According to my gorgeous sister-in-law, it is national sugar cookie week.  What sweet Echo is not aware of is that every week is national sugar cookie week in the Gonzales household.  Pan de Polvo, aka Polvorones, a Mexican sugar cookie if you will, is my all-time favorite cookie.  Our local grocery store’s bakery makes them daily, so we always have them at the house.  So, to veer from tradition (who, me?!) I give you, the easiest, most delicioso cookie recipe ever.  Also, it’s authentic!  I got it from a tenth generation Mexican!

Ingredients:

• 2 C Flour
• 1 C Butter (that’s right!! YUM!)
• 3/4 C Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

First preheat your oven to 350. 

Mix your dry ingredients (that’s flour, sugar, and cinnamon, people.)  Separately, use a hand mixer (or even a food processor) on your butter until it is fluffy and workable.  Creamy, you might say.  With the mixer still on (low setting or it’s your mess to clean) SLOWLY add the flour mixture in.  Like, 1/4 cup at a time.  When you have incorporated all the ingredients, dough will form. 

These cookies are much smaller than normal sugar cookies, so think bon-bons and use a tablespoon to scoop out portions.  Set cookie balls on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake in your oven for 25 minutes.

When the cookies are just out of the oven, I like to sprinkle them with more cinnamon and sugar.  In fact, I use cinnamon sugar to do this.  Also, you can melt dark chocolate (or Mexican chocolate) and dip half of each cookie in to it and then set aside until chocolate has hardened.  Daylish.

Lesson of the day:  In Spanish, “Polvo” means “Dust” and “Pan” means “Bread” (or cookie or a few other things..) so in this case, Pan de Polvo literally translates as “Dust Bread/Cookie” which is a perfect description for its consistancy although not a perfect description for its delicious flavor.

Good morning, all!

Does anyone find that when it gets to Thursday in the week you just become happier? Thursday and Friday are my happy days because the weekend is so close! It’s not that I mind work at all (I have a pretty cool boss/ office environment and love the work that we do) and there are plenty of days that I really enjoy, I just look forward to downtime, hanging out with Loren at home and seeing friends. So YAY for Thursday!

Yesterday morning I woke up and dragged my booty to the gym. My neck felt so much better after the day of massage/ rest but I felt it was better to ease of weights for a few days and just do cardio and stretching. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the bike. I like to mix it up when I get bored!

I actually had some leftover oats from Tuesday’s breakfast in the fridge because I had made 2 servings. I reheated that in the microwave and made myself a plate of fruit- a plum and some sliced pineapple.

I ended up mixing it all together and adding some more cold almond milk- it was a cold hot cereal!

I came home for lunch and made an awesome plate: A turkey, salami, lettuce, and goat cheese sandwich on Ezekial bread with a side of carrots, celery, and a few natural corn chips.

I love making lunch at home. I get to add so many fresh veggies to my plate! This sandwich was awesome, too. I spread lots of honey mustard on it.

I definitely went back for a few more chips, too… Not gonna lie. One of the downsides of eating lunch at home: the pantry is right there!

Snacks yesterday included a chocolate PURE bar, which was soooo good. All natural, vegan- and tastes JUST like a brownie.

And another clementine!

I worked from 5-9 and then Loren and I met up to go to a concert. His best friend from home is in an awesome band called The Shaky Hands. They have just finished touring for 2 months in Europe and are now doing a 2 week tour in the US, heading back to Portland (OR) where they are based.

Before the show, we wanted to grab something quick, so we stopped at a little Mexican place in the hood where you get your food in 5 minutes! I ordered bean and chicken enchiladas in a verde sauce. They came with guacamole and sour cream on top and rice and beans on the side.

It was sooo good! I ate it all, except for the rice- passed that onto Loren. The verde sauce was the star: very flavorful, very spicy!

The concert was great! I love these guys and always enjoy seeing them play every time they come to NYC.  They are very talented and put on a great show with lots of good energy!

