Last weekend was a busy times ten type of weekend. I made so much food for a shindig up around these parts – in the land where I am. I suppose that you could go so far as to say that I quasi-catered the event – which was fun – but tiring (more recipes are on the way – so hold onto your jets for that).
Then Sunday came around – and my little bird asked what we were going to be up to. My simple response was that I wanted to go and see Matt Damon blow some stuff up. It even worked out pretty well where the movie was starting in 50 (fifty) minutes – so we just kind of got up and left for the movie – perfect timing.
Alright – so here is your movie review. It was so so so so good that I kind of wanted to call people during it to let them know how much I was enjoying it. It was a “sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails and clapping with glee” sort of movie and it was definitely my favorite movie of the summer (which isn’t saying a ton this summer). The word just officially came down that it has moved from being a “favorite movie of the summer” to being my “favorite movie in awhile.” So there is that.
And now – I will tell you my favorite part. This big “bad” guy in the movie is in a meeting and he yells “You just can’t make this stuff up.” Well – even though that is a pretty normal phrase in society . . . it is also something that Doodle Poodle said at one point – so I immediately imagined Doodle Poodle playing the part of the “bad” guy for the next few minutes of the movie – which was fun to me. There were other – more accessible to normal people great parts throughout the movie as well – so don’t worry that my view is skewed by the whole poodle thing.
Alrighty then – there is my big movie review. Go see this movie. Mostly that is going to anyone that has seen the other movies and enjoyed them. If you haven’t seen the other ones – then go and do that – and then go and see this one – and let me know what you think.
I will look to hear from you in the next 12 (twelve) hours or so.
- Yesterday – while waiting in line at Duane Reade , which is the all-the-time-everywhere drug-store/store-store around these parts, I felt overly compelled to tell a mean line cutting woman that she was a horrible person – just after she was mean – and cut in line. It was probably a bit of an over reaction – but seriously – I learned how to wait in line sometime around kindergarten or so.
- One of my favorite meals (not as much as it used to be) is to have some Mountain Dew and a bag of Spicier Nacho Doritos. Well – imagine my surprise today when at the store there was a new exciting Dorito taste treat. A bag of Doritos Collisions Zesty Taco and Chipotle Ranch. With all of that supposed goodness in one bag – how could I resist?! Well – I suppose that I could have resisted by looking into the future and seeing that neither of the “Collision” victims had ever had a brush with that elusive (for new Dorito’s flavors) tastiness. So – I am done – Unless I run into a “Collision” between Spicier Nacho and Cooler Ranch . . . because that – my friends will cause me to pull over and indulge in some crunchy rubber necking.
- Last night on the train ride home (the long long long train ride home – where there is a bit of an unwritten law that sound is not a thing to be tolerated) – there was this guy/girl combo who felt the need to scream their (probably really really important) conversation back and forth – louder and louder and louder. I got up and moved to the back of the train – because I am a curmudgeon. Then to my up-most delight – two stops later – a gaggle of 8 (eight) belligerently oblivious teenagers got on and did something that I have never seen. They surrounded the formerly loud couple on all sides – and proceeded to – uhm – “act the fool” as – I believe the kids are saying these days. I reveled at the disgusted look on the girl of the couple’s face – as I inferred the following line from her thoughts “These people are so loud . . . and rude . . . I can’t even hear myself think over their talking.” I chuckled – and then realized that long exposure to the train is likely to make me a bitter person.
See that guy on the left there? His name is “Fire-Roasted Red Peppers & Tomato.” The kid on the right – the anti-southpaw – coming at your taste buds straight-rough-rugged-and raw . . . yeah – his name is pretty simple – it is “Mister Tomatillo!”
Today – is salsa day.
[Before I forget – again – these recipes seem to hinge pretty heavily on grilling the ingredients . . . but what – oh what are you to do if you don’t happen to have a grill?! Throw it all in your oven’s broiler – yum!]
Fire-Roasted Red Peppers & Tomato (Now with Roasted Corn!)
This is the stuff that you will be needing (in no particular order):
- Red Pepper (1)
- Orange Pepper (1)
- Green Pepper (1)
- Poblano Pepper (1)
- Jalapeño Peppers (2)
- Chipotle Peppers (in Adobo Sauce) (2 of the peppers – but watch out – this stuff is serious)
- tomatoes (4)
- Ears of Corn (3)
- onion (red) (1/2 cup or so)
- garlic (fresh minced) (4 cloves)
- cilantro (yes)
- olive oil (enough)
- lime (of course)
- salt (not too much)
- pepper (is there ever enough?!)
Alright. Here is the drill – as I run it.
- Cut everything into manageable strips and toss them into some olive oil.
- While you are cutting everything – husk, de-silk and boil the ears of corn (for about 15 minutes – or so).
- Seed and scoop the tomatoes – you aren’t going to need all of that junk where we are going.
- Lovingly place everything – seriously – everything on a hot hot hot grill – over hot hot heat. Bring some tongs and a spatula – because those tomatoes hate to sit on a fiery grill – they would swear to you that they weren’t raised to be in such atrociously searing conditions.
- Keep an eye on stuff – and revel in it getting charred – but no too charred – we aren’t making briquette salsa.
- Take everything off of the grill – and while you are gathering your olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro and lime – let all of that junk cool down for a bit.
- Scrape the corn off of the ears [look at this great tool made just for this job].
- Dump it all into a Cuisinart and pulse pulse pulse until properly mixed – stopping every so often to taste for perfectness.
Mister Tomatillo!
This is the stuff that you will be needing (in no particular order):
- Tomatillos (10)
- Poblano Pepper (1)
- Jalapeño Peppers (2)
- Chipotle Peppers (in Adobo Sauce) (just a smidge – for the heat that hits the back of your throat)
- onion (red) (3/4 cup or so)
- garlic (fresh minced) (4 cloves)
- cilantro
- olive oil (enough to get stuff moving)
- lemon
- lime
- salt
- pepper
Alright. Here is the drill – as I run it.
- Cut everything into manageable strips and toss them into some olive oil – including the tomatillos.
- Lovingly place everything – seriously – everything on a hot hot hot grill – over hot hot heat. (hooray for roasted vegetables!)
- Keep an eye on stuff – and revel in it getting charred – but no too charred – we aren’t making briquette salsa.
- Gingerly get everything off of the grill – bring some tongs and a spatula – because those tomatillos are going to do their best to slip down into the fiery pit of the grill . . . and while you are gathering your olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro, lemon and lime – let everything max and relax before they meet your pal – the Cuisinart.
- Dump it all into a Cuisinart and pulse pulse pulse until properly mixed – stopping every so often to taste for perfectness.
So – there you have it – 2 (two) pretty darn good (and distinctive from each other) salsas to make and eat – and eat – and eat. Both recipes make about as much as you can see in the photo (maybe 2 1/2 – 3 cups or so) – and should be eaten.