Recipe #41 - Latino Torre Magnifica

We've been experimenting with stacked food for years. During the research for this post, Mark came into direct contact with Deborah Fabricant, the creator of the original "stack kit" and the author of the cookbook mentioned here. Deborah has transitioned into a new career as a home staging designer and the book has long since gone out of print. But the stack kits are still in limited availability. If you are interested in obtaining any of the stacking tools, email Mark at cafedumond@comcast.net.

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If you ever want to totally impress someone with your culinary prowess, or if you desire to take latino food to new "heights," try this recipe. It's not easy, but it will blow your guests away with its sheer size, scope, array of colors and tastes, and audacity.

You'll need a "stacking" tool for this one. You can get by with an empty aluminum can with both ends removed, although we utilize a "stack kit" which has round, square and triangular shapes. There is an accompanying book about stacked food called "Stacks: The Art of Vertical Food" by Deborah Fabricant, which has all sorts of cool stack recipes. But this one is truly a DuMond original.

We approach this layer by layer, starting at the bottom.

Makes four towers.

Layer 1 - Potato-Veggie Cake

1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 Yukon gold potato, peeled, shredded, rinsed and drained
1 small carrot, trimmed, peeled and shredded
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes, carrot and bell pepper, stir to combine, cover and allow to saute and steam for about four minutes. Remove cover and stir the veggies around. Form into four round patties (try to make them approximately the same size as the mold you're using) and fry until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown. Flip each patty and fry until the other side is crisp.

Drain the patties on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet or plate and place in a 250 degree oven to keep warm.

Layer 2 - Roasted Beets

1 medium red beet
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the beet on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and put in the oven. Roast the beet for 30 to 45 minutes, testing doneness by sticking a sharp knife into the center of the beet. It should slide in easily if the beet is done.

Allow the beet to cool slightly, then peel and slice very thinly. Put the slices in a bowl and toss gently with the olive oil and chipotle Tabasco sauce. Set aside.

Layer 3 - Wilted Mustard Greens with Garlic & Olives

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups mustard greens, washed, patted dry and coarsely chopped
8 kalamata olives, pitted and minced

Heat the butter in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute, until fragrant. Add the mustard greens and stir-fry until completely wilted. Add the olives and stir in to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Layer 4 - Grilled Tequila/Habanero Marinated Halibut

2 oz. tequila
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. prepared habanero hot sauce
1 habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely minced

3/4 lb. fresh halibut fillets, skinned

In a sealable plastic baggie place, place the four marinade ingredients. Seal the bag and shake to mix well. Place the halibut in the bag, seal it, and put in the fridge to marinate for up to two hours.

When the time for finishing the tower nears, heat up a grill and place the halibut directly over the heat. Grill on one side for several minutes, then flip the fish and grill the other side for several minutes more, until opaque in the center.

Remove the halibut from the grill and transfer to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm and set aside.

Layer 5 - Avocado with Lime

1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Put the avocado slices on a small plate. Sprinkle with lime juice and zest. Set aside.

Layer 6 - Mango-Serrano Salsa

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. finely sliced green onions

2 Tbsp. finely diced red bell pepper
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely minced
1/2 mango, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a small skillet until hot. Add the red and green onion and saute for a couple of minutes, until slightly cooked but not browned. Allow the cool slightly.

Put the onions in a bowl with the other ingredients. Stir to mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Layer 7 - Grilled Prawn

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 giant prawns, peeled but with tails left on

Put the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Place the prawns in the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Heat the grill and put the prawns directly over the flames. Grill for a minute, then flip and grill the other side for another minute. When the prawns are cooked through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Layer 8 - Fried Tortilla Tangle

2 cups canola oil

2 corn tortillas, cut into very thin strips
Salt
Smoked paprika

Heat the oil in a small saucepan until very hot. Divide the tortilla strips into four groups. Put a mound of strips into a small strainer and lower it into the hot oil. Fry until very crispy. Put the tangle of fried tortilla strips on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the other three piles of strips.

Dust the frazzled tortilla nests with a little salt and smoked paprika and set aside.

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OK, now it's time for the fun part. Now that you've prepared and "set aside" all the layers, it's time to assemble.

Take a white serving plate and put a mold in the center.

Place a potato-veggie patty at the bottom of the mold and press down gently. Place a very thin layer of sliced beets on top of the potato cake. Put a small amount of mustard greens on top of the beets and press down gently.

Cut the grilled halibut into four pieces, with the objective to make each piece approximately the size of the mold. Place the piece of halibut on top of the greens and press down gently.

Place a few avocado slices on top of the halibut, spreading evenly to make a thin layer.

Now would be a good time to unmold the dish, as the last layers can be added without the mold. Pressing down gently on the top of the tower, carefully slide the mold upward and off the tower.

Spoon a little of the mango-serrano salso on top of the avocado layer. Place a grilled prawn on its side on top of the salsa. Put a tangle of fried tortilla strips on top of the prawn. (If a few stray pieces of tortilla fall off and land on the plate, no problem. They just became "garnish" on the plate.)

Repeat the process with the other three towers.

