Pimentos make every meal a big deal!

Tonight's menu: Arroz con pollo and Avocado-Orange Salad with Romaine and Lime-Cumin Dressing. Both were from CI, from the Latin Comfort Food menu. And were they ever comforting.

Let's start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start. And tonight that means with red onion, lime, avocado and oranges. Mrs. Butterworth is there to watch over the dinner preparations.



The salad had a romaine lettuce base and was topped with red onion, avocado and orange supremes. The dressing was a simple mixture of lime juice, cumin seed, olive oil, garlic and jalapeno. The avocado and red onion were tossed in the dressing, but the lettuce was dressed according to the diner's preference.



The arroz con pollo had several steps. The chicken was first marinated in a garlic marinade. Then a mixture of diced onion and green pepper was sauted in a pan. Once this was done, the chicken was added. After the chicken was no longer transparent, but before it browned, it was put into a soup pot. The pan was deglazed with chicken broth and then the chicken broth and fond was put into the soup pot with a little water and some tomato sauce. Bring up to a simmer and then add the arroz!

The pot was put into the oven and at 10 minute intervals, the pot contents were stirred from the bottom to the top. Once the rice and chicken were cooked, the chicken was separated out and pulled from the bone and mixed with a pimento-olive oil-cilantro mixture.



Mmm pimentos.

Finally, arroz:


pollo:



arroz con pollo:



Ta-da!

Super fantastic Italian food

Tonight's menu was Italian-based with a French dessert. Eggplant parmesan (with eggplant from the farmer's market, locally grown of course) and fresh pasta. Tarte Tatin for dessert.

Let's start with the dessert tonight. This dish featured apples obtained from one of the best apple orchards in the area, which isn't saying much at all. Minnesota orchards don't even hold a candle to Michigan apple orchards.

Anyway, first, butter was melted in a pan:


Quite a substantial amount of butter. Sugar was added, and then quartered apples were carefully placed in the pan Once the apples were cooked and the sugar and butter started to carmelize, a crust was placed over the top of the pan. Then into the oven for thirty minutes. After cooling, the pan was turned over, to reveal a lovely tarte tatin.



Fresh pasta is not new to these chefs. One chef was assigned to work the pasta dough, and after it was well rested, that was done. This picture captures the pasta at stage 2 of 5. Hanging on the rack in the background are sheets in stage 4.



Mmmmm.



The eggplant parmesan recipe was from Cooks Illustrated. The first step is to drain sliced eggplants that have been salted with KOSHER salt. Not table salt, or Christopher Kimball might come after you. After draining for 40 minutes, they were pressed in towels. Then they were dipped in egg and then shaken in a bag full of fresh bread crumbs (only premium sandwich bread can be used) and parmesan. Then onto a baking sheet covered with oil and into the oven. Flip halfway through the baking time, and then out for assembly. The eggplant slices were layered in a baking dish topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Then back into the oven for melting. Super fantastic!



The sauce was a basic tomato sauce. Some tomatoes, some basil, some garlic. The usuals.



Ooh! Look at that piping hot pasta!