Avocado Salsa Verde

This exceptional salsa is perfect on Shrimp Tostadas, any kind of taco, with chips for something different, or smeared all over burgers.  The acidic tomatillos and lime juice keep the avocado bright green.  It’s tangy, a touch spicy, and oh so delicious.

• 2 ripe haas avocados
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 4 medium tomatillos
• 1 large jalapeno
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat BBQ grill to high heat.  Rub the tomatillos, onion, and jalapeno with vegetable oil.  Grill over high heat, rotating every few minutes, until blistered and slightly charred; about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from heat and place the onion and jalapeno in a food processor with the garlic clove.  Pulse until slightly chunky.  Add the tomatillos and avocados, and pulse again until slightly chunky.  Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro, and pulse another 5-6 pulses.  The verde should have a chunky but smooth salsa consistency.

Recipe by Sadie Clift, March 2013

The Bald Gourmet shares his fiances delicious Avocado Salsa Verde recipe.  Try it!

As we were coming back from Los Veranos Canopy Tour, I asked our bus driver where he recommended for good seafood dining.  I mentioned some of the places listed in my Lonely Planet guide, and he said they were good but were not really “Mexican” seafood.  He thought about it for a while, then said he knew just the place.  He actually drove us right to their door, taking the other bus passengers along for the ride.  Once there, he got out of the bus and went in to tell the owner what we were looking for and to make sure we got treated right.  What great service the Los Veranos team provides.

Great Service at Fredy Ocho Tostadas

I’m not sure if it was our bus driver’s efforts or if their staff is always this friendly, but we were treated amazingly well.  They only take cash, and we were short.  But the owner seated us and told us we could worry about walking to the ATM after our meal.  My girlfriends dad had already gone to get the money by then, but what a great gesture anyway.  Additionally, they did everything in their power to make us feel comfortable and welcome, checking in on us frequently and offering suggestions from their menu.  This was unusually helpful because we were the only non-locals in the place.  The place was packed… that’s always a very good sign.

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Packed with Diners

We were all really tired from our long day at Los Veranos Canopy Tour, not to mention very hot and sweaty.  Again, Fredy’s staff took notice and brought us ice-cold bottled water immediately, as well as some tasty chips and salsa to help get our energy up quickly.  The restaurant has open air roofing, as you can see in the picture above, but the ceiling fans did an incredible job of keeping the sweat off us.

Delicious Seafood Cocktails at Fredy Ocho Tostadas Estadio

Seafood is what Fredy’s is known for, and seafood they have!  The menu was full with just about every Mexican style seafood dish you can think of, including their “famous” seafood cocktails.  These sounded good and interesting, and I knew I wanted one.  I was very intrigued with the sea snail, as I had never eaten sea snail before, so I ordered the sea snail and scollop cocktail.

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Sea Snail Scollop Seafood Cocktail

What an interesting concoction this thing was.  It was sea snail, scallop, onions, tomato, cucumber, and avocado, all mixed in a sea-water brine for broth with lots of lime in it.  It was very refreshing, but odd, if only because of the brine broth.  But the sea snail certainly added a funk.  Sea snail has a very interesting flavor.  That flavor reminded me of the smell of science lab chemicals, but in a fishy way.  It was very firm in texture, and was cool to eat, but I’m not sure if I would seek it out again or not.

Best Coconut Shrimp Ever at Fredy Ocho Tostadas Stadium in Puerto Vallarta

The other appetizer we ordered were the coconut shrimp.  These were the best coconut shrimp I’ve ever had.  Seriously.  They were completely amazing.  The shrimp were moist and succulent.  The breading was terrific, and had a lot of fresh coconut in it.  But what really brought it all together for me was the amazing tequila mango dipping sauce.  It was sweet, but not overly so, and had a touch of hot chili in it.  The mango flavors were at the forefront, and the whole thing tasted like it was made with mangos picked off the tree that morning.

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Coconut Shrimp

Fredy’s knows they are good.  And they are so generous with that knowledge that they actually printed the recipe (most of it anyway) on their menu!

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Coconut Shrimp Recipe from Menu

Best Italian Seafood Pasta in Puerto Vallarta at Fredy Ocho Tostadas Stadium

This next experience confused the crap out of me.  Sadie’s sister, Markie, decided that all the Mexican seafood we were ordering wasn’t her thing, so she ordered a bowl of Linguini with Pesto and Shrimp.  We all thought she was nuts, and even went so far as to make fun of her/chastise her for such a lame order.  But little did we know that she was a complete genius, ordering one of the best things on the menu.  I have eaten many a pesto in my day, and make it every summer from basil in my garden.  I make a mean pesto, but I don’t know if mine is as good as what came out on Markie’s plate.  This stuff was light, full of basil flavor, had just the right amount of garlic, and wasn’t greasy or overly cheesy.  It was perfect.  The shrimp was very fresh and was perfectly seasoned and cooked.  Oh Markie, you wise little brat.  How did you know that you would get perfect Italian pasta at a Mexican seafood restaurant in Mexico?

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Linguini with Pesto and Shrimp

Amazing Grilled Seafood Platter at Fredy Ocho Tostadas Estadio Mexican Restaurant

When our bus driver recommend Fredy’s to us, he must have been thinking of this dish.  This platter was the perfect representation of Mexican seafood.  Just look at it!

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Family-style Mexican Grilled Seafood Platter

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Mexican Grilled Seafood Platter

Where to even begin!  Let’s start with the mixed seafood served in the very cool looking large scallop shells you see on each side of the platter.  It was prepared in a hot chili sauce which I wasn’t able to identify very well, other than chili and tomato, but it was very good.  The funky sea snail was in this mix, but even with its funk, the dish was good.  The spiny lobster you see in the center was cut in half and baked with chopped garlic all over it, which would have been awesome had it not gotten burnt a bit.  Regardless, it was moist and very sweet.  The fried fish filets you see in the top center were excellent.  They were extremely moist, very crunchy, and were served with a fantastic dill tartar sauce.  They were perhaps the best fried fish I’ve had.

But the real show stopper for me were the giant shrimp you see in the large scallop shell in the bottom center.  They were grilled, then quickly sauteed in melted butter, chopped garlic, and dried red California chili pod strips.  I say California chilies, but they could have been anything.  I don’t really know, but they were sweet and had a very mild heat just like California chilies do.  The chili and garlic flavored the butter so that every bite all over the shrimp was as succulent as the one before.  Simply fantastic!  The mussels in their half shell were also ridiculously good, served in the same chili garlic butter as the shrimp.  Muy Bien!

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Giant Grilled Shrimp with Chili

Whole Fried Snapper at Fredy Ocho Tostadas Restaurant Not as Good as the Rest

Oh how I love whole fried fish.  It almost always comes out super moist and perfectly delicious.  Not quite so at Fredy’s.  Their version was tasty, don’t get me wrong, but just wasn’t as good as it could have been, or as compared with the rest of their menu.  The possitives it had going for it were:  a super crunchy skin; and a moist flesh.  The negatives it had were:  it needed more seasoning; and it was a touch dry.  How could it be both moist and dry at the same time?  I don’t know and it confused the hell out of me.  Maybe that’s why I didn’t love it.  Who knows.

Fredy Ocho Tostadas Whole Fried Snapper

A Perfect Ending to a Great Time in Puerto Vallarta

Satisfied beyond belief, we said our thanks and our goodbyes to the staff at Fredy’s and hit the streets to find a cab.  After haggling with the toothless cabby we eventually found, we jumped in his van and headed back to our hotel.  We took things easy that night, packing our suitcases and eating our last deserts at Riu’s buffet.  What a great vacation…. food adventures and street finds, canopy zip lining, snorkeling, para-sailing, beach lounging, icy cold tropical drinks, and luxury accommodations the entire time.  All with a beautiful blue-eyed girl.  I don’t think I could ask for more.

The Bald Gourmet falls in love with Puerto Vallarta and the blue-eyed angel at his side during a Mexican summer vacation.

Incredible Fresh Seafood on the Malecon Walkway

Puerto Vallarta Malecon Walkway

The Malecon Walkway way runs from new Puerto Vallarta clear through Veijo (old) Vallarta.  It runs along the bay shoreline, and is absolutely beautiful with it’s blue-water views, palm trees, and cobblestone path.  It is lined with shops, tourist traps, restaurants, and more tequila bars than you can imagine.  There are beautiful fixed statues, and even some live human statues, my favorite of which were the sand people.  These guys were a total trip sitting perfectly still, occasionally “cracking” as they’d adjust their positions.

