Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by katrinacabrera in appetizers and sides, recipes

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appetizer, bacon, cream cheese, food, grilling, jalapeño poppers, prosciutto, spicy, summer

Summer may be officially over, but Indian summer was in full effect this past week. Let’s embrace these last few 80-degree days by squeezing in a few more grilling sessions, shall we?

I’ve long been a fan of jalapeño poppers of the breaded, deep-fried, so-bad-for-you-they’re-good variety. I like to tell myself these are slightly less artery-clogging.

Grilled jalapeño poppers were first introduced to me at a friend’s backyard barbecue in Philadelphia eight years ago. Sheer genius! They promptly joined my regular rotation of summer staples. We originally wrapped them with bacon, but in Argentina the availability of American bacon cut thinner than 1/4 inch was slim to none, and no one likes a popper wrapped in raw pork fat. So instead we started using jamón crudo, and it was a huge win. It’s leaner and crisps faster, with no worries about it cooking the whole way through. We haven’t looked back since.

I figured grilling up some poppers would also be a good way to use the bounty of jalapeños I got from my balcony garden. And by “bounty” I mean…two. Thankfully, the local producers supplying the Fort Greene farmers market seem to be a bit more successful at pepper-growing than me.

This year’s crop in its entirety. So sad, so sad.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED JALAPEÑO POPPERS

12 – 15 whole jalapeño peppers, seeded

8 ounces cream cheese

4-oz package of prosciutto

toothpicks

To seed the jalapeños but leave them whole, slice off the stem at the top and use a thin knife to scrape out the seeds. Be careful – wear rubber gloves if necessary. Stuff each pepper full of cream cheese, then wrap the peppers in strips of prosciutto and secure with toothpicks. Place on hot charcoal grill until peppers are charred and prosciutto is crispy, flipping halfway through (approximately 5-10 minutes total). Allow to cool slightly before eating as the melted cream cheese will be very hot.

Recipe: Spicy Thai Noodles with Plums & Bok Choy

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by katrinacabrera in entrees, recipes

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bok choy, chicken, dinner, food, healthy, nectarines, noodles, pasta, plums, recipe, salad, spicy, stone fruit, Thai

Mmm, such a tasty summer entree. This recipe has survived dinner parties from Chicago to Buenos Aires, and every time I make it, it’s a bit different based on what’s in-season and what ingredients I have access to. In Buenos Aires, the wide variety of ethnic food products we’re accustomed to in the United States was immensely narrowed down, but with a little creativity (and a heavy hand with the not-spicy spices) I made it work.

The flavors and textures in this dish are unexpected and fresh. It’s a combination of juicy stone fruit, slightly bitter bok choy and slurp-worthy noodles tossed in a peppery-sweet sauce with a spicy kick. If spicy’s not your thing, omit the cayenne pepper and go easy on the crushed red pepper. I tend to use whole grain angel hair or soba noodles, but ramen or rice noodles would work well, too. And I grab whatever stone fruit looks most appealing. Nectarines work really well, but these plums were too pretty to pass up.

This is another oldie but a goodie adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.

SPICY THAI NOODLES WITH PLUMS & BOK CHOY

1 lb. chicken tenderloins

4 ounces of noodles

1/4 cup chicken stock

3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 Tablespoons hoison sauce

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 nectarines and/or plums, sliced

one bunch of bok choy

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Cook the tenderloins in a small amount of boiling water in a large skillet, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain and cool slightly, then slice against the grain. Cook noodles according to package directions. While the pasta’s cooking, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, hoison sauce, sugar, olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a small bowl. Drain the cooked pasta, rinse in cool water and toss it with about 3/4 of the dressing. Divide the pasta up on your serving plates, and top with chicken, fruit, bok choy and green onions. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Puerta Cerrada: The Hidden Kitchen

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by katrinacabrera in buenos aires, restaurants, travel

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closed door restaurants, hidden kitchen, puerta cerrada, restaurants, spicy, Taiwanese food

Puerta cerradas, or closed-door restaurants, have been around the Buenos Aires restaurant scene for years now. I’m pretty sure every Buenos Aires ex-pat or food-related blogger’s written about the phenomenon by now, but for my readers back in the homeland (hi Mom!) a quick overview. The puerta cerrada is an “unofficial” restaurant, typically in a chef’s home or other private space. While each one is different, you can always count on enjoying a carefully planned multi-course menu in an intimate setting. It feels exclusive, like you’re at some sort of private supper club or have been invited to the chef’s home for a dinner party.

Lately, a couple of my favorite local food bloggers have opened their own closed-door restaurants. And yes, I’m overflowing with a combination of admiration and (well-meaning) envy! Living the dream, chicas. I was too busy enjoying great conversation at NOLA’s communal table to be snapping pics of each course when I went, but I highly recommend it. Check out the reviews on TripAdvisor, where it’s sitting pretty at numero uno.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, as The Hidden Kitchen’s now on the scene as well! And at our semi-private table I had no camera shame. This latest puerta cerrada is the work of Frances Ren, an ex-pat by way of Bangkok/San Francisco/Beijing who also pens The Lost Asian and posts some of the drooling-est food photos in town. The seating is such that it could be communal if you want, or if you’re not feeling like telling the story of how you came to live in Buenos Aires for the umpteenth time, you can comfortably focus your attention solely on your dining companions without feeling rude. I liked having the option. While I’ve had some great communal dining experiences, I’ve also had some where a few hours felt like an eternity of tooth-pulling.

Adding to the appeal of The Hidden Kitchen: 1.) Hot-and-spicy-ness, that much-bemoaned missing ingredient in local cuisine. 2.) It’s BYO-freaking-B!!!! I have never understood how this concept has not invaded every corner of the culinary earth. 3.) Excellent eclectic music selection. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows, and classic pop and hip-hop tunes. You get the picture.

And now, for the food:

The welcome cocktail was absolutely divine. I heard something about gin and plums and didn’t really register the rest because I was already pouring it down my throat.