February 24, 2005

Energized by some salsa mexicana*, corn tortilla chips, spicy olives and just a tiny glass of tequila last weekend, I got my needles clicking and completed the back piece of my fluffy Kid Mohair cardigan. It's so easy and straightforward; the only thing I did differently was (as always) short-row the shoulders and leave the shoulder stitches live for three-needle bind-off seaming later on.

Now all I've got to do is knit the two front pieces which I think will be fun because, thanks to the deep neckline, they've got neck shaping that starts only a few cms after the ribbing at the hem. I always get a kick from watching my rows get shorter and shorter as I decrease for neck shaping. Like I said before, I am easily amused.

Stash enhancement from abroad!

Sally from Knitting by the Bay in New Zealand [!] had some Noro Lily yarn in a gorgeous PINK sent over as a surprise. Oh Lily Yarn! How luxurious you are! There are six skeins and I'm swatching now to see what possible projects could use this yarn. I'm really into cardis right now, so maybe a cardi? One cannot have too many cardis.

I also received my first subscription issue of Interweave Knits, thanks to Miss Jenny from High Energy Knits. I immediately became intrigued with this delicate vintage cardigan with its fabulous front band edging and the wraparound cardigan with the mile-long sash on the cover.

*Now, it's time for: SALSA MEXICANA!




(Come on. You didn't think I'd close this entry without sharing my own original recipe for salsa mexicana [or salsa botanera] straight from Me-ji-co, did you? After all, it's what gets my knitting needles clicking during some free weekend afternoons.)

RECIPE FOR SALSA MEXICANA!

Ingredients:
3 or 4 fresh round tomatos.
2 to 5 chiles serranos, or small green chile peppers.
1 white onion.
Fresh cilantro.
1 tsp sunflower or corn oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Recommendation: Don't substitute any of this unless you want to change the taste of the salsa. 1 tsp of sunflower or corn oil doesn't hurt, and use dried cilantro only if you can't get it fresh.

How to:
Peel tomatos. Here's how I do it: Put water to boil in a saucepan. When it boils, turn off heat. Add tomatos and leave them there for about 3 minutes. Remove tomatos. Let cool for a couple of seconds. Peel off skin. (If they haven't started to peel when taken out of the water, just poke with the tip of a knife and start peeling.) Chop tomatos. (This extra step is worth it. Don't use canned tomatos!)

Finely chop onion.

Rinse cilantro in cold water. Shake off excess water and gently pat dry with paper towel. Finely chop.

Wash peppers and dry carefully. In a small frying pan over medium heat, roast peppers for a few minutes. You can add a wee bit of vegetable oil if you want. (Crack open windows if you find yourself coughing from the smell of peppers roasting. Hehe.) Once roasted, chop peppers.

Note about peppers: I usually use about 4 to 5 chiles serranos, even more if I'm going to serve the salsa to family members who are used to eating spicy food, and I chop them finely. If you're not used to eating spicy, reduce to 1 or 2 peppers (don't chop too finely) and pop a TUMS the next day.

Mix all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and one tsp of vegetable oil.

Serve as botana, or aperitif, with unsalted corn tortilla chips. All that vitamin A will get your needles clicking. Arriba!

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