January 2009 – Page 3

Holiday Bowl 2008-Tailgating and a football game

January 10, 2009 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading. Today, Cathy is writing about what she (and 100 of her closest friends) ate in the parking lot of Qualcomm stadium before and after a football game at the end of 2008.

Hi. We do this every year . The Holiday Bowl 2008 football game is now a distant memory, and it was another good one(Oregon beat Oklahoma). However, the pre-and post game activities are why The Mister and I attend every year. Holidaybowl08 006 It is a sort of 'American Tradition', the tailgate…a group of friends decide on a prearranged spot in the parking lot near the football stadium, claim that area, backing into the parking stalls, but not fully, so that tables can be placed in the aisle formed by the back to back car trunks. Food is brought and placed upon those tables…

The day starts out at about 6 a.m. for us. Actually, it started the week before Christmas, when rib roasts were on sale at Albertson's for $3.77/lb. We bought about 24 pounds of roast this year.

This is a very simple recipe, which you can easily remember: GOP: garlic, oregano, paprika. (as binders: olive oil, salt and pepper…you shouldn't have to remember those.)

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Make a paste.

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Heat the oven to 500°.

Coat the roast(s) with the paste.

Put the roast(s) in the oven.

Drop the temp to 350°

20 minutes per pound (remove from oven when inner temp is 135°-it will continue cooking) Holidaybowl08 005

In the meantime, 6 pounds of white bread rolls are made fresh.

Then we drive to Qualcomm, park in our section (where nobody remembers our names, but do know us as the "garlic beef couple"), "Hello, Merry Christmas !" and "did you bring the beef?" Holidaybowl08 007 are standard salutations.

Along with some mutterings about "sorry about the University of Michigan this year"…blah blah

We set up our two tables, started slicing the beef and soon everyone else begins to show up and filled up the parking spots and then spaces on more set up tables…

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Holidaybowl08 008 Sangria, salads, chips, crackers, all kinds of dips, chicken in every form imaginable, sandwiches, cookies, pies, cakes, home made fudge…9 tables placed end to end, filled with food.

This one guy always brings his infamous 7 layer Mexican dip, topped with alfalfa sprouts.

He calls it a "hairy Mexican".

Yes, ladies, he is single.

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One of the other "regular" dishes we have is a very large, still warm, freshly smoked turkey-smoked about 9 hours overnight. It is stuffed with a wonderful rice pilaf.

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Always the turkey is accompanied by those sweet potatoes topped with the Betty Crocker canned coconut pecan frosting I told you about as a Thanksgiving side dish. Yes, I got that recipe here, from some wonderful old friends. More than 15 years ago, when you bought frosting in powdered form and that was mixed with the sweet potato 'juices'. This is how I know those sweet potatoes taste good hot or cold.

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Before the 5 p.m. kickoff, we head to the stadium, watch opening ceremonies. Holidaybowl08 030

(yes we do have an excellent block of seats)

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We then watch the football game. With about 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, some of us head back out to the parking lot, set up the tables, along with a camp stove, put out leftovers… Holidaybowl08 036

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Set up cups for instant coffee, hot cider, various add-ins Holidaybowl08 037 .

We wait for the parking lot to clear so we can all head home.

Another year of food, fun and a football game. With friends.

Chicken Cacciatore-ish. Cathy’s one pot meal.

January 9, 2009 Cathy Cooking, Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the blog that you are reading, is about food that Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy, as we, as a few other friends, eat. Sometimes we go out to eat,sometimes we stay in. Today, it is Cathy's turn to blog. This is an "in" meal.

Hi. Well, this has been some year for me so far. I have been busy with quite a few projects and also have done some cooking, using items on sale this week. This is another meal for two for $5. Cacciatore 001 Actually, you'll pay more for all the ingredients, but this should serve at least four (do you really eat 1/2 chicken all by yourself?), so the portion price is less than $2.50.

The word "cacciatore' means 'hunter' in Italian. This stew, made with tomatoes and mushrooms is traditional in that way. I've added and changed a few things…

Whole chickens are on sale at Vons for 77¢/lb. As long as you know how to use a knife to cut the chicken into pieces, you will save money over buying a cut up chicken. You'll also need a large can of diced or chopped or stewed tomatoes ( I always stock up when on sale), a bell pepper (the orange ones were on sale for $1.99/lb whereas the green ones were 89¢ each…the small ones really do not weigh 1/2 lb you know), some garlic and three small handfuls of fresh mushrooms (less than one pound).

