A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood....

This Mother's Day is perhaps the nicest day so far this spring. I took the opportunity to take a long walk in my neighborhood. The flowering trees on the property are almost at their peak. The fragrance of the blossoms was lovely. Lots of spring activity along the way. Robins and a couple of Downy woodpeckers were in the park behind the condos. The edge of the woods was a carpet of violets. Squirrels and the ever present chipmunks were enjoying the day chasing each other around. There were ducks in the creek that runs through the park and a family of Canada Geese were checking out the lake. A white and a blue heron, and a turtle sunning himself on a log in the lake made me think winter is finally over. I came home to day two of my Cinco de Mayo Table. Mexican food is one of my favorites cuisines. The bold flavors and colors are a large part of the meal. A couple of real winners this week and a real dud.

Santa Barbara Sunset Margarita
Steak Quesadillas with Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa
Eva Langoria's Chunky Guacamole
Spice Rubbed Cedar Plank Salmon Tacos
Caramel Banana Taquitos


The margarita was a surprise. I saw it prepared on Food Network and the colors were so much like a sunset, I tried it. Tequila, lemonade and Fresca (yes the soda of years ago is still around) are shaken with ice and poured over more ice in a glass. A bit of cranberry juice is added. The juice floats on the tequila mix and does look much like a sunset. It is a very refreshing drink and I wished that I had had more tequila than what was in the little bottle. Just enough for one on Saturday and one on Sunday. A winner!

The steak quesadilla was also quite good. However, I would use a different cut of meat. The skirt steak was a bit on the tough side. It is grilled and sliced thin. A flour tortilla is warmed in a cast iron pan. The steak is layered on the tortilla and the salsa is spread over the top. The salsa was also a pleasant surprise. Tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, garlic, onion and a quartered Granny Smith apple are tossed with EVOO and S&P. The mix is roasted until the tomatillos are soft. The mixture is then blended until smooth. The jalapeno was very mild so I added a dash of cayenne pepper to perk it up a bit. I don't think I would call it a salsa since it blended and not chunky at all. Good flavor, however. Shredded mozzarella is spread over the salsa and with another tortilla on top. It is then put back in the cast iron skillet and cooked on both sides until the cheese melts. Cut in quarters and served with Eva's guacamole it is an excellent dish.

The guacamole is cubes of avocado, ripe tomatoes seeded and chopped, chopped white onion, cilantro and minced, seeded Serrano chile. The ingredients are gently mixed and lemon juice, salt and pepper are added. It's a very chunky guacamole and one of the best I've had. Who knew Eva could also cook?

On Sunday I made the cedar planked salmon tacos. The wood is soaked for a couple of hours. A spice mixture is spooned onto the plank, the salmon is laid skin side down on the spice with more pressed into the flesh. The plank is put in the oven for about 25 minutes. The salmon came out juicy and the spice gave it a lot of flavor. The salmon is flaked and mixed with a salad to be put in corn tortillas. The salad is made from chopped cilantro and parsley, chopped green onions, shredded red and green cabbage, fire roasted pasilla and Anaheim chiles, diced Serrano chile and fresh squeezed lime juice. I roasted the peppers over the flame on the stove until blackened. The skin is scraped off and the pepper chopped. It's a great salad, lots of color and flavor with the salmon. A bit of crumbled Mexican cheese is added and some of the leftover guacamole. Excellent, but I would use flour tortillas next time. The corn ones tear and fall apart.

Dessert was the dud of the meal. Flour tortillas are spread with dulce de leche. A banana is cut length wise and laid at one side. Coconut is added and the banana is rolled up like a cigar. A tooth pick holds the tortilla together and it is fried in canola oil. A mixture of melted chocolate, hot coffee and cinnamon are drizzled over the fried roll. It was awful. A waste of banana and chocolate. Except for that both meals were ones I would do again.

Hope you all had a good weekend. I will be away next week, but will return the following one. Enjoy the nice spring weather.