12 Oct 2012 11 Comments
in Cooking Tips, Observations Tags: confit, demi glace, demi glaze, french cooking, goose, oie, paté, preserving, rillettes
The other day at my local supermarket, I caused quite the stir when I purchased a frozen goose.
Canada goose, John J. Audubon, 1838
“Is that a goose??” said the gal at the check-out counter, causing all the other shoppers waiting in nearby lanes to crane their necks as the frozen beast made its way forward on the conveyer belt. In California, you’re hard-pressed to find anything goose-related amidst the quinoa, skinless chicken breasts and tempeh. “Hey Esmerelda, look — a goose!”
09 Oct 2012 12 Comments
in On the Road, Recipes, Video Tags: Baja California, food, huachinango, Mexican cooking, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, recipes, salsa, Sea of Cortez
I did finally get my sea urchin. It was our last full day in Mexico, the water was calm, so I dove down into the rocky crevices off la playa de Conchas Chinas, and returned with a spiny prize.
It was the biggest one I could find. Yet, it looked smaller than I had thought once I got it onshore. I’d been talking about the erisos for a few days, still Marilu looked surprised when I brought the creature into the kitchen. More
05 Oct 2012 6 Comments
in Food, Humor, On the Road Tags: Bodeguito del Medio, camarones, Casa Tres Coronitas, cooking, food, huevos ranchers, margaritas, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, tequila
The first thing you must let go of at the Casa Tres Coronitas is your need for walls. Because there are few of them, and when Euphracio appears in the morning, many of those fold away into the vistas of the Bay of Banderas.
Sunset on the Bay of Banderas
Because we are in the jungle, the collapsing away of walls means you become integrated with the surrounding nature. More
02 Oct 2012 14 Comments
in On the Road Tags: Casa Tres Coronitas, cooking, food, huevos rancheros, humor, Jalisco, Mexican food, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta
It was two or so years ago, at the preschool silent auction. I may have had a drink or two, I can’t recall. Browsing the yoga classes, crappy wine baskets and tickets to Legoland, I discovered seven nights in a house in Puerto Vallarta. The opening bid was $1,000. The value was $10,000. Nobody had bid, so I figured I’d go ahead and get things rolling. Puerto Vallarta was my favorite town in Mexico, and if I won, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
I won.
Vista bonita — Casa Tres Coronitas
Fast forward a year. We hadn’t yet claimed our winnings. And once again, there was the week in Puerto Vallarta at the preschool auction. Our friends Nat and Shirley had bid the opening $1,000. Wouldn’t it be nice to have two weeks, I said to my wife. So I bid $1,100. “Stop overbidding us!” Shirley insisted. I agreed, on the condition that we combine our time — after all, the literature said 5,000-feet, two master suites, ample room for children — and go either two consecutive years, or for two weeks. They agreed. More
skinny girls & mayonnaise 