Watermelon-Tequila Granita

Granita is a frozen dessert that I remember mostly from Sicily. It may have been available throughout Italy, but I remember sitting in piazze all over Palermo, eating granita, and talking about our next day's adventure. I don't remember that gloriously cool rush of icy sugar from when I lived in Rome.

Granita is a dessert that is amazingly simple and flexible. Use any watery fruit. Use any citrus. I whipped this one up after a long weekend up in the redwoods where we camped for my husband's 40th birthday. I needed a dessert for his real birthday dinner, but I didn't feel like baking anything...and I had three mini watermelon that I had forgotten to slice up for the party. It was perfect.

Ingredients

• 4 C seedless watermelon, cubed (I used one mini watermelon)
• 1/2 C organic granulated sugar
• juice from one organic Meyer lemon 
• tequila for serving (you can leave out the tequila for a non-alcoholic, kid-friendly version)

Procedure

Purée all ingredients - except for the tequila - in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass or stainless container. Freeze the mixture for 1 hour. Using a wooden spoon, smash any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover and freeze mixture until firm, approximately another  2 to 3 hours. Using the tines of a fork, scrape the granita to form icy flakes.

To serve, spoon granita into glasses. Pour tequila over the top.

Chef: The Food'N'Flix Round-Up

This month, I'm hosting Food'N'Flix. I chose Chef* and invited bloggers to join me in watching it and heading to the kitchen. Click to see my invitation: here.

What a treat! This month we had quite a crew show up at the virtual Food'N'Flix banquet table. It's always nerve-wracking to host an event and just hope - and pray - that other bloggers join in the fun. Otherwise, you're just sitting there. Alone. With just your dish to eat!

Thankfully, I had tons of participants - with sweets, pasta, stew, soup and seven versions of a Cuban Sandwich. That's right. Seven.

It's nice to see so many familiar faces around the table. And it's especially nice to see some new face this month. Thanks, all, for joining in the fun!

On to the dishes...

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm served up a bowl of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Wendy writes "Pasta Aglio e Olio is a wonderful, comforting easy dish to throw together and I can see a chef coming home after a long day in the kitchen and making this for someone dear to them."

Kimberly from Coffee and Casseroles made three things: Carrot and Red Pepper Soup, Grilled Cheese, and"Sugar-balls." She had handwritten an entire page of notes while watching the movie - "garlic, fennel, lime, orange, zucchini, milk, blood orange, kiwi, pork, soup, carrots, radish, kettle corn, fruit, jerky, sausage, hero sandwiches, bacon, espresso, sweet breads, french onion soup, caviar eggs, scallops, fricassee salad, lobster risotto, chocolate lava cake, wine, tequila, "pot brownies" (there was a scene where two of the characters are hanging out in the parking lot smoking and it just popped into my head)  beef cheek, saute onions, pasta, fried green tomatoes, green marinade, tuna, prongs, beef, quail with pickled radish, chives, grilled cheese, cereal, "alphabet soup" (one of the twitter scenes) hash browns, fried eggs, "breakfast sausage" (just because of the eggs and hash browns) juice, "tasting menu", brisket, octopus stir-fry..." Wow! I thought I took extensive notes. But, in the end, Kimberly shares, "The soup and sandwich was pretty much a given, but the sugar-balls popped into my head with the scene where John Leguizamo dumps cornstarch down his pants... thought was in my head and you know me, I couldn't pass this one up."

Girlichef, run by Heather, brought some Buttermilk Cardamom Beignets to the Food'N'Flix table this month because, as she writes, "Basically, you cannot go wrong with fried dough. I decided to put what might be "my" signature on a beignet, were I to have my own food truck. Aside from a slight tang from the use of buttermilk, I added a hint of cardamom; a whisper in your ear to tickle your memory months later." Agreed!

Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz baked some Berries n Cream Turnovers because "My sweet tooth was calling so I decided to make berry turnovers served with a big dollop of cream – a perfect portable version for a food truck menu!" These looks amazing. I can't wait to try them.

Joanne from What's on the List? made Childhood Cubano Stew with Ham & Roasted Vegetable. Joanne shared that she especially loves Cuban pork dishes and recreated a chickpea and ham soup made with roasted pumpkin, roasted sweet potato, roasted peppers, etc…from her childhood memory!

On to the sandwiches...

Caroline from Caroline Makes shared her Cuban Sandwiches. She reports, "I did it properly, marinading the pork the day before and cooking it in the morning that I was making the sandwich for lunch - I wouldn't normally go to this much effort when making a sandwich!"

