Tomatoey, tomatoey, tomatoey, tomatoey

Say that four times fast. Now don' t you feel silly?

This is one of those mongrel dishes born of necessity. I'll call it Native American pasta because it's got succotash in a Mexican-style pasta with pulled chicken and a Spanish recipe chorizo.

Actually, I used pulled turkey meat because I had leftover turkey in the freezer from last year's Thanksgiving. But I don't recommend turkey. You would get a better tasting dish with chicken.

I started with La Moderna fideo (a short-stem pasta). La Moderna is a Mexican import made in four cities across the country. I found it at Winn Dixie in Florida, which impressed me, (distributed to the USA through InterAmerican Foods Corp. in Laredo, Texas).

Fideo is traditionally cooked with pulled chicken and a little bit of onion, and chicken broth. The recipe calls for 2.5 quarts of water for a 7-ounce packet.

But I don't want soup. I want pasta. So I boiled the fideo for 7 minutes in three cups of water, then drained.

This is a lot of pasta, and with the other ingredients, you end up with enough food to easily serve four hungry people.

Moving on, I still have some Goya chorizo. This is a Spanish-style smoked chorizo that is sold unrefrigerated, like jerky (it's not quite that salty, though). Chorizo is usually used for breakfast meals, but this is something that can be an ingredient in a lunch or dinner dish. Like I've said before, it's similar to pepperoni.

Keep in mind the paprika in this chorizo makes it tart. It has a pronounced sharp taste, like a real sharp cheddar cheese, so go light on the chorizo. And that's why I suggest chicken to provide more protein without overwhelming your dish.

Slice up two links of chorizo, and grill in the skillet. After the grease is flowing and sizzling, add some canola oil to avoid burning the chicken. Toss in the cooked chicken (a half-pound of pulled thigh or breast meat should do), and stir.

Succotash was introduced to Europeans by Narragansett Indians in New England as a mix of corn and lima beans. I just opened a can of cooked lima beans, and measured off an equal portion of frozen corn an tossed that over the meat.

Get a jar of pasta sauce. I used roasted garlic Ragù. This is a 1 lb-10 oz jar. Use all of it, but three-quarters of a jar will do if you're a little short.

Gently dump in the pasta so you don't splash anything, and bring it to a simmering boil for a couple minute - not too long because the pasta is already cooked; you're just trying to heat up the sauce and succotash by this time.

So, what's so great about fideo versus spaghetti? Well, spaghetti tends to be clumsier to deal with. I don't know the origins of fideo, but I suspect a no-nonsense Mexican mother got really pissed off at watching her kids slurp-suck up long-stem pasta, splattering sauce all over their faces and giggling at the result at the dinner table, and she decided to snap the pasta stem just to spoil their fun.

If you've got a more accurate version of history, I'd like to hear it. In the meantime, buen provecho!

Goya Chorizo: a New York tradition

Having grown up in Texas, I always saw Goya products in the groceries. But I always assumed they were Mexican imports. Goya has always targeted the Hispanic market and it's one of the few Latino brands I see everywhere.

They stock more kinds of products in Latino groceries than any other brand. Well, surprise, surprise. The company started in Lower Manhattan, New York in 1936. Don Prudencio Unanue and his wife Carolina, immigrants from Spain, started with one grocery store.

I came across a Goya Chorizo at my local Winn Dixie and that led me to investigate a company that, product-wise, is as diverse as well-known giants like Del Monte Food Brands.

Goya Chorizo

This chorizo is packaged in Secaucus, N.J. and does not need refrigeration until you open it. I found it located next to the El Miño brand, which was a two-link package for about half the price. Goya's product is four links and weighs 3.5 ounces.

When cooking it, I found it to be higher in fat content than El Miño. The Goya chorizo behaves exactly like pepperoni when cooked. I sliced it into coin sections and let it sizzle on medium heat on the skillet.

Let's talk breakfast!

Since I'm dealing with a Spanish sausage, not Mexican, I took one liberty with a traditional Mexican breakfast recipe. I made mild 'huevos a la Mexicana' and added one stalk of chopped bok choy.

Traditional huevos a la Mexicana is scrambled eggs with onion, serrano pepper and tomato. I used onion, bok choy and tomato. No hot sauce here. (Actually, I sprinkled on a hot sauce after I cooked this and that's not in the second photo; I just couldn't resist, but I'm trying to put out a plate that anybody can try without worrying about searing their taste buds).

I separated some yolk from two eggs (watching that cholesterol), and poured the egg white over vegetables that had been cooking in canola oil for about three minutes. Separately, I put two northern Mexican-style chicken-filled tamales in the microwave and heated that for 1 minute (I say northern Mexican because I've seen tamales in Florida that come in aluminum packets, and I know southern Mexican tamales are cooked in banana leaves).

I chopped fresh Anaheim pepper (very mild and just a little section), and spinkled that over the tamales. The chorizo is laid out on the plate between the tamales and the 'huevos-not-so-Mexicana.' Nice, orderly looking plate - that should appeal to a Cuban's sensibilities. Maybe?

