Archive for Recipes
Drinks ‘Round the World
Posted by: | CommentsWe created this drink at the RumBar, and while I can’t take credit for the concotion, I did play a critical role in the grueling process of research and development and the difficult process of choosing a name. It’s kind of a girly drink, but nice to have once in a while.
The Marion strawBarry
Crush 3 or 4 strawberrys in the bottom of the glass
Add simple syrup
Fill with ice
1 oz rum (Quetzeltaca works)
2 oz club soda
1 drop Pico Diablo
Stir and enjoy.
Drinks ‘Round the World
Posted by: | CommentsTravelExpert(a) has reminded me that today is the day we’re supposed to post some of our favorite cocktails. I sure hope this little commitment is over soon, it’s a lot to have to remember to post something on a specific topic on a particular day.
Anyway, here’s my contribution for September, this is a great drink to have when it’s not yet noon and it’s clear it’s going to be a long day:
Mark’s Special Bloody Mary
3 oz tomato juice (Kern’s is best)
1 1/2 oz vodka (Polikov is fine for this)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 oz lemon juice (lime doesn’t work, don’t try it)
A few drops of Worchestire sauce
1 drop of Pico Diablo
Shake vigorously and then pour over ice. Be careful with the Pico Diablo; two drops may have you making a double, minus the hot stuff.
Mark’s Special Fish & Chips
Posted by: | CommentsFish is good for you and a regular meal for us on Fridays. It took a lot of experimentation with local fish to figure this out.
Mark’s Special Fish & Chips Recipe
1. Buy two pounds of Dorado filet (25Q/lb), from the guy who brings it from Monterrico on Monday and Friday.
2. Heat up vegetable oil in a pot (1L for 19Q).
3. Dump flour in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, put two eggs (1Q ea) with some milk (11Q for 1L), stir with the wire thingy.
5. Pour bread crumbs in a bowl (5Q for 1 bag @ mercado)
6. Ask the maid to cut the fish as desired, “similar a los dedos de mi mano”.
7. Get a kid to pick up each piece of fish, bathe in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs and place on plate.
8. Place in oil until golden.
9. Use thongs to remove from oil, then heavily salt.
Mark’s Special Tartar Sauce
1. Add mayo and some diced dell pickle.
2. Some grated onion.
3. A little bit of lemon juice.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mark’s Special French Fries
1. Select potatoes that are at least 5 days old. Peel and chop to desired thickness.
2. Soak the fries in ice cold water for 10 minutes (or longer).
3. Remove the fries and put them in the oil which should be very hot.
4. Stir occasionally.
5. Remove one fry, let cool and then test to see if it is cooked through to your desired firmness.
6. Remove remainder of the fries, salt heavily and enjoy.
Mark’s Secret Seduction
Posted by: | CommentsTravel Expert(a) is hosting a “Drinks ‘Round the World” thing where bloggers post some of their favorite drinks on the first of each month. I usually hate these things, after all, I don’t think you care that much about what I’m interested in, and I know I don’t care that much about what you’re interested in, but in this case, the topic hits pretty close to home so I thought I would leave the curmudgeon at the laptop and head to the bar.
This drink is perfect for a hot day, or for women or gay men on any day. It’s cold, sweet and powerful. Because my kids read this blog, I can’t give you a detailed explanation of the origins of the title, but you can probably figure it out yourself. (I always chuckle when I offer the drink to visiting ladies, because some hear the name, raise an eyebrow and with a devious smile and great enthusiasm request one, while others’ eyes grow wide and they demur, quietly asking instead for a Pina Colada or a glass of punch).
Anyway, this drink is very easy to make if you have the ingredients, and I have to caution that substitutions are not recommended. It took me months to find the right set of ingredients in Guate, because all three are hard to find. Here is the original recipe:
Mark’s Secret Seduction
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1.5 oz Disarrono Amaretto
1.5 oz Crown Royal Whisky
You pour over lots of ice and stir. An interesting alternative is to make it like a martini and strain into shot glasses. These things are so smooth and tasty you can have 8 or 10 before you know it. (This is getting dangerously close to the origin of the name).
If you’re in Guatemala, you will find that all three ingredients can be difficult to come by, and/or expensive. Here is one alternative I’ve developed:
Mark’s Secret (Guate) Seduction
1 oz Cranberry Cocktail Juice
1.5 oz Crowley’s Whiskey
1.5 oz Leroux Amaretto
For reasons I don’t understand, Cranberry Juice and Cranberry Cocktail Juice are different. However, it still works. I have yet to find Crown Royal here, and that is a significant impediment to this drink. After experimenting with half a dozen whiskeys, the Crowley’s I found at the bodegona is sufficient. DiSarrono Amaretto is difficult to find here and very expensive. I tried two Amarettos which were awful before finding Leroux Amaretto, which by itself is no good, but in this drink is passable.
Enjoy.
Mark’s Special Spaghetti Recipe
Posted by: | CommentsIn addition to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and soup from a can, I can make really good spaghetti. Since all the other expat bloggers post their recipes, I thought I would share mine. This works great if you’re a vegetarian, love tomatoes, onions and garlic, don’t have anything else, or don’t know how to make anything else.
Mark’s Special Spaghetti Recipe
- Fill up a pot with small tomatoes (3Q per lb), add water and boil.
- Get a kid who has earned a punishment and have them peel and chop a red, white and yellow onion (2.5Q per lb) and a bunch of garlic (1Q per head).
- Have a glass of wine (Chilean, 30Q per bottle).
- Once the tomatoes split open, dump them into the plastic green thing with holes in it and let them cool off.
- Have a glass of wine.
- Find a kid to peel the tomatoes and mash them.
- Dump the mashed tomatoes into a pot and bring to a boil.
- Add in chopped onions and garlic and stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper.
- Boil water, then add noodles (3Q for 7 oz bag).
- Have a glass of wine.
- Turn the heat off the spaghetti sauce and let the stuff sit. Add salt.
- Have a glass of wine.
- Dump the contents into a blender and blend for 10 seconds.
- Dump the contents back into a pot. Add salt (2Q for 400g).
- Drain spaghetti from boiling water, but not before reserving some of the water in a separate cup.
- Put spaghetti in a bowl, add the water you reserved, and toss with some olive oil (86Q for 2L).
- Serve with generous portions of Parmesan cheese (65Q for 1lb).
Sorry, no picture. Remind me to tell you the story about buying batteries.
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