>> Pati Narrates: Today my good friend and fellow chef, Vivian Howard, is visiting me all the way from North Carolina.

Vivian!

>> Vivian: Pati!

>> Pati: Vivian!

Pati Narrates: We're exploring our different cultures by sharing some of the foods we love.

Oh, you are giving me the pretty one!

>> Vivian: I am!

>> Pati Narrates: I'm making two Mexican classics, Pierno de Cerdo Adobada or Adobo Pork Roast, and a Tres Leches with a crazy twist!

It's a "Cuatro Leches" cake.

>> Vivian: Oh!

>> Pati Narrates: And Vivian is rounding out her meal with three Southern staples.

Mmm!

I love this.

Pati Narrates: Turnip greens with country sausage.

Texas Caviar, which is a lot like pico de gallo.

And Traditional Hoecakes.

I am loving all the names for all the things we're cooking.

And we're combining these different dishes to make one multicultural masterpiece.

How surprised are you?!

>> Vivian: I'm - (gasps) >> Pati: Super surprised?

(laughs) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Vivian: Pati!

>> Pati: Vivian!

Aww, so what do people call you usually?

>> Vivian: Vivian, or Viv, or "Big V" (laughs) >> Pati: Yeah, I think I've been calling you "Viviana" in our texts for the last year.

>> Vivian: Yes, and I just love to hear you talk.

It takes me a minute to adjust to your accent.

>> Pati: It takes me nothing to adjust to yours.

>> Vivian: 'Cause I'm slow.

>> Pati: (laughs) We're making a Pierno de Cerdo, or a "Pork Pot".

So I think that your region and Mexico have a deep love of pork.

>> Vivian: Yes, yes!

>> Pati: So what we do is we marinate a big pork shoulder in adobo.

>> Vivian: Oh good, 'cause I've always seen the word "adobo", but I've never known really what it was.

>> Pati: In an adobo we'll have dried chiles and onion, garlic, some spices, but what defines an adobo and distinguishes it from anything else is it has vinegar or acid.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: So if you want to help me quarter a white onion, 2 ripe tomatoes, 6 garlic cloves, and they're unpeeled.

We're gonna roast these, and then we'll rehydrate some chiles.

>> Vivian: Oh good!

>> Pati: Yes, do you use dried chiles?

>> Vivian: No, but I have extreme interest.

>> Pati: Yes!

We have the ancho chiles, and we have the guajillo, it's like a happy chile.

>> Vivian: It's fruity?

>> Pati: It's fruity, and the ancho is like plum, prune, bittersweet, chocolatey.

Now many people will toast the chiles to wake them up.

You could skip the part of toasting and go to rehydrating just with water, but if you toast them, you do add an extra level of flavor which, why not?

So we add the chiles in here.

So now I'll cover these with water, and we're gonna cook it.

And this is what all Mexicans do, after you roast or boil you just put the whole thing in the blender.

>> Vivian: Skin and all.

>> Pati: Everything!

Because see how juicy and mushy?

>> Vivian: Mushy, super mushy!

>> Pati: Super mushy!

(laughs) I'm gonna have an apron that says "super mushy" - >> Vivian: No, no, no!

>> Pati: Oh no, 'cause then I'd be mushy.

I'm not mushy!

>> Vivian: No, you're not mushy!

>> Pati: No - (Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Pati: We're adding the onions, the garlic cloves that we're just peeling, and then everything for the adobo will go in here.

So we'll put this aside, this is ready.

You know what we have here.

>> Vivian: I know we have pork butt, but the funny thing is they call it "butt", but it's the shoulder.

>> Pati: Yes.

>> Vivian: And where I'm from, we call it "Boston butt".

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: Which I'm not sure why.

>> Pati: And then see how the chiles rehydrated?

>> Vivian: Oh yeah, really fast!

>> Pati: Yes, super fast!

So al these techniques are really not demanding at all, and fast.

I'm gonna let those cool a bit and add 1 cup of orange juice to our roasted vegetables.

I'm adding a couple tablespoons of vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of marjoram, thyme and oregano.

Here we have 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

I'll add the rehydrated chiles, and about 1 cup of the liquid.

So now we'll puree this here.

(blender whirs) >> Vivian: How long?

>> Pati: Until it's pureed.

Lemme see.

How would you describe the smell?

I need your English Vivian!

