We met with Chef Lou and the group at 10 this morning in the kitchen of El Cosmico, where he demonstrated the particulars of poaching a chicken, how to prepare the perfect ancho chili sauce, the low-down on chicken tortilla soup, and how to trim a tenderloin down into proper fajitas. Then, we learned how to pack a cooler for camping. Tip: Pack marinated meat well in large Ziplock bags and then submerge them in ice in the bottom half of your cooler. Top the meat with a piece of cardboard cut to size. Then, layer any dairy and produce above the cardboard barrier. The separation helps keep your highly perishable items icy cold below, and prevents your produce from wilting in transit.
Next, we headed outside for further demonstration on how to cook over a fire pit, where a sous chef seared the marinated fajitas. We sat under an oil pipe pergola while Chef Lou prepared Spanish rice, a chopped salad and the most divine little dessert I’ve had since my culinary adventures in Italy.
Lunch:
- Chopped salad with black sesame seeds &toasted almonds
- Spanish rice & pinto beans
- Beef fajitas (rare) with bell peppers and onions
- Grilled Texas peaches on a slice of toasted pound cake and topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream
