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People often identify themselves by the country they live in, the language that they speak, and the foods that they eat. For those, such as myself, who live in America, have a hard time defining who they are and what their culture is. So I ask myself, “Who am I?”
My parents moved from the islands of the Philippines to the States in the 1970s. I was born in San Jose, CA. I am of Filipino descent, but I live in an English speaking country. I eat and love Filipino food, but I can’t speak Tagalog, the national language. I guess that makes me a Fil-Am, Filipino-American, as termed by the locals of the Philippines. Is the food I eat Fil-Am food also, or is it Filipino? I think it’s both.
Like many nations, food is an integral part of defining its culture. This is especially true for Filipinos. Any sort of gathering or party is not complete until there is food. Conversations, stories, and activities all revolve around food. Even a quick stop at my Lola’s (grandmother) house just to say hello is not complete until she forces me down at the table to eat something.
History
In order to understand the food culture of the Philippines, we must first examine the history of the nation. The Philippines is sometimes considered to be a nation without an identity. According to a Wikipedia article, entitled “History of the Philippines”, Spanish conquest and colonization began shortly after the arrival of Magellan in 1521. The Spanish rule lasted until1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War, in which the Philippines was handed over to the United States. The country prepared for independence, but that was interrupted by Japanese invasion during World War II. The Philippines finally gained its independence in 1946. Since then, the Philippines has been struggling to define a culture for itself.
The nation’s history shows the many cultural influences brought by the numerous hands of power. The largest contributing influence, which is most apparent in modern Filipino culture, is the Spanish, who ruled the Philippines for almost 400 hundred years. Cultural aspects from clothes to food have a large Spanish influence. They introduced tomatoes and garlic, sautéing them with onions in olive oil. This technique is used in many Filipino dishes. According to www.asiarecipe.com, more than 80 percent of Filipino dishes are Spanish-inspired. Many dishes served at parties, fiestas, and other special occasions have names like paella, embutido, relleno, and caldereta, all of which are also found in Spanish-speaking countries.
This makes me wonder if the Fil-Ams were the first to introduce this modern fusion style of Filipino cooking. But are we really the first? This notion of “East meets West” is something that pre-dates the discovery of America. Like I mentioned earlier, the Philippines is a country that has a hard time distinguishing its very own root culture. 20,000 years ago, the Ice Age created bridges between land masses. This enabled the Malays, who crossed over these land bridges, to be the first inhabitants of the Philippines. They brought with them dishes that are evident in today’s Filipino cuisine, such as kare kare, a meat and vegetable stew in peanut sauce. By 1000 AD, Chinese traders established coastal ports and colonies in the islands. They brought with them noodles, which has greatly influenced the Filipino noodle dishes, such as pancit, bihon, and sotanghon.
A Typical Filipino Meal
A typical Filipino meal is not just one dish, but a variety of dishes. In a book called Fine Filipino Food, Karen Bartell writes, “One difference between American and Filipino meals is the order of dishes served. American custom calls for soup or an appetizer, followed by a salad, followed by the entrée and side dishes, ending with desert. However, Filipino custom calls for placing all the dishes on the table at the same time, with diners deciding their own combination and sequence.”
On every Filipino table, you will find a bowl of rice. Rice is the basis for every meal, including breakfast. The rice terraces of Banaue, Philippines are iconic of Philippine landscape. They are over 3000 years old and today are maintained by a Filipino tribe called the Ifugao, who believe that rice has soul and is a provider of life, as written in Gerry G. Gelle’s book, Filipino Cuisine, Recipes from the Islands.
In today’s world of body conscious carb-avoiding diets, chefs try to eliminate rice from the dinner table, but in Filipino cuisine this is impossible to do. Rice is necessary to have a complete meal. As Karen Bartell puts it, “Rice is the blank canvas for each picture-perfect meal. Salty, sour, and spicy flavors are especially savory when eaten against the mild counterpoint of rice.”