Garnish the plate with random drops, swirls and squirts (using squirt bottles for this makes it easy and fun) of:

Spicy red wine reduction
Garlic chile oil
Yellow bell pepper puree
Finely minced red jalapeno pepper

Enjoy! Oh ... and if one of the towers makes it through to the table intact and in relatively perfect presentation, take a picture. Why? Because you may never feel like doing this again, and you won't want to forget what it looks like.

In Praise of Great Films - 2009 Oscar Nominations

Seventh in a series.

This morning the 2009 Academy Award nominations were announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. There were a few surprises, the occasional disappointments, and mostly anticipated selections.

Among the surprises:

The Reader was probably the least known of the Best Picture nominees, yet slipped in as one of the five. Vegas oddsmakers will most likely make this one the long shot, but congratulations to the filmmakers.

The film Doubt had a total of four best acting nominations (Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams) along with best screenplay, yet it isn't in the running for Best Picture or Best Director. We'll have to look into the history of the Oscars to see if any film has had that many acting nominees without being pegged for Best Picture.

Kate Winslet, a perennial nominee, got a nod for best actress for The Reader, but not for Revolutionary Road, which was by far the more high profile film. In fact, Revolutionary Road was largely shut out, with a single nomination for art direction.

Some disappointments:

The Dark Knight and Wall-E were among the best reviewed movies of the year, yet neither was recognized for Best Picture.

The Wrestler was highly praised by critics, but didn't get recognized in categories other than Best Actor (Mickey Rourke).

Slumdog Millionaire was the second-highest nominated movie with ten nods, yet not a single cast member was recognized with a nomination. This was probably expected, as the entire cast was unknown to American audiences, and after all, the Oscars are a distinctively American awards show.

Things to be happy about:

Anne Hathaway was nominated for her turn in Rachel Getting Married. This is one we managed to see in 2008, and we're glad she was recognized for her brave, raw performance. We didn't know she had it in her.

Heath Ledger was nominated posthumously for his amazing work in The Dark Knight. We're happy about the nomination, but we'd gladly trade it for bringing him back to life so he could spend another fifty years working in the film industry. Alas, it is not to be...

Richard Jenkins has had a long career as a fine actor, but has only recently been recognized and widely acclaimed. His nomination for The Visitor is a long overdue tribute to an artist who's been toiling in the business for more than three-and-a-half decades. He won't win, but as the cliche goes, it's a true honor just to be nominated.

Curiosities:

According to the great Rotten Tomatoes website, the Best Picture nominations certainly don't line up with critical opinion. Here are the nominations along with their percentage of good reviews from accredited critics:

Slumdog Millionaire - 95%
Milk - 92%
Frost/Nixon - 91%
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 72%
The Reader - 60%

Clearly, the one that wouldn't seem to belong is The Reader. We haven't seen the film, but of 150 reviews tracked so far, 60 are bad. That makes a Best Picture nomination a curious choice indeed. This is particularly highlighted by the fact that these high profile movies were much more praised critically:

The Dark Knight - 94%
Wall-E - 96%
The Wrestler - 98%
Tropic Thunder - 83%
Rachel Getting Married - 88%
Frozen River - 86%
Vicky Christina Barcelona - 83%

Of the Best Picture nominees, the only one we've been able to see is Slumdog Millionaire. It's a breathtaking film and certainly a worthy pick, although it's not the "masterpiece" that the TV ads are proclaiming.

It was an especially good slate for some of our favorite filmmakers. Here are the Best Director nominees and some of their previous movies we really like:

• Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) - Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later
• Stephen Daldry (The Reader) - The Hours, Billy Elliot
• David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) - Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac
• Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) - Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood
• Gus Van Sant (Milk) - Good Will Hunting, To Die For, Drugstore Cowboy

All these filmmakers have a fine body of work to be proud of. Congratulations to all of them, and may the best film prevail.

The Academy Awards will be televised on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd.

NOTE: The Academy Awards, Oscars and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are registered and copyrighted trademarks of AMPAS and are recognized as such here.

Recipe #40 - Mexican Rice

Mexican (or Spanish) rice comes in many different forms. Most of us have tried various commercially available boxed versions of it, with mixed results. It might taste OK, but it usually ends up being overly moist, or soupy, or gloppy, or (add your own adjective here).

So in an effort to come up with something more akin to what we've experienced at good Mexican restaurants, we latched onto something we found in Cook's Illustrated magazine and adapted it with some of our own flourishes.

The key is to use both the stovetop and the oven, and also to add the fresh-taste ingredients at the very end so they don't get overcooked and lose their bright flavors.

Serve this with fish tacos and Sheri's slow-cooked latino black beans (recipe to be published soon).

1 large ripe tomato, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, peeled, trimmed and coarsely chopped

2 fresh jalapeno chiles

1 cup long grain white rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 cup rich vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put tomato and onion in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Remove the seeds and pith from one of the jalapenos. Mince the seeded chile and set aside. Then mince the other chile, including the seeds and pith.

