Old Mexico + Modern Flavors = "Mod Mex"

Visitors to the Dos Caminos restaurants in New York, D.C., and Puerto Rico may order their favorite classic Mexican dishes, but are invariably surprised by the inventive flavors on their plates.

It's just an example of the "old Mexico meets modern flavors" philosophy of head chef Scott Linquist. In his new book, "Mod Mex," Linquist shows how simple it is to take the same old flavors and add make them taste fresh. The book features over 125 recipes from the award-winning chef. He visited The Early Show to demonstrate his takes on two brunchtime classics -- the Bloody Mary and French Toast.

DOS CAMINOS MARGARITA
(Makes 16 small Margaritas)

To Make Basic Fruit Mix:
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see recipe below)

For Each of the 16 Small Margaritas:
1 ounce fruit mix
1-1/2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce triple sec
Kosher or coarse salt, to rim the glasses
1 lime, cut into wedges

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

For each Margarita: add the fruit mix along with the tequila and triple sec and a dash of salt. Shake hard 20 times.

To rim the glass with salt, put about 1/4 inch of salt into a small, flat dish. Run a lime wedge around the outside top of the glass. Invert the glass into the salt.

Pour over fresh ice or serve straight up.

Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cool.

CHIPOTLE BLOODY MARIA
(Serves 8)

4 cups V-8 or other tomato-based vegetable juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon freshly grounded black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 to 1 tablespoon celery salt
1/2 to 1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 canned chipotle chilies in adobo
2 cups silver tequila
8 ribs celery, for garnish
8 lime wedges, for garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the tequila, the celery, and the lime wedges in the jar of an electric blender, and quickly blend to mix. Adjust seasonings to taste. Fill 8 (12-ounce) glasses about half full with ice. Add 1/4 cup of tequila to each glass. Pour 1/2 cup of the bloody Maria mix, stir, garnish each glass with a rib of celery and a lime wedge, and serve.

PAN TORREJAS
(Serves 6)

1 (about 1 pound) day-old rectangular loaf of brioche or egg bread
8 large eggs
3 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream, plus 1 cup for whipped cream
1 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for whipped cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups crisp rice cereal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups maple syrup
2 cups mixed berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries)

Serves 6

Cut the brioche into 6 slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3 cups of the cream, 1 cup of the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the sliced brioche to the batter and let the slices soak until completely saturated with the liquid.

Meanwhile, put the cereal into a plastic freezer bag and crush into a coarse coating using your hands. Pour the cereal into a flat dish or pie plate. Dip each slice of soaked bread in the cereal, turning to coat it evenly.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add as many slices of the soaked bread as will fit comfortably in the pan without crowding and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once. Transfer the cooked slices to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.

Once all of the toast is cooked, in a bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar into soft peaks and set aside. In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup and berries, bring just to a simmer, remove from the heat, and let stand for a few minutes. Cut each slice of toast in half and diagonally divide among six plates. Garnish with whipped cream and warm berry sauce.

LOBSTER TACOS
(Serves 6 to 12)

Kosher salt
3 (1 lb) lobsters, or 1-1/2 lbs cooked lobster or shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Roasted Tomato-Chipotle Salsita:
3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium-size yellow onion, cut in half and sliced into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 ounces piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons) or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Jicama Slaw:
2 small navel or Valencia oranges, peeled and cut into segments
1 Serrano chile, sliced very thinly crosswise
1/2 lb jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, cut half lengthwise and sliced crosswise into strips
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded, and sliced lengthwise into 24 pieces
Lime wedges
Salsa of choice

If cooking the lobster, bring at least 4 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the lobsters, cover the pot, and return the water to a boil, and cook the lobsters for 7 minutes more, or until the shells are bright red. Remove with tongs, wrap each lobster in a piece of aluminum foil, and let cool. Using a nutcracker or the back of a large knife, crack the shells and remove the meat in large chunks. Put the meat into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Make the Salsita:
Preheat the oven to 350. Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake until they start to dry and turn brown, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and cool on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion turns lightly brown, about six minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat.

In a small saucepan, combine the chipotles, vinegar, piloncillo, and salt over low heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has a syrupy consistency, about five minutes. In a large bowl, toss together the roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, garlic, and chile-vinegar syrup and taste to adjust the seasonings.

Make the Slaw:
Toss all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and season to taste with salt. Set aside. Refrigerate if made more than 1 hour ahead of time.

Preheat a barbecue, gas grill, or boiler. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them on the grill for 5 minutes.

Toss the lobster meat with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill the pieces just long enough to warm the meat through and char the outside, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and cut into bite size pieces.

In each tortilla, put a slice of avocado, a scant 1/2 cup of lobster meat, and 2 tablespoons of salsita, and garnish with about 2 tablespoons of slaw. Roll into a cone, fold the bottom upward to hold the filling inside, and serve with lime wedges and plenty of table salsa.

Go to page 2 for recipes for Coconut Flan, Corn & Chipotle Pancakes, Chilaquiles and Ensalada Noche Buena.

COCONUT FLAN WITH TROPICAL FRUIT SALSITA
(Serves 8)

Flan:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cup cups canned coconut milk
1 4 oz. can evaporated milk
1 4 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut for garnish

Salsita:
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced papaya
1 cup diced pineapple
1 cup fresh orange segments
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh mint leaves

To Make the Flan:
Lightly coat 8 4 oz. custard cups or ramekins or 1 8" round cake pan with vegetable spray. Preheat the oven to 325. Bring kettle of water to a boil.