Once we have rice on the plate, the ulam, or main dishes, comes next. In a typical Filipino meal, there is usually a starch dish, like pancit noodles, and a fish or meat dish, like adobo. This may seem like a lot of food. Well it is, but keep in mind that Filipino meals are usually eaten in the company of others. When you go to a Filipino restaurant, food is ordered “family style”, meaning the dishes are not individual meals, but are shared with the whole table. This shows the importance of food in Filipino culture.
Of the many dishes on the table, I will focus on my favorite dish, adobo. Adobo is a dish that consists of either chicken or pork marinated and cooked in a vinegar and soy sauce mixture with peppercorn and bay leaf. Adobo is considered to be the Philippines’ National dish because it has been recognized and tasted by many. It is one of the country’s most famous dishes. The story of adobo goes back to the days before modern refrigeration when there were issues with keeping the freshness of food. Vinegar was used to preserve meat because of its acidity, which retards bacteria growth (“Food Preservation”, Wikipedia.com). This same concept is applied to pickling. The vinegar in the adobo helps preserve the dish. The soy sauce comes from the Chinese traders that set up trading posts on the islands. Together the vinegar and soy sauce creates a delicious mixture of sour and salty tastes.
According to the article, “Adobo: A History of the Country’s National Dish” from The Asian Journal Blog, the Filipino word adobo refers to its Spanish use of a pickling sauce made with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, oregano, and paprika. The Mexican and Caribbean cultures also have an adobo sauce, with similar ingredients.
Here is a recipe for pork adobo, from Karen Bartell’s book, Fine Filipino Food.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless pork, cut into 1 1/2” cubes
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 1 cup palm or white vinegar
- 4 tbs soy sauce
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tbs salt, or to taste
- 1 cup water
Directions:
Brown the pork in oil in a large, non-aluminum skillet. (Aluminum will discolor with the vinegar, and taste weird.) Add vinegar, garlic, pepper, bay leaf, salt, soy sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat; simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until the pork is thoroughly cooked. Serve steaming hot with rice.
For added flavor and texture, I like to add about a cup of sliced potatoes to the simmering meat.
For me, adobo is my favorite Filipino dish. I can recall the days of elementary school, while the other kids would be eating PB&J sandwiches, there I was with a Tupperware filled with rice and my mom’s best adobo.
The Other Side
As I grew up, I was exposed and introduced to the many cultures here in the States, expanding my palette of tastes. In middle school, I had a lot of Indian friends, so I learned to eat Indian food. I also had Chinese and Vietnamese friends, so I was exposed to Asian cuisine as well. Out of all the cultures I was exposed to, my favorite was the foods that were wrapped. When you think of wrapped foods, what comes to mind? For me, being a native Californian, it’s the Mission-style burrito. According to a former classmate, Laura Plantholt’s, blog, “School and the City”, in her article, “The San Francisco Burrito”, she writes:
“ The San Francisco (Mission-style) burrito got its start when farmers in the Central Valley of California needed a cheap filling meal to give their immigrant workers on their lunch break. Most of these workers came from Mexico and Central America. The giant tortillas stuffed with hot, filling ingredients was just the right fuel to keep the workers going all day.”
There is something about a wrapped burrito that makes it so appealing. I’m not talking about the kind you eat with a fork and knife, but the kind that’s wrapped in aluminum foil. Perhaps it’s the portability of it all. The fact that you can peel away the shiny protective layer, and out comes a complete meal wrapped in a steamy fluffy tortilla. Inside you will find a plethora of rice, meats, salsa, sour cream, and sometimes guacamole.
Considering that I classify myself as a Fil-Am, I often combine the Filipino culture and the California culture. It may seem weird to others, but I enjoy the portability and deliciousness of a Pork Adobo Burrito. It simply is an adobo and white rice dish gently placed inside a flour tortilla, topped with sour cream, pico de gallo salsa, and cheese. The combination of the Filipino culture and the California culture defines My culture. In appearance, it may look like an ordinary burrito, but it is necessary to taste the salty sour flavor of the pork adobo against the spiciness of the salsa and the creaminess of the sour cream to realize the existence of the fusion of the two cultures.
What is this that I have created? Is it really a fusion of two worlds? Or is it really one culture just using its ingredients on opposite sides of the world? I am sure that generations from now will look at this dish, just as I am, and trace back its cultural roots, only to find similar ingredients in each culture. Perhaps, in the future, fusion food will be the norm. Our generation is already half way there. In the book, The Meaning of Food, it is stated, “The food court at the mall, may even best symbolize just who we are as a culture […] We take our ethnicities in discrete bites – Thai for lunch, Mediterranean for dinner, tomorrow maybe Korean”. The notion of being able to go to a single building and have access to food from cultures all around the world, is quite thought provoking. Maybe, in the extreme case, there will not be many different cultures, but a single global culture, recognized and consistent with all walks of life. Perhaps food will be in the form of a pill, or a vile of green solution. Whatever it is, I hope it tastes good.
Works Cited:
- “ADOBO: A History of the Country’s National Dish «.” The Asian Journal Blog. Web. 11 May 2010. <http://asianjournal.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/adobo-a-history-of-the-countrys-national-dish/>.
- Bartell, Karen H. Fine Filipino Food. New York: Hippocrene, 2003. Print.
- “Food Preservation.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_preservation>.
- Gelle, Gerry G. Filipino Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands. Santa Fe [N.M.: Red Crane, 1997. Print.
- Harris, Patricia, David Lyon, and Sue McLaughlin. The Meaning of Food: the Companion to the PBS Television Series. Guilford, Conn.: Globe Pequot, 2005. Print.
- “History of the Philippines.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines>.
- “Philippine Food and Culture.” Asian Food Recipes, Asian Cooking Culture, Recipes from Thailand, Asia Foods Recipe, with Asia Herbs,asia Culture, Hinduism and Islamic Food Recipes, Food Ingredients, Recipe Glossaries and Cooking Techniques. Web. 9 May 2010. <http://asiarecipe.com/phifood.html>.
- Plantholt, Laura. “The San Francisco Burrito.” School and the City. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://school-and-the-city.blogspot.com/2009/03/san-francisco-burrito.html>.
When you hear the term celebrity, you usually think of the glitz and glamour clad stars of Hollywood, the beautiful and pampered faces that work the red carpet, and the slender clean cut bodies of big name actors and actresses. However, with the rise of channels like the Food Network and the Travel Channel, the simple word “food” is being thrown in front of “celebrity”. Now celebrities aren’t just about beauty, but the very thing that they try to avoid over-consuming. A new “Food Celebrity”, in particular, that is exactly the opposite of the typical Hollywood persona is Andrew Zimmern, the host of two Travel Channel shows, Bizarre Foods and Bizarre World. You’ll soon see why his shows are the antithesis of all that is the glamour of Hollywood.
A Brief Biography
Andrew Zimmern is a New York City native, born into a Jewish family who had a strong start in the culinary field. At the young age of fourteen, he began his career by enrolling in a formal culinary school, where he learned the foundation principles of cooking. To accompany his skills in the kitchen, he also graduated from Vassar College, a prestigious liberal arts school in New York. Upon his graduation, he took on positions such as executive chef and general manager of a number of fine restaurants in New York City. He also was a lecturer on restaurant management and design at The New School for Social Research. In 1992, Zimmern took his career to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he became the executive chef at Café Un Deux Trois. Five years later, he left the restaurant business and shared his love of food with the world.
I believe that it is safe to say that Zimmern can be classified as a multi-media “food personality”. His work can be read, heard, seen, and tasted. He is a contributing writer for the Minneapolis-St.Paul Magazine, as well as many national magazines and publications, which has allowed him to receive the Society of Professional Journalists Page One Award. He also avidly blogs about interesting places, sights, and foods that he encounters.
