Blue Corn around the Corner in Silver Lake

Blue corn quesadilla with potatoes and chorizo

Today I had quite a pleasant surprise when I was walking home from Dinosaur Coffee and ran into the blue corn quesadilla lady of Echo Park. She happened to be working an event at Mack Sennett Studios. I couldn't resist a quesadilla.

Street food is my favorite. Just like in Mexico City, potato and chorizo quesadillas are my number one choice.

One of my favorite ladies in Los Angeles. Making some homemade tortillas from blue corn for quesadillas.

Cookbooks Just In... from Roy Choi, Julia Child and more!

Cookboks by Roy Choi, Julia Child and more

I just added some new cookbooks to add to my library. It was a little gift to myself for Christmas. Cookbooks are great gifts for any occasion. They are also a great gift for yourself - a way to learn new food recipes from you favorite chef, learn about new food ingredients, different cooking methods and open your palette up to a whole new food culture.

The books I ordered were a mix from new chefs, classic chefs, world cuisine and making homemade pantry recipes. I'll be preparing recipes from these cookbooks soon so make sure to check back and see what recipes I cook up in the kitchen.

Check out these new cookbooks I just ordered:

L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food by Roy Choi
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, 40th Anniversary by Julia Child
The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making by Alana Cherlina
Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales: Flavors from the Griddles, Pots, and Streetside Kitchens of Mexico by Roberto Santibanez

Morning Masterpiece

Fig Yogurt with Banana, Guava, Honey and Cinnamon

I love fruit. I've been called a fruit. But sometimes fruit can feel a little boring in the morning. Making overnight oats or dumping some yogurt, granola and fruit in a bowl doesn't always give me extra satisfaction I sometimes need in the early hours of the day.

So when I need an little extra visual fulfillment or just need to impress a stranger who stayed over the night before, I like to put my best fruit forward and make a lovely looking plate filled with healthy ingredients to start the day.

I stop thinking of my food as ingredients, and more as materials for art. After assessing my materials I start thinking of the shapes, colors and textures before me. I begin cut shape profiles and lay them out on the canvas, which in this case is now a white plate. A dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon completes my edible art.

So, next time you have guests over for brunch, or just want to make sometime special for yourself in the morning, take a few extra minutes for plating and make your own morning masterpiece. If you create something I would love to see it. Upload your breakfast to Instagram and use the hashtag #morningmasterpiece.

Dia de los Muertos in Los Angeles

My "Dia de los Muertos" altar in Los Angeles, California

My memories of "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) at the cemetery of Xoxo in Oaxaca, Mexico live on in my California home every November. I honor those who have been in my life and celebrate their lives. The last week of October, I begin to collect my photos, objects in one spot and buy fresh marigolds from the farmers' market. My bookshelf slowly begins to transform into a beautiful altar to remember important people in my life - this year primarily in my thoughts were my grandfather, my cousin Josh and my friend Josh Clayton-Felt, as well as the "Ayotzinapa 43" (the forty-three students who were "disappeared" in Mexico). Each item on my altar is carefully selected and holds special significance. Candles, copal (incense) and marigolds are among the gifts that welcome and guide the spirits' return.

My altar lit with candles at night 

Altar detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Among these gifts you will also find water and food, which often was a favorite of the deceased. Potatoes and eggs are offered for the spirit of my grandfather who taught me to make fried potatoes with which he often topped with a fried egg. "Pan de muerto" is a special bread that is made for Day of the Dead. It is slightly sweet, spiced with anise, flavored with orange and topped with sugar. My loaves are made with traditional bone shapes on top, but this year I switched it up and made a full skull shape with crossbones.

Ingredients ready to make "Pan de Muerto"

Making "Pan de Muerto" at home

"Pan de Muerto" at my altar

Crew of Bones Muhroni and my friend, Anselmo, with make up and ready to party.

With our large Mexican community here in Los Angeles, "Dia de los Muertos" has long been a community tradition. The most popular of celebrations is usually sponsored by Self-Help Graphics. This year people gathered around the altars built in Grand Park and celebrated with traditional dance and song.

City Hall in DTLA behind the Grand Park celebration for "Dia de los Muertos"

Downtown LA altar detail

Giant skull on altar in Downtown Los Angeles

The candle on this altar reads "Justice for Tayvon Martin"

Mac and Cheese Waffles, Leftover Makeover!

Mac and Cheese Waffle topped with Sarayo by Xhico

My aunt sends me emails constantly of stuff to try cooking. I think somewhere in the flurry of her emails I saw something about Mac and Cheese Waffles. I never read the article, but remembered it today when I was thinking of what to do with all this leftover amazing Mac and Cheese. So I decided to pull out the waffle iron and give it a go.