We got home way too late for a weeknight, but, oh well- it was worth it. And its good to break up the routine every once in a while.

Now, back to it! Have a wonderful day!

When I heard Changos had made the switch to all-natural, free-range meat and wild-caught fish, plus recycleable servingware, I was really excited. So excited that I made my roommate from college who was in town visiting head to the nearest Changos on Guadalupe to try it out.

I grabbed a salad with chicken, she had a chicken and a fish taco plus some chips and queso. She really liked the tacos, noting that the chicken had a really great flavor.

The chicken did have a really great flavor, but I ended up feeding half of it to my dog, who sat on the patio with us, because it was so fatty. I hope I simply got a bad piece of meat, because everything else for a yummy salad was there: the lettuce was fresh, the peppers spicy and crisp, the lemon vinaigrette lemony and light. And the chicken I could eat was great, it was the chicken I couldn’t eat that really ruined the salad for me. I hate having to pick through chicken to find the non-fatty pieces, that’s just gross.

• According to the company, the beef dishes at Changos are now “Premium Gold” brand, which features Premium Black Angus Beef owned by Texas ranchers and created by registered breeders.  The cows are partially grass-fed, combined with a 100 percent vegetarian diet, at yards certified for humane treatment. They are never given artificial growth hormones or antibiotics.

• Chicken served at Changos is now all natural, minimally processed (no saline solution pumped into the chicken), hormone-free and antibiotic-free. Pork served at Changos is also now all natural, free of hormones and antibiotics.

• The black drum, yellow fin tuna and shrimp are “wild caught” from the Texas Gulf and harvested from sustainable fisheries. Fried items and salad dressings are made with canola oil, a healthier, zero-trans fat oil.

The plastic cups, paper cups and disposable silverware are made out of eco-friendly cornstarch (by a company my out-of-town friend has a friend who works for!–small world), and the new “to go” bags, paper towels, and napkins are made from unbleached recycled paper. Changos is no longer using plastic bags, and recycling plans have been implemented at Changos Guadalupe and Changos South Lamar.

www.changos.com / @changosmexican

Verdict? Give it a shot for quick food, but if your chicken is too fatty don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My mom makes a variation of tacos called Taco Ring. It’s pretty awesome stuff made with crescent rolls, taco meat and cheese. and you can then put whatever toppings you want on it.

For a single student or person this is not a good recipe. So I decided to make a variation on the variation to make it suitable for single servings that are freezer friendly. I’m calling it Taco Balls.

Taco Balls

• Left over cooked taco meat(ground sirloin, onions, and taco seasoning)
• taco cheese
• pack of crescent rolls or two depending on how much you making (one package makes eight)
• toppings when you eat it (salsa, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeno)

Pop open the container of crescent rolls and put them flat on a tinfoil baking sheet or other flat surface.Scoop a spoonful or so of taco meat into the center of the trianglecover with taco cheese

and pull the edges over the meat and cheese to make a little ball. you may need to pinch the edges and stretch the dough a little bit.

repeat until you have eight. Now place the baking sheet with taco balls in the freezer for one hour. if you don’t want to freeze and save for later you can stick them in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown and refrigerate the left overs.After the hour is up wrap individual taco balls in glad’s press and seal wrap. Place them in freezer bags or tupperware and throw ‘em in the freezer.

When you’re ready bake one just take out however many you need, one or more, and place it on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or until brown at 375 degrees. Top with whatever taco stuff you like and serve with yellow rice or whole wheat tortilla chips. This stuff is super yummy.

