A Southwest Tradition: Tamales for Christmas

by Michelle

   About this time every year I go into full holiday planning mode. I'm usually on the hook to host multiple family dinners at my home between Winter Solstice through New Year's Eve. In recent years—after a string of increasingly stressful holiday dinners, an unjoyful attitude (just call me #grinchy) and trying to overcome nightly aching, throbbing feet—I decided to simplify my life as much as possible by creating menus where a key part of each meal can be made ahead and frozen.  
   Not to be too cliché, but I do fall into planning menus that are influenced by countries that I have visited and whose cuisines I enjoy the most, such as France, Italy and Mexico. Go ahead, I dare you: try advising my family that (surprise!) we're having Scandinavian or Moroccan for Christmas dinner this year and see the range of "ew" faces develop like Polaroid pictures in front of your eyes. Just like a Thanksgiving meal, a Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner is no time to break new culinary ground. Save that for the doldrums of January.
   A couple of years ago after finally reading Julia Child's first groundbreaking cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I opted to prepare a triple recipe of crowd pleasing Beef Bourguignon in November. I let the hearty stew with the fancy name sit in the refrigerator to rest for 24 hours. Then, the next day, I divided the big batch of goodness into portions that would serve about 6 people. Into the freezer went the portioned packages, and I gratefully checked one more item off my to-do list.
   I collect a final headcount for each holiday dinner about a week in advance. Two days before the special dinner, I transfer the number of frozen packages to the refrigerator to defrost. All that I need to do to finish dinner is to whip up some mashed potatoes, make a friendly veg (#nobrusselsprouts), gently reheat the Beef Bourguignon and open a couple of bottles of wine. I produce a rustic, but elegant dinner with hardly any fuss on the day of the gathering.

From Left to Right: Beef Bourguignon, Pasta Bolognese, Joan's Leafy Green Salad and Carnitas.

   The same strategy applies to Pasta Bolognese, which only needs to be paired with shaved parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano, if you're feeling extravagant) and an excellent salad of leafy greens. If you want to make just about everyone extra happy, broil a loaf or two of crusty garlic bread and serve hot from the oven. If anyone is Paleo in your group, it's really easy to serve the Bolognese over zoodles or spaghetti squash. For more traditional eaters, the Bolognese sauce also pairs well with regular or gluten-free pasta. My go to brand for gluten-free pasta, which is available in a variety of shapes, is Bionatureæ®. 
   My other most requested holiday menu hails from south of the Arizona border: Carnitas and an assortment of Tamales from Mexico. To round out the menu, I prepare homemade pinto beans and Mexican Rice. Garnishes include Guacamole, Mexican Crème Fraîche, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Normally I make the carnitas ahead (and freeze), and buy the tamales from a local purveyor. But last year my sister Juliette proposed that we gather a group of family and friends to make the tamales together down in her home turf of Bisbee. If you aren't familiar with the tiny historical town of Bisbee, you can read all about it's eccentricities here and here.

A view of downtown Bisbee, Arizona from the second floor of Roka, the best restaurant in town.

After the tamale making session, Maddie and I took a quick tour around Bisbee to take photos.

   We had so much fun making the tamales last year that we are going to do it all over again this year. Our group talked and laughed and got caught up with each other while assembling tamale after tamale. We listened to music and sipped a variety of beverages. The team made a ton of tamales over the course of an afternoon. For contributing their labor, everyone took tamales home with them to eat that night or freeze for a future, very delicious, make-ahead meal.

   The really great thing about preparing your own tamales is that you have control over the ingredients and you are only limited by your imagination. You can successfully make vegetarian tamales by simply swapping the lard for corn oil or your oil of choice. I personally prefer lard. I have found good sources for lard at my local farmers' markets. We weren't planning on breaking any new ground flavor-wise, it is the holidays after all, so we prepared three fillings: shredded pork, shredded turkey, and vegetable with black beans.

Everybody had her job to do. Juliette tied the tamales with her nimble fingers.

