This important technique is essential to Mexican food preparation. Literally, asado means to roast. Prepare food “asado” by charring the ingredients until lightly brown, softened, and blistered. This can be done directly over an open flame, in a heavy cast iron skillet or comal, or in a very hot oven. Some cooks prefer to lightly oil the food to be charred as it aids in removing the skin. Vegetables most often prepared asado are onions, tomatoes and chiles. After chiles are charred place in a tightly sealed plastic or paper bag for 10-15 minutes and let steam. This helps the skins to soften and makes it easier to peel. Scraping the chile with a spoon removes the skin. Onions and sometimes tomatoes are charred, skins left intact, and then added directly to a recipe. Preparing food in this manner imparts a smoky, rustic flavor to Mexican dishes. Try experimenting with this technique, it lends itself to many cuisines. Add tomatoes asado to marinara sauce, blended salsas, or BBQ blends.

The little finger steaks in our fridge are just calling out to be used, and soon! With tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and bottled salsa on hand, tacos it is! This recipe will turn any cut of beef into succulent, tender morsels excellent for shredded beef filling.
• 1 pound beef ( chuck, sirloin, round,)
• One half of white onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. instant masa flour ( maseca brand)
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 T. ancho chile powder ( or to taste)
• 2 T.oil for sautéing ( corn, peanut, or olive)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Four cups water or beef broth

In a heavy saucepan or soup pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until transparent. Add the beef and garlic and brown the meat lightly. Stir in the masa, two T. water, cumin, chile powder, and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until mixture thickens a bit. Add enough water (four cups) to barely cover the meat and cook covered for several hours until the beef is fork tender. Let the meat cool slightly, shred with fork or fingers, and pile into corn or flour tortillas.
Don’t feel like tacos, then try this recipe as a Mexican stew. Just add a few small potatoes, fresh or canned green chiles, corn, and tomatoes to the pot and let it simmer away. If you need to thicken it up a bit add more masa reconstituted with a little of the broth and add back to the pot.
Cooking Mexican food is really a mindset. Think robust flavors, simple technique, and fresh ingredients. The above recipe was inspired by MY pantry, so don’t be afraid to experiment to get just the flavor you like. Add more chiles, other herbs, or wine to make it your own. Bye for now, Lynne

Our revised website has some great new photos, thanks to our students who so graciously forwarded them to us. We’d like to extend our gratitude and also give credit where credit is due. Jane Rosenberg of Rosenberg Designs took great close-up shots of the scrumptious food we prepared. Checkout those roasting poblano chiles on the “about us” page. Oh, and my very favorite dish “Chiles Nogado” in the “photo gallery”. YUM!!. I love her fire picture taken during our beach cookouts; it’s on the “activities” page. Yoli, my compadre in the kitchen graces the home page. Jim and Diane Hayden also e-mailed great pictures from their class group which can be viewed in the photo gallery. Jim is a master Thai chi instructor and led us in an impromptu morning session which was a welcome start to our day. Judy Milton sent a CD that contained beautiful shots of the Hacienda Inn. Those ladies in her group really knew how to have a good time! I also want to thank our friend Roger, the roving photographer, who took some splendid candid shots. The doll vendor on the “activities page” and Casa Tierra viewing deck are his work.
We also want to thank our students for their heartfelt comments and suggestions. Valerie (one of the crazy ladies) suggested we offer another lodging option, maybe in town. So we now have Casa Bentley, a lovely four suite inn, situated right in the heart of the historic district as a new lodging option for our guests. Valerie and her sister had such a good time with us and at the Hacienda that they are signing up again. Now the only problem, they can’t decide which place to stay. Decisions! Decisions!
Please keep your ideas coming because COOK WITH US strives to make this the BEST VACATION YOU EVER HAD! And remember as Jim so aptly expressed, “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED” in Baja! Bye for now, Lynne