]]> http://theparticularkitchen.com/2009/12/03/another-big-red-pot-of-awesome/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:56:57 +0000 molly http://theparticularkitchen.com/2009/12/03/another-big-red-pot-of-awesome/

the weather in london this week has been awful so far – torrential downpours, gusty winds, icy chills. it must be december! it must also be time to create another hearty chili to warm up from the inside. i had to use my trusty le creuset of course!

last night, it was all about cocoa-coconut chili from eat, drink & be vegan. yes. cocoa. and coconut. in a chili. it is unbelievably decadent and delicious. i’m so glad i made a huge amount so i can have leftovers for lunch this week. and i love how many ingredients in this recipe come from cans. maybe it’s just me, but there’s something incredibly gratifying about opening up a bunch of canned goods and chucking them in a pot, only to have them end up as an amazing meal.

but don’t just take my word for it. quite a few other bloggers happen to love this recipe!

cocoa-coconut chili

from the eat, drink & be vegan cookbook (with a couple of variations), served with a slice of sunflower seed bread and limes. (phil’s bowl is not pictured – it was covered in grated cheese).

the particulars:

• 1.5 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp hot chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 3 tbsp dutch-processed cocoa powder (we used green & black’s)
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• tabasco chipotle hot sauce, to taste
• 1 cup corn kernels
• lime wedges, to serve

1. in a large pot, add oil, onion, celery, pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice, and stir to combine. cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions or garlic starts to burn.
2. when onions start to soften, add cocoa powder and stir for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, beans, coconut milk, and coconut, and stir to combine. increase heat and bring to a boil. once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. stir in corn kernels and cook another 5 minutes to heat through. remove cover to let liquid reduce if desired. season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce. serve with lime wedges to squeeze on generous amounts of juice.

lesson learned: if you like your chili less liquid-y (like me), don’t bother covering while it cooks. slightly less coconut milk would probably help too.

Cheesy Mexican Chicken Puree

This is a quick and easy meal for the pureed food stage.
Ingredients:

*   3 oz canned chicken
* pinch of powdered chicken bullion or chicken soup base
* 1 T thin salsa or picante sauce – mild (pre-blend and strain if chunky)
* 1/2 tsp cumin
* 1/2 tsp chili powder
* salt and pepper
* 1 T 2% Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

Directions

1. Drain and rinse chicken well. I usually use a little hand held fine mesh strainer.
2. Put everything but the cheese into a Magic Bullet with the single blade or in a micro food processor. Pulse until well blended and fine. *depending upon the chicken and the salsa you may need to add a little water to get everything moving right* Also be sure to taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
3. Transfer to small microwavable plate and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Microwave for 30-60 seconds until cheese is melty and chicken mixture is heated through.

Find this recipe and add this recipe to your Recipe Box at allrecipes.com

Fred’s Mexican Cafe is located on South Kihei Road, and is right next door to the Maui Banyan.  Every time we passed by it looked busy, which we figured was a pretty good sign. So of course we had to check it out.

We weren’t sure what to expect from a Mexican restaurant in Hawaii, but we found it to be quite good. They have a pretty big menu, and you get a lot of food at a decent price. I especially liked the Surf and Turf Burrito. It was huge, and I could only eat half of it. The other half made a great lunch the next day.

Tuesdays are their specials night, so they are even busier than normal. We went to Fred’s on a Tuesday night during our 2009 trip. All the waitresses were wearing funny t-shirts that said things like ‘Kiss my Taco Tuesday’

Moose McGillycuddy’s is upstairs of Fred’s. They also seemed very busy, but we didn’t get around to going there. The only time I went up there was to use the washroom, which apparently they share with Fred’s.

Fred’s is worth checking out if you like Mexican food, and we will go back again on our next trip.

Like i said this morning, I’ve been CRAZY hungry lately. On days when that’s the case, and especially when I’m also super-duper cold (as I am today), I go all out for lunch and treat myself to a quesadilla:This is a chorizo quesadilla with guac, sour cream, and picante salsa roja on the side. And also, because I am weak, a can of ice-cold crack:
This should keep me full at least until quittin’ time. At which point, if all goes according to plan, I’ll make time to hit up the gym for a quickie pre-dinner workout, then head home to make dinner and snuggle on the couch with my mans. And – OF COURSE – clean my apartment from top to bottom. Right? Right??!  Ahem.  Right.