Put the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add just enough water to wet the sugar. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until the sugar turns a rich amber color, about ten minutes. Immediately pour about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the caramel into the bottoms of each cup, or pour all of the caramel into the round cake pan, rotating to cover evenly.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or whisk, blend the coconut milk with the evaporated and condensed milks. Add the eggs and yolk, and continue to mix until well blended. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl and then ladle it into the prepared custard cups or pan. Put the ramekins or pan into another larger pan and transfer both to the oven. Pour in boiling water to come about 2/3rds of the way up the side of the ramekins or pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the flan is firm at the edges and wiggles slightly in the center, or 35 to 40 minutes for the larger single flan.

Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil, and let the pan sit at room temperature until the water cools. Remove the custard cups or cake pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The flan can be prepared up to this point up to a day ahead.

After you remove the flan from the oven, raise the oven temperature to 350 and toast the coconut on a baking sheet, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Make the Salsita:
In a small saucepan, combine the mango, papaya, pineapple, orange, sugar, and orange juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to low and reduce until about one third of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the salsita from the pan, cool completely, and then stir in the mint.

To release the flan from the ramekins or cake pan, trace around the edges with a sharp, thin bladed knife to loosen. Invert the ramekins onto individual dessert plates, or the cake pan onto a large dessert platter, gently tapping on the bottom of the pan if necessary. Cut the large flan into wedges. To serve, spoon the salsita around each serving of flan and garnish with the toasted coconut.

CORN AND CHIPOTLE PANCAKES
(Serves 6)

Pancake batter:
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
5 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons to brush on lobsters and griddle
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups fresh corn kernels or defrosted high quality corn
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Roasted Corn Pico De Gallo:
2 cups roasted corn kernels (prepared earlier)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red opinions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup diced jalapeno chilies
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups crèma or sour cream
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
3 1-lb lobsters
Watercress sprigs, for garnish

Make the Batter:
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, eggs, 6 tablespoons of butter, and honey, and whisk together until smooth.

Make the Pico de Gallo:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and the corn and sauté until the kernels are lightly browned and tender, about five minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the corn for the roasted corn pico de gallo.

Stir the remaining 1 cup of the corn, the chipotles, and the cilantro into the buttermilk mixture, add to the dry ingredients, and mix just until blended. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Combine the cream, chipotles, and lime juice, and season to taste with salt.

Cook Lobster:
In a large pot, bring at least 4 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the lobsters, cover the pot, return to boil, and cook the lobsters for 7 minutes more, or until the shells are bright red. Remove the lobsters with tongs, wrap each in aluminum foil, and let cool. Break off the tails, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the meat. Remove the claw meat whole and any remaining meat from the shells. Discard the shells or reserve for the lobster stock. Brush the meat lightly with melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and sauté briefly in a large skillet to warm.

Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a little butter and ladle on enough batter to make 3 to 4 inch rounds. Cook the pancakes until little bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Turn with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown.

On each size plates, serve 2 pancakes, one garnished with half lobster tail and other with claw. Spoon on some roasted corn pico del gallo, drizzle with crema, garnish with watercress sprigs, and serve.

CHILAQUILES
(Serves 6)

Tres Chiles Salsa:
5 anco chiles, peeled
5 guajillo chiles
3 arbol chilies
2 cups cooking liquid, reserved from soaking the chilies
6 cloves garlic
4 plum tomatoes
1 medium sized yellow onion, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Chilaquiles:
1 large bag tortilla chips
1 1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. Chihuahua cheese or Monterey jack cheese, grated, 2 cups

12 large eggs
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 oz. cotija or feta cheese, finely grated for garnish, 1 cup
2 avocados peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
6 pickled jalapeno chilies in a jar or can

Make the Tres Chiles Salsa:
Preheat the over to 400. Toast and rehydrate the chilies using at least 3 cups of water. Let the chilies cool in the cooking liquid. Remove the chilies, and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Toss the garlic, tomatoes, and onion with the olive oil, and bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Place all of the ingredients in the jar of an electric blender, adding only as little of the liquid as needed to puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and set aside. Leave the oven on.

Make the Chilaquiles:
In 2 2-quart casseroles, add half of the tortilla chips, half of the salsa, and half of the sour cream to each, and stir together with half of the Chihuahua cheese. Bake the casseroles in the oven for 3 minutes, and then remove and top with the remaining cheese and sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 3 minutes more.

While the casseroles bake, scramble the eggs or fry them sunny side up, and keep them warm. Remove the casseroles from the oven. Place a heaping spoonful of chilaquiles on each plate, top with 2 eggs, and spoon some of the remaining salsa around the eggs. Sprinkle with cilantro and cotija cheese and serve the avocado cubes and jalapeno chilies on the side.

ENSALADA NOCHE BUENA
(Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:
2 medium sized red beets, trimmed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts
6 cups baby lettuces, watercress, or arugula, or a mixture of all three
1 small (1 lb) jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 Valencia or navel oranges, peeled, and cut into segments

Citrus-Jalapeno Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Seeds from pomegranate 1/2 cup
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 oz goat cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 375. Wrap each beet in a piece of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast the beets until very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, let the beets cool completely, unwrap, and then use a clean, old towel (one that you don't mind getting stained red) or sturdy paper towels to rub off the skin. Cut these beets into thin strips.

While the beets are cooking, cover the raisins with warm water in a small bowl and let them stand for 10 minutes until plumped. Drain and blot dry.

Preheat a toaster oven to 350. Toast the pine nuts in the baking tray for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally and watching that they don't burn. Set aside. Alternatively, cook in a skillet over medium high heat, shaking the pan often.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce with the beets, raisins, jicama and orange segments. Toss gently to mix.

Make the Vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange and lime juices, mustard, honey, and jalapeno chile. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and whisk vigorously until emulsified. Immediately pour about half of the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss gently.

Arrange the salad on a serving platter or individual plates and top with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, and cheese. Serve immediately and pass the remaining dressing at the table.