Amy over at Amy's Cooking Adventures offered up her version of the Cubano. I had good intentions of making everything myself, but that didn't happen. Amy did it all. She made Pan Cubano and Lechón Asado before putting it all together for this...

Debra from Eliot's Eats made The Local Cuban Sandwich. Debra reminded us that "El Jefe’s menu changed depending on what city they were in and what could be locally sourced. In Austin, for instance, Carl secures brisket from Franklin Barbecue to incorporate into his sandwiches, giving them a Texas kick." So, she decided to give the Cuban Sandwich her own local spin.

Debra also let us know of a free downloadable cookbook from Chef: here. I had no idea. Thanks for the tip.

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes shared The Pretzel Cuban Sandwich. She recounts how she ended up with a pretzel bun which I, personally, think is genius! "At first I was going to be creative and try and put a different spin on the Cuban.  Replacing the pickle with chow chow – a Southern favorite and doing a few more things.  Then life happened.  Particularly prom season – and as a photographer I have been swamped photographing sparkly dresses and sparkling faces!  Besides I decided, why mess with a classic?  The only thing I did change up was the bun, substituting a pretzel roll – which worked extremely well with the sandwich."

Debbie from The Friday Friends made Cuban Sandwiches and Lava Cakes. Lamented, "I couldn't make up my mind between Cuban Sandwiches  (obvious choice, I know) and Lava Cakes (because my good friend Mitzi makes them all the time and they are a great dessert!) So I decided to do both." Lucky us! I need a good lava cake recipe. Thanks, Debbie.

Elizabeth from The Lawyer's Cookbook offered up her version of Cuban Sandwiches, too. Elizabeth's list included "andouille sausage sandwiches, french onion soup, noodles of some sort, try to make something relating to Twitter, breakfast . . . There were a ton of choices. But I decided to go the sandwich route, the Cuban sandwich route, in honor of the food truck. The sandwich was delicious. I have so much pork now though, I’ll be eating pork for a week."

And lastly, I made Cubanos with some Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder. I considered making some of the dishes from the beginning when Casper was trying to reinvigorate the tired menu that Riva embraces. Casper made spot prawns in a curry-carrot purée, garnished with radishes and a roast squab with pickled red onion, chilis, gochujang, and soy vinaigrette. I thought about recreating the culinary clichés from Riva's menu - that while tired are also tried and true! Think a poached egg topped with caviar, French onion soup, scallops with beurre blanc, a frisée salad, and filet mignon topped with a massive slab of butter. While not particularly cutting edge, I knew any of those choices would be delicious! But, in the end, the Cubano won me over, too.

If you haven't seen it, hopefully this round-up will inspire you to watch Chef. Thanks for all the bloggers who joined in the delicious fun.

Next month, Heather of girlichef has invited us to (re)watch The Goonies. Stay tuned for her invitation. Funny...my family and I just watched this last week. The boys finished homework early and, while I was making dinner, they dug out the DVD. I'll have to pull it out again soon...with cooking on the mind.

*This post contains affiliate links for this month's movie selection and next month's. Here...

   

Sugar Memories from Groovy Candies

Earlier this month, I participated in a blogging event - a Virtual Mad Men Finale Party, hosted by the authors and publisher of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook.* Here's their recap of the event. It was a great, great fun. And, to make it even more so, they had prizes and door prizes for the participating bloggers.

Judy Gelman, one of the authors, dropped me a line right after the event to let me know that I would be getting a box full of retro candy. Sweet! When it came, the inside box read "Sugar Memories." I refrained from peeking, deciding to save it for my husband's 40th birthday camping trip.

We opened it this weekend under the redwoods. And it really was all about sugar memories. 

Friends picked up different pieces and commented, nostalgically, "I remember eating this at my grandmother's house." Or "Oh, these were my favorite when...." There were candies that most everyone knew. And there were candies that no one remembered. What a trip down memory lane. All the kids were excited to have an excuse to try candy before lunchtime.

Thanks, Groovy Candies! 

The Retro Sugar Memories box assortment included...

• 5th Avenue
• Boston Baked Beans
• Bit-O-Honey
• Razzles
• Skittles
• Cherry Mash
• Sugar Babies
• Chuckles
• Sky Bar
• Dots
• Chick-O-Stick
• Zagnut
• Good'N'Plenty
• Mallo Cup
• Indian Brand Pumpkin Seeds
• Round-Up Bubble Gum Cigarettes
• Smarties Candy Necklace
• Necco Wafers
• Nik L Nip
• C Howard Violet Mints
• Fizzies Rootbeer

...and more!

