Hello.

I just added my cookbook, I Can't Cook Because I'm a White Girl, to your listings. This book is an assortment of recipes that I had gathered over the years, southwest inspired. It worth the read and, if you think Mexican food is difficult to make, this will show you otherwise.

I love Southwestern cooking but I don't lump it into Mexican food category. I live in New Mexico where we put green and/or red chiles in or on almost everything. I'll have to check out the cookbook.

Thank you, Will. No, there is a difference between New Mexico, California, Arizona, San Antonio and El Paso Southwestern cooking. I have found that, even in NM, tortillas have a different flavor and the chile is a bit more distinct.

We grow chile peppers and eat them fresh here. Other areas have to settle for processed chiles--canned, dried and powdered, or frozen. It makes a difference.

I love the foods of Mexico but find little resemblance to what we call "Mexican food" in America. When I think of Mexican food in America, I think of enchiladas, tacos, jalopenos, cilantro, rice and beans all covered in chile con carne (in NM, we call it 'brown goop-) and cheddar cheese. When I think of food in Mexico I think of fresh seafood (shrimp!), civiche, limes, well-seasoned(but not hot) grilled meats, white cheese, papitas or rice, pastries and fruits, maybe some cinammon-chocolates.

I love it in NM where we use chiles in French-style cream sauces and/or Italian-style pastas. If we have enchiladas we serve them flat (not rolled), covered with red chile sauce and serve them with a fried egg on top. We put red chile in our tortilla chips or make them with blue corn. I think of sopapills as a dessert with honey but in NM we serve them with the main course and stuff them with beans or rice at the table. I love food, distinctive cultural flavors, and cooking similar foods in different ways. I really must get your cookbook.

Enchiladas are the same here---served flat and piled high! I have found taht numerous cities place the chile con carne on their Mexican food--that's considered sacrilege in my area. LOL
We don't make anything with seafood (I had never heard of a fish taco until I went to California) but we do have shrimp cakes that are made for Lent.
Sopapillas done with beans--that sounds good. We really must swap recipes!

Recipes? What are recipes? Those things Mom kept in a box and referred to, measured ingredients, set the oven and the food never had any soul? I don't do those. I create! Every cooking experience is new, every dish a potential flavor extravaganza or a potential disaster.

I love sharing cooking tips, tricks, and strange flavor combinations I've found that work, though. We could do that.

Tonight I'm making a Valentines' Day dinner for friends; I do it every year. 1st course--spinach and mixed bitter greens with champagne vinaigrette and bleu cheese crumbles topped with prawn civiche. 2nd course—green chile, tortilla soup. 3rd course—lime sorbet in champagne. 4th course—1 1/2” thick marinated rib eye steak, slow smoked with mesquite wood and then grilled medium rare; topped with shitake mushrooms sautéed in red chile sauce. Dessert—chocolate fudge/pecan brownies with vanilla bean ice cream, shaved chocolate and sliced strawberry garnish. Wines will be white cab, red merlot; cognac, coffee and Bailey’s Irish cream liqueurs to finish.

Sound okay? I hope everyone enjoys it.

I give up, Tamela; where in the Southwest do you live? Not Texas, they don't stack their enchiladas. No seafood? It must be Arizona.

Oh, no, it is Texas. It is a sad fact that people outside of this state think there are only two cities in Texas worth remembering---as Jude Deveraux once said "one has the mall and the other doesn't". I'm in that corner of Texas that everyone assumes is Mexico, unless you happen to be a big Marty Robbins fan.

BTW, what time is dinner?

wow that sounds delicious - what is in the soup? you sure have some lucky friends =)

Oh, El Paso. I always think of El Paso as southern New Mexico. I still eat at the Florida restuarant in Jaurez, but not recently. How they manage to serve fresh seafood there, I don't know, but they have for years. I'm not even sure that "Old El Paso" brand foods are made in El Paso, but many years ago I found in a store in Saudi Arabia, some canned basic Mexican food ingredients (Old El Paso brand) and made Mexican food for about fifty friends. It wasn't the best Mexican food in the world, but to us it was. We missed "real American food". What's more American to a bunch of (mostly) Texans than Mexican food?

