Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Mayo and Summer Pico

One of the few things I look forward to in Texas when the weather heats up is the summer crops.  We don't have to wait until June to get quality corn and tomatoes.  The first sale of the year was last week where Firecracker and I were able to pick up six ears for $1 and beautiful vine ripened tomatoes for .99 cents per pound.  Greenhouses and technology have made most of our favorite produce available year round but there is no substitute for produce harvested in season.

Most of the people I know love fresh corn to be eaten on the cob.  Grilled corn on the cob with cilantro butter is a favorite of my parents.  Firecracker has been caught "clearing the table" by eating the leftover corn when she thinks no one is looking.  And, it wasn't long ago I watched a close friend nearly put himself into a corn coma after crushing five ears worth.  I actually have photographic evidence of the event before, during, and after, but that shall remain between friends.  What I will say is his wife writes a blog I follow called McMurrey with an E-Y. Check it out.

While I do enjoy corn in every way, I have to admit I prefer to eat it off the cob.  One of my favorite ways is in a roasted corn pico.

Roasted Corn Pico

3 ears of fresh corn grilled or oven roasted until slightly browned
4 roasted poblanos seeded and chopped
1 serrano minced (seeds and ribs included)
2 jalepenos seeded and minced
3 vine ripened tomatoes chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cucumber seeded and chopped
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 small red onion (or half large one) diced
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of 2 limes (adjust to taste)
2-3 TBS olive oil
Salt & Pepper
*Adobo seasoning (I have used cumin and chili powder in similar recipes but I didn't want cumin to overpower the freshness. Whatever seasoning you use, go light because most of the flavor comes from the combination of roasted and fresh veggies along with the lime and cilantro)

Simply combine these ingredients and refrigerate.  It will taste great immediately, but becomes unbelievable after four hours in the fridge when everything has a chance to mingle.  It's great as a salsa on chips (which we did), but it was even better as a topping on seared salmon tacos.

The tacos couldn't be easier to make.  As an apartment chef I don't have access to a grill very often.  If I did, I would grill the salmon in this recipe with olive oil and salt & pepper finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Since this wasn't an option, I pan seared the salmon fillets which is just as easy and faster.  All you need is a hot pan and olive oil.  Season the salmon with salt & pepper and sear each side for 2-3 minutes, finish with lemon juice.

Chipotle Mayo


In a food processor add:

2 canned chipotles in adobo
1/4c mayo
1/4c sour cream
1/2 lime juiced
2 TBS cilantro
1 TBS agave or honey
salt & pepper to taste

Whizz up those ingredients and you have the perfect sauce for a fish taco.  Spicy and creamy but balanced by the agave with a fresh kick from the cilantro and lime.  Slap some of the mayo on a tortilla (we used good corn tortillas), add your salmon, top with the pico and crumble a little queso fresca on top.  It is a great summer dish that is soul satisfying but still fresh and light.  Perfect with a watermelon/mint margarita.

P.S. The chipotle mayo is really good on herb roasted fingerling potatoes.

Game 7, Game 0, Game 1

Is there panic in OKC?  There shouldn't be.  I think they have Dallas and Memphis right where they want them.  After blowing out Memphis in game 5, the Thunder stunk up the second half in game 6 in what was arguably Kevin Durant's worst game of his career.  Definitely the playoffs.

Memphis rallied nicely from an early deficit and showed a lot of grit.  It started with Shane Battier hitting a clutch 3 pointer at the end of the half.  O.J. Mayo played some of his best minutes of the playoffs and Zach Randolph got hot and took over late like he has done in several other playoff games this season.  There's no doubt Memphis has heart and I think you have to give head coach Lionel Hollins nearly all of the credit.  As good as some of the Grizzlies have played, there is no way they should be competing at this level without Rudy Gay.  Hollins seems to push all the right buttons and the Grizzlies have repeatedly played over their head.

