My husband and I can go on walks without sweaters now. I’ve planted three tomato seedlings, two bell peppers, one romaine lettuce in containers; all preen on the sunniest spot of the backyard. We drink sparkling wine on the front porch, waving to new neighbors and old friends on their way to the park. It’s an idyllic Spring, to say the least.
I’ve burned out on all the musings about “this time last year,” and you probably have too. Time to turn and face the sun.
EXTRACURRICULAR READING
How bacon & eggs became America’s Breakfast ... don’t say advertising never gave you anything
Some Gloria-approved news from Taiwan
On trophy kitchens, MTV’s Cribs (of course), and the HGTV effect on decor and fixtures
Julie Klausner’s apartment tour: this is chaotic maximalism at its finest and I am absolutely, 100% here for it. It’s PERFECT (obligatory RIP: “Difficult People”)
A remarkably good piece (technically a cookbook review): “When Did Following Recipes Become a Personal Failure?”:
EVEN A PICKY EATER CAN LOVE A PICADILLO
Picadillo is one of those dishes that again, I grew up eating at home, and whose flavor complexity (from relatively simple ingredients) never fails to make me feel warm and good.
A shoutout is owed to my new aunt Linda, who called in with a request for a non-pasta recipe using ground beef, and picadillo was my first (and best) thought. (BTW I love taking requests!!!! The hotline is open!)
Essentially, picadillo is a hash -- the name itself implying minced/ground meat. I don’t use potatoes in mine, but a healthy amount of olives, capers, and raisins (do not skip the raisins). It comes by a range of different culinary traditions. NYT calls it “Cuban comfort food”; a Mexican version incorporates zucchini and potatoes; this Filipino recipe calls for peas, carrots, and a fried egg. There’s a lot of versatility in one dish!
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground chuck
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
a bell pepper (any color),
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 smaller can of diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
half a little bottle of capers (~ 2-3? tbsp)
1 cup of sliced green olives, with the brine (more if you’re really into olives)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup raisins (not sugar-coated!)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
WHAT TO DO
Sauté onion and pepper in some oil until soft. Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, bay leaves and cook until it starts to smell really good. Add wine, and reduce by half.
Cook beef, chopping up into chunks, until it’s browned. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire, raisins, olives, capers, and their brine (a to-taste thing). Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
You might need some more salt and pepper, but probably not — fish out the bay leaves and serve over white rice, or have it on its own. It reheats beautifully the next day.