Michiganders brave Mexican

Been meaning to invite the locals who live up the hill and decided they would be a good match to the annual renters next door as some common ground as retired teachers and boat people. One in fact is a retired Spanish teacher. Being mostly non-drinkers and un-accustomed as they are to cocktails of any sort, I cut them off at one (powerful and from scratch) Marguerita and then served the following:

Chips & Chili con Queso

Cucumber Salad with Tarragon

Fresh Guacamole

Wayne's Wonderful $50 Beans

Southwestern Beef Fajitas with fixings:

Pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, peppers, onions

Blueberry/Blackberry Tart

Sadly, failed to convert one of the native Michiganders who ate her fajita totally plain on a bare plate, and did not experiment with any new flavors, but the rest seemed enthused and ate with enthusiasm. NOTE to cook: not much actually cooking here but way too much preliminary prep required - think again before agreeing to this menu next time even if hubby begs!

Paula Red's ready

Couldn't resist the bag of "local" apples at the store last week - harbinger of the fall season. Never heard of Paula Reds but from a well known local orchard. Apparently a recent variety, discovered in Michigan and named for the grower's wife (nice). Make good eating and good applesauce so I better get busy.

Something I just found out about butcher blocks - who knew?

How to Clean a Butcher Block eHow.com

Method #3 is the part I was interested in. Read about having to rub the cutting boards with salt every night after the day's work was done in the butcher shop in

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsessions

by Julie Powell, the author of the previously fascinating Julie and Julia about cooking through Julia Child's cookbook. The more recent one is about her apprenticing as a butcher but in between rhapsodies about eating fresh liver, she goes on and on about her problems being married to a perfect man while lusting for another. It gets a tad tired, but overall, still learned a lot about meat. Like how to clean up after.

Feeding Texans Locally

We did have several memorable meals last week when we had three female houseguests for three full days and approximately...was it 10 meals?. Lots of talking. Lots of eating...and more eating.

For the first evening meal we bought frozen Perch from local fish market and I fried them. Have learned not to try and get fancy with fried fish. Dregged in flour, slightly seasoned with S/P and Paprika. Very hot canola oil spiked with leftover bacon grease in the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Tend to be impatient with the first ones when the oil is not quite hot enough. Final batches always come out the best. Made tartar

sauce with my homemade B&B pickles.

All yum. All fun.

Happy Cinnamon Roll Birthday Cake

Made this for Bob's birthday instead of a cake. I think he kindly didn't mention that they're really not alot like his favorite Cinnabons. Mine actually have real ingredients, not alot of air and way less icing and are labor intensive! It's the thought that counts, right?

I just want a good cup of coffee please

Much coffee angst. Broke old Krups glass carafe, discontinued. Read reviews. Studied up on Cooks Illustrated equipment reviews. Selected high end Krups discounted appropriately on Amazon. Looks nice, doesn't it? Nothing but problems...hard to see how much water going in, drips when pour, and weak coffee to boot! Amazon supplier has agreed to take it back so guess I will pack it up. Believe I will go and get $20 Black & Decker at Wall Mart. I need my coffee.

Missing El Fenix

Seriously multi-tasking yesterday morning, I had 3 things working at once. The ice cream maker was humming on vanilla ice cream, a small saucepan was bubbling with the packaged bread and butter pickle mix; and I was regularly stirring and tasting the Cowpoke Beans, which finally took almost 3 hours to get tender - which took alot of tasting. Fortunately I did not cross contaminate any of the three and all turned out just as they should.

Especially the beans were interesting. Served the Cousins and Aunt Gail with Fajitas, beans and gucamole last night. We imitated our favorite menu items at El Fenix as best we could given the geographical disorientation. Except El Fenix serves refried beans with the Sizzling Fajitas and these beans were more like what they serve at Herrara's, another Tex-Mex place we frequent for a change of pace, and mostly for the beans. There they put Pinto Bean Soup in front of you as soon as you sit down and this recipe is very similar and seems very homestyle Mexican. Very interesting depth of flavors. The use of Coke is intriguing and probably more from the Southern cooking tradition.

Recipe from Texas Home Cooking of course.

1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight

8 cups water

12 ounces Coca-Cola

1 14 1/2 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 medium onions, choppeed

1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato-based BBQ sauce (made this the night before...almost like Sonny Bryans')
2-3 slices slab bacon, chopped

3 Tablespoons chili powder (I substituted red papper flakes+powered cumin+tabasco)

2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 fresh serranos or 2-3 jalapenos, minced (used jalapenos as we are wimpy)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground (this is going too far...powered did fine)

1 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste - added at finish.

In a big pot, combine all except salt. Bring to boit then reduce to simmer. Cook slowly, adding water if needed (mine did not). When done the beans should hold their shape but be soft and just a little soupy. Serve in bowls with cooking liquid.