I didn't really have any sugar memories of these things since I wasn't allowed to eat any of them when I was little; I was the kid whose mom froze grapes instead of serving ice cream or popsicles. Yes, that was me! C'mon, everyone has at least one friend like that.

What are your memories of these candies?? 

*Below is an affiliate link to amazon for the cookbook.

Sumpin' Stout Doubled Down Chicken Wings for #PeterBsWingsContest

I don't know how I totally missed that Peter B's Brewpub was holding another recipe contest - its 1st annual Wing Sauce Competition. Details on their facebook page.

Thank goodness for friends who watch out for me! I am always up for some culinary adventure in the form of recipe development, especially a recipe that involves beer. Ummm...heck, yeah. Count me in.

I had never actually made chicken wings before January of this year, thinking that I had to fry them. And, well, I don't fry. But, after a blogging friend levied a challenge to come up with a great wings recipe, I experimented and mastered that crispy delicious goodness in the oven. No frying necessary.

For this recipe, I needed to include a Peter B's brew. I wanted to use a seasonal beer and tasted their Nitro Milk Stout. At least that's what the waitress called it. According to their facebook page, it's officially the Sumpin' English Maple Milk Stout. It's brewed with English ale yeast, maple and lactose sugar, and - thankfully for my non-bitter-beer loving husband - only clocks in at 26 IBUs. It's smooth and sweet; it was perfect for adding dimension to a complex layering of flavors in my wings sauce.

A quick note on the beer: when I went back to the brewpub two weeks later to recreate this dish, they were out of the milk stout, so I substituted their Stout Resistance instead. It was just as tasty!

Sumpin' Stout Doubled Down Chicken Wings

by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

The boys wolfed these down. I guess they liked them. I am calling them 'doubled down' because the wings are soaked in the beer and there's a reduced beer syrup in my sauce. The beer syrup can be made ahead of time and will keep - in the fridge - for up to two weeks. And yes, I did pour the syrup over ice cream when I was finished!

Ingredients

Wings

• 4 to 5 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and wings (tips discarded)
• Sumpin' English Maple Milk Stout from Peter B's (or any stout from Peter B's!) - a 64 ounce growler worked perfectly - 12 ounces for the syrup, 12 to 16 ounces for the soaking, and the rest for sipping with the wings
• 1/4 C olive oil
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 C hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
• 1 T black tahini sauce
• 1 T chili flakes
• 1 t paprika
• 1 t smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked, another teaspoon of regular paprika is fine)
• 2 T beer syrup*
• 1 T toasted sesame oil
• 1 T water
• 2 t vinegar (I used an espresso balsamic vinegar, use any aged balsamic)
• 2 t soy sauce
• 2 t fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 t white garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 t black garlic, peeled and minced (if you don't have black garlic, white is fine)
• black sesame seeds, for garnish (if you don't have black sesame seeds, white is fine)

Beer Syrup

• 1-1/2 C Sumpin' English Maple Milk Stout from Peter B's
• 1 C organic raw turbinado sugar
• a few dashes of hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

Procedure

Beer Syrup

Pour the beer into a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat until reduced by half. Take care not to let it boil. Add in sugar and hot sauce. Whisk to dissolve. Then continue to simmer over low heat until thickened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Pour into a sterile jar or bottle and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Wings

Lay prepped wings in a rimmed dish where they can lay completely flat. Pour 1-1/2 to 2 C of beer over them and let soak for at least 20 minutes. Drain off beer and blot chicken wings dry with a paper towel. 

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place wings - skin side up - on the prepared baking sheet. Roast them for 45 to 50 minutes. They will be cooked through and the skin nicely browned and crisped.

While the wings roast, whisk all of the remaining ingredients except the black sesame seeds together to create a hot sauce.

When the wings are done, add them to the sauce. and toss to coat. Garnish with the sesame seeds. Serve the wings hot alongside your cold beer! Cheers.

Chunky Monkey Scones with a Nutty-Vanilla Glaze #sponsor

This easy breakfast treat came from my #BrunchWeek recipe development with a few sponsor ingredients; I used chocolate chips from Pacari Chocolate, in the scones, and vanilla bean paste from Nielsen-Massey, in the glaze. I also had some coconut flour and almond flour from Morning Pep that I needed to use and review. Enjoy these. We surely did.

