Minis!

I had some left over ingredients from Friday's galette, so I made a mini galette! Cute!


I'm gonna share this one with my honey.

Food Porn/Gastrorgasm: Plum Galette

I finally made it. It took forever, mostly because the dough has to rest a lot and because I was being a little anal about the fruit and made sure it looked good.

This was a recipe that I saw in an issue of Everyday Food and the picture was just glorious, I talked about it for days. I posted the recipe in an earlier post titled, "Food Porn: Plum Galette"

It was really good. I was surprised at how delicious the crust was, it was actually better than the fruit. The fruit is really good too, I really love plums, but the crust outshone the plums. Its so simple, I'd like to try it with other fillings. Plums are going to fade out of season, so I'd like to try it with apples. What was also a really nice touch was that there's a layer of almond and sugar under the fruit. I also especially liked the way the sprinkled sugar made the crust look glittery.

Food Porn/Gastrorgasm: Meatloaf

Yea homies! MEATLOAF! Say what you want, but here at QL we're superfans of the good ol' Americana. We put the salsa to the side and made space for meatloaf tonight.

I remember the first time I had meatloaf, my mom made it. Its one of those dishes that doesn't really come natural to Mexican people, but we trust American recipes because no one else can come up with this kind of bullshit; ground beef, bread crumbs... and ketchup. I like to make a really simple recipe that I've adapted from Everyday Food. The original recipe calls for ground pork, but pork and I have a really complicated relationship so in keeping with my notorious habit of avoidance, I just substitute the ground pork for ground sirloin, fuck the pigs.

Before the main course, I made a salad composed of organic (some of the Michael Pollan rubbed off on me) baby romaine, red bell peppers (super sale), purple onions, gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, oh, and a dash of salt and pepper. Super simple, nothing too overwhelming because we were about to have a mother of an entree... and dessert. I took it easy on us, a salad for the sake of getting our greens and produce in.

Here comes that heffa... This bitch took her sweet time in the oven, about an hour and twenty minutes, in true diva fashion. Indulge in the food porn.



I also made garlic mashed potatoes and really simple sauteed summer squash and zucchini.




I got a new burn. In a really gross way, I'm kinda proud of my burns. "475 degree oven, you don't scare me!"


We had this wine. My sister gave it to me, its a 2004 Modus Toscana from the Ruffino Vineyards in Italy. Delish, one of the oldest vintages I think I've had. Maybe I shouldn't have had it with meatloaf...


Dessert: Ghiardelli brownies from the box, with Breyer's French Vanilla Ice Cream. I'm a cook, not a baker.


On a totally unrelated note, Maxwell is gonna be in Chicago on Thursday... oh. I wonder if he likes meatloaf.

Birthday Month

#2, Tuesday, Sept. 22nd: Pizza & Trivial Pursuit


Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures for this, but I'll tell you all about it. My friend Steven might have some pictures, I'll post them if he does.

We ordered pizza from Benny's in Pilsen. Pizza made by paisas, and its the bomb. Its a total dive, but I like my pizza a little shady. I usually prefer Italian sausage, but there I like pepperoni and mushrooms, and if you ask them to toast it a bit, they'll do it.

Pizza and fries is a Chicago thing apparantly. Steven, who is from California, says that nowhere else do you see people eating fries with their pizza. "Barack is probably the only US President to have ever had pizza and fries." - fascinating.

We played in teams, there was an odd number, so it was two teams of two, and a brave soul going at it on his own. This is how it panned out: Mando & Myself, Baby & Ken, and Steven all on his own.

I love Trivial Pursuit, its one of my favorite board games ever. I'm not that good at trivia, but I like the competitiveness and even when I lose, I have a lot of fun.

At the end of the night, after about three hours of the most random trivia, we were all tied, each with four pies. We rolled for the victory, and Baby & Ken won.

There was a question regarding the main ingredient in an Egyptian dish which was flax seed. I don't remember the name of it, but it sounded interesting.

If only Trivial Pursuit had an entire food category...

Birthday Month

I celebrated my birthday on three different days this year, and I still have one more to go.

