Monday, June 5, 2023

Why Pitaya (Mexican Dragon Fruit) Is So Expensive | So Expensive Food | ...


Covered in spines and hiding a rich, colorful pulp, the pitaya, a type of dragon fruit, can make or break the economy of entire towns in Mexico during the growing season, when a batch of 4,000 pitayas can sell for over $7,400. Getting your hands on some in the US can cost up to $22 for a bucket of five fruits. Pitayas are hard work. They are extremely delicate and go bad quickly. Workers must pick, despine, and transport the pitayas all in a single day to ensure they reach customers without spoiling. So what makes this fruit worth the painstaking task? And why is it so expensive?

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Vacaville, CA 95688
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Friday, June 2, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Carnitas

A Mexican version of pulled pork, it’s created by braising a large cut of pork in lard in a heavy bottomed pot over heat until tender, which can take up to four hours. Herbs such as cumin, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and bay are added along with chilies and garlic cloves. Once tender, the outside of the pork is seared to crisp it. The meat can be flaked away and used to stuff tamales, tacos, tortillas, and burritos along with guacamole, salsa, and refried beans.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Carne Asada

Marinated, grilled, sliced beef, cooked so there is some charring to impact flavor. The cuts used can be skirt, flank, or flap steak and the marinade varies. Carne Asada can be served as a main dish or can be sliced up and used as a filling for burritos, tacos, and tortillas.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Why These Breakfast Burritos Are Wrapped In A Cheese Blanket


LA's cheesiest burritos are served by Lowkey Burritos in Long Beach. The burritos are stuffed with eggs, bacon, potatoes, and avocado, then wrapped in a crispy cheese blanket. We're heading out bright and early to get our hands on one before they sell out.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Caldo de queso

A traditional soup originating from northern Mexico containing diced potatoes, onions, tomatoes, chili verde, oregano, and chicken broth; once it has boiled up, soft creamy cheese is added.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Sunday, May 21, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Burritos

Popular Mexican and American street foo, a large wheat flour tortilla is wrapped around a filling with one end closed to form a cylinder. Filled with meat, cheese, rice, vegetables, and/or beans.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Thursday, May 18, 2023

$4 Burrito Vs. $32 Burrito


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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Happy Mother's Day!


Happy Mother's Day!

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Friday, May 12, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Bolillos

Traditional Mexican bread rolls similar to a baguette but shorter and usually stone-baked; crunchy on the outside with a soft inner.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Mexican Dads Try Each Other's Carne Asada


Watch these three Mexican Dads battle it out to see who is the king of carne asada!

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Saturday, May 6, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Birria

Originating from the Mexican state of Jalisco; it’s a spicy stew, traditionally made from goat or mutton meat marinated in spices, but beef or chicken is also used. It is usually served with corn tortillas, onion, and lime

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Barbacoa

Origin of the word “barbecue” but in Mexico it usually refers to fatty, pot-roasted meat slow cooked with onions and cilantro, then served up on warm tortillas, garnished with guacamole and salsa.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Sunday, April 30, 2023

How Babish Makes His Perfect Nachos: Every Choice, Every Step | Epicurious


When you make nachos, you have to make a lot of decisions. Chips, cheese, proteins, condiments—each element needs to work in harmony and find its natural place on the plate. Today on Epicurious Andrew Rea (AKA Babish) shouts out every decision he makes, step by step, when crafting his perfect plate of nachos.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Thursday, April 27, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Arroz (Rice)

There are numerous different ways in which rice is prepared. Seafood rice, for example, is Arroz a la Tumboda, yellow rice is Arroz Amarillo, and rice with eggs is Arroz con Huevo.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Monday, April 24, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Albondigas

Mexican meatballs, generally made of pork and beef. Not indeginous to Mexico but a dish imported from Spain, given Mexican flair with the addition of spicy chipotle sauce.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Friday, April 21, 2023

26 Austin Breakfast Tacos in 10 Hours. Which is the Best? | Bon Appétit


Join Bon Appétit web editor Alex Delany as he searches for the best Breakfast Taco that Austin, Texas has to offer.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

A GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN FOOD : Aguachile

A Mexican shrimp dish, the seafood being submerged in liquid seasoned with chili peppers, lime juice, salt, coriander, and a slice of onion.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Tortilla Varieties

Corn

Tortillas made from nixtamalized maize meal—masa de maíz— are the oldest variety of tortilla. They originated in Mexico and Central America, and remain popular throughout the Americas. Peoples of the Oaxaca region in Mexico first made tortillas at the end of the Villa Stage (1500 to 500 BC). Towards the end of the 19th century, the first mechanical utensils for making tortillas, called tortilla presses, tortilleras, or tortilladoras, were invented and manufactured in Mexico.

Wheat

Europeans introduced wheat and its cultivation to the American continent, and it remains the source for wheat flour tortillas. Wheat flour tortillas were originated in the northern region of Mexico.

Wheat tortillas usually contain fats such as oil or lard, salt, often leavening agents such as baking powder, and other ingredients. Otherwise, the preparation and cooking of flour tortillas on a comal is identical to that of corn tortillas. Flour tortillas are commonly used in dishes like burritos, tacos, and fajitas. It is part of the daily food repertoire throughout Mexico, whose gastronomy and culture has influenced those of many Central American countries and some states in the U.S.

Nopaltilla

A nopaltilla is a cactus-corn tortilla. The word is a portmanteau of nopal, Spanish for the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus, and tortilla.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Street Tacos of Texas | Street Food Icons


Jose Luis Perez Mendez, better known as El Primo, is king of breakfast tacos in Austin, TX. He’s been selling street tacos for over 14 years in  Austin. He sells chorizo, ham, migas and bean and cheese breakfast tacos as well as traditional carne asada, al pastor and barbacaoa street tacos to his clientele in South Austin. 

Jose, who came from Michoacan Mexico 28 years ago to make a living in America, describes working at his father’s butcher shop as a kid and how his childhood built his strong work ethic. Jose shares his humor and his love of the United States, and his customers talk about why it’s hard to find a better breakfast taco than El Primo’s.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter!

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Thursday, April 6, 2023

Tortillas

A tortilla (/tɔːrˈtiːə/, Spanish: [toɾˈtiʎa]) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread from Mexico and Central America originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour.

The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas tlaxcalli. First made by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica before colonization, tortillas are a cornerstone of Mesoamerican cuisine. Corn tortillas in Mesoamerica are known from as early as 500 BCE.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Monday, April 3, 2023

The Best Tacos In LA | Best Of The Best


INSIDER's Joe Avella and Sydney Kramer visit four of the best places to get tacos in Los Angeles. They visit Sonoratown, Mariscos Jalisco, Carnitas El Momo and Ricky's Fish Tacos. The two hosts try each taco to decide which one is the best of the best.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Friday, March 31, 2023

Nachos, Did You Know?


Nachos originated in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, just over the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya created nachos at the Victory Club in 1940 when Mamie Finan, a regular customer, asked if Anaya could bring her, and three other women on a shopping trip from Eagle Pass, a different snack than usual. In Spanish, "Nacho" is a common nickname for Ignacio. Anaya went to the kitchen and spotted freshly fried pieces of corn tortillas. In a moment of culinary inspiration, Anaya cut the tortillas into triangles, fried them, added shredded Colby cheese, quickly heated them, added sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, and served them. After tasting the snack, Finan asked what it was called. Anaya responded, "Well, I guess we can just call them Nacho's Special."

Anaya also opened his own restaurant, Nacho's Restaurant, in Piedras Negras. Anaya's original recipe was printed in the 1954 St. Anne's Cookbook.

The popularity of the dish swiftly spread throughout Texas and the Southwest. The first known appearance of the word "nachos" in English dates to 1950, from the book A Taste of Texas. According to El Cholo Spanish Cafe history, waitress Carmen Rocha is credited with making nachos in San Antonio, Texas, before introducing the dish to Los Angeles at the cafe in 1959.

