Cinco de Mayhem (31 page)

T
hat evening, the doorbell rang minutes after Celia left for a film night with Sky and some other friends. My hair was still damp and but
terflies swarmed my stomach, but at least I was mostly bandage-free to greet Jake. He, however, had one arm in a sling. In the other he balanced a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine.

“A happy Friday,” he announced.

I took charge of uncorking the wine and urged him to take a seat. He hung his hat on the chair before sitting and leaning back. “It was a good day around the courthouse. Gerald Jenkins Senior is about to face charges for extortion, so no more worrying about that dirty food inspector. Even better, Brigitte won't be getting out on bail. Turns out she had a more than
petite
record back in France. It was expunged because she was a teenager at the time, but the prosecutor pulled some strings and dug up records for stalking and stabbing a classmate. Seems she was named in a few restraining orders too.”

I shuddered hard enough to dislodge the cork. “How did no one know any of this?”

The defense attorney at my kitchen table smiled. “Brigitte moved a lot. Some past employers gave her great references, probably to be rid of her. We both dodged a bullet.” He looked down at his arm. “Well, mostly.”

I poured us extra-large glasses of zinfandel.

“To good news,” I said, raising my glass.

Jake seconded my toast, adding, “Our friend Georgio has good news too. I got his latest case dismissed for lack of evidence. I think the judge felt sorry for me, waving my bum arm around.”

“I feel sorry for you,” I said. I did. His so-called flesh wound had required twenty stitches and a trip to the emergency room. I'd had to force him
to go. He'd wanted to storm the jail and free Linda immediately.

“I don't feel sorry for myself,” Jake said. He smiled up at me. “I'm a lucky man. I didn't realize how lucky until I thought I might lose you, Rita.”

The butterflies migrated to my head. I covered by peering through the oven door. Inside, a cheese and chile soufflé rose to spectacular heights. Almost too high. I stirred the vibrant green cilantro vinaigrette and drizzled some over the asparagus and generally delayed. Jake rose and came over to peek in at the soufflé. When he straightened, he moved closer to me. I felt the bristles on his chin as he leaned in close to my cheek. “Beautiful,” he said quietly, his steel-blue eyes focused on me. I took a leap and kissed him.

Serves 4 to 6

I
NGREDIENTS

3 T Parmesan, freshly and finely grated

3 T unsalted butter

3 T flour

1 c whole milk

1½ c extra-sharp cheddar (4 oz.)

½ t salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

¼ t ground cumin

¼ t New Mexican dried red chile powder or cayenne pepper

4 large egg yolks, room temperature

5 large egg whites, room temperature

½ c roasted green chiles, mild or medium heat, chopped, preferably New Mexican. Freshly roasted or frozen are best, but canned (well-drained) are also delicious. If using whole roasted chiles, remove any charred skin, seeds, and the stalk.

⅛ t cream of tartar

D
IRECTIONS

Adjust your oven racks so that you have a lower-to-middle rack available with about a foot of space above it. Preheat oven to 400˚F.

Prepare the baking dish
. Thoroughly butter the inside of an 8-cup soufflé dish (use a straight-sided dish, about 3½ inches high x 7 inches wide). Add
the grated Parmesan to the dish and turn to coat the sides and bottom. The cheese will help the soufflé rise. Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce
. In a small sauce pan, heat the milk over medium heat until scalding. Just before boiling, remove the pan from the heat. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk in flour. Continue whisking for about 2 minutes. Gradually pour the hot milk into the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, and red pepper/cayenne and continue to cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick. Remove from the heat.

Place egg yolks in small bowl and mix lightly. Rapidly whisk a few tablespoons of the hot milk sauce into the yolks to temper them. Then, add the yolks, approximately one-fourth at a time, to the sauce, whisking well with each addition. Next, add the grated cheese and chiles and whisk well.

Prepare the egg whites.
Add egg whites, cream of tartar, and pinch of salt to a spotlessly clean and dry mixing bowl. Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Note: be careful not to overbeat the whites. Overbeaten whites will lose their glossiness. Test the egg whites occasionally by stopping and raising your beaters. The whites will form thick, pretty ripples and peaks. The peaks should remain standing, with slightly drooping, glossy tops. Perfect!

Combine the egg whites and sauce.
First, lighten the cheese sauce by folding in about one-quarter of the egg whites. Then add the lightened cheese mixture to the rest of the egg whites, carefully folding them together until mostly blended. It's okay if a few
white spots remain, but try to blend in any sauce that might have sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Gently scrape the fluffy mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Smooth out the top, ensuring that there are no gaps between the soufflé mixture and the bowl. Using a clean knife or your finger, create a thin line around the border of the bowl. This will help the top of the soufflé rise evenly and not catch on the sides of the bowl.

Bake.
Set the soufflé dish in the center of the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375˚ F. Bake for 35 minutes or until puffy, with a rich golden brown top. The center should still move slightly but not be runny. A skewer, inserted in the center, should come out mostly clean.

Important:
Call your guests to the kitchen for the grand moment the soufflé emerges, as it will begin to deflate within minutes.

T
IPS
:

Don't mess with the soufflé when it's in the oven. No turning is required, and try to resist opening the oven door and peeking inside, especially during the first 20 minutes.

Room-temperature eggs really are helpful in this recipe. They'll whip up quicker and with more lift.

Have fun with different sizes of soufflés. In individual ramekins, check for doneness after 20 minutes.