I will double this recipe next time as the boys were vying for seconds and I only had two more scones...and three hungry boys! Yes, I do include my husband in that "boys" count.

Ingredients

Scones

• 1 C almond flour (I used Morning Pep*)
• 1/2 C coconut flour (I used Morning Pep*)
• 1 t baking powder
• 4 T butter, cubed
• 1/4 C local honey
• 1/2 C almond milk (I used vanilla unsweetened)
• 1 t vanilla paste (I used Nielsen-Massey*)
• 1  egg
• 1 C sliced fresh banana
• 1/2 C chocolate chips (I used Pacari Chocolate*)
• 1/2 C shredded coconut

Glaze

• 1 C organic powdered sugar
• 1 T Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or 1 T almond extract if you prefer non-alcoholic
• 1-2 T almond milk (I used vanilla unsweetened)

Procedure

Glaze
Add all of the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl, mixing until no lumps remain. Set aside.

Scones

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add the almond and coconut flours, baking powder, and cubed butter. With your hands mix well until the mixture is very crumbly.

In another mixing bowl, add in the almond milk, honey, vanilla extract and the egg. Whisk to combine and fold into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Add in the bananas, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Gently fold into the dough. It will be very sticky.

You can turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to about 3/4-inch thick and cut into desired shape. I just hand-formed scone shapes. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, approximately 15 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Drizzle with glaze and serve.

*Disclosure: I received some complimentary coconut flour from Morning Pep, chocolate chips from Pacari Chocolate, and vanilla paste from Nielsen-Massey to use and review. I received no additional compensation for this post from any of the sponsors.

Petoskey and Pine: #sponsor #Giveaway

Earlier this month I posted a product review of Petoskey and Pine. Now they are offering one of my lucky readers the chance to win!

I just want to add that I enjoyed the products so much that I have already placed an order for - and received - some goodies for my mom and my mother-in-law.

Petoskey and Pine will be raffling off a gift box that comes with two bars of soap, one candle and one lip balm.  These items are packaged beautifully for gift giving nestled in decorative boxes and wrapped up with a bow...just in time for Mothers' Day!

And Petoskey and Pine will also be giving away a gorgeous bar of soap on a wooden soap dish tied up and ready to be presented with a flower attached. There are two of those prizes available.

So, you have three chances to win!!

Here's the blogging review crew. You may visit any of our blogs to find a thoughts about the products.*

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Nichole of Cookaholic Wife

Sarah of The Pajama Chef

Paula of Smidgens, Snippets and Bits

Chrisite of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Rebekah of Making Miracles

Traci of Burnt Apple

April of Angels Homestead

Sid of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Anshie of Spice Roots

Shilpi of Simply Veggies

Bari of Live Laugh Run Breathe

And here's the part you've been waiting for...

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you, Petoskey and Pine, for creating such high-quality products. And thank you, Wendy, for asking me to be part of the review panel.

Find Petoskey and Pine around the internet, here...

Instagram, Facebook, and at their website

*DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary products from Petoskey and Pine for my participation in the panel...and for the purposes of review.  I have received no additional compensation for this post and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Candle-Holding Coconut Flour Brownies #sponsor

This weekend we had a birthday party dinner - under the redwoods - for my husband. He's finally 40!

Because we were camping, I decided that I wasn't going to lug a birthday cake to the woods. I have done that. It's not as easy as you would think.

But the boys both insisted that Daddy needed something to hold his candles. Really?!? I decided to bake some candle-holding brownies. And I wanted to use the coconut flour I received from Morning Pep.*

A friend asked, after seeing this photo: how many people does it take to light all of Jake's candles?! A lot, apparently. And there weren't even forty candles. There were only 36 in the box. Whoops.

Ingredients makes two 8" round pans

• 2/3 C coconut oil
• 1 C cocoa powder
• 12 eggs
• 1 C coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• pinch of salt
• splash of pure vanilla extract
• 1 C coconut flour (I used Morning Pep)
• 1/2 C chocolate chips (I used Pacari Chocolate*)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or grease two 8-inch round baking pan. In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut oil and cocoa powder and heat till the coconut oil is liquid. Whisk to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend the chocolate mixture into egg mixture until nicely mixed. Fold in the coconut flour and chocolate chips until everything is just moistened. Pour the batter, diving it between the two dishes. Bake until nicely puffed and firm to the touch in the center, approximately 30 minutes. Let cook for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan. You can unmold, if you like, but since we were camping, I kept the brownies in the pan for easy transportation and protection!

Welcome to the 40s club, my Love!

