 30 minutes more. Throw in your parsley then and the jalapeno salsa. TOP with cherry, tomatoes, green onions some of that awesome salsa!

And if you are really feeling adventurous how about a big heaping helping of some peanut butter? Oh well, have a Clementine instead!

The Week We (Nearly) Ate Shrimp & Grits Every Night

I am going to tell you something about grits they are versatile and love to be served with some delicious crustasceans.

Grits were a staple in my household served with butter, cheese, tomatoes, salt and pepper. That's'a warming my heart just thinking about 'em.

We nearly ate shrimp and grits everyday this week because it's cheap to buy grits in bulk along with all the fixings to warm ourselves on two snowy nights this week. We had some leftover bacon to top them with and used the leftover bacon in charro beans (also pictured above) and BLT'S. Pigs go a long way, even the three legged ones.

T had a cold and could only taste them with a lot of Sriracha hot rooster sauce. And we feel certain that Sriracha has mystical healing powers that cure the common cold and curiously bird flu.

The 2nd night of what we now affectionately refer to as Scrimp Week, T threw some bisquits together with Bisquick, sprinkled them with a little ground oregano and topped with a pat of butter to which I said, "As God as my witness, I will never eat another bisquit any other way again!"

Shrimp and Grits

1 cup stoned ground grits

2 cups water

1 tsp. chicken stock

6-12 frozen shrimp (a great price at Aldi)

2 tblsp. whole wheat flour

2 tblsp. olive oil

2 green onions

1 small clove garlic

2 slices of bacon

2 tblsp. parsley

2 tblsp. tomato

1/4 cup cheese

salt and pepper

Sriracha

THE SHRIMP

I prepared the roux with green onion, garlic, olive oil and bacon. Once the fat is out of the bacon and the herbs have softened add the flour and get ready to add the chicken stock. STIR, STIR, STIR or WHISK! Add the shrimps to thaw in the gravy if they have shells even better to bring the shrimp flavor into the sauce! Pull the shrimp out in about three minutes, peel them when the cool. They might be a little under cooked and that's okay you'll be warming them back up in the sauce.

THE GRITS

You don't know how to cook grits!! Sheesh. The Grits take about 15 minutes to cook and 20 if you like them more tender. Just follow the instructions, but cook with chicken stock for a more robust flavor if you dare.

THE FIXINGS

Green Onion

Parsley

Crispy Bacon

Monterrey Jack Cheese/Cheddar

Butter

SaltnPepa

Sriracha

Listening to: James Brown and the JB's "Funky New President"

Movies Watched this Week: "Bottle Shock", "Pride & Glory", "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist", "Chris Rock: The Messenger"

Picks for the Week: RadioLab on Sun. nights, Duke vs. UNC on Wed., Dmitri Martin comedian, Dancing in the Kitchen, Boy Scouts of America's Popcorn drive (beat those Girl's Guys), The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar

Superbowl Sunday

There are few American faux-holidays where we are allowed to abandon our sensibilities about diet and exercise and lay waste to a spread of highly-fattening, acid-reflux inducing, wake-you- up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-sneak- some-more-wings type meals. (Okay, not only are all American holidays this way, but most American dinners, too) And so we carried on the tradition of cooking for Super Bowl XLIII. We want to move to Pittsburgh.

White Chili

1 lb. lrg. white beans, soaked overnight in water

2 cups chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium onions, shopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 4 oz cans chopped green chilis

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp white pepper

2 chicken breasts (from Aldi people!)

3 cups Monterey Jack cheese

1 poblano chili

Method

1. Combine beans, chicken broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 3 hrs or more.

2. In a skillet saute remaining onions in oil. Add chilis and seasoning. Add bean mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer for about 1 hr. Add poblano to taste or desired heat.

3. Served with grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro and chopped scallions.

Egg McMush-fin

Liver Mush. Let us put it a different, more appetising way, liver pudding. Everyone likes pudding right? Imagine Bill Cosby in Manchester, or Paula Dean on meth. Those were my naive initial impressions of the name. A likens the taste to a beautiful marriage of fallafel and patte. I think it is a pour mans sausage. How can you get any poorer and desperate than killing a pig? I mean they are relatively slow, so no real effort is exerted. Don't get me wrong, pigs are not filthy animals, nor are they amalgamations of cat, rat and dog (in my opinion); they taste good and their by-products are inexpensive. This morning we treated ourselves to some well deserved breakfast sandwiches.

F.A.R.E. (Friends Are Really Expensive)

When an old friend calls up to say she is coming into town for a visit it could mean a few pleasant hours by the fire contemplating the poetry of Keats or E.E. Cummings and sharing a hearty bowl of chili beans. Nope. It means girls get out your push-up bras and slap on a coat of paint; you're going out on the town! Wine, food and fun at a Winston-Salem restaurant called NOMA. The place is very modern but with a cozy feel. We settled down with the menus. Initially the menu undewhelmed, on the other hand, I have four fingers and a thumb. For starters the baked mac and cheese was pretty plain. The fried calamari was the most tender morsels of squishy deliciousness I have ever tasted. The main dishes were salmon with chili and sage sauce (pictured), portabella sandwich, kobe meatloaf and ostrich burger.

Then we had to go eat Mexican the next morning because we got so barracho. I know we just started this blog about being frugal but when friends call we drop our pour guise and turn into millionaires. We'll throw good money at food and wine in the name of friendship. In fact, when we raise our glasses to hear them clink together we say this: "Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly."

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad...

Admittedly, this may go against everything Mrs. Garrett held veritable, but quiches are a great dumping ground for leftover veggies and cheese blocks with midnight teeth marks in them. Another great tip is that eggs can be rather inexpensive the closer to the "sell by" date they are purchased.

Broccoli Quiche Recipe

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell

10 oz. chopped broccoli

8oz. fresh mushrooms

1 cup milk

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbs margarine, melted

1 tbs flour Pic: (L) Sun-dried tomato, feta and spinach; (R) Broccoli & Cheddar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pie crust about 10 minutes or until bottom is slightly brown. Let cool. Cook broccoli until tender (we suggest steaming!); drain well. Combine eggs, milk, margarine, flour, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup cheese; whisk until well blended. Sprinkle remaining cheese over crust. Later broccoli and mushrooms on cheese. Pour milk/ egg mixture over all. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

If Ya Can't Eat it, Ya' don't need It

Just call us the Suze Ormon of gourmands. We hope to show and tell you how not to feel guilty about starving children in (insert third world dictatorship). Times is hard. Does your pantry need a bailout? Visit this blog where we will supply you with recipes and receipts. We are affording ourselves $37.50 per week for foodstuffs, but will creatively transform dollar store staples and coupon assisted impulse buys into delicious, well, edible meals for two. Along the way we will almost certainly delve into what we were doing the night we made the recipe, what we were listening to or anything in between. So pinch your pennies and your salt and prepare to toss out the ramen (well not so fast, that may be in next Tuesday's Asian Slaw). Cheers!