taco clandestino's Profile
It is done: All the Taquerias of Redwood City
Dear Taquistador
A slightly belated congrats on the RWC taco guide. As a native son of "Climate Best" town, and a 25 year veteran of eastside tacology, I salute you. My Dad's old '78 Chevette with grease stains on the hood and lid salutes you. Since moving out of state several years ago, I don't hit RWC frequently enough, but my taco-scapades have taken me from central Baja to Canuckistan, from Chicago to the Mendo Coast, all of which have offered up taco provender to this maize pilgrim. I will be heading down there soon and plan to use the cheat sheet. I currently have a taco cookbook in pre-production with Sasquatch Books in Seattle. If it does well, I hope to use that as leverage to do a more roots taco book and definitely give some space to Puro Redwoood ese. ?Sabes?
Cordially, I remain,
Taco Clandestino
Driving from Salinas to LA on Friday night
Hi toodie jane, I was wondering about the town of Guadalupe. Do you have any recommendations for tacos there? I've been through there a few years ago and it seems like a cool little town.
La Super Rica/ Santa Barbara
Hey kr, Lilly's was slammed. No way to talk with them. Now they're closed for two weeks. Like someone said on the LA thread, it will be difficult to work at this time of year, with people taking off for the holidays. I'll do what I can. It looks like we will be up through San Diego sometime around the 7th or 8th of January. It would be nice to meet up with you and go to 2 or 3 places. I'm interested in the rolled chicken tacos at Nico's that someone mentioned and probably Mama Testas. Please contact me with personal info at info@absinthealchemist.com. And, as per Chowhound forum etiquette, I would post our notes on this website.
La Super Rica/ Santa Barbara
We just ate at La Super Rica tonight and it was ok but nothing more. I know it's an institution and very important for some people, but just passing through and eating there, I was underwhelmed. The asada taco has a nice flavor but was a bit dry. The raja and onion taco was mostly melted cheese which, though tasty, is nothing more than a cheap trick to lull weak minds. And that goes for any place that uses gobs of cheese as "hush money." Why not let the poblanos and onions stand on their own or at least use less cheese? The frijoles were pretty tasty, with the bits of bacon in there. My kid ate the tocino with cheese and even he, the bottomless pit, in his 8 year old way, rated it as way over the top on cheese. We also at at Lilly's on Chapala St. earlier in the day. Now that place smokes. Fast, furious and packed with Mexican families enjoying tacos and sodas. It's way more rootsy, as almost all the fillings come from the head of a steer. We had tongue, eye, lips, cheek and adovada and all were moist and delicious, though the adovada was a tad dry. I'm only here until the 26th or 27th and they close from the 24th until Jan 6th. :o( I would be back there tomorrow if they weren't on holiday.
I'm Writing A Taco Book-Need Help in Baja Norte
Hi Gypsy Jan, that taco thread on the bajanomad forum got my heart pumping and my mouth watering. I can't wait to get down there. One question, on the thread I started looking for help in Santa Barbara, Oxnard and San Diego, one poster said that Tijuana is a must for tacos. On the bajanomad thread one person said that they would never eat tacos in downtown TJ. Any opinion one way or the other?
I'm Writing A Taco Book-Need Help In Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Diego
Hi Eat_Nopal, where are La Barca and Monte Alban located? I have a feeling goat won't make it past the editor but it will make it past my lips. They never contacted you? Bummer. The editor is pretty busy. I had to go thru some pretty stiff screening to get to this point. Though I'm not the best taco guy, I'm a good overall package for pulling off a book.
