There is a lot going on here, I know. And yes, I am about to give you three separate recipes. Don’t run and hide and give up on me already! It will all be okay; I promise. I’ll tell you why…

These tacos are melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Like rock-your-socks-off, can’t-stop-eating, screw-new-years-resolutions realm of deliciousness. (Sorry…went a little hyphen crazy. I do that when I get excited.)

The combination of the sweet, savory pork, tangy and spicy slaw, and the homemade tortillas is truly unbeatable. Well, not exactly unbeatable, because guess what? After I took this picture and devoured the taco, I didn’t stop there. I fried the rest of the tortillas to make them carnitas tostadas. I know…I know….gettin’ a little crazy! I just crave the crunch element, you know what I mean? I can’t help myself when it comes to texture. You won’t be able to, either, once you make these bad boys. And your family and friends will bug you to make them again. And again. And again. You get the picture.

Oh. But here’s a side note and they’ll never have to know you did this. Your secret it safe with me. You could go a little easier on yourself. I should have, but I have a slightly competitive nature. You could buy tortillas and fry those (if you plan on going the tostada route) OR you could buy the cabbage already cut up and ready to go. Just some options! Ok…I’m officially hungry. Off to eat! (I just wish they were these tacos…)

Carnitas Tacos

makes about 12 tacos

Difficulty: Medium

 

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder/butt, cut into 2-inch cubes (or whole for pulled pork and less work)

salt and pepper (for meat)

juice from 4 limes, zest from 1 lime

1/2 cup orange juice

~1 1/2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup dry white wine

Serve with spicy slaw (recipe follows) in homemade corn tortillas/ tostadas (recipe follows)

 

Method:

Salt and pepper the pork. Trim some (not all) of the fat and (optional) cut into 2 inch pieces. Place in a large dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. Add the lime juice and zest, orange juice, garlic, cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Barely cover the pork with water. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, turn up the heat to high for about 40 minutes to let the liquid boil off and the meat brown. Pour wine to deglaze the pan. The pork will begin falling apart into shreds (if already cut up). If you haven’t cut the pork, let it cool slightly and shred with two forks. Serve hot on warm tortillas with spicy slaw and avocado slices.

 

Spicy Slaw

Difficulty: Easy

makes about 4 cups

 

Ingredients:

1 cup green onion, white and light green parts, chopped

1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded (food processor)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup sherry vinegar (white wine vinegar is ok too)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

3 teaspoons sriracha

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

Method:

Chop cabbage, onions, and cilantro and combine in a large bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, make the slaw dressing. Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic, sriracha, honey, and olive oil. Combine with the cabbage, onions, and cilantro. (Or, if you know you aren’t going to use it all, keep some of the dressing and the cabbage mixture separate for guaranteed freshness.)

 

Homemade Corn Tortillas

makes about 14 tostadas

 

Ingredients:

4 cups instant corn masa flour (or regular if you don’t mind waiting an extra 30 min for corn gluten to activate)

3 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

3 cups warm water

Crisco, for frying (if frying)*

Method:

Combine masa flour with salt and slowly add warm water. Mix together with your hands. If dough is too dry, add a little more water.  If it’s too sticky, throw in a little more flour. Roll into about 14 dough balls and set on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap while you’re working. Using a tortilla press or a small circular plate with a 5-6 inch diameter, cover surfaces (of press or plate) with plastic wrap and press out the dough until it forms a thin tortilla about 6 inches in diameter.

Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottom skillet to high. Carefully place the pressed tortillas onto dry skillet and heat until cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side, until brown spots form. Repeat until you have about 14 tortillas.

*Optional—If you want a crispier, more sinful tortilla/tostada, fry them in vegetable oil or crisco (after cooking them), drain on paper towels, and then sprinkle with salt.

 

 

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

–Edith Sitwell

It’s something of an anomaly that I, a (central) Texas girl, am so enamored by winter time. Perhaps it is the “grass-is-always-greener” syndrome, but every time a leaf falls or a cold front blows in, I feel an ineffable rush of glee; I become that giddy little girl again, one who deeply desires long nights, togetherness, comfort, and of course, something that ties it all together, food that warms even the weariest of souls. This coq au vin is a humble nod to Julia Child’s original recipe and is the antidote to, well, just about anything! It satisfies in every sense of the word, especially on those tired, chilly winter nights. Make this for loved ones once and I guarantee they will ask for it again. Bon appetit!

 

Coq au Vin

adapted from Julia Child’s recipe

makes about 5-6 servings

Difficulty: Medium

 

Ingredients:

3-4 slices thick slab bacon

2 tablespoons butter, separated

small (2.5- 3lb) cut-up frying chicken (or whatever pieces you prefer)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3-4 large carrots, chopped

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

about 15 small pearl onions (best to buy frozen so you don’t have to peel those little suckers!)

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms (I love shiitake, but whatever you enjoy)

1/4 cup cognac

2 cups young, full-bodied red wine (like a Burgandy or Chianti)

1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth

1/2 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

 

Beurre Manié [bur man-yay], noun: A kneaded paste of butter and flour added to a soup or sauce toward the end of cooking in order to thicken.

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons softened butter

 

Method:

Heat oven to 350 F. In a medium/large dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat.  When it is done to your liking, set aside. Wash and dry chicken pieces (dry meat is key to perfect browning). Then, salt and pepper all sides generously and lightly dust with flour. Add one of the tablespoons of butter to the dutch oven, and brown chicken on all sides, taking care not to overcrowd (about 8 min per batch).  You will probably need to work in a couple of batches.  Set chicken aside. Add the other tablespoon of butter and toss in the onions, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Sauté for about 2 minutes.

