Cooked: Langostino Quesadillas with Sweet Corn Salsa

SO... if you read yesterday about my non existent blind date with... I shall call him "Dutch Boy" I had to cancel because he wanted to go dutch last minute a mere 2 hours before our date on the day of my beloved weekly Taco Tuesday run remember I mentioned I would stay home & make Langostino Quesadillas instead? I like to take certain situations in my life & draw inspiration for new recipes. Usually on Taco Tuesdays at my FAVORITE Mexican spot Isla I would order Ahi Tuna Tacos & Lobster Tacos.

In the Ahi Tuna they use a creamy sauce & in the Lobster it's spiced with Latin spices, lime juice, scallions & onions... I figured why not combine the two & make my own but as a Quesadilla. I didn't have Lobster or Ahi Tuna so I used my favorite Trader Joe's Langostino Tails. They only sell this seasonally so trust me by the end of Spring my freezer is stocked! They're pre-cleaned & pre-cooked & TJ's REALLY knows how to spoil a Single Cook.... ♥ them for that!

I added some diced Jalapeno's, Sriracha, (you know I ♥ doing my Chino Latino thang) cream cheese, lime juice, Adobo & a pinch of Chipotle for a bit of smokiness. Unfortunately I ran out of Cilantro & Tomato so I used a cilantro base in a jar & Pace Picante Salsa.... this was still on FIRE so flippin' good.
The Star Studded Cast:

Adding Cream Cheese to the Mix:

Diced Jalapenos

Ready for the pan

Before

During

After

YUM!





This isn't the first time I've created a recipe due to an unfortunate communication gap between myself & a Man. I dated a guy once that made a terrible comment, sorry "joke" (his words)... about African American's oh I'm sorry "Darky's" affinity for Fried Chicken & Watermelon, I was livid but instead of reading him the riot act I came up with a Lobster version of a Cuban classic, Empanizado (Chicken Fried Steak) I bought a Lobster tail pounded the hell out of it (probably was pretending it was his face) breaded it in ground Club Crackers, so buttery, fried it up & then made it Milanesa Style by adding Tomato sauce & Mozzarella.

Ran out of plastic wrap so I used my Little Mermaid sandwich bags.. kind of ironic, huh? ZUT ALORS! I kept singing "Les Poissons" from the Little Mermaid♥


Lobster Empanizado (Chicken Fried Lobster):


Lobster Milanesa:


I remembered an AWESOME episode of Tyler's Ultimate where my home slice, Tyler Florence, made this wonderful Watermelon Gazpacho so I made that also with Watermelon skewers. It had Watermelon, cucumbers, onions, tomato & cilantro... super easy & all fresh ingredients. No cooking what so ever & all I needed was a blender... FAB! I friggin' LOVE that man! Just Gordon, Anthony & Tyler is all I need, my trinity... A-MEN.

Did I mention it was a SUPER hot day in June? So cool, so crisp so sweet, it really helped cool me off both physically & emotionally! I just remember eating them both & thinking this is great culinary revenge, I remember thinking "TAKE THAT you ignorant dirtbag!" Oh no, NOT Tyler, he's a dream... the dirtbag I dated! *snort*

Tyler's mouth watering Watermelon Gazpacho

I need a better camera!


On a more positive note some of my best dishes have also been inspired by some amazing Men! My Currant Glazed Lamb for Max, Carlos' Stuffed Cornish Game Hens, Chris P's Squid Ink & Angel Hair Pasta, Kenny's Shrimp Toast, my brother Andrew inspired a Prosciutto, Pork Belly & Arugula Pizza... oh the list goes on & on.

I ♥ drawing inspiration from the day to day of my life, I believe when you do that there is a lesser chance of screwing a new recipe up, especially when you are inspired by a person. You take your time, you think of the best & even worst things about them & you end up combining things together you normally wouldn't have & oh... when you ♥ a person it's a whole other ballgame.

A bit of spice, sweet, bitter, lot's of wine or beer, sauce, onions (I get a little verklempt when tears build up as I use an onion in a recipe inspired by someone) & all my heart... I can't sing, I can't draw I really don't have a creative way to express myself to another except for the fact that I can cook & there is no greater gift I can think of than that!

To watch the look on a person's face when they take that first bite & you know the entire time you they were in your heart & on your mind while you were making it is INCREDIBLE I can't thank my ♥Grandmother♥ enough for this legacy, I miss her SO much♥

TERRIBLE: George Bush is RUINING my sex life!

Yes you heard that right! George Bush & the jacked up economic situation he has left us in is ruining my sex life! SO my "blind" date aka a random I met on the internet because (A) I work in a bar on the weekends (B) I can't afford to go out & meet Men & really meeting Men in LA at the bars & clubs is just ASKING for trouble. 

There was a billboard on La Brea 2 blocks from my house that said & I quote "HERPES... 1 in 4" EVERY TIME I'd be in a social circle with 3 other people I'm like... OOH! Somebody here has a social disease & it's NOT me! You know those circles I'm talking about, especially if you're out with one of your girlfriends & the both of you are talking to two guys & you know she's clean, it's like Russian Roulette which one of us is taking the disease ridden bastard home... ahhhhhhhh, no thank you.

Anywho... he sends me a text message after I shaved my legs, after I washed my AFRO, after I missed my spin class & AFTER I made a pedicure appointment "is it alrite if we go Dutch? Saving money for NYC". NOW I am not a gold digger & I understand that money is tight for everyone, this is not why I'm getting my panties in a wad. 

This Man I have never met asks me out but wants me to drive all the way out to Venice where he lives, grab drinks at a place that he picked & said "first 4 Margaritas on me", mind you & I now I have to pay "Dutch"?!?! Where in the hell did that term "going Dutch" come from anyway? I've never met a European Man that made a Woman pay... ok now I'm getting off subject, SO perturbed!

Maybe I'm just annoyed he replied "alrite" instead of alright... he's 35! I replied to him "Normally I don't mind paying Dutch but unfortunately I can't afford it right now, want to grab coffee when you come back from NYC?" Do you think he answered? Hells NO! 

If you are a Man & reading this TRUST ME we get it... we understand, but the game has changed! Women were raised if a Man asks he takes care of it, hell I'm friends with & related to a plethora of you & you all say "if a Man asks, he takes care of it", allow me to enlighten you, this does not at all mean financially. 

Be a Man & be more creative, just take care of it. He lives in Venice we could have walked on the Beach & just talked, I get thirsty I buy my own damn bottle of water or find a water fountain period the end. How dare he? Doesn't he know today is the 31st?!?!? Rent is due tomorrow, this has to be an April's Fools joke.

I know the truth was all in the text... and as much as I LOATHE text messages, the truth really was in the text. First off a Gentleman would have called. Secondly he said "4 {flipping} Margaritas"... Homeboy wanted me to have some of that liquid courage to get me all loosy goosy & when I offered for coffee he would have accepted. 

I know what you're thinking that I should have texted him back, well I DID an hour after I had not heard from him. I asked "so is coffee cool?" he replied "yeah" I said "cool, enjoy NYC" instead of replying hey let's just do coffee now he replied "Thx". 

Oh well... just wanted to vent & yet again blame George Bush for something ELSE! Luckily I have a full bar at my place so I'm already 2 Margaritas into the 4 I was expecting as I write this, maybe I'll make drunken Langostino Quesadillas for dinner... ODELAY!

Life hands you lemons? Squirt it in your refreshing Margarita!

My FAVORITE tequila & what I've made my Margaritas with, I ♥ how wonderfully phallic it is!