moncheoPR

Jose Enrique REDUX

As I update the site and transfer all content to another host site, let's visit my favorite place in Puerto Rico: Jose Enrique, located in La Plazita in Santurce (Condado area) of San Juan.

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE chef Jose Enrique, his food, and his restaurant. He's super cool, super chill, cooks great, and I have always had superb food AND phenomenal service while there. So where am I going to take my friends to eat when they visit PR? None other than Jose's. Why? Because i want to, that's why! Oh and because of things like this:

Change is coming!

So. Shortly after my previous post, my husband, my dog, and myself created the perfect storm which resulted in my laptop crashing onto the floor and dying. Even though it was very interesting to see what a MAC crash looked like, I wish I had never had to see it. The result: total Hard Drive failure, total data lost, and one month without a computer.

ARGH!

But, Apple replaced the HD and I am back to work. So once I download the 5 gazillion pictures stuck inside my new camera (afraid to delete them), and once I set up Time Machine to back-up my data every single second, I will do some stuff around here regarding moncheo and a possible other blog.

Very excited and let's see what's to come.

Smooches!

Grabbed by the neck!

I'm trying to translate "Cogía de cuello" but am not doing so well. ;o) But it literally means grabbed by the neck and it means you've been caught red-handed. Oh, there it is! "Caught red-handed." Well, almost. 'Cause being "caught red handed" kinda implies you've been caught with your "Manos in the masa" or "Hands in the dough." There, that makes it relate to food and this blog. Which in turn mean you've "been made" or caught doing something wrong or caught stealing (gasp) or even in this case, kinda being reprimanded, or being asked what the heck or even kinda like being shaken or slapped to wake up and smell the coffee. (And the award for run-on sentence of the evening goes to moncheo! Thank you! Thank you!)

Donas Aymat

Looking back through some old pics I found this:

Ferrari Gourmet - Quick dinner

A few nights back dad treated me to dinner after helping him with two very important things: setting up his AutoExpreso (like NY's EZPass) sticker onto his car windshield and showing him how to update a file from his flashdrive  onto his laptop. You know, important things that merit a meal. ;-)

Living in Isla Verde is nice in that you can usually walk to a variety of restaurants. Walk? Yes. A foreign concept to many Ricans on the island. Out of dad's usual stomping grounds, we ended up walking to Ferrari Gourmet, a family-owned, Argentinian restaurant specializing in traditional Argentian beef entrees and pizzas. I remember eating there a few times before and recalled decent food at good prices. Pizza is actually how Ferrari Gourmet started when they wanted to make a great Focaccia using a Bread Machine and ended up making pizza dough. Or so the story goes.

La Tasca de Yiyo

Sorry I've been M.I.A. but my camera broke and am still waiting for a new one. And who the heck wants to read a food blog with no food pics? I sure as hell don't. Which is why I was missing for a while. And although my camera phone sucks, really sucks, I decided to say screw it and proceed to take some pics and write about today's late lunch.

Food Lover's Companion!!

A day doesn't go by that I don't peek inside one of our many cooking and culinary books. We have quite a few, but there are some that stand out. In specific, the always handy, awesome, and informative Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst.

The original version of this book first came into my life as a student at the CIA. Since then, I've gotten the new and revised edition. It has been my go-to book whenever I need to learn something about some food item or whenever I feel like reading a bit. And let's just say, this book has seen many minutes inside a bathroom. ;-)

La Sandwichera in Caguas

I'm currently teaching a class at a Cooking School in Caguas. During the 6 hour class we have a 1 hour break that comes around sometime after lunch. I went out for some grub, but the spots around the school were either out of their lunch specials or closing. I was actually on the hunt for a Subway (LOVE IT!) the students had told me was nearby, but I couldn't find it. I saw LA SANDWICHERA (The Sandwich Place) so I decided I might as well eat there. 

Cooking for a Bachelor

My dad is a Bachelor. He doesn't really cook. The most he does in the kitchen is make fresh coffee and breakfasts that usually consists of eggs, bacon or ham, and maybe french fries if he has some. A little over a year ago Abuela ended up living with him; up until she passed away right before this last Thanksgiving. While she was living with him the woman, an EXCELLENT cook, made sure the man was well fed. You know, like any Abuela tends to do. Fatten you up for the slaughter.

Sanco-what?!

This is goooooood. Finger-licking good. Comfort food good. Warm my toes from the nasty weather good. Grow hair on your bare chest good. Well, I don't need that. And I don't have any nasty weather, I am in The Caribbean. ;-) But it's still goodness to the last spoonful.

Here is my infamous (as in the 8 people who have tried it love it) concoction I call Sancochao. It's sorta like a Sancocho, but instead of doing the usual Sancocho & White Rice combo, I add rice to the Sancocho-like soup and turn it into an Asopao. A Sancocho Asopao of sorts. Not only do I save time by not making rice, but also I think it adds to the yum and hearty factor. You can call it Sancocho, Asopao, Sancochao, Asococho. Call it whatever you want. But the point is, it's delicious.