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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3334 N. Texas Street, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
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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.

Visit our website for our locations and menu.

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.

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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.

Visit our website for our locations and menu.

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