Cooking in Mexico with Chef Ana Garcia & Chef Mark Smith

About 4 years ago I had an awesome culinary experience. It was the most educational & enlightening adventure that I have undertaken. A 7 night 8 day cooking class in Oaxaca Mexico. Talk about increasing my respect for the cuisine that I cook on a daily basis. Watching masters do what me & my staff humbly try to duplicate on a daily basis, was mind boggling. I said as I was flying back to the states, one day I'm going to take a group of friends from the restaurant to Mexico with me so that they may get a chance to experience Mexican culinary intensity at it's source.

Well, the time has come. La Villa Bonita & Chef Ana Garcia have agreed to host & cook with me. We have put together a 8 day 7 night package from Nov 5 to Nov 13 at their specially designed hotel & cooking school in the beautiful mountain village of Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico. We will be working with masa, moles & local ingredients for an adventure unlike any that you will experience. The special price is $1450/ person for double occupancy & this includes breakfast & lunch daily with an option for dinner available if you're hungry after cooking all day. We can also decide on side trips & tours of the area as we get together the group. Please contact me at chefmark@thetortillapress.com to sign up or for questions.

Tortilla Press Tweet, Greet, Meet & Eat

The first ever Tortilla Press….Tweet, greet, meet & eat Monday Aug 3, 2009 6:00 to 7:00

What it is, a chance for up to 40 local twitter users to meet at The Tortilla Press to share ideas about how twitter has helped them with their communications about & with the food scene in our area & the impact that Twitter has had on your involvement & awareness it.

To participate Come prepared with ideas that you are willing to share about what you feel is working with twitter, gaining more relevant followers, tips for food blogging & online restaurant reviewing & ideas on how twitter users can communicate more efficiently with their followers.

What we will provide is the place, a personal greeting from chef mark, a chance to meet & put a face to some of our fellow twitter users & some delicious snacks & beverages to nibble on during the event.

Also we’d like to invite you to stay for a special dinner prepared by Chef Mark using the bounty from the Collingswood Farmer’s Market for the special price of $15/ person. Please let us know ahead if you plan on staying for dinner.

Choose 1
Springdale Farms Corn Soup
Sliced Jersey Tomato Salad with red onion, grilled queso & cilantro vinaigrette

Entrée
Grilled chicken breast with Jersey Peach Salsa with chipotle sweet potato casserole & local veggies
Flaim Farms Poblano Chile stuffed with two cheeses, lightly battered & fried topped with Springdale farms tomato broth, served with red rice & black beans
Pan Seared Salmon with jersey grape tomato warm pico de gallo served with chipotle mashed potatoes & veggie

dessert
Blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream

If you did not get to my blog through twitter, please follow me at twitter.com/chefmarksmith & feel free to sign up for the event.

Tortilla Press Specials Monday thru Thursday

Special Mon July 5 to Thursday July 9

Appetizer

Viereck Farms Sweet Corn & Avocado Quesadilla served with pico de gallo & mexican crème $7

Brie Cheese & Pecan Flautas with jersey peach, honey & ancho chile glaze $7.5

Soups

Creamed Jersey Corn & Squash Soup

Jersey Tomato Gazpacho

Lunch Entree

Vegetable, Goat Cheese & Quinoa Wrap with local vegetables, artichoke hearts, lettuce & lime chile de arbol dressing served with spicy fries $8

Dinner Entrees
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with cilantro lime vinaigrette, viereck farms red & yellow grape tomato salsa fresca & poblano~spinach rice $20
Grilled Pork Loin with Jersey Peach Salsa served with rice & sautéed garlic jersey green beans $16


Dessert

Blueberry Tangle Jersey blueberry compote served over cinnamon sugared flour tortilla strips, vanilla ice cream & whipped cream $6

Date Night Tuesday July 7

Well the 4th is over, but that doesn't mean that the fireworks have to stop! Tuesday is date night at The Tortilla Press & it's a great way to get away for the evening. Check out our value priced menu below, just $38 per couple with beverage, appetizer, entree & dessert.


Date night menu
July 7th 2009

Start with a half a pitcher of virgin margarita or fresh squeezed lemonade

Appetizer

Loaded cheese nachos for 2
Tossed salad for 2
Sweet corn & avocado quesadilla for 2 (regular size)

Entrees

Fish taco plate for 2 with red rice & pinto beans served with warm corn tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo & tomatillo sauce

Chicken fajita platter for 2 with red rice & pinto beans served with warm flour tortillas, cheese, pico de gall, guacamole & mexican crème

Chile rellenos & cheese enchilada combo plate with quinoa salad & vegetable medley

Dessert

Blueberry Tangle for Two
Cinnamon sugared flour tortilla strips topped with vanilla ice cream, blueberry compote & whipped cream

Farm Fresh Collingswood Menu

Just finished writing the menu for Farm Fresh Collingswood where at least 12 of the restaurants in town are participating in a 5 day event where we all feature items that are available at the Saturday morning farmers market in town. We are all doing 4 courses for $28 from July 12 to July 16. The Tortilla Press is taking all size reservations. So call soon to reserve your spot.