Cacciatore 002 Of course, you will also need flour, salt, pepper and I use Herbes de Provence as my choice of flavoring…

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Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a deep skillet (remember: hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick). Put in the pieces of chicken which you have dredged in the flour/salt/pepper mix. Let it brown. You *never* turn it back and forth. Put it in, let it brown on one side, then turn it over to brown on the other side. (also. don't bother cooking the back piece or neck and gizzards…freeze those pieces and you can use them to make a chicken stock later).

Take the chicken out of the pan, leave the oil in and add the chopped bell pepper and chopped fresh garlic cloves. Cacciatore 004

Let the peppers and garlic get soft.

Put the chicken back in.

Top with the canned tomatoes.

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I then add the Herbes de Provence and some liquid- stock, broth or a few cups of wine…

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Cover and let this cook(simmer) for about 30 minutes.

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Meanwhile, quarter the mushrooms (don't slice them…when they cook, they will get mushy). Put in the pan, with the lid and simmer about 10 minutes more.

Serve on top of cooked pasta (remember- cook in salted water and drain; don't rinse), or just with some good, crusty bread. Cacciatore

Cathy's Cacciatore

1 whole chicken, cut. Reserve back to use for stock.

Dredge in flour/salt/pepper

Brown in 2 Tbs hot oil in deep pan. Remove from pan.

Brown garlic and bell pepper in the pan. Put chicken back into pan.

Pour one large can tomatoes and 2 cups liquid (broth, stock, wine) over all in pan. Add some Herbes de Provence. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Uncover, add about 2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve over pasta.

Luang Prabang: Somchan Restaurant and more……

January 8, 2009 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Luang Prabang, Travel

One morning, walking out of our hotel to watch the "River of Orange", squinting in the early morning darkness, we noticed what looked like an impromptu food stand had been set-up right next to the Chang Inn overnight and was going strong. Not paying it much mind, we had our usual walk through the morning Fresh Market, and our coffee and noodle soup breakfast at "Same-Same". Upon our return we were surprised to see that canopy had been raised on the other side of the street. And soon enough, there was some major partying going on.

Apparently, the so-called "food stand" was actually folks preparing food for the party. They had started the evening before. It was indeed a festive event, with a live band, singing, food, dancing, and I'm sure that the "laolao" (the local moonshine) was flowing freely.

During the course of the day, we would check the progress of the party everytime we returned to our room. It was fun watching the usually quiet and very low-keyed folks having a good time. We sat on the steps watching the party slowly build in momentum, hit a peak, then fade away into the evening. The folks at the hotel told me it was a big birthday bash. We watched the woman who made the food, stagger her way back and forth across the street, providing food for everyone. You really couldn't help but smile….and the local pooches loved the "slow dance."

Later in the afternoon, even the Monks stopped and stared at this extravaganza on their way back to the Wat:

This enterprising mutt, worked his way between the tables picking up scraps. It must've have been a bit salty, because he walked off looking for some water……

The party wound down at about 9pm, and clean-up went on through the next day. It was nice seeing this side of local life…… as I like to say, "we are all more alike, than different."

Somchanh Restaurant:

Somchanh is a restaurant we came across while walking along the Mekong. It is located pretty much at the end of the Luang Prabang Peninsula, where the road parallel to the Mekong slowly turns away from the river. The dining area of the restaurant, like many of the riverside restaurants, jutts out over the shore. This being pretty much the end of the road, means some very nice views. Especially of the sunset.

Even though this little restaurant, with the kitchen located in a shack covered with tarp, looked a bit makeshift, it became the Missus's favorite restaurant. We eventually visited three times during our stay in Luang Prabang. We even braved the rain, and walked the 1 kilometer for lunch. When the thunder clouds finally burst, the staff moved quickly(something uncommon in Luang Prabang), and set-up tarps over us.

As with many eateries in Laos, there's the ever present wash basin. Since your hands are the most important eating implement, it makes perfect sense.

Though this was the Missus's favorite eating establishment in Luang Prabang does not mean that everything was good. Being a small, family run restaurant, dependant not on the "Sysco" delivery, but instead on what is available for any given day, meant some interesting, and sometimes quirky dishes. Like the time we were served "brown" sticky rice, which we had never seen before. It tasted a bit more nutty, and had more chew to it.

