picture from gonorthwest.com
Well, it looks like we are supposed to have sunny AND warm weather this weekend, possibly hitting the 70s (!!!!) so we just might head over here for the day. Last weekend I had the great idea (in theory) to cook a bunch of meals for the week so we could eat at a decent hour during the weekdays. The thought was a good one and I've had great success with this in the past, but the small technicality was that I was a slave to the stove all day long while the sun shone and the birds sang outside. It about drove my crazy! We did get out to go on a walk but that was it.
This weekend I'm planning to do some of the same but not as extreme. We'll see what happens. Well, a job came up for me so I'm back on full time until the end of July. Its nice to be back on a jobsite, with all the adventures that that entails. It's such a different environment from the office. I'm just thankful that I have a job--in the world we live in now, that is not a given anymore, no matter how much experience you have.
One of the benefits from last weekend's cook-a-thon was that I finally made homemade flour tortillas. As soon as I took a bite of the first one, I wondered why in the world I had not made these before. If you can make biscuits, you can make tortillas. The best thing is they freeze astonishingly well. We'll be eating these again this weekend, filled with a spicy blend of rice, beans and veggies. Yum. You really must try these...they are amazing.
Flour Tortillas
Adapted slightly from Orangette who adapted it from Saveur Cooks Authentic American
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 Tbs vegetable shortening
2 cup hot water
Measure water into a Pyrex and microwave for a couple of minutes until hot. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together with a whisk. Mix in the shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in enough boiling water (about 1¼ to 1½ cups) that the dough holds together. Since the water is hot, begin by stirring mixture with a spoon, but finish by mixing with your hands.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Do not overwork it. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Set a well-seasoned 9" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Or in place of that, use a nonstick skillet, which is what I did. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge into 3 smaller wedges, for a total of 18 wedges. Use a rolling pin to roll out a wedge into a very thin circle—as thin as you can make it, like a sheet of fabric—roughly 7½ to 8 inches in diameter. When the skillet is hot but not smoking, cook the tortilla until slightly puffed, about 20-30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 20-30 seconds more, or until flecked with golden or brown (whichever you prefer) spots. Place on a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the other 17 wedges. Allow each tortilla to cool completely before stacking them.
Yield: 18 tortillas
This weekend I'm planning to do some of the same but not as extreme. We'll see what happens. Well, a job came up for me so I'm back on full time until the end of July. Its nice to be back on a jobsite, with all the adventures that that entails. It's such a different environment from the office. I'm just thankful that I have a job--in the world we live in now, that is not a given anymore, no matter how much experience you have.
One of the benefits from last weekend's cook-a-thon was that I finally made homemade flour tortillas. As soon as I took a bite of the first one, I wondered why in the world I had not made these before. If you can make biscuits, you can make tortillas. The best thing is they freeze astonishingly well. We'll be eating these again this weekend, filled with a spicy blend of rice, beans and veggies. Yum. You really must try these...they are amazing.
Flour Tortillas
Adapted slightly from Orangette who adapted it from Saveur Cooks Authentic American
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 Tbs vegetable shortening
2 cup hot water
Measure water into a Pyrex and microwave for a couple of minutes until hot. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together with a whisk. Mix in the shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in enough boiling water (about 1¼ to 1½ cups) that the dough holds together. Since the water is hot, begin by stirring mixture with a spoon, but finish by mixing with your hands.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Do not overwork it. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Set a well-seasoned 9" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Or in place of that, use a nonstick skillet, which is what I did. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge into 3 smaller wedges, for a total of 18 wedges. Use a rolling pin to roll out a wedge into a very thin circle—as thin as you can make it, like a sheet of fabric—roughly 7½ to 8 inches in diameter. When the skillet is hot but not smoking, cook the tortilla until slightly puffed, about 20-30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 20-30 seconds more, or until flecked with golden or brown (whichever you prefer) spots. Place on a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the other 17 wedges. Allow each tortilla to cool completely before stacking them.
Yield: 18 tortillas