I gave the waffle iron a light coat of non-stick cooking spray and heated it up on medium-high. Then I saw some smoke and could smell a burning odor. Oops. I put the cooking spray onto way too soon. But I kept going. I sliced out a piece of mac and cheese from the casserole dish. I laid it in the waffle iron and it began to sizzle. I pressed the waffle iron until it was tight. I could hear the cheese crackling away and I could begin to smell it in the air. It was delightful. I waited and waited for about 8 minutes and thought it was done.

When I opened the waffle maker my macaroni surprise fell apart. The center feel right out as the top stuck snuggly to waffle iron. I pried it away from the top and bottom and set the crispy bits on a paper towel. I tasted them and they were salty, cheesy, crispy goodness. I had to make this work. Being a designer, makes me a good problem solver among other things.

After a quick wipe down, I let the waffler get hot. This time I sprayed a nice coat of non-stick cooking spray right before I put the slice of mac and cheese in. Also, I just gave it a gentle pressure as I closed it and didn't force it in too hard. This time I waited with anticipation. Would my adjustments give me a magic-mac-cheesy-waffle?

The aroma of the cheese crisping was promising. The crackling sound was another sign things were going good. After about 10 minutes I opened the waffle iron and it came away from what has become a golden crunchy crust of cheese. "Yahoo!" I exclaimed. I was so excited that I had actually accomplished this leftover make-over. I took the waffle out and could hardly wait to eat it. I threw it on a plate, topped it with some Sarayo and got to work on that salty, crackly, gooey, cheesy wonder waffle.

Get my BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE here!

Recipe: Baked Mac & Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

When I was a kid I loved when that little blue box would come out. I could here the noodles shake in the box and Could totally relate to how my dog felt everyday when he heard the food coming. In that blue box was mac and cheese magic. Little elbow noodles in nuclear orange colored sauce that tasted like heaven. By the time I was ten, I could manage to make it on my own.

It wasn't until I was a teenager and staying at a friends house when his mom said she was making macaroni and cheese, but there was no blue box in sight. No jiggling sound of noodles. I was puzzled. But then I was mesmerized as she began to mix together butter, flour, milk and cheese to make this incredible cheddar sauce. She poured the creamy goodness over perfectly cooked jumbo shells and folded them together. And to my amazement, there was macaroni and cheese – made from scratch, not a little blue box. 

Baked Mac and Cheese

While I was in college, I remembered that night and decided I too would make mac and cheese from scratch. I found a cookbook with a recipe. Though I was frightened by the idea of a bechamel sauce, I would find that it was easy and would become a foundation for many cooking techniques later. So don't be afraid. Ditch the blue box and make some real homemade mac and cheese for your family, but more importantly your self! Treat yo' self!

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE:

You will need a large casserole or baking dish, a large high-sided sauce pan for sauce, a large stock pot for pasta and wooden spoon.

Ingredients:

Bechamel Sauce:

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Flour

4 Cups Whole Milk

Seasoning:

5-7 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Diced (You can add more garlic if you're into it and don't have anyone to kiss after dinner)

1 Tbsp Salt (plus more for pasta water)

1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Mexican Oregano (you can also use Italian Oregano)

1 Tbsp French Thyme

1/4 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg (Optional)
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs - Reserved for Topping(Optional)

Cheese:
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar

1 Cup Smoked Cheddar

1 Cup Gruyere

1 Cup Pecorino Romano

(You can use all Cheddar if you want or any combination of these cheeses or other cheese such as Monterey Jack, Fontina, Pepper Jack, etc.)

Noodles:

1 Pound Box of Elbow Macaroni

(I also like to use Jumbo Elbow Macaroni, Penne and Rigatoni)

METHOD:

1. PREP

- Chop garlic

- Measure out all seasonings and put in small bowl

- Grate cheese and put into one large bowl (Set aside a 1/2 cup of cheese for topping)

- Butter the bottom and sides of your casserole or baking dish

2. Preheat oven to 400º F and put the rack in the center.

3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add noodles and return to a boil and cook for about 3-4 minutes. The noodles should start to be soft, but still undercooked. Drain noodles and rinse with very cold water to stop them from cooking. Set pasta aside.

4. In large high-sided sauce pan add butter on medium-low and let melt. Once butter is melted add flour. With a wooden spoon constantly stir flour mixture and it will form into a paste. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes until it starts to turn golden-brown. This mix is called a roux and is often used to thicken sauces and soups.

5. Once your roux is golden brown, slowly add your milk about 1 cup at a time. Constantly stir the mixture as you add the milk - slowly breaking up the flour mixture. It will look clumpy and first but as you add the milk it will loosen up. Continue stirring constantly and bring to a boil. Be sure to stir gently and scrape the bottom of the saucepan as you stir. This will prevent the milk from building up and scorching at the bottom. 

6. Turn off heat and stir in garlic and seasonings. Stir until mixed through. Begin to add cheese handfuls at a time. The sauce should still be hot enough to melt the cheese itself. Stir until all cheese is melted and throughly combined. At this point taste the sauce to see if you need to add any additional salt or seasoning.

7. Gently fold your noodles into the sauce until all noodles are coated with sauce. *Note: If you don't want to bake it and eat it all hot and cheesy right off the stovetop, you can! Just cook your noodles all the way to al dente and you're good to go!

8. Pour the noodle mixture into your baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese and bread crumbs.

9. Bake uncovered in oven at 400ºF for 30-40 minutes until cheese is bubbling and top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Provecho!

Amazing Mother Duckin' Tea Kettle

Duck head tea kettle at thrift store

While I was visiting in my hometown of Oakdale, I stopped by the thrift store. I found this amazing tea kettle with a duck head for the spout. I love zoomorphic objects!

Bananatastic Plastic! Banana Bio-Plastic Made By Young Girl

Banana Soft Sculptures designed by Xhico

A young girl in Turkey decided to take my favorite fruit and try to make a bio-plastic. With a few bananas and a mini laboratory, she was able to do just that! Watch the video as she turns a banana peel in a piece of plastic that is usable in applications such as wiring and artificial limbs.

BUY A BANANA BY XHICO 

Strawberry-Mint Agua Fresca Recipe

Strawberry-Mint Agua Fresca

 It's hot here in LA this week. If you want the perfect afternoon refreshment, make a Strawberry Mint Agua Fresca. It's quick, easy and will make you feel a lot better about the heat.

STRAWBERRY-MINT AGUA FRESCA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Basket Strawberries
• 1 Handful Mint Leaves
• 2-4 TBSP Brown Sugar (optional)
• Pinch of Salt 
• 10-12 Cups Water



METHOD:

1. Wash and stem strawberries. Wash a small bunch of mint and pick leaves off until you have a handful of mint leaves.

2. Add Strawberries and 2 Cups water to blender. Blend for about 2 minutes until smooth.

3. Add mint leaves, salt and brown sugar. Blend for about another 30 seconds. NOTE: Brown sugar is optional. Only if your berries are a bit tart or if you like things on the sweeter side. You of course can also substitute sweeteners like regular sugar, honey or agave nectar.

4. Pour mixture into a large pitcher. Stir in 8-10 cups of water.  NOTE: You can add more water if you like it on the lighter side. You can also strain the mixture before you pour it into the pitcher. I prefer to have all the bits and pieces.

5. Serve cold over ice with mint garnish. It's also good with a squeeze of lime. It's even better with some tequila or vodka!

PROVECHO!

National Cheeseburger Day at Haché LA

Habanero Burger at Haché LA, Silver Lake

 It's amazing how much your neighborhood can change in three months. As I spent the summer in Mexico City, my barrio of Silver Lake was busy making some changes of it's own. New shops and restaurants popping up as others shutter down. One of them to close it's doors was Tarascos on Sunset Blvd. I won't lie, I won't miss it. It was replaced by a burger joint. Haché to be exact.

I was happy to hear that we have a burger place in the neighborhood. But I was also fearful it was going to be a fifteen-dollar-hipster burger. On this glorious American holiday known as National Cheeseburger Day, I found out that I was wrong.

Haché is a welcome addition to the restaurants in Silver Lake. In fact, it's just what we needed. A non-pretentious environment with affordable food (and craft beer too). Burgers come in around the $6-$7 dollar range starting with their Karma Burger. It's a burger with all the standards with a patty that's not so standard. The patties that fill the burgers at Haché are made in-house daily from ground Angus sirloin and seasoned on the outside like you would your sirloin steak.

One of the lovely workers rockin' one of my banana stickers on her hat.

They offer a few other varieties of burgers like the "Swiss Onion" with Gruyere cheese and carmelized onion. There's also the "Habanero" with a four-chile mix, garlic mayo and queso fresco. I had the Habanero and it was quite good. However it was pretty mild and I didn't really get any of that fruity habanero flavor, it was more of a jalapeño burger.

