There’s nothing we crave more in the summer than something refreshing and cool but that also has the depth and complexity of a spicy dish.

Fortunately, ceviche satisfies both desires.

Ceviche is a general term used to refer to any variety of fish (generally white meat fish) that is marinated—either raw or after being flash cooked– in citrus and served cold. The citrus juices that are used “cook” the fish, making it safe to eat.

Ceviche is often served as an appetizer, but if you’d like to build a heavier plate around it, consider serving the ceviche in an avocado half.

Ingredients:

*1/2 pound of shrimp, deveined but with tails on.
*1/4 cup of finely diced jicama (see photo)

*1/4 cup of finely diced red onion
*1/4 cup of finely diced pineapple (fresh is definitely preferred over canned)
*1/2 cup lime juice
*the juice of half a lemon
*1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
*1 jalapeno, seeded & finely diced

Directions:

Step One: Place all of the ingredients except the shrimp in a plastic or glass bowl. Do not use an aluminum bowl, as it is likely to transfer a metallic taste.
Step Two: Toss all of the ingredients together with a fork or spoon until they are mixed well. Set aside.
Step Three: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Step Four: When your water is boiling, add the shrimp.
Step Five: After 40 seconds in the boiling water, remove the shrimp from the pot and place them immediately in an ice bath.
Step Six: After a minute or two in the ice bath, remove the shrimp and add them to the mix. Toss and then cover and refrigerate for an hour. Serve cold.

Ceviche Photo: joe.routon (creative commons)
Jicama Photo: PinchMySalt (creative commons)

In this top 10 list, Chef Francisco shares his tips for 5 pieces of must-have equipment and 5 spices that should have a place in every home kitchen.

And come back tomorrow… Chef Francisco will be sharing his homemade shrimp ceviche recipe, perfect for a hot summer day!

Equipment

5. Cast iron skillet: Though true cast iron skillets are harder and harder to come by, Chef Francisco swears by his cast iron, saying that it outperforms any other skillet for most stove-top tasks. Don’t balk at the price: a cast iron skillet will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

4. Mortar & pestle: You may have a spice grinder or a food processor, but some dishes require the fine grind that you can only achieve with a mortar and pestle, known in Spanish as a molcajete. Most kitchen supply stores sell mortar and pestles at a reasonable price; if you can’t find one, though, check Amazon or Ebay. Chef Francisco prefers the granite over the marble version.

3. Bamboo steamer:

If you don’t invest in any other item on this list, buy a bamboo steamer. It’s cheap, for one thing, it will save you lots of time in the kitchen, and it will help you turn out healthy, delicious dishes. The bamboo steamer sits atop a boiling pot of water and can cook vegetables, chicken, and fish quickly and thoroughly. For fast, tasty poultry or fish, line the bottom of the steamer with thin slices of grapefruit, orange, or lime; the meat will absorb the citrus flavor. Chef Francisco buys his bamboo steamers at Pearl River in New York City, but they are also available online.

2. Microplane grater: Chef Francisco uses this handheld grater to produce zest, chocolate shavings, and grated ginger and garlic in record time. Lightweight and easy to use, this is another inexpensive investment that will make your food-prep more pleasurable.

1. Clay pot. While the clay pot has been used by other cultures for centuries, its use is still fairly limited in the U.S. Chef Francisco promises that once you try the clay pot, it won’t be your last time. Incredibly diverse in its uses– you can bake bread, roast meats or vegetables, cook beans, and even make desserts in it–the clay pot is an almost-foolproof piece of cooking equipment, whether you use it for slow cooking (ideal) or quick cooking.

Spices

5. Nigerian cayenne: You probably know cayenne and maybe even have this slightly dusty, musky spice in your cabinet. Nigerian cayenne, however, has a distinct flavor and adds depth and stability to heavier poultry and meat dishes.

4. Star Anise:

You may have anise in ground form, but star anise (so named because the seed pod is in the shape of a star) is fun to use for soups because it packs its usual fennel-esque punch and makes a nice visual impression floating around in each serving bowl.