Malecon Walkway Sand People

The Malecon is also home to the beautiful “The Crown of Our Lady” Catholic church.  Built in 1883, this church is a Puerto Vallarta landmark, and worth stopping by to see and reverence.

The Crown of Our Lady Puerto Vallarta

The Crown of Our Lady Puerto Vallarta Inside

And though these different sights may be treasures, the real treasures for me were all the tasty little fresh seafood treats found along the way.  There were several different grilled shrimp stands and walking hawkers, grilled fish stands, and fresh oyster stands, all of which were exceptional!

Puerto Vallarta Fresh Beach-side Oysters

Our single biggest food regret of our Puerto Vallarta visit was not eating more of these oysters!  They were incredible!  Just pulled out of the bay that morning, they were sitting in ocean-water buckets, pulled out as needed, shucked right before you, and served on a plate of ice with fresh lime, a touch of salt, and hot sauce of your choice.  I’m normally not a big fan of raw oysters, but these were so fresh and clean that they were an absolute joy to eat.  The fresh lime juice balanced out the briny ocean taste, and the hot sauce added a great little punch at the end.  They were so clean, that chewing them rather than just gaggingly slurping them down was not an issue whatsoever.  Why did we only get 2 each?  Why oh why didn’t we each buy a plate of 20?  What fools!  Stupid stupid fools.

Puerto Vallarta Fresh Beach-side Grilled Shrimp and Fish

Also delicious were these fresh grilled shrimp.  They were grilled over wood coals, and had a great subtle smoke flavor because of it.  They were coated with a mild Mexican spice blend, were very moist, and were probably the cleanest briny tasting shrimp I’ve ever put in my mouth.  Plus they were the size of small cats.  Just enormous, and truly exceptional.  They didn’t blow my mind like the oysters did, but they were very good and well worth the couple bucks they cost us.

As we dived deeper into Veijo Vallarta, we decided to leave the walk way and head east into the streets.  Oh what happy little joys we found there!

Yarita Bakery in Old Town Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Sign

Our first discovery was the ever so amazing Yarita Mexican bakery.  Mexican pastries are not nearly as sweet as their USA cousins, and in many ways, that makes them more enjoyable.  As such, we were all excited to give Yarita’s a try.  Yarita’s is small, but their selection was very robust.

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Hand Pies

Upon walking in, we were overwhelmed with the smell of butter.  Baked butter with a little wheat dough and sugar.  “Oh my, what have we just got ourselves into?” I thought.  Everything was displayed in beautiful wooden shelves, and all looked amazing.  We selected a few things and headed back out into the street to enjoy them.  My favorite was the chocolate hand pie.  The crust was so flaky and buttery it was ridiculous, and it reminded me of my pie crust recipe.  And the chocolate filling was perfect, not overly sweet, with a great chocolate flavor and hint of cinnamon that left me wanting to eat three more.  Roll your eyes good.

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Amazing Chocolate Pie

Best Taco Ever, Wet Street Tacos in Puerto Vallarta

As we headed deeper into the streets, I spotted a little taco cart.  Street tacos were what I hit the streets to find, so I anxiously approached the little wheeled stand.  There were several people ordering, and there was a little sitting alcove behind the cart, but we were a bit unsure if it looked safe or not.  A lady in the line noticed our concern, turned to us, and said, “It’s really good and very clean.  Some stands aren’t clean, but this one is, and they have the best tacos in town.  Here, I’ll order you some.”  We were a little shocked at her taco offering, but gratefully accepted.  She knew just what to order, and we let her.  Oh my gosh!

All of their tacos were made out of slow cooked meats, which were then shredded/chopped and cooked in a chili based stewing broth.  The stand was full of these little stewing pots, each with a different meat in them.  I’ve never had a wet taco like these before, and now I don’t want to eat anything but them.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Wet Tacos Stand

We had chicken and pork, both of which were amazing.  They were served simply with some chopped cabbage and onion on fresh corn tortillas.  The chili broth flowed all over the tortillas.  Each bite was a succulent mouthful of Mexican mother’s milk.  I loved these tacos, and am working on duplicating their perfection at home.  If you ever see wet tacos anywhere, stop whatever you’re doing and order a plate of them.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Wet Tacos

Chocolate Sushi Dessert Shop in Veijo Vallarta

We kept walking, stopping in the occasional store or shop, and having a great time checking out the heart of old town Puerto Vallarta, never loosing site of our goal to eat everything we came across.  It was very hot and humid that day, so when the air conditioned dessert sushi shop was spotted, we happily headed in.  But I thought, “Dessert sushi?  This place is going to suck.”  How wrong I was.

Their dessert sushi was freaking delicious!  It was made with a very lite and fluffy chocolate mouse with little chunks of dark chocolate in it, all rolled up in a super moist striped chocolate and white chocolate cake.  It was served with a vanilla cream frosting (cream cheese based I think) to act as the soy sauce dip, and was eaten with chopsticks.  A little gimmicky for sure, but was very fun and quite tasty.   It was kind of like a Hostess Ding Dong on crack.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Dessert Sushi

Tacos el Pastor Street Tacos in Puerto Vallarta

Cooled and all sugared up, we head back to our gluttonous adventure.  In just a short couple blocks, we came across our 2nd street taco stand.  This one had a sign that said “Serving tacos since 1982″.  Yup, going in.  The owners were very friendly, asked where were from, made sure we knew they were the oldest taco stand in town, and happily answered any questions we had about their menu.  We selected the Tacos el Pastor, though I’m not really sure why they called them that because the pork was not cooked on a vertical rotisserie spit and the taco was not topped with pineapple.  Oh well, they were good anyway.  The seasoned pork was heated along side the corn tortillas on a dome-shaped grill.  They were dressed with some terrific pinto beans, onions, and cilantro.  A bit of fresh squeezed lime juice and their fresh made salsa verde finished it off.  Open mouth, enter heaven.  Not as good as the wet tacos (how could they be), but some of the best pork tacos I’ve ever had.  And, surprisingly, were some of the only beans I had while in Puerto Vallarta.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Tacos el Pastor

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Tacos el Pastor

El Calamar Aventurero Seafood Tacos Review

As we circled back in the direction of the bakery, we passed an open restaurant called El Calamar Aventurero.  The Squid Adventure.  How can you pass a place with a name like that up?  We really weren’t hungry, but come on!  The ceiling fans felt nice, and the seafood tacos they served us were pretty nice as well.

The Manta ray Taco was was cooked in a savory tomato, bell pepper, and carrot sauce until falling apart.  It was then shredded and cooked even longer,  Tossed on perfect fresh corn tortillas, sauce and all, it had a fishy flavor that wasn’t overbearing.  It was awesome!  If I would have had room, I would have had 4 of them.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – El Calamar Aventurero Manteray Taco

The Shrimp Taco was made with battered and deep fried shrimp.  They were kind of like the fried shrimp you get at cheap American Chinese restaurants, but much much better.  They were very moist and tender, and were topped with bag salad (an interesting choice that actually worked great) and a Baja type sauce that looked like thousand island dressing on the salad mix.  A squeeze of lime, and the deliciouness was complete.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – El Calamar Aventurero Shrimp Taco

The Marlin taco was nearly identical to the Manta ray taco.  It was cooked in the exact same broth, and had the exact same taste.  However, marlin is a more mild and meatier fish than manta ray, so it was a little less fishy and a lot more “steak” like in texture.  Very good, but I think I actually enjoyed the manta ray taco more.

Pie in the Sky Perfect Puerto Vallarta Pies

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Pie in The Sky Dessert Shop

I had heard about Pie in the Sky from a couple different food blogs, and knew I wanted to try it out.  We looked up their address to find them, but just happened to unexpectedly walk right by them.  With it’s bright colored paint and funky feel, it reminded me of something I would find in Seattle.  Yet here it was in the heart of Mexico.  It smelled very much of pies, which is always a good thing.  Again, the air conditioning was a huge welcome, as was the incredible mango pie they served us.

Mango pie?  I’d never even heard of a mango pie before.  Why the hell wouldn’t you make a pie out of mangos?  I love mangos, and I love pie.  I should have thought of putting the two together years ago.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Pie in The Sky Mango Pie

This thing was very nice, even though we ordered the sugar free version (for what reason I’m not really clear).  Mangos are so sweet on their own that I couldn’t tell it wasn’t made with sugar.  Great job Pie in the Sky.  But as great as it was, I think it would be even better with a bit of pineapple mixed in.

