One of My Favorite Things

Probably one of my favorite jobs that I do for Sal del Mar is coming up with design ideas.  My brain never seems to stop thinking of different bags designs, different marketing ideas and different Sal del Mar products. But the best part is to see my ideas taking on “a life.”  My friend Paula Hamilton, is responsible for putting “the life” into my design ideas as seen in these Sal del Mar plates that she hand-painted. (They are fired and are dishwasher proof).

Paula arrives tomorrow in Alamos, where I am presently living, to work on many new ideas to present to you. Look for new postings to come on our blog and our Facebook page.

Paula Hamilton can be contacted through www.saldelmar.com and I will post her website as soon as it’s available.

Paula Hamilton Plates

The Hunt

The hunt is on. It is the peak season for tomatoes and I'm off to every farmers market searching up and down the stalls laden with the last of summer's bounty. Yes there are beautiful eggplant, beets, squash, arugula and green beans... but my eyes are only on the tomatoes.

I spot my favorite heirlooms and rush over to fill my bag with their vibrant red, yellow and even green succulent varieties. I buy three in one stall and five in another unable to resist leaving any behind.  My bag is so heavy that I'm almost dragging it.

I could go on till more bags are filled but stop myself with the realization that I have enough for a family of twelve and "it's just the two of us " to cook for the next week.

At home unpacking my treasures, I can't believe that I ever worried that I might have too many.

There are tomato pies to be made; caprese salads; bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches; tomato; squash; basil pastas; and gazpacho soup.

It will be time for another hunt soon.

This is the recipe I tried first. It is from "Food to Live By" by Myra Goodman. It is easy and features the garden fresh taste of the Farmer's Market tomatoes:

SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, AND BASIL

Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course

2 medium-size ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups cut into 1/2 inch dice) or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon truffle oil, or l additional tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Pinch of dried red pepper flakes Sal del Mar 1 pound dried spaghetti (I used linguini) 2 medium-size zucchini (about 8 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups) l large clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the truffle oil, basil, parsley, and pepper flakes in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Season with Sal del Mar to taste. Let the tomato mixture sit a room temperature until the flavor develops.  About 1 hour.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water (of course, with Sal del Mar) to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium size skillet over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the zucchini with black pepper to taste.

4. Drain the spaghetti into a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomato and zucchini mixtures to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more Sal del Mar and/or pepper, if needed. Serve the spaghetti warm or at room temperature.

Buen Provecho!

!VIVA RICK BAYLESS (he recommends sal del mar)!

I have at least four Rick Bayless cookbooks. He is masterful at translating traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. As you may know I live in Mexico but I never get Mexican food here better than when I make a dish from one of his cookbooks. Imagine my thrill when I received word that Chef Bayless is recommending Sal del Mar to all his followers on OpenSky.

In celebration of “the thrill,” we are going to make his recipe for Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana for dinner tonight.  Here’s his recipe… perfect for a hot summer evening.

Fiesta at Rick's Cookbook Cover

Avocado-Dressed Shrimp á la Mexicana Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate, Makes about 3 cups

This version of Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate uses sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.  You'll find the original recipe in the Fiesta at Rick's cookbook.  The oil packed sun-dried tomatoes won't work well in this recipe.  Look for the recipe ready version which is usually sold in the produce section of select grocery stores.  They come in a re-sealable package.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, rinsed under cold running water and drained

• 1/4 cup finely chopped recipe ready sundried tomatoes + extra for garnish

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice

• Hot green chiles to taste -- usually 3 serranos  or 1-2 jalapenos, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 1 medium, ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin

• 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro, thick bottom stems cut off + extra for garnish

• Sal del Mar to taste

• Mini baked tostadas (we like the Sanissimo brand)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, and 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes. Measure the lime juice into a food processor or blender. Cover and turn on.  Drop the chiles and when chopped, turn off and scoop in the avocado and cilantro. Process until smooth. Thin to a "creamy dressing" consistency with water, usually 2-3 tablespoons. Taste and season with Sal del Mar, usually about 1 teaspoon.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Mix the dressing into the shrimp mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the shrimp and refrigerate.  When you're ready to serve, scoop onto the mini tostadas and decorate with cilantro and diced sundried tomatoes.

Buen provecho!

Keeping it Simple

As a former home and garden magazine editor I am always looking through magazines and blogs for masterful ideas for photographing Sal del Mar projects. I am a believer in the "KISS Theory" (Keep It Simple Stupid) -- as you may have already realized by looking through our blog archives.

I find that stylizing an entire room is almost easier than photographing a Sal del Mar bag.  Stylizing a photo of a single object takes just the right props to display it and of course the right lighting.