#1: Dinner with pals at May St. Cafe, Friday, September 18th. May St. was ok. I had been driving past it for years and wanted to go ever since I read a review about their pumpkin flan. When trying to figure out what I wanted to do for my special day (the first of four)I thought it'd be a great opportunity to check it out. I went to the website and looked at several of the pictures. It didn't look special, and the presentation seemed a little sloppy and busy, and some really pretentious, but I had been wanting to go for so long and presentation is only a small part of the overall experience.

While we were waiting for everyone, the server brought us these tiny little escargot in a quiche-like pastry thing, they were pretty good. I'd never had escargot before, but I would have it again, thank you May Street Cafe. Then we ordered some appetizers, brie & pear quesadillas are really great. The guacamole was also good and they kept the chips coming for the rest of the night. ;)

Vero, Mando and I had the Special which was a Great Lakes white fish with plantain chip, sweet mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies. First the fish portion was tiny, so they tried to make up for it was a hodgepodge of stuff. The plate was overall too busy. It was ok, slightly overcooked, but nothing was bad and it was fine. The picture I have was blurry, but you'll at least see what I mean by too busy and messy presentation.



Ken and Steven both had the Wild Alaskan Salmon, and again, too small of a portion and busy ass mess. Taste was good, but nothing to die for.



Baby had this rice dish with scallops and shrimp in a coconut milk and served in a hallowed out pineapple. This dish took the prize for most flamboyant presentation. Very much like the bad joke my mom likes to tell about why the fruits don't like to invite the pineapple because she's conceited and always shows up with that ridiculous bow on top of her head. This cracks her up, and it finally made sense.



Julio and Arturo had the chicken fajitas. I didn't try them, but its hard to fuck up chicken fajitas. I suspect they were delicious.



Carla, by far, had the best entree that I tasted. I tried most everyone's entrees. That pork was to die for and Carla put it down. It was also the best presented dish, which considering the hot messes we ate, isn't saying much.





The desserts were the highlight of the night for me. First of all, they brought me a chocolate budino-like cake with vanilla ice cream and "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate and caramel. Delicious!



There was a mango flan, and a guava flan, and more chocolate cake. I busted out the champagne for desert. There's no other way to have it.

Recessionista's Cupboard: Day #2

Day 2. Still working on the perishable items.
I had oatmeal and coffee for breakfast and some leftover pizza for lunch. I needed to use up a tomato and onion before they went bad so i figured i would make some pico de gallo. I felt like enjoying something simple and non-greasy to go with my pico de gallo so dinner was Mexican rice, a boiled egg and topped with pico de gallo. It was perfect! The ingredients of this dinner: rice, tomatoes, onions, garlic, egg, serrano pepper, olive oil, tomatoe sauce and lime. How nice is to know that a minimal amount of ingredients could make you such a great dinner.


"Poor man's food" is def my favorite. It's simple, whole ingredients and guarantees to be comforting. My mom knows how much i enjoy these simple dinners and makes sure to make me these soul filling meals when i come over to visit. I LOVE when she makes me her frijoles and chorizo con huevos or something as simple as quesadillas. And the warmth and smell of the tortillas (i like them just a bit crispy) on the comal make the house a home.

Foochiela! Burnt Beans

I was going to make black beans yesterday to prepare for today's dinner and I ended up stinking up the house with burnt beans. Ayy fo!
I've made many pots of beans before. Some were a great success and others not so much. So, i looked for some tips today on how to properly make a pot of beans. I discovered quickly the mistake i made yesterday.

• Do not cover your pot of beans because the water will all evaporate. Idiota! I should've totally knew that. Duh! Rice!

• It's not a bad idea to soak your beans overnight.

• Let them simmer on low heat.

• Loosely cover the pot to release the steam.

• Some pots of beans take up to 4 hours to cook. Practice patience.

• Lastly, don't be afraid to salt your beans...otherwise, they will taste bland.

I am out of beans, so it won't be until next month that i attempt making them again. Good luck to me next time.

Recessionista's Cupboard: Dinner #1

My dear friend Cyn came over today and was eager to have some of my coffee. I think she enjoys it as much as i do. Yay!

