Michael Kurek, Composer: FOOD !

Welcome to the food page of Michael Kurek's website! If you have come here straight from MySpace, we invite you to explore the rest of this site by clicking on the links to the left! Here you will find selected recipes from the kitchen of Michael Kurek, all tested and approved by those unfortunate (sometimes fortunate) souls who are pressed into service as his tasters. If you try out any of these and want to comment, please send Michael an e-mail at Mickeykurek@aol.com. Check back each month for a new recipe!

July's Recipe:

Maggie Gamboa's Mexican Cornbread

and Michael's Easy Black Beans!

First up -- simply the best, most moist Mexican cornbread ever. It comes from the late, beloved Maggie Gamboa of Las Cruces , New Mexico , who managed Gamboa's Restaurant from 1950 to 1980. This recipe is from her personal cookbook, Recetas del Valle, Mesilla Valley Recipes , published in 1988 to benefit Saint Albert the Great Parish (used by family permission; your support of St. Albert Parish and Newman Center is appreciated). A few updated options and clarifications to her classic recipe are shown [in brackets]. (Special thanks to Brion Gamboa! Check out his music on MySpace.)

2 [large] eggs

¼ cup salad oil [extra virgin olive oil]

2 cups green chile (roasted, peeled, chopped) [Poblano, see first paragraph, below]

1 small can (9 oz.) cream-style corn [now 8.25 or 8.5 oz.]

½ cup sour cream

1 cup yellow cornmeal [not self-rising]

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese (shredded)

4 slices bacon (fried crisp and crumbled) [okay to omit]

[2 tablespoons finely diced onion, optional by MK]

[corn cut from 1 ear fresh corn on the cob, optional by MK]

[dash of dried or chopped fresh cilantro, optional by MK]

[Another option would be to use one cup of Poblano pieces plus about 2-4 additional Jalapenos, to taste, for additional heat. In any case, it is important to use fresh peppers, which you should first slit and remove the seeds under running water and then either char them directly over a gas flame (right on the burner of your gas range) or roast them at 400 degrees for about half an hour, turning once, or till skin blisters. Then put them in a plastic bag or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge to cool and sweat about 15 minutes. Then peel off the skin under running water and chop them on a cutting board. Be careful to wash hands well with soap a couple of times and avoid rubbing your eyes with hands after handling peppers!]

[Preheat over to 350 degrees.] In a large bowl, beat [whisk] eggs and oil until well blended. Add chopped peppers to egg mixture and stir well [with spoon]. Now stir in the creamed corn, sour cream, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and 1½ cup of the cheese, also the bacon bits [if used], [and the fresh corn, onion, and cilantro]. Stir until thoroughly blended.

Pour batter into a greased 9-inch [square, glass] casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese on top and bake [on middle rack of oven] for one hour, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the crust is lightly browned. Serve warm. [Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in foil 30 minutes at 300 degrees, or microwave briefly.]

 

Michael's Easy Black Beans

1 or two cans Bush's Black Beans, Seasoned Recipe

1-2 tablespoons (per can of beans) Liquid Smoke (found in barbecue sauce aisle)

½ medium-size onion (to taste), chopped

splash of olive oil

splash of liquid hot sauce, to taste

Here's a super easy and very tasty side dish you can throw together in minutes, and people will think you worked on it for hours. Heat oil in medium stove-top pot (sauce pan), then add onion and brown it well, stirring frequently. Stir in beans and heat till bubbling. Stir in liquid smoke and hot sauce (both to taste). Serve in a small bowl alongside the meal or over rice.

Celebrating Almost FOUR YEARS of fun recipes on this site! Contact MK for any of these past recipes:

September, 2004: Hoisin Crusty Bleu Pork Chops

October, 2004: Heavenly Lime-Crab Clouds of Ecstasy

November, 2004: Pumped-Up Pumpkin Soup

December, 2004: White-Chocolate Key-Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust

January, 2005: Fresh Salmon Cakes

February, 2005: Kurek's Bizarre and Wicked Chili

March, 2005: Shrimp and Mango Spring Rolls

April, 2005: Seafood or Chicken or Vegetarian Curry -- The Real Thing

May, 2005: Russian Kotleta

June, 2005: Cajun Brie, Spinach, and Artichoke Bread Pudding

July, 2005: Sunburn Shrimp Dip with Grilled Volcano Butter Crostini

August, 2005: Maui Zowee Pineapple Coconut Cream Carrot Cake

September, 2005: Fabulous Fish Tacos with Authentic Red Rice

October, 2005: Crawfish-Goat-Cheese Potstickers with Basil-Marsala Cream Sauce

November, 2005: Cheesy Beef Stroganoff Enchiladas

December, 2005: Shrimp Cakes with Chili-Lime Cream Sauce

January, 2006: Chocolate Mink

February, 2006: Easy Home-made Buttermilk Chicken Pot-Pie

March, 2006: King Ranch Chicken

April 2006: Orange Shrimp on Saffron-Parmesan Grits

May 2006: Rum-Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake

June, 2006: Paella Miguel

July, 2006: Mexican Polenta Casserole

August, 2006: Scintillating Sesame Noodles

September 2006: Mongolian Fiery Coconut Orange Shrimp Stir Fry

October 2006: Coconut Chess Pie

November 2006: Extreme Mac and Cheese Makeover

December 2006: Shangri-La

January 2007: Heart Attack On A Plate

February 2007: Bonus: Cooking Tips From Michael's Kitchen

March 2007: Benedictine-Cherry Sauce on Pork Chops or Duck Medallions

April 2007: Red-Wine-Mushroom Gravy on Beef with Gorgonzola-Crispy-Onion Potatoes (Bonus: Pear Martinis)

May 2007: Intensely Lemon Artichoke and Spinach Fettuccine (with Bonus Recipe: BLT's for Grown Ups)

June 2007: International Surprise-Burger Cookout

July 2007: Coffee-marinated Grilled Pork Loin with Island Rice

August 2007: Frozen Strawberry-Margarita Pie (plus bonus recipe: Corn-bread-stuffed Poblanos)

September 2007: Crunchy Wasabi-Crusted Giant Prawns with Vanilla Rice

October, 2007: Lime Salmon over Jalapeno-Creamed Fresh Corn

November, 2007: Shrimp and Grits with Cajun-Andouille Gravy

December, 2007: Insane Holiday Stuffing

January, 2008: Appetizer Quartet (Savory Pineapple Cheese Ball, Mini-Seafood Rolls, Prosciutto-Gruyere Pinwheel Puffs, Parmesan Cheese Twists)

February, 2008: Tuna-Polenta Casserole

March, 2008: America-the-Beautiful Pizza

April, 2008: Mom's Famous Bourbon Balls and the Best Meatloaf Ever

May, 2008: An Outdoor Concert Picnic: Michael's Mega-Sandwich and A Nice Pasta Salad

June, 2008: Maui Zowee Pineapple Coconut Cream Carrot Cake (repeat from August, 2005)

July, 2008: Maggie Gamboa's Mexican Cornbread and Michael's Easy Black Beans