Culattes (cu-LA-teez) and Culinary Ambitions

So I've spent the last few days cooking and preparing for my fiesta tomorrow night. This blog has opened up a whole new world to me and totally prompted photo documentation of my life. Today, I managed to multi-task like a champ. Thanks to Larkin and her willingness to put up with my multi-tasking while we worked on our project for Dr. Culatta's class, I was able to accomplish quite a bit today.

I've also decided that Dr. Culatta's projects (even the assignment directions) are like mental stretches to tone and shape. It's more than mental yoga, less than Tae-Bo, so I've decided that it's like pilates...or in this case, Culattes. (cu-LA-teez)

When Larkin arrived, is was total chaos. My dad had just called. The vent over the stove wasn't sufficient venting for the amount of smoke billowing from 2 pans of roasting chiles..so the smoke alarm was going off. Larkin was given the post of fanning the smoke detector with a small cutting board while I scrambled from room to room to open windows and doors. I'm proud to say that we only managed to let in 1 or 2 flies. My poor roommate Alfreda was upstairs in the shower and didn't know I was downstairs cooking. She heard the alarm mid suddsing and panicked. She came flying downstairs in her bathrobe to find out which part of the house was burning down and why. Shak made a cameo which involved the "Harriet Tubman Dance." Larkin, Shak, and I all decided that the "Harriet Tubman Dance" would probably get us banned from public schools and so we shouldn't use it as an extension project for Culattes.

Eventually, the smoke vented. The project projected. And I further added to Aaron's belief that he is turning me into a Mexican.

Yesterday, I made salsa (red and green).






























Today, I made:









RED CHILE SAUCE FOR THE ENCHILADAS...AND...








ROASTED GREEN CHILES FOR CHILE RELLENOS...AND...







CALABACITAS (ZUCCHINI, YELLOW SQUASH, ONION, GREEN CHILE)...AND...




CUT UP FRUIT FOR THE FRUIT SALAD...AND..


am currently attempting horchata....no pictures, though because, really, rice soaking in sugar, water, and cinnamon just isn't that exciting.


Tomorrow, I'll make the spanish rice, approve/reject the horchata, and finish up some other last minute tidbits before all my lovely friends arrive!


Courtesy of Larkin...