I have often passed cans of hominy on the shelf at the grocery store and wasn’t sure exactly what to do with this simple yet somewhat daunting ingredient! Hominy is essentially dried corn that has been soaked in a mineral lime bath – a process known as nixtamalization. The process softens the kernels and causes them to double in size, which is why hominy looks nothing like corn. It is the main ingredient ground down into corn tortillas, and in Mexico it is even mixed with water and milk to make the sweetened beverage called atol. There are signs of hominy being produced in mesoamerica around 1500 BC so it is a very ancient ingredient that remains unchanged over time — the difference being as the consumer that I don’t have to do anything except use a can opener!
It turns out their chewy puffy texture makes hominy an excellent compliment to beans in a stew. So today I am sharing this flavorful and hearty meatless Hominy Tortilla Soup that is a cinch to make.
MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP
14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or chunky tomato sauce
1 dried smoked chili pepper or 1 poblano pepper
1 avocado
6 corn tortillas (6-inch, taco-sized)
1 handful cilantro
1 lime
14-ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained
14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
32 ounces (4 cups) vegetable stock
1 medium white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Olive oil
Salt
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Stack the tortillas and slice them into ½-inch-wide, 2-inch-long strips. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, then season with a bit oil and salt. Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Remove the seeds and membranes from the dried poblano. In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil on medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and poblano peppers for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, then the canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then add the hominy and black beans. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve the soup: first, discard the dried chili pepper. Pour into individual bowls then top with some of the diced avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro and a lime wedge. Add hot sauce if you like it spicy!
I haven’t been on a vacation since before my kids were born. Sure we’ve had a weeknight away here and there for sanity breaks, but my passport has sat untouched since 2008. Ever since eagerly planning for the family reunion in the Bahamas a few months ago, the word “vacation” has become a verb, noun and adjective in our household. A Holy Grail even. We’re going “On Vacation.” We put our pants on and acting like a good boy “To Vacation.” We are going to have a great “Vacation Day.” So naturally the trip had to start off with tears at the airport because mommy didn’t properly arrange for passports for the boys and after all that packing and planning and Asher screaming “I WANNA GO ON THE AIRPLANE WAAAAAH” in his Panama hat we ended up going home instead. Then mommy flew out for vacation with her overseas family while daddy stayed with the boys and applied for passports in Chicago for three days and never slept. But as most things that seem too perfect in the beginning go, the kinks and stress paid off in the end because it helped me value even more what we had gained at the end of the journey. 
I was in the mood to continue to the fiesta when I returned home – hence today’s recipe for Enchilada Casserole. The bean salad from the recipes makes the perfect side dish for a BBQ or can be the stuffing for peppers or enchiladas, but I opted for the Enchilada Casserole because it is makes a hearty dish that you can serve with fresh avocado and cilantro. And margaritas.
One of the worst questions a coworker can ask you is “What size t-shirt do you wear?” It’s an awful question because it is so immensely personal, but also because it means that at some point soon you will be wearing a staff t-shirt. My husband loves free t-shirts. I do not.
Brunch for four turned into a child safari this past weekend as we hosted our first “adult” brunch in over a month – meaning, we made something with garlic and put out cloth napkins. As per our usual start to Sunday mornings, we began with a pot of strong coffee and Deadmau5. After herding our two boys to the table, we actually managed to eat food on plates, remain in our chairs and share complete stories for about seven blissful minutes. And then abruptly, there was more food was on the floor than on anybody’s plates as Asher announced he was DONE and Everett stubbornly stood up in his high chair after unbuckling his safety belt and my husband and I scrambled around alternatively picking up each child, wiping oily fingers, and placing them at enticing toy stations in hopes that they would entertain themselves for just a minute without choking on a Lego or making stabbing motions with their plastic Chefs knives from the toy kitchen. How dare we adults enjoy ourselves and sit on our butts when there is so much wreckage to be done? 
This weekend I had the immense pleasure of escaping to NYC for my friend Stephanie’s baby shower for two glorious nights and three full days. From sunning on their rooftop deck in Hoboken overlooking the musky Manhattan skyline, to prancing around Times Square searching for overpriced NYPD-themed stuffed animals for my boys back home, to spending $11 on the smallest glass of wine in the world during intermission at the powerful performance of “All The Way” at the Niel Simon Theatre, I loved every minute of the energy, power, and thrill of the big city. But more importantly, I loved being present to welcome my friends into the wonderful world of parenthood … and to wish them luck with her 5-floor walk-up.
Salt and a Smile 