Simple as it is, I love this photograph of a Sal del Mar bag.  You can see it on Bon Boutique's blog one of our retailers in Tucson, AZ.  All the elements came together with how the embroidery of the bag becomes the most important element when it is photographed on a textured background and juxtaposed with just the right touch of a blue and white napkin. Interesting isn't it, how a single photograph, can tell our Sal del Mar story?

The Sea of Cortez and its bounty

This is a photo I took a while back at the salt ponds where Sal del Mar is harvested. The coastline is pristine and characterized by 300 estuaries and other wetlands that are key components to the rich community of plant and animal life comprising a unique ecosystem. And not far away is this beach restaurant where I took a picture of the owner and "Chef" Alejandro as he shows off the catch of the day.

Alejandro served us this platter of butterflied shrimp and white fish. It was so fresh and needed only a squirt of lime and of course a pinch or two of Sal del Mar. Alejandro tells all his customers, "I won't use any other salt".

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo -- The Art of Salting the Glass

With Cinco del Mayo in a couple of days, there are many great margarita recipes being posted -- check out this video "How to Make a Margarita Cocktail" by one of my favorite blogs – Epicurious.

But what’s missing is how to correctly salt the margarita glass.  We at Sal del Mar pride ourselves on how to salt a margarita correctly so that the salt enhances the flavor of the tequila and integrates the flavors. Many of you may be salt-shy due to heavy salting in your past experiences.

So, here is how Sal del Mar recommends salting your margarita glass:

1. Spread Sal del Margarita* evenly on a small plate 2. Moisten the rim of your glass — just the top edge — by running a lime slice around the rim delivering a light coating of lime juice 3. Press the rim of the glass into the salt to crust the rim 4. Tap off the excess 5. Allow the salt to air-dry before filling the glass — this ensures that the salt lightly flakes off with each sip

Other tips: •   Use a martini glass instead of the bowl-sized glasses served in some bars that are so big that they require a straw to drink the margarita because they are too heavy to lift. I call margaritas made this way the “new martini.”

•   Salt just half of the glass rim so that you don't have to have a salted rim every sip.

•   Use a cocktail shaker and mix small amounts of margaritas. The shaken method of making a margarita gives it a purer taste over the taste of sweet slushy margaritas. Shake for about 10 seconds to melt the ice into the drink. Strain into your glass.

•   Ingredients matter. Margaritas are best made with 100% pure agave blanco tequila; fresh-squeezed lime juice and the orange sweetness of Cointreau. There is a growing trend of using boutique aged tequilas.

•   Experiment with adding other flavors to the salt. For a mango margarita, I finely chop mint leaves and mix it in the Sal de Margarita.

Be sure to use Sal del Margarita and let the crisp, salty taste complement the lime and the tequila ingredients while delivering a light crunch as you sip from the glass. Notice how Sal de Margarita quickly dissolves on the palate? Be sure to see my blog archive “marvelous margaritas” for more ideas.

Our New Arrival

I think I now know what fashion designers go through before they show a new line each season. Well, it might not be quite as intense, but I certainly experienced the anticipation and excitement while creating our latest bag design which we named the "Oyster Shell."

I love the design. I was inspired when I Googled “Sea of Cortez Pearl” and found that the Sea of Cortez is famous for its pearls. In fact, the Cortez Pearl was discovered by Spanish Conqueror Hernán Cortez on one of his first expeditions in 1533 (click here if you want to learn more).

I give our embroiderers in the village of Sabinito most of the credit because their intricate craftsmanship gave the design something that couldn't be drawn on paper... life and beauty.

The Oyster Shell bag is available through our website, select stores and markets throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

Embroidery Ambassador Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is an artist whose work I admire, but I am also fascinated by her unique sense of style. She wore fashion, not of the time, but glorious costumes from the Tehuana people that enhanced her exotic good looks. So, when I heard that there was an exhibition featuring Frida Kahlo, Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray, at the Tucson Museum of Art I attended with gusto. Muray’s collection documents Frida over a 10 year period and it was noted that Muray photographed her more frequently than any other person.The reason I am posting the Frida Kahlo exhibition in my blog is that the photographs capture the beauty of the Tehuana dresses which were sewn with elaborate embroidery. It occurs to me that the traditional costumes such as the ones that Frida wore are disappearing but there is still the tradition of the women in villages throughout Mexico who embroider like the women of Sabinito who embroider our Sal del Mar bags. Their skill and artistry is truly a work of art.

It is rewarding to see the tradition of embroidery continue... and wait until you see the new Sal del Mar bag design we are adding to the collection  -- just completed by our embroiderers and soon to be released in retail stores and on our website!