Over and out,
Jo

So I’m struggling.  The lunchers have decided to finish our burger tour and picked Mexican as our next food tour of Denver.  Denver has a pile of Mexican style restaurants and this will likely keep us busy until the next ice age.  The problem is, how are we going to rate them?  I mean the food quality is obviously important, but there are two categories for food, first is the chips and salsa.  I go to many Mexican restaurants simply because I love their chips and salsa, this is a critical factor in selecting a Mexican restaurant.  Then the main dish needs to be rated.  And this presents another layer of problems because there are the new style Mexican restaurants that have all sorts of crazy dishes with a bit of a Mexican flair, and then there are the standard taco, burrito, enchilada restaurants.  They both have value and a place but are difficult to compare.

Right now here are my categories, let me know what you think:

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Food
3. Ambiance
4. Service
5. Price

And there are two categories:

1. Standard Mexican/Southwestern Restaurants
2. Vogue Mexican

Our burgers had only 4 ratings and one category, but I think we will have to stick with two categories.  The breakdown between the categories is well defined by the 1^st restaurant that we went to, so as an example I will review the 1^st restaurant that we went to:  Rio Grande at the corner of Yosemite and Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree, CO.  The ratings go from 1 to 5, 5 being the best of the best and 1 being the worst of the worst.

Chips and Salsa: 2 – it didn’t have enough spice, the chips were fine but the salsa was just not my style.  I don’t like to dip my chip in a pile of tomatoes; I want to dip it in a puree of spice and hotness.

Food: 4 – the food was excellent.  Good quality and tasted great.  It was above average from what I could see on all ordered entrees.

Ambiance: 3 – Pretty average for a Mexican joint.

Service: 3.5 – Fast and effective, I was happy with the service, considered it slightly above average expectations.

Price: 2.5 – A touch more pricy than the average Mexican restaurant, but not bad for the quality of food.

Category: Vogue – While almost everything was very typical of a Mexican restaurant, Rio Grande’s primary specialties were all seafood which on a traditional American/Mexican restaurant the choices of meat are Beef, Chicken and Pork.  Therefore Rio Grande  falls into the Vogue category and defines the line.  First to be traditional the main dishes have to include tacos, burritos and enchiladas.  Second they have to stick to the primary 3 meats of classis mexican, beef, chicken and pork.  Outside of that they fall into the Vogue Mexican.

Overall, a good restaurant with excellent food.  I might not head there if all you care about is chips and salsa, but you you want and excellent seafood enchilada, I would hurry on over.  And thank you for listening, I now have a basis to start rating the Mexican restaurants!

Veritas numquam perit

Two surprising ingredients – Cornmeal and Celery – are essential to this Every Night dish!

I’ve tested a number of chili recipes, usually the kind that slow cook for hours and hours.  This slow method is very flavorsome and fills the house with wonderful aromas.  It also allows me to use an inexpensive cut of meat and to add ingredients as it cooks.

But, like many of you, I don’t always have the time to do that and recently I thought I’d give a quicker chili a try.  This meant that I needed to use ground beef since I wouldn’t be cooking the cubed beef for hours to soften it.  Ground beef is easy to use and has a lot of flavor already built in.

I always include celery in my chili as it adds fiber and is a healthy filling.  For this recipe I borrowed an idea from Tyler Florence and added cornmeal.  This is going to become an essential ingredient in my chili!  The cornmeal added a sweetness and thickness to the chili and really made it special.

Every Night Beef Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 canned chipotle peppers – diced finely
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Mexican cinnamon
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• Fritos
• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Cilantro

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and garlic and cook until onions are soft.  Add beef and brown 5-7 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.  Add all of the seasonings and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 25 minutes. Uncover, stir in cornmeal and beans and cook another 20 minutes.   Serve hot over Fritos with sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.  

6-12 servings.