>> Vivian: I know why you invited me here.

>> Pati: Yeah, I need new words!

>> Vivian: So I think this has a lot of depth and you can smell the acid, and the chiles, and the tomato.

>> Pati: Yeah.

>> Vivian: I didn't help you there.

>> Pati: No.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Vivian: Am I going over or just around?

>> Pati: Over and under and around.

>> Vivian: All.

Oh yeah.

>> Pati: Oh yeah!

So I'm adding a couple bay leaves.

It's gonna be there for 3 hours, it's at 300 degrees covered.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: Si.

>> Pati: Tres Leches.

>> Vivian: (gasps) Oh, I love Tres Leches!

>> Pati: I know you do!

>> Vivian: I do.

>> Pati: Help me crack some eggs and I'll tell you about it, so we'll put the whites here and the yolks here.

Tres Leches is not a cake, it's a lifestyle.

>> Vivian: Oh my gosh.

(laughs) >> Pati: I'm kidding - (laughs) It just sounded like a commercial.

No, like Tres Leches in Mexico is such a huge thing.

>> Vivian: It's like the country's dessert.

It's like our apple pie.

>> Pati: Yes!

But Mexicans don't make Tres Leches at home even though it's ridiculously easy because you can find it in every corner.

>> Vivian: So for the people that are watching this that don't know any Spanish, it means 3 milk - >> Pati: Yes!

Yeah, so - >> Vivian: That's my Spanish coming out right there.

>> Pati: Yeah, how did you say Tres Leches, say it again?

>> Vivian: "Tres Leches" >> Pati: Indulge me.

>> Vivian: I just said it, you didn't even understand it.

>> Pati: I didn't hear you!

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Pati: So you'll beat these just until they hold soft peaks.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: And once they hold soft peaks we'll add 1 cup of sugar.

So here we have the 8 egg yolks that you cracked, and then I have 1/2 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 tsp vanilla.

That's perfect.

I have 2 cups of flour, just all purpose flour.

So 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, and a pinch of salt, and then we'll alternate mixing in there or in here.

So let's add some of that in here.

Yeah, see how beautiful?

>> Vivian: Mhmm.

Let's put it all - >> Pati: Yes, in here.

And I like desserts that are very messy.

My hands are kind of sloppy and have always been very sloppy, so I need to make sloppy desserts.

>> Vivian: You just move fast Pati.

>> Pati: No, I'm sloppy.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Pati: So then what we'll do is if you help me pour half and half.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: I love the sound, did you hear the sound?

>> Vivian: I know, "plop".

>> Pati: Yeah, can you do it here?

>> Vivian: I mean, I don't know - >> Pati: Yeah you can!

>> Vivian: Okay, pressure.

>> Pati: Oh that was lovely!

>> Vivian: It did, it did, I might be able to get another one.

>> Pati: (laughs) >> Vivian: Too much of a good thing.

>> Pati: Yeah.

Then I'll spread it a little 'cause I have the oven at 350 degrees and these will bake for 22 minutes.

So you can make a Tres Leches with any kind of fruit.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: But since we have plums and apricots in my garden, we're gonna make it with plums and apricots.

>> Vivian: Because I'm here.

>> Pati: Si!

You don't have to be precious, that's what I love about Tres Leches cake, you don't have to peel the fruit and dice it and make it beautiful, you just want the big chunks in there.

Okay, so we have enough.

Okay beautiful!

>> Vivian: That looks great!

Is that one done?

>> Pati: It could take another minute.

Pati: So this is perfection, and then just poke it.

Then let's make our three milk sauce.

>> Vivian: This smells so good.

>> Pati: It does really, and you saw how airy it is - well you'll see when we cut into it.

So we have milk, and we have evaporated milk.

We're just gonna pour it here.

>> Vivian: So evaporated milk is kind of sweet, no?

>> Pati: It's a little sweet, it's sweeter than whole milk.

And then sweetened condensed milk is the same thing, but with a ton of added sugar.

Pati: Okay so you can help me mix that and I'm gonna take the other cake out.

Pati: Have you tasted cajeta?

>> Vivian: What is that?

>> Pati: So it's Mexico's dulce du leche.

>> Vivian: 'Cause it's made with goat's milk?

>> Pati: Si!

You knew that!

>> Vivian: I did (laughs) >> Pati: So you've eaten it before?

