Dos chiles cupcakes with spicy cream cheese frosting

1 (18.25 oz.) box devils food cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
24 small dried red chiles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Combine cake mix, 1 1/2 tsp. ancho chile pepper and 1/4 tsp. red pepper. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the water, vegetable oil, and eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, filling them 2/3 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

Combine 1 teaspoon ancho chile pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with the confectioners sugar in mixing bowl. Beat in the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, mix in the vanilla extract. Ice the cupcakes in attractive swirls and decorate each one with a red chile.

Beautiful Brisket and Red Beans

     I am having people over for dinner tonight and thought I would share this recipe for a great crowd-pleasing meal. The first time I saw this combination, fixed this way I thought, "Yeah, right!". After seeing it mentioned in another cookbook I had to try it. The odd thing about this recipe is you cook the beans and brisket together in the same giant pan. I know, CRAZY! It really works though and works really well.
     I usually serve brisket, beans, potato salad or macaroni and cheese, bread and cole slaw. You can make these yourself or farm these out for other party people to bring. Have another friend bring dessert or make banana pudding the night before and you are done. If you aren't catching the great joy-you can fix every side the night before. Your brisket and beans cook themselves so you can straighten your house, get cleaned up and spend the whole day shopping. Yay!!
     If you have ever wanted to have a large crowd for dinner but were apprehensive about doing it, don't be. This is sure as shootin'. If there are any leftovers, serve them the next day in tortillas and you will have great brisket tacos. Our H.E.B. sells good tortillas that they make but if you have a panaderia close it's worth the trip.

Beautiful Brisket and Red Beans

8-10 lb. brisket, untrimmed
2 lb. bag dried pinto beans
3-10 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
Seasoned Salt
Ground Red Pepper
Black Pepper
60 oz. water

You will need a really big pan. A turkey roasting pan or a "giant" disposable aluminum pan is necessary. Spray the pan with no stick spray and set it aside. Rinse your beans and remove any debris in the water. Drain the beans and pour them into the bottom of your prepared pan. Open your brisket and start on the "red" side. (The fat side of your brisket will be more white and the meat side will be red.) Sprinkle the seasoned salt, red pepper and black pepper on your brisket and rub them into the meat with your hand. (Don't worry about the amount of spices, just sprinkle generously.) Take half of the brown sugar and rub it into the brisket. Pick up your brisket and turn it into your pan on top of the beans with the red side side down. The white side of your brisket should be facing up from inside your pan. Sprinkle your spices on and rub them in just like you did for the red side and repeat with the brown sugar. Sprinkle any leftover sugar into the pan. You should have sugar all over your brisket at this point. Pour your tomatoes into the pan. Do NOT pour it really fast and wash the sugar and spices off the brisket. Make sure one can of the tomato solid matter is spread all over your brisket on top of your sugar and spices. Take one of your empty tomato cans and fill it with water. Pour this into your pan. Repeat this five more times. This will give you 60 oz. of water to cook your beans. Just pour this water around your brisket, not over it. Seal your pan with foil. Turn your oven to 400 degrees and let your brisket rest until the oven is ready. Bake the brisket at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn your oven to 225 degrees and cook your brisket for 1 1/2 hours per pound.
Note: You should figure 1/4-1/2 lb. of meat per person. So my 9 lb. brisket will feed 18-36 people. I usually figure the men at 1/2 and women at 1/4 and have never run short.
Pre-measure your brown sugar and put it on a plate. You can't touch the sugar package after your hands have meat on them. I pick up my spice containers with a paper towel when I season the white side as I already have meat on my hands.
Your pan will be heavy! If you are using a disposable pan, BE CAREFUL, it could collapse. Slide a cookie sheet under the pan and carry with it, not the aluminum pan.
    
     I hope some of you will try this and let me know how it works out. Call your friends and family and give this a chance. You should be able to get brisket and beans for around $30.00. That's way less than you would have spent at any restaurant to feed 2-4 people and our feeding a whole gang. Enjoy!

Too Easy Meat Dish

     I just had to throw this one out there really quickly this morning. I read about this recipe (actually, heard, it was an audio book) and it was so crazy I just had to try it. The guys really liked it and it was all gone this morning. I say this morning because I had put what was left in a container for James to take to work for his lunch. Keeley came in after carousing and ate it. *snickering* Keeley thought they were just leftovers, not designated for other use. The recipe is more like a guideline than a recipe bits and parts can be interchanged as your needs and supplies do.

Too Easy Meat Dish
1 1/2 lbs. meat (I used ground beef)
2 cans cream sup, undiluted (I used cream of mushroom with roasted garlic and cream of onion)
1 lb. frozen potatoes (I used tater tots)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with no stick spray. Spread the meat into the bottom of the pan. Pour the soups over the meat and spread them evenly. Lay the potatoes on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Note: I plan to try this with leftover chicken, fiesta cheese and cream of mushroom soup, O'Brien hash browns and Pepper Jack cheese next time. It also mentioned not to add extra cheese or it will inhibit the cooking of the potatoes.

     Anyway, this was good and easy. It would be a great "learning to cook" dish for little hands, as there is minimum measuring but lots of layering and spreading. It sounded so implausible that I had to try it.

