Fresh Approach Cooking

We all have a friend like Charlie, don’t we? That guy who ate paste as a child and now is willing to try pretty much anything the sushi master puts on his plate. That guy who meets up with a Colin Farrell type at a bar and then has to ditch him because “He's not very cool. And besides, the guy only parties at 80%.” (Which is actually a true story and a real quote. Eek.)

I mean, I really wanted to take part in this months Paper Chef, it just happens that Charlie is staying with me (its always nice to have an attorney in-house, when you are drinking like mad and not sure how you got into a limo, let alone who’s paying for it, don’t you think?) and ate the ingredients before I could cook with them. And then when I went and bought more peaches, more chipotles, more jumbo shrimp, more queso fresco, more freshly made (local!) corn tortillas, more epazote (yes kids, he ate the epazote) and more yellow tear drop tomatoes, (through the haze he couldn’t figure out a way to devour the orange blossom honey I suppose) he surprised me with dinner, and it wasn’t exactly, um, edible. (It was a stir fry of sorts) Or photogenic. Sigh.

But since he is a dear man, a world champion friend, (can you hear the air in the room being sucked up?) and he really had the best of intentions, I gave up, and with his encouragment, (every step of the way) made cocktails.

We tried layering them at first…peach nectar (fresh made from a local taqueria), then hibiscus and rose-hip iced tea and a floater of chile infused tequila (which, tragically, and possibly, really bad for our livers, a bottle of which we demolished, literally and figuratively. What can I say, it was a festive evening) which was tasty as can be but too murky to be photographed, so please accept my entry for Paper Bartender…Peach Nectar (with rum) Hibiscus Tea (with vodka) and Chile-Tequila Shooters. (The garnish on the plate in the photo are dried hibiscus and rose hips)

I know, its beyond creative, no need to point that out. I am humbled in my own presence with this amazing beverage (it was actually kind of tasty. I suggest going easy on any two of the three ingredients so as not to overpower the others, should you dare concoct this on your own…for no apparent reason)

Charlie also wants me to include this information: “Hey. So whatever you do, don’t try this as a flaming cocktail, fire and booze should be left to the professionals.”

I'm off for some much needed detox. Tomorrow, back to food.

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Epazote - An herb well-known to Mexican and Caribbean cooking. The name comes from the Aztec (Nahuatl) epazotl. It is also known as pigweed or Mexican tea and is frequently regarded as a garden pest. Much like cilantro, it is referred to as an "acquired taste". The herb is quite pungent and some say it smells like gasoline or kerosene.

Early morning yellow flowers.
Thinking about the drunkards
of Mexico.
-Jack Kerouac