Chef of the Month – Jackie Diaz
Chef of the Month
Jackie Diaz and I are friends through facebook where she once posted a picture of her fish tacos which looked delicious. I was intrigued and asked her for the recipe. When I saw how carefully she had written it, I tested the recipe and was very pleased with the results. She sent more and they were equally successful and decided to feature her as our first Chef of the Month.
Jackie is a shining example of a successful assimilated Mexican-American young lady who has not lost her traditions. I celebrate her and her accomplishments.
This is Jackie's bio in her own words:
I am a 31-year old, first generation Mexican-American. My parents are divorced and I have two brothers and four sisters. I graduated from USC with a degree in marketing and live in Hawthorne, California, where I work as an accountant.
I was born in Oxnard, CA but grew up in San Luis, Arizona across the border from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. My Mom and her family are from Sonora. Unfortunately, my Grandmother (on my Mother's side) was not very close to her grandchildren. I don't think I ever saw her cooking. As a homemaker raising 5 kids, my mother made and sold cakes on the side when I was young. I admired her for that. My Mom had learned to cook from a young age and later worked at a restaurant.
My Dad's family is from a ranch in Jalisco. My paternal grandmother died before I was born. My Dad is also pretty good cook and was self-taught.
Although I always liked the way both of my parents cooked and dabbled in some cooking here and there over the years, in general, it wasn't something I took seriously. Many years ago I learned on my own how to make pozole and after getting great feedback, I thought that maybe I had what they call "sazon" for Mexican food. But I just didn't pursue it. I was too caught up in finishing my degree...
Since my parent's divorce, I've lived with my Dad and sisters. During all those 14 years, my Dad had cooked for us for most of the time, I'm embarrassed to say. Until...my Dad took a vacation last summer and I was FORCED to make food for us. I started by making recipes I found on the Cook's Illustrated website because I liked the idea that they came up with the "perfect" version of some dish. I'm a perfectionist myself! I realized I loved the process of seeing a dish (or recipe) somewhere, planning it out, buying the ingredients, prepping, cooking, and seeing everyone enjoy the final product. And if it wasn't a great success, you could always try again. Well, it wasn't very long before I started making Mexican food. I called my Mom and asked her for recipes. I decided to buy Mexican cookbooks and do research on the food I was making and later came up with my own versions. I was starting to really enjoy it! I got hooked after my family made comments about how good my food was. I have not stopped since. I ask everyone that tries my food for their feedback--good and bad. Mexican food is the food that comes from my heart and that I feel like sharing with everyone!
Although I don't have children of my own right now, I feel like it is my obligation to show my nephews what good Mexican cooking is all about. It's tasty, with simple ingredients and it is better than any food that they could eat somewhere else. It's also something that I hope they cherish and pass down to their kids in the future. Mexican food is a tradition that I want to make sure is alive in my family for generations to come.
Since I started making Mexican food consistently, I've started to have aspirations of opening my own Mexican restaurant in the Los Angeles South Bay area. As a hobby, I like to try Mexican restaurants in the L.A. area. I go to these places with an analytical eye and try to find out what's good/bad about the food. More often than not, I'm sad to say, I have not been impressed. I'm frustrated that I haven't found a place where I can say "I can eat ANY dish in this place and I know it will be excellent and authentic tasting" and that also shows Non-Mexicans what great flavors our cuisine has. L.A. has many Mexicans and many Mexican food restaurants but, for the most part, these establishments are not making food that I would be proud of serving. So that's why I would like to open my own place. I want to show the world how great Mexican cuisine is. It is just as great (if not better) than any other world cuisine.
It's May 1 and I just got this note from Jackie:
Hi Zarela, hope you're doing well. I would like to make a change to the beer batter portion of the fish taco recipe. I found that if I add 12 ounces of beer instead of 8 ounces and if I dredge the fish in flour first before putting it in the batter, the results are a lot better. With the original recipe the batter was not crispy enough and was rather doughy. I would really appreciate it if you made this change. That's the kind of cook she is and why she is our first chef of the month.Recipe: Fish Tacos
Summary: I discovered Jackie through a picture of these fish tacos she posted on facebook. I knew instinctively that she was a good cook and her recipes proved me right.
BAJA FISH TACOS
Makes 12 tacos
Pink Chile Mayonnaise:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
½ lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Fish Batter:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 oz. light beer (Corona is highly recommended)
Fish Prep:
3 Catfish fillets, cut into 4 by 1 inch strips (1 fillet will give you about 4 pieces of fish for frying)
4 to 5 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Garnish: Lime Cabbage, shredded Red onion, finely chopped .
Instructions
Pink Chile Mayonnaise:
In a blender, put the chipotles, sour cream, mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lemon juice and process until the mixture is consistent and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate, covered, for at least half an hour to allow flavors to blend.
Fish Batter:
In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt, then add beer. Whisk until well combined.
Fish Prep:
Cut fish into 4 by 1-inch strips. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Add three pieces of fish to the batter and stir gently to coat.
Pour the oil into a large saucepan until it measures 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees.
Use your hands to pick up the pieces of fish from the batter, one at a time, allowing any batter to drip back into the bowl, and add to the hot oil. Fry in batches of three until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper-toweled lined plate. Serve immediately for best texture.
Return the oil to 375 degrees and fry the remaining fish.
