Mexicali Taco & Co. Opens in DTLA
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The soft opening night was tonight in downtown Los Angeles at the first brick and mortar location for Mexicali Taco & Co. on Figueroa Street, just north of Cesar Chavez. It’s inviting good looks and simple interior compliments the authentic taste of Mexicali. Their first beginnings started as a temporary set up in an empty lot at the gritty street corner of 1st and Beaudry Streets in downtown Los Angeles, just next to the busy artery of the 110 freeway. Baja Night was what they called it, and the only time I went, I was enchanted.
The Mexicali boys themselves worked hard to transform the interior, with wood planks and fresh paint, while all of us impatiently waited for our Mexicali Taco fixes to be satiated by their open doors. Facebookand Twitter friends were asking the question of “when” as they painted, hammered, and worked on creating the interior. The bright and sunny Mexicali Taco & Co. sign made me happy to see, and the crayon red tables looked like tables you’d want to sit right down at with several vampiro quesadillas to devour, along with some cool and creamy horchata to drink. They offer several drinks on the menu and agua frescasalways appeals. Horchata, with its comforting creamy rice cinnamony goodness, hit the spot.
I was excited all day to know that I would be savoring a delicious garlic sauce laden vampiro quesadilla. Yes, I knew exactly what I wanted. The menu sides were tempting: Gueros — Cantonese-Baja style peppers, Ranchero (add on egg), and Garlic Sauce.
I love the Vampiro Quesadilla. So I added an egg. Then a little salsa. The Vampiro Ranchero Quesadilla. I waited all day for this moment.
right now and get this party—I mean, food—started right.
Sautéed recipes are easy, fun, easy, delicious, and easy. Did we mention they’re easy? That’s a chief advantage of this cooking method and a good first technique for novice cooks to master. All you need is a good pan, a pair of tongs and this web page to get started. Pans should be thick enough to evenly spread the heat and large enough to cook all the ingredients. A wide variety of foods—ranging from meat to fish to vegetables—can be prepared through this method.
Sautéed Recipes - Vegetable Recipes
So, let’s say you’re in the mood for some veggies tonight. There are some great, healthy recipes where some or all of the ingredients are sautéed. Try our Autumn Beet Salad, which includes whole beets, mushrooms and chevre cheese. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, another veggie favorite is our Squash Blossom Quesadillas, a new take on Mexican faire featuring a mix of squash blossoms, poblano pepper, onions, garlic and cilantro.
Seafood Recipes
If you’ve been out on the high seas all day and have a hankering for seafood, sautéing is an excellent and easy way to prepare fish. Seafood lovers will immediately be drawn to our Orange Glazed Salmon, whose secret is a blend of soy sauce, orange juice and sesame oil. Or perhaps an easy meal with a wonderful presentation, ourTrout with Bacon, is more suited for tonight’s entrée. It kind of tastes like chicken.
Poultry and Beef Recipes
Well, no, it doesn’t. If you want something that tastes like chicken come on over here and try one of our many chicken recipes. We recommend our Chicken Braised with Wine which utilizes red wine and a tablespoon of brandy, or our Lemony Chicken Breasts.
We know what you’re asking. All this talk of recipes, but where’s the beef? We’re not forgetting you, beef lovers of the world. Try our delectable take on a classic, Balsamic Fillet Mignon for a real treat, or plan on Skirt Steak withRed Wine Butter Sauce, a hearty meal seasoned with a Shiraz or Zinfandel wine that cooks in just 20 minutes.
When you’ve made your decision, bookmark this web page. Trust us; you’ll be back for more real soon.
Sauteed Cooking
Sauteing – or cooking food quickly in a pan with a little fat – is one of the most commonly employed cooking techniques. It’s easy to saute food, but a certain amount of care must be taken to caramelize (brown the natural sugar in the food) rather than dry out, the food.
Preparing the Food
In order to cook thoroughly without drying or burning, food ready to saute must be cut into small pieces – bite sized or smaller. Cut meat, fish, and poultry into thin pieces. Tender vegetables, like mushrooms or snow peas, don’t require cutting, but tougher vegetables, like carrots or celery, should be cut thinly before going into the pan. The same is true for fruits. Grains, like beans, rice, and pasta, can also be sauteed, but they should be thoroughly cooked beforehand.
Sauteing Basics
Use a flat-bottomed, shallow skillet or pan. It should be large enough that all the food being cooked can move around easily. Preheat the skillet over medium heat. When it is quite hot, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil or butter. (Failing to fully preheat the skillet can lead to food sticking to the pan.) Once the fat ripples, add food to the skillet. Let it brown for 2 or 3 minutes, then turn each piece over with a spatula so it can brown on another side. Continue like this until the food is cooked through.
Deglazing
Many meat recipes call for deglazing after sauteing. This is an easy way to make use of the cooking liquid - andturn out a scrumptious meal.
When the meat is done sauteing, move it to dishes or a platter. If you like, keep the meat warm in a 200 degree F. oven. If there’s more than 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat left in the saute pan, pour some out. Add liquid to the pan (usually about ? cup of wine or stock) and turn the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; don’t worry if there are bits of burned food. Those bits will make the sauce even better. Reduce the liquid (let it dissolve through boiling) until it starts thickening. Remove the pan from the stove and pour the sauce over the meat.
Saute Recipes
Beef Fillet with Red Wine and Rabbit Fillet with Lentils are classic recipes using the saute technique. Dirty Dish from Susan’s Garden features sauteed artichokes and Roasted Apples with Green Apple Sauce and features sauteed apples.
Want to see a different cooking technique, or recipes for a specific diet choice? See all the gourmet recipes and recipe videos at GourmetRecipe.com.
The cachetada is a tostada reinvented. A crispy grilled corn tortilla, covered in Mexican cheese and your choice of meat: carne asada, pollo, chorizo. Drizzled with a chipotle aioli sauce. Add an egg and make it Ranchero.
I had three cups of horchata, two vampiro quesadillas with egg, and two gueros peppers. I added in salsa and squeezed some lime on my quesadillas, which was probably a strange thing to do, and better done to tacos, but I love limes and I’ll find an excuse to squeeze them on pretty much anything that lime might taste good on. I almost squeezed some lime on my darling man and just as the idea crossed my mind, he brought churros to the table.
These churros are not just traditional churros, but round little bun-shaped churros sandwiching ice cream. Cinnamon sugar, delicate churros that melt in your mouth, ice cream. Five flavors of ice cream: vanilla custard, Mexican hot chocolate, horchata, Spanish latte, and maple butter pecan. And the delectable cinnamon sugar covered churros. All made by Churro Borough of LA.
Just marvelous.
I am so excited and pleased for Mexicali Taco & Co. upon celebration of their new location —congratulations to The Mexicali boys: Esdras, Javier and Paul. I will be coming in often and next time I’ll get my camera to behave. I didn’t take enough photos for this post because my camera card was malfunctioning. Sad as I was to not take as many photos for this posting, I will have an excuse to go down to Mexicali Taco & Co. next week for their opening day, February 15th, 2012. Vampiro quesadillas and tacos are on my mind, and once again, in my belly.
Mexicali Taco & Co.: 702 N. Figueroa St., L.A. (213) 613-0416
Korean-style Healing ~ Dakjuk (Chicken Rice Porridge) & Miyuk Guk (Seaweed Soup)
It was my first attempt at making these two Korean recipes from scratch in my kitchen. The morning when Darling caught my cold and was feeling chilled and feverish, I decided that very day to try my hand at what his mama might make him when he is sick: dakjuk, or chicken rice porridge. I also had seaweed soup in mind, called miyuk guk. Both recipes are nourishing to the body and soul.
I looked through a Korean cookbook I have on hand for some ideas, but found that a Korean lady namedMaangchi gave excellent tutorials on her YouTube channel. Basically these two recipes are super easy so there’s little room to make any mistake. I thought this would be a good start.
When I go for the day to my local Los Angeles Korean spa, the cafe inside serves all sorts of Korean dishes. The one standard fare for me when going to the spa is miyuk guk. It has such a nourishing quality— large slippery leaves of seaweed in its own broth, sometimes served with clams, mussels, and beef. I’ve tried many styles of this but the basic recipe is just seaweed, seaweed broth, and garlic.
One day not so long ago I showed my Korean cookbook to Darling and asked him (casually) what his mom makes at home (secret plot brewing). He earmarked the pages of recipes that she makes, and the dakjukrecipe was one of them. He cooed while reminiscing over the recipe, so that one stayed in my memory as a special one to make (the magic dish). I had hoped to find an opportunity to try my own version.
If anything, to win his heart just a little more.
So yesterday was the day. I didn’t have enough time to go to the Korean supermarket and make it back to start up the stove. It was a secretive little plan I had, to prepare everything and then surprise him after his day at work. He ached all over, had chills, and felt awful. He was leaving work early! I had already begun the seaweed soup and the chicken rice porridge, but it was in the beginning stages. I wanted it all to be table ready for him, but no such luck. Even so, he was thrilled when he came into the kitchen and smelled everything cooking on the stove. His eyes lit up and I got lots of hugs and affection. He tasted a ladleful of each and his eyes sparkled. I knew I had done something right. I was bubbling with joy. Success!
Here are the recipes, courtesy of Maangchi, although I adapted them a little bit:
Miyuk Guk (미역국 Miyeok Gook)
Miyuk guk is a seaweed soup traditionally eaten on birthdays or after giving birth for post-partum nourishment. Miyuk is known to be rich in iodine, calcium, and helps lower cholesterol in your body.
(4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of soaked miyuk (1 cup of dried seaweed)
- 16 cups of water (I added a little chicken stock for flavor)
- 4-5 tbs of fish sauce
- beef brisket/clams/mussels (if you’d like to add)
- 1 tbs of minced garlic
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
Directions:
- Soak 1 cup of dried miyuk in a big bowl for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain the water from the seaweed and cut it into bite size
- Place the soaked seaweed (about 4 cups) in a big pot and add 16 cups of water and boil it over high heat for 20 minutes (later you may have to add more water if the soup is too thick).
- If adding meat/clams/mussels: cut the beef brisket into bite size pieces/add in the clams/mussels
- When the water starts boiling (about 20 minutes later), add the meat and 1 tbs of garlic. Boil it again for another 20 or 25 minutes over medium heat.
- Add 4 or 5 tbs of fish sauce (to taste) and drizzle a few drops of sesame oil before serving.
- You may serve with a bowl of rice to add into your bowl of miyuk guk.
I found that the type of seaweed is important for the texture. I used arame and probably should have made the extra effort to drive to the Korean supermarket for the right seaweed. Wakame might also work. It wasn’t clear exactly what kind of seaweed, so I just trusted my memory from eating it before and my supermarket hunting instincts.
Next recipe on the stove…
Dakjuk (닭죽 Dak Jook)
I adapted Maangchi’s recipe and infused it with both another Korean cookbook recipe (which called fordates– or jujubes– and chestnuts– both give the rice porridge its own special umami) and of course I added in my own touch of love.
Instead of dates and chestnuts (which I will use next time) I added in a bunch of carrots. The carrots were more of a Western-style addition (common in chicken soup). But lesson learned: dates and chestnuts would give it a quality, texture, and sweetness that the carrots did not. I also used chicken broth instead of water. I wanted this porridge to be flavor rich.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- A whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
- 1 ½ cups of garlic cloves (whole)
- 1 ½ cups of rice
- 2 eggs (beaten and set aside)
- 3 green onions (chopped)
- 1 leek (minced)
- salt
- water/chicken broth
- carrots/(or) dates (chopped)
- chestnuts (peeled)
Directions:
- Soak 1½ cups of rice in cold water for 1 hour.
*tip: if you like thinner soup style, use 1 cup of rice; if you like thicker porridge style, use 1½ cups rice - Wash and drain the whole chicken.
- Trim the fat from the chicken’s stomach area with scissors; cut off the tip of bum part (Maangchi’s suggestion)
- Place the chicken in a large pot and add 12-13 cups of water (or chicken broth)
- Add 1½ cups of garlic cloves and bring to a boil over high heat for about 40 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to low-medium and cook 20 more minutes.
- Add in the dates, chestnuts, and leeks (or carrots)
- Rinse and drain the rice, and add to the boiling chicken porridge. (Maangchi’s suggestion— however you can also add the rice in the beginning too)
- Remove any fat floating on top of the soup with a spoon or ladle.
- Keep boiling with the lid closed for another 30 minutes. *tip: lower the heat if it boils over
- Chop 3 stalks of green onion and beat 2 eggs and set aside.
- Check if the chicken is cooked tender or not by poking the meat with a fork or chopsticks. It’s usually tender after 1½ hour of cooking, but if it’s not tender enough, cook a little longer.
- Add the beaten eggs. Pour them in and wait for 10 seconds before stirring, to let them cook.
- Add 1 tbs salt to the soup and mix it with your spoon. The amount of salt depends on your taste, so it’s a good idea to put the salt on the table for others to add as they like.
Time to serve! Take the chicken out of the pot, transfer to a large plate, and put it on the table to serve. (I didn’t do this but left the chicken in the pot where it fell apart into gelatinous bones and cartilage and it took a long time to pick out every little bit of bone out. Oops. Next time I’ll take the chicken out).
I set the table with little bowls of rice (for the seaweed soup), lotus root, and gobo (burdock) root salad (as banchan instead of kim chi).
And guess what? Darling loved it.
He loved it so much, he ate a few servings of each. This was exactly my wish!
Get it all on this Recipe...
Servings
4
Preparation Time
40 minutes
Cooking Time
50 minutes
Recommended Wine
Merlot OR Shiraz
Difficulty Level
Average
Ingredients
6 medium-sized whole beets (recommended: a mixture of Chioggia, golden and oxblood)
1-2 bunches of beet greens (if you can use the leafy tops of the above beets, all the better)
1lb cremini mushrooms
4 cloves garlic
½ C chevre (soft, unripened goat cheese)
½ C walnuts, crumbled
1 tbsp butter or cooking oil
Preparation Instructions
Give the beets a quick scrub, being careful of their delicate skin, but don’t peel them
In a large sauce pan, boil the beets for about 40 minutes, until they are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife
While the beets are boiling, wash the beet greens and the cremini mushrooms
Chop the greens roughly and steam them for 5 minutes
Slice the cremini mushrooms thinly
In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, combine the butter/oil, mushrooms, garlic and walnuts
Sautee for five minutes, then add the chopped greens and sautee further until the greens are bright and colourful
Remove from heat and set aside
Drain the beets and carefully remove the skins
Slice the beets into rounds
Combine the beet rounds with greens mixture
Crumble the chevre over everything
Serve and enjoy
I was so happy.