His works have also been heard through his radio career as hosts of Chowhound, The Andrew Zimmern Show and Food Court with Andrew Zimmern. Both shows achieved wide popularity in the Twin Cities discussing…you guessed it, FOOD. Zimmern no longer has radio shows due to his extensive television career, but from time to time uploads podcasts on his personal website.
Zimmern’s popularity surfaced to the national and global level in February 2007 with the premiere of his hit show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. This documentary-style program travels from country to country sharing each one’s culture with the rest of the world through the sampling of local, yet strange, delicacies. In 2009 the Travel Channel premiered the show Bizarre World that showcases the cultures of the world.
Recipes
Before the world knew Andrew Zimmern as the TV Star who ate weird foods, he was first and foremost a chef, a creator of food for the public. Although he no longer is an executive chef for New York City restaurants, his skills in the kitchen have not gone to waste. He continually writes for food magazines, newspapers, and even his website, which has an extensive library of recipes written and prepared by Zimmern himself.
Scrolling through his online cookbook, I noticed the ease of use of his site. His recipes are categorized by Type of Meal, such as Breakfast, Salad, Entrée, or Dessert; Main Ingredients, like Beef, Cheese, or Eggs; and even Origin of Dish, like Africa, Asia, or France.
Now, what would this Green Media Project be without a little seasonal dishes? Zimmern’s recipe library also features dishes that are prepared with seasonal ingredients. If I wanted to find a dish that I can cook right now from the fruits and vegetables that are growing in this beautiful weather, I would click on the “Spring” link, which would then lead me to a list of recipes, including a very delicious “Spring Asparagus and Wild Morel Salad with Hazelnut-Lemon Vinaigrette”.
If I wanted to plan ahead for the summer months and look for a dish that I could use with my tomatoes, I would click on Summer and find The Best Tomato Soup.
The Best Tomato Soup
Let’s examine Andrew’s Best Tomato Soup recipe. The recipe starts by determining the number of servings that will be produced. When I follow recipes, I often have trouble determining the portions of ingredients because, for me, the amount of servings I want to produce are never the same as the amount stated in the recipe. Luckily for me and many others, every recipe in Zimmern’s cookbook has a servings calculator. You simply enter the amount of servings you want and it automatically portions the ingredients accordingly. This is definitely “cooking made easier”. Zimmern also includes a short description of the dish that explains the typical time of year to eat the dish, other alternatives, and even a personal memory or story associated with it. This allows the reader to feel something for the dish. This one or two line description helps make the dish more personable and comforting, rather than a cold heartless instruction.
Like other typical recipes, a list of ingredients is provided followed by the instructions. The ingredients list is clearly laid out with the amount and the ingredient. One thing I noticed, and very much appreciated, is the labeling of units. The typical label for tablespoon is tbsp. and tsp. for teaspoon. Zimmern simply uses an uppercase “T” for tablespoon and a lowercase “t” for teaspoon. This labeling method is simple yet self-explanatory. Obviously a Table is bigger than a cup of tea, so this makes perfect sense to me. If this still doesn’t make sense to you, Zimmern goes one step further and labels it for you. If you place the cursor over the “T” , the cursor will turn into a “?”, and a little note will appear reading “Tablespoon”. You will find that “lb” means pound, “clv” means clove, and “oz” means ounce.
Sometimes the ingredients list says more than just the item itself. Often times, chefs will tell you how to prepare the ingredient in one word. This is also seen in the directions. Words like “core”, something that I thought was a noun, indicates the way the ingredient is cut. Zimmern makes it easy for us and provides a glossary of directional terms used in recipes. For uncommon ingredients, such as Pernod, Zimmern also links an extra note explaining what the ingredient is and where it could be bought.