*Disclosure: I received some complimentary coconut flour from Morning Pep and chocolate chips from Pacari Chocoalte to use and review. I received no additional compensation for this post from either sponsor.

Prêt-à-Fête with Lauren De Vine Beverage #CSLDV

I wanted to give an extra shout-out to the lovely Lauren De Vine of Lauren De Vine Beverages for these Prêt-à-Fête cocktail starters. I ordered two four-packs from her CSLDV last week to take with me to the redwoods for Jake's 40th birthday party. I adore having creative friends. Love it!

I love that Lauren's creations come pre-portioned in mason jars for easy transport and easy serving!

This week, the flavors were Spring-y and bright. Perfect for ringing in a new decade. I received the strawberry fennel shrub with lime juice and zest. Lauren wrote that it would be "great with tequila" and it was.

We also had the tangerine, lavender, and Big Sur citrus blossom. I poured in some prosecco and it was an instant hit.

We sipped, shared, toasted, and enjoyed. My only regret: I should have ordered more. Next time...

Whole Roasted Bream with a Ginger-Tamarind Sauce for #SundaySupper

This week's #SundaySupper event is being co-hosted by Marlene of Nosh My Way along with Cindy Cindy's Recipes and Writings. They have chosen a tropical theme. 

I immediately started humming Aloha Oe while I mentally listed the possibilities. We haven't been to Kauai in far too long. I thought about the daily sunshine markets; I remembered the smell of beans roasting at the coffee plantations. I even considered burying a whole pig over hot coals.

Ha`aheo ka ua ina pali,

Ke nihi aela ka nahele

E hahai ana i ka liko,

Pua ahihi lehua o uka

Aloha Oe,

Aloha Oe,

E ke onaona noho ika lipo

A fond embrace,

a hoi ae au,

Until we meet again.

O ka halia`loha i hiki mai,

Ke hone ae nei ku`u manawa.

O oe no ka`u ipon aloha,

A lo ko e hana nei.

Then I realized that we were in Costa Rica much more recently. I dreamt of the funky tropical fruits we bought at every roadside stand...

...and the guava tree across the street that we pillaged every morning for breakfast. 

But, in the end, it was memories of wildly fresh seafood that determined my dish for this week's event.

I decided to roast whole fish with a ginger-tamarind sauce. I served 4 people with the two bream, but - on further thought - we all easily would have finished our own fish, so I'm changing this recipe to only serving 2 people.

Ingredients serves 2

Fish

• 2 whole bream, approximately 1 pound each, scaled and gutted
• 2 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1-1/2 piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 4 T olive oil
• 2 t soy sauce
• freshly ground pepper

Ginger-Tamarind Sauce

• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 1 T minced fresh leeks
• 1 T fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 T ginger paste
• 1 T tamarind paste
• 1/2 t hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
• 1 C water

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out the whole fish on parchment-lined baking sheets. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices and some parsley.

Lay the leeks and ginger slices on top of the fish. Pour olive oil and soy sauce over the top. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and top with more parsley.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. The fish is done with the flesh in the thickest part has turned opaque. While the fish is cooking, make the sauce.

Ginger-Tamarind Sauce
Place all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened and reduced by half. Set aside

To serve: lay the fish on top of lettuce leaves. Spoon the tamarind sauce over the top and lay more fre lemon over the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

More Tropical Creations...
Tidbits and Pupus

• Chicken and Lemongrass Sugarcane Skewers by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Coconut crusted Tofu with Spicy Mango Cucumber Topping by Soni's Food
• Larp (Laos chicken salad) by Caroline's Cooking

Breakfast

• Midwest Style Loco Moco by Our Good Life
• Tropical Sunrise Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream by Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Companions

• Caribbean Black Beans with Rice by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Condiments and Sauces

• Mango Jam by Brunch with Joy
• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce by Magnolia Days

Coolers

• Cilantro Margarita by An Appealing Plan
• Coconut Mojito by Flour On My Face
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cocktail by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Lava Flow by Nosh My Way

Main Event

• Bali Spicy Grilled Fish - Ikan Bakar Jimbaran by Food Lust People Love
• Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Grilled Jerk Shrimp Roll with Tropical Fruit Slaw by Food Done Light
• Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa by Cooking Chat
• Kalua Pig by Palatable Pastime
• Mango Barbecued Pork Chops by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Mango Lime Fajitas by Curious Cuisiniere
• Pineapple Pork by Basic N Delicious
• Pineapple, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza by Family Foodie
• Catibias o Cativias (Dominican Yucca Empanadas) by The Petit Gourmet
• Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Tacos by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Tropical Chicken Burgers by Momma's Meals
• Whole Roasted Bream with a Ginger-Tamarind Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Delectable Delights