Put the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse several times, then shake fully to remove all the water from the rice. Heat the oil in an oven-proof saute pan (which has an oven-proof cover). Add the rice and saute for about five minutes until the rice is translucent and starting to brown.

Add the garlic and seeded minced chile and stir-fry for a couple more minutes. Add the broth, the tomato-onion puree, tomato paste and salt. Bring to a boil, then stir one more time to mix everything well.

Cover the pan and put it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed into the rice is tender.

Stir in the cilantro, the minced jalapeno and lime juice. Serve immediately with additional wedges of lime.

The "Leftover Risotto" Dilemma

So you've labored over a wonderful risotto dish, and undoubtedly have plenty left over. (There are some good risotto recipes here and here.) Now, what do you do with the leftovers?

We did some searching on the subject on the Internet, and quickly found that in Italy, where risotto was born, serving leftover risotto (in its original form) is a definite "no-no." However, there are a number of ways to re-purpose risotto instead of discarding it. Here are some recipes, mostly Italian in nature, that make use of leftover risotto in different ways:

RISOTTO AL SALTO

2 cups prepared risotto (brought to near room temperature)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Beat the egg, then combine thoroughly with the leftover risotto. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Press the risotto into flat pancakes and add to the hot pan. Saute until crispy on both sides and serve.

ARANCINI DI RISO

2 cups prepared risotto
1 egg, beaten
1 cup canola oil
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup bread crumbs

Mix the risotto with the egg until well combined. Heat the oil in a deep saute pan or wok. Work the risotto into small balls, then insert a cube of mozzarella into the middle of each ball and roll the risotto ball in bread crumbs.

Fry the risotto balls in the hot oil until browned and crispy. Serve with green salad and steamed vegetables.

RISOTTO SOUP

2 cups prepared risotto
2 cups rich vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and half
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Stir together risotto, broth and dairy in a saucepan. Heat over low simmer until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated parmesan on the side.

RISOTTO CAKES WITH POACHED EGG

2 cups prepared risotto
5 eggs
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Beat one of the eggs and work it into the risotto. Form the risotto mixture into four flat cakes. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and put the risotto cakes on.

Bake the cakes for 8 minutes until heated through. Flip the cakes and scatter the grated cheese on top of each. Crank the oven up to broil mode. Put the cakes back in the oven and broil until the cheese is melty and bubbly.

Meanwhile, poach the other four eggs for about three to four minutes depending on your preference for doneness.

Remove the risotto cakes from the oven and place one on each of four warmed serving plates. Top each cake with a poached egg and serve.

Recipe #39 - Marinated Halibut-Veggie Fajitas

You don't have to go to a Mexican restaurant to enjoy some wonderful sizzling fajitas. The key to this dish is the marinade, which was concocted by Sheri'. It was pretty much done "on the fly" so ingredient amounts are approximated.

It helps to have a stove with some sort of device that can suck away the smoke. Otherwise you might be setting off your smoke alarms with this one.

Serves four.

For the halibut marinade:

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (recipe follows)
Pinch ground cinnamon
2 tsp. olive oil

For the veggie marinade:

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (recipe follows)
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp. southwest chipotle seasoning (we use Tone's)
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp. saffron oil
2 Tbsp. orange juice

4 small flour tortillas

3/4 lb. fresh halibut, skinned, rinsed and cut into 1" cubes

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red onion, trimmed, peeled and sliced into thin wedges

Condiments:

Medium red or green salsa
Prepared guacamole
Sour cream

Accompaniments:

Spicy slow-cooked black beans
Spanish rice

Put the tortillas inside a tightly wrapped piece of aluminum foil and place in a 275 degree oven to warm.

Place the fish marinade ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Work it around in your hands to mix. Put the halibut chunks in the bag and shake around to coat with the marinade. Place in refrigerator to marinate for up to an hour.

Put the vegetable marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal the bag, and work everything around to thoroughly mix. Add all the cut veggies to the bag, seal it, and place in refrigerator to marinate for up to an hour.

When ready to serve, heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat with a little safflower or canola oil. When it's almost smoking, pour in the marinated veggies. Stir-fry for a couple minutes.

Put the marinated fish into the pan and continue to stir-fry for several more minutes, until the halibut is cooked through and opaque. Remove the pan from heat and scrape into a serving bowl. Take the warm tortillas out of the oven and put onto four separate serving plates.

Serve with black beans, spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and any other appropriate accompaniments.

ANCHO CHILE POWDER

2 large dried ancho chiles

Break the chiles into pieces, removing the stems and most of the seeds. (The more seeds you add to the finished product, of course, the spicier it's going to be.)

Put the chile pieces into a spice grinder or small food processor and buzz thoroughly until it becomes a gritty powder. Store in a jar at room temperature.

Recipe #38 - Curried Chickpea-Tomato Salad

Serves four as a starter or side dish.

2 16 oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 large ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

4 large leaves red leaf lettuce, cleaned and patted dry

Put the yogurt in a large mixing bowl and whisk in all the spices and lemon juice. Add the chickpeas and stir gently but thoroughly. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.

Place a lettuce leaf on each of four chilled serving plates. Spoon the chickpea salad on top and serve.