3. Garam masala: Essential to many Indian dishes, garam masala is a blend of coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. While you can make it yourself, a homemade blend will be unlikely to have the same depth and complexity as a blend made of the whole spices roasted and then ground to a fine powder.

2. Bay leaves: Often dismissed as a “boring” spice cabinet space-waster, Chef Francisco uses bay leaves to flavor soups, rice, and beans. Be sure to buy good bay leaves… they make all the difference!

1. Berbere: This African spice blend, also referred to as the African masala, is comprised of red chilies, fenugreek, ginger, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and ajowan. It can be difficult to find–not the least reason being that the spice goes by other names, including pere pere and peri peri–but Chef Francisco’s favorite blend is made by Seasoned Pioneers.

Do you have any of the equipment or spices on Chef Francisco’s list? What else would you recommend? Share your comments below.

Bamboo steamer photo: Lianne Kang (creative commons)
Star anise photo: canelaycomino (creative commons)

We’re turning the corner from June to July soon, which means it’s peak of the season for some of summer’s greatest fruits and vegetables. The corn is at its sweetest and juiciest and greens of all sorts radiate vivid lushness.

Whether you’re a devoted foodie and home cook or a budding, bumbling amateur in the kitchen, there are at least five compelling reasons to shop, cook, and eat fresh:

5) Cooking fresh is actually easier. Many people believe–incorrectly– that cooking with fresh foods is somehow harder than cooking with canned or packaged ingredients. The reason may be that most fresh foods don’t come with instructions. Cooking with fresh foods is actually easier and faster, though, than cooking with packaged foods. Besides, there are lots of recipes online.

First of all, think about how much time you spend just opening and eventually discarding the packages in which processed foods are sold. Huge time waster! Fresh food takes very little effort to get from market to table. With fresh ears of corn, for example, you can just pop the ears–leaves and all–into the oven (350^F) and 20 minutes later you’re enjoying the tastiest roasted corn you’ve ever had. If you’re having company and want to impress them, pull the leaves back (but not off) and tie them together with one extra leaf.

Vegetables are just as easy. Wash, cut, and toss some broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant with olive oil and spices; place in an oven pan and roast. This is much easier than thawing out vegetables or opening up cans!

4) Shopping fresh produces much less inorganic waste. Sure, you can recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard boxes in many cities, but what about all that plastic wrap? 60% of the 30 million tons of garbage produced in each developed country every year is packaging waste. (Seen those plastic-wrapped apples and oranges at airports?!). When you buy fresh, you’re almost always buying zero packaging. The waste that is produced is organic (leaves, cores, seeds, etc.), and can be composted… even in the city!

Counter-top composters are great for disposing of fruit and vegetable waste, producing soil that can be used for planting (donate the soil to a local school if you can’t use it). They’re also cheap. Models start at $8.00 USD . They’re not messy and because they have carbon filters, don’t produce bad odors.

3) Shopping fresh means you actually develop relationships with people. Whether you shop at a local farmer’s market or participate in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fresh vegetable and fruit delivery program, shopping fresh will almost always result in striking up friendships with other folks… from the farmer who planted and harvested the food you’re about to eat to the community organizer behind the scenes who makes markets and CSAs possible. These people will get to know you and will be happy to teach you more about fresh food. They also tend to have the unfailing ability to keep your preferences in mind. If you can say that about your local big-box grocery store, let us know.

2) Eating fresh makes you more conscious of the seasons. Try this experiment: between now and late August, buy fresh corn once a week. Each time you eat it, note the difference in taste. As the season peaks and then progresses towards its end, your awareness of flavor profiles will expand dramatically.

1) Shopping fresh stimulates the local economy. When you shop at a farmer’s market or participate in a CSA, you’re supporting your own community’s economy. You also become much more aware about the practices that local farmers use with respect to their employees… which is more than you can say for those grapes from Chile.

