Honey Grilled Chicken

The famous Colgin smoke house. . . built by the grandfather of Richard Colgin in the year 1869 in Mexia, Texas, and made of hand hewn logs, it became the symbol for the very finest in sweet smoked meats . . . today it remains in excellent condition just as Colgin Liquid Smoke remains one of America's favorites.

This is the old time tedious method of barbecuing, which Colgin Liquid Smoke makes unnecessary.

Have you ever seen meat smoked in the old fashioned way, in a smoke house? If so, you saw drops of dark brown liquid forming on the meat. That was smoke that had condensed into liquid form, just as moisture in the air condenses on the windshield of your car and “fogs it up.” This condensed or “liquid” smoke is the best food flavoring.

Colgin Natural Liquid Smoke is produced by burning fresh cut hickory, mesquite, apple, and pecan wood chips at extremely high temperatures and moisture levels. There’s nothing “synthetic” about it, it’s not made from chemicals. It is made by placing high grade smoking woods in sealed retorts, where intense heat makes the wood smolder (not burn), releasing the gases seen in ordinary smoke.

These gases are quickly chilled in condensers, which liquefies the smoke, it is then forced through seven refining vats, and a large filter, to remove impurities. Finally, the liquid is received into large oak barrels which will age the liquid smoke for mellowness. Click here to see how liquid smoke is made.

While the equipment is modern, computer controlled and state of the art, the process is the same as when S.E. Colgin first patented it in the early part of the 20th Century.

Colgin Natural Liquid Smoke is an all natural product with no additives or preservatives. It will enhance the flavor of meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, sauces, gravies . . . anything that would taste better with a real smoke flavor and aroma.

Colgin Natural Liquid Smoke saves time and money! It is a quick, low cost, healthy alternative to using a smoker and now you may have "Smoke Flavor" the convenient way, comes in a bottle with shaker top. Good, wherever smoke flavor is desired.

Liquid smoke goes a long ways, start with 1/4 teaspoon then add more, if desired.

By http://www.colgin.com/public/default.aspx

Honey Grilled Chicken

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Directions:

Heat grill pan, over medium heat. In resealable plastic bag, add olive oil, honey, steak seasoning, liquid smoke and garlic. Place chicken in bag, making sure to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, place on hot grill, cook until chicken no longer pink in center and juices run clear. Enjoy!

You might also like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/chicken-croquettes-with-old-bay-sauce.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/sloppy-joes.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/06/po-mans-bbq-chicken-sandwich.html

Made any Christine's Pantry recipes lately? Leave me a comment.

Kitchen Chew ~ Stocking Your Pantry

Rice

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

If you are new to the kitchen, it's time to get acquainted. Whether you are a new mom, new wife, or new to your kitchen, you can easily become a good cook at making dinner with some planning ahead.

Always read the recipe, and make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before you start cooking. Learn what foods go together and what to have in your pantry. Cooking dinner will be fun. Don't you want to have fun cooking dinner for your family? I know it can be. If you have your pantry stocked with a few basics and get some tasty and easy recipes (consider me, easy and affordable recipes), dinner will be fun and easy any time of the week. Below you will find a list of what to keep in your pantry. If you keep these few things on hand, a lot of your stress will be eliminated in the kitchen. I would like for you to be happy and have fun in the kitchen and love learning about food.

Pantry:

Cooking oil, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil, nonstick cooking spray

Canned fish, tuna, salmon

Canned tomatoes, diced, tomato sauce

Canned beans, black beans, kidney beans, etc

Pasta

Rice

Tomato paste

Worcestershire sauce

Flour, white and or wheat

Bread crumbs

Chicken stock, box

Potatoes

Onions

Garlic

Spice rack, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, steak seasoning, dried parsley

Sugar and brown sugar

Baking soda

Baking powder

Vanilla extract

Cornstarch

Cornmeal

Nuts, pecans, walnuts, etc (it's best to store your nuts in the freezer, they will last longer)

Canned corn

Canned green beans

Honey

Liquid smoke

Take this list to your pantry and see what you have in your pantry. Then print out this page and take to the grocery store to pick up what you don't already have on hand. A well stocked pantry will save you time and money at the grocery store.

Enjoy!

