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Overnight Open Recipe Thread

Mmmm... salsa

PICO DE GALLO

2-3 ripe tomatoes

1/2 Large white onion, diced

3 fresh, medium jalapenos, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

Salt, to taste

Pico de gallo (Spanish for “rooster’s beak”) is an uncooked salsa

In Mexican cuisine, Pico de gallo is a fresh uncooked salsa made from chopped tomato, onion, and sometimes chiles (typically jalapeños or serranos). Pico de gallo is Spanish for “rooster’s beak”, a name it picked up because if you eat pico de gallo the way it was meant to be eaten- by itself, using only your thumb and index finger- the grasping motion used to pick it up resembles a rooster’s pecking beak. To make this right, you need the freshest vegetables you can get your hands on, and you need to make sure to cut pretty good-sized chunks, so they’ll stay on your chips, scrambled eggs, or whatever else you want to put ’em on. And if you want to keep ’em from getting too runny, make sure you drain some of the juice from the tomatoes.

If you’ve got a party, you can easy double or triple the recipe. Keep in mind, though, it doesn’t keep long- it’d be best if you prepare it the day you’re going to use it.

So, what’s on your mind, folks?


71 comments

  1. DTOzone

    of that job interview I had last week…I’m incredibly excited about the possibility of being employed again…and in a job that’s 100% my career path, even if it is a dying industry.

  2. pico de gallo…. one of my all-time favourite foods along with guacamole. btw – hi rage!

    here’s a recipe in time for the holidays that i want to try:

    Latkes with Ancho-Chile Salt and Watercress Guacamole

    ingredients

    2 large dried ancho chiles

    1 3/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided

    2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, diced

    2 cups chopped white onions, divided

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

    1 large egg

    1 tablespoon masa (corn tortilla mix), toasted, or plain all purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    6 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil

    Watercress Guacamole

    Fresh watercress sprigs

    print a shopping list for this recipe

    preparation

    Toast chiles in small skillet over medium heat until darker and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Cut in half with scissors. Stem, seed, and tear chiles; grind finely with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in spice mill.

    Drape smooth kitchen towel over large bowl. Blend potatoes and 1 cup onions in processor until potatoes are very finely ground, scraping down bowl often. Scrape mixture into towel. Gather towel around tightly and squeeze out at least 1 cup liquid.

    Scrape dry potato mixture from towel into another large bowl. Add cilantro, egg, masa, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 cup onions. Stir until mixture becomes moist and sticks together.

    Heat 6 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. For each latke, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful potato mixture into skillet; flatten to 2 1/2-inch round. Fry latkes until golden brown, adding oil as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 400°F oven until crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

    Arrange 3 latkes on each plate; sprinkle with chile salt. Spoon Watercress Guacamole into center. Garnish with watercress sprigs.

  3. Now you need some guacamole to go with that.

    2 ripe avacados

    1 small white or sweet onion – chopped

    1 clove of garlic – minced

    1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

    1 10oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies – drained

    1/2 tsp salt

    Drain the Rotel. Split the avocados. Remove pits. Scoop out avocado meat and place in bowl. Mash with fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

    You can substitute 1 tbsp lemon juice if you don’t have any lime. Be sure to drain the canned diced tomatoes thoroughly. I don’t usually use the whole can, because I’m not a fan of tomatoes. If I’m making it just for me I skip the tomatoes and just use green chili peppers.

  4. I’ve been banished to the couch to watch football. Poor widdle me.

    I am making the desserts the day before. Thinking of a chocolate cream pie in an oreo cookie crust with whipped cream topping and shaved chocolate pieces. The only thing I haven’t decide yet is whether to mix some powdered cocoa in the whipped cream. The other dessert will be an old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake made in a cast iron frying pan and topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

  5. HappyinVT

    Another reason to hate the BCS:

    College football’s Bowl Championship Series, the system for selecting which two teams will compete in the national championship game, has hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer to improve its tarnished image among football fans.

    Only a playoff system will improve the BCS.

  6. DTOzone

    I ventured over to OpenLeft for laughs and got one. There’s a quick hit with a demographic breakdown of Obama’s Gallup approval rating, which is at 49%.

    Liberals and non-whites hold the most firmly for Obama, who loses support mostly from conservative Democrats, liberal/moderate Republicans, and, I’m inferring from the numbers, moderate independents.

    one comment says;

    I’m surprised that liberal support is still holding

    are our complaints about Obama not reaching out beyond Open Left?

    ——————————————————————————–

    by: liberalmaverick @ Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 20:39

    LMFAO…sorry, I just thought it was really funny…they really think they have some relevance.  