Zimmern’s directions are fairly straightforward. He carefully explains each step of the cooking process.
I understand that recipes are supposed to be quick reference guides to cooking, but I would have like to known why Zimmern took the steps he did. I would have like to known why the tomatoes needed to be placed cut side up and why the onions needed to sweat. I also wished that there were pictures of the finished dish. When I go online in search of a recipe, I look for something that I know will at least look good. I am a visual learner, so I want to know what my food will look like before I try to make it.
In my previous experiences with creating recipes for the public, I’ve had trouble creating the ingredients list. When I cook I don’t measure. I add a little of one ingredient, and if it doesn’t taste right, I add some more. The thing I found most interesting and helpful is Zimmern’s use of external links and the servings calculator. Tools such as these make the recipe less intimidating and more appealing to a wider audience. Experienced and inexperienced cooks can all benefit from these helpful tools.
TV Shows
Zimmern is most famous for his show on the Travel Channel, Bizarre Foods, which features the regional cuisine of cultures all around the world. He focuses on the foods that are perceived by the western world as weird, disgusting, and bizarre. Every episode is a new place on Zimmern’s list, in which he shows how the food is prepared, served, and consumed with, of course, a self-demonstration.
Balut
In this episode of Bizarre Foods, Zimmern travels to the islands of the Philippines, where he features the local treat called, Balut, a fertilized duck egg.
Balut is a duck that is fertilized from 16 to 20 days. According to an article entitled Balut: Fertilized Duck Eggs And Their Role In Filipino Culture, from the Western Folklore journal, the duck egg at this stage in fertilization has pronounced feathers, bones, and a beak. If you wait too long to eat it, 26 to 28 days of incubation, the chick will hatch. There are also different types of balut based on the breed of the laying duck.
A raw balut egg is prepared by boiling it in water for 20 to 30 minutes. This Filipino delicacy is cracked open and pealed, in a similar fashion to a regular hard boiled egg, which Zimmern says himself. The balut is always eaten warm and never cold, either by itself or accompanied with condiments, like salt, vinegar, or soy sauce.
You might ask, why in the world would anyone eat an unborn baby duckling? Like many foods around the world, balut, too, has a story. The Philippines is a nation that, only until recently, declared its independence. However, prior to 1946, the Philippines has been under constant control of Spain, Japan, and even the United States, resulting in a variety of cultural influences. The controlling powers allowed the Philippines to enter the trading world, where it was exposed to the Asian and Arab cultures. The balut egg is an influence of the Chinese culture, as seen by similar dishes in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
It is believed by many that the balut egg is a great source of energy for both men and women, each with its respective functions. According to the same article in the Western Folklore journal, men prefer to eat the more developed balut that are aged 17 to 20 days. This more developed chick is believed to be an aphrodisiac, which “arouses” men’s sexual appetite. On the other hand, women are discouraged from eating the balut this late in the fertilization stage, but rather encouraged to eat the balut aged between 10 and 16 days. Pregnant women and sick people are encouraged to eat balut because it is a high source of calcium and protein. Like many cultures, the egg is a symbol of life, and consuming it will give you a longer one.
Andrew Zimmern’s approach to the balut egg is that of an outsider or tourist. His stout body, brightly colored shirts, and American accent hardly allow him to blend in. Although he is a foreigner, he does not seem scared, but rather interested in trying the food. He talks with the balutan workers and learns about the entire process from start to finish. He may look like an ordinary American tourist, but he is insightful, observant, and mindful of detail. When he receives the newly steamed balut, it is as if the show has turned into a studio cooking demonstration show. He takes control of the balut describing the texture and feel of the egg. Video can only do so much to convey an idea, but Zimmern’s verbal description helps the viewer really imagine the balut egg. He describes the warmth and color just after it is steamed, defining the shape and position of the duck embryo. He cracks the egg open, and the tone goes back to that of a travel show, asking the balutan worker for guidance as he seasons the balut with salt and vinegar. Then the moment we’ve all been waiting for…he eats it! We wait to see his reaction as he chews, then swallows. Approval? Disgust? Delicious? Then suddenly he goes back to being a food critic. As he swallows the last bit of balut in his mouth, he says, “Let’s talk about this for a second”. He begins by describing the very similar taste and texture of a hard-boiled egg with elements of roasted poultry. Very politely he thanks his hosts for their time and hospitality for sharing with him the Filipino culture of eating the balut.