Genre: Mexican

Neighborhood: NoLita

Wallet: $$

Comida: It’s uppity Mexican food…

Sopa de tortilla: Hearty, healthy chunks of shredded chicken, tomato, onion, avocado, ancho chile and cotija cheese ($7). Cotija cheese is a cow’s milk cheese and usually grated or crumbled. 3-4″ long and a red-brown pepper, ancho chiles are the sweetest of the dried chiles and are often referred to as poblanos. Good flavor and the broth was suprisingly thicker than most tortilla soups. Fun presentation in a mini cauldron. A garnish of cilantro would have finished off the dish.

Taquitos pescados: Two petite tacos served on 4” corn tortillas filled with char-grilled fish, red onions and salsa verde ($10). Good flavor, but I’d say the tacos served upstairs feel more authentic.

Place:  La Esquina encompasses three different restaurant concepts: There’s the street-level taqueria serving cheap tacos, tortas and other authentic Mexican with bar-style seating. Around the corner, there’s a casual cafe with standard seating and a more expansive menu. Behind a door marked ‘employees only’ in the taqueria, you’ll find a flight of stairs that leads down to their subterranean brasserie. It appears to have an entertaining identity crisis due to its wonky mash up of genres: Mexican food, medieval décor of stoned walls and candelabras, Motown music…..and it’s deemed a brasserie. There’s great dim lighting and dark leather booths – very much like an underground lair. They have these fantastic, sliding bathroom doors made of horizontal, dark-wood planks stacked on top of each other. Good vibes all around.

Reservation: Yes - Book 2-4 weeks ahead of time. Be humble and wait in the taqueria until staff from the brasserie come to bring you downstairs.

114 Kenmare St, New York, NY

646.613.7100

www.esquinanyc.com

 brasserie (photo courtesy of la esquina)

We served this rice alongside some black bean burgers, but I will definitely plan to make it again to go with some of our other favorite Mexican dishes!  It had intense flavor and was nice and spicy from the chipotles.  If you don’t like spicy food, you should either reduce the amount of chipotle pepper you use or leave it out altogether.

Mexican Rice
Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eats blog, originally from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, September 2004 issue

1 15-oz. can tomatoes (fire roasted or with green chiles is best)
1/2 of a medium white onion, peeled, trimmed and quartered
2 cups long grain white rice (I used Basmati)
1/3 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and move a rack to the middle position. Process tomatoes and onions in the food processor until smooth and thoroughly pureed, about 15 seconds, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a liquid measuring cup; you should have 2 cups (if necessary, spoon off excess or add water so that the volume equals 2 cups).

Place the rice in a large fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice vigorously in strainer to remove all excess water.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed oven-safe Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and fry, stirring frequently, until it is golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; add the garlic and chipotle pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions, chicken broth, tomato paste and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover the pan an transfer to the oven; bake until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro (if desired) and serve with lime wedges.

A reader left a comment on my last post about letting go of everything eating disordered:

“Well, you still do drink diet coke, and you’re not even diabetic. Isn’t that still part of ED behavoiior?”

Whoops. Busted!

First of all, let me make it clear that I have never said I’m totally recovered yet. Yes, I still have my vices. I still have things to work on. I still have instinctual thoughts and behaviors that are very much part of my eating disorder. I guess I didn’t make myself clear enough, but when I said to make a “complete turnover”, I realize that it is quite impossible to make that change all at once. I’m still in the progress of losing each smudge and traces of ED, but I have no doubt that one day, I will make it. I want to destroy every part of ED inside of me. Time will tell.

Taylor from Joy of Food wrote something with which I agreed:

“I think it can be hard to know for sure you’re recovered, until many many years later……So does that mean I’m not fully recovered? Who knows, all I know for sure is I’m happy, healthy and ED can get lost. ”

Tee hee hee! I love that mentality. In a way, recovery itself can be a major stress factor if we’re going to continue debating over whether this or that is truly ED or not, etc. We just have to keep in mind the ultimate goal: To be happy, to be healthy, and to tell ED to f**k off (I wish smileys had a middle-finger).