A modified version of the dish, with cheese sauce and prepared tortilla chips, was marketed in 1976 by Frank Liberto, owner of Ricos Products, during Texas Rangers baseball games at Arlington Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This version became known as "ballpark nachos". During the September 4, 1978 Monday Night Football game between the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys, sportscaster Howard Cosell enjoyed the name "nachos," and made a point of mentioning the dish in his broadcasts over the following weeks, further popularizing it and introducing it to a whole new audience. Liberto died in 2017.

Ignacio Anaya died in 1975. In his honor, a bronze plaque was erected in Piedras Negras, and October 21 was declared the International Day of the Nacho. Anaya's son, Ignacio Anaya, Jr., served as a judge at the annual nacho competition.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
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Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Nachos

Nachos are a Mexican culinary dish consisting of fried tortilla chips or totopos covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken), vegetables (such as chili peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives), and condiments such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. At its most basic form, nachos may consist of merely chips covered with cheese, and served as an appetizer or snack, while other versions are substantial enough as a main course. The dish was created by, and named after, Ignacio Anaya, who created them in 1941 for customers at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Saturday, March 25, 2023

13 Food Markets And Fairs To Visit In Your Lifetime | Ultimate List


From buckets of cookies in Minnesota to cheesecake on a stick in Florida here are 13 food markets and fairs that you have to visit in your lifetime for some of the best eats in the world.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Etymology of Pico de gallo

According to food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst, pico de gallo ("rooster's beak") is named thus because originally people ate it by pinching pieces between the thumb and forefinger.

In their book Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, Rick Bayless and Deann Groen speculate that the name might allude to the bird feed–like texture and appearance of the mince.

Many native residents of the Sonoran Mexico region explain that the salsa is thus named because the serrano pepper resembles a rooster's beak in shape.

The Spanish picar means "to chop" or "to bite" (in the sense of a spicy chili having a "bite"); in the first person conjugation, picar becomes pico.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Sunday, March 19, 2023

Pico de gallo

Pico de gallo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpiko ðe ˈɣaʝo], lit. 'rooster's beak'), also called salsa fresca ('fresh sauce'), salsa bandera ('flag sauce'), and salsa cruda ('raw sauce'), is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, onion, and serrano peppers (jalapeños or habaneros may be used as alternatives), with salt, lime juice, and cilantro.

Pico de gallo can be used in much the same way as other Mexican liquid salsas. Because it contains less liquid, it also can be used as a main ingredient in dishes such as tacos and fajitas.

The tomato-based variety is widely known as salsa picada ('minced/chopped sauce'). In Mexico it is normally called salsa mexicana ('Mexican sauce'). Because the colours of the red tomato, white onion, and green chili and cilantro are reminiscent of the colours of the Mexican flag, it is also called salsa bandera ('flag sauce').

In many regions of Mexico the term pico de gallo describes any of a variety of salads (including fruit salads), salsa, or fillings made with tomato, tomatillo, avocado, orange, jícama, cucumber, papaya, or mild chilis. The ingredients are tossed in lime juice and optionally with either hot sauce or chamoy, then sprinkled with a salty chili powder.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Thursday, March 16, 2023

The Birria Taco King of LA


Teddy Vaquez is the man behind Teddy’s Red Tacos, the birria-style taco trucks in Los Angeles via Tijuana, Mexico that have become a local obsession. Teddy’s trucks and 4-item menu can be found all over Southern California, where he focuses on rich, spicy birria-style tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, and mulitas– plus a flavor-packed consommé for dipping.

Teddy’s success did not come easily; he spent many years battling depression until devoting himself to building a better life, and ultimately, a food truck empire.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Monday, March 13, 2023

Salsa Verde

Salsa verde (lit. 'green sauce') is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers.

The tomatillo-based Mexican salsa verde dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, and is distinct from the various medieval European parsley-based green sauces.

