Subject: Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sat Apr 27 2002 - 02:39:27 EDT
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Reader Lowell writes, "This is my favorite bride-as-cook joke. It's
been around a long time, but maybe some Recitopians haven't heard it
yet."
A recent bride called her mother one evening in tears. "Oh, Mom, I
tried to make Grandmother's meat loaf for dinner tonight, and it's
just awful! I followed the recipe exactly, and I know I have the
recipe right because it's the one you gave me. But it just didn't
come out right, and I'm so upset. I wanted this to be so special for
Brian because he loves meat loaf. What could have gone wrong?"
Her mother replied soothingly, "Well, dear, let's go through the
recipe. You read it out loud and tell me exactly what you did at each
step, and together we'll figure it out."
"OK," the bride sniffled. "Well, it starts out, 'Take fifty cents
worth of ground beef''..."
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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Before we get to today's recipe, I have a correction to make to
yesterday's recipe. Thanks to the many readers who pointed out I
omitted the tomatillos from the procedure. Here is the corrected
version:
Tacos a la Crema (Tacos in Cream Sauce)
12-18 corn tortillas
2-3 large potatoes, peeled, cooked in boiling salted
water, drained, and mashed
2 lbs (900 g) Oaxaca or Monterey jack cheese, shredded,
plus additional for garnish
4 cups (1 L) water
12 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4-6 cloves garlic
2-4 Jalapeno chilies, seeded (or to taste)
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Oil for frying
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) half-and-half, light cream, or milk
Heat the tortillas in a dry hot skillet until warm and flexible.
Spread some of the mashed potatoes down the center of each tortilla,
sprinkle with grated cheese, and roll the tortillas tightly, securing
each with a toothpick. Set aside. Combine the water, tomatillos,
half the chopped onion, half the garlic, and the Jalapenos in a pot
and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer
covered for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid. Combine the
cooked ingredients with the remaining onion, remaining garlic,
cilantro, avocado, salt, and pepper in an electric blender or food
processor and blend until smooth. Add a little of the reserved
cooking liquid if necessary to thin the sauce - it should be thick but
pourable. Heat the oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch (1 cm) in a
skillet over high heat and fry the tacos a few at a time until crisp
and golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Place three
tacos per serving on serving plates and top with the green sauce.
Stir together the sour cream and half-and-half and spoon over the
tacos. Garnish with shredded cheese and serve immediately. Serves 4
to 6.
I have seen several requests for this classic Latin American cake in
the Bulletin Board, so I decided to include it in this week's menu.
The "tres leches" refers to the fact that it uses evaporated,
sweetened condensed, and regular milk. You can also make a close
approximation of this cake by pouring the topping over your favorite
pound cake.
Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)
Note: This recipe calls for uncooked egg whites. If salmonella
contamination is a concern in your area, simply eliminate the meringue
topping.
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
For the topping:
1 12-oz (335 g) can evaporated milk
1 14-oz (390 g) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (500 ml) milk
2 cups (500 ml) sour cream
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) hot water
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
3 egg whites
Strawberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Sift the flour with the baking powder. In large bowl beat the egg
whites until frothy. Add the sugar gradually, beating to form stiff
peaks. Add the yolks one at a time. Slowly add the flour and milk.
Pour the batter into a grease and floured 13x9x2-inch (33x23x5-cm)
baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until edges are
golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let
cool on a wire rack.
For the topping, combine the milks and sour cream, stirring until
smooth. Pour the topping over the cake and let sit until all the
mixture is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Combine the sugar, water, and
vanilla in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Beat the egg
whites until frothy. Slowly pour the sugar syrup over the egg whites,
beating constantly, until the meringue forms stiff peaks. The
meringue can be served immediately but is best made 24 hours ahead and
chilled. To serve, cut cake into squares and spread meringue over
each. Garnish with strawberries and mint leaves if desired. Serves 8
to 12.
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