Bunny Chow (Not to be confused with Rabbit Food)

Or any kind of Asian cartoon character. Well, not yet anyway. What is it? Well, it’s a stupid thing to call a salad for some people, a movie (sorry, a fil-m) about four characters on a wild road trip over at dogwoofpictures.com or it’s a dish less dish. A what? You heard me. A plate-less, blue-plate. Stew without a pot. A bowless bowl. A cup less cup’soup. You need more of these… or am I getting somewhere? Continue Reading ->

Some people don’t wake up well. Me, I’m not exactly the morning person I was in my youth. To be honest, it’s a habit. One that I must on some level really NOT want. Because I can barely drag my sorry butt out in time for the pretense of a shower let alone a nice jog or breakfast lately. But I digress, as always. For me, coffee making is an art. A lost art. I make a lousy cup of coffee. You can tell me it’s just a matter of measuring and such, but it’s a lie. I am tainted. It is impossible. Continue Reading ->

1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped
2 mangos peeled & chopped
1 red onion chopped
4 tomatillos roasted chopped
4-5 canned chipotle peppers in adobo
4 cloves garlic chopped
salt to taste

Combine ingredients serve.

This is a favorite salsa of mine combining the sweet taste of Mango with the smoky fire of Chipotle peppers. I call it Mardi gras salsa because with the green cilantro red onion and yellow mango you have all the colors of Mardi Gras. If you cannot find fresh tomatillos you can use the canned variety found in Latin markets or the Latin section of most grocery stores. Also if you do not like the tomato flavor of canned Chipotles you can use the dried variety. Just soak in vinegar overnight and you are good to go. I actually like the latter best, but for purposes of simplifying this recipe I called for canned. You can experiment with adding the chilies to find the correct heat level for your personal taste. I like it so you just start to get a sweat when you eat a few bites.

Isla Mujeres is a small island located in the Caribbean just off the northeast corner of the Yucatan Peninsula. It derives its name from the Spanish Explorer Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba who discovered the island in 1517 and named it The Isle of Women because of the many statues of the Maya goddess Ixchel he found there.
The island is a limestone ridge approximately five miles long with palm trees and sandy beaches on the north end and rocky cliffs overlooking the Caribbean on the sparsely settled south end which boasts a point said to be the most easterly location in Mexico.

I came to Isla Mujeres looking for good fishing, snorkeling and a laid-back life style. I found all three in abundance. That was over a year ago. However, there is only so much relaxing one can do and as result my sense of curiosity has been sharpened which is how I found myself in pursuit of a Chaya bush.
I noticed that some local dishes contain a green leafy substance (no, not that green leafy substance) and when I asked I was told that it was chaya. It seems to turn up quite regularly in soups, egg dishes and tamales. I started asking around for the location of some chaya bushes, trees, vines or whatever it grows on. Within a week of beginning my quest some friends, Roberto and Maria, told me that there was a chaya shrub growing across the street from their restaurant La Bruja. At this point let me say that I will avoid using Spanish words and terms as much as possible because if you don’t speak Spanish you won’t know what they mean and if you do speak Spanish you won’t be impressed. Anyway the mystery of what form chaya takes was solved – it’s a shrub.
So the next day I walked down to the La Bruja restaurant at the north end of my neighborhood, Colonia La Gloria. With some help from Maria I found the chaya bush growing in dense shrubbery across the street. It had been pruned and picked over until only about half of the leaves remained but Maria assured me that this was enough to sustain growth. I took some cuttings for my garden and a half dozen leaves to cook. I later learned that most plants are grown from cuttings because chaya produces almost no seeds. The shrub can grow to be about nine feet high although domestic shrubs are usually trimmed to about six feet.
When I got home I simmered the leaves in a steel pot for about 10 minutes and drained off the juice to make tea. I lightly salted the leaves and ate them with melted butter. Delicious! Tastes a bit like spinach. I added a little sugar to the tea and found that I liked it best chilled.
Chaya is used locally to treat diabetes, high cholesterol, calcium deficiency, infection; and, is said to cure everything but stupidity. It contains more vitamins, iron, protein and calcium than spinach and it tastes better.
A caution though. There is a downside to everything and the downside to chaya is that it cannot be eaten raw because it contains a glucoside that releases cyanide. This is easily overcome by cooking. Cooking for one minute destroys most of the cyanide although the recommended minimum is ten minutes. Some of the four varieties have small stinging hairs but these too are destroyed by cooking. A final caution. Do not cook chaya in an aluminum pot because a reaction with the aluminum can cause diarrhea.
Chaya is native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico although it is cultivated in Central America and Puerto Rico. The scientific name, if you must know, is cnidoscolus aconitifolius although I don’t see myself having a conversation where I say “Tell me Senora Lima do you use cnidoscolus aconitifolius in your tamales?”
Now, if I can just find some pitahaya growing somewhere nearby……….

This is a classic Indian dish that is really simple to make. Some versions include heavy cream but I like to keep it light and fresh. Sometimes I will add a little fresh mint to finish the dish, Try for yourself and report back. Serve with Basmati rice.

3oz of ghee
12 ounces paneer cut into 1 half inch cubes,
2 large garlic cloves chopped,
1/2in ginger root finely chopped,
1 large onion finely diced,
1 tsp ground turmeric,
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder
3 C frozen peas or one pound fresh peas, shelled
one fresh bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt,
1/4 C of water
chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

1) Heat the ghee at a large skillet or flameproof casserole with a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add as many paneer pieces that will fit in a single layer without over crowding the pan and pan fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the Paneer and drain in crumpled paper towels, continue adding a little extra ghee as is necessary until all the paneer is cooked.

2) Reheat the pan with the ghee, stir in the garlic, ginger, and onion, and sauté stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes until the onion is soft but not brown.

3) Stir in the turmeric garam masala, chili powder and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

4), Add the peas, bay leaf, salt to taste and stir. Pour in the water and bring into a boil. Reduce the heat to very low then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the peas are tender.

5) Gently return the paneer to the pan. Simmer stirring gently until the paneer is heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary sprinkle with cilantro.