Durian
In another episode, Andrew Zimmern travels to Malaysia in search of the tropical fruit, durian.
According to the book entitled 1001 Foods You Must Taste Before You Die, the durian fruit is considered as the “king of fruits”. The reason for this maybe its scent, for some, is described as fragrant, and for many others as overpowering and offensive. The odor is comparable to that of spoiled meat, which has allowed itself to be banned from hotels and public transportation.
This stinky fruit is consumed by cutting the hard spiky rind open and eating the soft inner fruit. The texture is creamy and similar to that of custard. It is said to possess a unique flavor that is used in both sweet and savory dishes in Southeast Asian cuisine.
This wonderfully aromatic fruit also has nutritional and medicinal qualities. It is high in sugar, vitamin C, potassium, and is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The fruit’s leaves and roots have healing qualities, especially for fever. The leaves are placed on the forehead of fever patients, and the roots are boiled and served as a tea.
Zimmern faced the durian in its natural habitat led by a guide who is an expert farmer and cultivator of the fruit. The farmer proudly says, “Maybe the smell is to the foreigner, something bad, but we enjoy the smell”. He tells Zimmern to take a big whiff of the fragrant fruit and taunts him to eat it. This is one of the few foods that Zimmern is unable to eat and spits it out. In this episode, Zimmern appears to be more of a tourist than a food critic.
I feel that Andrew Zimmern’s show, Bizarre Foods, is educational and entertaining. I appreciate that Zimmern is venturing out into the world educating us about the different foods and delicacies of their cultures. His message, “If it looks good, eat it” tells us not to be afraid and to overcome our fears of trying new foods. This is the kind of mindset that I hope to have someday. The world is an interesting place, with a lot of interesting food. It would be a shame if fear got in the way of trying these wonderful things.
These are the sources that I used in creating this post. I highly recommend them.
- www.andrewzimmern.com
- Case, Frances, and Gregg Wallace. 1001 Foods You Must Taste before You Die. New York: Universe, 2008. Print.
- “Durian.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Apr. 2010. <http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian>.
- Magat, Margaret. “Balut: Fertilized Duck Eggs And Their Role In Filipino Culture.” Western Folklore61.1 (2002). Web.
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On Tuesday, I decided to document everything I ate and drank for my Eating San Francisco class. Here it is:
8:45 am. I started the day off with a bowl of instant maple brown sugar oatmeal and a small breakfast shake, which was supposed to be a meal replacement…whoops. Then it was off to Comparative Literature class. Around 11 o’clock, I busted out my blue reusable bottle and drank some San Francisco tap to quench my thirst. Mmmhm good. One of the students in my class was giving out donuts as prizes for their film presentations. So, I took a glazed one. I’m not a big fan of sweets, but glazed donuts are the only kind I like.
12:15pm. After class, I headed back to my apartment, where I had a leftover tri-tip sandwich from the day before. (Sorry I ate it before I could take a picture.) It had caramelized onions, crumbled bleu cheese and creamy horseradish sauce. I quickly gobbled that up and washed it down with a tall glass of water, once again, tap. This time filtered with my Brita pitcher. Then it was back to campus for some Sociology. During class, I found a piece of Trident gum in my pocket. Don’t worry it wasn’t opened. So, I chewed on that for the remainder of the class as we watched an episode of Jerry Springer.