In the cuisines of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, it is often served with Mexican or Tex-Mex style dishes like enchiladas and chicharrón (pork rinds). The version typical of New Mexico consists mostly of green chile rather than tomatillos.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph


Friday, March 10, 2023

Salsa Roja

Salsa roja (lit. 'red sauce') is a type of spicy red sauce in Mexican cuisine. It is made of jitomate (red tomato), ground with onion, garlic, chilli, salt and pepper to taste.

This red sauce comes in subtypes: salsa cocida ("cooked sauce"), in which the ingredients are cooked (e.g. by stewing) and then ground; salsa asada ("roasted sauce"), in which the elements are roasted on a comal and then ground; salsa cruda ("raw sauce"), in which ingredients are ground raw, ready to eat; and a combination in which some elements are roasted and other cooked. A molcajete or a blender can be used for the grinding process. After the sauce is prepared, it can be cooked again in a pan with little oil.

It is used to prepare traditional Mexican foods, in a mild spicy level for enchiladas and huevos rancheros, or spicier for antojitos such as tacos and quesadillas.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Cooking Tips For Kitchen Beginners | Epicurious 101


Professional chef instructor Frank Proto shares his top tips for beginners, helping you to elevate the basic skills you'll need to find your footing in the kitchen.

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FAIRFIELD
3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Beverages

In addition to food, there are several kinds of drinks popular on the streets. Aguas frescas are a classic street drink. They are often made with fruits such as watermelon, mango, orange, lime, etc., water and sugar, but others are made with rice (called horchata), coconut and tamarind as well as a hibiscus flower tea called Agua de Jamaica. In the south of the country, fermented corn drinks like tejuino are popular and come in various forms. In Tabasco, Chiapas and parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, it is known as pozol, often flavored with chocolate and served cold. Many of the most popular street drinks can also be found in juice bars.

Read more, here.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Soups

Not all Mexican street foods are based on breads. Street stalls and markets serve soups and broths such as menudo, pozole and pancita. Caldo de pollo is chicken soup. Priced by the piece of chicken included, it usually also contains rice and chickpeas, with condiments such as oregano, onions, salt, lime juice and chili peppers available.

Read more, here.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Sunday, February 26, 2023

The Best Way To Sharpen & Clean Knives (And The Worst) | Epicurious


Chef Frank Proto demonstrates and explains everything you need to know in order to properly sharpen, clean, and store the knives in your kitchen. Frank breaks down his preferred methods and go-to accessories for every aspect of knife maintenance, giving you all the knowledge you need to keep your blades sharp and ready for action.

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FAIRFIELD

3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-428-1496/ph

VACAVILLE
2040 Harbison Drive, Suite F
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-447-1120/ph

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Other Street Foods ...

There are other street foods made with tortillas. Tostadas are flat hard tortillas either fried or dried on which are placed a variety of toppings such as shredded chicken, pork, beef, seafood, cheese and salsa. Quesadillas are derived from the Spanish word for cheese, queso, and refer to a tortilla folded in half and filled with cheese and possibly other ingredients such as spicy meat, mushrooms, chili pepper strips and more. The type of cheese used generally varies by region and in some areas, cheese is not even used unless requested. Empalmes are three stacked corn tortillas with beans, some kind of meat or stew which are typical in the state of Nuevo León. Known as "sincronizadas", the Spanish word for synchronized, are two corn tortillas with a meat and cheese filling then toasted on each side until the cheese melts. "Gringas", as the slang word for people with lighter skin tones, are similar to quesadillas or sincronizadas but made with flour tortilla, hence the name. Tlayudas are large dried tortillas topped with beans and other ingredients similar to a pizza or large tostada popular in the state of Oaxaca.

There are street foods that use the same corn dough used to make tortillas, but in different preparations. Gorditas can be found in almost all parts of the country. They are very thick corn dough patties fried in oil or cooked on a comal (a traditional griddle). After cooking, they are split and filled with a variety of ingredients. There is a flour dough version of this in Coahuila. Bocoles are small round gorditas popular in Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí. After cooking they are split and filled with ingredients such as cheese, picadillo, salsa, beans or cooked eggs. Empedradas is triangular pieces of blue corn dough mixed with chickpeas and then cooked on a comal popular in Tlaxcala. Garnachas are thick tortillas similar to gorditas split and filled with shredded pork and diced onion. On top is placed salsa, cheese, and a vinegar and chili pepper sauce. Memelas, also called picadas, are long thick tortillas made of corn dough mixed with fried pork rind and salsa. They are cooked on a comal and then topped with tomato sauce and chopped lettuce or cabbage. Tlacoyos are the most popular in Mexico City. They are elongated and usually made with blue corn dough which is filled with a paste made of beans before being cooked on a comal.

Chalupas are small tortilla-like cups of fried corn dough filled with cheese, beans or a variety of stews topped with salsa and chopped lettuce. They are most popular in Puebla. Similarly, chilapas are tortilla cups fried crispy in the form of a cup and then filled with shredded meat, salsa, cream, avocado, chili peppers and chopped lettuce and onion. They are a specialty of Chilapa, Guerrero. Huaraches are similarly large and flat and topped with chopped or shredded meat, and any of the following: beans, cheese, cream and salsa. Sopes are also flat and thick but in disk form, pinched on the edges then topped with beans, salsa and more.

Elote refers to fresh corn (maize) which is served on the cob or cut kernels. If on the cob is it either grilled or boiled then coated with mayonnaise and dusted with any of the following: chili pepper, salt, cotija cheese, lime juice and hot sauce. The cut kernels are usually served in a dish called esquites, where similar seasoning is mixed in and it is eaten with a spoon. Fresh fruits and vegetables can also be had as street food. Fruit cups are popular and vary depending on the season. They usually contain one or more of the following, watermelon, papaya, mango, orange, jicama and cucumber. These are cut into slender spears or cubes with lime juice, salt and chili pepper powder added. Jicama is a root vegetable that is popularly eaten raw. It can be eaten in strips or chunks as part of a salad or fruit cup. A jicaleta is a large slice of vegetable placed on a stick to look like a large lollipop. It can be eaten plain like this, or it can then be covered with a choice of sweet or savory flavored powders, hot sauce, lime juice and more.

The Spanish and later the French introduced a variety of wheat breads which have been adapted into a variety of street foods. Tortas are rolls that are cut to make thick sandwiches with various fillings. These include refried beans, cheese, various hot meats such as breaded chicken or pork, carnitas, egg and more or with cold cuts, along with avocado, onions and pickled jalapeños. Tortas can be found in cold or warm varieties. The first is usually found at public transport stops or in front of schools. In Puebla, a similar sandwich is called a cemita, named after the style of bread used to make it. Molotes are a type of torta, bread with a filing and salsa which varies by region. In Hidalgo, they are cylindrical and filled with chicken, cheese or beef. In Oaxaca, they are filled with chorizo sausage and potatoes and in Tlaxcala, they are shaped like a pointed oval. Pambazos are small tortas filled with various ingredients, with salsa covering the filling (in Veracruz) or coating the bread (in Mexico City). In the Yucatán, small tortas are called salbutes which are heated on comals, and filled with tomatoes, cabbage, onions and meat. Another European derived dish is the empanada, which is flour or sometimes corn flour turnovers that enclose a filling and is baked. In Hidalgo, they are called "pastes" after the English word "pasty".

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Monday, February 20, 2023

Street Food : Camotes

Camotes are a traditional food present in Central and Southern Mexico. This Mexican street food is closely related to the holiday Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Because of the close ties to such a central holiday, the camote is very important to the culture of the Mexican people. Camotes are pressure-cooked sweet potatoes served individually to each customer. Traditionally the camote is a pressure-cooked sweet potato topped with condensed milk, and seasoned with chili peppers, cinnamon, or strawberry jam. Camotes vendors are distinctive because of the very noisy, high-pitched whistle created by the cart they cook the potatoes in. One can walk down the Streets of Mexico City and know where a camote vendor was located blocks away. Even though this is a traditional Mexican street food the camote is mostly only located in or around Mexico City or other metropolises.

