Mexican
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Street Food Mondays: Antojitos de mi Abuelita
Mar 16 2011
Last summer I had a dramatic mole experience at the 3rd Annual Feria de Los Moles. Well, a few actually, but the most pivotal of all happened when I sunk my teeth into a succulent piece of pork souped-up in Pueblan mole verde from Antojitos de mi Abuelita. “Divine” is the only word that accurately describes the moment.
And the only word that can describe the moment I found out that the North Hollywood food truck would be showcased at the last installment of Street Food Mondays is “YAY!” It was enough to make me leave my house on a Monday night. Hosted by Street Gourmet LA’s Bill Esparza and Evan Kleiman of KCRW’s Good Food, Street Food Mondays brings the city’s best street food to Kleiman’s Angeli Caffe in the form of a 3-course meal.
San Gabriel: A Relleno to Remember at Babita Mexicusine
Feb 08 2011
Like most people, the first time I went to Babita Mexicuisine, I was a little surprised. The unassuming restaurant, once a house itself, sits on a low-lit corner of a residential street in San Gabriel. When you open the door, you find yourself in the middle of small square dining room with around 10 tables and wood-paneled walls clad in Elmer Dills plaques.
Babita’s lack of pretense is part of it’s charm. That, along with Chef Roberto Berrelleza’s Chiles en Nogada are what have kept me coming back for years. A relleno variation, Chiles en Nogada is a Pueblan dish that consists of a poblano chile stuffed with a sweet filling of tender slow-cooked shredded pork, pears, apples, peaches, raisins, dried bananas, cactus, almonds, pecans and walnuts. Though it looks heavy, the sauce is actually a light goat cheese cream. Pomegranate seeds are sprinkled on top.
Eat at Home:Pomegranate Makes Guacamole Even Better
Jan 26 2011
My best guacamole experience ever (what you don’t have one?) was at the Condesa DF hotel in Mexico City. We’d just arrived, and I was as hungry as I was exhausted. It’s true that some of the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life are walking distance from Condesa DF, but all I really wanted was chilaquiles, a cuba libre and some sleep.
The mid-century modern bliss of the hotel’s restaurant was exactly what we needed. And things got even better when we caught sight of the guacamole we’d ordered. It was studded with pomegranate seeds! The sweet-tart flavor of the juicy little seeds really took a simple concept to a brilliant level. One bite and all we could do was talk about how we were going to make it all the time when we got home.
Now that pomegranates are in season, we’re making good on our promise. Aside from the actual seeding part (if you want to cheat, they sell the seeds solo at Trader Joes), it’s so easy to just throw an avocado, garlic and some pomegranate seeds together. The garlic is essential as it delivers nice contrast—I add a teaspoon.
A superfood bonanza, it’s a healthy and flavorful addition to…pretty much anything: tacos, chips, salads, sandwiches, etc. Plus, if you bring it to a party, you’ll wow your friends. Eat it up!
-Valentina
Highland Park:A New Carnitas Experience at Metro Balderas
Jan 24 2011Metro Balderas only serves carnitas on the weekends, but they make up for that by serving 8 different kinds. The most common type of pork carnitas served in Los Angeles is maciza, braised pork butt (actually cut from the shoulder). Metro Balderas serves maciza, of course, but they also cover less-frequented pig parts: cuerito (skin), trompa (snout), nana (uterus), buche (stomach), costilla (pork rib), oreja (ear), and surdita, which is a combo of all the above minus the Nana.
Metro Balderes also does something else differently: they don’t boil the meat. According to Street Gourmet LA, that’s a cheater method and the culprit behind the hard, stringy texture of so many carnitas that you come across. That problem is exactly what’s kept me from being the carnitas fanatic that I know I can be.
Tulum, Mexico: Dreamy Paletas from Flor de Michoacan
Jan 14 2011Update: Check out ESFB’s Guide to Eating in Tulum.
Whatever happened to the paleta man?
Back in the 80s, in some Los Angeles neighborhoods, the guy pushing his little cart of Mexican popsicles down the street was a common sight. Both of my grandmothers—one born in Mexico and one born in East LA—were crazy for paletas, and I could always count on their hurriedly shoving money in my hand while shouting flavor requests whenever we heard the bell.
“Fresa con leche! Limon! Piña!” Sure, my Spanish was pretty limited, but I could perfectly pronounce and identify any of the flavors once the paleta man took the lid off and let me peer into his frosty icebox on wheels. You just had to wait a few seconds for the cold smoke to settle, so you could focus on the selection.
Eat at Home: Perfect Corn Tortilla Quesadillas
Jan 11 2011
If there’s one food item that’s been a constant in my life, it’s the quesadilla. Even though (sadly) I didn’t grow up in house where Mexican food was always on the stove, my mom was far more likely to throw a tortilla with cheese on the comal than, say, a cheese sandwich.
As a kid, I only had love for flour tortilla quesadillas, but these days, I’m all about the corn. The truth is, when you’re talking store-bought tortillas, corn is generally superior in taste and quality to flour. Plus, you can do a lot more to enhance the flavor of packaged corn tortillas—those flour disks that the Guerreros, Romeros, or (god help us) Mission make cannot be saved.
Atwater Village: Secret Password Burritos at Hugo’s Tacos
Nov 05 2010
UPDATE: Burrito Madness is extended through December! Just use the word “Cosmos” between 7-9pm. Limit 5 burritos.
What is it about a cheap burrito that’s so irresistible? I’m not sure, but Hugo’s Tacos in Atwater Village always manages to enchant me with Burrito Madness, an entire month when knowing the secret password gets you a giant burrito for $2.51 every Wednesday.
Hugo’s burritos are on the healthier side, stuffed fat and really delicious.They use organic beans and rice and offer all the basic fillings, like al pastor and grilled fish, plus vegetarian options. My favorite is the zucchini, corn and string beans (pictured). I’ve tried most of the other salsas they offer, but none compare to the sweet and smokey flavor of the honey chipotle. I also usually add cheese for a pretty fair $.46.
Burrito Madness is every Wednesday from 7-9pm in November, and the secret password is “Gracie.” It also works at their Studio City location.
Enjoy!
-Valentina
The 3rd Annual Feria de los Moles: Puebla vs. Oaxaca
Oct 17 2010
When Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA told me that Oaxaca and Puebla would be battling it out at the 3rd Annual Feria de los Moles, I got pretty excited. A mole showdown? Fat chance I would turn that down.
Held at Placita Olvera on one of the hottest days of the year, the mole fair was a crowded and lively affair. Live music played in the background as we waited in long lines, anticipating styrofoam containers filled with weighty helpings of moles of every variety-verde, coloradito, pepita, poblano, amarillo…you name it, it was there.
This was my favorite plate of the day. The chicken on the left was Oaxacan and the pork on the right was Pueblan. Both were from Antojitos de la Abuelita, a food trailer that can usually be found on Vineland Ave in North Hollywood. The mole pepita was really divine-the gritty texture of the pumpkin seeds (i.e. pepitas) added so much dimension to this rich and spicy mole. We were definitely putting our tortillas to good use, scooping up every last drop.
Eastside Goes Westside: Fluffy Tortillas from Tacomiendo
Oct 07 2010
I just found out that Monday was National Taco Day, so I figured better late than never. I first heard about Tacomiendo on a The Great Taco Hunt’s top 10 Westside tacos list and was intrigued. We’re privy to some pretty outstanding tacos on this side of town, so most of my forages on the westside tend to lean toward “ladies who lunch” establishments, where I can get a fancy sandwich, an Arnold Palmer and some sort of outrageous baked good. But Tacomiendo does, indeed, make a good carne asada taco.
And by good I mean the tortillas are handmade and super fluffy, the meat has the crispy-tender thing going on, and the salsa bar leaves little to be desired. The tacos are served barebones and garnished with a green onion. I ordered a side of guacamole to dress them up and went for smoky salsa roja on one and verde on the other because that’s the way I do it.
My lunch companions ordered combo plates, which looked only so-so to me, so I think I’ll stick with Tacos Por Favor for my non-taco Mexican fast food cravings, but these tacos are a treat.
-Valentina
Tacomiendo
11462 Gateway Blvd (Map It)
Los Angeles, CA 90064
The 3rd Annual Taste of East LA: Food, Music & Art
Aug 30 2010
My dad invited me to this year’s Taste of East LA, and I’m glad I went. The event is organized by the East LA chamber of commerce to bring attention to local businesses. While it’s true that there are some obvious absences from this collection of the “best restaurants in East LA” and some strange inclusions (i.e. Coffee Bean and Juan Pollo), there were some great bites to be had while taking in good music and art. To be honest, I actually had more stress-free fun here than at the recent LA Street Food Fest, where each tasting was separated by a 20-minute wait in line. Maybe it wasn’t the foodie event of the century, but vibe at the Taste of East LA was less competitive and the price was only $20 for a one shot at every booth, which garnered enough tasty food for two people. Plus, I even got to meet Lalo Alcaraz (see his “Tacos Sin Carne” print after the jump) of La Cucaracha fame.
Here’s what I ate and saw:
Fish Taco from Fish Taco Express 
Pork Mole Sope from Moles La Tia
