Death Of Notes : Simply Recipes Food and Cooking Blog

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa – A Simple Green Sauce for Summer

This spectacularly simple green sauce may be the perfect summer condiment. It requires no cooking, only takes minutes, looks gorgeous, and tastes amazing with anything grilled, and most things not.

It’s also great for treating a bad sunburn. That’s right, just serve this and chips along with three or four margaritas, and the victim will feel significantly better in no time.

I will admit this is a sauce I take for granted. I’m lucky enough to live near San Francisco’s Mission District, and there are hundreds of taquerias and restaurants, all of which feature some type of fresh, green salsa. Each place uses a slightly unique combination of ingredients, but I’ve never had one I didn’t enjoy.

Not all contain avocado, but I really like the addition since it adds a wonderful richness, and the extra fat helps carry the other flavors around. As you’ll see next week, this was delicious on some pork tacos, but there are so many other amazing options. Try it on scrambled eggs, use it as a relish for sausage, or as a dip for fried-anything. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/4 cups:

1 generous cup sliced tomatillos (about 6 oz by weight)

*Note: if you can’t find fresh, you can use canned tomatillos in a pinch

1 tbsp minced Serrano pepper, or to taste

1 large ripe avocado

1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves

1/2 lime, juiced

salt to taste

View the complete recipe

Next Up: Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

Fondant Potatoes – A Creamy Crusty Blast from the Past

Every once in a while I get a food wish that instantly takes me back to culinary school. Things like aspic (not happening), larding a tenderloin (not happening), and pulled sugar (sort of already happened) always transport me back to those demos where the instructors fully admitted that we’d probably never use these skills, but since they were considered “classic techniques,” we’d have to spend time covering them anyway. Sure, makes perfect sense.

This fabulous fondant potato technique is a prime example. Made them a few times in school and loved them. Made them a few times at a hotel early in my career and loved them. Haven’t made them since, and not exactly sure why. They taste amazing, and as I try to make clear in the video, the texture this method provides is unlike anything you get by just roasting. The way the crusty, crunchy edges outside, works with the uniquely rich and creamy inside is truly a magical thing.

I just think that we’re so used to the usual rotation of potato side dishes; fried, roasted, mashed, etc., that it’s hard to push ourselves to do a potato recipe that has multiple steps. In fairness, the multiple steps are super easy, but still. Anyway, if you’ve never experienced the old world awesomeness that is the fondant potato, I hope this video inspires you to try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 fondant potatoes:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 large russet potatoes (other varieties will not work as well)

salt and pepper to taste

a knob of butter (a 2 or 3 tablespoon size chunk)

4 thyme sprigs

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock, more if needed
*Roast at 425 F until tender, about 30 minutes

View the complete recipe

Next Up: An Old Potato Recipe That Has Nothing To Do With Golf

I hope you all enjoyed as nice a Father’s Day weekend as I did. I got to take in a baseball game, fireworks, and golf with my father-in-law, Al, who shot a masterful 78 at the Wildhorse Golf Club.

It was a lot of fun to watch, and I came in a very close second…with a score of 97. If you had any fears that I might quit doing this blog to compete on the senior golf tour, you can relax.

Anyway, I wish I could think of a clever way to segue from golf on Father’s Day to the next video, but I can’t (if we’d played “skins” during the round I would have had a better chance). So, I’ll simply say, our new video features a very old recipe, Fondant Potatoes. Stay tuned!

Beerbecue Beef Flank Steak – You’ll Have Them at “Beer”

If you thought beer was just a refreshing adult beverage that made your friends seem more interesting and better looking, well think again. I was simply stunned at how a glass of beer poured into a homemade barbecue sauce created one of the most delicious grilled flank steaks I’ve ever had.

If you’re looking for something different for your Father’s Day cookout, consider this super simple preparation. I’m not sure if it’s the bitterness from the hops, or the malty notes, or just the alcohol, but something happens to produce a tender, juicy, and very flavorful steak.

Of course, half the battle is cutting this correctly, so pay special attention to that portion of the video. Cutting in half lengthwise will make life easier, and then straight down across the grain will yield tender slices of the smoky, aromatic meat. Drizzle on a little of the leftover sauce, and you’re in for a real treat.

Any beer will do, but try to use something on the more aggressive side if you can. Don’t forget, you’ll need to drink the other 5.33 beers, so you might as well get something tasty. I went with Belgian ale, and it was a beautiful thing. I hope you give this father-friendly beerbecue recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 (1 1/2 lb) trimmed beef flank steak

salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup strong beer

View the complete recipe

Next Up: Beerbecue!

S’more Ice Cream Pie – Who’s Your Daddy’s Favorite Celebrity Dessert Chef?

Trick question; he doesn’t have one. That type of thing is more for women and food bloggers. In fact, your dad may not even have a favorite dessert, but if he had to pick one, I think a lot of fathers would go with s’mores – the campfire classic that inspired this frozen Father’s Day dessert.

S’mores are a simple, yet brilliant treat that represents everything most males, dads or otherwise, seem to love. It’s made over a crackling fire, the building of which triggers the release of all kinds of manly neurotransmitters in the brain. The same goes for sharpening sticks with knives, impaling things, and burning stuff.

And while you’re not experiencing those primitive pleasures here (except for the blowtorch, which is never not awesome), I think just the connection with the venerable s’more alone will be enough to have dad loving this pie.

If not, there’s always the crispy, buttery graham crackers, chocolate ice cream, and toasted marshmallows to make him proud of you anyway. Whether you make this for Father’s Day dessert or not, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

6 tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (28-oz) container chocolate ice cream

2-3 handfuls mini marshmallows, or enough to cover the top

View the complete recipe