Do you cook fresh? What are your reasons? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Corn photo: smcgee (creative commons)
Onion photo: gregkendallball (creative commons)
Compost photo: dkhlucy (creative commons)
Local economy photo: Fabbio (creative commons)

It’s another scorching day in NYC and we’re laying low at home, spread-eagle on the couch, trying to catch as much air as possible from the oscillating tower fan.

The oppressive heat doesn’t mean we don’t eat, though.

In fact, Francisco’s been turning some impressive dishes out of the Collazo Kitchen the past few days, and we thought we’d share some of his cool cooking tips to see you through the hot weather.

*Avoid stove-top cooking: Lots of great, filling meals can be produced in a creative kitchen without using the stove. Last night, Francisco made a big batch of gazpacho with tomatoes from the Union Square Greenmarket. Raw vegetable salads with fruit vinaigrettes have been keeping us cool and full without adding to the heat index of our non air conditioned apartment. Fruits from the fridge– juicy melons, kiwis, and mangoes–are great between-meal snacks, especially when served with a squeeze of lime and a little bit of chile, Mexican style. One of our favorite summer meals that doesn’t require a stove is an avocado half filled with tuna or salmon salad.

*Make your dishes go the distance: That big batch of gazpacho will see new life recycled as a cool, spicy topping for homemade pasta and a dipping sauce for mini pita breads. Lots of food can be reinvented in a new dish without having to expend precious energy cooking up an entirely new meal.

*Practice passive cooking: If you do use the stove, wait until late at night. Pop a whole chicken or a small turkey into a clay pot and allow it to roast slowly all night long. In this way, you take advantage of the cooler hours to do your hot cooking. In the morning, you’ll have a fully cooked bird that you can debone for chicken or turkey salad. Again, let the base ingredients go the distance. Chicken salad isn’t just celery, onions, mayo, and paprika; experiment with some Indian or African spices.

*Go light at happy hour: If you don’t have happy hour at home, we highly recommend the practice. If you do, diversify your repertoire with some summery liqueurs. Our favorites are PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, St. Germain, and Soho Lychee Liqueur, but we’ve also experimented with Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur and Creme de Violette.

In the wine department, our summer favorites are Vinho Verde, Prosecco, and Albarino. All of these can be sourced at our favorite NYC wine and spirits store, Astor Wines & Spirits. Be sure to drink in moderation.

For non-drinkers, flavored seltzer water spritzed up with fresh fruit (either whole or muddled) and a mint leaf or two are amazingly refreshing.

What are your tips for cooking cool? Leave a comment below!

Ice Photo: Kevin Saff (creative commons)

Strawberry Photo: LemonSplashPhotography (creative commons)

Video Clip: “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” by Pedro Almodovar; clip from YouTube, courtesy of AfterLou

In just a few days, Francisco and I will be headed to New Orleans, where we’ll be joining up with the Culinary Corps, “The Peace Corps for Cooks.”

Francisco will be forming part of the Corps’ chef team, working with local cooks, restauranteurs, volunteers, students, and community members, while I document the group’s work and share other stories from New Orleans.

In preparation for the trip, which will focus primarily on local foods, Francisco stood over the stove with a whisk and practiced his roux-making skills this evening. Roux is a mandatory skill for New Orleans chefs, and his first try–prepping the roux for a gumbo of okra, andouille sausage, and chicken–was a success, turning the color of a long-worn wedding band, just as writer Sara Roahen says a good roux should.

As each new ingredient was added to the gumbo, the kitchen was infused with a different smell, and after the ingredient had a chance to marry with the gumbo, Francisco crossed the length of the kitchen floor with a steaming spoon of the simmering Louisiana stew as I sat at the dining room table and typed. “Try it now,” he said, smiling a little bit bigger each time.

In the coming days, we’ll be posting some pre-New Orleans news, but in the meantime, be sure to visit Christine Carroll’s Culinary Corps website and learn more about this fantastic organization. If you are as impressed as we are by the passion and vision Christine brings to her work in New Orleans and the world, please consider making a donation of any amount to Culinary Corps by visiting Firstgiving.

Photo: Zeal Harris (creative commons)