>> Vivian: Well...

I have a mild obsession with dulce de leche, so I know its forms.

>> Pati: Yeah, can you tell the difference?

>> Vivian: It is better.

>> Pati: Isn't it?

>> Vivian: Because goat milk has more nuance.

>> Pati: Exactly, and because I wanted to do a new cake for you, it's not a tres leches, it's a cuatro leches cake.

>> Vivian: Oh!

>> Pati: 'Cause that's our fourth milk.

>> Vivian: Wow, okay, you surprised me.

>> Pati: How surprised are you?!

>> Vivian: I'm - (gasps) >> Pati: Super surprised?!

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Pati: So we're just gonna pour this whole thing here, and then this will be the middle layer.

You can pour it then.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: You can do half.

It's gonna be a mess anyway, which is good.

>> Vivian: This is good.

>> Pati: So then we're gonna do the fruit.

>> Vivian: Mmm.

>> Pati: And this looks so beautiful already, no?

Let me bring the other cake.

>> Vivian: Hermosa!

>> Pati: That's beautiful!

(laughs) >> Vivian: I rolled my "r"!

>> Pati: And now we poke.

>> Vivian: This is really easy.

>> Pati: So easy, and it looks, you know - >> Vivian: It looks like a homemade dessert.

>> Pati: Not gorgeous but it doesn't matter because we're gonna cover it with heavy whipped cream.

>> Vivian: And that's your cinnamon?

>> Pati: This is Mexican canela or the ceylon cinnamon.

>> Vivian: Okay, so we're gonna start by making some turnip greens.

People think of the South as a place where everybody eats collard greens, right?

>> Pati: Yes.

>> Vivian: But really you either grow up in a collard eating house or a turnip eating house.

>> Pati: Ooh!

And these are?

>> Vivian: These are turnip greens.

So these are called hakurei turnips or Tokyo turnips.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: These are sweet, you can eat them raw, you can shave them.

>> Pati: They look a little like radishes, do they have anything - >> Vivian: No, no, they're turnips, and you'll see that raw they're kind of like an apple, like you see how nice that is?

>> Pati: Mmm.

Mmm!

>> Vivian: And they're very tender and fresh - >> Pati: I love these!

>> Vivian: So if you can separate the greens from the roots.

>> Pati: And you eat the whole thing - like you eat both things?

>> Vivian: Yeah, we're gonna cook them together, and then just quarter these.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: And so this is air-dried country style sausage.

In Eastern North Carolina where I'm from, our seasoning meat is this air-dried country style sausage, so when I say "seasoning meat", I mean the way that we season our vegetables - >> Pati: Mhmm.

>> Vivian: And the way that we cook our greens.

>> Pati: Is with sausage?

>> Vivian: With sausage, so it's a little richer than typical link sausage.

>> Pati: Is this a raw sausage that you still have to cook?

>> Vivian: You have to cook it.

>> Pati: You can't slice it and chew on it like salami.

>> Vivian: I'm not gonna recommend that, no.

>> Pati: Nobody does that.

>> Vivian: No, no.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) I mean, this reminds me of my childhood.

>> Pati: Yeah.

>> Vivian: And so it touches my soul, my sausage soul.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Vivian: 'Cause these are so tender and they won't need to cook as long, we're gonna render the sausage, and then add them, and add a little water.

>> Pati: What goes in the sausage?

It's different kinds of - >> Vivian: So sage and ginger, chili flakes, black pepper - very simple.

And thyme.

>> Pati: Mmm.

>> Vivian: T-h-y-m-e and t-i-m-e. >> Pati: Yeah, you got me.

(Vivian and Pati laugh) >> Vivian: So add the roots to this pan.

I'm gonna add some black pepper.

>> Pati: Yeah.

>> Vivian: And then we can go ahead and put our greens in there.

>> Pati: The whole thing?

>> Vivian: Mhmm.

We're gonna add some water just to cover it.

>> Pati: Mhmm.

And is this typically a side dish?

How would you eat it?

>> Vivian: So - great question, Pati.

>> Pati: Oh yay - (laughs) >> Vivian: So today we eat it as a side dish, but where I come from, I call the food we cook "food of the frugal farmer", it's an agriculture region, and it's really about waste not, want not, so back in the day a pot of greens with a little sausage in it would have been the centrepiece of your meal.

