Empanada Dough

'This turned out great with minor changes. I made this with two whole eggs instead of as called for and used 2 cups all purpose flour with one cup whole wheat flour. It was really pliable and ended up making around 18 empanadas from roughly 5 1/2 inch circles. I made two batches and baked one and fried one and as always the fried ones were a million times better but the baked were good for being baked. I will use this as my go to recipe next time I make empanadas.'

Emeril's  Spicy Duck Empanadas with Fire Sauce and Cilantro Cream

Puerto Rican-Style Roasted Pork Shoulder with Rice and Black Beans

This is one of those do-the-night-before recipes, but it sounds great!

Pique (Puerto Rican Style Hot Sauce)

Preparation

Drop the garlic cloves, peppercorns, salt and bay leaf (and any of your optional additions) down into the bottle.

Remove the stems from the hot peppers. Leave the seeds and membranes intact if you want your pique spicy! If necessary, slice the peppers lengthwise until they are a size that fits easily into the mouth of the bottle. Insert peppers (or peppers strips) into the bottle. Use a funnel to pour vinegar into the bottle to cover the peppers and spices. If your bottle has a shaker top, snap it back into place, add the lid and set out on the counter for two days. After two days, store your pique in the refrigerator. You can top off with vinegar when it starts getting low. When the peppers start losing their punch, use a chopstick to remove the peppers and start over!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup More Or Less, Apple Cider Vinegar
12 whole Hot Peppers (Jalapeno, Arbol, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Cayenne, Etc.)
4 cloves To 6 Cloves Garlic, Peeled And Sliced In Half Lengthwise
12 whole Black Peppercorns
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (or Other Non-iodized Salt)
½ whole Bay Leaf

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Optional Ingredients
1 teaspoon Rum
½ teaspoons Toasted Cumin Seed
¼ whole Lime, Juiced
1 whole -2 Whole Stems, Fresh Cilantro

Rick Bayless' Salsa Macha

Ingredients

2 ounces dried chiles (one or more of the following: arbol, chiltepín, pequín, serrano seco, chipotle, morita, puya, guajillo, ancho, mulato, pasilla—depending on the flavors and spiciness you want to go for)
1 1/2 ounces (1/3 cup) nuts (one or more of the following: almonds, peanuts, pecan pieces)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar (cider vinegar works well here)
1 teaspoon salt
A generous 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (one or more of the following: Mexican oregano, marjoram, or thyme)

Directions

Stem the chiles, then break or cut them open and scrape/brush/let fall out most of the seeds; cut into 1/4-inch pieces - you will have about 1 cup. (Simply use chiltepin or pequin whole.)

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, combine the nuts, sesame seeds, garlic and oil. Set over medium-high heat and cook until garlic and sesame seeds are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chiles. Let cool 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the salt until the salt dissolves, then add it to the pan along with the herbs. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is chopped into small pieces. Run the processor for a few seconds until everything is finely chopped—but not pureed. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.

Mary Jane Gagnier's Salsa de Miltomate y Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca

Makes approximately 2 cups of salsa

Make the effort to find the Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca. You will know it is the right chile by its rich smoky aroma. This salsa just gets better day after day, sweeter and more mellow; will keep up to a week, if you can keep it in the refrigerator that long! Mix the leftover chile garlic paste with fresh squeezed tangerine juice (orange juice will do as well) and a splash of tequila (use good Oaxacan mezcal, if you have it), now you have a delicious marinade for grilled shrimp, chicken or pork.

Ingredients

1 pound miltomates* or tomatillos
2 to 5 chiles pasillas de Oaxaca (or 8 chile de arbol) depending on size and desired heat level
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove the papery husk from the miltomate or tomatillos and rinse. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast turning occasionally until lightly browned and very soft, approximately 10-15 minutes. You can also roast them on a comal or very large (12-inch) saute pan over medium flame turning occasionally to evenly cook.

Heat a very large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and toast the whole chiles quickly, lightly flattening them with a spatula. This is a quick process. Once they puff up and change color, remove from the heat immediately.

