The Lost Recipe for Happiness

I finished this book the other day...I couldn't put it down! I'm pretty sure Barbara O'Neal wrote it with me in mind. She knew I would devour the book and want to reread it as soon as it was finished. There was the whole cooking/food part and a lovely, steamy romance:) This is one not to miss.

I don't know if it is from all my experience working in restaurants, but I totally 'got' this book. The sights, sounds, smells of the kitchen, the pressure to please mixed with all the personalities and egos of the staff. I do miss the energy and pace of a busy restaurant, but certainly not the hours:)

I also loved the O'Neal added several recipes in the book. I am going to try this one tomorrow...

Abuela Maria Elena's Posole

2 cups dried posole (dried whole hominy)
2-3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup mild fresh green chiles, resevring a handful of thin strips for garnish
1-2 peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Rinse posole in cold water until water runs clear. Soak over night.

To cook pork, put it in a heavy pan on the stove with a little water, salt and pepper, and let it cook real slow until it's falling to pieces, about 2-3 hours. Remove the pork, leaving the fat in the pan, add the posole and enough water to cover it all, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, till posole pops, about 1 hour. Meanwhile roast the chile peppers (if fresh) in a paper bag in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes, remove, cool, peel (skin slips off easily), and chop. Add the chiles to the pot after the posole has popped. Simmer, covered 4 more hours. Taste for seasoning, add salt to taste. Simmer, covered, 1 more hour. Garnish with cilantro and thin coils of pepper and finely chopped tomatoes.

Sounds a incredible, right!? A little time-consuming, but worth it! I am a total sucker for hominy! I love the texture of it! If you concure, go to armelle right now to get the recipe for this soup. It might be the very best soup I have ever eaten. OK, probably not THE best, but certainly in the top 5.

I'm making some of Alana's fresh salsa, too. Her recipe is to die for! She gave me the recipe almost a decade ago and it will impress! Everybody loves it! I'll let you know how it goes:)