Calculate your timing. Since soufflé is best straight out of the oven, estimate how long you'll need to prepare and bake your soufflé. After getting all your ingredients and the pan
prepped, estimate about 15 minutes to make the cheese sauce, 5 to 10 more minutes to whip the whites, and another 10 minutes to fold together the sauce and whites and smooth the mixture into the bowl. So, together with baking time, give yourself about 1½ hours before your meal.

4 to 5 servings

I
NGREDIENTS

1 bundle of asparagus

¼ c New Mexican pine nuts

1 flour tortilla, cut into thin strips, plus cumin, red chile powder, and salt on hand to season

V
INAIGRETTE
I
NGREDIENTS

1 c cilantro leaves (packed)

3 T fresh lime juice

2 T sherry, white, or red wine vinegar

1 T shallot, minced

1 t sugar

1 t Dijon mustard

¼ t salt

½ c olive oil

pepper to taste

D
IRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400˚ F

Prepare the toppings.
Cut tortilla into thin strips. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add tortilla strips and stir-fry for a few minutes until almost crispy. Season with a pinch each of cumin, salt, and red pepper. Stir-fry a minute or so more. Move to a plate or bowl. Heat a bit more oil in the pan and gently brown the pine nuts, taking care not to burn. Warning: pine nuts brown very quickly. Keep a close eye on them.

Prepare the vinaigrette.
Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and whirl a few times. Drizzle in olive oil, blending until emulsified.

Prepare asparagus.
Wash the asparagus and break off the tough bottoms. Dry with a paper towel. Place asparagus on a cookie sheet. Drizzle a few tablespoons of oil over asparagus. Sprinkle on a little kosher salt. Toss to coat and arrange asparagus as a single layer. Roast for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Asparagus should be lightly browned on the bottom and tender. Arrange on a platter and cover with tin foil. Immediately before serving, spoon some dressing over the asparagus. Then top with the toasted pine nuts and tortilla strips. This dish is tasty at room temperature, so you can make it before you put in your soufflé. Or heat the asparagus in the microwave or quickly in the broiler if you would like to serve the dish warm. After rewarming, proceed with the dressing and toppings.

Serves 4 to 6

I
NGREDIENTS

4 c of day-old or relatively dry French baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb cherry tomatoes

⅓ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

¼ c flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ t kosher salt

½ t cumin

½ t coriander

½ t dried or fresh oregano

¼ t freshly ground pepper

D
IRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Lightly oil a 9-inch ceramic casserole dish. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, spices, grated Parmesan, parsley, and garlic. Add bread and tomatoes and toss thoroughly. Scrape into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the tomatoes are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature. This dish can be baked alongside your soufflé, since both require the same time and oven temperature.

Note:
You can mix all the ingredients and place in the prepared baking dish a few hours ahead of time. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Servings: 12

E
QUIPMENT

Bundt pan (straight-sided or classic rounded shapes will be easiest for unmolding) and a roasting pan large enough to hold the Bundt pan and a water bath.

I
NGREDIENTS

C
ARAMEL

½ c
cajeta quemada
(goat's milk caramel; can be found in Mexican groceries, online, or in some large supermarkets) or other prepared caramel sauce (salted caramel is particularly yummy)

F
OR THE
F
LAN

3 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

1 t vanilla

¼ t table salt

F
OR THE
C
AKE

¾ c sugar

¾ c all-purpose flour

½ c unsweetened cocoa powder

½ t baking soda

¼ t baking powder

pinch of salt

½ c buttermilk (or use a scant cup of milk with approximately 1 T of lemon juice added)

3 T olive or canola oil

1 egg, at room temperature

½ t pure vanilla extract

Prepare your oven, pan, and bain-marie (water bath).
Set a rack in the middle of your oven, with space for a Bundt pan above. Spray oil or bakers' oil plus flour on the bottom and sides of the Bundt pan. Add hot water to the bain-marie pan, enough so the water will come about 2 inches up the sides of your filled Bundt pan (press down on the empty Bundt pan to test the water level). Set the pan in the oven and preheat to 375˚ F.

Pour the caramel into the bottom of your Bundt pan, tipping the pan for even coverage. If your caramel is too thick to pour, heat slightly in the microwave.

Make the cake.
Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, mixing until thoroughly combined. Pour the cake batter into the pan, spread to make the top even, and set aside.

Make the flan.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Add evaporated milk and condensed milk and whisk again. Gently ladle the flan liquid over the cake batter.

Wearing oven mitts, carefully pull out the oven rack with the bain-marie. Place the Bundt pan in the water bath and (again, carefully!) push the rack back into place. During the baking, the flan and cake batters will magically trade places, with the cake rising
to the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the Bundt pan from the bain-marie dish, place on a rack, and allow to cool for at least 2 hours. To unmold, soften the caramel by placing the pan in a hot-water bath for a few minutes. Check the sides of the cake. If any parts of the cake seem to be stuck to the pan, loosen with a spatula or knife. Now, to flip. Hold a plate firmly over the top of the Bundt pan and flip quickly and boldly. If all goes right, you'll have a beautiful caramel-draped flan on top and moist chocolate cake on the bottom. Magic!

Note:
For a super-quick chocoflan, use any store-bought chocolate cake mix in place of the cake recipe above. Mix the cake as directed on the box, and proceed with the caramel and flan steps above.

Makes about five cups

I
NGREDIENTS

2 c cold water

2 c fresh strawberries, washed and destemmed (one or two reserved for garnish)

¼ c sugar

1 T fresh lime juice

1 t fresh mint or peppermint, plus a few leaves set aside for garnish

D
IRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. If not drinking right away, chill and stir before serving. Garnish with mint, a thin slice of lime, and a few strawberry slices.