Soak the chiles in hot water until soft, approximately 5 minutes. After chiles have softened, devein and deseed them by scrapping a spoon in the inside.

In a blender, puree the chiles and garlic with a little water. Pour off and reserve half of the chile puree. Add the miltomates or tomatillos and blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust level of chile heat by adding more of the reserve paste as needed. Salt to taste. Thin with water as needed.

* Miltomates are a very small tomatillo with a purplish blush that you can find in Mexican groceries and some farmer's markets.

Rick Bayless' Tangy Peanut-Avocado Salsa

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

This salsa can be made with toasted pumpkinseeds.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped, loosely packed cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe avocado, pit removed, flesh scooped from the skin and roughly chopped
Salt

Directions

In a blender jar combine the peanuts, chile, cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 cup water. Blend until completely smooth . Add the avocado and pulse until thoroughly blended. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon, and thin with additional water if you think necessary.

Cilantro Crema

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the heavy cream and buttermilk in a glass bowl or jar with a lid and stir or shake well to blend thoroughly. Allow to sit in a warm place, unrefrigerated, until cream is thickened and somewhat "set," up to 6 hours. Shake well and refrigerate overnight before using. When ready to serve, add cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper.

Good over plantains or whatever sounds good.

Aioli Recipe

Aioli just means flavored mayo. Homemade is always best, right?

P.S You don't have to use garlic, you can use anything that sounds good, like pickled Chipotles, artichoke hearts, whatever...

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4 cloves garlic, minced

2 egg yolks

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat eggs well with a wire whisk. Stir in garlic. Gradually add oil in a thin stream, beating constantly until light and creamy (or if you own a food processor, puree the ingredients, and with the motor running, pour the olive oil in a slow stream, which will thicken the mayo).

Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate.

Arroz con Aceitunas Verde

Ingredients:

2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp Spanish paprika (or try smoky paprika)
3 cups good quality chicken stock
1 cup green Spanish olives, pitted & halved
2-3 fresh sage leaves
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1.5 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
chopped cilantro & lemon wedges for garnish

P.S You can add capers, tomato sauce, achiote seed (anatto), and try different types of rice, such as jasmine.

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken thighs with paprika, salt & pepper. In a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, add the oil. Brown the chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add the shallots and garlic, saute until translucent and slightly browned. Then, add a little chicken stock while stirring to scrape up bits from bottom of skillet. Add the rest of the chicken stock along with the olives and red chili flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to skillet. Cover; simmer 10 minutes.

Add rice to liquid around chicken; gently stir to distribute evenly in skillet & add the sage leaves. Season with salt & pepper. Cover; simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Garnish with a little freshly chopped parsley & lemon wedges.

American TV shows "Shindig", "Shivaree" and "Hullabaloo" featured go-go dancers.

Movies

Beach Blanket Bingo

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

Muscle Beach Party

Easy Come Easy Go (Elvis)

There are many others but those are probably considered the classics.

Hey everybody! New member from Denmark here! Glad to join all of you!

I run a soul and garage rock oriented club that's on once a month here in Copenhagen, Denmark. I focus on the garage rock and my buddy (the co-founder) focuses on the soul. I would love to do some visuals with movie clips from the 60's with female go-go dancers in clubs, at gigs and other places.

I could rip some videos from youtube, but the resolution is just too low.. Do any of you guys know some movies or documentaries with a lot of footage of go-go dancers that I could get my hands on, then I would be very happy!

Looking forward to hear from you!

Cheers!

/Marcus

Co-founder of Tower City Garage & Soul Club

My Favorite Weekend Breakfast: Machacado Con Huevos

My Favorite Weekend Breakfast: Machacado Con Huevos

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients

1 small red onion, peeled and cut in half
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Salt

Directions

With a knife or food processor, thinly slice the onions. Scoop into a non-reactive bowl. Pour boiling water over them, count to 10, then immediately pour the onions into a strainer. Shake off all the water, pour the onions back into the bowl, pour on the lime juice and stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Liquid Gold: 15 Ways to Use Bacon Fat

Also- Bacon Fat - do you use it? How?

