Hah! I was all excited to post about them and forgot to say where they are. That's the address I pulled from Yelp... it also says on Yelp that they are in Normal Heights, but it feels distinctly like City Heights to me. Love that particular area - I can get some breakfast at Super Cocina or lunch at Fredcel's and wash it down with that delicious fruit salad.... I don't have fruit very often, which may be why I am becoming slightly manic about this.....

This place is my new obsession and I want to see more people trying it! Mostly because I am a ceviche fiend, and I think they have an excellent shrimp ceviche there. But good fruit salads and escamochas too. Haven't tried anything else, also I'm fairly new to the Mexican fruit shop world, but I'm going to try to get something new each time.... to be the dessert to my ceviche.

3647 University Ave
(between Cherokee Ave & 36th St)
San Diego, CA 92104

i have this problem! sage water is delicious and refreshing. just a bunch of leave in cold water, serve with ice, yum!

Ha! That was the inspiration piece. :)

I love Latin Chef's ceviche! Peruvian style, with sweet potatoes and giant corn kernel things and plenty of leche de tigre. Yum!

Hi Hounds! We got a crazy idea to roast a suckling pig on Sunday, so I'm picking up a 16 lb. fresh piglet tonight. I have MANY questions! If you have anything to share, I'd really appreciate it! :) One important note: we don't eat grains or legumes, but everything else is fair game!

- Should I ask the butcher to butterfly it for me or is unnecessary to butterfly?

- Will it fit in my oven butterflied or otherwise? I'm looking at my 30 lb. dog who greatly resembles a piglet herself, and thinking, "She could fit in there..."

- Should I brine tonight? In what kind of solution beyond salt/sugar/water?

- Do I need to truss this little guy if I'm roasting in the oven?

- I'm thinking of stuffing with apples and onions and sage. Any other suggestions?

- Side dishes? I'm thinking grilled veggies and a crunchy zippy fresh salad and some roasted sweet potatoes or winter squash.

Thanks for the help!!

Make rice! http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/200... I use the carnitas liquid in place of the chicken broth and butter. The bits of leftover carnitas increase this recipe'sdeliciousness tenfold.

Any recommendations for a lower-key Thanksgiving dinner in the general vicinity of North Park, no more than a 5-10 minute drive? Price range up to $40/person. Thanks!

I don't like the taste of roasted garlic in mashed potatoes either, so I mince raw garlic and mash it in. People seem to love it.

So happy to be out of this rut! Just had a great meal at Sab E Lee even though I wish I had gotten everything spicier. Tilapia skin was crackly delicious. Next, it's Okan and Little Sheep, and I need to look up everything else you guys suggested. Trepidatious to try Negro Durazo, because I love Mariscos Chente in Culver City so much, and it's the only place I've had Sinaloan, and you know... first love and all that. But if I say "Why doesn't someone just mail me the fish??" one more time, I think I'll go crazy.

THANKS EVERYONE!

- I love the Sab E Lee and Okan recs! Thanks!

- I make a lot of KBBQ at home, but the Hot Pot rec sounds fun to me, this will be on the list too. Is hot pot the same as shabu shabu? I mean, the physics sound the same, but what's the flavors like?

You're right, upscale does not matter to me. Thanks for the tips!

Oh sorry, North Park!

I'm having trouble finding new places to eat! And my mouth wants something different from the same old I've been having lately. Sort of stumping me on my Google and Yelp and CH searches because I like to eat lacto-paleo. When dining out, I'm much more relaxed but I still don't like to eat too much rice, wheat, or corn. Sound like an interesting challenge, you jaded SD Chowhound experts? Read on! :)

Restrictions:
- Grains are not the star. Pasta and pizza places are pointless for me, because what is pizza without the crust? A sandwich shop without the in-house baked bread? I'm happy to sub veggies for grains at other places though.

- NOT "new american" or "gastropub" style. Comfort food is great, but I live in North Park and my eating partner lives in Normal Heights. We've covered this ground very thoroughly and want something new.

- No Mexican food, I eat carnitas and carne asada and guisados to death. UNLESS you can give me a personal recommendation for a Sinaloan place where I can get awesome pescado zarandeado and pulpo cocteles.

- Cheap is best, since I'm looking to expand my regular dining options, but I don't mind splurging occasionally.

- No more than 20-25 minutes away.

Thanks for any help!

I always hated cauliflower. Now I eat a lacto-paleo diet and am growing it in my garden because I love it so much. This is how I eat it:

- Steam till tender, whiz in the food processor with hot cream, butter, salt, pepper, sour cream and then fold in chopped green onions. The food processor makes it SUPER smooth and creamy and delicious. Now I actually enjoy and crave the taste of cauliflower!

braggs liquid aminos or coconut aminos?

pork lard or beef tallow. i think the fact that they are the healthier and more wholesome choice is starting to become more mainstream these days.

grass-fed ghee is nice too but pricey.

If anyone has a dog who can find and discard pills in whatever food you hide it in, here's how to pill them by hand: open jaws, stick pill as far back as you can (dogs do not have a gag reflex), hold mouth closed, wait till they swallow. If you want to speed up the process, and you know the dog well, kiss them on the nose, that makes them lick their nose and automatically swallow. Takes like 5 seconds, and if you give them a treat immediately afterward, it becomes a positive ritual.

Another trick - when using food-wrapped pills, don't just hand it to your dog, they might be more curious about it and apt to investigate it and be suspicious. Have a handful of untainted treats, with the pill mixed in, go through your dogs commands/tricks excitedly so they're happily and quickly gobbling each tiny treat, and they're more likely not to notice the pill one.

