Recipes

Food plays a major role in Distant Cousin. I don’t mean to provide a cookbook, but here are two recipes that have been enormously popular with my family and friends. The salsa, particularly, is one of the best I've ever had.

Bon apetit! 

Mendez Family Frijoles 
 

This is a traditional recipe for frijoles, traceable to cattle drive chuck wagon cooks. Only the comino was suggested by someone from out of this world.... 
 

Clean and wash as many pinto beans as you want to prepare. 4 c. makes a full pot, and that's a lot of beans, but they're good left over. Pour them into a traditional bean pot if you have one (see picture), or a heavy pot of whatever kind, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and keep them simmering. Do not stir! It mashes the beans! But do add water from time to time to keep the beans covered. Let simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour. 
 

Add your choice of salt pork, bacon, sausage, ham fat, or even olive oil. A handful will do it, or 2 oz. of olive oil. Simmer another 45 minutes-1 hour. 
 

Add garlic, a lot: four, five, six cloves, diced (or minced, a couple heaping T.) Simmer another 45 minutes-1 hour. 
 

Add oregano. If ground, 1 rounded t.; if crumbled, 1 rounded T.

Add 1 rounded t. ground comino (cumin). This is the secret ingredient that gives the frijoles an exotic flavor.

Add 8-12 dried, crumbled chili pequines, for heat. Use more or less to taste, but it doesn't take many of these. Other kinds of peppers can be used as well: jalapenos, serranos, etc., but always to taste! Simmer another 45 minutes-1 hour. 
 

Add 2 or 3 t. salt. Simmer another half hour or so. A taste test should indicate the beans are soft and cooked. If so, that's it!

Bean Pot

Salsa

Matt Mendez' Easy Salsa recipe 
 

Traditionally, this recipe was more trouble. Matt's ancestors used fresh tomatoes and roasted the jalapeno over a fire, but this version is 99% as good, doesn't separate in the bowl, and only takes five minutes! (The picture shows a triple batch being prepared--it freezes well, too.) 
 

Into a blender, pour

      * one 14 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes

      * 1 t. white vinegar

      * 1 t. salt

      * 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped (or use minced, from a jar, 1 heaping T.)

      * dash or two of ground black pepper

      * jalapeno slices, to taste. You can use other kinds of peppers, and a little or a lot of jalapeno. You're on own your own here!

      * a fistful of fresh cilantro (still good if left out, but better included)

      * 1/2 t. liquid mesquite smoke (w. the barbecue sauce, sometimes in specialty stores) (may be omitted also, but adds an exotic, subtle smoky flavor)

      * optional squeeze of lime juice. Improves the focus! 
 

Blend briefly, pour and serve.