Drunken Beans

Ingredients
3/4 pound of dried beans
1 bottle lager beer
2 slices good quality bacon, diced
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed
3 to 4 Serrano chiles, finely chopped
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to test
Lime wedges for serving

Method
Soak and cook beans.

Add the beer and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in an ungreased heavy skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered. Move to a paper some paper towels on top of some newspaper to drain and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the excess oil. Keep the flame at medium and cook the onion, garlic, and chiles until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. If the pan looks like it might burn, then add an ounce of water to loosen the meat bits, and scrub them off with a wooden spoon. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and wilted. Add the cooked bacon and stir.

Transfer this mixture to the beans, season with salt and pepper to your taste, add more water if you wish, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve with warm corn tortillas and lime wedges.

Bacon Gravy

6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons bacon grease
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat a large skillet to medium-hi. Place 6 slices of bacon in the skillet and cook until just under crispy.

Remove bacon from skillet and drain; set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Add flour to grease, and whisk together. Cook for about a minute without burning the flour.

Add milk; whisk together.

Heat until bubbling. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, crumble bacon. Add salt and pepper (to taste), and bacon to gravy. Allow to simmer until desired consistency.

Serve over biscuits.

Rick Bayless' Mushroom Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano

Makes a generous 6 cups, serving 4

This soup shows off the natural affinity between earthy mushrooms and earthy potatoes. Too much of a good thing can, sometimes, lead to lost luster, which is why I like the deep-green spice of roasted poblanos in this soup. And the aromatic flecks of cilantro. And, of course, the sweet bits of corn. If I want to gild this beautiful lily, I’ll cook a small handful of chopped bacon until crisp and add it to the soup just before serving.

Ingredients

4 medium (about 1 pound total) red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large fresh poblano chile
8 ounces mushrooms (I like shiitake or oyster mushrooms), sliced 1/4-inch thick (you’ll have about 3 cups of slices)
1 scant cup corn kernels (they can be frozen or ones you’ve cut off one to two large ears)
1 large sprig fresh epazote (you can substitute a big sprig of fresh thyme, or leave it out all together)
1/4 cup plain yogurt, heavy cream or sour cream
Salt
About 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Scoop the potatoes and garlic into a medium (3-quart) saucepan, pour in half of the broth and set over high heat. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, roast the poblano over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for a broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel. Let cool until handleable. Rub the blackened skin off the chiles and pull out the stem and seed pod. Rinse the chile flesh to remove bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces.

When the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to puree the soup base (or blending in several batches in a food processor or loosely covered blender draped with a kitchen towel and return to the pan). Add the remaining half of the broth, the mushrooms, poblano, corn and epazote (or thyme, if using). Simmer 10 minutes over medium heat.

Just before serving, scoop out about 1⁄2 cup of the hot soup into a small bowl. Mix in the yogurt, cream or sour cream. Stir the mixture back into the pot, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1⁄2 teaspoons. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Soup’s on.

Riffs on the Potato-Mushroom Soup Theme: Though my version of this soup is vegetarian when made with vegetable broth, it doesn’t have to be. Ham, ham hocks, bacon and chorizo are all wonderful in this soup—start with about 4 ounces. As is crab. The corn can be easily replaced by other vegetables that offer a contrast in taste and texture: small fresh fava beans (my favorite), peas, 1-inch lengths of green beans. Use about the same volume measure. And I love this soup made with half potatoes and half parsnips or young turnips, or rutabaga.

For the Adventurer: Use bacon drippings to sauté a heaping cup of cubed cleaned nopal cactus pieces until all their liquid has evaporated; add them, with the bacon, just before serving.

Lime-Cilantro Vinegreta

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil or a mixture of the two
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest (colored rind only)
1/2 cup packed cilantro, thick lower stems broken off
Fresh hot green chile to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

*You can also add 3 Tbsp of Feta

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it - keeping in mind that dressings should be highly seasoned. Pour into a jar, secure the lid and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake well immediately before use.

Vanilla Custard 

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Have eggs ready in a bowl, and set aside where it will be within reach.

Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stovetop. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan.

Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that's turned off.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly.

Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.)

Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.