Victoria’s Secret Salsa

Victoria’s Secret Salsa

Victoria’s Secret Salsa

The other day, out of the blue, I remembered the pure simplicity of La Victoria Salsa, a thick, rich salsa without the spice. If you are not familiar with La Victoria Salsa, at least in California, it was without a doubt the salsa of choice and always present at parties and holidays. Now, living here in Mexico where I have every ingredient, every type of chili pepper, and can create any salsa imaginable, you must be curious as to why I would be thinking about La Victoria Salsa. Well, we had a party the other day and I realized that there are many people who do not like spicy food, and so to offer a salsa for everyone to enjoy, to create a a salsa rich in flavor but without the spice became my goal.

First a little history, is it salsa or sauce? 

Chef Mauro Chiecchio and Alfred Toth

Do professional chefs use recipes?

Do professional chefs use recipes? Follow a recipe or freestyle, do chefs, or for that matter, does anyone really use or follow recipes? These days many of us have trouble finding time for the simple things in life, let alone cooking. We quickly discover that cooking involves both technical and artistic aspects, and if nothing else, we can save time by following recipes.

Cooking techniques are as old a fire, so why reinvent the wheel? Following a recipe gives us a head start, learning from the mistakes of others. With experience, cooking becomes easier, and then with success, cooking becomes fun.

Let’s take a look at recipes; who uses them, why they are useful, and how we can use them.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu, with a name that sounds like a Japanese movie monster, this Italian, coffee-flavored dessert, is one of my favorites. You will find this extraordinary scrumptious dessert in better Italian restaurants around the world. While most of my experience has been limited to Italian restaurants in Mexico City, I began to realize that numerous variations of Tiramisu exist. For me finding the perfect tiramisu has become the quest.

Chiles en nogada

Chiles en Nogada

Chiles en Nogada is a very famous Mexican dish from the state of Puebla, served on September 16 to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Because this plate is very time consuming to prepare it is seldom prepared in the home. In fact, may Mexicans have never even tried this national dish. The three colors of the Mexican flag are represented with: green from the chili, white from the nut sauce and red from the pomegranate seeds.

What is Chiles en Nogada? Well, ¨chiles¨ refere to the large green poblano chiles, and ¨nogada¨ comes from the Spanish word for nut tree, nogal, which is a type of walnut tree. Chiles en Nogada consists of poblano chiles filled with a picadillo (a mixture usually containing shredded meat, aromatics, fruits and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce, called nogada, and then sprinkled with bright red pomegranate seeds.

 Chiles en Nogada is served cold or at room temperature, and can be found offered in restaurants for a month or so, or as long as there are pomegranate seeds available.

For the recipe click here;                                 pbase.com/alsadventures/chilesennogada

Home Fried Potatoes, the Best Hash Browns

Home Fried Potatoes, the Best Hash Browns

Who doesn’t like fried potatoes for breakfast, but have you every tried to make hash browns? I have followed so many recipes that claim to be “The Best Hash Browns Ever”, but I always end up with a fried pancake of greasy, grated potatoes. I say the Best Hash Browns are not Hash Browns, but actually Home Fried Potatoes. Home Fried Potatoes require less oil so they are heather, and the can be seasoned as well, thereby they are tastier. Here is the recipe that I have perfected. 

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