Fried Green Tomatoes

Nothing says the South like fried green tomatoes. They are quintessentially Southern. Since I haven't had the pleasure of visiting the south, I had my first bite in Portland, Oregon. It was in this locals' joint called Pine State Biscuits. The food was amazing! If you're visiting Portland be exceptional to yourself and stop by Pine State Biscuits, you won't be disappointed. The tomatoes were perfectly seasoned, crispy and a bit of sweetness. After all these years I can still taste them! They serve them with ranch dressing. I loved the combination. The buttery tangy of the dressing, saltiness of the crust and the subtle sweetness of the tomato; it was love at first bite!! I've been dreaming about those tomatoes and am reminded every time I watch the movie Fried Green Tomatoes! I love the movie and I love the dish! Doing both at the same time is the best!

It's amazing how simple these tomatoes can be but it's important to make sure that the tomato isn't watery. Watery equals soggy. Nobody wants a soggy fried green tomato. So be vigilant about wetness. To prevent that I salt my tomatoes first and let the water get sucked out and them dry them with a paper towel. After that comes the breading: cornstarch, egg and panko crumbs. Traditionally there is flour and cornmeal involved in the breading so if you want to go more traditional replace the cornstarch with flour and add cornmeal to regular breadcrumbs. I like the cornstarch because it helps with the crispiness.  I pair my fried tomatoes just like Pine State Biscuits, with ranch. These are so tasty with my ranch dressing!  I hope you give these a try! Simple Southern Goodness!

Buen Provecho!!

Salt, let stand for 10-15 minutes, pat dry with paper towel.

Coat with cornstarch, egg, then panko. Let them step up for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Fry in oil and butter, 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Serve immediately with some ranch for dipping.

Fried Green Tomato - 2-4 servings, appetizer

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup Cornstrach
1 egg
1/2-1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt n Pepper
Oil & Butter for pan frying

Ranch Dressing for dipping

Road Map:

1. Place tomato slices onto a rack over a paper towel. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt and let the slices
    stand for 10-15 minutes, allowing the salt to draw out the extra juices.

2. While tomatoes are resting on the rack get the breading station ready. In the first dish add
     cornstarch with salt , 2nd dish beaten egg and 3rd panko crumbs.

3. Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels. Place slices, one at a time, into cornstarch coating both
 sides; dip in egg and then cover completely in panko.

4. Lay breaded tomatoes on a rack and let them set up for about 10 minutes.

5. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add oil & butter to pan. When butter bubbles carefully lay in tomatoes to fry, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

6. Placed fried tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with the ranch. Enjoy!

San Francisco Street Food Festival Delights

I had a blast at the San Francisco Street Food Festival! There was so much food I didn't know what to do with myself! I didn't get to eat everything I wanted to, had a couple of rice dishes early on, rookie mistake!! Well, I know better for next time.  Here are the pictures I promised of the days eats! Looking forward to the next food feast!

Buen Provecho! 

Vampire Taco

First bite of the day!

Yes, a moose burger! Pretty good, thank you Nordic Food Truck.

My first bone marrow! So good!

Jambalaya with Strawberry Basil Lemonade.

Look at all that paella!!! It was a sight to see!

Up close and personal with Gerard's Paella. 

One of my most anticipated bite!!

This light glorious spun sugar was amazing!! Shout out to Sugar & Spun!!

Final and delicious bite of the day! So light & crunchy! Almost didn't get it, so glad I did!

San Francisco Street Food Festival

As much as I love food I always seem to miss food festivals. I find out about them too early and forget or find too late and hate myself for not knowing about it. Well today I break that vicious cycle and attending the San Francisco Street Food Festival!

I can't tell you how excited I am to be going. I have been thinking about this festival for a week now. I even downloaded the app and checked out the different offerings been served today, I can't stop drooling!!! 

This festival is a celebration of all the wonderful food crafters from San Francisco in particularly those who work in the Mission District. It's a gigantic block party that showcases their talents and amazing community. 

I feel so blessed to live in an area were diversity is second nature. They're so many cultures to learn from and the best way to learn is to eat! 

I'm about to embrace my education in the culinary art of eating. I will definitely be taking many many pictures and sharing them with you on the next blog. 

Talk to you soon! 

Buen Provecho!

Platanos Frito - Comfort Food Edition

One of my childhood favorites is a very simple dish, platanos fritos. Platanos or plantains are wonderfully sweet caramelized dish. It perfect for anytime of day. My mom would make this on weekends. It's a typical Salvadoran dish. A side of eggs, refried beans, queso fresco and crema would complete the meal. I have fond memories of this dish and it always brings back warm thoughts. Anytime I eat this meal I feel like a kid again. It's one of the few dish I can make like mom does.

Platanos fritos are ripe plantain fried in a pan with a bit of oil. You can deep fry them but I prefer to them pan fried. Though it's a simple dish its doesn't always come out the way you like. The platano has natural sugars so if you're not careful they will burn. I have had the first few come out beautifully golden brown while the others burnt. Personally, I like them a little burnt because I like it crispy & crunchy. When I would help Mom make this dish I would burn a few on purpose, so I could have them. : ) Shh, that's our little secret.

If you are making this for a family I would use 4-6 platanos, depending on your families' appetite.


To get started I add 1Tbsp oil to the pan on medium heat so it's waiting for me and not the other way around. I cut the platano in half. Then I cut the ends off. Then I carefully peel the skin off. The skin is thick so I use a paring knife to put a slit through the skin then peel. Keep the skin, they will be our "foil" to keep the cooked platanos warm while the rest cook.

The next step is the hard part. You would cut the half into 3 or 4 pieces lengthwise. I take the half in my hand and slice the platanos, with a paring knife, along the lines they naturally have. The slices should be about 1/4 inch or so. Now the platanos are slippery so for beginners I would recommend you use a cutting board and carefully slice lengthwise.

Once they are all cut, add them to the oil, carfeul not to crowd the pan. Check every 2 to 4 minutes to see if ready. You're looking for it to be golden brown. Once the first side is brown, flip and wait 2-4 minutes until it's golden brown. When ready, transfer to a plate and cover with the skins to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest. You can serve the platanos with a side of refried beans, cream (sour cream) eggs and/or queso fresco. For some easy beans, just buy Ducal Black refried beans. They are the best packaged beans I've had. I add a little diced onion into my beans when I cook them it gives them an extra pop of flavor.

If you want something sweeter you can add sugar to the platanos as they cook. You can even take those "candied" platanos add a little cinnamon and make them an ice cream topping. It's unusual but delicious. 

Platanos make me so happy. They fill my belly and my heart. Pure comfort food.

Buen Provecho!

You want nice black plantanos, they're sweeter!

With a paring knife cut off ends.

Split down the middle, careful not to cut through the platanos

Peel skin and cut in half.

I cut holding it but for beginners lay it on the cutting board.

Halfway

Look at those beauties.

Cover with peel to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve with refried beans, sour cream, queso fresco or egg or all the above!

Delicious caramelized goodness!!!