Valentines' Day dinner was good, I think. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. The plan was for brownies but I had requests for cheesecake so I made a cinnamon chocolate cheesecake with pecan meal crust and strawberry garnish.

What's in the green chile, tortilla soup, Erika? Green chiles and tortillas. Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's chicken broth base with garlic, onions, chiles, some herbs and seasonings. I served it like a consume and added tortillas strips at the final moment and topped the floating strips with green chile, sour cream dollop.

I think we're all lucky to have good friends; I just spoil mine. Okay, they spoil me, too.

It's Presidents' Day. I'm doing arugala salad to make fun of the arugala jokes during the campaign, pork chops (covered with green chile) to make fun of the complaints about the stimulus bill, and lime and simple-sugar marinated (left-over) strawberries with fresh-mint garnish and creme fresh topping. Dinner is at seven.

You got it! Not many people are aware that El Paso is a part of Texas (seriously).

Old El Paso brands used to have a factory here, but that was decades ago. As for the brand, well, it worked in Germany also. When there wasn't any other choice, you made do with what you had. (Remind me to tell you the true story about a certain actor eating Mexican Food in Moscow when he was researching and filming a movie)
Thoughts of the cheesecake made my mouth water!

Too funny. Well, it sounds wonderful. The dinner last night as well - I love the idea of your Presidents Day dinner!

Tamela, we laugh that most Americans think New Mexico is not part of America. I must read your cookbook. I have books on order so it must wait. I don't use recipes, just peruse them for ideas and enjoyment. I love cheesecake, too.

Erika, glad you enjoyed my sense of humor--not everyone does. We had a good time last night, so I considered it a success.

Tonight it's left-over steak fajitas. Speaking of fajitas, I must tell this story.

I've been to Puerta Villarta several times but still didn't have a favorite restaurant. Recently (last Dec.) I told a taxi driver I was on a quest for the best shrimp in all Mexico and he took us to a place up high, overlooking the entire bay, beach and city from the open verranda. The shrimp were served on top of the sizzling onions and peppers and at the table they doused it all with Drambuie, lit it, and it was awesome! Now, I have a fave place there. "Ah Carrumba!" If you're ever there, check it out. Dessert was a complimentary home-made cinnammon chocolate liquer much like Frangelica but better. Isn't the love of good food a blessing? Isn't Mexican-influence the best food-type in the world? Okay, that's debatable, but it is so lively when done well. I love French and Italian and...okay, I love all kinds of food, I admit, but I can't resist adding some Mexican influences to almost all foods when I cook.

Food is a cure-all for all of the world's problems. As I explained to a fellow foodie a few days ago, wars would probably come to a swift end with a delicious dinner and a good glass of wine.

The story I have for you is this:

A little more than a decade ago, a famous American actor went to Russia to film the beginning sequence to an equally famous movie that he was starring in. He was met by the sister of my boss at the time, at the airport. It was her duty (as a NASA official rep) to make this actor comfortable until filming was scheduled. He went back to the apartment that she shared with her fellow astronauts and she, having not much else in the pantry, made him burritos of chili con carne. The actor laughed about having to go all the way to Russia to have Mexican food, but it had been well worth the trip.

(On a side note, this actor is a pleasant and truly wonderful man, even though he does tend to upset the church now a days with his movies)

Let me see--food that I like. I will try anything once. I love Moroccan, Greek, Spanish, Arabic, German, you name it. Althugh, I will draw a line at what Bear Grylls has a tendency to munch on. LOL

Gryllis or Grillis? What he finds in the wild? That's Grillis, I think. I've eaten most of that. I've eaten live snails in Africa and other repugnant things; sheep eyes in Arabia, etc. I didn't say I liked them all, though. Add some green chile and I might like them.

I'm trying to guess the actor. Tom Hanks. I never had Mexican food in Russia, but I had Russian food in England.

I lived in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, traveled all over the Middle East and ate lots of curry, dates, figs and tons of rice. I've been in over a hundred countries. The food in West Africa is my least favorite, but some of it was good. I love Greek: hummus, taboulli, spanikopita, what are the honey desserts? I can't think of the word.

I was recently given some banana nut, pecan honey butter (from Chilicothe, Texas) I must find some creative way to use. Maybe in some cinnamon rolls?

