Ah, the Frustration!

When Ben and I decide to cook a special meal on a Saturday night, I generally prefer using proteins that we don't eat on a regular basis, i.e., lamb, veal, shellfish, etc. The problem I have encountered since moving to Cudahy is that grocery stores around here never carry said items. We usually have to travel across the bridge, which, normally isn't a big deal, unless, of course, there's a foot of snow on the ground. What's across the bridge? Whole Paycheck. Er, I mean, Whole Foods.

Let's see, at the local Pick n' Save, when I asked if they have pancetta, I just get a blank stare from across the counter and the words, "huh, whuut's that?" 

So today, I wanted to cook veal shanks and, guess what? No one around here carries it, not even the Italian grocer. 

Geez! 

Mexican food and Milwaukee

I have been very fortunate to have grown up in a city that had really good Mexican food. Nope, not Milwaukee. I'm talking about Denver, CO. 

With a fifth of the population comprising of Mexicans, there's a lot of good food and tasty ingredients to be had. Ben and I used to go to this hole-in-the-wall selling street-food tacos called El Taco de Mexico. The meats were so tasty, so mouthwatering, so satisfying. There were no lettuce and tomatoes over tacos here, amigo. Just chopped onions and cilantro. We always knew when our order was up (almost always carne asada tacos) because we would hear the large lady and her larger cleaver loudly chopping the beautifully marinated skirt steak. We always left satisfied and happy.

Moving to Milwaukee has not been easy when it comes to sating our craving for Mexican food. Perhaps we haven't ventured onto Historic Mitchell Street. I once asked my friend where the best Mexican food is around these parts. He mentions some street address. I asked, "oh, what's the name of the place?" He retorted, "My aunt's house." Great. Thanks. Thanks very much.

Generally, when it comes to cheap ethnic food, the more people from that particular ethnic background partaking in the shop offerings, the better. I've been to places where there were no Asians, save for the staff, in what were touted to be Asian restaurants. 

Even though Milwaukee has NO really good Japanese restaurants – Nanakusa is overpriced and overrated, with the rice lacking flavor and moisture (sushi does refer to the seasoned, sour rice, not the fish; I miss Oshima Ramen and Sushi Den), there are other options for Asian food when my body needs rice and/or noodles (and, yes, most of the patrons are Asians), like Phan's Garden on 19th & National, Tu Trinh on 27th and Lincoln, Seoul Korean on Prospect and even Bangkok House in a strip mall in St. Francis. Alas, there's no real Chinese/Cantonese restaurants around – when I crave dim sum or char siu noodle soup, I'm SOL or I have to make it myself.

Anyway, I suppose I took Mexican food for granted since I was able to easily obtain it in Colorado. I really miss the availability of green chile (it's everywhere over there). I miss the fact that the Mexican food aisle in a given grocery store is more than just one section next to Pace salsa.

So it was a very nice surprise to learn that the neighborhood we moved to had several Mexican restaurants less than a mile down the road. We, of course, proceeded with caution. I didn't want some sit-down version of Taco Bell.

The first one we tried was La Serenata on Packard Ave. Stepping inside, I realized that we were the only non-Mexicans, which was a good thing. Then I read the menu. It had Spanish translations. Another good thing. They serve Menudo. Yet another check mark.

The first thing I ordered was the pork tamales plate. I cautiously tasted the beans....GOOD! The rice....GOOD! The tamal....GOOD! Then Ben ordered his staple Beefsteak tacos... GOOD!! It still wasn't as astoundingly good as El Taco de Mexico's, but for the first time in almost 4 years, we were getting closer. 

We've since returned numerous times, ordering other items, like the gordita with pork, which was just decadence; the sope with steak, which was also very good, the burrito suiza, another good one!

Ben and I usually dine out on Friday nights, since we dine in from Sunday through Thursday. We wanted to try a different place, venture out into the streets of Bay View. Someone has mentioned that the Riviera Maya was pretty good, so we decided to try it. I ordered a peanut-based mole dish and Ben, his combination-meat tacos. First of all, there were no other Mexicans dining in the whole place (which was big). Can we hear the "wrong answer" buzzer?!

My dish was tasty, but it wasn't something I've never had before. The taste was akin to African groundnut stews. Ben's was dry, dry, dry. I suppose it was also the rather trendy atmosphere that we always try to avoid, but I don't think we'll ever go back.

To redeem ourselves on Saturday afternoon, we decided to try La Salsa (no, not the chain) on Layton Ave. It was just a quick snack, so Ben ordered three (but only ate two and took home one) beefsteak tacos and I had two chicken tacos. Boy, was it delicious! Well seasoned, well balanced flavors. I wanted more, but I couldn't since we were cooking a large dinner.

I think we'll definitely be going back.

Recipe: Quinoa, Chicken & Leicafied Nueva Vallarta Sauce

Quinoa (Kee-no-wa) is a wonderful grain to always have in the pantry. It's ridiculously easy to prepare; it's healthy and delicious. Quinoa is a great vehicle for sauces and proteins. I generally like pairing it with heartier, creamy sauces since it has a (now it may sound like a paradox) soft-chewy texture. 

One of the sauces I pair with quinoa is a riff on Rick Bayless' Nueva Vallarta. In his recipe, oysters and their juices are used as the main liquid. Since my husband doesn't particularly like fishy odors in food, I did my own variation using chicken broth.

I use a tenderized and simply seasoned chicken breast as the main protein for this dish.

For 2 people

Quinoa:

1 c quinoa, soaked in water for 15 minutes, then washed thoroughly and drained

1 1/2 c chicken broth

4 oz button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 tsps butter

2 tsps olive oil

juice from 1/4 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Put the quinoa and chicken broth in a small sauce pan, put over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a small sauté pan. Add sliced mushrooms and brown. Season with a pinch of salt to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork and add the sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, lemon and seasonings.

Nueva Vallarta Sauce:

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 c chicken broth

3 TBSP (or more, to taste) sour cream

1/4 tsp cumin

pinch of hot paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, tomatoes and bell pepper. Sauté until softened. Season with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth. Let it reduce for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Chicken Breast 

2 pounded chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Grill or sauté.

I like assembling the dish on a plate using my makeshift ring mold (a short, wide can with both the top and bottom taken off). I put the quinoa at the bottom, unmold, then gently place the chicken breast on top, then drizzle the sauce on top of the chicken and scattering some of the veggies around. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!