To serve, place 1 or 2 pieces of the fish inside each tortilla (or use two tortillas) and top with sauce and some of the shredded cabbage and onion. Squeeze with lime juice to taste. Add hot sauce (I like “Tapatio” hot sauce) for added flavor. Serve immediately
Copyright © Jacqueline Diaz and Zarela Martinez
Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
Recipe: Calabacitas con Queso
Summary: I grew up on this dish but Jackie's are different but just as good.
CALABACITAS CON QUESO
4 Mexican squash, cut in half lengthwise
Water, as necessary
1 tomato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
9 ounces melting cheese, grated (Monterey Jack)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan under enough salted (one tablespoon salt) water to cover, cook the squash until tender. Cut into ½ inch cubes. Set aside. Puree the tomato and drain. Set aside.
Over medium heat in a 12-inch non stick skillet, fry the onion, the garlic until translucent in one tablespoon of oil. Add the tomato, salt and pepper. Add the squash. Let flavors meld together for a minute. Just before removing from heat, add the cheese so it can melt. Adjust salt if necessary. Serve.
Recipe: Pozole Rojo
Summary: Pozole is one my favorite dishes and that of many of my customers. You can have pozole blanco with no chile, pozole verde with pureed herbs and sometimes tomatillo, or pozole rojo like this one. Jackie's version is completely traditional and feeds an army.
Ingredients
- · 3 pounds pork spine (espinazo de puerco) · 6 pounds pork chunks (trocitos de puerco) · 4 pig’s feet · 2 pig’s ears (optional) · 1 medium pork shank, cut into 1 ½-inch thick pieces · 2 (6lb. 9 oz. can) Juanita’s hominy, plus one extra can for leftovers · 1 large white onion, rather finely chopped · 1 head of garlic, halved – cloves broken apart and peeled · 8 ounces of dry ancho (pasilla) chile · 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon · 2 bay leaves · 2 cloves · 1 tablespoon dried oregano · Table salt, to taste Accompaniments: · Cabbage, shredded · White onion, finely chopped · Cilantro, finely chopped · Limes · Tostadas
Instructions
- Preparation: Use a 20-quart capacity pot. Fill with 12 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the chopped onion. Under medium-low heat, add pig’s feet and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the ears and cook for 15 minutes. Then add spine and pork shank and cook for 15 minutes. Finally, add the chunks and cook for 1 hour. Add salt to taste. (I added ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons salt.) Chile Sauce: Meanwhile, prepare the chile sauce by boiling enough water to cover in a medium saucepan. Away from heat, place chile in water until softened, about 20 minutes. Puree the chiles with their soaking water in a blender, working in batches. Set aside.(Add Hominy: In a large sauce pan under medium heat, cook one can of hominy along with half of the garlic, until tender. Drain and remove the garlic. Repeat with the other can. Final cooking: Take out about 3 quarts of the broth from the pot so there is enough space for the hominy and chili sauce. With a medium-mesh strainer, strain the chile mixture into the pot once all the meat has fully cooked. Add the cooked hominy, cloves, bay leaves, bouillon, and oregano. Add more salt to taste (I added about ¼ cups plus 4 tablespoons salt.) Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve along with accompaniments.
Copyright © Zarela Martinez.
Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
Recipe: Pozole Rojo
Summary: Pozole is one my favorite dishes and that of many of my customers. You can have pozole blanco with no chile, pozole verde with pureed herbs and sometimes tomatillo, or pozole rojo like this one. Jackie's version is completely traditional and feeds an army.
Ingredients
- · 3 pounds pork spine (espinazo de puerco) · 6 pounds pork chunks (trocitos de puerco) · 4 pig’s feet · 2 pig’s ears (optional) · 1 medium pork shank, cut into 1 ½-inch thick pieces · 2 (6lb. 9 oz. can) Juanita’s hominy, plus one extra can for leftovers · 1 large white onion, rather finely chopped · 1 head of garlic, halved – cloves broken apart and peeled · 8 ounces of dry ancho (pasilla) chile · 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon · 2 bay leaves · 2 cloves · 1 tablespoon dried oregano · Table salt, to taste Accompaniments: · Cabbage, shredded · White onion, finely chopped · Cilantro, finely chopped · Limes · Tostadas
Instructions
- Preparation: Use a 20-quart capacity pot. Fill with 12 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the chopped onion. Under medium-low heat, add pig’s feet and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the ears and cook for 15 minutes. Then add spine and pork shank and cook for 15 minutes. Finally, add the chunks and cook for 1 hour. Add salt to taste. (I added ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons salt.) Chile Sauce: Meanwhile, prepare the chile sauce by boiling enough water to cover in a medium saucepan. Away from heat, place chile in water until softened, about 20 minutes. Puree the chiles with their soaking water in a blender, working in batches. Set aside.(Add Hominy: In a large sauce pan under medium heat, cook one can of hominy along with half of the garlic, until tender. Drain and remove the garlic. Repeat with the other can. Final cooking: Take out about 3 quarts of the broth from the pot so there is enough space for the hominy and chili sauce. With a medium-mesh strainer, strain the chile mixture into the pot once all the meat has fully cooked. Add the cooked hominy, cloves, bay leaves, bouillon, and oregano. Add more salt to taste (I added about ¼ cups plus 4 tablespoons salt.) Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve along with accompaniments.
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