I was hungry and wanted to make something good and quick. Rule #1 to using what you have on hand is cooking perishable items first. That meant using the eggs and veggies. So, i chopped up some onions, green bell peppers, banana peppers and tomatoes. Whisked up some eggs and made some veggie omelettes with cheese. Toasted some english muffins with butter and apricot jam and served up the coffee. It was yummy and satisfying.

Cyn and I enjoyed our omelettes and finished just on time to watch America's Next Top Model. I like this challenge. :)
Last and most importantly, Basqy is cute furry boy.

Recessionista's Cupboard

Soooo, since i am broke as a joke I will devote the rest of the month to cooking with what i have on hand. That includes:
dry lentils
dry black beans
rice
oatmeal
eggs
potatoes
yellow onions
red onion
garlic
canned kidney beans
tomato sauce
zucchini
green pepper
banana pepper
serrano peppers
limes
tomatoes
can of peas
some pasta
pecorino romano cheese
tortillas de maiz
milk
butter
romaine lettuce
coffee
sugar
cocoa wheats :)
pita chips
hummus
my grandparents cheese from Mexico
shrimp
1 frozen chicken breast
lomo (a thin cut of steak)
variety of condiments and spices
english muffins
a few tostadas

Okay, so that should be everything! I will make the rest of my meals for the month based on what i have listed here. No extra spending (unless i run out of milk for my coffee). I will be sure to post the meals i make here.

I will survive!

Coffee for the broke....One dollah make you hollah

I am sad today. Too make it even worse, I didn't give myself enough time to brew some coffee at home. :(
When i got to work i discovered how poor i was after viewing my bank account. Grraarrr! That meant no Starbucks or Intelligentsia for me. So, i bought myself a cup of coffee at McD's for $1. I still feel blue, but i am happy to know that if i leave the house in a rush I could still buy myself a decent cup of coffee with some change. Looking forward to my Africa Kitamu with a quarter of a cup of hot milk and sugar in the raw when i get home. I am thankful to have the fortune of loving the coffee i prepare for myself more than purchasing it from anywhere else.

Gracie's Ode to Pho

If we're gonna talk about love for pho, then I gotta get in on this one.

That video of Anthony Bourdain eating pho in Vietnam is one of the best things I've ever seen. Bourdain understands that pho is an experience, and if you just eat pho and don't experience it, something is terribly wrong.

The first time I had pho was probably in 2002. I remember the day clearly. I was sitting in this new place, that had an interesting smell, it wasn't bad, but it was new. It was a busy Pho Hoa, a pho chain with locations throughout the U.S., and I was pronouncing it Fow Wah (I'm an idiot). Anyway, so enter a heaping bowl of pho. Broth, rice noodles, raw steak at the top, on the side, bean sprouts, basil, jalapenos and limes. I'm thinking, "Alright, jalapenos and limes, I can get down with that." I watched my more experienced cousins pile on the sprouts, ask for extra limes, top with Sriracha, toss in some jalapenos, grab the chop sticks and wide spoon. I watched everyone else around me really closely, everyone with a different pho process, and everyone bent over their bowl, slurping. I ate that pho, as best as I could that day, not really knowing what to make of it. I didn't hate it and I couldn't stop eating it. Pho lingers.

Then... the next day, and for days after that all I could think about was that phockin' pho. The rice noodles and comforting broth. I couldn't get it out of my mind, and I would tell anyone willing to listen about my new found love for Vietnemese noodle soup. It wasn't until a full week later that I finally got to have it again, except this time, I had done my research on pho technique and I was ready to tame it.

One of my absolute favorite things about pho is the ceremony involved. After anxiously waiting, your bowl of hot pho arrives and is placed in front of you, you smile. Reach for chop sticks and spoon, introduce to the soup. If you have steak, it should be served rare and resting on top of the noodles, proceed to flip the steak underneath the noodles to complete cooking in the piping hot broth, if you haven't ordered steak, skip this step. Proceed to condiments. Add bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, lime, Sriracha... lots of Sriracha. Incorporate your ingredients, by this time the steak should no longer be pink. Taste your broth, does it need anything else? Tasting the broth is respectful almost, because its like you are giving the broth, the heart of the soup, its place by acknowledging it first. I grab some noodles with my chop sticks, spin into the center of my spoon until it is neatly coiled, release into the spoon, steep for some broth and eat. Close your eyes and smile. That my friend, is comfort. Proceed to chow down. Don't be surprised if everyone suddenly is silent and conversation is replaced by slurps. Pho can be messy, it'll get on your shirt and in your face, even for someone as careful and OCD as me, but its fun.

