Tomatillo salsa

Tomatillo salsa based on this recipe from Gourmet.

Although I occasionally eat really good Mexican food in the three or four Mexican restaurants in London, I almost never make any at home because I find it really difficult to locate Mexican ingredients. My grocery store carries a line of Old El Paso products, but they look gross in the package, and I’m guessing they would taste gross, too. Finding all of the ingredients for a meal would require me visiting multiple grocery stores and even then, I’m not sure I would have anything that seems remotely authentic (shredded English cheddar is no match for queso fresco).

However, I ventured into a very scary neighbourhood a few months back to a Mexican store that sold a handful on genuinely Mexican ingredients. I bought a few things and made a dash for the safety of the Tube. One of my purchases was a can of tomatillos. If I lived in LA I would never consider buying a can of tomatillos, but I live in London, and sometimes I just have to take what I can get.

I started by roasting a loosely chopped red onion and the tomatillos on a high setting, for about ten minutes (about 400F). After ten minutes I added two cloves of garlic and roasted for a further five minutes. (Note that I have a convection oven.)

I added the roasted vegetables to my food processor, along with half a de-seeded jalapeno, a handful of cilantro, a dash of salt, pepper and cumin.

Delicious! And colorful, too. 

Cappuccino Brownies

This is from Bon App and is one of the best brownie recipes ever, I think. Takes a bit of time while you wait for things to cool, but very worth it. I brought to a party and they were eaten up quickly.

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/07/cappuccino_brownies

The white chocolate ganache mimics the steamed-milk foam on the top of a cappuccino. A dusting of cinnamon completes the homage


Ingredients
BROWNIES
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
FOR BROWNIES
Preheat oven to 325°F. Fold 16-inch-long piece of foil to 8x16-inch strip; place in 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
Stir butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar, then eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt; sift flour over and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 35 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack.
FOR GANACHE
Place white chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate in bowl. Let stand 30 seconds, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave on low power in 10-second intervals until white chocolate is melted completely. Chill until ganache is thick but still slightly pourable, about 25 minutes.
Using foil as aid, lift brownies from pan. Turn over onto sheet of parchment paper; peel off foil.
Pour ganache onto center of brownies; spread to edges (some may drip over). Sprinkle with cinnamon. Chill until ganache is set, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Cut brownies into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 5 or 6 pieces, or cut each strip into 6 triangles. Arrange brownies on platter and serve