Who is Hass?

The name HASS - we see it in every grocery market marking the most common variety of avacado in the world. The chocolatey pebble-skinned avacado was named after its original cultivator Randolf Hass, a mailman with a green thumb in the late 1920s. He patented the variety and partnered with nurseryman Harold Brokaw, and rest of the story made California the source of what is now a billion dollar crop industry. The key to the Hass success is its long growing season, good quality fruit and high yielding crop. 

It's that time of year to whip-up a good homemade guacamole, salsa and enjoy a margarita.

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Turn any meal into a fiesta by serving guacamole as a healthy dip.

Guacamole is a delicious Mexican specialty that can be used as a dip, sauce, topping or side dish. In Southwest cuisine, guacamole is used as an appetizing dip or one of the toppings and/or fillings of enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, or burritos. Guacamole tastes best when you use fresh cilantro and ripened avocados. A ripened avocado will have a sweet aroma and be soft to the touch. Guacamole is also wonderful as a cold sauce for grilled meats or fish and this versatile, flavorful dish is easy to make, only sixty seconds onc you have ingredients chopped. 

George’s ’60 Second Guacamole

From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series 

Recipe by George Hirsch | www.chefgeorgehirsch.com

makes 1 cup 

2 ripe avocados, room temperature 

Juice of two limes 

2 Tablespoons sweet onion, chopped fine 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped 

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro 

hot sauce and salt to taste

Press onion and garlic into the side of a medium size bowl with a pinch of salt. Slice avocados in half, remove the seed and scoop out avacado meat from skin with a large spoon. Roughly mash avocado in bowl. 

Squeeze the lime juice all over the avocado. Add chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and hot sauce. Toss and serve immediately. 

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Patio Fiesta

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide honoring Mexican heritage; marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than Mexico. And, many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music mark the occasion to preserve & educate the public of its historical significance and culture.

Make any day a fiesta on your patio with a few easy steps and don’t be afraid to use vibrant colors. There is more to having fun than hanging a piñata!

-       Use terra cotta planters filled with pants such as begonias, dahlias, begonias, nasturtiums, and sunflowers

-       Cushions, throws, tablecloths, and napkins of hot yellow, turquoise green, and burnt orange

-       Set flower pots on tables with traditional herbs used in Mexican cooking like Cilantro, oregano, and peppermint

-       Serve foods and beverages on plates and glassware with bold bright colors

-       Hang out door lighting for mood

-       Turn up the volume and spin Maraichi and Latin music

-       Set up a hot sauce and salsa station

Get recipes for patio entertaining:

George Hirsch patio Entertaining from GHL
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Bruschetta

What to grill this weekend? How about some bread? Bruschetta is one of my most popular recipes and is so simple to prepare. It is an ideal snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the main dish on the grill to be finished. 

Ideally, use day old or very dense thickly-sliced bread. The addition of the smoke from the grill adds magical flavor to the crust and it’s toppings. There is no limit in toppings for your bruschetta, just let your imagination run free. Think of your bread crusts as an artist’s canvas. 

Join me for a bruschetta tour through Italy. Which, BTW, the variety in bruschetta toppings vary from region to region.  

When canal-side in Venice, I must have my bruschetta with Baccala' Mantecato, that is topped with whipped salted cod. This cod is making me thirsty! Vino prego!

While in Siena, I’ve enjoyed grilled toasts di fegato, that's made with garlicky chopped liver.

The southern part of Italy is the region to feast on the superior quality of fruits from Italy's fertile soil, particularly Naples. Ahh, delicioso pomodoro. This is the bruschetta most people envision - crowns of sweet ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   

Before you take your first bite, let me transport you to my favorite place in Positano; Trattoria La Tagliata where Bartolo is the family's grill chef. He will take really good care of you - while you nibble on his bruschetta, enjoying the priceless view of the Amalfi Coast and await his grilled specialties.

Something wonderful happens to country-style bread when it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled. It’s smoky flavor adds another layer to olive oil, fresh tomatoes with lots of caramelized garlic, parmesan cheese, and capers. Dry day-old bread makes the best bruschetta, so this is a good way to use up yesterday’s loaf of Italian, French, or sourdough bread. Serve bruschetta with salad or soup, or as a snack with a chunk of sopressatta.

