May Celebrations

This month, we celebrated two special occasions, my daughter's birthday and my family's 20th anniversary of coming to America.

For 5 Star Foodie Junior's 7-year birthday we had three different parties. The first party was at her school. We made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and a chocolate bar inside.





We hosted a party for her friends. We made double chocolate brownie cupcakes.



This party's theme was at a nature park where the kids enjoyed a fun and educational program on turtles, and 5 Star Foodie Junior and I decided to make Turtle Candies for party favors, with caramel, pecans, and chocolate. Both the brownie cupcakes and the turtle candies were a big hit at the party.



The third party was for our family. Our family brunch menu was inspired by Junior's favorite book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Chocolate Crepes with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling



Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins



Chocolate Croissants



Fruit Salad with Cocoa Yogurt Dip



Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars



Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

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Our second big May event was during Memorial Day weekend. We celebrated the 20th anniversary of my family's arrival in United States of America. I made five different dishes, each representing a cuisine from a major region of America as shown in a photo below. Also, on the plate, there is a caviar sandwich assembled by my mom, representing former Soviet Union where I am originally from.



South: Grits Cakes and Garlic and Dill-Marinated Shrimp

Southwest: Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas with Green Chile Crema (crema not included on the picture)

Northeast: Maryland-style Crabcakes with Ramps Aioli

Midwest: BBQ Bison Sliders with Cheddar and Caramelized Red Onions

Northwest: Cedar Planked Salmon with Juniper Berry Brown Sugar Rub and Maple Cream, 3-Bean Salad (salad not included on the picture)

Morel Mushrooms Tasting Menu

Please check out my tasting menu with morel mushrooms at MarxFoods.com!

5 Star Makeover: Gourmet Picnic Food Roundup

Our 5 Star Makeover Group's theme this month was Gourmet Picnic Food, and everyone brought fabulous unique creations to our picnic. I would like to thank all the participants and my co-host Lazaro for all their hard work this month.

Please check out all of the 5 Star picnic dishes at Lazaro's roundup post!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

5 Star Makeover: Southwestern Potato Salad

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up at the end of this week and many of us are getting ready to cook all kinds of delicious picnic foods. Our 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group's theme for May is Gourmet Picnic Food. We are taking traditional picnic specialties and making them over with different creative twists. I can't wait to see what everyone in a group will bring to this 5 Star picnic! Please tune in for the roundup of everyone's contributions this Friday.



My dish for our gourmet picnic is a potato salad, infused with Southwestern flavors, inspired by my recent vacation to New Mexico and Arizona. I made blue corn tortillas as a base for a fun presentation in a martini glass. The potatoes are a medley of fingerlings roasted with Chia seeds (high-protein seed with many health benefits), dressed in a spicy Poblano aioli and sprinkled with pickled Cipollini onions. The salad is topped with a fried quail egg, garnished with celery salt.



Ingredients (yields 2 servings)

pickled cipollini onions
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 dried chile de arbol
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon agave
2 Cipollini onions, chopped

poblano aioli
1 large poblano pepper
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

fingerlings
2 cups fingerling potatoes medley, sliced in small rounds and rounds cut in quarters (including Ruby Crescent, Russian Banana, French, and Purple Peruvian Fingerling Potatoes)
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 tablespoon Chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

quail egg
1 teaspoon oil
2 quail eggs

celery salt
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

blue corn tortillas
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 blue cornmeal flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup hot water

Directions:

pickled cipollini onions

Place red wine vinegar, chile de arbol broken up in pieces with the seeds, salt, agave, and onions into a bowl or a container, mix well, and cover. Set aside (can be prepared ahead).

poblano aioli

Broil Poblano pepper until the skin is blackened. Cool, peel, take the seeds out and finely chop. Mash the garlic into a paste. Add Poblanos, garlic, egg yolk, salt, and lemon juice into a food processor and blend well. Keep the food processor going, and add the olive oil in a steady thin stream very slowly until the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens. Chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.

fingerlings


Place fingerling potatoes in a baking pan, sprinkle with corn oil, chia seeds, and salt. Roast in the oven on 450 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are turning golden.

quail egg
Heat oil in a small skillet. Gently break the quail egg in, leaving the yolk intact. Fry on one side just until the egg white is set.

celery salt
Toast celery seeds in a skillet. Grind and combine with salt.

Blue corn tortillas

In a bowl, combine flour, blue cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Add shortening and blend with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Add water and form into dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface. Separate into 4 pieces, form each into a ball, then flatten and roll into circles about 1/8 inch thick. Cook on pre-heated griddle until light brown spots form on each side.

to assemble:

Fold two tortillas to shape the two sides of each martini glass. Dress the fingerlings with poblano aioli to taste and divide equally between the two martini glasses. Sprinkle with pickled cipollini onions, top with quail egg, and garnish with a little bit of celery salt.