As we were eating our pie and wiping the sweat from our brows, the guy in the picture above turned and asked us what Kosher meant.  It was a little startling to be in Mexico and have a Mexican guy ask us suddenly in perfect English what kosher meant.  We proceeded to answer his question and he told us he spent several years in New York and was never clear on what Kosher was.  His name was Paco, and he was very friendly.  We asked him what he would recommend for a great dinner restaurant.  Without hesitation, he told us to go to Margarita Grill and to order one of their molcajetes.  We visited with him for a bit, thanked him for his advice, and started to say our goodbyes as we gathered up our things.  He told us that he owned a souvenir shop and that we should stop by and see him there.  We thanked him and parted ways.  Oh little Paco, I will forever hold you with love in my heart for your Margarita Grill recommendation.

But our afternoon eating and walking wasn’t done yet, so off we went to spend a a couple more hours before following Paco’s advice.

Shopping at the Street Market in Veijo Vallarta

Veijo Vallarta Street Market Shops

Veijo Vallarta has a large open-aired street market which sits at the banks of the Rio Cuale.  We crossed the swinging foot bridge and browsed the shops.  Mostly made up of silver trinkets, random worthless things, hand made carvings, baskets, and textiles, the market was interesting to browse, but didn’t bring much temptation to buy.  My girlfriend’s sister bought a poncho after she haggled the guy down by 70%.  Impressive, and better than I would have done I’m sure.  The constant harassment of the kids selling crap wares was more than we were in the mood to deal with though, so we pushed on back towards the Malecon walkway.

As we did, we passed a little wheeled cart with a pile of deep yellow sweet treats on it.  They were Cocadas; baked piles of sugar and coconut.  The guy wanted 20 pesos for one, which seemed like too much, so I passed.

Delicious Cocadas on the Malecon Walkway

Back on the walkway, we took a seat on the bridge over the Rio Cuale to enjoy the views of the bay.  It gave me a chance to take a few notes for blogging later.  But that cocadas cart was haunting me.  Why did I pass on them?

Food Blogging on the Malecon Footbridge over Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta

Thankfully, my haunting didn’t last long.  As I looked up from my writing, the cocadas cart was on the bridge heading my way.  As he approached, I waived him over and said “How much? 15?”  “No, 20,” was his reply.  “15?” “No, 20.” “15?” “OK”  Yes!  I handed him my 15 pesos and he handed me a pile of sticky sweet nirvana.  This amazing haystack of large shredded coconut and caramelized sugar was spectacular.  It was oddly yellow, I believe from egg yolks.  But boy was it freaking good!  We all loved it, and it was large enough to feed us all.  But again, like complete fools, we didn’t buy more.  I should have bought the entire cart, took them to the hotel, and stuffed them in my suitcase to bring home with me.  Duh!

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Cocadas

Margarita Grill Puerto Vallarta Review

After our nice rest on the Malecon, we were ready for dinner, so we footed it over to Paco’s recommendation, the Margarita Grill.  If you ever go to Puerto Vallarta, and I highly recommend that you do, make sure you eat at Margarita Grill.  It is truly amazing.  Paco was true to his word that they offer some of the very best meals in town.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill

We were all roasting hot from spending all day in the sun, so the virgin margaritas sounded mighty good.  Mighty good….what an understatement of them.  These things were amazing, and large enough to serve 2-3.  We ordered a mango margarita and a lime margarita.  The lime was superb, and was extremely refreshing.  It was clearly made with fresh squeezed lime juice, and the crushed ice was more like snow than ice.  The mango was my favorite, however.  It was very sweet, but very refreshing at the same time.  It had the strongest mango flavor of any mango drink I’ve ever put in my face.  Truly exquisite.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Mango Margarita

Fresh table-side guacamole was on the menu, so we ordered some.  How can you resist fresh table-side guacamole?  It was perfect.  It was made in a stone mortar (a molcajete), and was nothing but the basics.  Here’s their exact recipe that I observed:

• 2 avocados
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 small serrano chili, finely chopped
• Salt to taste (they placed the salt in the molcajete before the rest of the ingredients, which I thought looked cool)

They then mashed it all up in the mortar and served it with the best fresh fried corn tortilla chips I’ve ever had.  The chips were very thick, super crunchy, strongly corn flavored, and perfectly salted.  They were the ultimate vessel to carry the guacamole to my mouth.  We should have ordered another round.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Table-side Guacamole

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Table-side Guacamole and Fresh Chips

But as good as all this was, it was not what Paco sent us to Margarita Grill to enjoy.  He told us that the best thing on the menu were their molcajetes.  A molcajete is a stone mortar, which gets heated in a hot oven to 500° or so, and then filled with meats and brothy deliciousness.  The spices and seasonings of that broth get in the nooks and crannies of the stone, and add to the tastiness of the next meal served in them.  The continuing “seasoning” of the stone is perhaps what helped make Margarita Grill’s so wonderful, or perhaps it was just the culinary genius of the chefs behind the scenes.  Whatever the cause, the magic of their molcajete offerings were better than the best David Copperfield show.

We ordered two:  the Mixed, and the Seafood.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Mixed Molcajete

The Mixed molcajete was filled with grilled, perfectly seasoned and super moist chicken breast, flank steak, shrimp, chorizo, pineapple, Nopal (cactus), fresh cheese (similar to mozzarella), and a chili relleno.  The sauce was a very succulent, well spiced/seasoned, lightly sweet, verde sauce.  It was ridiculous, and lasted only about 5 minutes.  But as good as it was, the Seafood Molcajete blew it out of the water.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Seafood Molcajete

A whole crab, tasty cheese filled chili relleno, tons of shrimp and white fish, and octopus that was literally as soft as butter, made up this mouthgasmic inspiration.  The red ranchero sauce was super savory, made from chiles, tomatoes, and tomatillos. And just in case the cheese from the chili relleno wasn’t enough, they threw a slab of more cheese on the top of everything.  My notes said “holy shit.  Now we’re getting somewhere.”  My memory says, “I’m about to cry just thinking about it.”  This was hands down the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, and is what I went to Puerto Vallarta to hope to find.  Long live the fatness and glory of Margarita Grill!

As we were finishing our meal, in walked Paco!  He couldn’t have timed that any better.  We were so filled with gratitude over the experience he just gave us that we all rushed over to thank him profusely.  He said simply, “come see me at my shop.”  I was prepared to buy half his store as a thank you.

Paco’s Souvenir Shop

Paco’s shop just happened to be near our bus stop, so we stopped in before heading back to our hotel.  The place totally sucked, and I’m guessing the only way Paco stays in business is by randomly asking white Americans what kosher means, telling them about the best eatery in town, and beguiling them to buying his crap trinkets as a means of thanking him.  No matter, I love the man all the same.

Veijo Vallarta Paco's Souvenir Shop

The Bald Gourmet eats the streets of Puerto Vallarta, and eats the best Mexican Food of his life.

Review of Riu Palace Pacifico’s Main Buffet Restaurant

Riu Palace Pacifico Buffet Restaurant

Riu Palace Pacifico Buffet Restaurant 2

The buffet restaurant at Riu is huge.  They pretty much have everything that you could hope to find.  And most of it is actually pretty decent.  They have themed nights 3 times a week, and on our first night there, they were featuring Asian cuisine.  I didn’t really come to Mexico to eat Asian, so I skipped all of that and went with the random Mexican offerings scattered throughout the buffet.  They had a grilling station on the outside dining patio, which I visited to grab some grilled pork spare ribs and chorizo links.  The chorizo was awesome.  It had a nice Mexican spice mixture in it, with a touch of chili heat, and was grilled to a nice crispy crunch exterior while remaining moist inside.  The pork ribs were really good as well (very moist and full of flavor), but the chorizo was better.

We ate at the buffet everyday at least once or twice while there.  Burgers and such, sandwiches, steaks (Mexican style), salads, pastas, pizzas, seafood, casseroles, fruits, desserts, appetizers, Asian, Mexican, Italian, American….the list goes on and on.  And that’s not even talking about breakfast.  Riu’s buffet is probably the most extensive and well done that I’ve been to.  Like I said, not everything was great or amazing, but for the most part, everything was good and a joy to eat.