Appetizers

Grilled Springdale Farms sweet corn with garlic chile butter, fresh lime & queso fresco

Open-faced market vegetable quesadilla with cilantro oil, sliced jersey tomatoes, & queso Oaxaca

Davidson’s Farms mushroom & grilled beef tenderloin mini tacos with fire-grilled tomatillo~chipotle salsa

Soup or Salad

Flaim Farms’s Squash blossom soup with zucchini, potatoes, poblano peppers& corn in a lightly creamed vegetable broth

Jersey tomato gazpacho with chile pikin & lime cucumber garnish

Mexican Cobb Salad with mixed lettuces, corn off the cob, black beans, bacon & queso fresco cubes tossed with roasted jersey tomato vinaigrette

Entrees

Chicken Mexicana roasted half chicken in a jersey tomato, onion, garlic & jalapeño sauce served with warm corn tortillas & grilled vegetables

Grilled Masa Cakes with fresh corn, lime, ancho chile & epazote served with quinoa & black bean chile (vegan option)

Tampiquena Platter of tenderloin of beef & twin cheese & onion entomatadas served with sautéed local vegetable medley & charro beans (celiac option)

Scallop & shrimp in a Flaim Farm cilantro pesto sauce garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds & pine nuts served with roasted eggplant

Grilled center cut pork loin with peach~serrano chile salsa & peach cider glaze served with coconut rice & sautéed garlic jersey green beans (celiac friendly)

Dessert

Flan with jersey blueberry compote

DiBartolos Bakery Gluten Free Boston Cream Pie

Peach & walnut empanada with cajeta & whipped cream

First Farm Fresh Event of The Season

On Thursday June 18th we will be holding our first guest farm dinner at The Tortilla Press. John Ebert co-owner of Springdale Farm's in Cherry Hills will be our guest farmer for the evening. If you have not attended on of our previous Farm Fresh Events, do not miss this one. John will speak about the operations of the farm, what they currently are harvesting & will be through the summer and I will speak about how we are able to feature their products in our cuisine. here's a link to the menu.

http://www.thetortillapress.com/farm-fresh-dinner.php

A little history about my relationship with Springdale Farms. In 1992 my wife Lydia & I purchased a small sandwich/catering shop in Westmont. Well business was really slow & after coming off a job of running a hotel kitchen doing about 2 million in sales annually, our $300 a day in sales was not very exciting (or profitable) We had a line of salads that we made for our parties & that we sold in our shop along with some quiches that & we started looking for another place to retail them. We sampled Springdale & began selling our salads & quiches at the market.

After we left catering, we moved to Collingswood & opened our restaurant. And what do you know but Collingswood had a Saturday Farmers Market and one of the anchor farms was Springdale. Fortunately, I had an outlet with the restaurant for their corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers & the fleeting but oh so amazing strawberry season. I've been shopping the farmer's market ever since & stop by the farm on my way into Collingswood whenever I need mid week produce or even a coffee & apple cider doughnut.

So, here is Thursday's Menu

Kennent Square Exotic Mushroom Empanadas with epazote leaf & black bean chile puree. I bought the epazote from the farms awesome selection of herb plants & hot house Jersey tomatoes in the black bean chile puree.

Boston Lettuce, goat cheese, roasted Jersey beets & toasted pine nuts with strawberry habanaro vinaigrette. We are featuring Springdales Boston lettuce & the last of their strawberries in the salad.

Seafood Teaser of pan seared sea scallops with diced zucchini & yellow squash in a creamed squash blossom sauce with sauteed Jersey spinach. Springdale will provide the squash & squash blossoms

Grilled Carne Asada with grilled local scallions topped with fresh lime & sea salt with roasted baby carrots

And to finish it off..............

Jersey Strawberry & Coconut Bread Pudding topped with Strawberry Compote & Whipped Cream. Cinnamon bread & straberries from Springdale.

All this for only $29.95 (does not include beverages, tax or gratuity)

We are still accepting reservations for this special event.

Tortilla Press Dinner Specials Friday June 5

Soft Shell Crab Salad, Mixed Lettuce & Citrus Vinaigrette $11

Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Chipotle Goat Cheese Sauce $21

8 oz. Filet Mignon, Mushroom~Rioja Sauce. Chipotle Mashed Potatoes $21

Grilled Salmon Fillet, Lemon Vinaigrette, Sauteed Jersey Spinach $19

Jersey Strawberry Tangle, Fresh Berries, Cinnamon~Sugared Tortilla Strips, Vanilla Ice Cream & Whipped Cream $6.5