Will wrote: "I love Southwestern cooking but I don't lump it into Mexican food category. I live in New Mexico where we put green and/or red chiles in or on almost everything. I'll have to check out the cookbo..."

In your discussion about Mexican foods, I have to say that when I went to Mexico a few years back, I was amazed that what we call Mexican food here is not the same as what you find in Mexico. One example was a taco. It was bland, not as spicy as what I receive when ordering in a restaurant here in the US.

Will wrote: "Gryllis or Grillis? What he finds in the wild? That's Grillis, I think. I've eaten most of that. I've eaten live snails in Africa and other repugnant things; sheep eyes in Arabia, etc. I didn't..."

Oh YUM to Greek! I could eat just about any of it and be happy. Was it Tom Hanks? Or Mel Gibson? Wow - you ate sheep eyes. Did they taste like chicken LOL. That butter sounds delicious - you'll have to let us know what you used it in and how it was!

I've had snails in Paris-you know the saying, when in Rome---they were quite good. I don't believe in what I saw so many American's doing when they were overseas--refusing to eat anywhere but MickeyD's. I made the mistake of asking why, once and was told it was because European food was not USDA approved. Boy, you miss out on a lot with that frame of mind!

I'm eaten some of the stuff that Bear munches on and then there is other things that make me want to scream "No, please don't put that in your mouth!"

As for Martha's comment---where in Mexico? I can tell you that, the further south you go, the Mexican food loses the heat. I can tell you that once you hit Guatamala, tamales are made with banana leaves and not corn husks. Chili doesn't exist, either.

The hint's answer was Tom Hanks! Although, Mel Gibson was a good guess.

Greek food---yummmm. Feta, soured cream with a small well of fresh olive oil, a fresh pita bread....

You're making me hungry. I could eat fresh pita and feta, some cucumber, onion - a little olive oil... sounds like a heavenly breakfast.

I totally agree ... "when in Rome...". How were the snails? What were some of your favorites you tried while there?

I've watched as Americans leave cruise ships and head straight for Taco Bell on the wharf. What is that? I eat snails frequently, but prefer them not so fresh as in Africa--still wiggling and with no garlic butter.

We made tamales in Africa (we brought the masa from the U.S.) with banana leaves and to this day, I still prefer them to corn husks. I don't care for the sweet tamales with strawberries and banana in them you find further south in Mexico, though.

I had a crew of Americans in the Yucatan years ago, who didn't speak Spanish, so I was the interpreter--not a good one, I fear. One of them ordered enchiladas and got salad. "What is this?" he asked. The server was perplexed. "You asked for ensalada, Senior."

"Baklava" was the word I couldn't remember, with honey; maybe I'll make baklava with pecan honey butter.

In my book, "Shifting Sands; A Clash of Cultures," I wrote that Bill (that was me) said that lizard "tastes like chicken." I never really said that, I just thought it was funny to write in the book. Sheep eyes taste similar to chicken eyes, I'd guess.

With all this talk of Greek, I may have to cook something Greek, soon. It's so easy to fall into southwestern everything; it's so good and diverse, but Greek does sound good. Hmmm...what to make? Gyros! With green chile, maybe?

Yes, Snails in France are heaven!!! My weakness, though, will always be a well made European pastry (you know, those ones with the crunchy, flaky crust and filled with whipped cream (freshly made) and nuts!)

Sweet tamales---how horrid. Here, they are made with raisins and cinnamon and I can't tolerate them. I prefer the red chili with shredded beef or pork--although green chili tamales are to die for!

I have to hold out for the Greek food. In May, the Arabic festival is held in town, with singing and dancing and beautiful platters of the most delicious kabobs and such. In June, the Greek Festival hits and the Gyros are mouth watering and just oh-so-wonderful. I top it off with a glass of ouzo and watch the dancing.

3 months and counting.....

I prefer tamales with shredded pork and red, green or both, also. There's just something wrong with sweet tamales. I used to walk across Paris following my nose from bakery to bakery. My brother lived there for a year and I visited every chance I got. We lived on wine and cheese or pastries and coffee. I don't remember nuts in them, though.

Kabobs are a good idea; easier than gyros to make. I don't put veggies and meat on the same skewers any more. I seperate them and cook them to different heats. I do love the mix of flavors and textures of gyros, though. I won't tell my stories of overindulging on ouzo, here, but I have several... Ricard, Pernot, Sambukah, etc. Something about the anise that gets me, but I love it. Funny, I don't care for licorice that much.