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Friday, February 17, 2023

Mexican Cocktails YOU should make!


Mexico doesn’t strike me as a land of cocktail drinkers. Or, rather, if you go to a typical bar/restaurant you won’t find many people Sipping margaritas . More often you’ll find people drinking Mezcal or beer or tequila often with a little side of Sangrita. That’s not to say that Mexico hasn’t made major contributions to the world of cocktails, the Margarita is quite possibly the most popular cocktail in the world followed very closely by the Paloma. And like just about everywhere else Mexico stands as one of the cities on the cutting edge of modern cocktail culture. Today, I thought it would be nice to explore some of these cocktails. Let’s go beyond the Margarita and peel back the layers to some less recognizable Mexican cocktails.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Happy Valentines Day


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Fairfield, CA 94533
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Vacaville, CA 95688
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Saturday, February 11, 2023

Tamales

Tamales are one of the most popular street foods in the world. They feature a filling and are wrapped in corn-based masa dough and steamed in corn husks. Tamales come in sweet and savory versions, some spicy and some bland. Versions with pork or chicken with a salsa or mole sauce are the most popular, along with a version called "rajas" that are filled with strips of poblano chili pepper and cheese. It is one of the safer street foods for novices to try as it is cooked and kept in a steam vat while being sold. Corundas are a variety of tamale in Michoacán in a triangle shape wrapped in corn stalk leaves. They can be eaten alone, with salsa or as an accompaniment to a meal. The Chiapas version of the tamale has a distinct flavor, often containing ingredients such as pibil, mole sauce, carrot, corn grains, egg, raisins, almonds (known locally as nacatamales, a regional version of Nicaraguan well-known version), a version with the regional herb chipilín with chicken or queso blanco and versions wrapped in banana leaves. They are often sold by vendors on specially made tricycles for street vendors. Uchepos are tamales made with fresh corn, generally made in Michoacán in July and August.

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Wednesday, February 8, 2023

4 Levels of Fish Tacos: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious


We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur Onika, home cook Alejandro, and professional chef Saul Montiel from Rooftop Cantina - to make us a plate of fish tacos. Once each level of chef had presented and tasted their creations, we asked expert food scientist Rose to explain the choices each made along the way to add some scientific context to the results. Which fish tacos can you imagine tucking into at a beachside cabana?

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Sunday, February 5, 2023

Street Tacos

The taco is the best known and the most popular of Mexican street foods, and the first to be embraced north of the border into the United States. A taco simply is a folded tortilla with some kind of filling. Mexican street taco fillings vary from one region to another. Most tacos are made with corn tortillas, except in the very north of the country where wheat flour tortillas dominate. The tortillas used in Mexican tacos are soft, although the entire taco can be fried, which is called "dorado" (lit. golden). The taco has its origins in the pre-Hispanic period, when other foods were eaten with tortillas, used as a scoop. The modern taco developed in Mexico's rural areas when wives would bring their husbands' meals to the fields wrapped in tortillas. Tacos arrived to the city when stands began to sell foods known to the many rural people who migrated to them in the 20th century. This is especially true for Mexico City, which offers taco specialties from just about every region of the country. The taco bridges social and economic barriers in that everyone in the country eats them, leading it to be called "the most democratic of Mexican foods."

