The belly kitchen was bubbling today, 3 wonderful women  shared stories of what cafes and restaurants were like in this area back in the 70s – some of you not born,some just can’t remember anything from that era, the rest of us have probably forgotten how fast Australian restaurant food has changed.  And we’re also off to Mexico, to the region of Tampico with Nancy Jo and her Tampico aunts and cousins, and to modern Australian Mexican food with writer and reviewer Barbara Sweeney. The first wonderful woman was hula goddess Lilith, ready to Cook with the Stars for Scorpio, seasoned with a little sultry Scorpio tango from Gotan Project.  Who are touring Australia in early December, even coming to Brisbane, but not Byron Bay unfortunately.

Nancy Jo Falcone is a classic Aussie, she grew up in the  US with an Italian father, Chilean step grandfather, and mum and grandma Mexican from the region of Tampico, today we talked about the Mexican bit. Nancy Jo is has also been involved in  bayfm for a long time, right now she is on our program team, she is the Monday mentor, so blame her if the bellysisters stuff up please.  She started a Mexican restaurant in Coolangatta in 1974 , with some of her mother’s recipes.  About 10 years ago she wen to Tampico and managed to link up again with lots of long lost aunts and cousins, and discover many wonderful new recipes.  Tampico  is on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, reportedly a very friendly place, and there is so much water and seafood there that the inhabitants are known as ‘crabs’.   But it is also known for the Tampico style bbq beef, and sauces made with pumpkin seeds.

See these websites for more information about Tampico, and lots of recipes:

http://www.hackwriters.com/Tampico.htm

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/January07/3797FoodTampico.htm

http://www.foodbanter.com/mexican-cooking/119293-tampico.html

Nancy Jo almost never uses recipes, but she gave us two favourite salsas.  She is especially in love with the pineapple one, much more than the sum of its parts.

PINEAPPLE CHILLI SALSA

Makes one cup (Great with roast chicken)

1/2 cup Finely chopped pineapple
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped Jalapeno or mild green chillies

Mix together, store in airtight jar in fridge.
Will last for over one week.

TRADITIONAL SALSA

Makes around one cup

3 small roma tomatoes blanched and peeled
1/4 cup finely sliced spring onion/or finely diced onion
1 clove garlic crushed to smooth paste
1 small jalapeno chilli chopped fine
1.4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2-teaspoon cumin powder
1-tablespoon olive oil
1-tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Salt to taste

Chop tomatoes fine (Do not put in blender)
Add all other ingredients
Mix together, store in airtight jar in fridge.

Our other delicious guest was Barbara Sweeney. She was visiting from Sydney, in theory having a writing working holiday, but we managed to distract her for a while.  She is  food and features writer with Country Style magazine, organises major food events, is a restaurant reviewer, and used to edit that student bible, Cheap Eats.  She suggests a few places to get good Mexican food if you can’t get to Tampico, or Nancy Jo’s house.

Guzman y Gomez
Californian-style Mexican food.
Seven outlets in Sydney
and one to open in Fortitude Valley,
Brisbane in December.
www.guzmanygomez.com

Vera Cruz
Once of the first Mexican restaurants
in Sydney to go beyond Tex-Mex
314 Military Road, Cremorne. (02) 9904 5818

Fireworks Foods
Supplies Mexican ingredients
including fresh corn tortillas.
www.fireworksfoods.com.au

And I can’t resist sharing this other gorgeous man with you,

an image from a commercial spoofing the great

“American Beauty” bed of roses

We did also manage to head off to the 70s in Lismore briefly, as Barbara ran a cafe in Lismore as sweet 19 year old, in 1979.   Her claim to fame is that for six months they had the first and only real coffee brewer in town, until a much bigger cafe got an espresso machine.  Think of this as you drive or fly past all the coffee plantations in the Northern Rivers.  They had to go to Sydney to get the beans, and for those six magic months the first coffee maker in Lismore, that pulled coffee lovers in the door by their noses, was … a drippolator.  Yes, everybody else was serving instant, or tea of course.  But they had great shoes!  (Shoes are important)

Love and mole (Lilith has promised to bring her renowned Mexican mole recipe back to belly soon, the last version has gone to cyber heaven)

sister T

Lilith’s Cooking with the Stars for Scorpio is here

THE SONGLIST :

Gotan Project : Epoca  (look out for this fab Paris based group, touring Australia at the moment)

And a few favourite Mexican songs chosen by Nancy Jo:

La Calaco :  Rogaciano

La Calaco :  El Tecolote (The Owl)

Los Bravos Del Norte De Ramon Ayala :  Andan Deciendo (They Go Around
Saying)