Authentic Mexican Salsa

Yes you read that right, I am claiming that this recipe for Mexican salsa is authentic, and here's why:

A few months ago I met Alex Cardenas, a friend of a friend. Alex is Mexican, and had made salsa at our friend's house. After one taste of his salsa, I immediately began asking questions--what did you put in it, how did you make it, what kind of peppers did you use? It turns out, good salsa is very easy to make, and common "Americanized" versions complicate the original.

After drilling Alex about the salsa, I went home and made my own, trying my best to replicate his. (As with most authentic recipes, there are no "official" measurements; Alex told me "add some of this and some of that".) Feel free to experiment with quantities and adjust according to flavor.

Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes
Hot pepper(s) of your choice. Alex used several serranos. This time I opted for one jalapeño, to satisfy the milder-spice eaters
Fresh cilantro
A touch of salt

Bring a pot of water to boil. Boil the tomatoes and peppers until the skins loosen, ~1 minute. Remove the skins and add to a blender. (This is something that clearly improves with practice. When I attempted this, some of the tomatoes were underdone with skins still stuck, while some were overdone and exploded when I tried to peel them. The pepper skin never loosened, and I added them to the blender with skins on. I will have to search online more to see if I am missing something.)

Next, add fresh cilantro to the blender, and pulse lightly. The salsa should be very finely chopped and quite thin, but not runny like soup. I think I overdid this step a bit.

Place in the refrigerator until cool, and the flavors will set.

Remove after a few hours, add salt to taste, and serve with chips.

Boiling the tomatoes and peppers

Peeling the tomatoes 

I used half Roma and half cherry tomatoes

Variations and Notes from Alex: do NOT add garlic, onion, oil, or lime. You can substitute tomatillos for the tomatoes to make salsa verde. You can add avocado to make guacamole.

Italian Egg Drop Soup (Stracciatella)

I have not had authentic Italian Stracciatella Soup since I was a child. The first, and only, time I ate it  in Italy was during a visit to my family's hometown of Roseto degli Abruzzi. My memories here revolve mostly around food, as we were served three course meals for lunch and dinner--who could forget that!

I opted for stracciatella soup at one of these lunchtime meals, and remember the irresistible odor and savory salty flavor as if it were yesterday. I have since tried to re-create this soup at home, with moderate success. (This could be a classic case of remembering something better than it actually was, but until I go back to Roseto to confirm, the memory will stand.)

Egg drop soup is a very simple creation, and makes a nice base to add additional ingredients and seasonings.

This time I added lots of parmesan--if you can't tell by the picture--and some fresh herbs I had on hand.

Serves ~4, takes 10 minutes to make with stock on hand.

Ingredients:
4 c chicken or vegetable stock OR 1 chicken soup recipe
1-2 eggs
Fresh parsley or other herbs, ~2 T
Freshly grated parmesan, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the stock over M heat and beat the egg in a small bowl until smooth. When the soup reaches a boil, drizzle in the egg while quickly stirring with a whisk or fork. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Serve in a bowl with grated parmesan and salt and pepper, as desired.

Note: Egg drop soup is not solely Italian, as I've had the chinese version in the past. For this variation, add fresh ginger, soy sauce, sliced bok choy, green onion, and omit the cheese.