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.