All that considered, I still love OKC to win game 7 and advance to the next round.  For some reason it feels like Durant and Russell Westbrook are still learning to play together.  Westbrook is a shooter and needs to score for OKC to be successful, but he also needs to create more shots for Durant.  Last night Durant never got in the flow of the offense and settled for taking quick 3 point shots.  Even though Westbrook shot the ball well, it is the job of a point guard to distribute.  Westbrook needs to do both.  When Durant is hot there is no stopping him and subsequently no stopping the Thunder.  These guys are far too talented to lose a game 7 on their home floor.  Especially with the incredible fans of OKC who make their arena the loudest in the NBA.  An emotional win could be exactly what OKC needs to push them over the hump.

While Memphis and OKC finish their battle, the much older and experienced Mavericks have been sitting around.  A lay off is good for veteran teams, but how often do we see too long of a lay off disrupt a team's rhythm?  OKC is young enough to stay fresh after a long series and could catch Dallas flat.  I don't know I love their chances based on the way they have played against Memphis, but there is no questioning the talent and star power of the Thunder.  The only question that remains is whether they are mature enough to handle the moment.  Either way, Thunder fans should rest assured of a victory Sunday night.

Also on Sunday (because Oprah is bigger than the NBA), game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals starts in Chicago.  The Heat have gone from inexplicable underdogs in the Eastern Semis to favorites to win the whole thing.

Since The Decision I have not been able to figure out how any team could beat LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in a 7 game series and the Bulls playoff record doesn't give us an indication of what level they are capable of playing.  The only thing we really know is Derrick Rose is unstoppable.  As far as what you'll get out of the rest of the cast, that is a nightly mystery.  Carlos Boozer hasn't had nearly the impact many expected when he signed with the Bulls.  Without his help, Chicago doesn't stand much of a chance.  The one thing the Bulls do have is home court advantage which might make for a great series.  I think Chicago has to win game 1.

There has been some speculation that the Heat celebrated beating Boston a little too much and are ripe for a hangover against Chicago.  I don't think that will happen.  The Bulls swept the Heat in the regular season and Miami has not forgotten that.  The infamous crying comments that Heat coach Eric Spoelstra made came after a one point loss to the Bulls where the Heat came up short in the final moments of the game.  The other two losses came when Lebron was out and Chris Bosh had one of the worst shooting performances in NBA history going 1 for 18 from the floor.  Either way, the Heat still have something to prove and I think they will play like it.  The only time they are vulnerable is when they lose interest and coast.  As we have seen these playoffs, when Miami plays hard, they win.  I like Chicago to make it a fun series.  I think they will put up one more win than Boston and take it to game 6 where the Heat will close it out in Miami.  Both teams play excellent defense, but when you boil down the matchup it is basically two against one.

Follow Me on Twitter @bbscrewball

You know what takes a lot less time than writing a blog?  Writing a tweet.  Those that know me personally might be surprised I am engaging in one of the latest forms of social networking (I didn't get a cell phone until 2004).  I don't blame you.  But as it turns out, it is required by my current employer so "I jumps een et."  I quickly realized what an excellent tool it can be to keep my blog afloat while there isn't the time to devote to an entire blog.

I have been engrossed in the NBA playoffs, MLB, and even a bit of hockey playoffs (good luck San Jose, doesn't look good), but between watching sports and starting a new business, the blogs haven't been cranking out as some of you may have noticed.  At this point I might only have 1 or 2 readers that have stuck with my sporadic postings.

For those that are still interested in my takes, follow @bbscrewball on Twitter.  Instead of yelling at the TV, I'll post my views and hopefully get some of you to argue back.

I would have never checked out Twitter if I wasn't forced, but now that I see how it works, it is pretty fun.  I don't think many of my readers have accounts, but if you do, send me your address so I can follow you too.  It is easy to start, and once you get going it's hard to stop.

Rather than a blog a month I will be able to crank out several tweets a day if there is something worth commenting on.  This doesn't mean I will stop blogging.  I do love my blog.  It pains me that I haven't kept current.  Unfortunately, the real world has a tendency to keep us from doing all the things we love as much as we would like.  I'm still working on a cure for that.  When I find it, I'll tweet about it @bbscrewball.  Until then, I'll continue playing Mega Millions so I can sleep at night.