   An unlikely discovery that we have made over the years is that the meat inside a tamale tastes very similar regardless of whether it is filled with pork, turkey and beef. Strange, I know, but true. So when choosing a filling, it really comes down to your eating preferences. You don't need to make multiple fillings unless you feel compelled to. Even then, it can be difficult to tell which tamale your selecting from the steamer pot unless the tamales are marked in some way, such as a different wrapping style, or tying with different colored strings to indicate the various flavors.

Sonora quickly gets the hang of wrapping tamales. Making tamales can be a messy venture.

Green olives and
smoked Gouda.

   Traditional tamales will often have one green olive tucked in the filling. Eating these tamales can be kind of dicey, a variation of Russian roulette, because often the green olive will contain a seed. We really appreciate green olives so we tend to add three to the filling, but we use pitted green olives to avoid the risk of losing a tooth while trying to enjoy a holiday dinner in a darkened dining room lit by candles. We're never quite sure what's in any particular bite. Not naming names, but one sister would lament if there was only one green olive in her tamale while another sister, who also randomly selected a tamale from the steamer pot, would gloat that she chose a tamale that had three green olives. My husband thinks we're ridiculous for creating such a stir over green olives, but he should know by now it is what we do.
   An additional discovery is that adding a thick strip of smoked mozzarella to each tamale was a huge hit. Everyone dug it, the young and old alike. Finally, everyone agreed that adding strips of potato and jalapeño to each tamale was also the way to go. At least we can all agree on something. (And here I have to remark that once again this year for Thanksgiving my family had to stubbornly debate whether to stuff or not stuff the turkey. I chose against stuffing the turkey this year and it almost started a riot before dinner time between we three sisters and our mother.)
   Place tamales, grouped by filling, into freezer safe Ziplock bags. Freeze the tamales. The tamales can be steamed directly from the frozen state. Easy! Be forewarned that frozen tamales take about two hours to cook, so plan appropriately. Be careful that the simmering water does not completely boil off or your pan will be scorched. Continue to add water to the steamer to maintain the water level, if needed.

On one of two assembly lines, Avalon, Maddie and Sonora make tamales together.

   By the way, if you find that you've steamed a couple of extra tamales and you have leftovers, we have found that tamales are great in scrambled eggs. Simply dice a tamale into bite size pieces. Pan fry the pieces in a bit of butter for a few minutes, then add scrambled eggs along with some salt and pepper. Add some shredded cheese if you like. Serve with salsa.

Foreground: tamales wrapped in corn husks. Background: tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

Jump in to my belly.

Tamales: Pork, Turkey or Vegetarian

Carnitas — Pulled Pork Mexican-Style

by Michelle

"Life without Mexican food is like no life at all."

                                                                                                  — Unknown

Toppings Bar de Casa: shredded cabbage, shredded cheddar, 
salsa, guacamole, Mexican crème fraîche and sliced olives.
What's missing? Mango salsa... the best accompaniment with carnitas!

   Mexican food is my go-to menu for serving a large crowd. The cuisine incorporates the best flavor combinations of spicy, sweet and sour. It's budget friendly, too. Recipes can easily be tripled and quadrupled. Prepared pork and beef dishes such as carnitas and machaca keep well in crock pots for hours without overcooking or becoming dry. Even tamales are happy for extended periods of time when steamed (just make sure to continue to add water to the pot— if the water boils completely away, the pot will be very angry and scorch). 
  What's also great about Mexican food is that it can accommodate everyone's preferred diets from Paleo, to gluten-free, to vegetarian and vegan. What I like to do is make all the side dishes vegetarian and the meat dishes gluten-free. For example, one simple ingredient change in this carnitas recipe makes it edible for gluten-free folk, and that's substituting wheat-free Tamari for soy sauce. Same thing for the Machaca, make your own enchilada sauce, or carefully read the label on the can to verify that no weird wheat-based thickening agents were used in the commercial preparation.

Chunks of pork butt get seared on the grill.

