http://tinyurl.com/dxqrpx5

Yesterday, I totally failed. First, with a bowl full of meatballs covered in Puttanesca sauce and Parmesan cheese. Then, on a trip to Del Taco where I had three soft tacos, two 40-ounce Bud Lights, and a carnitas burrito.

By the way, if you were wondering if Del Taco’s new carnitas burritos are any good; they’re awesome – especially considering that they’re only $5 for two! Obviously, it’s not the same quality of carnitas that you might find in an authentic taco shop, but they’re pretty great considering the price.

Hopefully, I’ll get get back on track today, but it’s not enough to just diet every other day. I should really be trying a little harder. Just because I had a bad day yesterday doesn’t mean that I get to put 5000 calories in my body! :oops:

So today’s Tasty Tuesday is an ode to great San Diego style taco shops. Now something magically happens to Mexican food once you are north of San Diego county. All of a sudden rolled tacos are taquitos, no one knows what a California burrito is and do not even think about Carne Asada fries.

Thank the good Lord of taco shops for sending a Sombrero to the Inland Empire, they have it all. I suggest you check them out and get a taste of what I grew up on. Hmmm, maybe that is why my cholesterol is high. C’les a vie! Actually… I suppose “que sera, sera” is more appropriate.

Either way, happy tasty Tuesday!

Xox, Rachel

Check them out: http://www.sombreromex.com or @sombreromexican

A video of five youth punching each other’s lights out in Eastvale this week went viral on Youtube. Greg Mills reported on that wild brawl for CBS 2 Wednesday…and we’re still talking about it.

Now comes word that a group of trannies duked it out at a San Diego taco joint…No kidding! This one was also wild. But if you’re keeping score at home, we think the Eastvale teens are still more entertaining. For one thing, their fight is easier to follow…fewer fighters, better video quality. Just sayin’.

The trannies do have it all over Eastvale with more hair pulling, kicking (some in the groin! in high heels! Ouch!!) and wigs flying.

That video is also on youtube and appears on thesmokinggun.com.

i’m originally from southern california where burritos fall from the trees like apples. so you can imagine my concern when i moved up here to the bay area that i might never enjoy myself another delicious burrito again. obviously i worried for nada, and was pleased as punch jarritos to see so many taquerias around. which led me to wonder… just who does makes the best burrito in san francisco? of course, this question is a tough one to answer, and certainly i had no business in attempting to solve it myself. so instead, i hit the internets to try and find a solution, and find one i did! the Burrito Eater strives to be “the Web’s most complete source of information on San Francisco taquerias”, and believe me they are. with over 800 burritos under their belt, (literally), Burrito Eater offers a comprehensive rating of each including points scored for, tortilla, cheese, temperature, burstage abatement, rice, vegetables, ingredient mix, size, meat, beans, sauciness, spiciness, shrug element, clang! element,  and even intangibility(?). they also offer information on the premises itself, providing a photo with each rating as well as it’s location, appearance, hours, and  my personal favorite, health and safety rating. simply put, these guys are the burrito masters. with that being said, here are their top five taquerias for burritos in the mission district…

#1 La Espiga de Oro

#2 Papalote

#3 Taquerias San Francisco

#4 El Farolito

#5 El Castillito

if your hungry for more, just click here to see the reviews for the entire peninsula, (and of course feel free to post your own favorites/opinions below). hasta la vista baby…

It just goes to shows, the deliciousness of tacos is catching on…and the street food movement is growing stronger!

The article includes 4 fish taco recipes from Taco Shop @ Underdog, 21^st Amendment and Dish.

I know what I’m making for dinner tonight, the Baja-style fish tacos from Taco Shop @ Underdogs! If you want to know more about this place, see my July 16th blog post here.

Here’s the recipe.

