la casita mexicana

la casita mexicana
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (30/143)
you could almost miss this quaint little restaurant in bell, ca and not realize there's delicious, reasonably priced food here! i came with a largish group of 9 people, and we easily took up half the restaurant. jaime and romero, the chefs and proprietors and the nicest human beings, created a fabulous multi-course tasting menu of on and off the menu dishes and showed us how to make salsa verde with a traditional molcajete.

we snacked on chips with not one but three different moles--chocolate, green pepian & red pepian, which are made from pumpkin seeds and different chiles. my favorite was the green, although all were good, and the chocolate had the most complexity. then came potatoes, simple red-skinned spuds covered in a tangy, tasty chile sauce, and guacamole with chauplines, excellent guacamole topped with crunchy, smoky little grasshoppers.

their fish ceviche was refreshing, fragrant and tangy w/ bits of cilantro & chile. then came four cheeses, nopales (cactus), mushrooms wrapped in a banana leaf. one of my favorites, the combination of melty mexican cheese with tangy cactus and mushrooms was excellent.

within their red pozole w/ pork and tostadas, large pieces of hominy and tender pork give texture to a hearty, tomato-y soup. Another favorite were the cotija cheese enchiladas--deceptively simple, but so tasty. the chile flavors permeated the little rolls of goodness.

chocolate mole is an acquired taste, but it's very intense and complex here. it pairs well with the chicken in their chicken mole poblano. even their side dishes were good, which included creamy refried beans and a cactus sald with plenty of crunchy textures and tangy flavor.

the so simple, so good cecina de res al chipotle, a skirt steak rubbed with chipotle chiles had a lot of kick from the chiles. for something lighter, the filete de pescado, fish cooked with aromatic herbs & chile morita, was perfectly prepared, with an infusion of flavor from the chiles.

one of the more interesting dishes, chile en nogada consisted of a stuffed poblano filled with ground meat and topped with a creamy sauce & pomegranate seeds.

just as we were getting full, they served several tasty bites of desserts. the envueltos de arroz con leche y crema de nuez looks like a wonton filled with a rice pudding, dusted with cinnamon sugar and topped pecan cream sauce - fried sweet dessert with pudding inside - yum!

for something light, the guayabas con rompope is guava & mexican style eggnog. then my heart melted when i saw the chocolate filled churros. seriously, i could eat a lot of these. crunchy, sweet cinnamon, oh, yes! then there was the delicate flavor and texture of sweet potato & pineapple sitting atop a crispy cinnamon sugar dusted thick chip.

we washed down dessert with mexican hot chocolate - cinnamon and chocolate. yum.

this is definitely one of my favorite mexican restaurants. they offer gourmet quality food, with an attention to details in an unpretentious, cozy restaurant that is very affordable. tacos may be what we're most familiar with, but if you want to get a feel for the range of mexican food, i highly recommend this place.

potato tacos w/ roasted poblano & mushroom

potato tacos w/ roasted poblano & mushroom
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i've been on a taco kick lately, but i was remembering how good the potato tacos were at jonathan gold's food & wine event a few weeks ago, so was feeling inspired. roasting poblanos intensifies the flavor of the chiles, and with some mushrooms and garlic, adds a little something to the comfort food goodness of potato tacos. our potatoes were extra creamy, with a little creme fraiche, which we happen to have leftover from the salad ingredients for the westside cooking society dinner.

cilantro marinated shrimp tacos

cilantro marinated shrimp tacos
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

here's a recipe for some flavorful marinated shrimp tacos:
makes 6 tacos

marinade
100 ml olive oil
1 bunch coarsely chopped cilantro, woody stems removed
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
juice & zest from 1 lime

1/2 lb small medium shrimp, shells & head removed, de-veined
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup vermouth
6 corn tortillas

fillings
these can be whatever you like with tacos
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 green onion chopped
1 avocado, sliced
4 lettuce leaves, chopped
1 cup cheese (a combo of monterey jack & cheddar)

in a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, zest & garlic. season the cleaned shrimp with a generous pinch of salt, mix and cover with marinade and refrigerate for 30 min.

in a saucepan heat 2 tbs olive oil and saute onions for about 10 mins or until they are browned and caramelized. put onions aside. add 2 tbs olive oil and heat medium. dip shrimp in flour and cook in oil for 3 min on each side. once you put the shrimp down, don't touch until you turn them over so they get a nice crusty sear. when done, place in bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

while the onions are caramelizing, brush the tortillas with olive oil and warm in a separate pan. place in covered container to keep warm.

add 1 tbs oil to the pan that you used for the shrimp and the previously caramelized onions. then add the vermouth to de-glaze the pan. cook the vermouth down and add the remaining marinade. cook for 3 mins.

assemble your tacos using the cooked shrimp, sauce and fillings. top with sour cream or if you're feeling fancy, some creme fraiche.

guelaguetza: dineLA false start

guelaguetza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (20/143)
i kicked off dineLA with a lunch at guelaguetza, which i've been wanting to try--at least i tried to. our waiter had no idea what i was talking about when i asked for the dineLA menu. i double checked the address, and it was correct. the hostess looked equally confused and said if i wanted the lunch special, that was only during the week.

we decided to order off the menu. i don't think i ordered the best dishes because although some were good, some were merely ok. the botana de molotes is a tasty chorizo & potato filled fried corn dough appetizer that reminded me of a samosa, but only in concept and not in taste. mike enjoyed the botana de chalupas, which consisted of seasoned veggies atop fried corn tortilas. we thought the ensalata nopalitos, a cactus salad, sounded interesting, but it was more like a plate of pico de gallo with strips of fresh cactus and crumbled cheese. the cactus, which was slightly tart and tender, tasted like a cross between a sour green chile and a green bell pepper. next time i would try it grilled with some kind of sauce.

we also sampled a tortilla stuffed with huitlacoche, a corn fungus, which had a nutty flavor and chewy mexican cheese. in retrospect, i think i should have ordered the tamale with chicken and mole because the one i did order with chile & spices was a little bland.

overall, the food was authentic and fresh, but without trying more dishes, it's hard for me to get excited about the food here. service was a little slow, and our waiter completely forgot to bring us our drinks. by the time we finally got someone's attention, we were pretty much done so just asked for the check. there's a small are by the cash register where they sell spices and prepared ingredients like chorizo or cecina for cooking oaxacan food.