   My other rule of thumb for Mexican-inspired parties is to never underestimate how much carnivores and vegetarians alike love green corn tamales. For Maddie's graduation party I steamed two dozen tamales from Tucson Tamale Company and at the end of the night there was only one tamal left (any Highlander fans out there?). The next morning, I cut up the lone tamal—even though "there can only be one"—and added it to scrambled eggs along with crumbled corn chips and shredded cheddar (with salsa on the side) for an impromptu chilaquiles breakfast for the fam-damily. Delish! Juliette enjoyed leftover Horchata as her beverage of choice with the morning meal.
   For the party, Maddie asked if I could make Mexican rice. Much to her disappointment I said no. Yeah, that's right, I put the kibosh on rice. I'm such a party pooper. In my own defense, a woman has got to know her limitations (that's right, I'm looking at you Clint Eastwood). I didn't want to be in the middle of making rice during the party and have guests arriving at the same time. As a consolation prize, because I'm not such a bad mother after-all, rice was ultimately added to the menu as a salad.
   In the weeks leading up to the main event, I telephoned Linda to have a brainstorming session. Let's be honest, most prepared rice salads are bland and unexciting. It was Linda who came up with the idea to dress the rice salad with the frickin' fantastic chimichurri dressing from The Old Stone Church restaurant in Castle Rock, Colorado. We sisters also agreed that the choice of rice for this type of salad is a key consideration. We both came to the same conclusion that parboiled rice would be the best choice because when cooked, each grain maintains its own individual identity, and the overall texture is fluffy, not mushy. #nosuckyricesalads

Top: Rice Salad tossed with Chimichurri Dressing
Bottom: Super Special Spicy Pickled Shrimp, Creamy Pinto Beans and Mango Salsa

Left: We made Linda's Not Too Girly Strawberry Margaritas and returned the prepared
 beverage to the tequila bottles for easy pouring. Right: Watermelon Agua Fresca

   Even though Maddie and I worked cohesively in the kitchen a day ahead of the party preparing most of the meal in advance, I was still scrambling the next day to finish the mango salsa and the rice salad and a few other items. Thankfully, this is the type of menu that guests will feel comfortable jumping in and assisting with the slicing and dicing of fruits and vegetables. A rotating group of jovial friends and family with varying levels of kitchen skills participated in completing the meal. Many hands made light work. And, my dear friend, Sara jumped in and washed dishes all throughout the party. When I protested, Sara assured me that she finds washing dishes relaxing. I wish I had a similar feeling about washing dishes, it would make clean-up time meaningful for me. As the Southern saying goes, "Bless her heart." May everyone be blessed with good friends and good cheer.

Carnitas: Pulled Pork Mexican Style

Gascogne-Style Cassoulet—Lessons from the Black Sheep Bistro

Guest Post by Mark—Photos by Linda

"Nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should."
                                           ~ Julia Child, My Life in France

I prefer that each portion of my cassoulet is served with a crisped duck leg on top
as I was taught by my mentor, chef Rick Boufford at the Black Sheep Bistro.

   So as a young and eager student of wine and food in the late eighties, early nineties, I found myself with the opportunity to work for a new, up-and-coming restaurant set in Old Town Tustin, California. The owners, Rick and Diana Boufford (as young as they were), were seasoned vets in the Orange County restaurant scene. Their new restaurant  focused on the cuisines of the Mediterranean with emphasis on France, Spain and Italy. As Chef Rick would often say, "Our menu is like traveling from Barcelona through St. Tropez, and down to Livorno." And there I was, 1989, ready to learn from this passionate and talented restaurant couple.

   I had heard lots of positive buzz about the Black Sheep Bistro while I was still a young bartender at the iconic Bouzy Rouge in Newport Beach, California. So when the immanent and very sad decline of the "Bouzy" was a foregone conclusion, I began looking for new employment. But I didn't want to go just any place for a paycheck, because I wanted to learn about wine. Rick was a trained sommelier, and known for his incredible wine list at his restaurant. Little did I know, that this desire of mine to work at a restaurant with a great wine list would lead to such great accompanying food. This connection of food and wine was made clearer to me while working with Rick and Diana than any other time in my life.

Look and ask for products from Community Grains—Whole Foods Market often has a nice selection. They are doing agriculture the old fashioned way and their products are singular.
They have a wonderful website…check it out!