We also learned quickly that Somchanh did better at vegetable dishes. The Fish Patpet for example (35,000 Kip – $4/US), was not particularly good, especially the mushy fish.

Unfortunately, a few of the dishes will go undocumented. As you can see, it gets really dark, and the white tablecloths reflect the flash. But have no fear; there is one main reason the Missus loved Somchanh:

It was the Salat Nyam (Luang Prabang Salad – 15,000 Kip, $1.80/US). This was by far Her favorite version of this dish. She even had me try and duplicate it, after returning home. And though the egg yolk based dressing can be copied, and you can find really good tomatoes, and sometimes cucumbers. There is one item that can not be found here in the States:

It's the tender, slightly sweet, and mildly bitter Luang Prabang Watercress. Everytime the Missus sees a photo of this salad She wants to jump on a plane and head back to Luang Prabang.

This salad sometimes took a while to be delivered to our table. And we quickly figured out why, the eggs topping the salad are boiled to order. And during our visits, they were always perfect.

There was one slightly humorous exchange that took place during one of our visits. As you see on the menu, there is "Luang Prabang Watercress Salad, right above "Lao Salad". We asked what the difference was. The answer, "oh, same-same". The spelling in Lao looks different, and it is listed seperately….but I guess they are the same thing?

Another item we enjoyed was the Cucumber Salad (10,000 Kip – $1.20):

This pungent, yet refreshing salad was the shredded-seeded cucumber version of Papaya Salad, and in a way we enjoyed this even more.

The best version or "Aulam" (Orlam) we had from Somchan, was the Vegetable Aulam (20,000 Kip – $2.50):

Rich, but perhaps not as thick as I would like; this version had long beans and cloud ear fungus. The Missus never developed an appreciation for the tree bark looking, bitter-numbing-puckery Sa-Khan (piper ribesioides), but I started enjoying it.

The vegetable Patpet (Curry), was also the best of the 3 different versions we sampled (15,000 Kip).

That we found the cheapest dishes on the menu at Somchanh to be our favorites is slightly ironic. What was also interesting is that the large bottle of Beer Lao is 10,000 Kip, about $1.20. The same price as in the little mini-marts.

And did I mentioned the sunsets?

Kaito Sushi in Encinitas: The Exciting Conclusion

January 7, 2009 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy eat sushi too, but today ed (from Yuma) is going to be eating sushi right in front of your eyes.

In the first installment of this report, I mentioned the spare interior of the Kaito Sushi. In fact, aside from two beautiful and subtle pieces of Japanese calligraphy on the walls, there seemed to be no other decoration. Originally, I thought the place didn't even serve alcohol, because no advertising on the walls was coaxing me to try this beer or that sake. After I realized my misapprehension, we ordered a couple of bottles of Yebisu, a full malt Japanese beer, and a glass of good cold sake.

The only somewhat odd note to the atmosphere at the sushi bar was the background music, late 60s Beatles tunes. Although the music was certainly pleasant and in no way offensive, it struck me as an odd choice for such a focused restaurant.

The next fish to show up in front of us was kohada, also known as gizzard shad. I remember that this fish was conventionally listed on those plasticized placemats from the 80s and 90s that pictured various nigiri sushi and usually advertised some Japanese beer. If I had ever actually eaten this fish before, it was so long ago that I have lost any memory of it. I was impressed that it was available at Kaito, and so I had to try it:

To be honest, however, I was underwhelmed by the fish. It is not that it was unpleasant or past its prime, but I found the flavor to be basically fishy and to my palate undistinguished. Perhaps that is why I have rarely, if ever, encountered it before.

On the other hand, the next seafood served was outstanding. The Kumamoto oysters were fresh, delicately flavored, and simply outstanding. Two of them were lightly touched with ponzu sauce:

Two others were topped with some fermented fish guts — no doubt because I had mentioned my love of shiokara to the itamae:

While certainly unusual, I actually preferred the simpler Ponzu preparation, the fish innards striking me as salty and to some extent overpowering.

After asking us if we liked hand rolls, Morita-san gave Tina and I each a small hand roll filled with diced fatty tuna of some kind:

This was an outstanding item, Tina's favorite from the entire evening. The richness of the tuna was truly outstanding, but I was also impressed by the flavor of the nori, the seaweed wrapper. Normally the wrapper in a hand roll does not draw any of my interest unless it is exceptionally tough and hard to bite through. In this case, however, the flavor of the seaweed actually contributed to the overall taste of the roll. It was another mark of the restaurant's quality.

