Posole con Tequila

We love posole.  My husband loves it because it's delicious; I love it because it's so easy and fun to make!  Typically made with pork and hominy, posole (prounounced puh-so-lay, and alternatively spelled pozole) is a rich, deeply flavored Latin American soup.  Other ingredients vary by locale and personal preference, but one thing is always the same: a hot bowl of well-made posole is a delightful thing indeed!

I typically think of posole as a winter meal, but we've had some chilly, rainy weather here recently in PA and it just sounded oh-so-good!  Always on the lookout for new recipes, this one intrigued me with the surprise addition of tequila.   So here's the recipe (from the following cookbook), along with my own notes.  (And even if you're not a Sandra Lee fan, you gotta try this recipe!  I'm tellin' you, it's DELICIOUS!)

POSOLE CON TEQUILA
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces
2 cans hominy (I used one can white and one can yellow hominy)
1 packet (1.25 oz.) McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning (I really don't use these kinds of seasoning packets; so instead, I eyeballed chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and added a bay leaf)
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilis
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos (I used fresh)
1 cup chopped onions (I also added fresh minced garlic)
1/2 cup silver tequila, Jose Cuervo
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used LOTS more!)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except cilantro and salt and pepper; mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Stir in cilantro and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.  Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.  (Really, could this BE any easier?!)

NOTE:  I also added a can of red beans to my posole, and a few generous splashes of fresh lime juice right before serving.  (The tequila just seemed to be begging for it!)  I served it with warm homemade cornbread and cold beer, and it was a simple and delicious meal.

PS  If you don't have a slow cooker, a heavy soup pot simmering on top of the stove for a few hours would work just fine!

TRAVEL, Arizona!

We just got home from an almost-2-week vacation in Arizona and Las Vegas. We had a wonderful time, and it was a very nice break from THE CRAZEEE COLD WEATHER that has been holding PA in its grip! (Although we did get stuck in Cleveland for two nights on the way home because of canceled flights from these crazy northeast blizzards... but that's another post for another time!)

Anyway, we LOVED Arizona -- the colors, the textures, the rugged beauty of the cacti and rocks of the desert against the silhouette of the mountains. Even the scrub grass and tumbleweeds were oddly beautiful.

The SAGUARO cactus was my favorite, and is what most people probably "think of" first when the word "cactus" is mentioned.

Some interesting Saguaro facts:

• Saguaro is an Indian word and the correct pronunciation is "sah-wah-ro."
• The average saguaro has about 5 arms and is about 30 feet tall. The saguaro grows very slowly.
  
• The biggest saguaros are about 200 years old, over 50' tall, and have more than 50 arms.
  
• A saguaro's arms usually only begin to grow only after it is about 15 feet tall and around 75 years old.
  
• The saguaro is found only in the Sonoran Desert, which includes about 120,000 square miles of California and Arizona.
  
• The saguaro flowers every year in May and June, and this is the state flower of Arizona. (It is very apparent to me that I will need to go back sometime in May or June!)
  

Pretty cool, huh?!

Some other Arizona cacti...

Contrary to popular belief, the blue agave is not really a cactus. It is, however, where tequila comes from, which is a pretty cool claim to fame!

I love the architecture in Arizona... and the lovely, neutral colors of the homes that "blend in" so beautifully with their desert and mountain backdrop. The style of homes I was most drawn to is what is sometimes called "territorial", "adobe" or "pueblo" style... gracious, welcoming homes that just "fit" so well in the southwest. And who knew that landscaping done with rocks and cacti could be so beautiful?!

A few beautiful examples:

There was snow in the mountains. Some of the landscape there looked remarkably like PA:

We visited the town of Prescott, and had lunch in a really fun restaurant called "The Palace".

My boy liked the decorations and memorabilia.


An old movie, "Junior Bonner", starring Steve McQueen was filmed there in 1972. I'll have to rent it sometime!


We also visited Jerome, a cool little town with a very colorful history:

Once called the "wickedest town in the West," Jerome was notorious for its gambling, saloons and brothels and was burnt to the ground 3 times between 1897 and 1899. Jerome's population reached 15,000 at one point, but by 1953 when the last [copper, gold and silver] mines closed, its population dwindled to 50 people. For years Jerome was known as Arizona's most populated ghost town. In the 1960's free spirits "discovered" Jerome and the town slowly started to come back to life. Jerome is now an attractive small town featuring a collection of museums, gift shops and art galleries. This unique setting provides for a nice stop... (Info quoted from here.)

There was a really nice coffee shop there, I had a delicious hot mocha ("with double chocolate, please ma'am... and thanks!") *Yum*!

This sign there cracked me up:

It was in Jerome that I saw my first ever "certified" ladies room. Ummm... OK... certified for what? And by whom?! Don'tcha have to wonder?!


We had a delicious lunch one day at Four Peaks Brewery, a really fun place in Tempe. My husband LOVED their Kiltlifter beer, brewed right on site. In fact, he bought a case of it to go. His only wish? That he could take it home on the plane!

We spent a day in Sedona... famous for its dramatic red rock scenery and its "vortex" phenomenon. Hmmm, I'm not sure I experienced any health "benefits" or unusual positive energy ;o) while I was there, but I certainly enjoyed my day!

Driving into Sedona:

Me and my boy at a lookout over the city. A breathtaking view!

And oh, the killer sunsets... a different display of color every evening!






After a few days in Arizona (and not nearly long enough!), we headed off for Las Vegas and a day at Hoover Dam.

... Stay tuned!