-Blogs-
My Favorite Salsa
If I am completely frank, I am not a huge fan of salsas. At least not traditional salsa that you can find jarred in your local grocery store. I just have never been a big salsa person. I prefer guacamole much more than salsa, but that discussion is for another blog post. One of the biggest problems I face as a non-salsa lover is finding a way to spice up my tacos or finding a cool dip for my tortilla chips. The only way I have been able to solve this problem is by using the only salsa I would ever dare say I love, salsa verde. (aka tomatillo salsa) Salsa verde is my absolute favorite way to top off any Mexican meal. That green sauce is spicy, sweet, and sour all in one. I have had only a few encounters with this exotic salsa where I have been truly impressed. I was first introduced to this salsa when I was in Florida eating at a small mom and pop restaurant. Unfortunately, I can't even remember the name of the establishment anymore, but you have to trust me that when I had this salsa my life changed. Today, my favorite place to get the salsa is at Casa Toro in Coopersburg, PA. They have some top-notch salsa verde and they are always willing to give you more refills of it with no additional cost whatsoever! I have boughten jars of salsa verde from my local grocery store before but they just do not compare to the homemade version of it. I have linked one of my favorite verde recipes below. Happy salsa making!
As an avocado fanatic and a guacamole lover hearing of the future of one of my favorite fruits was quite distressing. Within the next few weeks, President Trump has rumored the potential to officially close the U.S., Mexican border. This is something I most definitely feel is great and necessary. However, this could have a detrimental impact on avocadoes in the United States. Last year we imported two billion pounds of avocadoes into the states from Mexico. This is quite a significant ordeal but the market for avocadoes from Mexico will be greatly affected by the closing of the border. Now you might be wondering what exactly what the closing of the border has to do with my blog here about Mexican cuisine. Well, I feel as an avid Mexican food consumer I should be able to inform my fellow friends about potential changes in the Mexican food scene. If avocadoes are no longer imported this could mean a significant rise in the price. In this case, guac will most definitely be extra. For now, I have plans to live it up and enjoy as much guac as humanly possible before there is no more for me to enjoy. I do have intentions of possibly growing my own avocadoes. Keep up with my adventures over on Instagram @mexican_meals, adios!
Avo-gone-o
Fried Ice Cream
The whole idea of fried ice cream seems quite counterintuitive but it is one of my favorite Mexican desserts. Fried ice cream has been something I have always gotten growing up when my family would go out to eat at El Cactus in Souderton, PA. It always was the perfect treat. I thoroughly enjoy the crunch that is added to the ice cream and the added experience of having to break through the crumb layer. Traditionally, the ice cream is fried in a coating of cinnamon and sugar and tortillas. As I mentioned earlier I think my favorite place to get fried ice cream is from El Cactus. Now, this may be a somewhat biased opinion on where I like to get this dessert but I don't think I have been able to have the same quality of fried ice cream anywhere else. They do such a good job with making this dessert and it is obvious that it is homemade. Something that always intrigued me about this dessert is how they are able to fry the ice cream without it melting. I did some research on how this is done and I found out that they keep the scoops of ice cream well below its freezing point. They do this in order to prevent it from melting when it is fried. The ice cream balls are rolled in an egg wash and then into the coating of preference. (corn flakes, cookie crumbs, tortilla pieces, etc.) They are then briefly fried and served. I linked below a recipe so you can try making fried ice cream on your own! Adios!
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Keep up with my adventures on social media!
Instagram: @mexican_meals
Twitter: @MeXiCaN_mEaLs
Chimichangas
Chimichangas are my holy grail Mexican meal. I have always been a huge fan of them. They really just hit the spot when you want a quality Mexican meal. I believe that from my many years of eating chimichangas that I have cultivated the ultimate dos and don'ts for what makes a good chimichanga.
1. Do make the chimichanga crispy. I think that a crispy chimichanga is best when it is perfectly crispy on the outside and golden in color. Nobody wants to be eating a soggy fried burrito!
2. Do have options for fillings. I think a crucial aspect to the creation of a good chimichanga is to offer the customer options to fill it. Many places that I enjoy getting chimichangas from have many meat options to fill including, pork, chicken, and beef. I also think it is important to offer options to opt out of having something in the chimichanga. For me, I do not like chunky salsa so I will never want that in my chimichanga.
3. Do have sides along with the chimichanga. I think this is important because it allows the plate to be more diverse and it adds a great way to take the chimichanga to the next level. In particular, I am a big fan of mole sauce and Mexican rice on the side.
I truly believe that if a chimichanga meal can meet these three criteria it will always be great!
Keep up with my adventures on social media!
Instagram: @mexican_meals
Twitter: @MeXiCaN_mEaLs
Street Corn
As I wrap up my journey as a blogger with my final post here today I knew I had to leave off on a bang. The number one way I know how to do just that is to talk about my absolute ALL TIME favorite Mexican food of all time... Street corn! Street corn is one of my favorites because it is portable, spicy, and tasty. I have eaten quite a lot of street corns in my life and I have never once been let down. There is no wrong way to serve them and everyone makes them a little bit differently and that's why they are so great. In Philadelphia one of my favorite restaurants, El Vez serves some of the best corn around. I never have really mentioned this restaurant as one of my top favorites because it is a little bit expensive and its kind of far away. But they do make great corn. Theirs is sprinkled with spices, lime, and queso fresco. Another place that is unsuspecting of having an ear of killer corn is Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey. At the flea market, they make the corn on the spot on a grill to your liking they also have many spices and seasoning out for you to add to taste. I personally feel that the flea market corn is a better bang for your buck than El Vez but you don't get the restaurant quality when you're at the flea market. My favorite way to eat street corn is hot off the grill, extra spicy, and extra queso fresco. I think that you really can't go wrong with street corn as a snack.
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