Must have items to try at Riu Palace Pacifico’s Buffet:

• Crostini with Sauteed Calabacita Squash – calabacita is a traditional Mexican summer squash, the light green speckled kind you often see at the grocery store along side the zucchini.  The squash was simply sauteed in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, placed on the crunchy crostini, and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.  It was awesome!  What a simple and perfect party appetizer.
• Camarones with Algae Soup – Holy crap this soup was good.  It was a chicken based broth, with squash (calabacita again), carrots, onions, chilies, and large shrimp.  The shrimp was very fresh and surprisingly not rubbery.  I always thought that if you boiled shrimp in a soup for to long that tit would become a chewy messes, but instead, this shrimp was very soft.  It was cooked with the shells on, and was just awesome.  I squeezed a little lime juice in my soup to complete it.  Awesome.
• Seafood Soup – this amazing soup was on their lunch menu one day, and it was to die for!  It was filled with white fish, squid, crab, mussels, shrimp, salmon, octopus, and more, and was stewed into tasty perfection in a chili and tomato broth.  A little table-side added lime made it perfect.
• Carne Asada – Nothing fancy, but some of the tastiest carne asada I’ve ever had.  It was on the line every night, but would disappear as fast as they’d put it out.  High demand item for good reason.  Make sure you grab some for your meal, or for chewing on during your walk to your room.  Delicious!
• Baked Guava – Damn this stuff was good!  Quartered guavas, tossed in a brown sugar syrup, and then baked until soft and golden in color.  Tropical, sweet, tangy, goodness.  Can’t wait to make it at home.

Riu Palace Baked Guava

• Breakfast:  Cottage Cheese – I can’t even describe just how good the cottage cheese, and all dairy for that matter, is in Mexico.  This cottage cheese was absolutely amazing, and I found myself eating it every day I was at Riu.  I only ever spotted it during breakfast hours though, so be sure you head down to the buffet before 10:30 during your stay at Riu.  The cottage cheese is very large curd, swimming in a thick milky cream, and has a very good dairy farm taste to it.  I had the impression that it comes from a local dairy in small batches.  It is significantly better than any cottage cheese in the US, and that’s probably because it doesn’t have any added gums, preservatives, and chemicals (just guessing).  Our mass-produced slop is just that, slop, when compared to our southern neighbor’s cottage cheese.

Riu Palace Mexican Cottage Cheese

Riu Palace Mexican Cottage Cheese Large Curds

• Breakfast:  Tacos Beef Birrias – For some stupid reason, I had never thought of the idea of breakfast tacos prior to going to Puerto Vallarta.  We’ve all had breakfast burritos, why are we not all eating breakfast tacos?  They are lower in calories, quicker to make, and more delicious any day.  I’m in love with them now, and it’s all because of the Tacos Beef Birrias at Riu Palace.  These tacos were absolutely outstanding.  Birrias is a traditional festive slow cooked meat stew (historically made with goat or lamb) from the Jalisco region, made with a roasted dried chili sauce.  It is traditionally served with corn tortillas, or with the meat served on the tortillas which are then dipped into the stew broth as you eat them.  Riu’s version skips the tortilla dipping and just serves the meat and broth right on the tortillas.  The broth is a super flavorful combination of dried chilies, allspice, and who knows what else.  To take it up another notch (which I highly recommend you do as well), I had the chef stick a fried egg on each of my birrias tacos.  I then cracked the over-easy yolks and spread them all over my meaty treasure before eating.  Topped with a little pico de gallo and some red chili sauce and delicioso!!!  Complete breakfast happy perfection.

Riu Palace Beef Birrias Breakfast Tacos

• Breakfast:  Birria de cordero (Lamb birria) – Richer and not spiced quite the same as the beef version, this lamb dish was still quite excellent and made for some awesome breakfast tacos (again topped with a fried egg).  I recommend them, even if you think you don’t like lamb.

Riu Palace Lamb Birrias

• Breakfast:  Huevos con machaca – Machaca is another old school traditional dish in Mexico, and was originally made with dried beef or pork which had been reconstituted and then pounded tender.  Now that refrigeration is everywhere, the dried beef has been replaced with fresh meat, which is then cooked long until tender and then shredded.  It is most commonly served with eggs for breakfast, as it is done at Riu Palace.  I again made breadfast tacos with it, and found it to be a very filling and satisfying way to start my day.  Still not as good as the Beef Birrias, but well worth the eat indeed.

Riu Palace Huevos con machaca

Riu Palace Huevos con machaca Breakfast Tacos

• Breakfast:  Tortilla Chips with Salsa and Cheese – I understand that this doesn’t really sound all that impressive, but these things would disappear as fast as they would get placed on the line.  The buffet workers couldn’t seem to keep up with the demand.  I had to shove my way through the crowd just to get a taste, and then piss everyone off as I took several pictures later.  By the way, that crowd was entirely comprised of Mexican natives.  These were good, but not exceptional.  However, they provided for an opportunity to savor the amazing fresh masa flavor of these local corn tortillas, cut into wedges and deep fried to a thick crunch.  Best corn tortillas and chips I’ve ever had.  They were simply smothered in red salsa, as well as salsa verde, topped with some sliced onions, and sprinkled with cotija cheese.  Simple, tasty, and full of Mexico in every bite.  These will be served at my next Mexican themed food party.

Riu Palace Breakfast Chips with Red Salsa

Riu Palace Breakfast Chips with Salsa Verde

Review of Riu Palace Pacifico’s Guacamole Restaurant

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant

Riu also offers several sit down reservation only restaurants.  We tried their only Mexican restaurant, Guacamole, on our second night.  It wasn’t bad, but was definitely Americanized fare.  The wait staff was great though, and the formal meets casual atmosphere was enjoyable.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Decor

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Appetizer and Salad Bar

Prior to your entrees being served, the staff directs you to the salad and appetizer bar in the center of the restaurant.  It is filled with all sorts of delightful treats, the best being the green mussels (super fresh with a very clean flavor, served simply with diced jalapenos and red bell peppers), pork and chicken nachos (a bit salty, but very tender and packed full of chili goodness), and the tortilla soup.  Damn that soup was amazing.  It had a very cool sheen to it, and was thickened with fresh masa.  That masa added such a depth of flavor to the soup, it was amazing.  With some added avocado, tortilla strips, and sour cream, it was hands down the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Salad Bar

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Nachos and Mussels

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Tortilla Soup

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Entrees

The Garlic Shrimp was the best entree on the menu.  It was served with a delicious savory corn truffle rice, and a fried spinach leaf for show.  The shrimp was very large, fresh, moist and tender, and was seasoned perfectly with a good non-overpowering garlic flavor.  The truffle rice served with it was fair.

Riu Palace Guacamole Garlic Shrimp

The Beef Fillet was decent.  The tender beef was covered in a tasty chipotle sauce.  The roasted cactus served under it, however, was awesome.  It was grilled, and had a hint of smoke flavor from it.  It was crunchy but soft, and was a delight to eat.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Beef Fillet

The Stuffed Chicken Breast was moist and flavorful, but was very over salted.  I ordered it primarily because it came with a chili tamale rolled in a banana leaf and served with a mole sauce.  Mine came out without the tamale or the mole.  When we brought it to their attention, they seemed a little put out, but brought me a tamale on a little plate.  Still no mole.  At least the tamale was good.  I wish I would have ordered the Garlic Shrimp though.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Chicken Breast

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Dessert

Guacamole’s offered a few desserts to choose from.  I went with the delightful sounding “Coconut and papaya mousse with Mexican cajeta caramel and vanilla ice cream.”  It wasn’t bad, but sounded better on paper than it actually was.  The mousse was really just a flan without the caramel.  I had a hard time picking up much coconut flavor, and the papaya only came through as a sour note.  The ice cream was very good, and the little chocolate ball on the plate was amazing, with a perfect cinnamon flavor so typical of Mexican chocolates.