But the most exciting thing was this hunky baby:
 Extra sharp VINTAGE cheddar cheese…aged a minimum of 2 years!!!
I can’t believe I received a whole brick of this amazing thing! I was ecstatic! I nibbled on it right away, and the taste was fan-freakin-tastic!
I knew I had to come up with a recipe worthy of this lovely cheese. I turned to something else kind of vintage:
 Leftover carved turkey. Not from Thanksgiving (I already ate them all), but snitched from the dining hall (Shhhh…). Anyway, I hope this dish did the cheese justice:

Leftover Turkey Enchilada with Fruits and White Cheddar

• 3 corn tortillas
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 slice turkey, diced
• 1/2 Granny smith apple, diced
• small handful raisins
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 mini-bottle of pear, honey, and ginger preserves
• Mango-Habanera salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 2 stalks green onion, chopped

 It is really amazing that us Americans who are one of the world´s largest CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere and we are reluctant to sign most environmental international treaties. I just don’t understand why our government would think it is just not important at an international level to agree to reduce our Co2 release to the environment. Making a small personal change won’t change the world but it can help us get there, so without sacrificing your comfort there are several ways you can help clean up the mess for our children.  The tourism industry is having the ecotourism business a try and in the way many opportunistic people have started to called their business ecological and environmentally friendly, but having an ecotourism business takes more than just a name there are rules and regulations you have to follow in order to be certified and approved to be called ecotourisitc.

http://www.cccturtle.org/sea-turtle-information.php?page=species_world

http://42explore.com/turtle.htm

http://www.gma.org/turtles/species.html

Now that the whole save the planet attitude is such a fashionable term and everybody is talking about it, and ecotourism agencies are popping up everywhere.  A lot of hotels and the touristic industry is playing it both ways which is a win – win situation for all of us. The huge hotel chains and certainly those from Royal Holiday are trying that their guests help them save on water and electricity bills which benefits their income buy at the same time benefits the environment. Most Mexican beach resorts including Park Royal Cancun and Cozumel, are helping preserve the turtle’s environment and helping protect the eggs and the baby turtles when hatched.  They are working with the authorities to help preserve the turtle species that come to their beaches to lay their eggs. I have travel enough to know that there is too much beauty out there and we have to do everything in our power to help preserve it.

www.royal-holi.com/day

www.parkroyalhotels.com/

www.seaworld.org/animal…turtle/habitat-&-distribution.htm

For Part 1 of my birthday, Nick took me to Frontera Grill for lunch because I’ve been DYING to try the mole that won Rick Bayless the title of Top Chef Masters. Good reason? Hehe

Click here for the Menu’s for all 3 of Rick Bayless’s restaurants!

*Frontera tip* The restaurant DOES take very limited reservations (contrary to what many people tell you), so plan ahead to guarantee yourself a seat!

We were seated right away at a cozy table that was jammed pretty closely to its neighboring tables. A little awkward, especially since the people next to our table kept pointing and talking about the food we ordered because…it was literally 3 feet away from them. But ANYWAYS…

An amuse bouche snack of deep fried nuts were placed on our table. A little on the greasy side, but well-spiced, salty, and perfect for hungry diners or those enjoying Frontera’s famously delicious margarita’s. Which…I didn’t order. (Sorry! I’m just not much of a drinker. The only thing I love is strawberry daquiri’s. hahahah) Now I regret it…a little.

Nick and I couldn’t decide what appetizer to order, so we got the big sampler platter!

Entremes Surtido: appetizer platter of cheesy quesadillas, crispy chicken taquitos with sour cream, tangy ceviche tostadas, crunchy jcama salad and guacamole and tortilla chips served with 2 salsa’s

Overall Tastiness: Will have to depend on what component of the platter we’re talking about. Overall – SO VERY AVERAGE even though they have fancy names. Here’s what was on the platter in detail. You can order all of them separately…which I will next time.

