Aye Carumba! Lost in Translation. . .

Know when to say no.

You know how some days you're on your game and some days you're not? Well today I'm not on my game. Some things I cook well, some things I cook very well and then there are other food items that I should just stick to purchasing at the store or eating out.

Sunday morning started out great--coffee on the patio with a nice, soft breeze. Our big plan for breakfast was fresh peach bellini's made with Spanish Cava, breakfast tacos with fresh Mexican chorizo, creamy scrambled eggs, sliced avocado, refried beans and . . .homemade corn tortillas.

Now, I have the right expectation and knowledge of the finished product since I live in Tex-Mex Heaven. I have the right ingredients, the right tools (my reading glasses included) and I followed the recipe for once. It looked like I was doing it right and it felt like I was doing it right, but as you can see, I wasn't doing it right!!!

So now my cry for help and my admission that is is not my first attempt at homemade corn tortillas. These tortillas cracked and they were sort of hard and tough. They were not very pliable. What am I doing wrong? I welcome your comments and possible solutions to my corn tortilla debacle. (I know it's an ugly corn tortilla, so please be kind I really need help here.)

I started with a "complete" masa harina mix and added water. There was no problem forming the dough balls without them crumbling, so I know I had enough water. I used plastic to line my press, so there was not a problem transferring them to the cast iron griddles (except I kept losing one edge of the tortilla round--maybe I should pull from the other direction?).

I am more than willing to give this another shot, but I NEED help desperately.

Oh, the meaning of aye carumba! was not lost in translation--it was the perfect corn tortilla.

Bellini recipe follows.

Fresh Peach Bellinis with Cava

2 fresh peaches with skin, sliced

1 T caster sugar, (super fine sugar that dissolves quickly--make it as sweet as you want)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 bottle Cava

1. Puree in food processor, peaches, sugar and lemon juice. Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove skins and other solids.

2. Pour two tablespoons of the fresh peach puree into a champagne glass and top with Cava. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 Servings (but it is only enough for 2 if your lucky)

Quote of the Day:

"It looks like a lava lamp."**

Himself

(my husband, after admiring the peach bellinis)

**Yes, he drank his half of the bottle of Cava and fresh peach puree, so he liked the lava lamps.