I love to make finnel dishes (kind of licorice tasting, right?) but don't care for the way sweet Italian suasages taste with finnel seasoning, though. Strange!

New Years I made escargot and caviar, both, for friends; some had never tasted either. I poach snails in white wine, butter and garlic; served on home-made whole wheat toast (escagot with fresh toast and caviar on twice-toasted) with sour cream, chopped white onions but not chopped egg as some people like. I could live on the stuff but save it for special occasions. I should add some green chiles, huh? Nah! It should be good, though.

Now I have a craving for éclairs, Tam; your fault.

Morning, Will

I love fennel flavored dishes! Growing up in Germany, there is a tea that is made for babies with indigestion called fenchel--basically, it's in a powder form like Tang, but the aroma is delicious. No, I don't care for Italian sausages with fennel, either. I would much rather have a good, homemade chorizo.

Eclairs, maybe I'll do French for lunch--how about Italian canollis for breakfast?

That's really funny - I just bought fennel at the market, was craving a big fresh salad - you can't beat the taste of fresh fennel. Not that I know what I'm talking about like you 2 do - just know what I like. But now I bet everyone wants an eclair AND canollis - with a steaming cup of coffee. Thanks guys....

Erika, you're so sweet. I am not a professional cook---I simply love to eat and enjoy food. My parents believed that food defined a country and that, if you lived in that country, you had to eat the food. Schnitzel, rouladen, gluhwein and such were the staples of life, as well as some down home cooked Amish food from my parent's neck of the wood.
Canollis with turkish coffee--I am addicted to the stuff...

So in how many countries have you lived? Turkish coffee - I've never tried it, what is it like? Gluhwein on the other hand, and it won me over from the very first second.

Not a professional cook - surprises me, but you know a lot, and I love to learn. I have so many questions - I probably ought not put them here...we have strayed far from southwestern cooking, so my apologies!

We should start a group that is just entitled WE LOVE FOOD. LOL

My father was military and my parents loved to travel. We visited everywhere we could drive.

Turkish coffee---in the city of Wurzburg, the town is divided into 'smaller communities', Italian, Turkish, Greek, Lebanese. etc. I would run around in these areas and strike up friendships with everyone. Turkish coffee was a 'try this, try this' from a dear old friend that was surprised that I never had tasted the stuff. It's thick enough and strong enough to dissolve the end off of a spoon, but addictive. (Perhaps that is why I have ADHD?) There's a line I couldn't resist inserting in my novel, Dante's Lady, where Kate asked the lead, "Do you have any blood in your coffee vein?" That is my daughter's favorite question toward me, some mornings.

Will, we missed you!

Ooh, I know it's off subject but I'm watching GMA and they just showed Thai pumpkin soup and lobster salad, it made my stomach grumble, mmmmmm!

You make a very provacative argument to try the Turkish coffee, and no wonder you are a writer - the images you paint jump off the page. That is a cute story about your daughter as well. Coffee is a must in the morning at my house before ANYONE talks to me (for their own protection ha).

Yes - a we love food group is exactly what this seems to be! And I'm loving it! Although definitely missing Will - wonder what he had for dinner last night...

Turkish coffee!! Grounds an inch deep in the bottom of the cup.

Goodreads seems to have bounced me for some reason. I don't get daily updates any more and when I tried to refresh it, my computer went wonky. Maybe it needs coffee or something.

My son-in-law loves coffee more than anyone I know. Me, I just drink coffee. I don't care how good it is, just as long as it has coffee in it. My son-in-law roasts, grinds and makes his coffee fresh every morning, double-strength with imported robusta beans. Sheesh! I just dump grounds in a Mr. Coffee and hit the 'on' button.

I do love food, all kinds. I mostly love to share good food with friends. I love to invent and experiment. Cooking provides infinite opportunities to combine, alter, and discover new flavors, aromas and experiences. It's fun to have friends who feel the same way, so count me in as a charter member of "We Love Food."

Mmmmm....lobster salad.....