The fillings for tacos vary widely and most taco vendors have a specialty, the most known are al pastor and bistek. There are also tacos for more adventurous people that are filled with beef eyes, brains or tongue. Taco vendors are usually distinguished from other street food vendors by having a large block of wood called a tronco, on which meat and other fillings are minced with a cleaver. Garnishes vary but usually include chopped onion, cilantro, various salsas, grilled green onions, and lime wedges. Many taco varieties are generally available only in the morning or afternoon. Tacos most often found in the morning hours include tacos de canasta and those with barbacoa or cabeza de res (lit. beef head). Tacos de canasta (basket tacos) are the only kind which are not prepared on the spot. They are tortillas with fillings such as potatoes, chorizo sausage, pork rind, beans and picadillo (a spiced ground meat), then steamed and wrapped to keep warm and carried in a basket. Barbacoa is pit-roasted meat. It is most commonly found in the center of the country, where the preferred meat is mutton. In the north of the country, there is a version made with beef. Cabeza de res are made from meat and other parts of a steer, most commonly found in Sonora, the Bajío region and Mexico City. Vendors of these kinds of tacos usually sell out and close by midday. In the afternoon, outside of Mexico City, tacos are generally not available until later in the day. In the late afternoon until well into the night (especially on weekends) other taco stalls open with a different selection. These are principally grilled, fried or steamed meat. One famous night taco in the Mexico City area is tacos al pastor (shepherd style tacos). They are an adaptation of Middle Eastern spit-cooked meat, introduced by Lebanese immigrants. However, the meat is pork and the seasoning is a mild chili pepper, onions and pineapple. Other taco varieties include tacos de guisado, or tacos de cazuela, which are filled with meat or vegetables in a sauce. Fritangas are tacos with fried meat such as sausage. Carnitas is pork cooked in lard flavored with orange rind. It was originally a specialty of Michoacán and Jalisco, but now can be found in most of the center of the country and in other parts of the country as well. The best-known grilled taco is carne asada (grilled meat) which originated in Sonora. It is beef grilled over charcoal, originally mesquite. These are served with grilled green onions and, depending on the region, served with flour or corn tortillas. Fish tacos are a speciality of Baja California and the Pacific coast. They have also become very popular in parts of the United States. Codzitos are small tacos popular in the Yucatán Peninsula, which are fastened with toothpicks and then fried . Flautas, also called taquitos or tacos dorados, are similar to tacos in that they are filled, but they are then rolled and fried. They are served topped with cream, salsa, and vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

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Thursday, February 2, 2023

Antojito, Mexican Street Food

Mexican street food, called antojitos (literally "little cravings"), is prepared by street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Street foods include tacos, tamales, gorditas, quesadillas, empalmes, tostadas, chalupa, elote, tlayudas, cemita, pambazo, empanada, nachos, chilaquiles, fajita and tortas, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, beverages and soups such as menudo, pozole and pancita. Most are available in the morning and the evening, as mid-afternoon is the time for the main formal meal of the day.

Mexico has one of the most extensive street food cultures in Latin America, and Forbes named Mexico City as one of the foremost cities on the world in which to eat on the street.

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Monday, January 30, 2023

The Best Ways to Peel & Chop Garlic (And the Worst) | Epicurious


Professional Chef-instructor Frank Proto demonstrates 16 ways to peel, chop, smash, grate, and slice garlic like a pro. From fine slices to grating on a microplane, Frank explains how preparing the garlic for your recipe directly impacts its intensity in the dish - and how to understand which one is best for every situation.

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Friday, January 27, 2023

Do You Love a Taco Salad??

A taco salad is a Tex-Mex dish that combines ingredients used in Tex-Mex tacos. The dish originated in Texas during the 1960s.

Ingredients

The salad is served with a fried flour tortilla shell stuffed with shredded iceberg lettuce and topped with diced tomatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. The salad is topped with taco meat (ground beef), seasoned shredded chicken or beans and/or Spanish rice for vegetarians.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Tostadas?

Just like stale bread can be made palatable as toast, a stale tortilla can be repurposed as a tostada by frying it in boiling oil until it becomes golden, rigid, and crunchy. Commercial tostadas are similar in taste and consistency to tortilla chips.

Tostadas are a standalone dish in Mexico and the American Southwest, and are also served as a companion to various Mexican foods, mostly seafood and stews, such as menudo, birria and pozole. Tostadas can be found across Mexico.

Toppings for tostadas are mostly the same as those used for tacos: a base layer of beans, cheese, sour cream, chopped lettuce, sliced onions, and salsa, which is then topped with diced and fried meat, usually chicken or pork, and also beef. They are also popular with seafood such as tuna, shrimp, crab, chopped octopus, and ceviche. Vegetarian tostadas, while not as common, can also be found. Due to the fragile nature of a tostada, the main topping (usually beans or cream) must be pasty enough to stay on; this keeps the other toppings or garnishes from falling off while being eaten. The Oaxaca region is known for its large tlayuda tostada, which is the size of a pizza and sometimes topped with fried chapulines (a variety of grasshopper).