The food had been so good that I was looking for more, and I mentioned both octopus and sea eel. The chef suggested that the eel would make a better conclusion for the meal, so tako was next:

I can recall only one other piece of octopus (from Sakura) that was as good as this one. Morita-san explained that this piece of cephalopod had never been frozen, and therefore, was not rubbery. Indeed he was correct. The edges of the piece had a slight crunch, but the interior was all about a nice soft chew. Excellent textures and tastes.

Also part of the flavor of this mollusk was the touch of wasabi that exploded in my mouth. And it needs to be pointed out that the wasabi at Kaito is based on actual wasabi root, not horseradish powder with food coloring. Although Morita-san does not grind his own, since he finds the quality of the cultivated wasabi from Oregon to be inconsistent, the flavor of the wasabi paste that he uses is full of the real thing. Between dishes, I kept dipping my hashi into the little mound of wasabi, just because it was soooo good.

The last dish we tried was the anago, sea eel. Much like kohada, this is an item that I have seen much more on placemats than in sushi cases. Touched with a bit of the sauce that would be used on regular eel, unagi, this fish provided a slightly sweet finish to the meal:

In taste, this sea eel, anago, was more subtle and basic than unagi. I understand now why it is less common in sushi bars since it lacks the mouth filling richness of freshwater eel.

For dessert, we munched on deep-fried eel spine. The piece was originally longer than it is in the photograph because I started eating before I began shooting:

I am certainly not qualified to say whether Kaito is the best sushi bar in the San Diego area; but it is certainly very, very good. Morita-san, also called Kazu or Kaz, is a skillful chef. He can access some excellent fish. He is also friendly, modest, personable, funny, kind, and warm. Although I was a new customer, I was treated like a regular. He showed the same kindness and consideration to those eating exotic sushi as he did for the people ordering rainbow rolls, California rolls, and shrimp tempura rolls. In fact, some of those rolls looked damn fine.

In addition to Tina and I from Arizona, there were people from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Berkeley, as well as Encinitas, in the restaurant. Throughout our meal, locals kept coming in for various dishes to go. Clearly, this man of the sea (the meaning of Kaito) casts a wide net for customers. At the risk of changing metaphors in mid ocean, I must say that I am hooked.

Kaito Sushi * 130-A N. El Camino Real * Encinitas, CA 92024 * (760) 634-2746

Website

Road Trip: Pho Thanh Lich – Westminster (OC)

January 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Thanh Lich in Westminster has closed

I'll be the first to admit that most of my Pho photos look the same. In fact, I've been accused of using a "stunt bowl" on occasion. Let me be very clear…. I have never, and will never use a "Pho double". Hopefully this time you'll know it wasn't just "any" bowl of Pho.

During a recent shopping trip to the "OC", I was in the mood for a bowl of Pho, and decided to stop in Westminster. In retrospect, I should've gotten the blessing of the "Don of Little Saigon", FOY Beach! But this was a last minute decision(and New Year's eve to boot!) on my part, so I'm hoping he'll forgive me. I arrived on Bolsa, the heart of Little Saigon at just about 10am, after seeing the my first option was not yet open, I headed up Brookhurst, and stopped at the corner of Bolsa and Hazard, at Pho Thanh Lich. It's one of a seemingly endless number of Pho shops in the area, and like many of them, shows signs of having a past……the facade indicates perhaps a Pizza joint?

From the fragrance of simmering beef and herbs, to the workers watching a Vietnamese variety show, all things felt right…. as did the requisite slightly sticky tables.

Funny, I took several photos of the interior but the only one that came out was this weird one. It happened when I placed my camera on the table, and accidentally snapped a photo. Go figure; so much for my photographic capabilities.

After several years, and many bowls of Pho in San Diego, I've lowered my expectations with regards to rare beef(Tai). It is usually dry and tough Beef Eye of the Round. I used to get the meat on the side, but to me the difference was minimal and not worth the effort. As they say you "can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". When ordering Pho at a shop I haven't been to before, I still order the rare steak, but I've set my bar very low. Such is not the case at Pho Thanh Lich. Why?

