What a truly wonderful time! (Emily should be a hand model) 

Let the celebration begin!

Salpimentar: to season

In dashing note format....
Yucatan last week at school and we made this paste: Recado Salpimentado.  It consisted of roasting garlic and onion on a dry griddle (comal) and then pureeing it with black pepper & spices.  It is used to season the famous Yucatecan soup, Sopa di Lima (kind of like a tortilla soup).
Loved the idea of having a seasoning paste without the runaway raw garlic flavor.  Think pesto with more possibilities.
Tonight I look in the fridge and not one, not two, but THREE bunches of cilantro.  Maybe I could make a cilantro salpimentado type of thing?  (less oily or cheesy than a pesto)Here is attempt #1:

2 bunches of cilantro, washed twice, stem bunch & larger stems removed
zest of 2 meyer lemons
4 large garlic gloves, skins on
1 shallot pair( (size of a large lime) split
fancy kosher salt(1/2 tsp - could use more)
6-10 cracks pepper
juice of half lemon
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 tsp chili flake

• roast garlic & shallot until dark brown/black on most sides.  
• take off skins
• zest lemons into food processor, toss in cilantro, onions, garlic, salt & pepper & chili until small bits
• with machine running add olive oil & lemon juice and process until smooth.

Tossed in pasta that was rewarmed with toasted walnuts & olive oil. Yum! 4/14/2010
Also good on tortillas with poached eggs and a bit of salsa! (4/20/2010)