Every winter, hundreds of manatees take shelter from the cold at Blue Springs State Park, not far from where I live. When the TV news announced that 679 had arrived during the cold snap just before Christmas, I informed my middle grandgirl as I knew she and her boyfriend would be interested (but with the qualification not to go until the tourists went home! I've been in the car line-up waiting to get in, and it ain't pretty.) So this past Sunday, Riley and Donald went to Blue Springs. The manatee counter sign said 479 manatees were currently in residence. (I believe the Park Service has a net across the entrance with an entry chute, complete with counter.) Below, two of the many pics Riley took.
The Reale family has an over-sized Golden Retriever, named Kylo—uber friendly—but my son-in-law caught him in a sprawl on the couch, taking a pic he sent to the extended family, labeled "Broken Dog." Talk about relaxed!
~ * ~
Grace Note: I've featured this Picadillo recipe before, but it's well worth a repeat.
A few days ago, I suddenly realized I hadn't cooked Picadillo in a while—and immediately put together a list of what I needed to buy to make it.
What on earth is Picadillo? (peek-a-dee-o, not pick-a-dill-o.) Well, I didn't know either until I moved to East Orlando—strong on those of Latin American heritage—in 2007. Where did I first see the recipe? Perhaps in the Orlando Sentinel. I was so intrigued by the amazing taste, I kept checking recipes, finally coming up with the following. (As noted, the varieties are as numerous as there are cooks.)
Special Note: For spry young cooks, no problem. But if you're older, you might want to lay out all the ingredients ahead of time: chop onion & garlic, lay out vinegar, raisins, canned tomatoes, green olives, slivered almonds & beef broth. Also, dig through your spice cupboard, laying out the whole slew of spices you'll need.
Picadillo is the absolute best thing I know to do with a pound of hamburger. Try it, you'll like it! (Don't forget to make the rice!)
PICADILLO
olive oil
1 lb. ground beef (1.25 or thereabouts is fine)
1 onion, chopped or sliced into small bits
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (dry minced will do in a pinch)
1 can (14½ oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
¼ - ½ cup golden raisins*
¼ - ½ cup sliced green olives
¼ - ½ cups slivered almonds
capers, to taste (optional)
½ - 1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
c. ½ teaspoon salt - less if using capers
c. 3/4 cup beef broth - or heaping teaspon of beef granules + 3/4 cup water
*regular raisins can be substituted, but it’s just not the same
Brown ground beef in small amount of hot olive oil in large nonstick skillet, adding onion & garlic when beef is nearly brown (& turning down heat to medium). Cook until onions are soft (translucent). Drain liquid. Add tomatoes with juice, raisins, olives, almonds, capers (opt.) & all seasonings. Add beef broth. Stir to mix well. Simmer c. 30 minutes for best mix of flavors
While picadillo simmers, cook enough white rice to serve each person. Serve picadillo over rice, with added almonds, if desired.
Note: picadillo varies according to who makes it - some add apple, some use tomato sauce, some use tomato paste, etc. Adjust the amount of raisins, olives, almonds, & capers to suit your family’s taste.
~ * ~
To keep in step with our Picadillo recipe, this week's featured book is Florida Wild, a contemporary mystery featuring a heroine with Latin American ancestors.
It's far from smooth sailing as Cass Wilder, a fledgling PI of
mixed heritage, helps an American James Bond track his missing sister
through a maze of backwoods Florida, redneck militias, and
Middle-eastern politics. Action, romance, and occasional whimsy mark
this tale of the Florida visitors seldom see. And of conditions where
Romance is forced to take a back seat to Action.
~ * ~
No comments:
Post a Comment