So we'll just let that hang out for, like, 15 minutes.

So now we're going to make something called Texas Caviar.

It's not related to fish at all, but I think the name "caviar" comes from the fact that the meat of it are field peas.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: Okay, so field peas are really important in my culture, so these are black eyed peas, we eat them a lot with rice, and it would be like your beans and rice, a perfect protein.

>> Pati: Mhmm.

>> Vivian: So the reason I wanted to make this today is because we're trying to find these synergies between your food and my food, and this is kind of like salsa, it's something to balance - >> Pati: Like a pico de gallo kind of.

>> Vivian: Yeah, like something to kind of balance the richness of that and this.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: So if you will slice these scallions - >> Pati: You use the green and the white?

>> Vivian: Yes, just slice them up thin, and it doesn't have to be perfect because... it doesn't (laughs) >> Pati: (laughs) Good!

>> Vivian: And then I'm going to take these guys, and they've been cooked.

So these are like pickled tomatoes.

>> Pati: And then the brine has, what?

>> Vivian: It has lemon juice, vinegar, jalapeños, horse radish.

>> Pati: Mmm.

Mmm!

>> Vivian: I have oregano and flat leaf parsley here, so we'll just tear that up and put it in there.

>> Pati: Would you add more jalapeño?

Your tomatoes have jalapeño - >> Vivian: They do, but if you want it to be spicier, you absolutely can.

>> Pati: Have you used Serrano chile?

>> Vivian: I have, do you have some?

Let's put it in there.

>> Pati: Yeah, I may!

I may.

I love, love, love Serranos.

>> Vivian: Why?

>> Pati: First of all because they have the double "r".

>> Vivian: (laughs) >> Pati: So I love how it sounds, "Serrano" - no, but also because they're just feistier, stronger and more intense than a jalapeño.

>> Vivian: So I'm gonna put a little olive oil on here just to kind of soak it up.

>> Pati: That looks so pretty.

Okay, let me taste.

>> Vivian: And you can use celery if you want more texture.

>> Pati: Mmm!

You have to taste with the Serrano, it's so delicious.

It is hot.

>> Vivian: Mmm, that is good - it is hot!

>> Pati: Mmm!

And I love the taste of parsley in there.

>> Vivian: Parsley is so underrated!

>> Pati: I agree.

>> Vivian: We're gonna make something we call "hoecakes" or "Johnnycakes".

That name comes from the fact that people used to heat up a hoe - >> Pati: What's a hoe?

>> Vivian: In a fire - like, you know - >> Pati: Oh!

A hoe, okay, okay.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Vivian: They would heat that up in a fire, and then cook cornbread on the metal plate of the hoe.

>> Pati: Oh.

>> Vivian: So super rustic.

>> Pati: I am loving all the names for all the things we've eaten.

>> Vivian: Will you hand me this cornmeal over here?

>> Pati: Yes.

>> Vivian: So I wanted to do this because tortillas are such a big part of your culture, and cornbread is like the cornerstone of my culture, and we have two types of cornmeal, white cornmeal, and you see how fine it is?

>> Pati: Yeah.

>> Vivian: And then yellow cornmeal, and depending on where you come from in the South, you prefer one or the other, and where I come from, they say the yellow cornmeal is to feed the animals, so my mother would never have eaten yellow cornmeal.

>> Pati: And which are we going to use?

>> Vivian: We're gonna use the white cornmeal.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: Quarter that onion.

Buttermilk - >> Pati: Oh yum!

>> Vivian: Which is a hugely important ingredient for us, and then a little bit of water.

>> Pati: So it's buttermilk, water, onion.

>> Vivian: Yes, and a lot of people would just use - you can just add water to cornmeal, and a little salt.

>> Pati: But you're flavoring it.

>> Vivian: Yes.

>> Pati: Yeah.

(blender whirs) >> Vivian: Pour that in there, and we can be cavalier about it because if we have too much liquid we can add more cornmeal.

>> Pati: Yeah!

And what consistency are you looking for?

>> Vivian: So we're looking for, like, thin pancake batter.

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: And that's really only because - keep going.

That's really only because we're gonna make it - you know, we want to make a very flat cornbread.

So I've been pre-heating this cast iron skillet, and this cast iron skillet is kind of like your - >> Pati: Comal.

>> Vivian: Comal.

>> Pati: Yeah.

