Carne Adobado was a dish the Spanish learned from the Native Americans way back in the early 1500's.  And, when  you learn how to make it, which I am teaching this Thursday--you will be AMAZED at how good it is.  Also, it is very versatile.  You can eat it as a main dish as is or in a taco, burrito, chimichango, or  under eggs or...... And it freezes well, for months--due to the fact it has so much red chile in it.  Sign up now to get in this fabulous class.

When the Spanish first started coming to the Americas, they brought hogs, wheat and sugar among other staple ingredients.  There was only one problem with the hogs--butchering them meant they needed to learn a way to preserve the meat.

The Native Americans, or Pueblo Indians taught them a very vital and precious preserving method, which we know today as Carne Adobado.  The Indians taught them to generously rub a mixture of native chiles, wild garlic and onion into the cavity and all over the flesh of the butchered hog and  place it in the cleaned hide and bury it 10 or more feet deep in the earth.   This chilied pork would then keep for a few months and became the dish we know know today as Carne Adobado.

Most restaurants featuring the dish take too many shortcuts and the flavor suffers from it.  

In our class, Thursday evening,  February 1, we will be preparing it and you will learn all the secrets for a very yummy and versatile dish, plus some other  red chile laden dishes such as 2 award winning chilies, red chili beef enchiladas, spice chocolate cupcakes and more.

When I had my restaurant in New York City, the Pecos River Cafe, this dish was always a huge hit.  Most people had never heard of it and we always sold it out.

By the way, I am sorry to have had to move this class up a week.  The reason is my Alma Mater, Kansas State University Farrell Library is honoring me and they really wanted me to come, creating a conflict with having this class next Thursday. (I am only the second woman author to be so honored in their 150 year history.)

I hope to see you in class this Thursday.  Then, the weekend of February 23-25, we are conducting our famous weekend full participation cooking school featuring all the very favorites of New Mexican Cuisine followed by a Bread Baking class February 29.  And, April 14 - 20, we are staging our first week long class of the year  And.....people are already registering for our our famous trip to Oaxaca, June 11 - 17...don' t wait too long or you may not be able to get in.

If you did not take advantage of our Big Game special so that you could make Bowl O Red for your family and guests, I am placing our hot chile and mild chile and cumin on a 2 day special of 30% off.  With each order, I will include a recipe for that luscious chili.   Because I will not be home for the Game, I had a small get together Sunday to watch which teams would be in the Super Bowl and served Bowl o Red with Fixins' 'n Mixins'.  It was a huge hit.  And, I got to thinking if you were out of our chile, maybe you would like to get some. 

For Valentine's Day, here is the very special cake from the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New  York City--the Red Velvet cake. 

RED VELVET CAKE

The story goes that a a woman, who was dining in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City was so impressed with the deep red cake she was eating, she asked the waiter for the recipe.  He promptly presented the recipe on a silver platter with a bill for $100.00.  Perhaps this is only folklore, but Red Velvet cake is a very attractive, great Valentine’s Day or for any other occasion when red seems right.

Temperature: 375 F

Baking time: 25 minutes

Yield:  two, 8 inch layers 

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 ounces red food coloring (2 large or 4 small bottles)

1 Tablespoon vinegar 

1. Preheat even to 375 F. Grease and line with waxed paper two, round 8-inch layer pans.
2. Measure dry ingredients, then sift together.
3. Cream shortening until fluffy, then add the sugar and using medium speed of mixer, add eggs one a time and beat until fluffy after adding each.  Add vanilla and blend.
4. Combine the liquid ingredients—buttermilk, vinegar and food coloring. Then add the dry ingredients in four additions, alternately with the liquid ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Divide batter equally between the two cake pans and place the preheated oven for 25 mintutes at 375 F. Check for doneness, when a an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the batter has pulled away from the sides, it is done.  When done, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning ouit of pans.   Frost with white frosting, using either the traditional Creamy Frosting, following or a Butter Cream Powdered frosting. 

Note:  For 7000 Feet Adjustments—

Use ¾ teaspoon baking soda

Use 1 ¼ cup sugar

Use 3 eggs 

CREAMY FROSTING 

This is the traditional Red Velvet cake frosting. 

Yield:  Enouigh to frost between and on top of  two 8 inch cake layers. 

5 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sweet cream unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

¼ teaapoon salt

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla 

1. Cook the flour and milk ukntil thick, stirring constantly using medium heat.  Remove from heat.
2. Cover pan and let stand until cool.
3. Cream butter until fluffy using medium high speed of electric mixer. Add sugar, salt and vanilla; cream until light and fluffy.
4. Add the cooked mixture gradually using high speed of electric mixer.  Mix until it resembles whipped cream.  Frost in between the layers, the top  and the sides of the cake. 

Note:  As an alternate, split the layers and just frost between all the layers and on top