I'm Writing A Taco Book-Need Help in Baja Norte
Note: As per forum moderators' request, I'm posting this for Baja California taco trucks and taquerias. Hi, I'm going to be writing a taco cookbook for Sasquatch Books. Back in July, I saw the call for a taco writer on Bandini's taco blog and pursued it. So here I am, about to embark on the first of probably three legs of taco research. This trip will take the family and I from the Rogue Valley in Oregon (Dec 22 down I-5) to Santa Barbara (Dec 23 cut over at Kettleman City then south, 24,25,26 in SB), LA (1 or two days), Tecate (1 day), Ensenada (1-2 days), then south to Bahia de los Angeles to visit my sister. I think for LA, I'm looking mostly for westside trucks and taquerias. I can enter either thru the PCH (I remember killer tacos in Oxnard in 92, still there?) or the 101. I know I don't have San Diego on there. It's mainly a time issue. But if there is a super-duper must eat place not far off the 5 I will consider.
The book will basically have about 50 taco recipes, from the standard to gourmet, strange to awesome. The goal is to collect recipes that people can recreate in their homes. I am keeping the field wide open and will cull later, so anything is game, even ram testicles! I've been poring over entries here as well as on the taco blogs, websites, etc. I hope this thread isn't too redundant because there are similar threads. But my mission is to collect (and give full credit to the creators) recipes for killer tacos that will knock your socks off. You know, we all have a place that we drool over just thinking about. (Mine is currently al pastor at the El Gallo truck in Medford, Oregon) I want readers to drool over and swoon for the most awesome tacos on the west coast. (It's not specifically a west coast book, but I'll be hitting SF area, Portland and Seattle later).
I want rocking tortillas, fillings, salsas, condiments, a few drinks, a few desserts. All who contribute recipes will be acknowledged in book with address and/or website.
So if anyone can recommmend places on I-5 south of Merced, Santa Maria area, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, West LA, San Diego, Tecate, Ensenada, (maybe Tijuana on return) and points south, I would be eternally grateful and definitely place you name in the thank you section. I can hardly believe my good fortune at landing this gig. I'm an SF Peninsula taco head since the mid-80's and I'm thrilled to see tacos taking over the world! Please let me know if I need to be more clear on any points. Cheers!
Pe
I'm Writing A Taco Book-Need Help In Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Diego
Note: As per forum moderators' request, I'm posting this for non-LA taco trucks and taquerias. Hi, I'm going to be writing a taco cookbook for Sasquatch Books. Back in July, I saw the call for a taco writer on Bandini's taco blog and pursued it. So here I am, about to embark on the first of probably three legs of taco research. This trip will take the family and I from the Rogue Valley in Oregon (Dec 22 down I-5) to Santa Barbara (Dec 23 cut over at Kettleman City then south, 24,25,26 in SB), LA (1 or two days), Tecate (1 day), Ensenada (1-2 days), then south to Bahia de los Angeles to visit my sister. I think for LA, I'm looking mostly for westside trucks and taquerias. I can enter either thru the PCH (I remember killer tacos in Oxnard in 92, still there?) or the 101. I know I don't have San Diego on there. It's mainly a time issue. But if there is a super-duper must eat place not far off the 5 I will consider.
The book will basically have about 50 taco recipes, from the standard to gourmet, strange to awesome. The goal is to collect recipes that people can recreate in their homes. I am keeping the field wide open and will cull later, so anything is game, even ram testicles! I've been poring over entries here as well as on the taco blogs, websites, etc. I hope this thread isn't too redundant because there are similar threads. But my mission is to collect (and give full credit to the creators) recipes for killer tacos that will knock your socks off. You know, we all have a place that we drool over just thinking about. (Mine is currently al pastor at the El Gallo truck in Medford, Oregon) I want readers to drool over and swoon for the most awesome tacos on the west coast. (It's not specifically a west coast book, but I'll be hitting SF area, Portland and Seattle later).
I want rocking tortillas, fillings, salsas, condiments, a few drinks, a few desserts. All who contribute recipes will be acknowledged in book with address and/or website.
