Bocoles (Masa and Black Bean Cakes) with Spicy Yams - Recipe

 
Bocoles (Masa and Black Bean Cakes) with Spicy Yams

Bocoloes are little pan-fried cake of masa and mashed black beans, typically served as an antojito (appetizer). I learned about them from Diana Kennedy's magnificient My Mexico and thought that I could replace the pork filling with yams, increase the portion, and make an unusual and delicious vegetarian entree.

The cakes came out great; they fry up with a crispy exterior and somewhat creamy inside. If you have had an Indian dosa, which is made from a lentil batter, the crust is kind of like that. Both of my kids loved them too, which was a nice bonus. The older one now calls them "yummy cakes" and is lobbying for a repeat performance.

I served the bocoles with this refreshing jicama, radish and orange salad, and a spoonful of homemade pipian, a type of mole made with pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Fresh masa is a delight to work with, much nicer than dough made from dry masa harina. Your best bet for finding it is to locate a place that makes fresh corn tortillas (a tortilleria). That should be easy in parts of the country that have large Mexican populations. In Seattle I've had luck at La Bendicion on Beacon Hill, if I ask a day in advance, or I hear you can get it at the The Mexican Grocery in Pike Place. If you don't have fresh masa, just buy masa harina flour and mix it according to the package directions for tortillas.

I also bought pre-made Ducal-brand refried black beans. If you don't have that, simply fry some onion and garlic with canned black beans and then thoroughly puree them with enough liquid to make a smooth paste.

Bocoles (Masa and Black Bean Cakes) with Spicy Yams
Serves 6 as an entree or 12 as an appetizer
Vegetarian, vegan if you omit the crema, and gluten-free

For the yam filling:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium yams, peeled and finely diced (see below)
• 2 or more jalapeno peppers, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• salt

For the bocoles:

• 2 pounds (about 4 cups) masa or prepared masa harina, no wetter than necessary
• 2 cups refried black beans (Ducal brand is good or make your own)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• salt
• oil for pan frying

For serving:

• shredded romaine lettuce hearts
• crema or sour cream
• salsa or jicama salad
• optional: mole or pipian sauce

1. The easiest way to cut the yams is to make strips using a mandoline and then use a knife to cut the strips into very small cubes. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Saute the onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add the yams, jalapeno and cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the yams are fully tender. Taste and adjust seasoning - they will likely need more salt. Feel free to make the filling spicier if that suits you.
2. Thoroughly mix the masa, refried beans, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt if needed. Heat 1/8" of oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Make golf-ball sized balls of the dough and pat them between your hands into a pancake about 1/4" thick or so. Fry for about 3 or 4 minutes until brown on the outside and cooked but still soft on the inside. Diana Kennedy says 7 minutes per side but I found it didn't it take that long; try a tester and see what you like best.
3. Serve as soon as possible, on a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with a generous amount of the yam filling, and garnished with crema. Pass the salad or salsa and optional mole on the side.

Guacamole So Good Your Friends Will Beg You For The Recipe

 
Legendary Guacamole

Actual imaginary telephone conversation:

You: "Hey, wanna come for dinner on Friday?"
Friend: "Sure! Any chance you are making Mexican food?"
You: "We'll see... talk to you later"
Friend, turns to partner: "He said maybe! I hope he makes that guacamole!"

I've never understood why people buy pre-made guacamole. The store-bought stuff ranges from barely ok to green glue. The real thing takes all of five minutes to make and tastes spectacular. I'll show you how. I usually make a four-avocado batch and it is just enough to satisfy four adults and a couple of munchkins, so you can tell how popular it is at my house.

First of all, what goes in to great guacamole? Rich, sweet, unctuous avocado set off by bright lime juice, a little sharp bite of garlic and onion, herbacious cilantro and of course a bit of salt is all it takes. If you want to gild the lily with tomato or jalapeno, that can be nice too.

