Ana's Food Taquizas & Taco Catering

I went to a party catered by two lovely ladies, one of them named Ana.

Their food was really delicious. They had the usual grilled suspects.... asada, pollo, carnitas and they were also making crispy chicken/potato tacos. I really liked their salsas and they were truly happy to make any combo you requested.

This is Ana!

They had both flour and corn tortillas and were making quesadillas as well. Everyone kept going back for more. An excellent sign! You can contact them by email :: anaolvera37@yahoo.com

Recently, while at a party to celebrate the new ownership at the Hermosa Saloon down in the Southbay, I came across another great caterer: Chihuahua's. 

By the time I got there, most of the free food was gone, but there was just enough left that I could sample the bits and I was impressed with those bits. The asada was nice and caramelized but not dry, the chicken was juicy and the salsas were super tasty. 

I would definitely hire them as well. They also have a taco place down in Norwalk. http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-chihuahua-norwalk)

Making A Mariscos Jalisco Taco at Home!

This is half a taco, served as an appetizer

Well... it wasn't exactly Raul's taco, but it was close and it was good.

I am a HUGE fan of the Mariscos Jalisco taco truck on Olympic just S. of Soto in Boyle Heights.

The only problem is... he isn't open at night! So... I decided to get bold and attempted to make my own version of his STELLAR crispy shrimp taco at a party in Glendale. Here's what I did...

I want to say this made about 10-12 tacos.

INGREDIENTS

1/2  lb. of very fresh medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined. You can buy at Whole Foods this way...
2 med Yukon Gold Potatoes (boiled until soft)
1 large white Onion (finely diced and sauteed)
1 Jalapeno (I actually used 2 but you can adjust for your own heat needs)
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

Saute your onions and chopped jalapeno in generous amounts of olive oil and salt until soft and golden. Don't undercook here but cook on a low light after the first 10 minutes so they continue to reduce and become almost sweet. Toward the end add the cilantro and 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic. You could add a few tablespoons of salsa to the mix at this point too if you like. I think I also added a pinch of cumin and corriander just for fun.

At the last minute, add your finely diced shrimp but literally only for like 2-3 minutes. You don't want the shrimp fully cooked at this point or worse yet OVERCOOKED. Just let them slightly turn color, sizzle for a minute and then turn off heat.

Rinse your hot steamy potatoes and remove the skin. Mash the potatoes into the onion/shrimp mixture. Mix until blended well.

For the corn TORTILLAS. Get something fresh. In a good heavy pan put about an 3/4 inch of Vegetable Oil. Not olive. It will smoke. Canola or Corn Oil is fine. Put the tortilla down in the med hot oil. Leave for about 30 seconds and flip. Spoon mixture onto half of tortilla and fold it over. Because you heated it first it won't crack at the fold line. Cook until brown and crunchy. You will have to flip once more. You will have to re-oil every other batch. Don't be alarmed. Overheated fried oil is good for you! (not really but it taste great so who cares)

For the topping you need to thinly slice pieces of avocado. I bought a nice med fresh Sanchez salsa at Whole Foods because I am FLOJA (lazy). Put the salsa in a bowl. Add the juice of one lime, pinch of salt and one cup of chopped white cabbage. Mix and let it get a little soggy. Can be done an hour ahead. You can add a pinch of vinegar too if you like.

Remove your golden taco, drain on a paper towel and then cover with the thin slices of avocado. Then add two generous spoonfuls of the cabbage salsa. This is meant to be eaten SIDEWAYS.

DELISH.

To be really CRAZY I even added a little shredded Monterrey Jack to some of them. It was good, cuz cheese is always good.

Also if you aren't crazy about potatoes you could probably get away with one large potato and 3/4 lb of shrimp. Just be gentle with those shrimp. They suck when they turn to rubber.

I am still missing something from the original. Probably a little fish, fish broth and something with tomato because Raul's filling is reddish. GRAN SECRETO!!!! But still worth trying at home.

The master of crispy shrimp tacos, Raul.

El Molino Central, Sonoma and the Best Tacos on the 5 Fwy

...from Searanch... driving the 12 the whole way from Santa Rosa to the 5 south. It's a pretty great shortcut in that you can avoid the crappy 80 S. entirely AND the 580 S. which always backs up through Livermore and Hayward.

The best part was the food along the way. While driving through Boyes Hot Springs, a place I'd like to return to for some sulphur bathing, I came across a total BRAKE SCREECHER. The place was so cute I almost got whiplash and though I TRIED to talk myself into just looking them up on the internet later, my car turned itself around and I stopped for an early delicious lunch at EL MOLINO CENTRAL.

Apple Fritters

They grind their own corn for gorgeous, fresh, tortillas that are much bigger than the average size and thus perfect for a larger fish taco. They make their batter with Bohemia beer! Something I have done at home with great results. They make enchiladas with swiss chard, crispy beef brisket tacos (HELLO!) and they feature Blue Bottle coffee with beans from Chiapas which you can have for breakfast with a homemade apple fritter! DIOS MIO.

The place is designed and furnished so adorably, I really really wanted to move in and sleep on the beautifully tiled floor. A treasure. A find. A must visit.