   Without debate, I would say that my ten years at the 'Black Sheep' were the best years of my food career. Perhaps it was my nascent eyes, or naiveté, but my learning and experience with fine dining, food and wine were everything to me and each day was a satisfying step to being more knowledgeable and confident in my life's passion. It was divine providence that Rick and Diana would cross my life's journey at the perfect time for my life long adventure with food. Not surprisingly, this relationship with Rick and Diana grew from my desire to learn, and their wise guidance was given freely to a young and enthusiastic employee. But there is much more than my life-long passion for food that I give my deepest appreciation to Rick and Diana for—it is the camaraderie, and soulful connectedness that food creates and provides that they taught me. We shared the simple and the divine, and at no time did I feel that our presence at the the table was unequal. It was with my two early mentors that I saw clearly that food and shared meals can express our deepest connections.

Michelle got her wish—she asked me to make Cassoulet for the Sistercation in the fall of 2012.

   One evening after a very busy mid-week shift, Rick, Diana, and myself sat down to what was the most simple yet inspired way to end a busy shift. We shared a wheel of L'Ami du Chambertin and a bottle of 1989 Armand Rousseau Mazi-Chambertin. The rich and earthy pungency of this raw-milk, washed rind cheese was perfectly countered by the bright, velvety fruit of the wine. As we sat and talked, laughing and griping about the evening, I recall a deeper awareness that something much more was being shared than a great cheese and delicious wine. Rick and Diana did this not just for me, but for anyone willing to open their eyes, their minds, and their hearts to the eternal pleasures of communing with food and drink. Our staff parties were bacchanalian celebrations of friendship and love. Love that was adorned by food, and food that was nourishing to our hearts.

   Rick was always sending food out to the staff to try.  And when Rick was distracted, Diana always made sure to ask Rick to give us tastes so that we knew how to describe and explain our eclectic menu. I always enjoyed the collaborations I had with Diana over how to sell that night's specials. She has a quiet strength and confidence about her which I so envied. "When Diana speaks, people listen," was a common saying in the restaurant. We didn't always need to collaborate though. Some of Rick's dishes just spoke for themselves. The depth and soulfulness of some foods are unquestionable. This happened to me over my first taste of duck confit. Rick called me into the kitchen, while he was making a 'restaurant size' batch of confit, and invited me to taste the leg and thigh portion he had on a plate sitting on his cutting board. Wow! It was rich and fatty, but the skin was crisp. The marriage of meatiness and natural sweetness of the spoon tender meat was sublime (I don't use the word 'sublime' often—but this was SUBLIME!).

Rick took this teachable moment to explain how he learned to make confit and cassoulet. He had a very good friend, Jean, who grew up with Ariane Daguin, founder and owner of D'Artagnan Inc., a gourmet provider of traditional Gascogne foods. Ariane is the daughter of André Daguin, the legendary chef credited for putting Gascony on the culinary map. And it was Ariane, who cooked with Rick to show him how she learned to make cassoulet from her father. At the time I remember being caught up in feeling that I was being exposed to something very special. I loved that Rick cooked not by training alone, but by the passed on traditions of his teachers—and I wanted to learn from him.

Here I am turning the crust into the cassoulet for the third time, or was that the fourth?
Oh well,  Rick says that some cassoulet purists insist on seven turns!

   Cassoulet is the emblematic dish of Gascony, the storied region of the scoundrel Musketeer, D'Artagnan. It is this same arrogance and passion that were characteristic of D'Artagnan, that defines the realm of cassoulet. Cassoulet is a dish of controversy and debate. Aside from regional differences and family traditions, cassoulet is a peasant dish made noble, thus having innumerable variations. The style which I love is most closely aligned with a true "Gascogne" style highlighting the glories of confit of duck—meaning no lamb or smoked meats. At the essence of this dish is the marriage between duck and white beans. It is both simple and complex. Adherent to a place and style, yet also very individualistic. And as I kept prodding and learning about this most classic of culinary dishes, I always felt encouraged to try, and try again. Cassoulet, as Rick and Diana modeled for me is not about right or wrong as much as it is about a passion to connect with a place, its history, and the delectable pursuit thereof. I will always be grateful for my time at the Black Sheep, because just like cassoulet we are on a quest to try new things, respect the past, and create something that is solely our own to be shared with those we love.

