This month I was invited by Stephanie Sherrill, one of the owners of Olive This!, to become a recipe collaborator. As we browsed the store, chatting while deciding on a product to feature in the first ‘Bling Cuisine with Olive This!’ recipe series I couldn't help feeling it was such a thrill to be able to meet her in person. I wasn't doing this virtually. I was ACTUALLY strolling through a showroom brimming with recipe-possibility. Although we’re not completely out of the woods with the pandemic, I’m profoundly grateful we’re mostly set free to enjoy the world again. It’s been a year, eh? There are reams of paper filled with stories and anecdotes about what we learned from this loooong lock-down. However, my speculations weren’t all expressed in written form. They were also spread across a cutting board, mixed into sauces, seared on a hot pan, and set before loved ones at mealtime. I’ve always expressed my deepest thoughts through food. As you read this recipe, you’ll get an immediate sense what my cooking style is like. Flavors, colors, and textures should all wake up the palette. It should be interesting by accessible. Every ingredients should be respected and elevated. -- All those things are inherent in my Mexican Beef Skillet with Apricot Persian Lime Salsa & Turmeric Spiced Rice. Let me do some teaching first. S L O W L Y simmering beef is mostly a problem solver in addition to a technique. The toughest cuts of beef are rendered luxuriously tender with heat and time. That means you can save money buy only beef chuck for this meal. When combined with a yummy simmering sauce you now have a foundation from which to build so many flavor themes. Because I wanted to feature the Persian Lime Oil, I went with Mexican and Middle East spices for my focus. But I also wanted some top notes for relief, so stone fruit was blended with traditional salsa ingredients to wake it up. And a bright yellow plate of turmeric rice cradled it all like a spotlight on a soloist. I know there's a temptation to just dump everything in at once. But I encourage you start with searing the meat and then adding your aromatics like onion and garlic. Layering and building flavor is about steps, not expertise. so don't skip it. Adding a fresh bouquet of herbs is the final secret weapon so that now, all you need is a lid and 90 minutes! Don’t let yourself believe this is a difficult dish to make. I’ve always insisted adventurous and sensuous cooking is within reach for all cooks. That’s why I’m inviting you to access your culinary imagination whenever you’re in the kitchen (and grab a bottle of something from Olive This!). Please, give this recipe a try!! RECIPE: Mexican Beef Skillet |
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Meet the Cook...
My name is Camine Pappas and I love to create beautiful and delicious food that anyone can make. My signature style centers around a love for combining things in a way you might not expect as I work to find a hidden combination of colors, textures and flavors from the things that are in my pantry and/or easy to obtain. Archives
April 2022
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