Pour cognac in the dutch oven to deglaze the pan (make sure to scrape up the brown bits!) If you want to get fancy here, you can flambé by igniting the cognac with a match. Let it burn a minute, then extinguish with lid…(it doesn’t affect the flavor all that much in my opinion, but Julia Child might roll over in her grave.)

Now, add the chicken back into the pot (all of it), along with wine, tomato paste, and enough broth to cover the chicken. Throw in your herbs as well (my favorite is thyme) and the bacon/pancetta. Bring to a boil for just a second and then lower heat, cover, and let it cook for about 30 minutes.

While that’s cooking, you can make the beurre manie. This is a super simple way to thicken up any sauce/soup. All you do is knead the butter and flour together. Ta da! Whisk into the coq au vin when it’s done and ta-da!

Serve alone, over pasta or potatoes, or with crusty bread.

*Optional step (but one I recommend): Make this ahead! Refrigerate once you are finished. Take out of refrigerator and scoop out the congealed layer of fat, then reheat on the stove!

I hope you and your loved ones had a very Merry Christmas! I can’t believe it has already come and gone. The older I get the more it flies by! And the more I cherish time with family and friends.  Sipping wine and singing carols by the crackling fire on the patio. Long, drawn-out dinners full of intriguing conversation. And of course, the reason for it all, celebrating Christ’s birth.  What sweet, sweet memories.

This year my older brother elucidated the importance of certain Jones Christmas traditions as he almost burst into tears upon hearing that no, we would not be having Rosie’s tamales for Christmas Eve dinner. (Rosie’s is a restaurant here in Austin known for its tamales. I’ve had better….”but it’s a tradition!”)

So you’re just going to kill a tradition that we have kept for 20 years? What, are we going to stop going to church and watching Christmas Vacation, too?

Ok, perhaps I hyperbolize. But honestly, I just figured a lot of us were sick of tamales already (my dad bought upward of 20 dozen weeks earlier) and they weren’t even that good anyways. They were tired tamales. We needed something fresh and new. So the ladies of the house gave them the boot and I made butternut squash gnocchi with sage brown butter and prosciutto. Damn good. I’m talking melt-in-your-mouth good. Maybe even good enough to replace a diehard tradition? Well, we’ll see about that! ¡Buen provecho!

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Prosciutto and Sage Brown Butter 

(Adapted from bonappetit)

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Servings:  4-6 as a main course, 8-10 as a side

 

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (~1 lb) (or 2 cups butternut squash purée)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large egg, beaten

sea salt

white pepper

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

~2 cups flour (preferably 00 flour, but all-purpose is ok)

4 thick slices of prosciutto (prosciutto ends) or pancetta, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

8-10 sage leaves (plus more for garnish)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

 

 Method

Preheat oven to 425. Microwave whole squash for about 2 minutes, flipping halfway, to soften it and make it easier to cut. Cut the top part of (with the stem) and then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, then rub/brush/drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast (meat side up) for about an hour (or, better yet, buy it already cut up and cut the time and labor in half). Cool slightly. Scoop the meat into a food processor or blender and purée. If you are using a blender, you might need to add a splash of water to get it going.

Mix squash, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Gradually add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and then adding more if it is still really sticky. Set out on a floured surface and gently knead for about a minute. You might need to keep adding flour at this point, but be careful not to overwork the dough.

Then, divide into 8 portions and roll out each portion into long, 1/2-inch thick ropes. Cut rope crosswise into 1 inch pieces. Use the back of a fork to make a little imprint, then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate. (This can be done ahead!) Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet until golden brown. Add sage and turn off the heat. Then, when water boils, cook gnocchi for about 10-12 minutes. Drain, then toss in sage butter. Add chopped prosciutto or pancetta. Top with parmesan. Garnish with fresh sage. Serve hot.

 

This has to be one of the best pizzas things I’ve ever made.  So, I’m actually writing this blog post purely out of selfish motivation so I don’t forget a single ounce of what went into it and can make it again and again.  And I guarantee, once you make it, this pizza will become a fast favorite, one that will be an indelible addition to your recipe box (if people even use those anymore?).

Preparing and assembling this pizza can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be, and the results will still shine. While I do recommend giving homemade pizza dough a shot, there are a plethora of delicious pre-made options out there (one of which I have recommended below). But don’t be shy! Give it a try. It’s much easier than it seems, and the recipe I have included is no-knead…even better! ¡Buen provecho!

Prosciutto, Pesto, and Arugula Pizza

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

makes 2 large pizzas

 

Ingredients:

Homemade pizza dough, divided in half (click here for recipe) or 2 store-bought crusts (I highly recommend the Brooklyn Pizza Dough brand…you can find it in the frozen section of Central Market and other specialty grocery stores.)

1/2 cup basil pesto 

3 oz. proscuitto

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, (or make your own!), cut into thin slices

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 cups fresh arugula

 

Method:

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 400˚F. Roll out 2 pizza doughs into desired shape and thickness. (Make sure to flour the surface you are using!) Smother with basil pesto, top with slices of mozzarella and prosciutto, then cook for about 15-20 minutes until crust is crisp and golden and mozzarella is bubbling and melty.  Top with parmesan cheese and arugula and serve hot!