I remember the first time my heart was broken, and how awful I felt, to the extent that I was making myself physically sick - I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I cried all the time. But the first time I came out of my room in almost two days, was for a bowl of pho. It didn't make me forget how sad I was, but for a moment, it reminded me that I was alive and that I was going to be ok. You might think I'm crazy, but I think that anyone who has experienced pho, understands.

Phonny stuff!

After viewing No Reservations Chile, I watched this. No need to say anything more.

Ode to Chile

Last night I stayed up until 1 a.m. because I was glued to my laptop watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations: Chile. I love Chilean food, Chilean people and Chilean culture. Growing up my best friend was from Chile and that meant that I reaped all the benefits of having a friend from a different culture. Anthony Bourdain, like most people, knew close to nothing about Chilean food. But, it didn't take long for him to discover just how fresh and amazing it is. Dinner parties with the Chilenos meant lotts of food, lotts of music (which led to dancing) and definitely no shortage of wine in sight. My friend's father, Carlos, made love to his food (just like my father does). There is nothing more enjoyable than to eat something that was made with such joy and eagerness. My most memorable breakfasts with the Orellana's included toasted french bread (split lenghtwise), a spread of guacamole, butter, cream cheese, slices of ham, tomatoes and onions and accompanied with some coffee or tea. YUM! Carlos use to make a spicy aji (which is like a salsa) that had minced garlic, onions, cilantro, peppers and i can't give away the other ingredients...it's a secret..but it's vinegary. Chicken stewed with potatoes in a white wine sauce served with white rice. Tomatoe, onion and basil drizzled with olive oil on french bread. Pickled onions. Steamed artichokes with a vinagrette dipping sauce. Raw egg mixture dipped with french bread. Baked empanadas with beef, boiled eggs and raisans. Salad with home-made vinagrette. Torta de manjar (a log cake with a sweetened cream that is a lot like caramel). wine. wine. wine. YUmmmmmM!! I miss the Orellana's. Not just for their food, but some of the greatest times included it or included making it. Ahhhh...nostalgia.
Anthony Bourdain has confirmed by decision of making Chile one of my next top 3 destinations to visit. But, in the meantime I MUST FIND CHILEAN FOOD IN CHICAGO!!! A google search of Chilean food in Chicago led me to one UNO uno ONE restaurant. Grrraaarrr!! And it doesn't even sound that great. It's called Rapa-Nui. I plan on trying it out anyway. Hope i'm wrong about it. I must get back in touch with my beautiful Chilean family.

Follow-Up: Gastrorgasm: Pan-seared Scallops with Greens & Balsamic Reduction

This is more of a follow-up about Skylark. So I went back the next day after having had the amazing scallops to unfortunately discover that they had run out of the scallops and were substituting calamari instead. It might have been good, but my heart was set on scallops that night.

What followed was a really shitty experience, which included an 1hr.+ wait for a medium rare burger that showed up well-done and a fight with Ken because I got really angry about the burger and the wait. The server did what she could and they were really busy, we ended up not having to pay for it. But you know that feeling when you're starving and waiting for food, and it ends up being an unreasonably long wait, and even though you know its not personal, you feel like you've been so wronged? Although there have been much worse moments in your life, this feels like the cruelest injustice? Its crazy and I can't explain it, but I get blind-sighted and can't snap out of it. That happened to me that night, it was awful.

Endearing food quotes.

"There is a party in my mouth!" - my mommy

"That hit my spot!" - my mommy

Ha ha!!!

"Wow! That was the best (fill in the blank) I ever had (said on a daily basis)!" - my pops

My parents make me happy. The love my mom puts into the food she makes me and the intense passion that my father experiences when making and eating food is what makes me Me.

Food Redemption: Spicy Basil at Penny Noodles

First and foremost, sorry to all of our avid readers (aside from Carla and I, readership is currently at 0, but you gotta think big) for our absence. We've been on a brief hiatus at QL, but rest assured that we've been eating! Here are a few pictures from dinner at Penny Noodles the other night.