And just in case these are not food related enough, the best consistency I've found for hiding pills is American cheese, because it won't dissolve tablets through moistness, and it's moldable.

I've been using the crockpot a lot lately, while eating a lacto-paleo diet, so in that sense, I suppose this is healthy? My favorites:

Chili Verde
- I've used pork shoulder hacked into pieces and bone-in chicken pieces with good results. The chicken was annoying because I had to remove skin and bones, and watch to make sure it didn't overcook. I don't brown the meat, just salt it., Then empty a jar of salsa verde from Trader Joe's over it, add whole or halved garlic cloves, chopped onion, a little lime juice, and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I eat this over sauteed cabbage, serve to other with cilantro rice & beans & tortillas.

Brisket & Onions
- This I will brown very thoroughly in a cast iron pan. Add 1/2 cup any kind of stock, couple tablespoons each of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce, a dash of fish sauce for more salt if needed. Two sliced onions, lots of minced garlic, lots of cracked black pepper. I make the braising liquid into a gravy to serve over mashed fauxtatoes (cauliflower). When serving to others, they don't notice it's not potatoes, and I also serve up some quick crunchy kale chips.

Carnitas
- Pork shoulder in chunks, with the juice of one orange, one lime, a little cinnamon, s&p, a bay leaf. Cook till tender, then I chop or shred it up, spread on a baking sheet and stick under the broiler to get crispy bits. To serve to others, I use the cooking liquid with all the meaty pieces to make Mexican rice (tomato paste, garlic, onion, cilantro) and it's amaaazing. But I normally just eat it salad style with tomatoes, lettuce, and lots of homemade guacamole.

So I'm trying to find a reliable source for grass-fed, pastured, organic meat. Here's what I've come up with so far - anyone have any experience with these farms or want to suggest a different one? My head hurts.... too bad my fruit & veggie CSA doesn't raise animals too!

Sonrise Ranch - Grass-fed beef, free-range pork, pickup at farmer's market

J&J - Grass-fed beef, pick up at hosted locations

Rainbow Ranch Farms - Pastured poultry & eggs, grass fed beef, free range pork, lamb, goat, using heritage breeds. I see on their LocalHarvest store, they offer free home delivery of pastured chicken for their CSA members, but on the website it says CSA membership is full. No other meats in the store.

Hidden Haven - hormone and antibiotic free poultry and rabbit, pick up at their farm in Jamul only.

It goes with everything! It's a table sauce for me that I add anytime I need some spice. I especially like it in Western and Asian soups, but I add a squiggle to creamy, cheesy, or otherwise rich stuff that I can't handle without some kick. Definitely makes a great dipping sauce or sandwich/burger condiment when mixed with mayo.

I always have to have fish or mixed seafood ceviche and lomo or pollo saltado. But I thought the food at Latin Chef was so good, I'd feel confident ordering anything. :)

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Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109

cheesecake!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sl...

I'm from LA and Peruvian was part of my regular rotation. Latin Chef hits the spot for me, tastes just like home. Lomo and pollo saltado and ceviche are my usuals and they're great. I think you won't be disappointed!

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Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109

Yup, I meant it in the context of that famous street food in New York! Friends rave about it and I've never been, so I'm just gonna have to try to replicate it as best I can at home!

I guess I'm just looking for rice dishes that are traditionally only made with chicken.

Chicken with rice and tomato sauce sounds different and awesome - do you have a recipe?

Is there a chicken biryani recipe, rough or exact, that you recommend? Also, you just reminded me that my favorite thing to order at our local Persian joint is adas polo and comes with perfect spheres of salty, juicy, flavorful chicken - how do they become perfect spheres?? And I love the rice with dates and raisins... this is going on my list.

I love suburban American comfort food, it's always almost... exotic to me! This is perfect and sounds delicious.

How could I have forgotten oyakodon?!? My favorite thing to order at mom&pop japanese places!

I love the combo of chicken and rice but have actually never really eaten that many different kinds of it. But it seems like EVERYONE'S got their culture's version of this staple dish. So I'm embarking on a quest to cook up and taste C&R dishes from around the world!

So to the interested hounds, if you want to help me out by listing a C&R dish that I didn't include and you think I should try, as well as chiming in on how to make things tastily authentic (since I've never tried these before, I'll be following recipes, instead of my usual haphazardly instinctual method of cooking), I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

- Hainanese Chicken & Rice (Will probably go with the Steamy Kitchen version http://steamykitchen.com/5068-hainanese-chicken-rice.html

- Halal Chicken & Rice (Found this old thread with great looking instructions: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/455273

- Arroz con Pollo (This sounds delicious and yet I don't know what recipe to go with. Or even which style, there's so many!)

- Jerk Chicken & Rice (And peas? I'm looking forward to using the grill for this one - any tips?)

I know there's more out there!

This will be fun because chicken is cheap and I have 2 giant bags of rice gifted to me by generous mothers to go through. :)

i had that problem also until a friend told me to move it to a spot with less sun. problem solved!

my favorite smoothie, serves 2:

- one bunch of greens (kale or baby spinach or romaine)
- 6 dates
- 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
- 1/2 of an avocado
- 4 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 banana
- two servings of frozen berries
- half a lemon or lime squeezed
- enough water for a nice consistency

makes a deliciously sweet and creamy smoothie that i feel good about drinking. i usually stuff as many greens in there as it can take. baby spinach comes out super smooth, romaine a little more texturey, kale took a little getting used to.