6 days Ago
How is it that my grandsons are growing up so fast? Guy, who is almost 4, is a chatterbox who knows what he wants — and doesn’t want. He and I had a tussle over eating broccoli, which he declared he didn’t “yike” (he has trouble pronouncing a beginning “L” sound). Gabe, 2, is also a chatterbox, although most of his statements consist of only two or three words.
And they are so tall! I went to get as many cuddles and hugs, and quality Grammie time, with my little boys as I could fit in during the weekend. It was also good to see my not-so-little boy, David, and my daughter-in-law, Casey. Weekends with them are spent around the house, playing with the kids and catching up on our lives.
Casey planned a movie night on Saturday. She got snacks ready, set up a projector to watch the movie on a wall, and made a cozy space on the floor for the boys. The movie was one of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” series — David’s favorite action heroes passed on to the next generation.
Movie night for the boys lasted only as long as the snacks held out — roughly 15 minutes. Oh well ..
. David usually has a movie he wants me to watch, which we do after the kids are in bed. The latest one was “Chef,” directed by Jon Favreau, whose directing, acting and executive producer credits include “The Avengers,” “Iron Man” and “Spider-Man” film franchises, to name only a few.
In “Chef,” Favreau plays a chef who, after a public altercation with a food critic, quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant to run a food truck with his young son. The film is roughly based on Roy Choi, the godfather of the gourmet food truck movement. In 2008, he launched Kogi, a Korean Mexican food truck in Los Angeles, which erased the boundaries between fancy restaurant cuisine and street food.
We loved the movie so much, we watched Choi and Favreau’s cooking series, “The Chef Show.” Inspired by an episode that featured salsa verde , the next morning David went to the market for jalapenos, tomatillos, chili peppers and cilantro so we could give it a try. (I wasn’t happy about the cilantro — I’m one of those who finds it tastes like dish liquid.
However, I was outnumbered ...
) We ate half of it with taco chips and used the other half to marinate a pork tenderloin overnight. So good in tacos the next night! Makes about 2 cups Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon cooking oil, plus more as needed 2 large tomatillos, peeled and rinsed 3 garlic cloves, peeled 6 scallions 2 jalapeños 2 serrano chilies 1 bunch cilantro, with stems, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 2 limes 1/2 cup rice vinegar 3 large pinches kosher salt 2 large pinches freshly ground black pepper DIRECTIONS Drizzle the oil evenly in a large skillet or on a griddle set over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, garlic, scallions, jalapeños and serranos.
Slowly and patiently char the vegetables on all sides, turning often, until they begin to blister and blacken in spots, about 10-15 minutes. Not all the ingredients will char at the same rate, so keep an eye on them and take them off the heat when they’ve started to soften but aren’t burnt. Transfer the charred vegetables to a cutting board or sheet pan, and let them cool slightly.
Once the chilies are cool enough to handle, remove their stems. (For a milder salsa, slice the pods open and scrape out the seeds.) Add the chilies and the rest of the charred ingredients to a clean blender jar, and pack the cilantro on top.
Roll the limes against a hard surface with your palms, slice them in half, and squeeze them over the blender jar using your hands. Add the rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend the ingredients at high speed just until a smooth salsa forms, about 15 seconds.
If the mixture seems too thick or chunky, add small amounts of water or oil while running the blender at low speed until the salsa is the desired consistency. Season the salsa with more salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the salsa into a sealable jar or container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
.