Of course there's also french fries, strawberry basil lemonade and a very friendly staff. So grab a burger and brew at Haché sit outside on the patio and enjoy friends and music.

I'm Going Bananas for My New Business Cards

Business Cards designed by Xhico

As you may know, I'm not only a foodie, but I'm also a artist, graphic designer, brand consultant and certified weirdo. While I was in Mexico City, I took some of my free time to design myself some new business cards. I started with drawing my banana illustrations at the coffee shop one day. I found out the neighborhood where to get printing done. With my thumb drive in hand I stepped out of the Chabacano Metro station into a neighborhood that is a graphic designer's delight. The smell of ink wafting out of print shops that lined the streets as I passed by looking at all of my options to choose a printer. They were everywhere. Blocks and blocks of off-set, digital, silkscreen, stamp-makers, paper cutters, swag marketing, sign making lined the streets. I remember walking by three woman hand assembling fancy marketing brochures and they were all having such a wonderful time at their jobs. I finally decided on a small booth to do my printing. They would only take a few days, I could get my satin finish and it would cost a mere $140 Mexican pesos.

Let me know what you think about my banana designs. Original banana drawings and soft-sculptures by me are now available online. Please check out my shop and buy a banana!

Roly Poly Potato Recipe

Roly Poly Potato with Cream and Sarayo Sauce

Potatoes are my favorite carb so I'm always looking of new ways to prepare them. I thought I had the fabulous idea of making one similar to an "awesome blossom" aka bloomin' onion. I later learned on Facebook that my idea wasn't so original and these potatoes are actually called Hasselback Potatoes. I don't care, I call them "Roly Poly Potatoes" because they look like the little roly poly bugs I used to play with in the garden as a kid. So, I find it great that these potatoes look like giant bugs or crustaceans.

This potato recipe gives you a tender inside and a crispy texture on the outside. It's a great side dish with meat and perfect substitute for a baked potato. It's very easy to prepare and good to make for just one person.


ROLY POLY POTATO RECIPE (Hasselback Potato Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 Potato (I used Purple Potatoes because they look pretty on the inside)
1 Clove of Garlic
Olive Oil
Butter
Sea Salt

Cut slices evenly and place garlic between each slice

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 425º F (215º C)
2. Starting at one end of the potato, cut the potato cross-ways downward in direction. The slice should be about 1/8" thick. Don't cut all the way thru leave about 1/8" connected at bottom of potato. Continue to cut slices down the entire length of the potato.
3. Slice thinly one clove of garlic.
4. Place one slice of garlic in each slot that you have cut into the potato
5. Coat bottom of baking dish with olive oil. Put potato in dish.
6. Generously drizzle potato with olive oil.
7. Sprinkle with sea salt (make sure salt and olive oil gets into the slots)
8. Bake uncovered for 40-60 minutes. Depending on size of potato and your preference of the doneness of center and crispiness of the outside.

• Melt 2tbsp of butter and drizzle over top. If you want it extra garlicky, then add sliced garlic to your butter as you are melting it. I also enjoy it with crema (Mexican table cream) or Sarayo Sauce.

Provecho!

Bangin' Beef Birria in Mexico City

(Xhico in Mexico)

Beef Birria Tacos in Mexico City

Rafael prepping Beef Birria for Tacos

I can't complain about my apartment in Mexico City. It's everything an artist could want - spacious, beautiful and full of natural light. Though, I think the best thing is waking up to the smell of quesadillas by Doña Chelo in the morning and coming home in the evening to the air filled with the delicious smell of beef birria. Birria is a traditional Mexican cuisine that hails from Jalisco, Mexico. It's usually prepared with goat or sheep that is marinated with dried chiles and spices.

Right outside my door, I have a wonderful street food stand where Rafael prepares his own version of "Birria de Res" or Beef Birria. It is braised in a seasoned broth for several hours until it is tender and juicy. The texture reminds me of my grandma's pot roast, but the flavor is definitely more robust and slightly spicy.

Beef Birria braising in a giant kettle, the scent wafts thru my apartment

Beef Birria Consomé

Beef Birria Tacos with Salsa

For twelve years, on this very corner, Rafael has stewed his birria. When it's ready he takes it out of the broth and chops it into fine pieces for tacos. The small corn tortillas are dipped in the broth, heated on the comal and served with cilantro and onion. He then served a small bowl of consomé, which is absolutely fantastic. A few squeezes of fresh lime juice over the taco and into the broth adds a brightness which compliments the flavors wonderfully.