Riu Palace Coconut Papaya Mouse Dessert

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Mayan Coffee

I’m not a coffee drinker.  I just don’t believe in the stuff.  And I normally wouldn’t write about it, but the Mayan Coffee at Guacamole was one hell of a show.  They took some special coffee brew, which I’m guessing was full of spices like cinnamon and maybe nutmeg, and mixed it with a bunch of booze (Kahlua and some tequila) in some metal “gravy” boats.  They then lighted it on fire, and mixed it by hand by pouring it into long strings back and forth with the stream burning bright blue.  This table side show went on for several minutes, and was really cool to watch.  The still burning brew was then poured into sugar rimmed glasses, where the fire caramelized the sugar, and then was topped with some foaming concoction, perhaps cream.  It was awesome, and the table next to us that ordered it said that it was delicious.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Mayan Coffee

Riu Palace Pacifico Krystal Restaurant Review

Another reservation-only onsite restaurant, this one not allowing children, Krystal clearly tries to appeal to the uppity traveler.  It is a typical Avant-garde molecular gastronomy type place just trying too hard.  Some of their items were really good, most were not.  Here’s what we ate:

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Starters and Appetizers

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Smoked Salmon Starter

This was one of their starter options, and wasn’t all that bad.  It was a spoonful of smoked salmon which was converted into a soft mouse-like texture, and then topped with a runny cream cheese.  Next to it was a little birds nest made from Parmesan cheese strips, which kind of looked cool but only tasted OK.  In the glass behind it all was a very odd concoction of tomato mouse and cubed watermelon.  The two flavors surprisingly worked very well together.  And even though the mousse had a very intense tomato flavor, the whole thing was lacking in total execution.  Perhaps a tomato and watermelon soup would work better.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup

We were then brought our selection of soup.  We all went with the Pumpkin Soup.  Great choice.  This was probably the best thing on Krystal’s menu.  It was delivered to us as a bowl with candied sunflower seeds, little sweet drops of something, and a single overcooked scallop.  The scallop was rubbery, dry, and a touch burnt, but the other components were awesome.  Our waiter then came back to the table with little crocks full of the pureed pumpkin soup.  He poured each crock into our bowl and left.  The aroma of the soup was intoxicating, and the flavors were spot on.  The candied seeds were a real treat of crunch and sweetness.  Riu’s chefs are masters at soup.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup Pouring

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup Presentation

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Entrees Opinions

Well, I guess I can’t complain too much about an all inclusive resort serving attempted gourmet entrees, but some of Krystal’s need some work. However, others were spot on.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Lamb

The lamb entree was beautiful, and was cooked to a perfect medium pink.  It had a nice mild lamb flavor, and was served on a bed of sauteed vegetables, which were also very good.  The mint jelly sauce dabbed around the plate looked cool and was also a perfect flavor pairing with the lamb.  Great dish and great execution.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Beef Steak

Krystal’s beef steak on the other hand was a catastrophe.  The steak itself was not very good or well prepared, and the sauce on top of it didn’t do anything to help.  It could have been much worse though, and still merited eating.  The scalloped potato square was very delicious.  But the real disaster came from the accompanying mushroom mouse.  I don’t know what the hell their chef or management was thinking letting this Frankenstein Fungus be served.  It was freaking disgusting.  First off, the sickening gray color reminded me of something dead I saw once.  Second, the texture was that of over-chewed gum.  Gross.  But most importantly it tasted like hell.  It was very mushroomy, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it wasn’t seasoned well and just tasted of ass.  Horrible.  Truly horrible.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Chilean Sea Bass

The Chilean Sea Bass which I ordered was very good.  Chilean sea bass is one of my favorite fish, and Krystal did it justice.  It was perfectly cooked, with a light brown crust and a super moist and flaky center.  It was drizzled with a balsamic reduction, which worked but I could have done without it.  My only complaint was the accompanying Basil Foam.  It was a super rich pile of creamy goo that was OK, but a total distraction.  It reminded me of a pile of green colored mayonnaise.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Has Excellent Desserts

After enjoying and hating our entree round, it was time for some sugary treats.  Krystal does a good job with their desserts.  We had both the Molten Chocolate Cake and the Passion Fruit Bonbon.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Chocolate Cake

Molten Hot Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream.  Do I really need to say anything more?  Delicious, of course.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Passion Fruit Bonbon

Despite this thing looking exactly like an offensive penis on a plate (honestly Riu, what the crap were you thinking?), this thing was incredible.  It was tart, sweet, and provided a very intense passion fruit flavor.  It was a joy to have in your mouth, even if it made you feel oddly gay doing so.

Riu Palace Pacifico Offers Terrific Food for an All Inclusive Resort

I was very pleased with the quality of food at Riu.  So many all inclusive places cut corners on their food, but Riu see’s the vision and serves their guests right.  I had a pleasurable eating experience every day while staying at Riu, and only found a few items that we true disappointments.  If you’re looking for a great hotel, great resort, and great eating experience while in Puerto Vallara, Riu Pacifico is the right place for you.  Thank you Riu!

The Bald Gourmet enjoys his eating experience at Riu Palace Pacifico while in Puerto Vallarta.

Red Iguana Salt Lake City

I found myself in Salt Lake over the weekend, so I asked some of my friends that know the area well where they’d recommend eating. Red Iguana was mentioned by all of them, so I grabbed my camera, my notes binder, my appetite, and headed in.

There’s no mistaking Red Iguana from the street. It is vibrantly red and yellow, and says “killer Mexican food” right on the building. Lines of people were waiting outside, and the place was packed inside. The locals love their Iguana it seems, and for good reason.

Red Iguana Salt Lake City Inside

Upon entering, we were greeted promptly and taken to our seats. The staff was very friendly and handled the herds of people very well. Our server, Junior, was great, and made some excellent suggestions on the extensive menu. When we told him we had never been there before, he offered to bring us a sampler plate of their 8 different mole sauces. Good man. The moles are what Red Iguana are known for, and I was excited to try them.

Red Iguana’s Mole

Red Iguana Salt Lake City Mole Sauces

The menu said that these moles are Iguana’s interpretation of the traditional Mexican sauce. They were definitely different than any mole I’ve had before. Some were really good, and others were not. Only two were made with chocolate, but all were made with the traditional chilies, seeds, and fruits.  Clockwise from 1:00, we have:

Mole Amarillo

Red Iguana Mole Amarillo

This mole was exceptional! Amarillo means yellow. It was made with golden raisins, yellow tomatoes, yellow zucchini, chili guadillo, and dried seasonal yellow chilies. Those seasonal chilies turned out to be habaneros, which made this mole scorching hot. It was far to hot to enjoy, and they really need to leave them out of the dish. But the rest of the flavor combination was so exceptional that I couldn’t stop eating it. It had a great subtle squash savoryness from the zucchini. But the secret was really the golden raisins. They just elevated the whole dish to a realm of tasty perfection that I couldn’t stop enjoying, even though I was sweating from the chili burn.

Mole Coloradito
This mole had a strong cumin flavor. I love cumin, but it only just worked in this mole. The mole was very thick and had a mealy texture from all the ground pine nuts, almonds, and peanuts. But it was good and would be great on the right thing, which I’m sure they know and serve appropriately.

Mole Pablano
This mole was made with dried and fresh Pablano peppers, ground nuts, and plantain bananas. It was very sweet from those bananas, but also had an odd bitterness, I’m guessing from the same bananas. Because of this, I just couldn’t like this mole. Pass.

Mole Verde
This excited me when I saw it. It was a thick, creamy, salsa verde paste, or so it seemed. But upon tasting it, it was made with basil, and from what I could discern, dried basil. What an odd choice to put basil in Mexican food. I did not feel that it worked well at all, but my girlfriend liked it and ordered some enchiladas smothered in the stuff, and once mixed with everything else in that dish, the basil mole was fine and fairly tasty. But I would have rather seen this green mole made with cilantro and some tomatillos.

Mole Negro
Mole Negro is often referred to as the king of mole. Not so at Red Iguana. It was very similar to the mole poblano, and had the same sweet bitterness from the bananas. Maybe they just had a bad batch of plantains today?

Red Pepian
This was a good mole. It was lightly sweet, and had a strong pumpkin seed flavor. I love pumpkin seeds, and they used them right in this sauce. This would have been very nice served over chicken, which is how they offer this treat.

Mole Mango
Good heavens! This was their special for the night, but they should really stick it on their standard menu. It was very sweet, and had a very pronounced mango flavor. It was being served over a pork loin for the night, which I’m sure was perfect. But it would also be great served over chicken, peppers, and pineapple. There’s a lot you could do with this delicious sauce Red Iguana, so I hope you add at least one offering with it on your permanent menu.

Red Iguana Serves Sour Cream Enchiladas

Red Iguana Enchiladas Verde

If you know anything about the Mormon food culture, you will know that they seem to be the kings of casseroles. And when it comes to making enchiladas, they almost always make them with shredded chicken mixed with sour cream, rolled up in flour tortillas, and covered with cream of chicken/mushroom soup. This is what was going through my mind when I saw the several different sour cream enchiladas on Red Iguana’s menu. That and the thought, “would I find these at any other Mexican restaurant outside of the Mormon Capitol of the world?”