That my friends is Filet Mignon. For me, you need to order it rare and on the side. The prices here are not bargain basement. The regular bowl, with Filet costs $6. You want the beef on the side, add 50 cents. The young lady who served me was a joy, nervous, and I think new on the job, she led me to my table, and while having some difficulties with my order; she told me, "I so sorry, only Freshman….." Which I took to mean she was new at this….. and any attempts at ordering in butchered Vietnamese would probably only confuse things.

The herbs soon arrived, sparkling fresh. Not the largest portion I've ever had, but very fresh, especially the Ngo Ngai (Culantro, Saw Leaf Herb). Along with soup, it made a nice "family photo":

The broth was interesting, beefy, with a strong ginger/galangal flavor. The broth wasn't the clearest I've had, though not very dark.

Someone once told me this place had very oily broth. I didn't find this to be the case, it seemed to have a decent amount of oil, giving it a nice richness, and I didn't find it to be overly salty(MSG).

I found the noodles to be bit overcooked and mushy. The other cuts of meat, especially the brisket was full of flavor. I had also been told that the brisket and flank here, tastes "offal". All I tasted was a good beefiness.

One more thing; the broth came scortching hot. The better for this:

Very mild in flavor (the brisket will take care of that), but it melted in my mouth.

And a little dessert as well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable bowl. It is not a "meat-fest", but in my opinion does well in the flavor department. The Older Woman manning the register, even smiled at me, and told me "thank you, come again." I think I will. I still have Pho Kimmy in my sights, but did not feel shortchanged by eating here. And you can tell, no "stunt bowl" right?

Pho Thanh Lich
14500 Brookhurst St.
Westminster, CA 92683

Why the regular bowl instead of the large? Well, I wanted to squeeze in one more "snack" before heading home from Orange County.

Kaito Sushi in Encinitas

January 5, 2009 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

As usual, Cathy and Kirk are eating, thinking, and writing, but today ed (from Yuma) wants to serve up some sushi from Encinitas.

When Tina first asked me if I would like to go with her to a gigantic fabric store (a fabric store?), I was initially skeptical – to say the least. When she added, "and you know it's not far from that sushi bar in Encinitas you've been wanting to try," suddenly, it made great sense.

Once one locates Kaito sushi, it seems unlikely that this little unadorned strip mall location on El Camino Real houses what some people think is the best sushi bar in San Diego County:

Soon after we were seated and began a brief discussion with Morita-san, an appetizer of shredded krab and sliced celery was placed before us:

This was a simple and tasty start to the meal, the celery providing flavor and crunch. The old-school bowl added a nice touch as well.

The sushi chef recommended the monkfish liver, ankimo, as a starting dish. As this picture shows, this housemade pâté was remarkably smooth. In the mouth, it felt wonderfully creamy and melted on the tongue — the mild liver flavor was subtle and perfect:
I have never tasted better ankimo. It really didn't need the help from the condiments it was served with:

In fact, I appreciated that the flavorful slices were presented au naturel, not drowned in sauce or goop.

Next came halibut that had been lying on seaweed – though I must confess I couldn't taste the kelp. Nonetheless, this fish showed much skill. Each rice ball had been daubed into finely diced shiso leaf before the hirame covered it. If you look carefully, you can see bits of the green leaf shading parts of the translucent fish:

I have always enjoyed the halibut/shiso combination, but this way the flavorful shiso did not overwhelm the delicate fish. Nicely done.

Another outstanding item arrived in front of us next. Although I have been eating sushi for over 25 years now, I have never seen mackerel with such a beautiful dark red color:

The chef explained that he flies in fresh mackerel direct from Japan. Each slice was redolent of pure mackerel flavor. All other saba I have ever eaten has been dominated by the flavors of its preparation. Here that taste lay in the background, illuminating but not dominating the main flavor of the fresh fish.

Another unusual item appeared next. I believe it was called big clam, perhaps aogai in Japanese (?), again something I had never been served before. As you can see, a generous portion of East Coast clam had been lightly seared (or briefly steamed ?), leaving the interior sweet, crunchy, clammy, and raw:

While not quite as much to my taste as mirugai, this provided enough claminess to balance the other seafood that evening.

At the same time that Morito-san was preparing the clam, he was marinating tuna slices in shoyu. When the rather ordinary looking nigiri arrived, I was unimpressed:

As I tasted the maguro, however, I understood the reason for the marinade; the light soy flavor married perfectly with the taste of the maguro. This was another display of the chef's skill — in this case taking an ordinary piece of tuna and raising it up to a higher level.