Rita's on the River-San Antonio

     I like Rita's! It seems to catch a whole mess of flack from others but, I like Rita's! If you want your napkin placed in your lap, don't stop here. Rita's is a fun place in a great location on the Riverwalk with great live music and a high school/college age wait staff. There is no better people-watching spot to be found in the city.
     The chicken tortilla soup is the best I have ever had. I prefer a light meal so that I have more room for immense, "Texas-size" margarita and this soup fits the bill perfectly. The chicken is in good size chunks so I don't fear it (little shredded pieces of joint, etc freak me out) and they serve fried tortilla strips and fresh avocado in it. So good! Try any and/or all of the margarita's and watch the crowds. It makes for a great evening.
     Rita's makes a mean breakfast taco, too. The tortillas are good and they offer numerous "filling" choices. I had the potato-egg and James had the egg-chorizo combination, both were great. The breakfast menu is really affordable, but I think it is only served Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
     Give Rita's a chance if you're in San Anton. I think you will enjoy yourself. I always do.

Mi Tierra-San Antonio

     The third stop on my whirlwind tour of San Antonio is Mi Tierra. This restaurant and bakery is located by Market Square on Produce Row. It is a fun ride on the city trolley which costs you $1.10 one way. The restaurant is festive and has beautiful woodwork and paintings. People complain about the wait sometimes but don't sweat it. Step into the bar, order a frosted schooner of beer and enjoy the atmosphere.
     I had the fish tacos, a Friday lunch special. The fish was nicely seared on the outside and super flaky. The guacamole was excellent. The best thing in the place, and maybe on the planet, are their flour tortillas. Perfection! I love tortillas, and even though they don't reciprocate, I will never forsake them. Mi Tierra's are the best I have ever eaten. They are tender with no hint of rubbery-ness. Rubbery texture ruins a tortilla! If you would like a foretaste of Heaven, dip the tortilla in the charro bean juice and get ready. You may have to have a moment alone. This is ecstasy!

Luke in San Antonio

     Yay!! This is how much I enjoyed this restaurant! Yay! Yay! Yay!! I was a little apprehensive going in after a day of shopping and trolley riding because this place is gorgeous and upscale. It is also unpretentious and loads of quiet fun. Luke (the "u" has two dots over it) is Chef John Besh's first restaurant outside his home state of Louisiana and I'm so glad he came to us. We arrived around 3 PM during happy hour and this is the perfect time to experience this laid back jewel.
      I believe our server's name was Logan and he was perfect, helpful and talkative without sitting down and sharing our snack. (Don't laugh, it's happened.) The napkins are little, white dish clothes so beware if you are wearing a black shirt. They can get you a little lint-y.
     Appetizers are on sale during happy hour and meat pies and oysters on the half shell were .50, yes fifty cents, each. The meat pies were great, flaky crust and juicy filling served with a tomato-cream sauce. They were heaven. The table next to us ordered the oysters and they were gorgeous!
     Happy hour also offers up half price beer. Beer is one of my favorite things! They had a great variety and interestingly, even some new canned beers. (I have never liked things served in a can. It just creeps me out. What's in there that I can't see?) Logan, our excellent culinary guide, convinced me to try one and I wasn't disappointed. I had Mamas Little Yellow Pils and it was great. It reminded me of a Stella and was truly good beer. We tried the Alamo Draft and the La Bestia Aimable out of the bottle section. The Alamo was great. The Aimable had a good taste but was really heavy and dark for me. If you like Guinness, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed. I rounded out the beverages with a Lone Star for old times sake. It was like seeing an old friend. I really enjoyed it.

     I will finish with the thing that put Luke's on my list-CHEESECAKE IN A JAR!!! Yes, it was layered in a nice jar, probably 12-16 ounces of sheer heaven. It is made with a local mascarpone cheese from Humble House, if I read correctly, and will not disappoint. The topping was blueberry, not too sweet. I could still taste the berries sugar, not processed white sugar. I would have licked the inside of the jar if I could have found a way to hide behind my napkin and do it. Thank you, Southern Living, for bringing this delight to my attention and thank you, Luke's for bringing it to Texas!

Fidel Gastro in San Antonio-Schilo's

     It takes more than four days to eat your way through San Antonio. It is a city of such epicurious wonderfulness that it would take months to do it justice. That being said, I will hit on a few high points over the next few posts. I will try to hit a few different price points and atmospheres for each meal.
     I think today I will highlight Schilo's (pronounced She-lows) on Commerce Street first. This is a new place for me and I could not be happier with it. The atmosphere is A+ and this German deli is adorable. The deli counter is thirty feet long and filled with meats, cheeses and desserts. They also serve homemade root beer that was the best I have ever tasted. It was $3 for a 32 ounce glass if I remember correctly. Even if you don't have time to eat, pick up this root beer to drink as you tour the Alamo gardens or stroll the River walk.
     I ate breakfast at Schilo's my last morning there. I had potato pancakes (a first for me), eggs, and bacon. The pancakes are served with sour cream and applesauce in place of syrup. I loved it. The pancakes were crisp on the outside and nice and soft inside. The sour cream and applesauce made a sweet and tangy topping that I would have never combined. James had eggs, bratwurst and biscuits.The biscuits were tall and light and he loved the bratwurst. They serve Community coffee, my favorite, always excellent.
     This is a "don't miss" stop on any San Antonio trip. Great food, service and prices. Schilo's is wonderful!