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.