But my girlfriend thought the sour cream Enchiladas Verde sounded good and ordered them. These, at least, we’re rolled in traditional corn tortillas. To my surprise, the enchiladas were actually quite good, and the basil mole that I thought was so gross on the sampler plate actually worked well with the sour cream chicken. I still think it would be better with cilantro though, but to each there own I guess.

Red Iguana’s Beans, Rice, and Salsa

This may seem stupid, but I put a lot of my Mexican restaurant scoring weight on how well the restaurant does with their beans, rice, and salsa. I figure that if they can’t get these basics right, there’s a good chance the rest of the food isn’t going to be any good either. Red Iguana is pushing it a little.

Their beans were pretty lame. Not much flavor, bad texture, and an all around disappointment. Their rice wasn’t much better, but at least it was fluffy and orange colored. But their salsa was very nice. It was made with canned tomatoes rather than fresh (at least from what I could tell), garlic, fresh chilies, onion, cilantro, and some undefinable delicious spices. It was very spicy but very good.

Salt Lake City has Decent Mexican Food

Red Iguana has been voted Salt Lake’s best Mexican for several years running, and it’s easy to see why. It’s not nearly what Mexican food is in higher density Hispanic population areas, but it will meet most of your Mexican food cravings, and introduce you to some new dishes you may not get elsewhere. Give it a try on your next visit to Salt Lake. You’ll probably be pleased you did.

The Bald Gourmet has some decent Mexican food while dining in Salt Lake City, and discovers a new mole creation.

Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa

I love home canned salsa, especially when made from fresh garden tomatoes and peppers out of my garden. But I’ve always been frustrated with these salsas always being runny and thin, even if the recipe calls it chunky. I’ve also been disappointed with the strong vinegar flavor that most home-canned recipes usually have. Comparatively, the store bought stuff is always really thick and chunky, and never has much of a vinegar flavor, but inevitably, it never has a really good fresh tomato flavor. It’s been a lose lose battle for me between store bought and home-canned salsas for years.

Well I’m proud to say that that war has finally come to an end. I recently found a recipe in a canning magazine which provided the best of home-canned and store bought salsas. They simply called it, “Chunky Homemade Salsa.” I’ve tweaked it a bit, added a little extra, and renamed it to be more appropriately named, “Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa.”

Ingredients to Make a Perfect Home-Canned Salsa

• 8 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped (seeds and all) fresh Anaheim chile peppers (roughly 3)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (for color)
• 1/2 cup seeded and chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (about 2-3 large), plus 1 whole pepper, chopped (seeds and all)
• 2 cups chopped onions (about 2 large)
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro (roughly 1/2 bunch)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 3 large limes)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (roughly 1/2 head)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground in a mortar and pastel or a coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika

How to Make a Great Thick Homemade Salsa

If I had any complaints about this salsa recipe (which I don’t), it would be how long it takes to make a batch. There’s about 1.5 hours of prep time, plus around 2 hours of cooking time from start to finish. Because of this, I strongly encourage you to double or triple the recipe and just make a day out of it.

Each batch makes roughly 5 pints of super flavorful and very thick salsa.

Once you’ve dedicated your day to this cooking task (so very worth it), here’s the steps to follow in making your salsa:

1. Wash tomatoes. Remove stems and cores with a knife. Bring at least 4 inches of water to a boil in a large kettle. Immerse tomatoes, a few at a time, into boiling water for about a minute, or until the skins start to crack and peel off the flesh. Immediately dip tomatoes into cold water, and drain in a colander. Slip off the skins, and discard. Coarsely chop the tomatoes; place in a large colander set in sink, and allow to stand for 30 minutes. This will allow much of the tomato juice to strain out. (place the colander over a large bowl if you wish to save the juice for something else)
   

   Strain Tomatoes

2. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a 7-8 quart stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1.5 hours or until tomatoes are at the desired consistency, stirring often. You’re looking for the same consistency as a thin marinara sauce.
   

   Boil and Simmer Tomatoes

3. Add tomato paste, lime juice, and vinegar. Stir until tomato paste is completely incorporated. The cooked tomatoes will thicken nicely from the added paste.
   

   Thickened Tomatoes

4. Add remaining ingredients. Return mixture to boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
   

   Add Remaining Salsa Ingredients

   

   Simmer Salsa

5. While salsa is simmering, prepare your pint canning jars and hot water bath canner.
   

   Making Salsa

6. Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean with a damp towel; adjust lids.
7. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes (start timer when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner, then cool them on cooling racks or on a towel on the counter.
   

   Salsa in Water Bath Canner

   

   Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa 3

Makes about 5 pints.

*This salsa recipe is somewhere between mild and medium hot. You can omit some of the jalapenos if you would like more mild, or replace one or two of them with a habanero if you would like hotter.

Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa 2

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, September 2012

The Bald Gourmet finds a great thick salsa recipe, and makes it better with a few bald modifications.

Bottled Herbed Vinegar

I’ve seen bottles of spiced and/or herbed vinegar for sale in stores for years.  I’ve even owned a few to have on display in my kitchen.  But I never thought of making my own for display AND culinary use until recently when I was flipping through an old gardening book of mine.  The section in the book was talking about herbs and herb preservation, and it began talking about flavored vinegars and how they are a great way to make use of your extra herbs and also how they make great gifts.  It inspired me to get creative and give it a try.  I hope this post will do the same to you.

Making your own flavored vinegars is a lot of fun.  When placed in different shaped bottles, they add beauty and distinction to your kitchen.  When flavored with your favorite herbs and/or spices, they add a quick flavor boost to salad dressings or other recipes calling for vinegar.  They make great holiday gifts, and are also a great welcome gift for parties instead of wine.

Which Vinegar Should I use When Making Bottled Flavored Vinegar?

You can use just about any vinegar you have on hand .  Just keep in mind that different vinegars will effect the end flavor and color.  Apple cider vinegar is nice to use for its fruity flavor and amber color, but it may not blend well with all spices and herbs.  Red wine vinegar will add a red color and a touch of sweetness.  I would never recommend using balsamic, as its dark color and flavor will drown out any herb or spice you add to it.  However, it would be great with citrus peel or dried berries, as those flavors would compliment each other well.

The best vinegar to use for getting the raw flavor focus of your selected herbs and spices would be plain old white distilled vinegar, as it really has no flavor of its own to start off with.  It’s also the cheapest.  But white wine vinegar would be a great choice as well.  I used distilled for the batch represented in this post’s photos (and it is delicious!).

Which Herbs and Spices Should You Use to Make Flavored Vinegars?

You can really use any herb or spice which you enjoy when making flavored vinegar.  Choose only one to have a simple flavored vinegar, or combine several together to make a more robust flavor blend.  If choosing tarragon for a licorice flavored vinegar, try adding star anise and fennel to your bottle as well for varying textures while maintaining the same flavor.  The sky’s the limit on what you can do.  I prefer a blend of several different herbs and spices for varying flavors and visual interest.

What is a Basic Recipe to Follow for Making Bottled Herbed Vinegar

I encourage you to get crazy and just start throwing stuff that you know tastes good together into your bottle.  But a basic rule of thumb is to add 4 ounces of fresh herbs per quart of vinegar.  I may have gone a bit heavier than that in these photos, and the vinegar is seriously delicious.  So it probably doesn’t matter too much, just don’t go less than the 4 ounces per quart ratio, otherwise your vinegar flavor will be pretty weak.  If using dried herbs/spices, reduce that ratio down to 2 ounces per quart.  Here’s the delicious blend I created:

Per 12 ounce bottle (soda bottle) add (in order listed):

• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 5 black pepper corns
• 1 clove garlic
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1 dried Thai chili pepper
• Distilled white vinegar to fill

What Bottles Should I use When Making Flavored Vinegar?

Ah, this is the cool part.  Use any clear glass bottle you have.  I raided my recycle bin for my batch.  I used some old soda bottles, a tall brandy bottle, some soy sauce bottles (with the caps for easy dispensing), and some used store-bought vinegar bottles.  I tried to mix up the size and shapes so as to make for interesting gifts to give away.  I bought some corks from a local supply store to cap the bottles which didn’t have plastic caps.  I like the corked ones better, as they look much cooler.  Just make sure to wash the bottles, lids, and corks thoroughly before using.  You should also sterilize them by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.  This may not be completely necessary, but is always a good rule of thumb when canning/preserving anything at home.