I need to mention that we were visiting the restaurant on a Monday night, so we were not expecting the full range of exotic items that I have read are often available. Nonetheless, I got to taste several things that were new to me. I was also very pleased with the skill, the service, and the attention to detail of the itamae. In fact, everything was so good that we continued our feast further into the night, but to see and read about what else we ate, you are going to have to check back with mmm-yoso for the exciting conclusion of this episode.

Kaito Sushi * 130-A N. El Camino Real * Encinitas, CA 92024 * (760) 634-2746

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More from Salvador: Cabañas Four

January 4, 2009 ed fromyuma Salvadoran Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Who knows what Kirk and Cathy are eating today, but ed (from Yuma) is writing about a place he eats at almost every week.

*** I am saddened to write that Pupuseria Cabanas is no more. One of the few cases of a restaurant doomed by its success. At least as I have heard it, the landlord was getting complaints from the towing/repair shop next door that there was no place to park during the day because the pupuseria had too many customers. Lucia was not allowed to be open weekdays, and then on Nov. 1, the restaurant was empty with no sign about another location etc. I will update if (I hope, when) she has relocated *** :-(

I know some of you were wondering why Pupusaria Cabañas all the way over in Yuma, Arizona, is worth another post (for previous post, click here) at mmm-yoso. All I can say is that this little family restaurant serves some of the best and most interesting food of any kind in town. And this is food made with love.

While only a few dishes (like pupusas and chicken tamales) are available every day from the small kitchen, the variation of specials hroughout the week provides a lot of choices for us hungry locals. One example is a great new dish sometimes featured on Fridays, tortitas de camerones. First, about the name. Few words have more and more confusing meanings across the range of Spanish speaking countries than torta and its dimunatives, such as tortilla and tortita. Just to take an example. We all know what a tortilla is in Mexico (or in the United States). On the other hand, in Argentina it is like a thick patty or cake made with eggs and potatoes. Kind of like an omelette, but not like an omelette all. The sort of staple dish that an Argentine like Jorge Luis Borjes missed even when he was visiting Paris. You can see the Salvadoran tortita is closer to the Argentinian dish:

At Cabañas, this a savory egg patty is brimming with tender, juicy shrimp. The exterior crust contrasts nicely with the soft eggy interior. I much prefer this version to Mexican tortas de cameron, which are egg patties made with salty dried shrimp, a dish redeemed (to my taste) only by the red chili sauce and strips of nopalitos that cover the dish.

Another Friday special is often sopa de pescado, a fishy flavored broth with vegetables and sizable fillets of catfish:

Recently on a Saturday, I revisited the beef rib soup, and found it even better than previously, as the beef is now perfectly tender and complements the savory broth and numerous vegetables well:

Wednesdays feature bean soups of various kinds. Every one that I have tasted has ranked as one of the best bean soups I have ever eaten, and I have made and eaten many bean soups in my lifetime. The last one I ate may be the best of all:

The name for this wonderful concoction is sopa de frijoles rojo con costilla de puerco, red bean soup with pork ribs. The broth was as deeply flavored as it is deeply colored. Pork ribs make a muy rico soup stock as well. In addition, this soup was served with two tortillas and a plate of various sides:
I am not sure what specials happen on Mondays, but Tuesdays seem to feature chicken soup and Sundays are graced by sopa de pata, Salvadoran Menudo accompanied with cow hoof. Trust me, this favorite of mine tastes so much better than it sounds and is full of tendon, tripe, and vegetables:

As business has picked up, and it has, more items have been added to the regular menu. Most days, beef stew, called here carne asada, and guisado de pollo (chicken stew) are featured. While the chicken is not always cooked to disintegration, as it was the afternoon I took this picture, the guisado always has a rich tomato flavor and is accompanied by decent rice and a tomato and salad garnish:

Although the agua fresca ensalada (mixed fruit drink with chopped fruits) is the most common homemade beverage here, I have also had excellent tamarindo and the slightly sour arrayan water. The horchata, here spiced with nutmeg, is especially good, thick, and rich:

One other beverage option exists. The nice folks at the restaurant allow customers to bring beer or wine to enjoy with dinner. While there is no stemware available, there is also no corkage fee, so we winos can enjoy our favorite beverage with outstanding Salvadoran cuisine, all at a bargain price:

One small note — in one post I mentioned that I could taste banana leaf in the wonderful chicken tamales, but then saw that the tamales were wrapped in tinfoil for steaming. It was only when I later saw the banana leaf inside the tinfoil that I understood why my eyes and my taste buds were conflicted.