Grilled Lamb Loin, Pasilla-Cherry Reduction, Green Chile Grits Cakes, Cumin Carrot Puree

Today's recipe, Grilled Lamb Loin with Pasilla-Cherry Reduction, Green Chile Grits Cakes, and Cumin Carrot Puree, is my version of a dish that I had on our recent trip to Southwest. Please check out the details, pictures, and an actual recipe in my guest post over at my friend Emily's blog Cleanliness is Next to Godliness.

Spring Break 2011: The Painted Desert and Roasted Corn Red Pepper Bisque

On our way to Phoenix in Arizona, we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park to admire the gorgeous landscapes and rock formations. We hiked several trails enjoying views of the Painted Desert and sights including fossilized fallen trees from over 225 million years ago.



As we drove through the park, we stopped at several different view points.



At one of the view points, called a Newspaper Rock, we found these fascinating ancient petroglyphs.



We also saw many petrified forest fossils including these giant logs.



The Blue Mesa trail was our favorite to hike through.

***

Inspired by the colors of the Painted Desert and the flavors of the Southwest, at home I created a new recipe, Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Bisque with Ancho Chile Swirl and Fresh Sage, featuring a wonderful combination of smoky and sweet flavors.



Ingredients:

2 fresh ears of corn
1 medium red bell pepper
4 cipollini onions
Olive oil, salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal flour
1/4 cup tequilla
1 1/2 cup stock
1/3 cup light cream

2 large dried ancho chiles
1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon agave syrup

Fresh sage for garnish

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the kernels off the ears of corn, spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a little bit of olive oil. Roast for about 7-10 minutes.

Slice the red bell pepper in quarters, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. On the same baking sheet, place whole peeled cipollini onions, brush with a little bit of olive oil. Roast the peppers and onions for about 30 minutes. After the peppers have cooled, remove the skin. Chop both peppers and onions.

Melt butter in a pot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add cornmeal, cook at low heat, stirring for about a minute. Pour 1/4 cup tequilla in the pot, then add the roasted vegetables and stock. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Blend well and strain. Add cream. Warm before serving.

Meanwhile, dehydrate ancho chiles, cooking them in boiling water. Take the seeds out if desired. Blend in a food processor along with chipotles, paprika, ground mustard, agave, and 2/3 cup of leftover liquid from dehydrating the ancho chiles. Strain.

To serve, pour the corn red pepper bisque in the individual bowls, swirl in the ancho chile paste, and sprinkle with fresh sage leaves.

Spring Break 2011: Bandelier National Monument and Blue Corn Piñon Pancakes

Our favorite stop on our visit to New Mexico was Bandelier National Monument. Bandalier is both an archeological site, protecting the cliff-side homes of the Anasazi ancestors of the modern Pueblo people, and it is also a wilderness nature park with spectacular views of the cliffs and surrounding forest.



We explored the main loop trail and Alcove House, visiting the primary archeological sites. Our first stop was to view the ruins of the homes in the central pueblo village and the kivas, underground circular structures used for ceremonies.



Next, we spent a lot of time among the cliff dwellings, climbing up the ladders into the caves.

We also saw petroglyphs and rock paintings along the way.



At the end of the main loop trail, we walked through the forest to get to the Alcove House. We really enjoyed this nature part of the Bandelier park experience, and saw a lot of wild life, including a very interesting looking Abert squirrel and a family of bears.



The Alcove House itself was absolutely fascinating to visit. This site is reached by four wooden ladders and stone stairs.

Inside this spacious cave, shaped like an alcove, is a reconstructed kiva. We could actually climb down and step inside the kiva, which was very special.



In the cliff dwellings, we imagined what the life was like for the ancient Pueblo people, including what foods they may have prepared. Inspired by our experience in Bandelier, and having brought back some special ingredients from our trip, I made blue corn pancakes, a meal that may have been enjoyed by the Anasazi. Traditionally, these would have been cooked with Piñon nuts, North American species of pine nuts grown in Southwest. I served these pancakes with prickly pear syrup, made from the fruit of this cactus. We also enjoyed New Mexico Piñon coffee with these pancakes.



Ingredients:

1 cup blue cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
1/3 cup toasted pinon nuts
Butter or cooking spray

Directions:

Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla in small bowl. In a large bowl, blue cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture.

Heat griddle over medium-high heat. Melt butter or use a cooking spray. Pour ice-cream scoops of batter onto the griddle. Sprinkle each pancake with pinon nuts. Cook until golden brown on one side for about 1-2 minutes. Turn over and cook on the second side for about 30 seconds.



Serve the pancakes with prickly pear syrup or another syrup of your choice.