Have you ever seen the movie, the Bucket List? There is a discussion about really fancy coffee in there that just made me die laughing. Yes, I do the Mr. Coffee thing, too but, when I have the chance to be a bit decadent, there's the Turkish or the Expresso. Pure black, strong, and very light on the sugar. I want to taste the beans, not the creamer.

I agree with the loving of foods.

What's for dinner tonight, Will? Here, just frijoles con chroizo (but the chorizo is freshly made) and fried rice, with fresh flour tortillas the size of a pizza pan and asadero cheese straight from the diary....

I saw that movie and I laughed so hard I cried. I L-O-V-E coffee, so it resonated.

Will's back yay - I'm still wondering about dinner? Tamela yours sounds delicious - you make all that yourself? I'm just having some croissants, cheese and a glass of vino...while I enjoy the Friday - ness knowing I don't have to get up tomorrow...listening to some good music, reading a good book, {sigh} a nice leisurely evening.

Just the beans and the rice. The tortillas I get from a local store and the asadero comes froma farm in the valley. I love a good, salty cheese (hence the feta)
Yay for Will's return, as well.

What music, what book and what wine? I, sigh, am working on editing the first chapter of my new book.

Well it sounds delicious. I would love to know how you make the beans, although maybe I should ask that in a different thread?

Well - the music, a CD I just bought - Francoise Hardy - Clair Obscur and I already love it. The book - The Burning Time by Robin Morgan which I borrowed and have to have back soon but is shaping up to be a nice read all at once. The wine - I randomly picked it up at a party, and I don't even know the name of it - the front has a black and white label that looks very generic and all it is called is House Wine - it is red, and delicious.

A new book, how exciting! What genre?

Sounds like a calm and relaxed evening. Maybe I should get around to opening that chat group of We Love Food...
The new book? Historical Western romance. I've been busy fleshing out the characters and chopping up some of the lines...

Francoise Hardy - Clair Obscur --"I'll be seeing you" is my fave on that CD. My favorite kind of wine--red and who cares what it is, it's fine. Actually, I like really good wines; I just like red table wines, too, and like being a reverse snob, extolling the virtues of cheap wine. I had, for years, a bottle of "Cheap Red Wine." I dsplayed it on my bar with pride and had a lot of giggles with it; then I drank it. Yuck! Gross!

Historical Western romance? Careful with the "historical" claim; there are those who will roast you over a spit if it isn't absolutely historically perfectly accurate.

I've had a cold and food isn't as fun. Just green chile chicken soup-- "Hispanic penicillin," I call it--and tortillas.

How do you make beans, Erika? First, you plant a bean in the soil, and then water it, and...sorry, can't stop myself. I haven't felt great so may party poop this weekend, but if I feel like it I'll have friends over for Mardi Gras food. Gumbo or jumballayah, beans and rice....

Will, you need a good Caldo de Res, that should cure the cold.
I prefer a sweet white wine, my fav is Asti, which makes a lot of people cringe. The only red that I have ever found that I liked was the one that comes in the handwoven basket casing from Italy.
I know about the historical accuracy bit....research season or switch to another manuscript...

Mardi Gras....mmmmm, beignets, (if there is desert, I will snack before supper) crawdads, red beans and rice....

Caldo de Res? Beef soup? Nothing like chicken soup and green chile for colds.

Beignets...good idea. Finding good crawfish here is difficult so I use shrimp, usually. I love crawfish but eat them where they are indigenous, not in New Mexico. When I was a boy we "fished" for them (and called them crawdads) with bacon on a string. A huge bucket of them made one small meal of tails; I was so disappointed. Then I discovered cajun food! Personally, I don't like really dark roux; cajuns overcook the roux in my opinion, but hey...to each their own. I use Southwestern churrizo sausage, shrimp and chicken with the trilogy of peppers, onions and celery -- and garlic-- to make gumbo or jumbalaya. Real cajuns would criticize it but hey...to each their own, huh?

Yes, I grimace at Asti. I keep sweet white wines for people like you, Tam, but don't drink the stuff. I cook with it, but can't inagine drinking it. At least it's cheap. Like I said, "to each their own." I'm not crazy about Italian wines, either. Oh, well. Spanish wines! Mmmm.... Sangre de Torro rocks!

I feel much better this morning so it may be party time tonight. Depends on who is up for cajun.