By the way, we still might see that OKC vs. Miami Finals.  What a display of talent that series would be!  I fully expect OKC and Chicago to close out their opponents in the next couple of days setting up a D Rose/D Wade matchup and a Dirk/Durant pairing.  Great stuff.  If you're still not watching the NBA despite the great collection of talent in the playoffs, you're in the minority.  The ratings haven't been this high since the Jordan era.  Anyone want to argue Lebron going to Miami was a bad idea now?  If so, drop me a tweet @bbscrewball.

For those with no intention of getting on the Twitter train, you can still follow my latest tweets on the right side of my blog below My Blog List.

The Joy of San Diego Professional Sports

It's never smart to rush to judgment on a team 12 games into a 162 game season.  I know the Red Sox fans adopted that mentality after their slow start, but they have a team full of All-Star veterans.  The Padres slow start looks to be what fans can expect for the next 150 games.

Padres fans were in a unique position last year.  They won ugly all year long, but they won.  They led the NL West most of the season with very little offense.  Most of the media picked the Padres to finsish last in their division that season.  Peter Gammons, one of the most respected minds in baseball proclaimed the only sure thing in 2010 was the Padres would stink.

Using the negativity as fuel, the Padres made a real run at the playoffs.  They got great pitching, played excellent defense, ran the bases aggressively, and had Adrian Gonzalez.  They were still, however, one of the worst hitting teams in the league.  Most of the lineup couldn't hit their way out of a wet paper bag.  What they did do was execute team baseball which can be directly attributed to Manager Bud Black.

In 2011 the team changed drastically in terms of roster but the baseball theory stayed the same.  It has to when you play at Petco Park, a notoriously pitcher friendly stadium.  The difference this season is the absence of Adrian Gonzalez.  It has already become apparent how much his bat covered up holes in the Padres lineup.

There was some real excitement about the lineup during Spring training this season.  Some speculated the offense would be more dynamic than the 2010 team.  I think I convinced myself of that until I saw the lineup card opening day.  Orlando Hudson was hitting third.  I like O-Dog.  He is one of two players on the team that has produced this season.  But that's not a guy meant to hit third.  That is a slot slated for a run producer, not a table setter.  Hudson would hit near seventh for most teams in the league.

Some may remember that I picked the Padres to win the NL West last season.  There will be no such prediction this year.

The Padres offense is a giant reclamation project.  Nearly every player on the team is looking for a fresh start or trying to make a mark as a young player.

New shortstop Jason Bartlett hit .320 in 2009 with 14 home runs and made the All-Star team.  In 2010 he slumped hitting just .254 with 4 home runs.  San Diego traded two talented young relievers that were Major League ready for Bartlett in hopes he would return to form in San Diego.  Defensively, he fits the profile.  Offensively, it hasn't been pretty.  He's hitting .118 with 7 strikeouts.  He hits second.

Ryan Ludwick was brought over from St. Louis in a trade that looked too good to be true for the Padres.  Turns out it was.  Ludwick was supposed to add pop to the Padres lineup and help them finish the season in first place as they currently were when he came to San Diego.  His arrival made the outfield less athletic and he toiled in the worst slump of his career.  He hit just .211 with 57 strikeouts in 209 at bats.  Not good.  Ludwick admitted to pressing too hard and he never found a rhythm.  With an off-season to mentally prepare, the Padres were eager to see the Ludwick that slammed 37 home runs in 2008 or even the Ludwick that hit 22 in 2009.  Instead it has been 2010 Ludwick.  He is now hitting .103 with 10 strikeouts.  He's the cleanup hitter.

Brad Hawpe is a guy that has proven he can hit in Petco Park.  The problem is he did it as a member of the Colorado Rockies.  From 2005-2009 Hawpe hit just below .300 with 20+ home runs.  His numbers were down in 2010 and he joined the Padres to jump start his career.  He's hitting .129 with 13 strikeouts in 31 at bats.