Sisters' note: Mark lives in Petaluma, California with our sister, Linda. He is not only an amazing cook, but he is a very knowledgeable wine professional. He earned his WSET certification last year. He is a very patient supporter of our blog as he often asked to model for Linda's photos—much to his chagrin. When he has Linda along in the car he is also asked to stop the car every five minutes so she can shoot a photo. He is chief chef when Michelle and Juliette come to town, and he is Linda's partner in recipe testing on a daily basis in their various culinary pursuits. We sisters would like to thank him for his enthusiasm toward and forbearance of our family effort. Check out his first guest post for Salvation Sisters by clicking here.

Gascogne-Style Cassoulet—Inspired by the Black Sheep Bistro 

   With too many stories to tell in one post, I am here to share one of my proudest lessons and skills that I take away from my time at the Black Sheep Bistro—Cassoulet. Those who know it, swoon for it.  Those who don't, but love authentic, traditional cuisine are irresistibly compelled to know more. And sadly there are those who hear what it is, and say, "oh, that sounds so rich and fatty." Well, yes it is! And I am one who swoons for this dish. Here is a video inspire you. It is made by the expert chefs from France, one of whom is the aforementioned Ariane Daguin who was Rick Boufford's mentor for cassoulet. To watch the video click here. Recipe serves 4 more. There should be one duck leg per serving.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried white beans, such as Tarbais or Flageolet, rinsed and picked over to remove any grit (Great Northern white beans can substitute in a pinch)

1/4 cup fat from confit, or rendered duck fat

2 medium onions,  1 1/2 chopped, 1/2 studded with cloves(see below)

3 small carrots, peeled diced

1/2 pound blanched salt pork

1 whole head of garlic peeled

2 plum tomatoes, diced

2 quarts unsalted chicken stock, store bought or homemade

Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 imported bay leaf, and 3 small celery ribs tied together with string

6 confit of duck legs, 4 legs and thighs left attached and 2 with meat shredded from the bone

1 pound Toulouse sausages, fresh garlic-flavored pork sausages, or Confit of Toulouse Sausages (I last used a garlic sausage prepared by the Fatted Calf in Napa)

4 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper

Rendered duck fat is sold at Whole Foods Market. Duck Confit is available 
for purchase online from specialty retailers like D'Artagnan.

Procedure:

1. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover by at least 2 inches.

2. In a large dutch oven or Le Crueset-style enamel cast iron pot combine soaked beans, salt pork, herb bouquet, 1 chopped carrot, 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and the studded 1/2 onion. Cover all with cold water, coving by about one inch and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. Times vary depending on the freshness of the beans, but beans should still be intact but slightly tender.

3. Drain the beans. Remove the salt pork and studded onion. Set aside.

4. In a sturdy skillet, brown the sausages until just cooked through. Cut into thirds or large pieces. Set aside until assembly.

5. Return the dutch oven to the stove and heat at medium-high. Melt 2 tablespoons of duck fat in the bottom. When fat is melted and hot, add the remaining carrots, onions,tomatoes, garlic (whole or chopped, I've done both ways with favorable results—most prefer the garlic chopped instead of biting into a whole clove), dried thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté all until onions turn translucent.

6. Preheat oven to 350 F.

7. Now it is time to assemble the cassoulet: add the beans with herb bouquet to the sautéed ingredients, sausage pieces, shredded confit of duck, remaining duck fat and the chicken stock. Gently stir all ingredients to distribute all evenly. At this point add the demi-glace which is optional bu Place in the oven to cook uncovered. (Cassoulet MUST form a crust as it cooks to develop the most flavor. Some recipes call for breadcrumbs to aid in this, but Gascogne-style uses no breadcrumbs.) 

8. After one hour of cooking, gently 'break' the new crust on top into to cassoulet by stirring it in to reveal a new, moist layer on the dish.  Continue this step 3-4 times during the cooking. This may be repeated every 1/2 hour after the first hour of cooking. Total cooking time should be 3 hours for this step.

9. To finish the cassoulet, and to heighten our ducky experience, Rick taught me how to heat the confit leg to spoon-tenderness yet at the same time, achieving a beautifully, crispy skin. Cast iron or a heavy, steel skillet work best for this step. Place duck leg in a hot pan, skin side up and add a small amount of water to the pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the skillet and heat the duck leg (More than one duck leg can be done at time, but be sure not to crowd the pan. I never do more than two at a time.) until water has steamed away and the pan is mostly dry. Carefully turn the leg over, skin side down and sear the duck until skin turns crisp.

