Wasn't quite sure how to start this blog, I figured, I should go out eat and do a write up of it. Or wait until I make the next big fancy meal and write about it. And while that may happen at some time in the near future and it is part of my intent behind creating this blog, the great percentage of food I eat is at made at home, and why ignore that? Why wait for something fancy or big, when the small home made, every day, food is special and delicious in it's own way?
So, let me talk about this California Chili Sandwich that I made for lunch today.
For some time I've been craving a sandwich made with California chilies as an ingredient, so today I made just that. Unfortunately, the craving and inspiration comes from a chicken sandwich from a fast food joint that my mom and I used to eat a lot at some years ago. I say unfortunately because I can't stand fast food joints any more, or big food chains, with a very few exceptions (one of those few, a great guilty pleasure of mine, very guilty, and I won't disclose it just yet), so there's some shame in admitting what the inspiration source is. But, shame quickly dies because the flavor in California chili is just amazing, and in fact I should probably give some credit to the fast food joint for making a chicken sandwich with such flavors.
The fridge at home was conveniently stocked with California Peppers this morning, and with such a beautiful breezy weather outside, I thought it'd be fitting to make something fresh with them. Like... that sandwich I have been craving! I didn't even bother to check if there was chicken in the freezer, because, honestly, who cares. Not every lunch or every dinner needs meat in it. Now, don't get the wrong idea, I adore meat, and this dish is only vegetarian because my taste buds called for such flavors.
I pulled out the chilies, turned on my cast iron pan and started toasting them. Yes, I know, people toast their chilies on the open flame. My respects to their choices, however, I find it to be messy, faster and easier? Yes, but messy. And while today I'm lucky that it was my day off and I don't really have any hurries (considering that I'm writing a blog), I do like to make these kind of foods when I'm extremely busy, and when so, I do not have time to clean up big messes. So to make my life easier, I use a pan. With my mom's guidance though I learned what to do next, because I was going to start peeling them as soon as I toasted them, ignoring the fact that they are not quite soft yet. Yeah, I rarely do research, which is my food rarely comes out right the first time, I like to jump right to it and figure it out as I go.
What I was told was, "Wrap them in a small towel, and then put them in a plastic bag so they soften and it becomes easier to clean and peel. So I did, well, sort of. I don't believe in wasting plastic bags, or using plastic at all unless I really, really, have to, (Like buying bulk nuts at the grocery, among similar things). So, I used one of my air tight glass food containers, and put them there for about 15 minutes.
In the mean time I started pulling other stuff out of the fridge: lettuce, tomato, queso fresco, monterrey jack, avocado, mayonnaise, some chopped cilantro, and a red onion. Couldn't think of what else to put in this sandwich. Chopped the stuff I needed to chop, including the lettuce, crumbled the queso fresco and waited for my chilies to soften up a little.
Once they were soft, I peeled, deseeded them, and cut them in slices. And then I toasted my bread on my pan, it was already warm, why use the toaster oven? Just turned up the flame, added some mayonnaise on one side of the slices, and, toasted them up. Once they were kind of toasted I put some monterrey jack cheese slices on one side to melt them a little. Shortly after, the building up of the sandwich began. I didn't really put much thought on how to layer it, just the usual, cheeses first, then the star of the sandwich, which was the chili, then the veggies, ending with lettuce on top of it all. Season with salt and pepper.
I only wish I had brewed and cooled with ice some tea to accompany my sandwich with. It was so light, so fresh, so very yummy.
Next time, I pack it up and find a nice place outdoors to eat it at, it is that kind of meal.
Any changes or additions I would make include sauteing some mushrooms and onions, I think it would have added to it. It would also have made it a bit heavier. I don't think it needed it though, it just would add to it.
So, this is my first entry to this blog. And this is what this blog will be like, it won't have fancy vocabulary, or fancy techniques, it will include words like "yummy" It will be about the stuff that I eat, a 26 year old art student. However, I am picky to the quality of food, and I can't stand a lot of pre-made food, there's very few exceptions to that. Well, lets not call myself picky, I think snob is much more accurate (which is why I refuse to share my guilty pleasure of fast food, it is shameful!) I also believe that home made food is the best thing, the more made from scratch the better. It is healthier, it is cheaper, and it is more delicious and fun. Sometimes you just need a little inspiration because hunger is not enough, so I hope that this blog contains that, a little inspiration.
I do love eating out though, and I do it when I have the opportunity to do so. Some entries later may be about something that I consider is worth sharing. But, considering how broke I am lately, I think those blog entries will be far and in between. Either way, I hope this was a somewhat enjoyable read. :)