My budget just recovered from my last book order, so went to buy your cookbook. It looks like it will cost me about $25. I'm sure it's worth it. What I thought I'd ask is, "If I send you a check for $25, would you send me a signed copy of it?" You can say, "No". I just thought it'd be fun to have. I've done that with other authors and fans before; both ways.

I think when the necessary ingredients are not available, one learns to improvise. I love veal (now, please don't get upset with me) but it is so darned expensive here. So, when I make schnitzel, I have to use boneless pork instead. Seafood is outrageous priced when you don't live on the waterfront (granted, we do have the beach but lack the water) so we make do.

Now, why would you send me $25 for an autographed copy of a 144 pg cookbook (with the musings of me in it?)

BTW--Erika, we missed you...

Because I'd rather do that than send $25 to amazon for an unautographed copy of it. Where is Erika? sleeping?

We mentioned coffee and France, which reminded me of some stories. Interested? NO? Too bad.

I like my coffee with no sugar or cream, just coffee, right? But in France and Spain, I learned quickly to love cafe au creme/cafe au lait. I just liked that I could say, "cafe au lait" in Paris so I learned to love it that way. In Spain, cafe American is common for Americans. They pour half a cup of coffee and fill it with hot water--it's terrible. I accidentally forgot to specify 'American' one morning and learned to love it spanish-style,IMMEDIATELY.

I enjoy cappuccino after dinner, occasionally, but have never gotten into the new habit of stopping at Starbucks for a half-caf, double foam latte with blah, blah, whatever as so many now have. Just coffee. I think the fad is about adult coffee-flavored candy...and expensive!

I love veal, also. I don't think it's as cruel as so many make it sound. It's always good for an argument, though. My fave veal is scalloppini and then next is cordon blue. Schnitzel, I can take it or leave it and never make it. My favorite restaurant in London was an Italian place --13 1/2 Beauchamp Place (the name of the place and the address)-- where the veal in lemon sauce was melt-in-your-mouth to-die-for. I seldom serve veal, though; it's so politically incorrect, now. Sheesh!

Improvisation is an art. I do it all the time and have huge successes and occasionally, huge failures, but it's always interesting. My fave story of substituting is:

One aunt made a recipe from another aunt that wasn't very good and brought it to a pot luck. "Don't blame it on me, it's her recipe." No, I never made that in my life. "Well, I substituted the veal with chicken and the butter with cream and the green beans with peas and...." (I just made up the ingredients; I don't remember the dish, just the story)

Oh, and I'd rather have the cookbook than romance novel; I don't read romance novels; I love romance, just not the novels. I will admit that my novel, "Castle in the Wind" is kind of a romance novel but with more action and other stuff in it than just romance. It's also a little bit naughty in places.

I guess I have a lot to catch up on... I was sleeping, good guess. Actually, it just seemed to be a busy weekend. But in the mix I got some of the best onion rings ever, decent calimari, and really good beer. It was nice. How were your weekends? I did miss my fix, I have to say, it's nice to be back.

Will, how is the cold? I hope you feel better. And I liked the stories. And thrilled you like the music, I really like that song as well.

Tamela - I like Asti too. And Mardi Gras food sounds all so good I can't pick what to have! Although I've never had crawdads or crawfish, or veal. So much food, never enough time to try it all. And your book sounds good, did you have to work on it all weekend?

I missed you guys - nice to be back =)

Erika's back! Calimari--One of my favorite treats. So many places make decent calimari but make a terrible sauce to go with it. Speaking of onion rings, someday try bell pepper rings battered and fried like onion rings; it's even better than onion rings.

The cold is gone...yay!

Asti! You are both such girls.

Don't be offended; I give my daughters the same abuse for drinking girly wines. They're forever buying me wine club memberships where I get one sweet white wine and one manly red wine each month. They know I'll give them the girl's wine (or cook with it) when they sign me up.

Fat Tuesday dinner at my place. I found some crawfish at the seafood store. I'll have some white or pink wine to go with it if you'd like. I'll drink some Malbec, though.

Calamari and onion rings---mmmmmm. It's good to have you back, Erika. Yes, the music sounded great. I'm partial to Big Band Era, myself. Nice to hear Will is over the cold, too.