So if anyone can recommmend places on I-5 south of Merced, Santa Maria area, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, West LA, San Diego, Tecate, Ensenada, (maybe Tijuana on return) and points south, I would be eternally grateful and definitely place you name in the thank you section. I can hardly believe my good fortune at landing this gig. I'm an SF Peninsula taco head since the mid-80's and I'm thrilled to see tacos taking over the world! Please let me know if I need to be more clear on any points. Cheers!
I'm Writing A Taco Book-Need Help
Hi, I'm going to be writing a taco cookbook for Sasquatch Books. Back in July, I saw the call for a taco writer on Bandini's taco blog and pursued it. So here I am, about to embark on the first of probably three legs of taco research. This trip will take the family and I from the Rogue Valley in Oregon (Dec 22 down I-5) to Santa Barbara (Dec 23 cut over at Kettleman City then south, 24,25,26 in SB), LA (1 or two days), Tecate (1 day), Ensenada (1-2 days), then south to Bahia de los Angeles to visit my sister. I think for LA, I'm looking mostly for westside trucks and taquerias. I can enter either thru the PCH (I remember killer tacos in Oxnard in 92, still there?) or the 101. I know I don't have San Diego on there. It's mainly a time issue. But if there is a super-duper must eat place not far off the 5 I will consider.
The book will basically have about 50 taco recipes, from the standard to gourmet, strange to awesome. The goal is to collect recipes that people can recreate in their homes. I am keeping the field wide open and will cull later, so anything is game, even ram testicles! I've been poring over entries here as well as on the taco blogs, websites, etc. I hope this thread isn't too redundant because there are similar threads. But my mission is to collect (and give full credit to the creators) recipes for killer tacos that will knock your socks off. You know, we all have a place that we drool over just thinking about. (Mine is currently al pastor at the El Gallo truck in Medford, Oregon) I want readers to drool over and swoon for the most awesome tacos on the west coast. (It's not specifically a west coast book, but I'll be hitting SF area, Portland and Seattle later).
I want rocking tortillas, fillings, salsas, condiments, a few drinks, a few desserts. All who contribute recipes will be acknowledged in book with address and/or website.
So if anyone can recommmend places on I-5 south of Merced, Santa Maria area, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, West LA, San Diego, Tecate, Ensenada, (maybe Tijuana on return) and points south, I would be eternally grateful and definitely place you name in the thank you section. I can hardly believe my good fortune at landing this gig. I'm an SF Peninsula taco head since the mid-80's and I'm thrilled to see tacos taking over the world! Please let me know if I need to be more clear on any points. Cheers!
New legal Absinthe w/WW
From what I gather, the unnamed brand of which you speak says that their product contains a full measure of wormwood (I think they call it Grande Wormwood or Grande Absinthe). The "loophole" I guess is that there is a margin of error in the testing methods and/or that the US is slowly "harmonizing" with EU standards, so they are basically softening their position. There is a very interesting study that just came out, viewable at www.thujone.info. that discusses the thujone levels in vintage absinthes. This study will probably be beneficial for the continued softening of the anti-wormwood stance in the FDA. I don't think the brand that I think you are talking about is hyping the "psychoactive" effect of absinthe at all. There is also a brand supposedly out/coming out, presented by a certain goth/shock/rock/schlock Alice Cooper progeny. I don't know if that is being hyped but I would probably opt to buy some nice Swiss stuff online before trying that.
what makes alcohol smooth?
There are basically two categories of stills: pot stills, which are also known as alembic stills, and column, fractioning and continuous stills. This second category is more vast and too grand to discuss in short time. Pot stills are what produce scotch malt whisky, irish whiskey, cognac, armagnac, and others, all of which have those smooth characteristics about which you enquire. These products all begin as fermented liquids of relatively low alcohol content. One pass through a pot still roughly doubles the alcohol content (but please bear in mind that there are SO MANY variables in distilling that nothing I say should be taken as a fixed quote) Some spirits stop at one pass(armagnac) while others go two, three, four passes, but rarely more. The pot still is inefficient in achieving high alcohol percentage in the spirits, yet this is the crux of the matter, because several compounds, called many things including congeners and fusel oils, are left in the distillate. Placed in contact with wood and left to age, these compounds go through transformations on their own and in conjunction with chemical structures in the wood. Straight from the still, these compounds can be downright nasty, but given time, up to decades for some cognacs, they develop that smoothness of which you speak. The other category of stills are very good at "stripping" the alcohol out of the fermented liquid and produce that clear, antiseptic smelling, burning juice called grain alcohol. There is just tons of info out there on the subject, but a very enjoyable book on whisky called Peat, Smoke and Spirit by Andrew Jefford might be a place to start.