Beef consomé, perfect for a rainy day

If you want, ask for salsa at the bottom of your consomé bowl and add some marinated onions and habanero for extra heat. Now get to dipping! Dip your taco into the broth for a taco experience that you won't forget. You can also order a stew with meat in broth.

Visit Rafael at his Beef Birria Puesto on the corner of Chilpancingo and Aguascalientes just a few blocks from Parque Mexico in the Condesa neighborhood. I hope you don't have the same problem I have of not being able to stop eating these delicious Birria Tacos.

Chocolate Churros in Coyoacán

Churro filled with chocolate

You'll see churros all over in Mexico City. It's like Mexico's doughnut. But some of my favorites are the Churros Rellenos (Stuffed Churros) in Coyoacán. Definitely my favorite street food desert (aside from ice cream). If you're going to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, it's a short walk to Jardin Plaza Hidalgo which joins with Jardin Centenario to make up the main square in the neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Churros sign in Coyoacán

Fresh churros

You'll find plenty of restaurants, shops and street vendors. But what you want to find is the Churros. Delicious tubes of deep fried dough is filled with your choice of fillings. They have everything from chocolate or cheese to strawberry of mango. I love the chocolate or cajeta, which is like a rich burnt goats milk. It's sweet and gooey like caramel.

The list of delicious filling choices for Churros

Deep-fried churros

Whistle of the Camote Man in Mexico City

(Xhico in Mexico)

Some people find the sound of the Camote Man irritating. But the loud shriek  has me run out the door like Pavlov's dogs. 

Camote (sweet potato) covered in lechera

It seems to be one of life's cruelest tricks it likes to play on me. I hear the loud whistle and run outside into the cold, rainy Mexico City nights. Only to realize that he may still be blocks away. Then I wait patiently to hear the sound again. When the steam engine blows I can then tell which direction to start walking. Eventually, the smell of the wood burning fire gets stronger and I see a plume of smoke. Where there's smoke there's camotes.

Plantain, steamed and covered in lechera and cinnamon

Camotes are sweet potatoes. The sweet round belly bombs are smoked along the side of plantains in a steam engine that is pushed through the streets if Mexico City. The hot, mushy snacks have a smokey flavor imparted by the wood burned in the fire. They are then covered in "lechera" (sweetened condensed milk) and sprinkled with cinnamon. The plantains have quickly become one of my favorite street foods in Mexico.

Steam engine of the Camote Man

Cecina, Delicious Marinated Beef and Pork in Mexico

(Xhico in Mexico)

Taco of Cecina (Pork, Enchilada Style)

I haven't seen it on the menus much in Mexico City, but cecina is definitely food of choice a little over an hour outside of the city in a pueblo called "Chalco". I went on an adventure with my friend, Antonio. His family lives in Chalco and I was invited over for lunch. An invitation that I could not resist. Though it was a bit of a trek it was worth every bite.

Inside the church courtyard across from the mercado.

We started out the morning for "desayuno" (breakfast) at the Mercado Municipal in Chalco. Like many of the markets in Mexico City, there are puestos (stalls) selling fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meat and poultry. Of course there are also many places to eat inside and around. The main difference was that there were many puestos dedicated to preparing "cecina" for the drones of people packed inside the market. Beef and pork, pounded flat and piled high into a wall of meat separating the patrons from the cooks. As the people line up and are seated into long-narrow tables, the meat is put over a hot fire and cooked to perfection.

Stacks of beef cecina waiting to be grilled

Cecina being cooked up at the mercado in Chalco, Mexico

The cecina is lean cuts of beef and pork that has been cut and pounded into thin slices, marinated and served hot off the fire. We ordered the pork "enchilada-style" which means that it has also been marinated in chilis which gives it a reddish hue.

Cecina meat - Beef (left), Pork Enchilada Style (right)

Fresh made blue corn tortillas are the foundation of taco construction

Tacos of Cecina (beef)

We decided on the puesto called "Becerro de Oro", got a seat and ordered. Antonio ran to go get some cheese at a nearby stand. He insisted that the double-cream cheese was delicious when making tacos with cecina. I was so hungry I could hardly wait as I got wafts of grilled meat arousing my olfactory receptors. Then it came. The beef and pork steaming hot and simply served on a banana leaf. Blue corn tortillas were served along the side with cream and salsas. Everything was complete to let the taco making process begin. I put a slice of meat, salsa, cream and the double-cream cheese atop a tortilla and began to eat my first cecina taco. It was slightly salty, spicy and creamy - everything delicious should be. Even though after two tacos, I was full. I couldn't stop snacking on the meat.