• Quesadillas Capitalinas: Mexico City-style quesadillas (corn masa turnovers) stuffed with Samuels locally handcrafted Jack cheese and fresh epazote; guacamole to daub.

Tastiness: C. Nick didn’t enjoy this at all, which is strange because he loves cheese and fried food. These were literally fried dough stuffed with cheese and almost non-existent guacamole.

• Taquitos de Pollo: crispy taquitos filled with chicken, black beans and poblanos, with homemade sour cream, and aejo cheese.

Tastinss: B. Quite good on the inside, not too greasy on the lips, but easily forgettable.

• Tostaditas de Ceviche: crisp little tortillas piled with lime-marinated Hawaiian blue marlin, manzanilla olives, tomato, serrano, jcama and cilantro.

Tastiness: A. I’m a die-hard ceviche fan and these were fresh, the fish were perfectly seasoned, a little tart, had good chewy texture, and went perfectly with the salsa.

• Jicama Callejera: crunchy jcama, cucumber and pineapple with fresh lime and crushed guajillo chile

Tastiness: A-. I really enjoyed the cold refreshing tart jicama salad and especially the pineapple slices. They offered a good flavor contrast to the other fried goods on the platter.

Guacamole – Honestly, I think chipotle has the winning recipe here. Overly salted that day! Better off buying it at Xoco, Frontera’s cheaper neighbor sister store.

Our Entrees

Enchiladas de Mole Poblano: homemade tortillas rolled around Gunthorp free-range chicken, doused with Mexicos most famous mole; black beans. 14.75

Tastiness: A-. Nick ordered the mole so I could satisfy my craving with the salmon and graciously allowed me to clean 1/3 of his plate. Hahaha. I literally couldn’t stop eating the enchiladas in mole. The shredded chicken in the tortillas were so well spiced and moist it didn’t need mole. However, the mole was certainly delicious!!! It was bold, smoky, a little sweet, a little spicy, and complex. Like a very special BBQ sauce almost! Nick ate the rest excluding half the black beans. He was not a fan of it hence the A minus!

Pescado del Dia: fresh day-boat catch of the day. Market price.

My description: Mexican marinated and wood grilled wild atlantic salmon served in spicy creamy peanut reduction sauce. Served with a side of refried black beans.

Tastiness: B+. Nick and I agreed the peanut sauce was rather Asian flavor-wise. It tasted just like sweet curry, except much thicker and super peanut-y. The best part of the dish was the PERFECTLY seasoned and grilled salmon, which had a little crunch from the charred edges while the core was still slightly raw. I would have been happy with just the fish.

There were also grilled zucchini pieces in the sauce, which was phenomenal. Everything came with ~6 warm homemade tortillas and a disappointing batch of refried black beans. It was so dry on the outside and tasted bland on the inside with a strange sticky consistency. I didn’t even finish half of it, which is SAD considering black beans are my favorite beans in the world!!

Dessert(s)

Pan de Muerto: Warm brioche Day of the Dead Bread sandwiched with chocolate-Negra Modelo ice cream, calabaza en tacha (Spence Farm pumpkin braised in unrefined cone sugar). Tequila-infused cherries. 8.25

Tastiness: B. Quite a conflicting dish I must say. The highlight was most definitely the negra modelo ice-cream!! Creamy, sweet, a teeny bit alcoholic and mysterious, this beer-based frozen treat now has me curious. How do you make it Rick?? Sadly, the brioche was stale and the cute colorful beads topping the dessert were a DISASTER to eat. They’re so hard on your teeth, overly crunchy, and adds nothing to enhance the flavor of the dish. What a nuisance. Lucky there was yummy sweetened pumpkin and those tequila infused cherries…*drool*

Chocolate Cappuccino: Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso and Oaxacan chocolate steamed with hot milk 5.00

Tastiness: A-. If you love bittersweet chocolate (like the 70% dark cocoa kind) you will love this! It was steamy, slightly sweet, not too creamy, and definitely the perfect blend between chocolate and coffee. Oh YUM for me, but too bitter for Nick. Guess who got to finish it all?

