Salsa

I had dinner at Duffy's for my birthday and absolutely LOVED their salsa. I am not one that likes chunky salsa but theirs was AUsome! So I decided to try my hand at it. I have tried to make salsa before but never was happy with it. But I think I am pleased with what I did yesterday....

I used 6 plumb tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, onion, tomato sauce and Tabasco powder. I cut the tomatoes in small pieces (I included the inner part of the tomatoes, too, because that is were most of the tomato flavor is). Chop several fresh cilantro leaves into small bits and about 1/3 of a sweet onion cut into small pieces. To thicken the sauce I used tomato sauce and then threw on a small pinch of Tabasco powder. I then placed the mixture into a container that was then "vacuum sealed" to infuse the flavor. It was left overnight in the refrigerator. I tried it this morning and it is AUsome!

There are a couple of things I will do different the next time. First I will par-boil the tomatoes to remove the skin. I would use tomato puree or paste instead of sauce. And if I decide I don't want all the chunks I'll use my Vita-Mix to make it more like I used to get salsa from Mexican restaurants in Montgomery, AL.

Standing Rib Roast~~

I decided on a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner (my family tradition is Lasagna so this was something quite different). After searching thru my cookbooks and the internet I decided to blend a couple of recipes together. I used a 2 rib roast, about 5 lbs and salted the entire roast with kosher salt the night before. The next morning I rubbed the recipe below over the entire roast and let it stand for about 2 hours before cooking. I set the bone side down with the fat on the top of the roast. The oven was set at 350 and I baked it for about 2 hours 15 minutes -the internal temperature was about 135. While the roast was resting I steamed fresh green beans (topped with real butter when plated) and browned French Baggett bread. It was absolutely AUsome! the interior of the roast was medium rare so if you like it medium let it cook for a few more degrees.

I will definitely make this again!

Rib Rub: please note that I did not measure any of this..I just used generous portions....

all ingredients were fresh: parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, fresh cracked black pepper and Bartolli extra LIGHT olive oil..I used my Vita-mix to bring it to a paste. I then mixed in more olive oil to rub on the roast. Make sure you use only the leaves from the herbs...stems dont grind well.......

Cooking-Sharing my successes and failures!

I'm new to blogging. I have always loved to cook so I thought I could share some of my "stories" with you. I can't afford affort culinary school so I look at cookbooks, TV and the internet for ideas. Now starts my blog. I want to share things that I have learned, bad ideas that just didn't work and recipies I have developed on my own. So now begins my adventure. I hope things that I post will bring inspiration to you and that you also share with me so I can improve my skills.....

bon appetit~~

Margi