From there I kept driving S. resisting the urge to turn off on the 29 toward Napa for a quickie foodie/wino visit. I passed right by the CARNEROS INN which is a great place to stay and has a great restaurant with all sorts of cool cocktails.

From the 29 turn off, it's about 50 minutes until you get to where the 5 and the 580 meet just S. of Stockton. Here is where I finally managed to find and try the fabled ANTOJITOS MEXICANOS. This is the place my 'I don't really like Mexican food' friend told me about, saying it was the best she'd had. EVER. This is the place that Yelpers rave about and the place that drew a tour bus of 20 Frenchmen all the way from San Francisco!

Owners Carlos and Olga make all their food fresh in the DF style. LOTS of yummy shrimp dishes, authentic tacos and a GREAT chile relleno. The place is friendly and clean. It shares the same building as SUBWAY and you can easily get your food to go if you prefer. The same exit has a wonderful farm fresh fruit and veggie stand where I picked up corn, heirloom tomatoes, cherries and pluots!

Owner/Cocinera Olga

The family that runs the restaurant is very humble and they are loving the fact that people are finding them though they don't know exactly how it's happening since they don't have a website OR a Facebook page! Being next to Subway off the 5 probably doesn't hurt.

Grilled Shrimp Taco with Garlic and Avocado

I snacked on my tasty treats all the way down the 5 and I have to say that it was all delicious. That is always the best part of a road trip for me; discovering new and exciting spots for those crazy, sometimes crunchy delights... TACOS!!!

Sea Ranch, Gualala and other August Tacos Including Tacos from The Gap!

Where did Agosto go? I think it got lost in a house remodeling job I took on as a supervisor. As busy as I was, I still managed to bump into the Gap Promotional Taco Truck Tour. The truck was light blue and had a neon sign that flashed DENIM and TACOS alternately.  Silly? Yes! But fun and a great deal at 2 tacos and a soda for $1.69! What were they promoting? Jeans of course.

I tried the Ahi Tuna Tacos at Rockwell VT on Vermont and loved them. They use actual little mini taco shells instead of wonton shells which was a welcome change.

I made it to Malo to confirm what I already knew which is that I still  LOVE LOVE LOVE that Ground Beef Pickle taco. I don't care what anyone says against it. It's irrational. It's somebody's mama's taco so, there.

I managed to get away for a mini Road Trip to visit some dear family friends who now spend most of their time up in Sea Ranch.



Normally when I visit them, Annie makes her AMAZING Texas-style Ground Beef Tacos. Her secret? Bacon fat and Lawry's mix. They are so damn good. But this time I could tell she didn't feel like cooking so we went to this very nice place for tacos up in Gualala called Laura's Bakery and Taqueria.

Gualala is the tiniest of towns with an Indian heritage and a nice Latin population. There is endless construction, gardening and maintainence needs down at the Sea Ranch and so of course there must be TACOS. Laura's was very authentic, tasty and inexpensive and they have a lovely outdoor patio AND BEER! Victoria Beer even!!! The Carnitas were especially delish.

On the way down from Sea Ranch I passed through Healdsburg. Healdsburg is probably one of the fanciest spots in this area, lots of rich women dressed in white and swanky modern hotels such as http://www.h2hotel.com/

I heard there was lots of Mexi Food in Healdsburg and indeed there was. I walked around the square and spotted at least four before settling on El Sombrero. It came with a recommendation from locals and was right across from the Police Station where I used the bathroom!

I could see that people were loving their burritos and soft tacos. I just HAD to try the hardshell and it was a little funky. Like their chips, the 'crispy' shell seemed to come out of a bag or box. It was odd and not what I hoped for, BUT the filling was so delicious and their hotter red salsa so tasty, I gobbled that thing right up even though I'd had a sizeable ham and cheese croissant at Two Fish Baking Company for breakfast!

I spent the night in Santa Rosa. I had intended to have some fancy tacos and tequilla at La Rosa, but instead I kept passing by the adorable and friendly El Coqui as I was trying to find a parking space. I wasn't feeling trendy but in need of some comfort food I could take back to the hotel so I ventured in, was treated like an old friend and had delicious Puerto Rican food.

Very similar to Cuban but with more spice and heat, the Jabaritos, which was a fried green plantain 'sandwich' with tasty ground beef filling, really hit the spot.  El Coqui has been open for two years and has great happy hours with beer and sangria and a very warm and friendly staff.

Later today I plan to hit up this place on the 5 that my friend Dana told me about called Antojitos Mexicanos. Can't decide if it's a movie opportunity or just a photo opp. We'll find out!

TACO TACO

Casa Torres, Tacos in Sylmar

WAY out in San Fernando Valley, where the 118 meets the 210 on Glenoaks.

I was out scouting for patio tile and I asked the guy, 'What's good around here?'  He didn't even hesitate for a moment before answering, 'Casa Torres'.

It reminded me of Paco's in Mar Vista except they had cool stuff like Birria Jalisco Style and lots and lots of seafood. I predictably ordered a crispy chicken taco/enchilada combo. It was $8 or so.

YUM.

It's cavernous inside and not too exciting on the decor front and their separate bar area is definitely a little seedy, BUT.... I still liked it.

Very big place and they have a way cool tortilla making automatic machine!

Here is the link to their yelp page :: http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-torres-sylmar