Morning Chill-A-Que

Totopos goes into a pan.

Admittedly, I'm a relative newcomer to Mexican cuisine but that hasn't stopped me from pursuing greater understanding of Mexican staples such as conchas, tacos al pastor and chilaquiles.

Chilaquiles. Few dishes have so quickly grown to my heart and I'm addicted. Almost anywhere that I visit, if I find chilaquiles on the menu, I'm compelled to try it to see how it compares. I make my own at home - and it's usually a rojo or red version with tomatoes but Ana prefers green and that's what she's making today.


The salsa verde stews away.

As with most great cuisine, the ingredients are simple. Some tomatillos, chiles and cilantro are blended together then cooked to meld the flavors. Add the totopos and stew both together. Top with manchego cheese, queso fresco, crema and fried eggs, with a side of refried beans and you're good to go. It's that simple.

Like Philippine Adobo, Chilaquiles vary by region, by city and by the individual. So many different interpretations are possible. Some serve the totopos crunchy but the traditional way is soft. I like it somewhere in-between.


Totopos fried a bit deeper than I'm used to at home.

What it really has come down to is a challenge. Whose Chilaquiles is best? Hers or mine? It's a foolish gamble to bet against a Mexicana, so color me foolish.

The method and some of the ingredients are different than I would do it, but the results are delicious. I'm going to have a tough time of it.

My turn comes later this month - and the stakes are high...!


Shredded chicken.



The plating begins.



Ana's Chilaquiles Verde con Huevos y Frijoles.

Día de Tontos de Abril - 42

Speeding it over to Polanco.

It's my birthday and I've returned to Mexico City for a few days of what supposedly is R&R (rest & relaxation) but really is R&R (Run & Run Faster). The weather is lovely but the traffic is at its' worst. Everywhere we go, the traffic is jammed and very slow moving. If I didn't have mucho experience with Manila traffic, I might get a little crazy.

As always, the DF is a crazy place. A wild mish-mash of colors, aromas, cultures and socio-economic realities. One moment there's someone begging on the street looking dirty and worse for wear, the next you're cruising along tree-lined streets as well-dressed Capitalenos wear Versace and sport Vuitton handbags, arriving in an E-Class Mercedes.

For a day that I've planned on dedicating to nothing in particular, it will be a busy one. A little work, a little play and a little touring. A visit to La Casa Del Habano will land me some rare Cuban Cohibas but also put an uncomfortable dent in my credit line.

But the food and company really can't be beat. Not a bad way to spend the first day of 42 years.


Guajolota Verde con Pollo




Guajolota Dulce.




Ladies making Tlacoyos. I really want one of those comals.




Ana and the Tlacoyo de Requeson.




A selection of Agua Frescas.




Boiling plantains in oil.




Costilla Carnitas ready for you.




Ordering tacos at Carnitas Lolita.




A sample of Lolita's Carnitas.




Dos tacos carnitas - antes (before).




Y despues (and after).




Sandia Agua Fresca.




George welcomes us to the Nespresso boutique in Polanco.




Sampling Nespresso Iced Coffee.




Even the ice cubes are shaped like coffee beans. Trick!




Diced carrots & calabasa at the ready.




Cilantro and chile pepper.




Pan toasting the rice.




Everything goes into the pot.




Reality check.




Chicken thighs.




We don't have this in the United States.




Pollo, hongos, elote, chipotle y crema.




Pollo con Crema with arroz.




Happy Birthday (to me)...




Chocolate Tres Leches Cake... Oh, my!




Quince Ate (that's ah-teh) y Queso Manchego.

Running On The Fringes

"Like most pro skaters, I've always been frustrated that skateboarding's mainstream popularity derives primarily from contests, when that's such a small part of what we do. In fact, most pro skaters shun competition entirely and instead build their reps through video parts and skate-mag coverage. That's what makes the sport and the subculture so hard for outsiders to package: At its core, it's about innovation and improvisation. It's about ignoring the rules."
- Tony Hawk, How Did I Get Here?, p.47

On recommendation of The Nacho, I'm reading Tony's new book. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Hawk, he's an icon and legend of the skateboarding world. We're about the same age and came up in similar subcultures. The Nacho, The Seed and the rest of our crew skated, surfed and snowboarded (I bodyboarded and nearly was killed at Sandy Beach in 1989) and remained solidly on the fringes of mainstream throughout our development years.