I had this with a mocha coffee. I used a packet of Ganocafé Mocha, which is a powdered cocoa with ganoderma, an Indonesian mushroom that has been dessicated. It's distributed in the USA through Dallas and my dad loves this stuff.

I put a few ounces of milk in a cup, mixed in the powder, the pour in the coffee and stir. It's great, but the taste is slightly different from regular coffee mocha because of the mushroom, which is supposed to have health benefits. I don't know about that, but it is pleasant on the palate.

The meal turned out very nice. Goya's chorizo is decent enough, but I'm going to have to say that given a choice between El Miño and Goya (both being in the unrefrigerated category), I'd go with El Miño because it was less greasy. I know, that's a contradictory thing to say for someone raised on uncooked Mexican chorizos that are really greasy!

Both Goya and El Miño are smoked, but I get the impression El Miño is smoked longer. The flavor is more pleasant (I'm a sucker for well-smoked meats) and I just think if you're going to buy a meat that is marketed as 'no refrigeration required' go for the one that has less grease.

Buen provecho!

El Miño Chorizo by 814 Americas

I was walking through my local Winn Dixie last week and, in passing the Latin foods section, I saw several brands of chorizo.

This was not in the butcher section. No coolers, no freezers. The chorizo was assembled without refrigeration. I thought, 'That's odd!'

I bought a package of something called El Miño. It's made by 814 Americas Inc. also known as Abuin Packing. This is a Cuban family that started the business in Cuba in the 1920s. It used to be known as Severino Abuin & Co., but in 1960 Fidel Castro confiscated the business.

The family re-established the business in the United States. They are based in Elizabeth, N.J.

Not knowing what to expect - I had never used smoked chorizo that was labeled "no refrigeration required" - I first tried mashing the link on a hot skillet like I usually do. That doesn't work very well.

I wanted morning breakfast tacos. The usual huevos con chorizo, with a few chopped vegetables. There are a number of pros and cons here.

First, let me say it is a good tasting chorizo. But it is smoked and it's dense. This is like slicing pepperoni. In fact, that's what you have to do. Slice it up. After that, I just went ahead and diced it.

You see, Mexican chorizo from the butcher requires cooking. And it is full of animal fat that is drained. But you leave some of the fat in and the fat and spices spread into the egg and vegetables that eventually are grilled with it.

None of that diffusion of grease and spices happens here. So I diced it to get the flavor spread around. I suppose it's healthier to have a chorizo that gets on your plate with a lot less grease. It worked out ok, but if you're expecting a Mexican-style result, ain't gonna happen.

Texturally, it's more like machacado. Machacado is where you use dried shredded beef (like pulled pork, but it's beef, dry and kind of tough). Say you diced the beef, instead of shredding it; this chews like that, but the taste is definitely chorizo.

Buen provecho!

Garlic goes with spaghetti, right?

Right!
Back to the 'Real Meat, Real Smoke, Real Sausage!'
Yes, taking another look at Kiolbassa Sausage, this time their Roast Garlic offering.

Kiolbassa's Roasted Garlic Smoked Sausage

Awhile back, I tried an Italian sausage with spaghetti. The Italian sausage is normally found on pizza, but it works with spaghetti, too.

I did have one criticism about it. Oregano is a prominent ingredient in Italian sausage. You really notice it. And you might not be that crazy about oregano. I'm a fan, but I can see where it could be over the top.

Of all the Kiolbassa brand sausages, the one that works best with spaghetti is the Roasted Garlic. This really hits the spot. Again, sorry, can't find it in Florida.

Putting the meal together is really simple. Grab some spinach, frozen or otherwise. Get an onion. Get the spaghetti boiling.

Chop the sausage into coin sections and grill on low heat. I chopped the onion in semi-large sections - slightly chunky. And toss that in with the sausage and some butter. I put the spinach in next, after the sausage has been turned a few times to melt its fat, with a half jar of store-bought, bottled spaghetti sauce (brand of your choice).

Once the spaghetti is done (seven to ten minutes boiling time) drain and rinse. Now you can mix the spaghetti in with the other ingredients, or you can set it aside and pour the other ingredients on top. I mixed them together in the big skillet. 

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and red pepper on top.

Spaghetti with garlic sausage, spinach and onion

Buen provecho!

Andy meets Martha: a spicy cornbread

I love cornbread. Pouring honey on a fresh cornbread will dissolve a lot of problems. It's my healthy alternative to stuffing my face with mocha ice cream.

But plain cornbread, good as that is, isn't the most nutritious food. Think of cornbread like cake. How many different kinds of cake is there? A possibly infinite number.


Martha White Yellow Cornmeal has a pretty good Tex-Mex recipe on the side of the bag. I'm going to take Andy Garcia's chipotle chorizo and add it to the ingredients. I'm also going to add one extra egg (two eggs instead of one). And in place of two tablespoons of chopped green chiles, this has two tablespoons of my chile petin salsa (but you can stick with the chopped green chiles).

