Picadillo: A Classic Cuban Dish

I've been in a bit of cooking rut as of late, but driven by my hunger for more flavorful and vivid dishes I've looked outside the border for new ideas. Picadillo is a classic Cuban dish that integrates ground beef with well-seasoned tomato sauce, fried potatoes, olives and raisins. Considered a comfort dish it is prepared frequently and typically served with rice and beans or stuffed in tacos or a chili pepper.  I imagine it would also be delicious with fried plantains. Packed with a broad range of spices, flavors and goody nibs, I can see why this dish is a staple across dinner tables in Cuba.

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Beef and Bean Chili with Pickled Onions

 

Are you a recipe tweaker? I'm a reformed recipe tweaker, formerly taking creative license to swap this for that, sometimes altering a recipe so much that it no longer resembled the original. I exercise more restraint these days, honoring the work that had been dedicated to develop recipes. However there are still days when I stray a bit. This recipe is one of them. Inspired by a popular recipe on one of my favorite blogs Healthy Delicious's Beef Bean Chili with Pickled Onions, I took what was an elegant chili recipe made with beef stew cubes and red wine and boomeranged it back to a more traditional and humble bowl of beans with ground beef and beer.  It would be ironic to call it creative since I may have reverted this chili back to its predecessor, but the result is quite good (as is the original) so a new recipe is born.

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Daniel Boulud's Braised Short Ribs Recipe

Tender, succulent fall-off-the-bones short ribs braised in red wine, beef broth and a rustic melange of chunky vegetables and herbs. This dish is a hearty and warm welcome from the driving snow and frigid temperatures outside.

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Better Than Mashed Potatoes Celery Root Purée

Celery root may be one of the homeliest vegetables in season right now, and probably takes the cake for the ugliest vegetable all year round. But this vegetable, which is also known by the name of celeriac, does a tremendous job of adding panache and elegance to creamy soups, salads and purées. With a pat of fresh golden butter and cream, the concentrated flavors of celery can be coaxed and tamed into a sublime nostalgic mashed potato-like concoction - flavors that are familiar but intriguing with hints of parsley and sweet parsnip nuances that will keep guests guessing.

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CHUNKY GUACAMOLE RECIPE

Festive, satisfying, and at times fiery, guacamole is a simple crowd pleaser that incorporates several fresh, bold and exciting flavors onto a thin crispy chip. There are several different versions of guacamole, this one is a chunky-style dip that integrates several big flavors while allowing each ingredient to remain distinguishable.

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Gloria, who has a personality that is fun, festive and at times fiery, and moreover is someone that most everyone loves!

GUACAMOLE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2-3 avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
  
• sea salt
• black pepper, grounded
• 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)

 Method

1. Using a large cutting board, create a pile of the diced onion, cilantro, and minced garlic. Sprinkle the pile with roughly 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Incorporate these ingredients together by chopping the ingredients across the cutting board, taking care to fold the ingredients back into a neat pile along the way. This method imitates the traditional way of making guacamole, which is done by pounding the ingredients in a mortar pestle. Once the mixture reaches a consistency similar to the photo above, transfer it into a mixing bowl.
2. To dice the avocado, split the avocado in half, and remove the pit by stabbing the seed and twisting it out. Score the avocado fruit lengthwise in 1/2-inch slices, and again width-wise to produce cubes. Using a large spoon, scoop out the cubed avocados and place in the bowl with the onion mixture. Repeat until you have two avocados diced. Add the diced tomatoes, jalapenos (if using) and juice from a lime half. Fold the ingredients until it is evenly blended. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Taste. If you feel the guacamole is strong, add another half avocado diced. If you feel it is too bland, add ground black pepper, lime or cilantro. You get the idea, if you feel there is something missing, use your judgment to balance out the flavors to your preference.

Try serving guacamole with chips, over savory carnitas, or freshly made corn tortillas.

Serves 8-10