Do I Need to Seal My Vinegar Bottles?

Well, vinegar’s high acidity levels are a natural preservative, so you don’t really need to worry about sealing the bottles for health purposes.  But dipping the bottle tops into wax sure makes them look cool.  You might even want to put a piece of ribbon under the cork before waxing to add additional “ooo-ahh” factor.  I’m not quite that crafty though, but it’s a pretty cool “girly” thing to do that I may recommend to my female readers.

I used plain old paraffin wax, to which I added cinnamon to for added olfactory interest.  The cinnamon also made the wax a light brown color.  Kind of cool.  But using a colored wax, like red, would have been a bit more striking to my bottles and I’ll probably use that next time.  Use what ever you think will go nicely with your bottles and vinegar.

Seal Bottled Herbed Vinegar with Wax

What Safety Concerns Should I keep in Mind for Preserving Vinegar at Home?

Vinegar is vinegar, and is a natural preservative in itself.  However, it is possible for mold and some yeasts to grow inside your bottles.  For this reason, it is a good safety idea to remember to sterilize your jars and lids/corks, clean your herbs/ingredients well (even going so far as to dip them in a bleach solution if you feel the need to do so), and seal your bottles tightly (thus the wax I mention) so that new air-born nasties don’t get in.

The old books just mention cold packing your flavor ingredients straight in cold vinegar, just like I did in this post.  But the new Extension office guidelines seem to be encouraging hot packing everything, and pulling out the flavor ingredients after a month once they have flavored the vinegar (The University of Georgia has a good document).  Those same Extension offices discourage cold vinegar pickles and home-made sauerkraut, which families have been doing successfully for generations without killing off their kids.  So, do whatever you wish.  My cold pack vinegar is delicious and doesn’t show any sign of spoilage, but if you feel more comfortable with following the Extension hot pack guidelines, then do that.  The point here is to enjoy the process of doing this at home, feeling cool about giving such a unique (at least in our day and age) gift to others, and enjoying the tasty salads you can make with this homemade vinegar.

The Bald Gourmet Makes Flavored Herbed Vinegar for Cooking and Gift Giving.

Beef Tongue Street Taco with Chili Sauce

I know that for many of you, tongue tacos sound gross, but you have to get over the “ick” factor and give these tacos a try.  Simply amazing.

Most tongue tacos consist of plain tongue, usually boiled, sliced or cubed, and quickly sauteed.  Mine go a bit further into the gourmet by browning the cubed tongue first, and then simmering it in a delicious chili and tomato puree.  Served street style with cabbage, radishes, cilantro, and onion all on a corn tortilla, these tacos are addictive.  I had to stop myself at 6 of them.

Tongue has a very strong beef flavor.  It reminds me a bit of organ meet but without the strong iron/mineral taste most of us hate.  It has a soft texture, but is firm and slightly chewy at the same time.  If nobody told you that you were eating tongue, you’d just think you were eating a very flavorful pot roast.  This is one piece of cow I will never shun again.  Bring on the tongue!

How to Prepare Tongue for Cooking

Well, if there’s one part that is “gross” about cooking tongue, it is the step of removing the outer taste bud lining.  It’s easy to do, but might make some a bit squeamish.  Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil, then toss the tongue in it.  Let the tongue boil for about 20 minutes, then remove.  The outer lining will be bright white, and can be removed by pulling it off with your fingers as you run a knife between it and the meat.  Make sure to get all the lining off the tongue (on all sides) as it is very chewy and not very tasty. Also, remove anything on the underside of the tongue that doesn’t look like it will be good eating.

You may also want to remove the large veins in the underside of the tongue.  Just simply cut into the tongue about halfway between the center and edge, about the same place where you feel the veins on the underside of your own tongue in your mouth.  Cut them out and discard.

Now that you have a cleaned tongue, you can slice, cube, or do what you will with it.  For tongue tacos, simply cube the meat into 1/4 inch cubes.

Cubed Beef Tongue

Recipe for Tongue Tacos

• 1 medium size beef tongue, cleaned and cubed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 bunch radishes, sliced
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Chili Sauce (recipe follows)

Heat olive oil in large pan until hot.  Add tongue and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add Tongue to Hot Pan

As the tongue cooks, it will release a lot of juices in the pan, which will create what looks like a very tasty brown gravy.

Tongue Gravy

Cook on medium-high until the gravy evaporates and the tongue begins to brown.  Brown the cubed tongue on all sides, tasting to make sure you have seasoned it well enough.

Browned Tongue

Add 3/4 of the chili sauce (recipe follows), cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Tongue Simmering in Chili Sauce

After 20 minutes, most of the water will have evaporated and it should look like this:

Beef Tongue in Chili Sauce

Reserve remaining ingredients for assembly.

Recipe for Street Taco Chili Sauce

• 4 Dried California Chili Pods
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic gloves, smashed
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 cup water (preferably the water you softened the chilies in)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by steeping the chili pods in boiling water until soft, about 10 minutes.  I like to use the water I will be boiling the tongue in later.  Once the chilies are soft, remove the stems and place the pods in a blender along with all the other ingredients.  Blend thoroughly.  Place in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Chili Sauce

How to Assemble Beef Tongue Street Tacos with Chili Sauce

Heat corn tortillas over medium high heat by dry toasting on a griddle.  This will make them soft and pliable.  Place between some kitchen towels to keep warm prior to assembling tacos.

Warming Corn Tortillas

Place a small amount of tongue on the tortilla, then add chopped cabbage, cilantro, onion, radishes, lime juice, and some of the reserved chili sauce.

Street Taco Toppings

Beef Tongue Street Tacos with Chili Sauce

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, November 2011

The Bald Gourmet creates authentic Mexican recipes with traditional ingredients like beef tongue.

Madhuban Boise Offers Free Palette Tinglers

When you take your seat, you will find three little jars on your table with spoons sticking out of them.  Your server will then promptly bring you a large piece of crispy flat-bread.  The flat-bread is heavily flavored with cumin seeds, and is more like a cracker than a bread.  It is to be eaten with the contents of the three little jars.

Those contents happen to be different chutneys, and they are fun.  The Green is pureed mint (and maybe parsley), with some green chili for a kick  Yes, it is hot.  But the deep read chutney next to it is sweet and has a nice mild chili and sweet spice flavor which perfectly cools your tongue down after the Green.  The two are exceptional while bouncing back and forth between them on your cracker bread.  But stay away from the third bottle of chunky pickled disgustingness.  I don’t know what the spice is they put in this stuff, but it is truly awful.

Madhuban Chutneys

Madhuban Crispy Flatbread

Madhuban Boise Serves up Incredible Naan

Next up is the Naan.  Naan is a traditional Indian bread that is cooked on the side walls of a very hot tandoor oven.  It cooks very quickly and usually gets tiny little char marks on it.  Madhuban offers a good selection of plain and flavored naan.  But do yourself a favor and order the Coconut Naan.  This is hands down the best naan I’ve ever had anywhere.  It is loaded with sweet shredded coconut and a touch of cilantro.  I thought the cilantro would ruin it, but it was surprisingly perfect with the coconut.  The naan is very most, very flaky, has a touch of crunch from the tandoor, and is just awesome.  The whole thing is kicked up a level with the melted ghee (clarified butter) they spread all over the top.  So damn good!

Madhuban Coconut Naan

Madhuban Provides Pungent Flavored Basmati Rice with their Entrees

Pungent indeed.  This stuff is loaded with whole cumin seeds and cooked with cinnamon sticks.  It’s strong, but works alright with their dishes.  I really admire the texture though.  The grains are completely separated from each other, and it is not mushy at all, nor is it dried out.  This may be due to the oil they toss it with, but I admire a well served plate of rice.  I might prefer a touch less cumin seeds, but its good none the less.

Madhuban Basmati Rice

Madhuban Boise’s Best Dish is their Butter Chicken

This reminds me of that chicken curry I ate in Malaysia, but is completely different at the same time.  Madhuban doesn’t call theirs Butter Chicken, but rather use the more authentic name of Makhani Chicken.  Butter Chicken is practically Great Britain’s national dish, and I bet Madhuban’s would do the Brit’s proud.

I ordered mine with medium heat, which was plenty hot enough.  The chicken is tandoori chicken (marinated with yogurt, garam masala, and other spices), which is very moist.  It is diced up and stewed in an amazing rich bright orange colored curry gravy.  The gravy is very savory, has a nice butter flavor, and is mildly sweet.

