Just about every year I take a trip to Mexico. I love everything about it, the people, the culture, the architecture, the folk art and especially the FOOD! My friends, Peter and Tari Bowman, moved down to Puerto Vallarta and bought a beach front restaurant called Daiquiri Dick's 35 years ago and about 10 years ago they opened a home furnishings/design store, Banderas Bay Trading Company. This year, they invited me to join them on a buying trip to Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Patzcuaro and San Miguel de Allende to stock the store, I couldn't say no. My plan is to take notes on the food while we are on the road and then share my version of my favorite bites with you, here on the bird blog.
I arrived in PV last Sunday and yesterday, after hiking all over town in the heat and humidity trying to find a 'cute little café' that I had eaten in a couple of years ago and finding it gone (aargh), I headed for the nearest ice cold Negra Modelo. I ended up at a small fish restaurant next to the vegetable market. On their menu they offer a shrimp aguachile
(a type of ceviche from the Sinaloa region of Mexico). I LOVE aguachile so I ordered one. WOW, what a great idea that was! I immediately (well. after one more cerveza fria) went next door and purchased the ingredients to make my own agauchile for an easy appetizer for dinner, it goes together in minutes. Here is my version.

I have been making this polenta recipe for over 35 years, the entire life of my catering career. My one time partner, Julie Girard Miller, swore me to secrecy when she gave up this rendition way back when we were cooking out of her Lafayette, California kitchen. I have never given the recipe out, until now. Forgive me Julie but it's just too good to keep quiet about any longer. It is easy to make for a few or a crowd and I have never come across anyone who does not love it. It is not the normal stand over the stove and stir for hours, kind of polenta, it cooks up in only a few minutes! In my catering, I typically pour the polenta into individual ramekins to form timbales, removing them when they firm up and then re-heating them for the event. Cooked in milk with a bit of butter, cream and cheese, well you get the picture...this polenta is warm, creamy and delicious. Served as a side dish in timbale form or in a large, wide bowl covered with homemade meatballs in Marinara, this recipe is going to be your new favorite comfort food dish.

Creamy Polenta
2 c whole milk
4 T unsalted butter
1/2 c yellow cornmeal or polenta
1/4 c heavy cream
3 oz grated jack cheese
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Have everything ready to add before you start to heat the milk. You won't have time later.
I told you this was fast! 
​Heat milk and butter until butter has melted. Add the cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking to avoid lumps. Stir for a few minutes until the cornmeal starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the cream, cheese and salt and pepper. Pour into buttered ramekins to un-mold and serve later, serve immediately or keep warm over a pot of simmering water until ready to serve. (you will need to add a bit more milk or a little water to smooth out the polenta if you let it cool in the pan. Just whisk in either until warm and smooth.)

Roasted Meatballs in (store bought) Marinara
1 lb ground turkey (or beef sirloin)
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean's)
​1 3/4 c dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c freshly ground  Asiago cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 c freshly ground Italian Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), plus extra for serving
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 t Kosher salt
1/2 t  freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c dry red wine, Chianti is good
1/4 c good olive oil
2 (32-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Place the turkey, pork and sausage in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork. Add the bread crumbs, Asiago, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the eggs, wine and 1/4 c water, combine lightly but thoroughly.

Measure out 2 oz portions of the mixture (a 1/4 c dry measure works great)  and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil. Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through. Spoon a puddle of creamy polenta to one side of a shallow pasta bowl then top with a few meatballs and tomato sauce. These meatballs are great over spaghetti too, just toss cooked spaghetti with olive oil, salt and pepper, put in a shallow pasta bowl and spoon the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.  Serves 8

Sometimes you just feel like a nice, warm bowl of homemade soup but haven't at all prepared for this craving. That is exactly what happened to my daughter Lily one night last week. It was too late to go to the store so she went to the pantry instead. She found a can of pumpkin and a can of chicken stock... soup perhaps? She started to work with an onion and some spices and in a few minutes she had what she wanted, a nice, steaming hot bowl of comfort that tasted like it had been simmering all day. Best of all there's no need to pull out the food processor!
I was lucky enough to consume a bowl of this wonderful orange yumminess first hand and I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you. This soup is so simple and requires only a few 'on hand' items. Best of all you can switch it up for a bunch of different flavor profiles. Try Thai coconut milk and a squeeze of lime or heavy cream with a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a chopped bacon garnish. I garnished mine with a dollop of plain yogurt and some crumbled, fried sage leaves. Get creative and have fun. Serve next to this delicious seasonal fall salad, it's the perfect accompaniment for a light but hearty dinner by the fire. You could sub sliced Fuyu persimmons for the apple as we get closer to winter or add already cooked chicken breast for some good protein. Enjoy!

Fall Greens Salad
3 c mixed hearty salad greens
1 c arugula leaves
1/2 head radicchio (about a cup when sliced thinly)
1 lg Honeycrisp or Braeburn apple, sliced into matchsticks
toasted pepitas or walnuts

Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar 
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, curry,
​cumin, black pepper
1 T dijon mustard
1 t salt
1/2 c. oil (I often use olive
but walnut oil would be delicious)

Whisk everything but the oil together to blend then the oil slowly, in a steady stream to emulsify. Toss the greens and apple together in a salad bowl with the dressing as needed, top with the nuts and serve. Add some good crumbled blue cheese such as Pt. Reyes on top too if you like, or any other cheese for that matter! This makes more dressing than you will need so just store the unused portion in a jar on the counter and use within a week or so.