The whole lineup reads like a horror show with the exception of Nick Hundley and Orlando Hudson.

Future star Will Veneble: .139
Future star/fresh start Cameron Maybin: .244
Padres veteran Chase Headley: .256 (right in line with his mediocre career statistics)
Fresh start Jorge Cantu: .148

Ugly stuff.  Each of those players have struck out way too much.  They still play excellent defense and pitch extremely well, but certainly not good enough to overcome that offense.  No matter how much I say I can live with watching ugly baseball, I still expect a lineup of guys that can put the ball in play and hit .250.  If you can't do that then you don't belong in the Major Leagues.

Petco Park has frustrated hitters since opening, but the park is not the issue.  Moving the fences closer wouldn't help anyone hit more singles.  It's not the park.  It's not the coaches.  It's the hitters.  There should be no pressure because no one expects much from them.  Work the pitcher, hit singles and advance the runner.  It couldn't be more simple.

Statistically it is near impossible for the team to continue to hit so bad.  If they do, they will shatter records for offensive futility.  12 games into the season I have been stripped of hope but left with interest.  On the bright side, there won't be a first place lead for them to blow like last year's team.

That sarcastic comment is brought to you by, The Joy of San Diego Professional Sports.  Check your expectations at the door folks.  You're watching San Diego Professional Sports.  A partner of the Small Market Baseball is B.S. Foundation.  Thanks.  And have a pleasant season.

*Disclaimer*

This was written after watching the Padres get beat 1-0 against the Astros in what will be one of five televised Padres games in the Austin area this season.  The sky might not be falling just yet, but it sure feels like it.

The Second NBA Season

I am really tired of turning on my computer and reading the words Blake Griffin Is Overrated.   Rather than change my home page, I decided to break my silence.  Certain life changes have impeded my blogging time, but I have not missed watching any sports thanks to my DVR.  What a great invention.  I know it's not cutting edge technology anymore, but I still sing its praises.

The NBA regular season ends this week.  For Griffin and the Clippers it will be another lengthy off-season free from the encumbrance of playoff games.  This season was different for the Clips, however.  There is unfamiliar optimism within the organization. They are still the Clippers though, so any optimism must be met with trepidation.  The Clippers improved just in time for a lockout and the possibility of a third NBA franchise in L.A.

The playoffs begin Saturday with 12 teams capable of winning a series.  It's hard to pick against the Lakers in the West, but Kendrick Perkins makes OKC a true threat.  OKC had one need as a team and they answered it.  The Perkins acquisition shows they believe they can win a championship this season.  I still worry that they are not mature enough to beat the Lakers, but Durant has proven himself as a leader and they will give the Lakers all they can handle if they meet.

You can't count out top seeded San Antonio or Dallas based on their regular season record, but Denver and Portland are two teams I am even more interested in.  They are both wild card type teams that are much better than the casual fan might realize.  They both lack true superstars, but their depth and team chemistry make them a challenge for any team.

Denver improved after the Carmelo Anthony trade.  The Nuggets now have the most depth in the NBA and play better defense.  Eight players average double digit points.  Denver will have fresh legs and weapons inside and on the perimeter.  Their biggest concern is a first round matchup with OKC.  That should be a great series.

Portland became a legitimate threat when they acquired Gerald Wallace.  He is an effective scorer who also does the dirty work and makes hustle plays that help his team win.  Lemarcus Aldridge has emerged as a star and Brandon Roy will be healthy enough to play quality minutes.  They won't wow you with their names, but they play well together and have a variety of weapons.  Portland can beat Dallas if they face each other in the first round.

Despite the pests, it will be a surprise if anyone other than OKC or L.A. advances out of the West.  San Antonio has a great pedigree but they aren't as athletic as you'd like for a long playoff run.  Dallas is famous for playoff let downs and the rest of the West lacks a superstar.  L.A. has struggled a bit at the very end of the regular season, but once the playoffs begin, they are the team to beat.