In search of Oysters
Hog Island oyster company near San Francisco ships fresh oysters. They are very good. So if you want to have a fresh oyster party, give them a try
Limoncello
Everclear is a brand name of pure grain alcohol. Another brand we see in Oregon is Kentucky Springs. It's not legal in all states. Here in Oregon it's for sale in the state liquor stores. Don't know about other states. I've made limoncello with Meyers and it's great. You can use zest from any citrus fruit peels and it turns out nicely. Orange-cello, tangello-cello, etc. Using organic fruit is great, but whatever you use wash the fruit well since a lot of citrus fruits are waxed.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
Thanks so much for the recipe. Mark the Butcher and I will be getting our pigs within the week, as soon as I fix up the pen a bit. My mouth is watering.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
Hi Smartie, you're right, the original thrust of the thread has shifted mostly to haggis, which is fine with me. The spirit of my lead-in was not to compare tofu to haggis (see first post above), but to address a recurring dream I had. The dream has stopped, which I am thankful for, as recurring dreams can be tiresome, especially on a subject such as desert islands, haggis and tofu. On the very bright side, look what this thread has netted us. A very lovely recipe for Estonian blood sausage.
Gordon Ramsey Nightmares, USA version
Is there any way to get DVD's of the shows? I don't have tv, cable, or satellite but would love to see it.
Profiles In Pork [moved from General Chowhounding Topics]
Mark the Butcher and I are getting two weaner pigs very soon. Our plan is to raise them up and butcher them this winter. We will attempt to make products from the entire beast. We desperately need recipes for the oink:o) But seriously folks...(drum roll, cymbal crash) We have lots of recipes but are calling out for more, whether it be smoked leaf lard from Romania or morcilla from Asturias. As the header title implies, we want to explore the nooks and crannies of the pig world to the fullest. Please drop a note if you can help. Thanks!
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
hungry_pangolin, the Hot Docs festival sounds cool. I have made a 3 minute film on making headcheese. I need to tighten it up a bit, then I will release it on YouTube I suppose. Apple's iLife software makes it easy for slackers like me to create pretty nifty movies. Mark the Butcher and I hope to make a suite of films documenting our meat projects.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
mrbozo, do you have any Estonian recipes for blood sausage or anything else? Mark the Butcher and I plan to get down and dirty and make many things beginning with the live animals and using everything. We are collecting recipes from around the world for any recipe that uses animal parts, the stranger the better.
ceviche
Recently, I've been going nuts with my microplane zester and have been adding the citrus zest as well as the juice to recipes. It adds a whole deeper dimension to the food. Sometimes it's a bit over the top, but I'm a citrus lover so it's fine with me
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
My friend, Mark the Butcher (who also helped make that delicious headcheese), and I are currently in the market for a lamb, ewe, or ram. Luckily we live in the countryside and have a good friend who has his finger on the pulse of the sheep scene locally, being an ex-shearer. When we get our beastie, we endeavor to make the best artisan, single-batch, haggis in the west. We will keep all of you informed as to our progress and may even post some pics and a short film.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
Tofaggis! Brilliant! I'm inspired to dust of my Burns and rewrite his famous poem as an ode to tofaggis.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
Yikes, now that's some serious vitriol. As a Scotsman three generations removed from the homeland I still feel a wee bit responsible for your bad haggis day and on behalf of the better half of that big island, I apologize.
