Some people say no one should accept anonymous readers ... I almost never think of anyone reading this blog and yet the counter at the bottom does continue to roll over.
I haven't given much thought to that. This is what I do think about sometimes:
The stuff I write about here is really just stuff I am trying to sort out. Stuff I'm just thinking. I think its important to make up my own mind, and that takes some thinking time.
For example, I said it is easier to trust God with something specific then to just trust God in general. That's just what I think ... never been to seminary ... sometimes I zone out during church. As I put the finishing touches on dinner that day I mentioned that idea to my husband ... he immediately disagreed ...implying that it was errant theology ... what it was (in my opinion) was an opinion ... my opinion, that's it ... no big deal, just what I think or am thinking about right now. That's really what I am writing about here. When you're married to an academic you have to expect to site support for your conclusions. If I tell a story here, it is just one side of the story. If I express an opinion ... that's all it is, my opinion.
I would be very hard pressed to describe what this blog is about ... to me it seems a bit like a journal. I am definitely not an expert on anything ... except maybe salsa (in my opinion).
Salsa:
Let's call it Locolicious salsa
one red, two white, three green
RED:one can of petite tomatoes (yes better then fresh idk why, but this has been exhaustively researched)
WHITE:one onion + clove of garlic(cloves - I use more then one bc I like garlic - don't skip the garlic all together and don't use anything but fresh garlic - it is what lights up the peppers)
GREEN: fresh fresh fresh cilantro (the stems are okay only if the whole recipe is pureed ... in general stems are not optimal, but I am the only person I know who will cut each little leaf off individually for salsa ... keep the stems to a minimum) + jalapeno peppers and Serrano peppers (just cut the stem off and use the rest of the pepper seeds and all) + key lime juice (or Mexico limes - they are small and round. Key lime is a little sweeter then regular lime juice - here's a picture of the bottle. I came across it when I asked about a recipe for Key Lime Pie at a restaurant in the Keys ... on the back of this bottle is an authentic recipe for Key Lime Pie)
The red and green components should be roughly balanced (visually). If you don't like hot, cut back on the peppers, or remove the seeds ... some jalapenos are hotter then other jalapenos. My son, Three, has actually bought peppers from different places via the Internet and we notice that climate, soil, freshness, all kinds of things come in to play on the hotness of a pepper (and pepper hotness is rated - japs aren't that hot in my opinion)
You can cut this by hand I usually do. If so finely grate the garlic and salt the grater afterwards to collect the garlic oil - add that to your salsa.Use scissors to cut the cilantro - the crisper edge keeps the leaves from wilting - also it's just easier to cut with scissors. The onions are cut smaller then the tomatoes ... little bites carry better flavor I think. I usually start with a tablespoon full of lime juice - tweak to taste ... Salt to taste as well. It'll need some salt.
The whole thing can be tossed into the blender too - pulse to chop or puree - just whatever you prefer.
The other recipe is not a salsa per say. I developed it as a marinade for broiled fish, but we like it so much that it is always in the refrigerator - everyone who tastes it asks for the recipe. I started making it when I was learning about Cuban cuisine.
Super easy:
HOT habie/lime sauce:
large glass jar with a screw on lid
3 cups habanero peppers (Scottish bonnets will do as well)
Half a box of table salt (really)
Nellie and Joe's famous Key West Lime Juice
carefully pluck the stems from the peppers (If I need my fingers for my contacts I use latex gloves ... plan on having some hot on your fingers if you don't - and I do mean hot)
toss whole peppers in the blender with about half a bottle of lime juice - blend to very fine ... careful taking the lid off the blender the fumes are impressive (HOT)and will sear your eyelashes off (not really).
Pour salt into the jar up to about 1/3 full. Now pour the pureed peppers and lime juice into the jar - you may want more lime juice added now, but leave some room in the jar for shaking the contents up.
Place it in the refrigerator for two weeks before you start using it. You'll need to stir or shake the contents up every few days while the salt cooks the peppers. You can add lime juice anytime after the two weeks - sometimes it's too hot, and sometimes we just add juice to get all the yummy out of the already cooked peppers. We don't use the salt very often. It's a great sauce for cooking with, or just dipping chips ... . The broiled fish recipe is this plus a little olive oil or butter to glaze fish. We use this stuff in a lot of different ways. Sometimes I grate lime peel into it just because it's pretty with the orange peppers.
That's it. Salsa. Salsa is the only thing I am absolutely certain about.
BTW - the Keylime sauce is a genius base for blueberry or mango or papaya salsas, just use it instead of peppers and the fruit instead of tomatoes ... heavy on the fresh cilantro and red onion and you've got something really yummy.
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