Melon Mezcalito
1 ounce mezcal
1/2 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce Midori
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 lime wheel, for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients except the lime wheel, and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the lime wheel.
Scott’s a big fan of mezcal. If you like peaty Islay whiskies, you might be too. 
Mon: Crusty Lentil Cakes with Garlic & Herbs
Tues: Grilled Salmon with Citrus Dressing
Wed: Prawn Creole
Thurs: Drunken Angel Hair with Leeks
Fri: Frijoles Charros
Breakfast: Amanda’s Cayenne Egg McMuffins
Lunch: Spinach Salad with Pear & Avocado
I just made my first recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Tomatillo-Green Guacamole. I’m going to serve it with some grilled fish for lunch today. All I can say is: NOMS!
Tomatillo-Green Guacamole
1 cup Essential Roasted Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa (to follow)
4 large ripe avocados
1 teaspoon salt
For 1 cup Essential Roasted Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa:
8 ounces (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 to 3 fresh serrano chiles
1 large garlic clove, unpeeled
1/2 small white onion finely chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro (coriander)
Making the Salsa:
Lay tomatillos on a baking sheet and place 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When the tomatillos blister, blacken and soften on one side, about 5 minutes, turn them over and roast the other side. Cool.
Roast the chiles and garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and soft, 5 to 10 minutes for the chiles, about 15 for the garlic. Cool, then pull the stems from the chiles and peel the garlic.
Combine the tomatillos, chiles and garlic in a food processor. Process to a coarse puree. Transfer to a medium-size bowl. Scoop the onion into a strainer, rinse under cold water, shake off excess and stir into the tomatillo mixture along with the cilantro.
Finishing the guacamole:
Mash the avocados with a large fork. Stir in the salsa, and season with salt to taste.
Makes 4 cups.
* Tomatillos are thin on the ground in Australia, so I had to use canned (I know, I know) for the Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa, but if you’re in a pinch for time, I suppose you could easily sub with store bought salsa verde.
This week has been about trying to get back into our normal swing of things after our lovely two weeks away. We had a great time, but we do things a little differently when we’re in Chattanooga. Amanda is still constantly in the kitchen cooking lovely fresh meals, but it tends to be more home-style comfort food.
So upon our return on Sunday morning, after waiting in various airport lines (including the one to discuss our lost bag), we were home by 9am. After discussing our various food options, we decided to fill up on coffee for the morning (lovingly made by some random barista downstairs) and wait for something more substantial to open. So at noon we got some take out and plumped for filet mignon wrapped in pancetta, served with broccolini, crispy leek & porcini jus. Being home does have its advantages.
In between feeling slightly “floaty” from all the medication, extra vitamins and herbs circulating around my body (all recommended by the pharmacist), I started the Nashville post. It’s long, so it may will take a day or two.
To explain the floatiness: I tend to have an adverse reaction to Codeine and other strong painkillers. When I had my wisdom teeth removed they gave me Mepergan, the effects of which I can only describe as what it might be like to be in a coma. I could hear everything going on around me, but everyone else thought I was sleeping because I was unable to move. I couldn’t even open my eyes. I kept trying to say, “No wait! Come back! I’m not asleep, really.” Nothing came out. As someone who has a very hard time sitting still normally, I didn’t care for the sensation. It didn’t help that the entire time I kept picturing the video for “One.”
The last time I had Codeine I was in single digits. . .until today. I feel a bit like I’m gliding through the room rather than walking, but if that’s the only side effect, I can handle it.
So yes, I’ve been trying to blog on the liptop Scott brought home from work. No, that’s not a spelling mistake. I’ve decided to call it the liptop because it arrived to me with lip prints on the screen. I’m not sure who’s been kissing that particular icon (though it’s very specific to a certain group of individuals), but I hope she got what she wanted/needed from it.
Don’t worry. I used some nice green antibacterial cleaning products on it yesterday. I think I’m safe now.
When we got back from the States two of our party were not doing so well – both Amanda and our computer are a bit under the weather. It saddens me to say that one of them isn’t expected to make it … though it cheers me to say that that one is NOT Amanda!
Hope you feel better Precious!
We arrived back into Sydney yesterday morning to be informed that one of our bags had decided, with help from the airline, to take an extra day of vacation. Obviously being able to come home (as opposed to being a tourist or someone new in town) makes this mostly just an inconvenience. However, it turns out there are quite a few important things in that case – not least of which is the power cord for our laptop. Our bag is due to arrive some time later today, so we shouldn’t have to endure for too long. So forgive this short post from work, but just so you know we are back safe and sound and normal services will be resumed as soon as possible.
It’s always sad leaving after a holiday with the family, but for some reason this time seems particularly so. We’ve had a really nice time, and we’re really going to miss everyone: Papaw’s Shatner-esque renditions of American standards; Meemaw’s infectious giggling; and getting to spend good quality, thoroughly enjoyable time with Debi just being ourselves. And of course we’ll miss the cats: Blair is, as always, his super friendly, puppy-like self; and this trip we’ve gotten to see a little of Julian’s sweet-natured side … though not to worry, he remains for the most part his lovable stand-offish self.
So as we pack up our stuff and think about the journey ahead of us, we want everyone here to know that we had a great time, and we love them all very much.
Of course, there’s plenty more to come for the blog – not least the tale (and accompanying photos) of our food road trip to Nashville. Which, by the way, was fantastic! Yay for hot chicken!!
for the cookbook shelf. . . Second hand bookstores rock.
As Amanda said with regards to the frozen custard, we don’t do junk food very often – it’s just that we figured that’s exactly what you’d want to hear about. Similarly, there are many days in which we aren’t trying new beers, so please don’t think we’re turning into lushes here. Just be grateful you’re not reading about how refreshing water is on a hot summers day!
Today, we bring you a beer from just over the border in North Carolina, from Asheville Brewing.
Shiva IPA is quite a decent brew. It’s a much more bitter example than the previous IPAs we’ve tried this trip, with quite a strong essence of grapefruit pith. It takes a little adjusting to, but I’d have to say it was definitely an improvement on the drinkability front from the Stone IPA, though the Stone is far superior overall.
The Sweetwater IPA is still the favourite though.
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