  7. And I gotta say, I like it.

    We did a blend of acorn, butternut, summer squash, and zucchini and choyote. A blend of butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and wildflower honey and a quick toss of toasted walnuts.

    I wish I’d remembered my camera, because my assistant did a great job on her displays, and my carver really stepped up.



    Brenda has a real talent, and Junior is the younger brother of one of our line guys, and he’s learning. It’s nice to see folks as they transform from just hires into a part of the team.



    Some of Brenda’s work. Proud of the gal, because she’s been looking for an opportunity to show off.

     

  8. You forgot one thing: lime juice.

    Cilantro itself isn’t bad, but some folks have a genetic quirk that causes them to perceive it to taste like soap, and lime transforms that to something entirely different. Cilantro and lime are made to go together.

    You don’t need a lot, and you don’t have to go to the trouble of zesting the lime like you might for salsa, but you definitely need some lime juice.  

  9. Creamy Garlic Potato Soup

    Ingredients –

    4 (12 ounces) 99% Fat-Free Chicken Broth

    2 (12 ounces) Evaporated Skim Milk

    5 pounds Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

    5 1/2 cups chopped Yellow or White Onion

    8 slices cooked, crumbled Bacon

    1 slice Ham Steak, chopped into 1/2″ pieces

    2 teaspoons diced Garlic

    3 Bay Leaves

    1 teaspoon Celery Seed

    1 pint Whipping Cream

    1/3 cup chopped Fresh Parsley

    For garnish:

    shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

    chopped Green Onion

    I might serve it with garlic toast covered with melted cheese instead of grilled cheese sandwiches.

    Damn, I made myself hungry.  

  10. fogiv

    The fiance got laid off a few weeks ago, so we accelerated the wedding plans so I can get her onto my health insurance ASAP.  So, we’re going all redneck style: slashed the guest list to 35 of the nearest and dearest, holding the ceremony and reception at home, and making playlists on the ipod in leiu of the band I wanted.  Meh, small and intimate is better anyway.

    Sign o’ the Times aint just a Prince album, eh?

  11. Shaun Appleby

    Looks like some serious ‘toe-cutting’ was prescribed after Hillary’s recent visit:


    Two Afghan cabinet ministers are under investigation for alleged corruption, the attorney general’s office has said.

    Deputy attorney general Fazel Ahmad Faqiryar told the BBC he could not name names but said a further 15 former ministers were also being investigated.

    Corruption investigation targets Afghan ministers BBC 23 Nov 09

    You go girl.  How many ministers do the buggers have?

  12. Shaun Appleby

    Modern campaigns may not always win but they are highly trained professionals and they know where the bodies are buried.  Looks like someone has left a particularly nasty horse’s head in Palin’s bed:


    A top adviser on Hispanic issues to John McCain’s presidential campaign said Sunday that a joint interview with McCain and Sarah Palin planned for Univision last fall had to be canceled because Palin was unprepared to discuss Latin America policy.

    “She did not feel comfortable speaking about issues regarding Hispanics and Latin America,” GOP consultant Ana Navarro told Univision anchor Jorge Ramos in an interview. “Those are not topics that come up frequently in Alaska. So she asked to cancel the interview and, unfortunately, you were already there.”

    Jonathan Martin – Insider: Sarah Palin uninformed on Latino issues Politico 23 Nov 09

    Man, that’s cold.  And on Univision too, as reported by Politico the establishment Republican blog.  Palin won’t even know she’s bleeding until she gets a pollster and tries to run.  So ouch.  These folks really know where to hurt ya’.

  13. My node is code.

    Move your big butt! No! You move!

    I happened to spot Teddy on the deck. The picture was taken through a double window, so the quality isn’t all that great. It’s still a nice picture and goes well with the last one. I was using a slow shutter speed so I wouldn’t have to up the ISO. That’s what made the last picture I posted here possible.

    I took about 4 pictures of him sitting there and then he moved just as I took another one. I thought this one was pretty neat.

    In motion

  14. I decided to copy some of the diaries I’ve posted on the Moose to my personal blog. I’ve really neglected that and do almost all of my posting here. While doing that, I decided to rewrite the diary I wrote called The Death of a Love Story. I think it is better in the edited version which gives rise to the question I want to ask. Should I replace the one here on the Moose with the edited one?

    Normally, any edits other than minor grammar fixes should be notated somehow, usually through the use of strike-through text. That’s what I would do for a normal diary. I would do the same if I found a factual error and corrected it. However, the diary in question is not a typical diary. It is a short story. Do the same rules apply?  

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