To serve: portion a generous amount of the cassoulet beans in a shallow bowl and place the crisped confit of duck leg on top (see first photo in the post). Enjoy with a hearty red wine, though traditionally one would drink a wine from Cahors or Madiran.

I made my own duck confit  for this special dish. Chef Rick Boufford has instructional videos available to purchase or rent that will show you how it's done.

The final step to finishing my dish—there really is nothing better than crispy duck skin!

Michelle giving Linda the stink eye. Whatever it was that Linda
said—at least Juliette and I thought it was funny.

El Día de los Muertos in Petaluma and Linda's Everyday Carnitas

The Memory Keepers by Linda

I knew a man who once said, "death smiles at us all; all a man can do is smile back."

                                                                                                      ~ From the movie Gladiator

This beautiful young mother-to-be is having her face painted just before sunset as the group of women ready themselves to join the procession of dancers headed to the Petaluma Arts Center.

The fact that I can see that she is visibly pregnant and smiling, for me is the perfect 
real life juxtaposition of the symbolism of this holiday. El Día de los Muertos is celebrated 
as a holy day in Latin America. It recognizes the fact that we humans have little choice but 
to honor the death of our loved ones, as we celebrate the living. Life and Death are 
inseparable, and death comes for all of us... no matter our station in life.

   

   El Día de los Muertos has carried a special place in my heart since I discovered the tradition when living in Arizona many years ago. In those years before death had come to claim my grandparents, sister and a son, the observance of the day was a novelty… full of lively mockery, painted faces, skeletons, and sugar skulls, but lacking the gravitas that the day carries for me now and for those who have lost someone dear to them.

   Last year in October, I took part in the local procession that takes place in my new home of Petaluma, California. I walked with friends from my neighborhood to the downtown near the river where everyone gathers for dancing and activities before the dancers begin the procession at dusk down to the Petaluma Arts Center which is part of the old train station. A large group of revelers fall in behind the dancers, and all make their way to the final destination where there is more dancing, and also vendors selling food and handmade wares. Inside the building the are several altars which pay tribute to lost loved ones which may be viewed by the community.

The dancers begin the procession by walking through the streets, and ending at the 
Petaluma Arts Center.

   The dancers who lead the procession are part of the Danza Mexica Ohtli Yoliliztli, which was founded in Santa Rosa, California in 2009. Its purpose is for the advancement and preservation of the Mexican culture through Aztec Dance. The members are inter-generational ranging in age from 9 to 50 and are dedicated to building a community based on the spiritual ideas of the ancient Mexicas. Teaching and learning the rituals and philosophies of Ancient Anahuac, Danza Mexica Ohtli Yolilitzli is actively engaged with a broad community to promote cultural pride and awareness. These dancers can be seen at many events during the year in the local area. 

One of my favorite dancers... she is absolutely stunning.

    Petalumans young and old turn out in great numbers to show their support and to enjoy the dancers and the festivities. A great number of them dress in costumes and carry momentos of their loved ones who have died, such as photos. Many of them carry their young children on their shoulders.

An old photo and flowers are carried by a family who is part of the procession. For me she represents the Universal Mother, Daughter and Sister and Wife.

At dusk the dancers begin the procession.

The procession culminates at the Arts Center of Petaluma where there are 
performances by mariachis and other dancers.

A whimsical maché calavera presides in front of the stage.

A mariachi wipes his brow in between lively songs.

Inside the Arts Center are many altars on display that have been built by members of the community
in the traditional and contemporary styles.

Glazed pottery for sale by a vendor.

Three Catrinas stop to look at the beautiful clay pottery.

There are various pieces of art and sculptures for sale inside the building.

And of course, this Virgen de Guadalupe with milagros came home with me.

A dancer bows his body at the end of the final dance performance 
by the Danza Mexica Ohtli Yolilztli.

   If your community has a local procession, I encourage you to go out and take part. It is a great time to celebrate your mortality, to honor those that came before you and to hold close in your heart those loved ones that you have lost in the journey of life.

Everyday Carnitas