Today, while wearing khakis and Polo shirts, I find myself still on the fringes and having a grand time at it. Which is why I found a connection in Tony's writings. We're pursuing the cutting edge through dogged determination, regardless of what the mainstream of specialty coffee has to say about it.

It's also why I respect and admire others in the craft pursing their own vision on the fringes, ignoring "the rules", regardless of what the "popular kids" have to say. People like Deferio, Rue, Piquet, Lewis and even that guy everyone loves to hate: Carmichael.

It's truly what counterculture (the movement not the company) is all about.

Zorba's

Bread for salad and baba ganoush.

Simon came to town to convert Dianna from his girlfriend to his fiancee. She said "yes."

To celebrate, we met up at Zorba's in Baltimore's Greektown for dinner. Dai's parents-in-law and their clan treated us to some fantastic and classic Greek food. It was all delicious and the octopus was some of the best I've ever eaten. Grilled to perfection.

The food was good. The company was great and we had a fantastic time. I won't bore you with too much verbage. Just be sure to check it out when you come to visit, or propose.



Everyone gathered at the table.



Horiatiki Salata (Greek Village Salad) - Traditional village salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, kalamata olives and feta with house dressing.



Fried Calamari. Rubbery.



Spanakopita - spinach, onion, dill and feta baked in layers of crispy phyllo dough.



Mythos beer.



Baba Ganoush.



Grilled Octopus - topped with olive oil and vinegar. Stellar.



Pastitio - noodles and beef topped with bechamel and baked.



Kontosouvli - marinated pork, roasted on a spit.



Rice Pilaf.



Kostas & Petro



Gus insists that I eat more pork. I don't want to be disrespectful...



Galaktoboureko - custard wrapped in sweet phyllo dough.


Zorba's Bar & Grill
4710 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
410-276-4484

Tatuaje L'esprit de La Verite 2008

Totalmente a mano en Esteli.

While in Esteli touring the cigar factory with Pete Johnson, I spied a box for the Verite 2009 line of cigars. He told me about his approach to using tobacco leaf from one farm and one harvest to create a vintage line in the manner of wine production. I didn't really understand exactly what he was talking about but it sounded interesting.

Fast forward to this week and I'm browsing the internet and came across some reviews of the 2008 which spoke very highly of the cigar, my interest was piqued. Hopped onto Holts.com and ordered a box yesterday. It arrived today.


Details, details, details.

The packaging is very smartly done and conveys the sense of something special. The bands are a little on the simple side but the ten cigar bundle smells and portends of something good to come.

Right from the start, the 2008 hits you full on with spicy notes. It blooms with spice and keeps on coming. It takes a few moments before the body starts to develop but once is blossoms, it's on.


The missing stick.

From there the cigar keeps growing. Continuously increasing spice notes and body maintains smoothness and flavor until it plateaus at a wonderful high and holds.

There's been a bit of chatter on the twitterverse about the 2008 splitting. Pete has responded that the 2008 needs 63% humidity to avoid the splitting. About two inches into the smoke, my wrapper started to split slightly. It could be an adverse affect on the cigar's humidity due to transportation but I'm thinking that it has more to do with the speed of smoke.

With a cigar this good, I sometimes have the tendency to smoke it on the fast side. Slight uneven burn and the splitting leads me to believe that these errors were due to my own rate of smoking than anything else.


Starting out.

Some cigars deliver and intense beginning only to develop into harsh bitter notes and sometimes offense aromas of ammonia - not the ideal way to end your enjoyment. The 2008 does none of that. It continues smoothly and evenly all the way through, until you're burning your fingertips and lips because you're smoking it all the way down.