• Seven Layer Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Tropical Sunshine Cake by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Double Ginger Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Majarete Ice Cream by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Mini Mango Cheesecakes by The Freshman Cook
• Pineapple Blueberry Ooey Gooey Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Pumpkin-Coconut Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
• Tropical Fruit Salad by The Redhead Baker
• Tropical Layered Poke Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
• Ube Panna Cotta by The Joyful Foodie
• Whole Wheat Mango Coconut Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Tropical Foods and Drinks Sunday Supper

• Tropical Foods and Drinks Sunday Supper

Wine Pairings

• The Best Wines to Pair with Tropical Food #SundaySupper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Mojo-Marinated Pork and Cubanos for #FoodNFlix

This month, I'm hosting Food'N'Flix. I chose Chef* and invited bloggers to join me in watching it and heading to the kitchen. Click to see my invitation: here. I had seen the movie several times before I selected it. But - in advance of this post - I popped it in and grabbed a snack, a pen, and a pad of paper.

On the Screen

The basic plot: Chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, is a chef in a high end restaurant. After a dramatic conflict with owner Riva and restaurant critic Ramsey Michel - played by Dustin Hoffman and  Oliver Platt, respectively - Casper leaves that job and starts his own business...in a food truck. 

I considered making some of the dishes from the beginning when Casper was trying to reinvigorate the tired menu that Riva embraces. Casper made spot prawns in a curry-carrot purée, garnished with radishes and a roast squab with pickled red onion, chilis, gochujang, and soy vinaigrette. 

I thought about recreating the culinary clichés from Riva's menu - that while tired are also tried and true! Think a poached egg topped with caviar, French onion soup, scallops with beurre blanc, a frisée salad, and filet mignon topped with a massive slab of butter. While not particularly cutting edge, I knew any of those choices would be delicious! 

On the Plate

But, in the end, I decided to go for one of the signature dishes from the food truck that is named El Jefe. There is some debate as to the elements of an authentic Cubano, a Cuban sandwich. But most agree on toasted bread, yellow mustard, sliced roast pork, glazed ham, cheese, and thinly-sliced dill pickles. I had planned to make all of the ingredients, from the bread to the pickles. But, pressed for time, I stuck with making the Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder. I bought everything else.

Mojo-Marinated Pork

Ingredients

• 3/4 C olive oil
• 1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 C fresh mint, chopped
• 5 sprig fresh rosemary
• zest from 2 organic oranges
• juice from 2 organic oranges
• zest from 2 organic lemons
• juice from 2 organic lemons
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 t ground cumin
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 to 5 pound boneless pork shoulder

Procedure

In a large pot - I used my Dutch oven - whisk together all of the ingredients except the pork. Roll the pork in the marinade and gently press the herbs into the surface. Let marinate overnight, turning the meat once or twice to fully coat the surface.

The next day, let the meat and pot come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Roast the pork, covered, for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° F and roast for another 90 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Cubano

I have opted not to provide amount of the ingredients for the sandwich as, I feel, everyone likes the proportions different. For example, I have one son who doesn't really like melted cheese; I used only a little bit to hold the sandwich together. My other son doesn't really care for mustard; his only received a thin smear of mustard while the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf smothered his ham with mustard!

Ingredients, serves 4

• 4 crusted bakery rolls
• Dijon mustard
• thinly sliced ham
• thinly sliced cheese
• large dill pickle, thinly sliced lengthwise
• butter

Procedure
To make the sandwiches, heat a grill pan over medium heat. Rub the pan with butter. Split the bread lengthwise and open it up. Spread the mustard on bottom of the roll and layer with cheese, roast pork, ham, more cheese, and pickles. Finish with a layer of cheese. Spread the butter over the outside of the sandwiches and grill until the cheese is melted and the meats are warmed through, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Slice sandwiches in half and serve hot.

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My Svenska Kottbullar at Curious Cuisiniere

For the main dish on our tabletop travel to Sweden, D and S made some Svenska Kottbullar, Swedish meatballs. So easy, so tasty! I decided to share the recipe over at Curious Cuisiniere when Sarah asked if I would be willing to share a cultural recipe. Sure thing. Thanks for asking.

Visit Sarah's blog: here. She has some amazing recipes. And you can see my post, for her: here.