Anyway, if you are close to Yuma and hungry, and if it isn't Thursday when the restaurant is closed, let me recommend a trip to Pupuseria Cabañas. Your mouth will be happy.

Pupuseria Cabanas reopened in September 2009 after being closed for a month. They have new hours: Open breakfast to dinner Saturdays and Sundays, and open at 5 PM all weekdays. Don't know if this is just temporary, but that is the schedule for now. I missed this place for a month

Pupuseria Cabañas, 3405 8th St, Yuma AZ, (928) 782-1874

Red Cooked Pork Hock & Red Cooked Oxtails

January 3, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Sometimes even I give in to impulse buying. I saw Pork Hocks (the lower portion of Mr Piggie's front leg) on sale for 79 cents a pound at 99 Ranch Market. I couldn't resist….. I bought three, which came out to a shade over $3.25!

Meet the piggies…..

So what to do with these? I decided to do straight forward Red Cooked Pork Hocks. For us, anything Red Cooked means a 3-phased meal plan. First we eat the meat, second, after straining, comes the boiled eggs, and third phase would be some chicken(first browned than) stewed gently in the remaining liquid with some tuberous vegetable. In theory, you could keep the braising liquid(aspic) going forever, by adding water and other liquids, seasonings, straining and skimming, and refrigeration. I've read accounts of braising liquids and soup being perpetuated in this endless cycle. I once mentioned this to a friend, who was so grossed out over this idea, that she stopped eating with me. I'd better not tell her about sourdough starter since she's a bread lover!

Red Cooking is usually associated with Shanghainese Cuisine, though the Missus recalls it being used in Her household growing up. It is a pretty easy cooking technique, and pretty much lives up to the "sweet, salty, and red cooked" monnicker often used with regards to Shanghai cuisine. There are basically 2 types of red cooking, the first is a short cooking approach, which uses a sugar-based caramelization technique of melting sugar in oil to start things out. This is used with cuts such as pork belly, and takes from 40 minutes to an hour. Since I was using a much tougher cut of meat, I used the slow braising technique, which starts with a "browning step", in the case of the pork hocks, an "oil blanching", with the Oxtails, a pan searing.

So here goes….. I know many familes have their own "secret" recipe. Here's my not-so-secret, but real easy recipe. I let the pork hocks and oxtails rest overnight before eating.

Red Cooked Pork Hocks
3-4 Pork Hocks, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels.
2/3 Cup + 2 Tb Soy sauce
1/3 Cup Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar + up to 1/4 Cup reserve
2/3 Cup + 1Tb Shao Xing Wine
5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1-2 1/2" knobs of ginger smashed
3 Star Anise broken in half
4 Scallions – white part only, roughly chopped
1 piece dried tangerine peel broken in half
1 2-3" cinnamon stick
4-5 Cups Water.
2 Tb Canola Oil
3 Cups Canola Oil for frying

1 – Rub Shoulder with 2Tb Soy sauce and 1Tb Shao Xing, and let rest for 15 minutes.
2 – Heat oil in a wok until a temperature of 375 degrees. Place pork hock into oil, and fry, ladling oil over the exposed side of the pork hock for about 1-2 minutes. Turn and repeat.
3 – Remove pork hock from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
4 – Repeat for all the other pork hocks.
5 – In another pan or wok heat 2Tb, and add the garlic and scallions and saute until fragrant.
6 – Add 2/3 Cup Shao Xing wine, and bring to a boil.
7 – Add Soy Sauces, ginger, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, star anise, tangerine peel, and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer.
8 – Add 3 cups of water, and place pork hocks in liquid. Add water to cover up to two-thirds of the pork hock.
9 – Bring to a low simmer.Turn pork hocks every hour. After 3 hours taste the liquid, and adjust sugar or water as necessary. I doubt that you'd need more soy sauce.
10 – Cook for another hour, or more as necessary. (These hocks took me 5 hours) The pork should be tender, and close to, but not falling off the bone. Or as the Missus says, "ewww, it's starting to look like an Old Man's neck."
11 – Let the hocks cool in the liquid. Once the liquid is cool, remove the hocks and place in a container and refrigerate.
12 – Strain braising liquid, and refrigerate overnight.
13 – Heat liquid (now an aspic), and place pork hocks into pot.