Baja-style fish tacos from Taco Shop @ Underdogs

Serves 8, 2 tacos per person

• 2 pounds mahi mahi
• 5 to 6 ounces green cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped (about 3/4 cup) + more for garnish
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 2 limes
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Batter:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces Tecate or other similar ice cold beer
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 ice cubes

Assembly:

• 1 quart corn or canola oil, as needed
• 32 thin, fresh corn tortillas (or 16 thicker, hand-made ones)
• 3/4 to 1 cup prepared roasted tomato salsa (see Note)
• – Lime wedges

Instructions: Portion fish into 16 pieces about 2 ounces each, cutting them into long rectangles that fit across the width of the tortilla. Cover fish and refrigerate until ready to cook. Combine cabbage, cilantro and onion into a salad; refrigerate until ready to assemble. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise with enough lime juice to lighten it, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The lime mayonnaise can be made ahead.

For the batter: Combine flour, beer, egg yolk, cayenne and ice cubes in a large bowl. Use a fork to mix gently until just combined; some lumps and ice pieces will remain. The mixture should resemble a thin pancake batter.

To assemble: Pour 3 inches of oil into a heavy pan (cast-iron if available), and heat to 350°. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, if necessary, use tongs to drag each piece of fish through the batter, then place it into the hot oil; suspend each piece in the oil for about 3 seconds before releasing it. Cook, turning as needed, until the fish turns golden brown and floats. Drain on paper towels.

Warm the tortillas. Top tortillas (use two thin ones or 1 thick one for each taco) with some of the cabbage mixture, a drizzle of lime mayo, small spoon of salsa, and a squeeze of lime juice; finish with a piece of fish. Serve immediately.

Note: You can puree 1/4 cup chipotle chile en adobo with 1/2 cup of chopped plum tomatoes in place of the roasted tomato salsa. If needed, add a little water to adjust consistency. If puree is too spicy, adjust by blending in more plum tomatoes.

Per serving: 536 calories, 28 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat (4 g saturated), 110 mg cholesterol, 465 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

This article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on July 25, 2010.

No doubt San Franciscans go crazy for tacos, especially on Tuesdays when deals make it alluring to meet friends, drink a few beers, grub on some tacos and say adios to the start of the work week.

In honor of the day, here are a few Taco Tuesday deals in San Francisco:

The Boardroom – this laid-back North Beach watering hole hosts Tequila Taco Trivia Tuesdays. Tequila, tacos and competition – Oh My! The winning team gets a $30 tab voucher and the best team name receives a bottle of champagne.

• The deal: $2 tacos, $2 beers and $5 premium tequila shots
• Time: 8pm to 11pm
• Location: 1609 Powell Street (near green) • (415) 982-8898 • www.woodyzips.com

Nick’s Crispy Tacos – it’s a scene and there’s usually a long line, but if you can get past it this Russian Hill taco shop serves a delectable Baja-style fish taco as well as a solid offering of filling tacos. For those that like crispy tacos…order your taco of choice “Nick’s Way,” which entails the tortilla being fried, and includes guac and jack cheese.

• The deal: $2 tacos, quesadillas, and chips and salsa; $2 happy hour menu, and ½ off happy hour special. NOTE: CASH ONLY
• Time: 5pm to 9:30pm (it starts turning into a night club at 10pm)
• Location: 1500 Broadway Street @ Polk • (415) 409-8226
• Foursquare: Check-in here

The Blue Light Cafe – this Marina sports bar turns into a young exec hang out on Tuesday nights with its stellar Taco Tuesday deal. The place is known to get pack so get there on the earlier side.

• The deal: $1 Tacos, $2 Coronas & Red Stripes, $3 Margaritas and $12 Dos Equis pitchers
• Time: 4pm to 2am
• Location: 1979 Union Street (near Buchanan Street) • (415) 922-5510 • www.bluelightbarsf.com/
• Foursquare: Check-in here

Taco Shop @ Underdogs – the guys behind Nick’s Crispy Tacos and Tortilla Heights has started up this taco gem in the Outer Sunset. With 10 big screen TV and similar taco offerings to Nick’s Crispy Tacos, this sports bar and taco shop is a great place to catch a game, have a tingly (Tecate with Tabasco and lime juice) and tacos.

• The deal: $1 street style tacos and $2 Tecate
• Time: 5pm to 10pm/close
• Location: 1824 Irving Street (between 19th Avenue & 20th Avenue) • (415) 566-8700 www.tacoshopsf.com
• Foursquare: Check-in here

Beach Chalet – with its sweeping views of Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean, this is one of San Francisco’s most known places for Taco Tuesday.

