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Canadian National BBQ Championships 2009
July 31- August 2
Whistler Creekside, B.C.
If you have time next year you should head up to Whistler and check out this one-of-a-kind event, it;s like nothing you’ve ever seen. Competitors take barbecuing beyond what you and I are normally used to in our backyard. The tools and techniques are endless and the results are amazing!
Cilantro & Jalapeño took part in this incredible event this past weekend. We sponsored a team and entered the competition with a very yummy chili that used a variety of our spices, some hot sauce, an of course come secret ingredients and methods that unfortunately we can’t reveal! However, we will be posting one of their chili recipes for you to try out and don’t be scared of meddling around and adding other ingredients, you never know what you might accomplish. Our chili this year, sadly didn’t win, but we are hopeful for next year!
In addition we had the opportunity (and luck!) to provide some of the ingredients for the winner of first place Backyard Burger Championship: “Beef Burger with Chili Butter Core, Topped with Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mayo and Guacamole. The head author, Ronnie Shewchuk and his team the “Butt Shredders” are the most passionate barbecue champions you could ever meet. We had a chance to chat with Ronnie and try his delicious creation, and we can certainly say that we can’t wait to try making it at home! We also said, that, if his burger won first prize we would feature it in our menu as a special for the week, but since it’s not really Mexican Food, we might run into some trouble!
What we thought we’d do then, is if you pop by our store we can tell you how you can try re-creating his masterpiece at home! (We can also direct you to his cookbook, which is full of amazing recipes and stories!) But just to start, and a very simple idea we can give you is to top your burgers with Asadero cheese, it is creamy and not too runny which helps it stick to the burger and not make it loose it’s form, as well you can add our most delicious fresh guacamole which is made everyday on site. Give it a go next time you throw some beef and buns on the grill!
And remember, next year, head out to Whistler and try some of the tastiest outdoor BBQ in Canada!
August 18th, 2009
As the rain hit our city this past week, I couldn’t help but to mourn the days of sun block and watermelons. I knew summer wasn’t over yet but my jacket and wellies said otherwise.
I decided then to head to my one and true oasis: the fresh food market. Walking through the calm lines of diverse local products, I had time to ponder. I thought that it was too soon to give up the idea of a day at the beach and I started to think of ways to cheer myself up. Distracted I walked around, picking random produce items when suddenly I realized that as September approached prizes for corn significantly drop! What a couple of weeks ago was 2 cobs for just under $2.00, today I found that for the same price you could get 6, and in the next couple of weeks it would just keep getting better!
As you can Imagine, my taste buds started to excitedly await the flavourful and diverse additions to my day-to-day diet. Memories of my childhood rushed into my head, and my fear of loosing long sunny days and the smell of fresh cut grass ceased to be.
So, what are some of the things you can do with corn? Of you are traditional, then you would cook your cob, maybe in water, maybe on the grill, and you would add some butter and enjoy it. It’s simple but delicious, there’s no doubt about that. But where’s the zing?!
I’ve had the pleasure and luck of growing up in Mexico, where vendors set up shop in the middle of an intersection, at a garage, in an alley, and anywhere they can find a good spot. Sometimes, these stands are hidden, tucked away in what seem to be secret little nooks that only locals would know. I have at times found myself working around a particular vendor’s schedule, because you know that they will be there at 8 at night but all their products will be sold out by 9; for these, you need to plan!
So what do some of these wonderful vendors prepare? Well, if you are in Mexico City, then you would find traditional “Esquites”. These are made with epazote, cream, chilies and a variety of options. They also make a regular corn on the cob, but instead of using plain butter, they spread mayo and sprinkle cheese and chili.
Check out our recipes, and find out which ingredients you can use to replicate the delicious tastes of Mexico.
Enjoy!
L.Novoa
September 28th 2009
Dear Readers:
On behalf of everyone at Cilantro & Jalapeño I would like to offer our most sincere apologies regarding the Debit/Credit Card issues we’ve been experiencing lately.
Almost two months ago we began having trouble with one of our machines, we immediately tried getting it fixed, and we have contacted the company several times. However, they are not very nice or efficient and they haven’t fixed the problem yet. It’s been a very frustrating process for us trying to get it done. We know you have busy lives and short lunches and we would like to directly thank each and every one of you for being so patient and understanding.
W are doing everything we can, but as a small business sometimes we are overlooked by bigger companies, and to get out of a contract with this specific company would mean a huge expense for us that unfortunately we cannot cover yet.
So, once again Thanks! We’ll keep being as resourceful as we can!
October 1st 2009
I dare you!!!
I’m officially daring you to try something new this month. We have so many products that the possibilities are endless. Have you ever had a roasted potato with a tamarind and butter topping? Have you tried crab with our creamy Cilantro & Jalapeño dip? How about making a cucumber salad with Queso Fresco, yogurt and Tajin?
If the answer to at least one of those is no, then you should give something new a try!
I was completely surprised the other day when, because I ran out of food at home, I made the most delicious chicken I’ve made this year thus far.
What happened was that a few weeks ago I bought some frozen chicken breasts at a wholesale store and as with a lot of food I got home, opened the freezer drawer, put the chicken there and completely forgot about it. Until this past week when I went home and realized I had no more fresh food was I forced to check what I had in the freezer.
I’m a fan of everything fresh, but I know I run out of time very often which is why I keep frozen food handy just in case.I didn’t really have anything for the chicken, I thought salt and pepper would be a bit boring specially since I was only having cooked rice (No, I didn’t even have fresh lettuce, or any other vegetable!) I looked at my fridge, and I saw a bottle of mayo, leftover Chipotles en Adobo, eggs, milk, butter and half a bottle of Tamarind concentrate. I did have some frozen peas and carrots, which usually save the day, as a nutritious side kick.
But that day, I felt a bit more adventurous and thought of making a new creation. (This is sometimes a risky business in my family, I still can’t forget the cooked avocado soup that my sister made when my parents were away when we were younger. Have you ever seen the movie The Fly? Well, the green goo that comes out of one of the eggs looks and probably tastes a lot better than that avocado soup, though I won’t ever try to verify that theory).
I decided to make a quick mix (in the blender) of equal parts of Chipotles en Adobo and Tamarind concentrate. I spread with a brush on the thawed chicken the thick paste, I made little aluminum pouches for each one of the pieces of chicken, baked them in the oven for about 30min at 350º, then I opened the pouches, raised the temperature to 425º and I put the chicken back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
I cooked the rice with the peas and carrots and served the chicken alongside of it. The chicken was roasted with the chipotles and the tamarind which left the whole chicken deliciously spicy and slightly tangy, though somewhat mild and earthy.
Please try something new at home! It pays off, even if you screw something up, in the end you learn something, which is always great.
Send in your recipes, we will try them out and we will be posting the best ones in our website, as well they will be featured at the store for other customers to try!
Enjoy the beginning of Fall and always have fun!
January 1st 2010
Happy New Year!
My oh my... 2009 is over and now we start anew with 2010. Here at Cilantro and Jalapeño we wish everyone "Feliz Año Nuevo," and we hope 2010 brings you happiness, health and good fortune.
This year will bring some changes to everyone in Vancouver, and we are no exception. We are all preparing for the Olympics and we look forward to unveiling our 2010 Winter Menu which will be offered during the games.
2010 will also be the beginning of our cooking seminars. We hope to organize at least a couple between now and the beginning of Spring. We have not finalized on topics so if you have any suggestions please e-mail us! Your opinion is very important.
Thank you everyone for all your support during 2009 and we look forward to serving you in this new and prosperous year.
Sincerely,
The Staff at Cilantro & Jalapeño