Tostadas can be an appetizer ("botana"), cut into small triangles to make tortilla chips to dip into salsa, guacamole, beans, cream, cream cheese or served with chile con queso. This version of the tostada has its origins both in the totopos de maiz and the New Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. Commercial tortilla chips, sometimes known as nachos, are also commonly sold in stores and supermarkets.

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Saturday, January 21, 2023

The Best Ways Cut Onions (And The Worst) | Epicurious


Professional chef and culinary instructor Frank Proto returns with another Epicurious 101 class, this time demonstrating his preferred techniques for peeling and cutting onions. Whether you're after a finely diced pile for pico de gallo or slivered half-moons for a soup, chef Frank shows your all the best (and worst) ways to get the job done.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

What is Mexican Rice?

Mexican rice (sometimes referred to as Spanish rice or red rice in Tex-Mex cuisine), also known as arroz a la mexicana, arroz mexicano, or arroz rojo in Spanish, is a Mexican side dish made from white rice, tomato, garlic, onion, and perhaps other ingredients. Mexican rice is almost always eaten as a complement to other dishes such as mole, refried beans, rotisserie chicken, carne asada, picadillo, tacos, fried fish, fried chicken, chiles rellenos, or vegetable soup.

Mexican-style rice is especially popular in central and northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is eaten year-round and is one of the most common preparations in Mexican cuisine.

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Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Taquito

A taquito (Spanish pronunciation: [taˈkito], Spanish for "small taco"), tacos dorados, rolled taco, or flauta (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈflawta], Spanish for "flute") is a Mexican food dish that typically consists of a small rolled-up tortilla that contains filling, including beef, cheese or chicken. The filled tortilla is then crisp-fried or deep-fried. The dish is often topped with condiments such as sour cream and guacamole. Corn tortillas are generally used to make taquitos. The dish is more commonly known as flautas when they are larger than their taquito counterparts, and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas.

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Thursday, January 12, 2023

How It's Made: Hot Sauce


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Monday, January 9, 2023

What Do You Know About a Burrito?

A burrito (English: /bəˈriːtoʊ/, Spanish: [buˈrito] (listen)) is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, make it more pliable, and allow it to adhere to itself. Burritos are often eaten by hand, as their tight wrapping keeps the ingredients together. Burritos can also be served "wet", i.e., covered in a savory and spicy sauce, when they would be eaten with a fork and knife.

Burritos are filled with savory ingredients, most often a meat such as beef, chicken, or pork, and often include other ingredients, such as rice, cooked beans (either whole or refried), vegetables, such as lettuce and tomatoes, cheese, and condiments such as salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, or crema.

Burritos are often contrasted with similar dishes, such as tacos, in which a small hand-sized tortilla is folded in half around the ingredients rather than wrapped and sealed, or with enchiladas, which use corn masa tortillas, and are covered in a savory sauce, to be eaten with a fork and knife.

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Friday, January 6, 2023

Who Loves Refried Beans?


Refried beans (from Spanish: frijoles refritos, lit. 'well-fried beans') is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular in many other Latin American countries.

In this dish, after being boiled and then mashed into a paste, the beans are fried or baked, though as they are fried only once, the term "refried" is misleading. As described by Rick Bayless, "they're refritos—not fried again, as you might assume, but 'well fried' or 'intensely fried.

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Tuesday, January 3, 2023

9 Essential Knife Skills To Master | Epicurious 101


Professional chef and culinary instructor Frank Proto returns with another Epicurious 101 class, this time teaching you each of the knife skills you’ll need to master in order to produce restaurant-quality dishes at home. From chopping and cubing to slicing and dicing, Frank explains it all step-by-step so you can achieve results you never thought possible in your own kitchen.

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