Christine

Southwestern Beef Soup

The carrot can trace its ancestry back thousands of years, originally having been cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, along with parts of Europe. These original carrots looked different from those that we are accustomed to today, featuring red, purple, and yellow coloring rather than the bright orange that we've become accustomed to in U.S. supermarkets. Carrots became widely cultivated in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries and were first brought over to North America during this same general time period.

In today's commercial marketplace, China currently produces about one-third of all carrots bought and sold worldwide. Russia is the second largest carrot producer, with the U.S. following a close third. Many European countries produce substantial amounts of carrots (over 400,000 metric tons) and Turkey, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Australia and Canada are also important countries in the worldwide production of carrots. Within the U.S., about 12,000 acres of carrots for processing are planted each year, resulting in about 320,000 tons of carrots. Over 80% of all fresh market carrot production in the U.S. comes from California, with Michigan and Texas emerging as the next two largest fresh production states.

Currently,U.S. adults average about 12 pounds of carrot intake each year. Approximately 9 pounds are being consumed in fresh form, with the other 3 pounds are being consumed in frozen or canned products. This amount translates into approximately 1 cup of carrots each week in fresh, frozen, or canned form.

How to select and store: Carrot roots should be firm, smooth, relatively straight and bright in color. The deeper the orange-color, the more beta-carotene is present in the carrot. Avoid carrots that are excessively cracked or forked as well as those that are limp or rubbery. In addition, if the carrots do not have their tops attached, look at the stem end and ensure that it is not darkly colored as this is also a sign of age. If the green tops are attached, they should be brightly colored, feathery and not wilted. Since the sugars are concentrated in the carrots' core, generally those with larger diameters will have a larger core and therefore be sweeter.

Carrots are hardy vegetables that will keep longer than many others if stored properly. The trick to preserving the freshness of carrot roots is to minimize the amount of moisture they lose. To do this, make sure to store them in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel, which will reduce the amount of condensation that is able to form. They should be able to keep fresh for about two weeks. Research has shown that the especially valuable (all-E)-beta-carotene isomer is well-retained in carrots if stored properly. Carrots should also be stored away from apples, pears, potatoes and other fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas since it will cause them to become bitter.

If you purchase carrot roots with attached green tops, the tops should be cut off before storing in the refrigerator since they will cause the carrots to wilt prematurely as they pull moisture from the roots. While the tops can be stored in the refrigerator, kept moist by being wrapped in a damp paper, they should really be used soon after purchase since they are fragile and will quickly begin to wilt.

By http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

I love soup. Soup is versatile one pot wonders. The foundation of any soup is the stock. You can cook soup in 30 minutes or less, but it will taste like you cooked the soup all day. 

 

Southwestern Beef Soup

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 (14.5 oz) can carrots, drained

1 onion, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 (14 oz) can green beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes

4 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a large pot, add ground beef. Season ground beef with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Breaking ground beef up as it cooks, cook until no longer pink. Add beef broth and remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Taste and season, if desired. Enjoy!

You might also like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/06/mayo-chocolate-cake.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/06/skillet-green-beans.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/06/po-mans-bbq-chicken-sandwich.html

Salmon Croquettes

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout, the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true. Salmon live along the coasts of both the North Atlantic (one migratory species Salmo salar) and Pacific Oceans (approximately a dozen species of the genus Oncorhynchus), and have also been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America. Salmon are intensively produced in aquaculture in many parts of the world.

Typically, salmon are anadromous, they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce. However, there are populations of several species that are restricted to fresh water through their life. Folklore has it that the fish return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn, tracking studies have shown this to be true, and this homing behavior has been shown to depend on olfactory memory.

The salmon has long been at the heart of the culture and livelihood of coastal dwellers. Many people of the Northern Pacific shore had a ceremony to honor the first return of the year. For many centuries, people caught salmon as they swam upriver to spawn. A famous spearfishing site on the Columbia River at Celilo Falls was inundated after great dams were built on the river. The Ainu, of northern Japan, trained dogs to catch salmon as they returned to their breeding grounds en masse. Now, salmon are caught in bays and near shore.