Martha, meet Andy.

Spicy cornbread: Tex-Mex style with chorizo and salsa

The ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-ounce can cream style corn
1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos or fresh hot salsa
1 link of chorizo

Cook the chorizo on a skillet on low heat. Break it up into tiny bits and tilt the skillet to drain some of the grease.

Mix everything else into your mixing bowl and put the chorizo in last. Spread lard or no-stick cooking spray into a 8x8 baking pan, or a round pan of similar dimension. Pour your batter in. It's going to look watery, but not to worry; 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 450 degrees will take care of that.

When it's done, you can eat it straight. Or spinkle honey all over it.
Buen provecho!

Andy Garcia's Chipotle Chorizo Especial

Here's another chorizo I'd like to see show up in South Florida's Mexican groceries. Garcia Foods Inc. produces Andy Garcia's Chipotle Chorizo Especial.

Andy Garcia's Chipotle Chorizo Especial

Andy Garcia started with $15, making barbacoa in his garage in 1956. Garcia would sell barbacoa from his truck.

Based in San Antonio, Texas, the company's products are now standards in Texas grocery meat sections and they are marketing across the Southwest and into Mexico. They have ambitions of selling nationally and I  wish them success.

Time for breakfast!

I started with a couple of fatty-patty homemade tortillas and several store-bought thin white corn tortillas. The store-bought stuff I leave on a comal pan on a very low heat so they will dry out but not burn.

I chop onion, poblano and tomato. Then I put a link of Garcia chorizo in a hot skillet and break it down and stir. This is a standard 'huevos a la Mexicana' but with a little chorizo mixed in.

lightly grill the veggies with the chorizo, always keeping your heat low so the chorizo doesn't burn and the veggies don't overcook. Toss in the scrambled eggs (removing the yolk, if you're concerned about cholesterol).

I tear up the dried out tortillas and layer them on the bottom so I can use them like scooper chips. Heap the rest on top and sprinkle some cotija cheese over it. Again, no salt; the chorizo and cheese are salty.

I had a ripe avocado handy, so I scooped some out and placed it on the side.

What I have is a slightly salty, buttery breakfast meal with plenty of protein and a rich mix of produce from the crisper. You barely need a fork, but I kept one handy.

Buen provecho!

Elgin: The Sausage Capital of Texas

Elgin, Texas brags about being the Sausage Capital of Texas. A bit of hyperbole there, Texas has several other towns that can rival Elgin for that claim.

The sausage makers trumpeting that boast come from Southside Market. This is a fabled establishment in existence since 1882. Southside Market is the most notable landmark in the small town of Elgin, which is off the beaten path if you are in or near Austin.

I picked up a package of Southside Market's smoked beef and pork smoked sausage on my last trip to an HEB grocery in San Antonio. It's time to get it out of the freezer. But I'm not doing any traditional dish with this, as I'm in the mood for a curry meat and veggie entrée.

I have manioc (yuca) that I want to chop and fry up. Manioc is denser than potato, although similar in taste, so this involves some cooking time. The manioc goes in the skillet first, once the vegetable oil is hot.

While the manioc fries, let's get the other ingredients prepped. I picked out two stalks of bok choy, portions of tomato, onion, cabbage, one carrot and one link of Southside Market's Polish sausage.

Chop, chop, chop and slice!

veggies in the bowl, manioc and sausage on the board

I'm keeping a bag of sunflower seed handy, so I can sprinkle in a handful toward the end of the cooking process. It's time to toss the sausage in the skillet, and while that is heating up, let's make some curry sauce.

There's not much point in suggesting specific quantities of ingredients as that depends on how much food you're making. I have a fairly large skillet, enough to cook up three or four servings. I start with about three tablespoons full of starch and blanket the pile of starch in my mixing bowl with curry sauce.

My sauce is always going to be spicy, so in goes a couple spoonfulls of fresh hot homemade salsa (no vinegar). The last ingredient is water. I start with a third cup and mix, then pour this into the skillet and stir. I find it's not enough.

Just keep pouring water in and stir until the sauce is about a half-inch to two-thirds of an inch deep in the skillet.

From the time the veggies go in, you want to watch the clock a little closer, or they will overcook. Stir and cook for about five minutes, certainly less than ten.

Last touch is the sunflower seed. Sprinkle the seed in and give the whole ensemble one last stir with your big spoon.

As far as the particular ingredients, there's nothing sacred here except the manioc and sausage - these two are going to fill you up. But if you don't like onions, leave them out. If the sunflower seed seems a bit over the top for you (personally I like to have something to crunch), leave that out.

Notice I never mentioned salt. The curry powder has salt, as does the sausage and the sunflower seed. You don't need more salt in your diet, but this dish is slightly (only slightly) bland. Curry is savory. I could have added a bit more curry or a bit more salt, but I'm not complaining with the result.

You can eat this without any side, it's pretty good as is. But it will go well with a small portion of white rice.

Buen provecho!