Tormented Kitchen

I know in some of my previous posts I have said how much I like Mexican food, and pork. In my youth, I was not really an adventurous eater.  Once I hit my teens, I started trying different things.  After I had left home for college, I started eating at a well known Mexican cantina on the south side of Reno. That is where I first tasted Carnitas. It was awesome! So much porky flavor concentrated in each bite! Since then, I have tried them at other restaurants.  They are all a tiny bit different from each other, but still delicious. My recipe is pretty basic. The use of OJ gives the pork a subtle sweetness.  You may find other recipes that use lime juice or broth or stock.  I will leave that decision up to you.  I have found simmering the meat and then frying it makes it very tender.  To shred it, all you need to do is apply a little pressure with a fork. Ingredients 3-4 pounds pork shoulder roast 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon regular salt 3 cups water 1 cu

OMHYGOODNESS! I have been absolutely crazy for bread. I tried one of those "no-knead" recipes (with a few minor adaptations) and it turned out very well. I had the big stand mixer handy just in case, but I didn't actually need it. I had been planning on making bread for a few weeks now. I made time yesterday and recruited my son to help. A little boy, just shy of 4 years old, is actually an excellent assistant for this since it doesn't require the stove until the very end. Eric lost interest about half way into the first raise. No surprise there. I let him go play with the neighbor's girl, while I kept up with the dough. I ended up letting the dough rise extra after I shaped them into loaves. I have noticed that when baking here (high altitude and low humidity) that sometimes you have to really watch things during rising so it doesn't get dehydrated. Damp towels, plastic wrap and steamy spots in the kitchen help me get successful results. I baked up th