I got nuttin' cookin' today so it's time to check in with our Colorado correspondent reporting directly from the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains, my big sis R.
Since my Easter dinner was less than spectacular, I decided to feature sister's fare. She reportedly was to make Corn Beef and Cabbage but last minute found pork rib tips on sale. She put a spicy dry rub on them and low heat cooked them in the oven for a couple of hours before putting them on the grill over some apple wood! Yes she did! And yes, they were tender, fallin-off-the-bone fabulous. But she did not stop there, she made some of our dad's BBQ sauce, which is the non-sweet spicy kind. A mix of the southern vinegar sauce with a taste of smokey Tex-Mex mixed in.
Our mom made a kick ass potato salad that was also non sweet and included a little pickle juice mixed in to the mayonnaise, mustard, egg yolk goodness. For me, this is the ONLY potato salad. Okay, this one and the Smoke Joint's Bed-Sty potato salad. Sister rocked and rolled it out for her Easter spread.
A couple of weeks ago sister asked me if I'd heard of the upcoming blood moons, which I had not but quickly read up on all the hoopla. And here we had the first one on the night of the 14th. We had cloudy skies here in NY so it was not visible but she got a great shot just out her back door. So clear, look at that orange and perfectly full. I could look at that forever.
...and then these. Is there anything better than a big plate of warm homemade tacos with a bowl of hot sauce to spoon over them? I'm thinking tacos may top burgers for me or at least tie. Yes, they tie burgers. I could write a book about what I like about both of them.
There is something about a cook's food that is very reflective of their person to me. I can taste my sister's food by the pictures alone because and this might sound cornball but I
see her in the food and I know it is so good. For me, there is almost nothing better than someone you love cooking for you and thinking of her cutting the lettuce and chopping the onion, shredding the cheese, slicing the avocado and all the rest, it's just so loving and positive. Colorado becomes her and she in turns loves it back.
In these meals I see R's world, her budding garden, the mountains, the breeze coming through her French doors, potted plants in the sun, her peaceful way and her talent for making kick ass comfort food fit for a King. Her flavors are seasoned on the money, just like my mom's and like Goldilocks, not too much, not too little but juuuuust right.