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
I left the question vague on purpose so that each person could define their own parameters. By all means, choose top shelf haggis and tofu. After all, it will be the last food you ever eat on that desert island!
Anyone preserving, canning or putting food up these days?
I've been preserving tons of stuff for years and love it. In fact, I'm giving a class on food preservation this coming Friday. I've moved away from canning as much as possible, mainly because it's hot work during hot weather and the heat destroys nutrients in many canned foods. I usually only can jams and tomato sauce/salsa now.
I'm way into fermenting and brining. Even less carbon footprint than canning.
Three books that are very good are:
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
ISBN 1-931498-23-7, Chelsea Green Publishing
www.wildfermentation.com
Sandor's site is great and talks about the benefits of fermented foods.
Keeping Food Fresh
ISBN 1-890132-10-1, Chelsea Green Publishing
www.chelseagreen.com
Ferment and Human Nutrition by Bill Mollison
ISBN 0-908228-06-6
Tagari Publications, Australia
Haggis vs. Tofu: Mano a Mano!
I've had a recurring dream for the past couple of weeks. Or rather, it's more like a mantra that won't leave me. In the small morning hours, half asleep, half awake, I hear the question and I don't know why. So I'm posting it to chowhound in hopes of exorcising it from my mind. It goes like this: I'm being exiled to a desert island and I can choose only one food. The choice is haggis or tofu. WWYD? (What Would You Do?) Why?
Got a head cheese recipe?
Thanks for the recipe lunchbox. I was wondering if the Ruhlman/Polcyn book was worth buying. What do you say? I'm interested in recipes that a DIYer can pull off without a PhD in garde manger. By the way, the "cheese" came out pretty well. Made tacos with it last night: corn tortillas warmed up, cold headcheese, cilantro, red onions pickled in lemon juice. I'm writing up a story on the experience and will soon post it here on this thread.
Carne Asada Taco – Beto Catering Truck, Salinas
About 10 years ago, a group of us, hosted by a friend then living in Salinas, did a major taco crawl all over Salinas, including trucks and taquerias. Living now in rural Oregon, it's harder to get good tacos, except in Medford. Your talk of tacos in Salinas makes my mouth water and brings back good memories.
Bringing Absinthe back to the US?
oops, forgot the link!
http://www.feeverte.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1126&st=210
Bringing Absinthe back to the US?
Hey embee, there's a right vicious debate raging on the absinthe forum at www.feeverte right now. Quite amusing.
This link dumps you onto the last page of the thread. Pages 13-15 are particularly wicked. In a nutshell, this new 'absinthe' called Lucid has passed muster with the govt.
The Lucid website, www.drinklucid.com claims:
"Lucid has been tested and it meets US and EU standards for content. It is worth noting that using modern equipment, T.A. Breaux, the distiller of Lucid, has analyzed dozens of bottles of traditional, high-quality vintage Absinthe from the Belle Époque period and has determined that quality Absinthe that was properly made typically did not have any significant Thujone content- even 100 years ago."
"Moreover, thanks to T.A. Breaux's modern testing of vintage bottles of Absinthe from over 100 years ago, we now know that, just as with Lucid, most of the high quality Absinthes from the 1800's would meet today's US standards for content, further discrediting the theory that Thujone had any real relevance to the Absinthe experience."
The FDA law below:
:
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 3]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
[CITE: 21CFR172.510]
Artemisia (wormwood), Artemisia spp, Finished food thujone free...
As determined by using the method (or, in other than alcoholic beverages, a suitable adaptation thereof) insection 9.129 of the "Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists," 13thEd. (1980).
Sooo...if Lucid is being sold in the US, then your suspicion that it is just a sexy marketing ploy is not unfounded. BTW, Ted Breaux, the distiller of Lucid, is taking a heap of criticism for what many absintheurs see as a sell-out, and pure history revision to boot.