4:10pm. After correcting some papers in the library and dropping them off in the Xarts office, I took the 5 down to Lucky’s to buy some eggs and walked home. I was a little hungry so I made myself a small bowl of a Filipino dish called Adobo. It had chicken and potatoes cooked in vinegar and soy sauce. I ate that with some mixed white and brown rice.
9:00 pm. I hadn’t eaten in nearly five hours. There wasn’t much food in my fridge, and my restaurant choices were narrowing. I was craving something spicy, so I went with the usual back-up choice, Papalote. I called in and ordered a shrimp burrito with extra salsa. Within 10 minutes I was on my couch watching TV, enjoying a delicious burrito and some Tapatio hot sauce.
A perfect way to end a day of doing absolutely nothing.
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Last week my dog, Timoune, darted out of the house and ran in to the back wheel of a moving car. Luckily the timing was right so she wasn’t run over. She fractured her right hind leg, had surgery, and now is in a cast. Here are some pictures I took. Is it bad if I think her cast looks kind of cute?
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This should have been put before the Mission Project, but here is a video slide show I made for the North Beach Project. Enjoy!
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On March 4, 2009, while many San Francisco residents were protesting either in the Castro or at City Hall, the Eating San Francisco class of USF was field tripping to the Mission.
The Mission District, commonly called “The Mission”, is a unique and diverse neighborhood in San Francisco, nestled between Castro and Potrero. It offers a variety of cultures, but its main one is the Latin American culture. A stroll down Balmy Alley will tell you all about the culture’s history, leaders, traditions, and social issues. Here’s a video I made:
A big part of the Latin American culture is eating. The dinner table is the place where celebrations are held and problems are discussed. Food is usually the main attraction at fiestas. For our fiesta, we dined at Taqueria Vallarta, which offered a huge array of Mexican dishes.
Like the Balmy Alley just outside, the restaurant’s ceiling was covered in murals. Whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant, I usually get some tacos, but that night I decided to try something new. I ordered the Chimichanga, which wasn’t all that great, considering that my order got lost.
The Mission isn’t famous just for its murals, but also it’s nightlife. Bars and clubs provide the neighborhood with exciting places to “knock back a few” or even dance a tango. But after a fun-filled night, what better way to satisfy your hunger than with the famous $1.50 street tacos. Many Mission restaurants, like Taqueria Vallarta, operate taco carts that run on the streets late at night to cater to the nightlife. These street tacos are simple yet delicious. They incorporate the portability of the food of American culture, but also embody its traditional Mexican style of cooking and consumption.
The traditional Mexican taco is unlike that of American fast food restaurants, like Taco Bell, but it is uncomplicated without all the unnecessary condiments. It comprises of two corn tortillas,a meat of choice, and garnished with diced onions and cilantro. The taste comes from the meat. At the taco carts, you usually have the choice of carne asada (beef), carnitas (simmered pork), or pollo (chicken). Each of these types of meats are cooked in a blend of spices and herbs that make the street taco a unique and flavorful dish.
I have provided a complete recipe for carne asada tacos and flour tortillas from scratch.
Tortilla
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Place flour, vegetable shortening, baking powder, salt, and water in a mixing bowl
- Mix and knead for 3 to 5 min.
- Let the dough sit covered for 15 min.
- Separate the dough into small portions and form into small balls
- Roll out the dough balls into thin circles 8” in diameter
- Place on a hot pan for about 30 to 45 seconds
- Flip when air bubbles rise
Carne Asada Taco
Ingredients:
- 1 pound skirt or flank steak
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Directions
- Slice the beef into 1/4 inch slices
- Place beef in a tray with salt, olive oil, and pepper
- Toss to coat beef
- Place beef on a hot skillet until light pink in the center, 30 seconds per side
- Dice beef and place portions on two layers of tortillas
- Serve with onions and cilantro
I made this for lunch today.
Here are a few pictures from my flickr set.
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