I've always loved the Spicy Basil at Penny Noodles but recently, the Damen location had been dropping the ball on my favorite thing on their menu. I only tried it again because the server promised that their cook that day was qualified enough to pump out the delicious noodles I was used to, and guess what? The Spicy Basil is back! Its good again! Woot woot!

I enjoyed it. Not in the way that the food critic in Ratatouille enjoyed the rat's concoction of his favorite childhood dish, but enough to want to sit back and put my hands behind my head with a goofy grin on my face - i was content.

Gastrorgasm: Pan-seared Scallops with Greens & Balsamic Reduction

Definitely not a dish you'd expect from a bar, but yes my friends, Pilsenites like myself and Carla are blessed with Skylark. Cheap beer, $4 glasses of Chardonnay, and $7.50 for impeccably-prepared scallops. Scallops are really easy to f*ck up, and I rarely have them while out because I have seafood-trust issues, but I trust Skylark, a divey-looking bar in my neighborhood, totally unassuming, with a superstar in the kitchen.

You can expect good food anytime you go to Skylark, you can expect to get a deal, but you might get yelled at if you play on the attractively lit Playboy pinball machine, or if you ask the tiny bartender man to charge you and your equally-financially-independent-friend separately (eye roll... pass the tots).

I'm going back tonight for the same dish, its that good. I'll take my camera this time and post the food porn as a follow up to this blog.

El Milagro tortillas

Everyone I know has a different brand of tortilla that they prefer my favorite corn and flour tortillas are from Chicago's own El Milagro. No one compares to these. They are the best!!

Try the varieties I have pictured above. You can find them in most stores or you can visit one of their locations in Chicago and treat yourself to some great food while you're at it.

What is your favorite tortilla brand?

Did you know: TORTILLAS

A friend recently expressed their hatred for corn tortillas. I was surprised to say the least. I thought to myself "No Way! Who doesn't like tortillas de maiz??? He must have had microwaved tortillas!" Therefore, I was inspired to set the record straight about the authentic types of tortillas, how they are suppose to be prepared and various ways to eat them.

corn tortilla = tortilla de maiz: these are the most common type of tortillas that are eaten in daily Mexican cooking. These tortillas are paired with all Mexican food and are the staple of tacos, enchiladas, flautas and chilaquiles.

You will often find two types of corn tortillas. There are white corn and yellow corn varieties. My favorite are the yellow corn.

The correct way to heat up a tortilla is on a comal. A comal resembles a griddle pan but it not one. Comales are made of cast iron and are set on top of either a single or double burner. These are found in all Mexican kitchens and are most commonly used for warming up tortillas, roasting tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos for salsas and sometimes for grilling meats. If you don’t have a comal the next best way to heat up your tortilla is by placing it directly on top of an open flame on your burner for a few seconds on each side. Doing so ensures that your tortilla won’t crack and will have a little more life when up against saucy or salsa drenched meals.

Flour tortillas = tortillas de harina (the H is silent): are typically used for quesadillas, the American born burrito, and occasionally paired with a dish. I think tortillas de harina taste better if paired with smoky chile de arbol sauces which is a red sauce or maybe a dark smokey mole. It is okay to make tacos with this type of tortilla but is less common in traditional cooking. When I was a little girl my grandma sometimes made homemade tortillas de harina. Homemade tortillas are the best! My grandma would put a little butter on homemade tortillas fresh off the comal, wrap it and hand it to me. So yummy!!

Tortillas de harina are much more delicate. They cook very, very fast so just a quick few seconds on each side and they are done. Don’t walk away from it because just as soon as you turn your back it will burn.

Please don’t microwave tortillas!! It is disrespectful to the tortilla and disqualifies the great corn or wheat taste that the comal is known to awaken. Microwaving will ensure that you will have a soggy tortilla that will fall apart just as soon as you put anything on top of it and attempt to pick it up. Don’t do it!!