• The deal: $2.50 tacos, 2-for-1 margaritas, and $3 pints of beer
• Location: 1000 Great Highway • (415) 386-3849 • www.beachchalet.com

Happy Tuesday! Enjoy!

So: Shocking. Enthralling. Exasperating. Humiliating. Here are the week’s top stories, so far:

1) As if we didn’t already know, these were really, really BAD guys:

Via Yahoo:

The Obama administration threw open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets Monday, revealing anti-terror memos that claimed exceptional search-and-seizure powers and divulging that the CIA destroyed nearly 100 videotapes of interrogations and other treatment of terror suspects.

The memos, mostly from sycophantic Bush “lawyer” John Yoo, are chilling. They assert that the President has the authority to order warrantless searches, to attack (i.e., bomb) locations inside the United States, and even to curb the free speech of the people and the press in order to prosecute the war more easily.

More from the Washington Post:

Jennifer Daskal, senior counterterrorism counsel for Human Rights Watch, said the documents taken together “read like a how-to document on how to evade the rule of law.” Daskal said she was particularly troubled by a March 2002 memo arguing there were few restrictions on transferring prisoners to a third country, regardless of whether the country had a record of abuse. The memo emphasized that transfers were okay if no explicit or implicit agreement was made to torture.

“That is [the Office of Legal Counsel] telling people how to get away with sending someone to a nation to be tortured,” Daskal said. “The idea that the legal counsel’s office would be essentially telling the president how to violate the law is completely contrary to the purpose and the role of what a legal adviser is supposed to do.”

Even more, we learned that the CIA destroyed 92 tapes of detainee interrogations. Which is more than the three tapes they previously said they destroyed. Which is more than the two tapes they said before that. Which is more than the none that they said before that.

I remember talking to a number of (what I thought were) reasonable people around the time we found out about Bush’s warrantless wiretapping, and I was confronted with the “who cares if they’re listening to us? If you’re not doing anything wrong, what’s the big deal?” argument. As I said then, the problem is that, if they can subvert one part of the Constitution (the 4th Amendment), they can go after all of it. What happens when someone tries to take down the 1st Amendment? It gets a little harder to say, “well, if you’re not saying anything wrong, what’s the big deal?”, because, at that point, we’re not living in the same country.

Look, I’m not one to throw this term about, but if anyone is trying to justify these memos, they are, in a very literal sense, un-American.

2) Yes, Mr. Limbaugh, here are my testicles– would you like them sautéed? Perhaps with a little butter?

Who thought we were done having fun with the Republicans after the election? How could we be done when it turns out that Rush Limbaugh has a death-grip on the party? This whole flap is delicious. I want to see it last as long as possible.

Basically, the Republicans don’t know where to turn. On the one hand, they’ve got Limbaugh, a guy most of the country just doesn’t like giving the keynote at CPAC and prattling on about how he wants Obama to fail, and on the other they’ve got a bunch of politicians who don’t want to dump any independent support they have left by coming right out and agreeing with Limbaugh, but who can’t denounce him for fear of losing their “base” (what a terrible, terrible group of people to call a “base”). So, we end up with Michael Steele, who, as VK noted, called Limbaugh’s comments “incendiary” and “ugly,” and then, not two days later, walked alllllll the way back and claimed that he didn’t mean what he said and that he was being inarticulate and meant pretty much exactly the opposite.

Look, don’t listen to the concern trolls who tell you that this is a bad strategy for the Democrats or that it means that Obama is the same as it ever was when it comes to politics. Michael Scherer is a tool. Not only is this an excellent tactic for the Democrats to use, it has the added benefit of being totally hilarious. Besides which, since not a single Republican can bring himself to say anything bad about Limbaugh without backpedaling backpedaling backpedaling right off the cliff, and not a single one of them will actually say the words, “I disagree with Rush about the President failing,” it seems pretty apparent that Limbaugh actually is leading the party. It’s not like Obama made this up out of thin air. If you’re the Democrats, what’re you gonna do? It’s being offered up right there in front of you. You’re not gonna take that one?

