Mexico Cinco de Maya

We started this tradition of traveling the world through food on Cinco de Maya,  so it is only appropriate that we commemorate this occasion.   The Corona is chilled and my wife has drummed up some Mexican wine.   MEXICAN VINE  my cellar shudders and my eye brows raised with condemnation.   How dare what has this world come to.

I had planned to make homemade tortillas for the first time ever.  I heard that the rolling can be a chore and for the amount of tortillas we were making we decided to invest in a cheap Tortilla press.   AND thats what it was a cheap crappy product that did do the job.   Well at $20 I should have known better.  However for the amount of time it did save us it was probably worth the money.




Our Menu

Pork Carnitas

I have made these a few times,  however decided to try a new recipe this time.  Braising the pork shoulder in Cream, Milk and Orange Juice with a medley of spices.  Then do the crisping in the oven at a really high temps while glazing with fat rendered from the braising.  There is a certain charm when you discover an old talent that you forgot about.   I have recently discovered this talent again.   Burning the blinking food.   About 3 minutes less at 500 F and I would have had perfections instead of semi-charred, but still edible and not too bad.  I should have followed my gut instinct when I took them out and they looked perfect but still threw them in the oven because the tortillas were not done.



Tortillas

Masa Harina and some water and bingo is his name or is that chihuahua is his game.  For the first time making these they turned out just how we wanted.  I do not have a Tortilla keeper so used a pot to keep them warm and used a lid so they don't dry out fast.  I still had this fear they would dry out however they did not and were soft and just right for the first time making these.


Blackened Ancho Shrimp



Here simplicity ruled again,  olive oil, ancho chile powder, and salt and Manta is the name of some killer shrimp.










Salsa


Two different types I did.  Avocado,  Tomatillos and Cilantro,  and  a Roasted Medley of Mini Heirloom Tomatoes.   Here is an example of a perfectly blackened tomatoes, onions and garlic for the salsa.  Thats exactly what I wanted.  Personally I liked the roasted salsa much more then the Avocado and Tomatillo salsa.   However it was a recommended salsa to go with the shrimp or seafood.   I think both Salsa's could go with chips quite nicely.




Avocado Lime Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

There is only one word to describe such a creation YUM.

The green colour was just lovely the texture smooth and refined with a lime twist.  Really a nice luxurious dessert that is going in the keeper list for special occasions.

Now back to the wine the Mexican wine.   The wine that would make a frenchman snicker at 'le vin de Mexico'.  Well folks this wine was nothing to snicker or turn your back on.  It was pleasant and nicely bodied with a really good taste and mouth feel.  It did not feel loose but really well rounded.

Thinking about this dessert I think I shall run down and get a slice.  Some things you just can't resist. I hate the Tortilla heading not aligning itself to the side like it should and have just wasted 20 minutes trying to make it do so even though on the preview it does !!

It really bugs me and talking about bugs next week its Zimbabwe.