Got a New Hat and It Made Me Want to Cook

My girl and I were walking in downtown Denver a few weeks ago and we stumbled upon a unique and wonderful hat shop.  We shopped through the window and found the one that called my name~a new Panama that I adored.  I had worn a similar hat for our wedding twenty two years earlier.  How could I resist?  I got a new hat. It wasn't a traditional Panama, but a new hat all the same.

We played a little Latin music driving back to the Springs and planned out a special meal. 

Fish tacos would be the star.  Red beans and rice, fried plantains, spicy tropical mango coleslaw, home made tortillas and a touch of Cuban Rum.

A quick stop at the market on the way home allowed me to gather the necessary ingredients and I was ready to cook!
Fish, Cabbage, Mangos, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic, Plantains, Banana Leaves and Fresh Cilantro.

Slice the cabbage thin and add to the thinly sliced mango, red bell pepper, red onion and some chile pepper paste, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Slice the plantains about one half inch thick then fry them in clarified butter with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Let cool and smash them with your palm.  Then fry them again.

Home made corn tortillas

Our Red Beans and Rice

Cook the beans about eighty percent of the way, then steam them with jasmine rice to finish.

Make a plate!

Fried Plantains

I got a new hat and it made me want to cook!

Fish Tacos with red beans and rice, fried plantains, spicy mango slaw and corn tortillas

Fresh Porgy Snapper

The Tortilla Press in Action