This recipe is from my first book, and to pass along just how much everyone enjoys bruschetta from the grill it’s my very first recipe in the book, page 14.

Bruschetta 
From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994

Makes 6 

3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes
24 cloves caramelized garlic
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
6 basil leaves, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese 

To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.

When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.

Instant Replay

This Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI there will be that one game winning play that will become legendary and replayed over and over. But, I figure why wait until kick off, it's time to Know Your Fire right now with my favorite-fan-picks instant replay of these super recipes for this weekend's Gameday! BTW, I have an extra recipe for your secret play on the grill, my Adana kebabi!

One of the oldest cooking techniques in existence, the art of grilling meat on a skewer was derived from medieval Turkish soldiers who used their swords to cook meat over open fires. An Adana kebabi from the south of Turkey is a savory mixture of minced lamb, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, dried oregano and mint. The meat is shaped into a long cylindrical shape like a long hot dog or sausage, then pierced onto a long metal skewer and grilled in one piece. It is served removed from the skewer and cut up.

Adana is named after the 5th largest city in Turkey, Adana. There are very strict guidelines and inspections that must be passed by The Adana Chamber of Commerce in order to be an authentic Adana kebabi vendor.

Adana kebabi has to be made from the meat of a male lamb. The skewered meat, must be roasted on fireless, charcoal embers exclusively from oak wood. The skewers are frequently turned during grilling using caution so the melting fat is not dripped on the embers causing a flair up. The Adana is served on flat bread by pressing the meat off the skewers after cooking; when wrapped and served in a flat bread, it's called a Dürüm. Authentic accompaniments served with adana include; charred tomatoes, green or red peppers, onions and parsley seasoned with sumac or lemon pepper seasoning, and warm hummus.

Adana or Kiyma Kebabi

Makes 4 servings | recipe by Chef George Hirsch
1 pound ground lamb or ground beef 
1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon each; ground cumin, dried oregano
1 Tablespoon each: fresh parsley and fresh mint
1 egg white
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch Sea salt
Olive oil
2 fresh lemons, quartered
Fresh Mint 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, optional

Mix the meat with the cayenne, cumin, oregano, parsley, mint, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add the egg white and continue to combine until the mixture is well blended.

Grease skewers with cooking spray or oil. If possible, use long, flat metal skewers. Divide the meat mixture into 2-4 (depending on the length of skewer), 2 inch wide thick sausage shapes. Push the skewer through the middle, lengthwise, and squeeze the mixture up and down the skewer, spreading it evenly. Repeat with the other skewer. 

Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. This will help the meat hold together. When ready to grill, brush the outside of meat with olive oil.

Preheat the grill to high. 

Place skewers on very hot grill. Grill 5 minutes, turning frequently, or until cooked through. Serve immediately with sides of yogurt, fresh lemon, fresh chopped mint, and an onion & parsley salad.

Grilling Naan

This weekend you may be busy in holiday mode, so here are options for grilling-up easy, delicious appetizers and gameday snacks for your weekend using Naan from International Fabulous Flats. You've heard me tout about them before. Fabulous Flats grill really well...just a few minutes on each side. Toppings like tapenade is a natural combination. One of my other favorite combos is caramelized garlic, olive oil and humus. And then of course my favorite, three cheese pizza.

When the Gorgonzola melts, it becomes creamy and gives the pizza a nutty flavor. Top with pecans for additional nuttiness that is ideal with the creamy cheese. Ideal for luncheon entrée or dinner appetizer served a tossed green salad.

Grilled Three-Cheese Naan Pizza
(Adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch with Marie Bianco)
Makes four appetizer servings
| recipe by George Hirsch

1 pre-baked Naan Bread Crust
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/2 cup goat cheese or feta
6 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pre heat grill to medium or an oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush Naan on both sides with olive oil. Top Naan on one side with cheeses leaving a half-inch border around crust. Place Naan on grill top shelf or bake on a pizza pan for about five minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Remove top with fresh basil and pepper, serve immediately.

image, © Kristen Johansen | istock