On a side note, I don’t see Michael Steele lasting much longer as head of the RNC. First of all, I can’t see all the white bread taking too kindly to his “hip hop outreach” (and it really is cringe-worthy… especially when you have Michele Bachmann saying, “You be da man!” in public [shudder]), but one thing the Republicans can’t stand is the stench of weakness, and Steele apologizing to Limbaugh probably punched his ticket out of town. Plus, it appears the Republicans have been keeping a Steele scandal in their back pocket (something about campaign payments), just waiting for the rainy day when they need to bump the guy off. Glorious.

(On another side note, I do enjoy seeing the Republicans behave like the Democrats did for the last decade or so… apologizing for silly things that they should never bother to apologize for because they’re afraid of the political implications.)

Even mild-mannered David Plouffe is getting in on the “Boss Limbaugh” (as Olbermann has decreed) action.

And, in case you accidentally disagree with Limbaugh in public, here’s an automatic apology generator, provided to you by the DCCC (h/t Jolie).

3) That budget looks like it’s full of Gummi Bears!

I’m not actually going to go through Obama’s announced budget right now, it deserves far more than a section in a news roundup post, but if even David Sirota is feeling pretty good about it, then progressives have a lot to be excited about. If these things go through (and we have to figure they will), then Obama is (gasp!) actually doing the things he said he would do.

But the real reason I wanted to bring this up is because of this video of John McCain railing against his old nemesis, earmarks (earmarks!). If you feel like watching the entire segment, fine (it’s Olbermann), but the great part is McCain himself, running from the :39 mark to the 1:00 mark (although ESPECIALLY from :39 to :45, which I just want to run on a loop over and over and over and over and over FOREVER):

How I’ve missed you, Angry John.

4) Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re not also an idiot.

And just because you’re ABC doesn’t mean you’re not also really terrible at journalism.

Washington Monthly:

ABC News found wealthy Americans in the top 2% of wage earners who are, believe it or not, actively trying to figure out how to lower their income. Apparently, these folks have heard that President Obama wants to raise taxes on those who make more than $250,000 a year, so ABC spotlighted some of these folks who are seemingly desperate to get to below the threshold.

One lawyer in Louisiana said, “We are going to try to figure out how to make our income $249,999.00…. We have to find a way out where we can make just what we need to just under the line so we can benefit from Obama’s tax plan. Why kill yourself working if you’re going to give it all away to people who aren’t working as hard?”

Yes, of course, your instincts, Dear Reader, are correct, this man is a moron. He will only be taxed with the higher rate on the amount he makes in excess of $250k– everything below that will be taxed at the same rate as the people making (ahem) $249,999. ABC either didn’t understand this or didn’t care, but, whatever the reason, they didn’t bother to point out that this man, and the others like him they spoke to, are, um, “misinformed” about how pesky things like marginal tax rates work.

Ok, seriously, I’m tired of being diplomatic. “Misinformed?” There’s actually a woman in the article (see the nice “Editor’s Note” at the top, btw) who wants to figure out a way to reduce her income from $320,000/year to $250,000 because she’s afraid of evil Obama taxes. I can’t sugar-coat this: that is oppressively stupid. I cannot imagine knowing her or anyone like her and still feeling good about waking up in the morning.

4) God does not love me enough for this to happen.

CNBC television personality Larry Kudlow is considering running for the Republican Party against Sen. Chris Dodd in the next Connecticut Senate election.

From Kudlow’s 2005 article on National Review Online entitled (snicker), “The Housing Bears Are Wrong Again”:

Homebuilders led the stock parade this week with a fantastic 11 percent gain. This is a group that hedge funds and bubbleheads love to hate. All the bond bears have been dead wrong in predicting sky-high mortgage rates. So have all the bubbleheads who expect housing-price crashes in Las Vegas or Naples, Florida, to bring down the consumer, the rest of the economy, and the entire stock market.

Oh, please please please give this man a bigger stage.

5) Yeah, that bailout, it, uh, fell off the back of a truck.