Above the gravy’s mild sweetness, there are awesome little sweet hits now and then which come from golden raisins which are tossed into the dish.  They were fantastic in there.  There are also fresh chilies, tomato puree, ginger, and cream present in the curry, as well as some desiccated coconut.  Good good good!  It is especially delicious sopped up with the coconut naan.  Oh my gosh, I think I need to go change myself!

Madhuban Chicken Makhani

Madhuban Boise Has Some Savory Mughlai Curry

Mughlai is a type of Indian cuisine from Northeastern India.  Mughlai cuisine likes the use of flavorful spices, and Madhuban sticks with that theme here.  The Mughlai Masala is pungent, savory, and very delicious.  They offer several versions to choose from, but I went with the combination meat version to sample them all.

The shrimp was very nice with the curry.  It was perfectly cooked as well; soft, not rubbery.  I would have thought that the delicate flavor of shrimp would get lost in the pungent spices, but it held up remarkable well and may have been my top choice of the meats.

The lamb’s darker gaminess accentuated the masala flavors extremely well.  The red meat chunks just seemed right with this dish.  But, I think it’s a number two behind the shrimp for me.

The chicken, on the other hand, was the lost little step-child in this dish.  It was cooked great, but just wasn’t substantial enough to hold it’s own in the spices.  Skip it, and stick with the lamb or shrimp.

Like I said, the Mughlai curry has a lot of spices going on in it.  As such, it is a bit grainy from all of them.  But the flavor combinations are wonderful.  There are big hits of ginger and cardamom mixed with a touch of coriander.  These flavors blend with cooked tomatoes and who knows what else.  I gotta tell you, it’s damn good.

Madhuban Mughlai Meat Masala

Madhuban Lunch Buffet

Perhaps the best way to experience Madhuban, and introduce yourself to Indian food if you’re not familiar with it, is to go to Madhuban for lunch.  Their lunch buffet has most things on their menu, including their traditional Indian vegetarian dishes.  I haven’t had the chance to do the buffet myself yet, but I’ve been told it is pretty awesome and the best way to experience Madhuban’s dishes.

The Bald Gourmet greatly enjoys Indian cuisine and is pleased with Madhuban Restaurant in Boise, Idaho.

Putrajaya, Malaysia: Beautiful and Unique Architecture

The interesting architectural designs are everywhere, on the government buildings, the religious centers of worship, the event centers, office buildings, and even the many bridges surrounding the city.  The designs were inspired from all around the world, and I found them fascinating.

Malaysia's Federal Treasury Building, Putrajaya

I believe this was called the Islamic Gateway.  The steel grids were artistic and stunning.

Islamic Gateway in Putrajay, Malaysia

This is the Perdana Putra, which houses the office of the Prime Minister.

Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia

The Putra Convention Center looks like something straight out of a science-fiction movie.  Completely bizarre and totally cool.

Putrajaya Convention Centre

Putrajaya Office Towers Reflection

Putrajaya, Malaysia Building

Putrajaya’s Islamic Mosques

This steel-domed mosque is the largest in Putrajaya, and can hold 20,000 worshipers at once.  I didn’t get a chance to peak inside, but I’m sure it would have been as cool inside as it was outside.

Steel Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia

The 2nd largest mosque in Putrajaya, accomodating 15,000 worshipers, is called the Putra Mosque, and from what I saw, is by far the most beautiful.  Granite, marble, and rich mahogany woods gave this Islamic place of worship an air of respect and reverence.  Not being Muslim myself, I was fortunate to get to take some pictures of the inside worship center.  I also had the pleasure of visiting with a Muslim missionary, a sweet little old Malay woman, who told me all about Islam and Allah.  I was impressed with the similarities in our faiths, and was filled with admiration at the dedication to prayer that faithful Muslims have (they pray daily 5 times a day at the same hours every day).  We visited for about 2 hours.  What a great experience, one I will remember for the rest of my life.

Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia

Putra Mosque Dome

Putra Mosque Courtyard

Putra Mosque Worship Center

Putra Mosque Upper Balcony

Putra Mosque Inner Dome

Putrajaya Riverboat Tour and Amazing Bridges

This is what I went to Putrajaya for.  The bridges are absolutely stunning, and are modeled after bridges from all around the world.  I got to drive across several of them, but the best way to see they by far is via the Riverboat Tour, which starts out right next to the Putra Mosque.  I paid a few extra Ringgit for the windowed observation boat so that I could sit in air conditioning for awhile.  This was a terrific choice, not only for the AC, but because they announced all the different bridges and buildings of interest throughout the city, telling us about their history and use, as well as which architecture they were inspired from.  I was a bit worried about pictures, though, because we were sitting behind colored glass.  But on our return trip, they let us out on the deck to take as many pictures as we’d like.  I highly recommend this tour.  Very cool indeed.

My favorite bridge was the sail-like Wawasan Bridge, but they were all stunning to look at, especially while sailing underneath them.  Putrajaya is very cool, and I highly recommend making the 40 minute drive to see it to anyone visiting Kuala Lumpur.

Wawasan Bridge and Putra Mosque, Putrajaya

Wawasan Bridge, Putrajaya

Putrajaya Monorail Bridge

Putrajaya Stainless Steel Bridge

Putrajaya European Bridge

Putrajaya European Bridge Tower

Putrajaya Bridge

Sailing Under Putrajaya Bridge

Din Tai Fung (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Restaurant’s Menu

I was still feeling better around dinner time and decided it was time to get back on the glutton wagon, so we headed out for a repeat of the mouthgasm offerings of Din Tai Fung Restaurant where I ate on my first day in Malaysia.  This place couldn’t be any better!

Din Tai Fung Dumpling Menu

Din Tai Fung Extras Menu

Din Tai Fung Noodles and Soup Menu

Din Tai Fung Fried Rice Menu

Din Tai Fung Sides Menu

Din Tai Fung: Exceptional Dining in Kuala Lumpur

I can’t even begin to tell you how good the food is here.  Seriously, it is amazing.  We ordered most of what we had on the 1st visit again, including Ha Gow, Bao, Xiao Lang Bun, and Spicy Shrimp.  I personally ate 3 bowls of the Spicy Shrimp.  It’s just incredible!  The sign says “dish of the month,” but I think it might be more accurate saying “dish of a lifetime.”  Filled with ground shrimp, pork, lemongrass, ginger (and who knows what else), then seated in an amazing szechuan red chili sauce that had sweet undertones of star anise and possibly cinnamon.  Sweet, spicy, savory, AWESOME!  Especially good with the Black Vinegar & Ginger accompaniment.

“Dear Heavenly Father, why doest Thou lovest me so? Thou givest me deliciousness to fill my soul with again and again. I thank thee that thou delightest in fatness and provideth such wonderful ways to obtain it.” - prayer of thanksgiving for the Spicy Shrimp and Pork Dumplings at Din Tai Fung Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tin Tai Fung Spicy Shrimp Sign

Din Tai Fung's Amazing Spicy Shrimp

This is the shredded ginger they bring out so you can add soy sauce and/or black vinegar for a dipping sauce.  I chose straight vinegar.   Perfect!  I think the ginger is maybe soaked in water to mild it out a bit.  Simple accent to any Chinese fair for home.  You can find Asian Black Vinegar at most Asian stores in the states.  I would put a few strands of the ginger in my mouth with the spicy shrimp and pork dumplings to add an extra depth of flavor that would make my foot start dancing around all crazy like from the pleasure of it all.  I sound like a freak, but you would do the same if you were there.

Chinese Black Vinegar with Ginger at Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung’s Shrimp Mango Roll

This is a Shrimp Mango roll.  Shrimp and mango mixed with a sweetened mayonnaise? (perhaps).   Rolled in some sort of pancake thing, dipped in egg perhaps, then rolled in panko and deep fried.  Pretty good.  Pretty good indeed.  Mildly sweet but not overbearing.  Coconut flavor was present but I’m not sure from where….maybe in the mayonnaise.

Din Tai Fung Shrimp Mango Roll

Din Tai Fung Shrimp Mango Roll Inside

Din Tai Fung’s Fried Rice

Fried Rice with egg and pork.  We were a little disappointed in this.  No where close to the perfect fried rice we had in Langkawi.  It was alright though.  But this place is famous for their dumplings after all, so what could we expect?

Din Tai Fung Pork Fried Rice

The Bald Gourmet’s food tourism experiences in Malaysia were forever foodie life changing.