The avocados have to be ripe, and they have to be Hass. Those big, tempting looking, smooth-skinned California avocados have zero flavor. There might be other varieties that taste as good as Hass but I haven't had them.

You can tell if an avocado is ripe if it gives under gentle pressure from the pad of your thumb. If the skin is wrinkly and looks like it has voids underneath, it is probably starting to rot. If you open one up and have any doubts, taste it first - and just chuck it if it isn't right. You can't make good guacamole from bad avocados.

To extract the flesh of the avocado, first carefully run your knife all the way around the pit vertically and then twist to separate the halves. Again carefully gouge the corner of the knive near your hand a little way into the pit and twist a little to remove it. Now just use a big spoon to scoop out the flesh. If that isn't clear, let me know and I could post a little video to show the moves - once you have the hang of it, it just takes a few seconds per avocado.

Guacamole tastes best freshly made, but you can hold it for a few hours in the refrigerator and it will still be great. Just press plastic wrap right down on the surface to avoid unsightly oxidation.

Here's the recipe:

Ridiculously Good Guacamole in Five Minutes
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free
Serves 4-6 greedy guac hounds

• 4 ripe Hass avocados
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 small handful cilantro leaves, lightly chopped
• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
• juice of 1 lime
• salt

1. Extract the avocado flesh into a medium bowl as described above.
2. Add all of the other ingredients, including 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Mash and mix lightly. I prefer a potato masher but the back of a big fork works well too.
4. Taste and add salt and more lime juice if needed.

Savory Onion and Aged Gouda Dutch Baby - Recipe

Savory onion and aged gouda Dutch baby

Eating Out Loud and I have riffed on Dutch Babies a couple of times now. This was my first attempt at a savory version and I was pretty darn happy with the flavors. Done this way, it becomes like a very light, custardy quiche. You could serve it for lunch or brunch with a green salad (apples!), or cut it up into squares as an appetizer.

If you haven't had aged gouda before, hie thee to a good cheesemonger and get a taste. They also carry a decent mid-grade one at Trader Joe's. This is not the stuff in the red wax, people. It has an intense caramel or butterscotch flavor, and in the most-aged varieties, is rather crystalline like parmigiano reggiano. It is one of my all time favorite cheeses. I love to eat it with wine, though I'm not sure I can say what the best pairings are. Anyone have an opinion?

I also call for herbes de Provence, which is generally a mixture of thyme, basil, savory, fennel and a tiny bit of lavender. It can also contain a variety of other herbs. If you don't have a pre-mixed packet of herbes de Provence, just use as many of those individual herbs as you have available. The exact proportions aren't critical, but they should be lively dried herbs, not ones that you have had slowly turning into dust for the past 9 years. Beter yet, you could use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs if you have them. If you do use lavender, make it just a pinch or your Dutch Baby will taste like your grandmother's favorite soap.

Savory Dutch Baby with Onions and Aged Gouda
Vegetarian; not vegan or gluten-free
Serves 3 to 5 (see above)

• 6 + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (sweet ones like Vidalia or Walla Walla preferred)
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup grated aged Gouda cheese
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, ground if coarse (see discussion above)
• smoked paprika (for garnish)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter with a pinch of salt until quite soft; remove and cool.
3. Combine the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender at high speed for 1 minute. Stir in the onions, salt, Gouda cheese and herbs de Provence.
4. Put the 6 tablespoons of butter into a well-seasoned 12" cast-iron skillet or other large, oven-safe container. Put the skillet in the oven.
5. When the butter is sizzling, carefully pull the skillet out and swirl it or use a brush to be sure the whole thing is coated. Pour in the batter and return it to the oven. Cook about 18 minutes until puffed and golden brown. It will not puff as much as normal Dutch baby without the cheese.
6. When the Dutch Baby is done,  carefully remove it from the oven. Pad off any excess butter on top with a paper towel. Garnish with smoked paprika and serve.