The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hallacas and No-Ho-Ho and Hello, Oh My

photo by Sardonic Salad
    
        First, the hallacas (pronounced "aye-jak-ez," I think). It's a dish from Venezuela. A mixture made from fifty-eight five different kinds of meat (and the meat came from three different animals), capers, raisins, marjoram and other spices, red wine vinegar and red bell pepper. They're "embellished" with slivered almonds and olives. It's encased in a cornmeal "pocket" and then is "packaged" in banana leaves and steamed.

    I won't say what I was calling those banana leaves--since you might not appreciate the colorful and creative combinations I came up with--but suffice it to say, it was a daunting task.

      I was up until 2:30 in the morning on Saturday making these delicacies. My teaching partner's husband took his oath on Thursday and became a citizen. They have the most drop-dead gorgeous girl (who is a spitfire), and Holly hosted a surprise party on Saturday afternoon. I offered to make the hallacas before I knew how troublesome they would be. However, Rodrigo went back and got thirds, so I was happy...

      Next, no Ho-Ho for me. My "Fifty Shades of Santa" was rejected, but it was an encouraging no. I plan on studying the tone Pat wants, and submitting something to her at a later date for a later anthology.

       And I got a hello from Simon and Schuster. Okay, the "hello" was a box of Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Positive books, I was expecting them, but it took a little out of the sting from the rejection.

       How'boutchoo? What was the funniest culinary disaster you've experienced?

       And if you'd like a pedicure this Sunday while you sip beer and get a pap smear, go to Pearl's Paps and Pedicure Pub. She'll fix you right up...I promise. 


10 comments:

  1. Well, I'm no gourmet. But I once slid a frozen pizza into the oven still on its cardboard circle. Which certainly has a different aroma than the crust.

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    1. Hey Val, at least you took the cellophane wrapping off. You DID take off the plastic wrapping, didn't you?

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  2. Whew Sioux, you took on quite a task. I don't eve think I'd attempt that. I'm sorry about your No-Ho-Ho, boo-hoo-hoo. But yay-yay-yay for the CS books!

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    1. Thanks, Lynn. I took it on, not knowing how complicated it was. Having the right cornmeal would have helped, I now know...

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  3. Replies
    1. Linda--You ARE drinking some hop-filled beverage tonight, aren't you!

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  4. Wow. Those tasty treats come at the expense of too much work! I make enchiladas for Christmas every year and consider myself much put upon. When I first got married I bragged about my wonderful Thanksgiving turkeys. And I did indeed produce a perfectly browned beautiful bird. Trouble was when we carved it and it was practically raw inside. I had to fry slices of it to serve.

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    1. Marcia--Nothing says "family holiday" like a mass trip to the ER. Fried turkey actually sounds delicious.Perhaps you created an ingenuous two-step turkey dish that will catch on...and if you have family members you're NOT fond of, skip the frying part and serve it to 'em straight out of the oven and still "rare."

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  5. You must get that hysterically funny Santa story published, Sioux. I don't know when I've laughed so hard.

    I once read that it was the "new" thing to roast a turkey upside down because it made it juicier. It took forever to cook and came out looking the same shade as my legs look in February. And about as appetizing. And we had guests. We ate just before bedtime.

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    1. Tammy--I assume it wasn't as hairy as my legs are in February.

      However, if you make people wait that long for food, they'll eat anything and be grateful for it.

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