Ted Kennedy's Favorite Lobster Salad

I'm really sad that Ted Kennedy has passed away. It wasn't a surprise, he was really sick and it was just a matter of time. However, I knew that his imminent death would mean that we would be losing a great lawmaker, who simply did the right thing, and he did it with vigor and passion. He supported an all-inclusive ENDA, supported ADA, always voted for and supported the DREAM Act, attempted to repair a broken immigration system with the failed McCain-Kennedy bill, and fought hard for healthcare reform.

Keeping with the theme of this blog, I've attached a link to something I found when googling, "Ted Kennedy favorite food", this is what I found. I've never had it, but it sounds great.

Ted Kennedys Favorite Lobster Salad

Movie: Woman on Top (2000)

Penelope Cruz plays Isabella. Suffering of constant motion sickness, Isabella is severely limited in her activities. She is raised in the kitchen, learns to cook and taking pity on her, the sea goddess Yemenja gives her the gift of amazing cooking. She meets a man, Torinho and they fall in love, but he's an asshole. Because of her motion sickness, Isabella always has to drive, lead while dancing, take the stairs, and be on top during sex. Feeling demasculated, Torinho cheats because he likes to be in charge. Isabella leaves him, goes to San Francisco, stays with Monica, a transsexual woman and incredibly selfless and supportive friend. She lands a job as a cooking instructor, catches the eye of a tv producer, Cliff, and enchanted by her beauty, Cliff offers her a cooking show. Torinho follows her and begs for forgiveness. There's a good line where Isabella is talking about how miserable she is that she can't forget her husband, she says something along the lines of, "We are not in love, it is a curse!"

Eh. I wanted to see more food, and I didn't want Penelope to go back to her husband. The movie was very one-dimensional, none of the other characters had any depth. I would have liked to see more food. There's a brief moment of food porn where Isabella and Torinho stuff a fresh fish with a cornmeal like mixture, wrap it in banana leaves and bake it. They pull it out and cut into the leaves to reveal the fish... but we never get to see the completed fish!

Some parts were really cheesy, not cheese cheesy, plain ol' cheesy. It was failed magical realism.

I like that Isabella essentially got what she wanted in the end, to be with the man she loved and standing on equal ground. She finishes every cooking show with a tag line, "and for the most important ingredient, share it with someone you love", I guess its cute.

Food Porn: Plum Galette

Has anyone seen the plum galette in September's Everyday Food? Oh my goodness. I'm gonna make it, it probably won't be as beautiful, but I'm gonna do it, and when I do, there will be a blog about the gastrorgasm that ensued.


(I had to take a picture with my phone, sorry. I couldn't find this picture on EF's website.)

Plum Galette (Everyday Food, September 2009, Issue #65)
Serves 8, Prep Time: 30 min, Total Time: 1 3/4 hr + chilling

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
5-6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (keep slices together)
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

Saturday's Feast

My parents' birthdays are within days of each other's, so we celebrated both on Saturday. Its usually a feast when its just immediate family, but my parents invited some extended family and friends as well, so the feast was ridiculous. I personally had a lot of fun with my mom, helping her keep the kitchen clean, discussing ingredients and looking at food porn together (in particular, a plum galette in September's Everyday Food). As long as food is involved, there is peace between my mom and I, so I covet these moments, then my sister's and I hate on each other when one of us is in my mom's favor, its rarely all three of us. My one sister prepared some 20lbs. of arrachera, some chicken & a few hot dogs for the occasion, my other sister brought a chocolate cake and my mom prepared an endless array of other goodies (rice, refried beans, frijoles charros, taquitos de huevo verde, chorizo, nopales, cebollitas, 2 salsas, and arroz con leche for dessert) . My favorite was the frijoles charros. The next day there was little left, but I managed to make it home with some beans and tomatillo salsa.

Did you know: EGGS

How do you know when you've got a rotten egg?

Submerge your egg in a big bowl of cold water. If your egg lays on the wider end at the bottom it is fresh. If it lays at the bottom but sways a little it is probably a week old but still good. An egg that stands up vertically on its small end is about three weeks old. Lastly, if your egg floats then, my friend, you've got a rotten egg.

If you already cracked your egg onto a pan and have doubts take a look at the whites. If the whites stay coagulated around the yolk then it is still good. But, if a lot of the white runs away from the yolk then it is bad. Probably best to toss it.