14 – Remove the pork hocks when heated, cut meat off the bone and chop into pieces. Use the braising liquid as the sauce and pour over meat and rice. Of course you can always go "Flintstone" and grab the whole bone and gnaw away……
15 – Place 6-8 shelled boiled eggs into braising liquid…..and so forth…..

Adjusting for Oxtails:

You can us the same basic technique as my Chinese style Braised Oxtails. Basically searing off the Oxtails seasoned with salt and pepper first.

Adjust cooking times as necessary.

I think I like these even more…..

Remember to wait a day (if you can), it'll be worth it!

Chicken and Dumplings- Cathy’s inexpensive way

January 2, 2009 Cathy Cooking, Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the food blog. Cathy is writing about a meal she makes for less than $5 for two. Again.

Happy New Year everyone, and thank you for the good wishes. I hope 2009 is good for all of us.

Here I am again, on a Friday, posting about a meal you can make for two for $5, using ingredients on sale this week…or in the future. It is a simple version of chicken and dumplings which I like better than the one on a box of "biscuit mix". ChickenDumplings 001 (If you have cravings, which I understand completely, this is a very easy way to satisfy those cravings).

The main ingredients (which do not have to be name brand) are 32 ounces of Chicken STOCK (it has been made with vegetables and has more flavor than broth; most boxed stocks are on sale this week for $2 for 32 ounces), two cans of cream of chicken soup (the generic is just as flavorful as name brand and so go by price), a can of FLAKY biscuits-jumbo or small- and some leftover cooked chicken. Chicken legs and thighs are on sale for 99¢/lb, or you can cook a chicken, depending on the price (I could only find whole chicken for $1.59/lb this week…) if you need a calculator to figure this one out, call me or send an email…

Yes. Canned biscuits. When I grew up, mom called them "Ballard Biscuits" and when I lived in the South, people called them "Dumpling Biscuits". For what it is worth, The Mister made a horrible face and was prepared to not like this recipe when he heard how I made it (with the canned biscuits), but He really liked the taste the first time and every time since.

ChickenDumplings 002

Also, flour, salt and pepper. I always use white pepper. It has heat, but tastes kind of nutmeg-esque to me. Also, you don't see pepper flakes on everything.

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Pour the stock and the soup into a pot and bring to a boil. (one hint: I do not put all the stock in at first, use it to "rinse" out the soup can, instead of trying to scrape out bits of soup- you are not adding water to this).

Heat to boiling, then you will bring it to a very low simmer, while in the meantime,

ChickenDumplings 005

you have opened the can of biscuits, divided the flaky layers into thirds, and coated each 1/3 of a biscuit in the flour/salt/pepper mix.

You are then going to tear each layer of floured flaky goodness into thirds again (making each biscuit into nine pieces).

ChickenDumplings 006

You then drop your 1/3 of a 1/3 biscuit, piece by piece, individually, into the pot of (now simmering) broth/cream soup mix.

YOU *NEVER* STIR THIS OR YOU WILL END UP WITH DUMPLING FLAVORED SOUP

ChickenDumplings 007

Press the 'dumplings' down into the liquid.

Let this simmer for at least 15 minutes. More like 20… It can go longer. Remember, dumplings are soft, not crispy… They are cooked.

ChickenDumplings 008

See?

ChickenDumplings 009

Meanwhile, press in the leftover chicken. So it can warm up.

Serve. It probably does not need any additional seasoning. ChickenDumplings 010

Cathy's Chicken and Dumplings

1 box (32 ounces) chicken STOCK, 2 cans cream of chicken soup. Mix and heat to boiling. Put to low simmer.

One can refrigerated flaky biscuits, flour, salt and pepper. Divide the flaked layers of one biscuit into three, dip in flour, salt, pepper mix.

Divide those floured flakes layers into three pieces each and drop individually into simmering broth/soup mix. NEVER STIR-push the pieces down into the liquid. Let stay at very low boil for 15-20 minutes.

Add shredded/chopped leftover chicken (about 2 cups) , again pressing into pot until heated through. Serve.

Southern Plate's Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe can be found here.