>> Vivian: In that, you know, it takes on the character of the cook, and we call it "seasoned".

>> Pati: Okay.

>> Vivian: Okay so I've got some vegetable oil and some butter in here.

>> Pati: So these are gonna be flat?

>> Vivian: These are gonna be flat, and you want them to spread out kind of like a pancake, and much like a pancake, the first batch doesn't always turn out, so don't judge me.

>> Pati: No, never.

Pati: So you have the heat at medium-low.

>> Vivian: It's like medium-low, you don't want to cook it too fast because you don't want the interior to be raw.

>> Pati: Mhmm.

>> Vivian: Okay so we're gonna try to turn this one.

Oh yeah!

>> Pati: Ah, that's beautiful!

It looks beautiful!

>> Vivian: Oh yes!

>> Pati: And that smells really good.

>> Vivian: Yes, and I'm gonna, like, chop it up a little with my spatula.

>> Pati: So I'm just gonna cut this.

Ah, this looks so good!

Pati: And then see the adobo, how beautiful it is?

>> Vivian: Mmm!

I thought you got that out for me.

(Vivian and Pati laugh) >> Vivian: I was like "oh" - (laughs) >> Pati: I did, but then I couldn't help myself (laughs) >> Vivian: And do I do another little swipe through the - >> Pati: Yes!

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: Mmm!

Look at that fat.

>> Vivian: That is perfect.

Awesome.

>> Pati: You know what, I'm gonna put this back in here.

>> Vivian: And mix it in there.

>> Pati: Yeah!

In the sauce.

>> Pati: Oh, you are giving me the pretty one!

>> Vivian: I am, I am!

Because I want you to have a good experience.

>> Pati: She's giving me the prettiest one, and I ate the first lovely piece of meat!

Pati: Okay, I'm giving you the nicer ones.

>> Vivian: Aww, thank you!

>> Pati: This is looking so beautiful already.

>> Vivian: Alright!

>> Pati: Mmm, mmm, mhmm.

>> Vivian: That's good.

You're making me blush with your noises, Pati.

(laughs) The synergy here is just so interesting, we have the corn, the pork, which is like our barbecue, is your adobo, and then the black eyed pea caviar which is kind of like a pico de gallo.

>> Pati: Like, I thought that by cooking together, when we did this I was gonna say "it tastes like home", but it doesn't, it tastes completely different, and I absolutely love it 'cause you're just opening a super new window to me.

>> Vivian: Well you did the same thing for me!

>> Pati: It's amazing.

>> Vivian: Yay!

This is really why I came.

>> Pati: Yes!

Okay, where do you want me to cut?

>> Vivian: I want the best part.

>> Pati: (sighs) That would be the middle.

>> Vivian: Okay, I don't have to have it then (laughs) >> Pati: I will get the middle for you.

>> Vivian: No, no, no.

>> Pati: Oh, I will get the middle for you.

Oh no - yeah.

>> Vivian: Okay.

>> Pati: I never let my kids do this ever.

>> Vivian: Well - I think Alan's over there.

>> Pati: I hope they're not watching.

Ooh!

>> Vivian: Saucy.

Oh my!

>> Pati: Oh, this is so beautiful!

Pati: Tres Leches.

>> Vivian: Quatro Le - le - (laughs) >> Pati: Si!

>> Vivian: (laughs) You say it.

>> Pati: You say it!

>> Vivian: Quatro Leches!

>> Pati: Muy bien.

(Pati and Vivian laugh) >> Vivian: Mmm!

Oh wow.

>> Pati: Mmm.

Mmm!

>> Vivian: That is great.

>> Pati: And the more it soaks - >> Vivian: It's gonna be like a pudding almost!

>> Pati: Mhmm, mhmm.

It's really hard to find a really good friend that's also a peer that's in the same... >> Vivian: World.

>> Pati: World with you, you know?

And I feel like we share the same struggles, the same challenges, and we're very similar, yet we live in such different culinary worlds, and it is really a treat to make them collide in the kitchen, and you're a person that inspires, and I love having you in my kitchen!

>> Vivian: Oh thank you, I'm very grateful for you.

>> Pati: And thank you for trekking up here!

Such a treat.

>> Vivian: My pleasure, thank you.

>> Pati Narrates: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit PatiJinich.com, and connect!

Find me on facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @PatiJinich.