The East will be just as competitive.  Boston was my favorite before the Perkins trade, but they have played stunned ever since.  At this point, there is little reason to believe Shaq will be effective in the playoffs after missing most of the regular season.  Without an inside presence they are susceptible against Miami, Chicago and Orlando.  They will also have a test in the first round against the Knicks.

The entire Miami Heat season was a constant adjustment of how to play together as a team.  Even under heavy scrutiny they finished second in the Eastern Conference. The Heat have found a rhythm that was lacking as they enter the playoffs.  When Miami fully commits to defense they can be unstoppable.  Chicago and Orlando pose the biggest threat and they won't meet until the Eastern Conference Finals.  If Miami wins the series against the Celtics their momentum could carry them into the Finals.  They will have to protect their leads better as they have a habit of letting big leads dwindle.  Regardless of how you feel about them, the Heat will be entertaining.

Orlando has the player I believe deserves the MVP this season.  Dwight Howard has stepped his game up and played angry since the All-Star break.  He dominates both sides of the court and is a mathcup nightmare.  He has a solid cast around him but he will have to live up to his Superman nickname to lead them to the Finals.  Chicago will be the biggest test for Orlando who actually match up better against Miami.

It's hard to find a reason why Chicago can't win the East but I would be surprised if they do. Derrick Rose has cemented himself as elite, but Chicago lacks maturity and their collective playoff experience is minimal. The Bulls will contend for years with Rose leading the way, but I don't think this is the year he gets a championship.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the playoffs.  If the regular season is any indication the playoffs should be legendary.  I hope to see Miami versus OKC in the Finals, but I don't think anyone can stop the Lakers from once again defending their title.  Miami greatly improved their chances by beating out Boston for the 2 seed.  If the Heat can avoid Orlando, I think we will get a Kobe versus LeBron Finals.

Blake Griffin Is Overrated

I've had some writers block lately.  I hated every sentence I wrote about the Super Bowl and never published what is more or less a finished blog.  Something has been bothering me (other than the end of football) and I finally figured it out when I watched the Clippers play the Magic.  I have to get this off my chest...


Blake Griffin is overrated and he shouldn't be an All-Star.  Yeah, I said it.

Griffin is my second favorite player in the NBA.  He went to OU, we share a name, and with the exception of Dwight Howard, he is the most exciting above the rim player.  His highlights are in a class by themselves and his acrobatic play has resurrected a lifeless organization.

The problem with Griffin is what goes on between those highlights.  His numbers are padded from rebounds off of free throws and points at the rim.  He doesn't work hard for position on offense, and he plays no defense.  Zero defense.  He really doesn't even try.  As a fan it borders on embarrassing.  I find myself hoping no one notices.

I'm not saying Griffin isn't good, but he is an incomplete player.  He has unlimited potential, but free throw and mid range jump shooting are negatives along with his nonexistent defense.  He has to learn how to work within the offense and establish post position better.  Fans have a false sense of what he is as a player because they only see his highlights.  He is isn't even close to realizing his potential.  He needs some time to develop. 

My biggest complaint about Griffin as an All-Star is his lack of consistent game impact.  He looks lost on the floor.  He stands around at the top of the key and doesn't have much feel for the pick and roll.  Most of the plays we see on TV come in bursts or explosions more accurately.  He spends too much time not being involved in the game.

I have no doubt his game will improve.  His work ethic has already reached legendary status.  He's got All-Star numbers, but numbers don't always tell the whole story.  When I watch him play I don't see an All-Star.  That being said, he will probably put on an unbelievable show in the All-Star Game.  His inclusion automatically makes the game better.  He actually plays his regular season games like he's in an All-Star Game.  No defense, all highlights.

It's tough to admit that Blake Griffin is overrated.  It's not his fault.  He has become so hugely popular his game cannot keep up with his reputation.  I would guess there are thousands of Blake Griffin "fans" that have never watched a Clippers game.  I think it's awesome that the public has taken to him, but he's not as good as his highlights suggest.  He gets more run than Kobe Bryant on Sportscenter.  How is he supposed to live up to that as a rookie?  He'll get there, but he's not there yet.