RATINGS

Taste: 4/5 (Hit or Miss. Watch what you order!)

Originality: 4/5 (You have pretty standard appetizers, but there are some really creative entrees!!)

Plating: 4/5

Value: 3/5 (It may be a 2.5 if we went for dinner…pricey!)

Service: 3/5. (Twice, 2 different servers forgot Nick’s “birthday request” after he secretly hunted them down to tell them. Frontera is either understaffed or they really don’t’ give a darn about us…but at least our waiter was knowledgeable and they got our orders right!)

And that was my 2 hour birthday brunch at Frontera Grill. Thanks for joining!! I might be back…for the chocolate cappuccino and my margarita!

***

AND for the Giveaway winners….

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Krema Peanut Butter Winners

Here are your random numbers:

50  26

Timestamp: 2009-12-01 15:54:16 UTC

#73: Nicole – “1. I am from Chicago, Illinois but currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a bit!
2. I apparently can’t find Krema PB in Oklahoma…but I can buy some when I’m in Chicago next week or for Christmas!!”

#26: Melinda – “Doesn’t look like it is sold in Maryland  My fave PButtery thing is adding it to ice cream.”

SodaStream Winner

Here are your random numbers:

89

Timestamp: 2009-12-01 16:27:25 UTC

#89: Lillian H. – “I would choose Ginger-ale (diet), Lemon-Lime, and Peach Mango if I win. If I could create one, it’d be Lychee-Mango! I’ve also added you to my Google Reader. Love your blog and great giveaway!!!”

Congrats Ladies!!! You’ll be getting an e-mail from me!!!

Dedicated to our White boys, especially those with red hair, White skin, and blue eyes.  I recently was in college studying English 101. My teacher had us write essays and then divide into groups of 3 to read and critique each others. Mine was on “Saving the White male.”  It is said if we don’t save the White male USA will be a third world country. It took a “unique” intelligent and loving Christian mentality to make the USA work.  Yet our male has been abused, especially psychologically by Jewish media and TV.  Anyway, in our group of 3 was a young white college student with golden reddish hair, pink cheeks and blue eyes.  The other fellow was 1/2 Mexican, 1/2 White. He wrote about “intelligent design” saying that only the “smartest” will survive, and he believes his Mexican race will survive because he is smart. He said, “I HATE my White half; Whites have no culture and are so evil.  My Mexican people are good and we have all that culture.”  The odd thing is that much of what is considered “Mexican” culture has been stolen from White Christianity, such as all the Holidays, of Christmas, Halloween, Easter, instruments used in Mexican bands were invented by Whites, the list is endless. But somehow our White culture has been “given” away as America has been given away to Jews and non-Whites and now that all our White blood has been sucked out and we are left to die, the other races are claiming our White history, culture and heritage as their own and bragging about it.

Then I said to the 1/2 Mexican college student that said he could care in the least if the White race goes extinct, which is what my essay was on “Saving the White Race.” I asked him to look at the third student in our group and said, “Look at our fellow student. He has reddish blonde hair like the sun, and blue eyes like the sky, and white skin like the clouds, and pink cheeks like the roses. Do you “really” want his kind to go extinct? The Brown Mexican replied ferociously: Yes.

It is time for our White Race to have “courage” as all the other races are exhibiting and take back our White Race, our country that was founded and built by White men/women.

COURAGE (lyrics below)

THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE

Courage

Well it’s clear where the cutting line
Woke up deep for the longest time.
But I can’t offer any help.
You must do this all by yourself.
And no love can be guaranteed.
It don’t come with no warranties.
So wake up, or wake up alone.
If you want me, show some
Courage, courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage. Show some
Courage, courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage. Show some
Courage, courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage.