Posts under ‘Restaurantes & recetas’

I had a deliciosa dinner at Los Balcones de Peru last night, so it gets the Sol Tutoring thumbs up! We had the Choritos Reales (spicy, tangy, sweet, citrusy ceviche over mussels) and the Tiradito; we were literally looking for ways to sop up every bit of the juice or sauce left behind. Then, we shared the Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian standard with strips of marinated beef sauteed with tomato, red onion, parsley, and french fries, and it was the best I’ve ever tasted. It was less greasy than the one at Mario’s, and the meat was really tender. If you’re a foodie, Jonathan Gold includes Los Balcones in his 99 Essential Restaurants list and recommends camarones a la piedra, a spicy, sharp shrimp ceviche from the north of Peru. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other dishes– Latin American cuisine meets Asian influences… what could be better? 1360 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028

El restaurante

Anyone who knows me knows I LIKE TO EAT. If you even remotely like Mexican mole or good Mexican food, do yourself a favor and head over to Rosa Mexicano at LA Live downtown. My mouth waters every time I think about the Mole de Xico enchiladas I had there last weekend: tortillas filled with shredded chipotle beef, topped with Veracruz mole made with raisins, plantains, hazelnuts, pine nuts and mulato, ancho and pasilla chiles, garnished with crema and queso fresco. Everything I’ve tried is delish, and I’m also a fan because they play good music and put on FREE and fun cooking demos, with food tasting and printed recipes you can take home. I HEART ROSA MEXICANO!

Don’t miss the chance to celebrate Day of the Dead, Día de los muertos! I am thinking of trying to make a special dish called Pipián; it’s like a green, Mexican mole that calls for pumpkin seeds. My grandmother used to make a tasty Pipián. Since my abuelito passed this summer, I think this holiday is the perfect opportunity to try a new family recipe and honor his life.

For a list of Día de los muertos events happening around Los Angeles, click here. If you like beautifully decorated DOD bread, here’s a guide to bakeries that sell pan de muertos. And, if you’d like to go to a food and cooking demo, check out Surfas this weekend! After enjoying my delish pipián, I plan to go to the Self Help Graphics hosted event at the EastLA Civic Center. I also hope to get the chance to visit Rosa Mexicano at LA Live for their special DOD menu before it’s too late!

¡Cuando yo era niña, arroz con leche era uno de mis favoritos desayunos y postres! A veces mi mama me hacía arroz con leche los fines de semana y me gustaba que sobrara (for there to be left over) para comerlo el próximo día. ¡La receta es bastante fácil, asi que inténtala! Si te gusta el flan, los budines, o el sabor de la horchata, te va a encantar esta receta.

When I was a little girl, arroz con leche or Mexican rice pudding was one of my favorite breakfasts or desserts. Sometimes my mom would make it on the weekends and I loved it when there was left over so I could eat it again the next day. The recipe is rather easy, so try it! If you like flan, puddings & custards, or the flavor of horchata, you’ll love this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 C white rice

2 C of water

2 sticks of cinnamon

1/2 C sweetened, condensed milk

2 C milk (you can also use evaporated milk)

Optional add-ons: raisins, coconut, lemon peel, clove

Directions: Bring rice, cinnamon sticks (and raisins or other add-ons), and water to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is cooked and water has been absorbed. You can remove cinnamon sticks or leave them in before adding the milk and sweetened, condensed milk. It might be fun to add other spices or use coconut milk instead! Mmm!

Acabo de hacer esta receta y GUAU! Me acordé de cuando era niña y pasaba tiempo en casa de mi abuela. Ella tenía un gran arbol de membrillo y nos hacía cajeta de membrillo. Aquí está la receta, la cajeta se puede comer con quesos, o con ricotta y pita….mmm! *Recomiendo usar menos azúcar de lo que pide la receta. Disfruten!

I just tried this and WOW, it took me right back to when I was a little girl, spending time with my abuelita. She used to make quince paste with the fresh quince off her tree. Here’s the recipe, you can eat quince paste with cheeses, or spread it with ricotta on wheat pita…yum! *I recommend using less sugar than the recipe calls for, it tastes great and is healthier for you. Enjoy, y’all!

Licuado de piña

Those of you over 21 might call today Thirsty Thursday, but we want to keep this all ages, so it’s JUEVES JUGOSO, or Juicy Thursday. Today’s juicy tidbit is literally juicy– an easy recipe I’ve come up with for the most delicioso and healthy pineapple smoothie/licuado de piña ever! It’s dairy free, and only requires 2 ingredients and a blender. With all this hot weather, knock yourself out! 

Ingredientes:

1 taza de Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Drink 

1 taza de pedazos de piña  (congelados) 

Direcciones: Pon los ingredientes en la liquadora, disfruta tu licuado!

MOLES ARE AMAZING, period. They are complex sauces dating back to Pre-Colombian times, when they used to be called molli or mulli by the Aztecs. I AM DYING TO VISIT MOLES LA TIA; they claim their chef has “created the biggest selection of moles, from Poblano mole to passion fruit, tequila and coffee mole.”  The only problem is there are so many delicious-sounding options on the menu, I may have to go more than once! ANY TAKERS? Moles La Tia is at 4619 East Cesar Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90022

Chile en nogada

August kicks off the chiles en nogada (chiles in walnut sauce) season. Think chile relleno, but stepped up a couple of notches. From about August to October, restaurants prepare this beautiful Mexican national specialty. The green chile, white walnut sauce, and red pomegranate seeds represent the Mexican flag, and it’s one of my favorite dishes because the flavors are so complex. Seriously, it’s a little food bomb! The history of the dish is also muy cool. Around the time of Mexico’s independence from Spain (1810), the nuns of Santa Monica convent in the state of Puebla invented this special dish to venerate Agustín de Iturbide, who had declared himself emperor of Mexico and was about to make his grand, triumphal entrance to Puebla on his birthday. No pressure for them, right?

All of this leads to one thing, and that is where to eat a good chile en nogada in LA. For years now, I’ve been reading about BABITA. Jonathan Gold included this place in his latest LA Weekly article “99 Essential LA Restaurants.” So there you have it. If you try it before I do, let me know what you think. 1823 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel, (626) 288-7265.