The husband is making up Mexican shrimp cocktails for Mardi Gras and I'll be making the beignets. (I have to have a dessert!) I'm thinking, although its not a Mardi Gras meal, Paella sounds really good and in the spirit of things.

The book is getting sidetracked...blasted vampire idea hit me and the historical western goes on the back burner, again.

Well thanks, I must say, you two are very sweet. Bell pepper rings - interesting. I'll have to try them sometime. The cold is gone? Where do you live Will? It's snowy here right now, and I am not a cold weather girl. I can't wait for spring.

I love big band - and jazz. I just love music period.

The feminist in me wants to do battle Will, but I'll chalk it up to an honest mistake ;p. I do like "girly" wine, I like the red too, and dark beer. Go figure.

Can I stop by both your houses tomorrow? It all sounds delicious! I don't have a lot of patience for the baking thing, but YUM. And Paella at one house, crawfish at the other? Mmmmmmm.

Tomorrow is the last day I'll be eating meat for a while, we're giving it up for Lent at our house ... any ideas for a fantastic meat dish I should make?

Oops, I know well the drill on geting side-tracked and off on another quest. It happens. Paella is always a good idea...Mardi Gras, shmarty gras...whatever.

I was telling a story earlier today I thought I'd share, here, if you're interested. No? Too bad.

I was on the Yucatan in late 1978 (I think) working on a well that was blowing oil which was drifting up onto Padre Island. We turned a sleepy fishing village into a supply depot for the job. The local motel was over-crowded with tired and hungry oil field workers. On the menu -- in a small, never-to-be-noticed restaurant -- was Beef Wellington. "I'll give that a try," I said in my best Spanish. I wondered about the wisdom of my choice and the choice of my words, both, while I waited for either something I hadn't intended or something not resembling beef Wellington. To this day, it was the best beef Wellingon I've ever eaten anywhere. I drool as I remember it.

Paella sounds like a great idea...Wednesday, maybe, or Thursday.

PS - Side note, what kind of seafood do you put in your Paella? Do you use have a special "paella pan"? Just wondering. Sorry - seems like I'm always the 21 questions girl...

I'll let Tamela answer you about what seafood she'll put in her paella, Erika. I don't think of paella as Spanish as most Americans do; I think of it as Portuguese. The Portuguese put any kind of protein (often muscles or shrimp) with some starch (usually rice) and some pickled veggies (usually olives) all in a clay (what we think of as a paella) dish and bake it. It doesn't matter what they put in it, it's always delicious.

I didn't have a paella dish for years but made lots of paella-type dishes in a covered Pyrex casserole dish; it works fine. I'm not a huge fan of muscles but it is the traditional paella ingredient. I love shrimp so that's my choice, usually.

Many Mediterranean restaurants that feature paella often have on the menu "garlic shrimp." I eat the shrimp while others are having the paella; same idea, just more shrimp, no muscles or scallops. When I make paella, I use jalapenos and olives, both, to make it spicier than traditional paella, but hey...to each their own, right?

Hey, guys, I'm been busy enjoying our 80+ weather down here and remembered I had to do this thing on the computer...:D

No, no paella pan. Regular skillet with a lid.
Let me see, what am I putting in it tonight?--rice, boneless chicken breast or thigh, saffron (or cheat and use the Puerto Rican substitute of Sazon with achiote) grandules (they're known as pigeon peas up here, or use regular canned peas), red bell pepper cut into strips, shrimp, mussels, baby octopus or squid, clams, oysters, but, primarily lots of shrimp.
No meat for lent?----that is punishment!

Jealousy is streaming out of my pores. 80 degrees really? You both have some nice weather going on, send some of it up to me.... and ENJOY!!!! I'm glad you get to relax in the sun, but thanks for coming to say hi as well.

Baby octopus? I've never even seen it. Your paella sounds like a winner to me. I hope you have a good Fat Tuesday, both of you. Will - you still working on those crawfish?

Yep, giving up meat. Had to be something big so it means something, and that is a big one. I'm a little worried, especially because I'm currently quiting smoking as well, so I've been all about food... but I digress. I haven't figured out what to make tonight, so I guess I'll let a restaurant pick for me.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Oh and I forgot - Will that "garlic shrimp" and the spicy paella sounds marvelous!