Washington Post:

When the bills started piling up and the banks wouldn’t lend, the white-haired art dealer in the elegant tweed jacket said he drove to the outskirts of Rome and knocked on the rusty steel door of a shipping container.

A beefy man named Mauro answered. He wore blue overalls with two big pockets, one stuffed with checks and the other with cash. The wad of bills he handed over, the art dealer recalled, reeked of the man’s cologne and came at 120 percent annual interest.

As banks stop lending amid the global financial crisis, the likes of Mauro are increasingly becoming the face of Italian finance. The Mafia and its loan sharks, nearly everyone agrees, smell blood in the troubled waters.

“It’s a fantastic time for the Mafia. They have the cash,” said Antonio Roccuzzo, the author of several books on organized crime. “The Mafia has enormous liquidity. It may be the only Italian ‘company’ without any cash problem.”

The only difference is that the crooks here are (officially) sponsored by our government.

6) I will hunt you down, and I will destroy you.

Someone burned down my favorite pre-poker eatery, the Taco Shop at the intersection of Central and West here in Wichita. I promise you, I will not rest until justice has been served. I am insane with anger.

Food: 4.5 Chili Peppers

Establishment: 3.5 Chili Peppers

Service: 4 Chili Peppers

We spent the weekend in lovely Fargo, ND visiting my mom and Mike.  It was a good little trip -  going back there is always a stroll down memory lane for me.  We spent a lot of time with my mom, just hanging out, but we also gave her some peace and quiet so she could get some rest. 

Beyond hanging with Betty and Mike, we did a little tour of my old stomping grounds.   Having the kids along did put a damper on us hitting ALL the old haunts, like where I perfected my repertoir of beer tricks.  That will have to be on our next tour.  Anyone FROM Fargo-Moorhead must have their favorite restaurants that they visit when in the hood.  For me, the TRIFECTA is won if I can manage to get to all three of these during a visit to town:

1. The Taco Shop on N. University
2. Duane’s House of Pizza – Moorhead
3. Mexican Village – Downtown Fargo

Note that not one of these places serves lutefisk or lefse.   But you can buy both at the local Hornbacher’s stores.

And contrary to pop culture suggestions, not every home is equipped with one of these: 

But if you look real hard, you may find this on every corner…

Check out that mullet!

When it comes to the movie Fargo, there seems to be 2 camps:  Those who LOVED the show and those who HATED it.  I am of the latter camp – it was way too dark for me.  Even after spending the first 23 years of my life in Fargo, I had never seen a wood chipper and there honestly isn’t much use for them in ND.  In case you haven’t had the misfortune opportunity to cross the state by car, there aren’t ANY trees for miles.  There are beautiful fields of various crops as far as the eye can see, but trees are generally rare. 

I thought the whole “Fargo” accent was ridiculous – it was too exaggerated and far from reality.  That is, until I called a friend who still lives in Fargo, ya know.  We were talking about how the movie so wrongly mocked the accent – but then it happened.  She said, “ya knoooow” just like Margie in the movie.  We eventually did have to admit that, although the accent seemed over the top in the movie, it really wasn’t too far off base.   I guess when you grow up with it, you just don’t notice it.  Or find it the LEAST bit amusing.  My sister hasn’t lived in ND for at least 10 years and she still says abote for about, hoce for house, and yah for yes. 

Ya, you betcha, she does. 

The excellent 3 feet of new snow that Meadows got was the best. It was like falling through fluffy pillows made of angels and cotton candy. Yeah, it was that good. You could keel over from pleasure if you stopped too long, falling at 45 degrees through a glass of champagne down Mt. Hood and getting stuck if you tried to hit it too slow.

I love – Tacos at the Taco Shoppe – Yeah it’s not really a shop at all, only a window outside the EXIT shop in town but holy-friggin-moley those tacos are so great after a day of skiing. Six bucks will get you A couple of number one (#1) tacos with carnitas, cilantro and corn tortillas will have you drooling. Don’t try and drive and eat, you need two hands for these mini bad boys.  You can rent skis for $20 across the street or crash at the Cascade Ski Club for $22 a night. Bring your sleeping bag b/c it’s old school Swedish/Norwegian bunkhouse style.