Salmon population levels are of concern in the Atlantic and in some parts of the Pacific. Alaska fishery stocks are still abundant, and catches have been on the rise in recent decades, after the state initiated limitations in 1972. Some of the most important Alaskan salmon sustainable wild fisheries are located near the Kenai River, Copper River, and in Bristol Bay. Fish farming of Pacific salmon is outlawed in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, however, there is a substantial network of publicly funded hatcheries, and the State of Alaska's fisheries management system is viewed as a leader in the management of wild fish stocks. In Canada, returning Skeena River wild salmon support commercial, subsistence and recreational fisheries, as well as the area's diverse wildlife on the coast and around communities hundreds of miles inland in the watershed. The status of wild salmon in Washington is mixed. Out of 435 wild stocks of salmon and steelhead, only 187 of them were classified as healthy; 113 had an unknown status, 1 was extinct, 12 were in critical condition and 122 were experiencing depressed populations. The Columbia River salmon population is now less than 3% of what it was when Lewis and Clark arrived at the river. The commercial salmon fisheries in California have been either severely curtailed or closed completely in recent years, due to critically low returns on the Klamath and or Sacramento Rivers, causing millions of dollars in losses to commercial fishermen. Both Atlantic and Pacific salmon are popular sportfish.

Salmon populations now exist in all the Great Lakes. Coho stocks were planted in the late 1960s in response to the growing population of nonnative alewife by the state of Michigan. Now Chinook (King), Atlantic, and Coho (silver) salmon are annually stocked in all Great Lakes by mosts bordering states and provinces. These populations are not self sustaining and do not provide much in the way of a commercial fishery, but have led to the development of a thriving sportfishery.

By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon#Salmon

Spawning Sockeye Salmon - photo from Wikipedia

Are you going to 2011 Foodbuzz festival? I'd like to go, but unfortunately, I will not be able to go. Leave me a comment. Love hearing from you.

Salmon Croquettes

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

2 cans salmon, flaked

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

Heat oil in medium skillet, over medium heat. Combine canned salmon, egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form into patties and dust each patties with additional bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy!

You might also like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/catfish-tacos.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/chicken-croquettes-with-old-bay-sauce.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/sloppy-lasagna.html

Taco Salad

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Food historians tell us Tex-Mex cuisine originated hundreds of years ago when Spanish/Mexican recipes combined with Anglo fare. TexMex, as we Americans know it today, is a twentieth century phenomenon. Dictionaries and food history sources confirm the first print evidence of the term "Tex Mex" occured in the 1940s. Linguists remind us words are often used for several years before they appear in print. TexMex restaurants first surfaced ouside the southwest region in cities with large Mexican populations. The gourmet Tex Mex "fad" began in the 1970s. Diana Kennedy, noted Mexican culinary expert, is credited for elevating this common food to trendy fare. These foods appealed to the younger generation.

What is Tex- Mex? Tex-Mex food might be described as native foreign food, contradictory through that term may seem, It is native, for it does not exist elsewhere; it was born on this soil. But it is foreign in that its inspiration came from an alien cuisine; that it has never merged into the mainstream of American cooking and remains alive almost solely in the region where it originated.Eating in America, Waverly Root & Richard de Rochemont (William Morrow:New York) 1976 (p. 281)

1940... Tex-Mex. A combination of the words "Texan" and "Mexican," first printed in 1945, that refers to an adaptation of Mexican dishes by Texas cooks. It is difficult to be precise as to what distinguishes Tex-Mex from true Mexican food, except to say that the variety of the latter is wider and more regional, whereas throughout the state and, now, throughout the entire United States.Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 325)

1950... Mexican restaurants, whos popularity coincided with the arrival of large numbers of Mexican immigrants after 1950, have for the most part followed the from and style of what is called "Tex-Mex" food, and amalgam of Northern Mexican peasant food with Texas farm and cowboy fare. Chili, which some condsider Texas's state dish, was unknown in Mexico and derived from the ample use of beef in Texan cooking. "Refried beans" are a mistranslation of the Mexican dish frijoles refritos, which actually means well-fried beans...The combination platter of enchiladas, tacos, and tortillas became the unvarying standards of the Tex-Mex menu, while new dishes like chimichangas (supposedly invented in the the 1950s at El Charro restaurant in Tucson, Arizona) and nachos (supposedly first served at a consession at Dallas's State Fair of Texas in 1964...) were concocted to please the American palate....One Tex-Mex item that may someday rival the pizza as an extraordinarily successful ethnic dish is the fajita...introduced at Ninfa's in Houston on July 13, 1973, as tacos al carbon. No one knows when or where it acquired the name fajita, which means girdle' or'strip' in Spanish and refers to the skirt steak originally used in the preparation...Only in the last decade has refined, regional Mexican food taken a foot-hold in American cities, reflecting not only the tenets of Tex-Mex cookery by the cuisines of Mexico City, the Yucatan, and other regions with long standing culinary traditions.America Eats Out, John Mariani [William Morrow:New York] 1991 (p. 80-1)

1970... In the good old days, Texans went to "Mexican restaurants" and ate "Mexican food." Then in 1972, The Cuisines of Mexico, an influential cookbook by food authority Diana Kennedy, drew the line between authentic interior Mexican food and the "mixed plates" we ate at "so-called Mexican restaurants" in the United States. Kennedy and her friends in the food community began referring to Americanized Mexican food as "Tex-Mex," a term previously used to describe anything that was half-Texan and half-Mexican. Texas-Mexican restaurant owners considered it an insult. By a strange twist of fate, the insult launched a success. For the rest of the world, "Tex-Mex" had an exciting ring. It evoked images of cantinas, cowboys and the Wild West. Dozens of Tex-Mex restaurants sprang up in Paris, and the trend spread across Europe and on to Bangkok, Buenos Aires and Abu Dhabi. Tortilla chips, margaritas and chili con carne are now well-known around the world. Houston Post, 6 part series, all online.

By http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html

Taco Salad

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 package taco seasoning mix

salt and pepper, to taste

light ranch dressing

cheddar cheese

cole slaw

tortilla chips, use as much as you like

Directions:

In skillet, over medium heat, add ground beef, breaking meat up as it cooks, cook until no longer pink. Add onions, diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix. Stir well. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Place tortilla chips on dinner plate, then add meat mixture, cheese, cole slaw, add additional cheese and drizzle light ranch dressing. Enjoy!

You also might like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/chicken-veggie-rice.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/garlic-herb-mashed-potatoes.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/garlic-rosemary-chicken.html

Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan. It is usually made from ground beef, although lamb, pork, veal, venison, and poultry or a combination are also used.

Who invented meatloaf? Good question. The meatloaf has European origins, meatloaf of minced meat was mentioned in the famous Roman cookery collection Apicius as early as the 5th century. Meatloaf is a traditional German, Belgian and Dutch dish, and it is a cousin to the Italian meatball. American meatloaf has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times. However, meatloaf in the contemporary American sense did not appear in cookbooks until the late 19th century.

By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a versatile dish. I love meatloaf. I love having a meatloaf sandwich for lunch.

Meatloaf

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, more for drizzling

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all ingredients in bowl, mix well, using your hands. Place on 13x9 baking dish. Shape into loaf. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over loaf, then spread ketchup on loaf. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

You might also like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/sausage-balls-with-dip.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/crab-salad.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/debos-fried-three-cheese-tortellini.html

Kitchen Chew

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Have you ever started a dish, and find that you have run out of an ingredient? I have. It's alright. Here is a list of substitutions and food tips.

I am out of self rising flour:

1 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well. There's you self rising flour.

I have no sour cream:

Use plain yogurt.

I have no yogurt:

Use sour cream

I have no confectioner's or powder sugar:

1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, process in a blender until powdery.

I have no light brown sugar:

Mix together, 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses.

I have no molasses:

Mix together, 3/4 cup dark brown suger and 1/4 cup water.

Chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit settling to the bottom of your pan during baking:

If you have ever had this problem it was probably because your batter was not thick enough to suspend the ingredients during baking. For thin batters, toss these ingredients in a little flour, it may help to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.

Baking muffins:

For easy clean up, line muffin cups with paper muffin liners. Use ice cream scoop to place muffin batter into muffin cups.

My brown sugar is hard:

Brown sugar should be store in a thick plastic bag in a cool, dry place. From time to time, brown sugar does become hard. If this happens, place a slice of apple in the plastic bag with brown sugar. Seal bag and leave for 2 days, brown sugar softens. Remove apple.

My burgers are dry:

When cooking burger, don't flatten the patties with a spatula. Pressing the patties squeezes out the flavor.

Chicken safety:

Safety first in the kitchen. Always wash your hands with hot soapy water after handling raw chicken.

What is the best way to cool cookies:

Unless a recipe otherwise directs, cool cookies briefly on the cookie sheet, to firm slightly, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

My celery looks bad:

Your celery is starting to look droopy, cut off the root end, and stand celery in a large glass of water. Celery will absorbed some of the water and will be good and crunchy again.

Potatoes and onions:

Never store potatoes and onions together, they will spoil faster.

Salad greens:

Salad greens should not be stored near fruits that produce ethylene gases (like apples) as this will increase brown spots on the lettuce leaves and increase spoilage.

I saw this article on freezer basics. Great article. I thought I would pass it along, http://www.pauladeen.com/kitchenbasics/article_view/freezer_basics/

Source: Google

Now you have some tips, be sure to try out some of Christine's recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/06/fried-pork-chops.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/skillet-mexican-pasta.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/after-work-bolognese.html

Ham And Egg Sandwich

Bread has been eaten with any meat or vegetables since Neolithic times. For example, the ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have placed meat from the Paschal lamb and bitter herbs between two pieces of matzah (or flat, unleavened bread) during Passover. During the Middle Ages, thick slabs of coarse and usually stale bread, called "trenchers", were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog or to beggars, or eaten by the diner. Trenchers were the precursors of open-face sandwiches. The immediate cultural precursor with a direct connection to the English sandwich was to be found in the Netherlands of the 17th century, where the naturalist John Ray observed that in the taverns beef hung from the rafters which they cut into thin slices and eat with bread and butter laying the slices upon the butter, explanatory specifications that reveal the Dutch belegde broodje was as yet unfamiliar in England.

Initially perceived as food men shared while gaming and drinking at night, the sandwich slowly began appearing in polite society as a late night meal among the aristocracy. The sandwich's popularity in Spain and England increased dramatically during the 19th century, when the rise of an industrial society and the working classes made fast, portable, and inexpensive meals essential.

It was at the same time that the sandwich finally began to appear outside of Europe. In the United States, the sandwich was first promoted as an elaborate meal at supper. By the early 20th century, as bread became a staple of the American diet, the sandwich became the same kind of popular, quick meal as was already widespread in the Mediterranean.

By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich

What is your favorite breakfast sandwich? Leave me a comment. I love hearing from you.

Ham And Egg Sandwich

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

8 slices bread, toasted

4 eggs, beaten

deli ham, 6 slices per sandwich

2 tablespoons butter

4 slices American cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Beat eggs until smooth. In skillet melt butter over low heat. Pour eggs into preheated skillet, season with salt and pepper. Stir. Remove from heat when there is no more liquid on bottom of skillet. Spread butter on toast, add American cheese, deli ham and scrambled eggs. Enjoy!

You might also like these recipes:

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/crawfish-chowder.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-fuss-beef-stroganoff.html

http://christinespantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/chicken-salad-sandwich.html

 

Pico De Gallo

Roque Olivos founder of Pico De Gallo. Roque Olivos was born August 16, 1929 in the small village called Tauca in the Andes Mountains in Ancash, Peru. As a young boy his family moved to Lima the capital of Peru. Early in his manhood, Roque worked as a salesman traveling all over Peru selling his wares. It was during this time that he started to package his own line of seasonings to sell to restaurants and stores while on his trips. His first seasoning was called "Kozan - Spice of the Orient". He employed his brothers and sisters to do all the packaging while he was away on trips making sales and getting to know his country. He decided to come to the United States in 1965. All he brought with him was seven dollars and a dozen hand-made bronze plaques that he hoped to sell for money once here. He quickly sold the plaques to Herman Jesson, a German travel agent with a great affection for Peru. With the money he made from this sale he was able to start his new life in the United States.

Over the years Roque Olivos and Herman Jesson have remained great friends. Herman eventually returned many of the plaques to Roque over their years as friends. Herman Jesson has since passed and these plaques are some of Roque's most prized possessions.

1970... Roque Olivos establishes his business under the name Peru's Wholesale in Los Angeles, California. The company begins by selling general goods and packaging spices, herbs, snacks and dried chile pods under the Peru's Brand. The warehouse and packaging facilities were located in the heart of Boyle Heights for nearly 30 years on Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. (formerly Brooklyn Avenue). This primarily Mexican neighborhood lent an atmosphere that became the heart of the business. Roque's entrepreneurial instincts lead him to a market that was virtually untouched at the time, making him one of the pioneers in this industry.

By http://www.picodegallo.net/history.html

Guest post on The Southern Lady Cooks: http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2011/09/22/guest-coconut-banana-muffins/

Pico De Gallo

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

1 jalapeno, remove seeds, finely diced

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in airtight container, chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!