Latest news with #Pujol
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Tale of love, passion behind Mexico's ‘boundary-pushing' Quintonil
Behind the growing international success of a Mexican restaurant named one of world's best is a love story between two gourmets with a passion for blending traditional and contemporary flavors. Quintonil, which opened in 2012 in the upscale Mexico City neighborhood of Polanco, already boasted two Michelin stars. Now it is also ranked number three by the Michelin Guide's British rival, 'The World's 50 Best Restaurants,' which praised its 'boundary-pushing' cuisine. 'Focused on fresh, local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors and techniques weaved into modern preparations, it is fast becoming a classic,' it said. Named after an aromatic plant from the southern state of Oaxaca, Quintonil stands behind only Maido in Lima and Asador Etxebarri in Spain in the list. At the reception, Alejandra Flores -- one half of the charismatic couple behind Quintonil -- gives a taste of the hospitality and kindness for which Mexicans are known. 'I truly believe in the saying, 'He who does not live to serve does not serve to live,'' she said. Service 'must be a dance' or even an 'embrace,' added Flores, who studied hospitality management in Switzerland. Intimate, not ostentatious In the two small dining rooms, next to a counter seating area that opens onto the kitchen, around a dozen tables receive customers from around the world. It is in this setting -- more intimate than ostentatious -- that Quintonil has gradually gained global recognition, much like Mexico City, which is attracting an increasing number of visitors from the United States and Europe. Understated, like his restaurant, head chef Jorge Vallejo used to work on cruise ships before returning to Mexico City where he joined another renowned restaurant, Pujol. Chefs work in the kitchen at Quintonil restaurant in Mexico City. Head Chef Jorge Vallejo poses for a photo at Quintonil restaurant in Mexico City.--AFP photos A chef prepares ribeye steak cuts at Quintonil restaurant. A chef slices a fish in the kitchen at Quintonil restaurant. Chefs work in the kitchen at Quintonil restaurant. It was there that he met Flores, his wife. Located a few streets away, Pujol has long been the benchmark for new Mexican gastronomy. In 2022, 'The World's 50 Best Restaurants' ranked chef Enrique Olvera's establishment fifth, while Quintonil was in ninth place. The student has since overtaken his teacher, but feels a debt of gratitude: Pujol's elevation of Mexican cuisine to another level has inspired others, Vallejo said. 'Twenty years ago, people knew very little about what Mexican gastronomy really is as we know it today,' he added. Today, more foreigners are familiar with a diverse cuisine that ranges from street tacos to fine dining, in both cases using local products such as corn and tomatoes. 'Close to my heart' Quintonil combines seasonal ingredients -- in July it was asparagus, carrots, and mushrooms -- with traditional Mexican staples, such as mole, a sauce made with spices and cocoa. 'Right now, a dish that's close to my heart is vegetable mole. We prepare it with asparagus,' enthused Vallejo, happy that his discovery allows for a lighter sauce. Quintonil's ingredients are '98 percent Mexican,' including the wines. The exceptions are caviar, one type of fish, and olive oil, said Vallejo, who favors local sources. 'I have a good friend whose family grows white beans' in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, he said. Quintonil has mastered the art of blending traditional Mexican flavors with contemporary cuisine, according to the '50 Best' list, citing the example of 'tamales of duck pibil with elote cream,' a corn-based sauce. The award has been decided since 2002 by more than a thousand 'culinary experts,' including chefs, specialist journalists and restaurant owners. While French chefs question its legitimacy, accusing it of opacity, in the case of Quintonil the verdict seems unanimous. According to the Michelin Guide, Quintonil's tasting menu is 'constantly evolving' with 'delights such as crab and shards of blue corn tostada arranged with a vivid pipian verde enhanced with untraditional elements like galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime.' Quintonil's cuisine 'is an enticing melding of excellent local product, impressive execution, and great creativity to produce refined compositions,' it said.—AFP
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Cook This: 3 recipes from Sunny Days, Taco Nights, including hard shells filled with a meaty mix
Our cookbook of the week is Sunny Days, Taco Nights by acclaimed Mexican chef Enrique Olvera with food critic Alonso Ruvalcaba. Jump to the recipes: hard-shell tacos , chorizo tacos and prawn tacos . A trip to Japan changed chef Enrique Olvera 's perspective on the taco. Born and raised in Mexico City, he was struck by the idea that respect for the street food staple could mirror that for sushi. As sushi spans various contexts and complexity, from 7-Elevens to legendary omakase restaurants, so too could tacos. 'The first time I went to Japan, I was very impressed by the fact that sushi had such a range,' says Olvera. 'When I went to a fancy omakase, of course, you would see the personality of the chef. It was very subtle, but you would see the differences in how they cooked the rice.' Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Olvera's train of thought went from rice to tortillas. Japanese chefs make sushi rice their own, just as their Mexican counterparts have different techniques for nixtamalizing corn, from the rinsing to the grinding. Like rice in Japan, corn isn't only a core food but a critical crop that Mexican livelihoods depend on. He was also struck by how simple but seasonal sushi is. 'Good tacos are kind of the same,' says Olvera. 'Those three components changed the way I understood tacos. And that's where we started to say, 'OK, you can make three-Michelin-starred sushi. You can also do that with tacos.'' Olvera opened his first restaurant, the two-Michelin-starred Pujol , in 2000. Around 2010, they started experimenting with tacos for the first time, and in 2011, they created a menu centred on them. When Pujol expanded in 2017, the revamp included a 10-seat taco omakase, Mexico City's first taco tasting menu, according to The New York Times , which remains today. His deep appreciation for the taco — Mexico's 'super democratic' food — and the native corn at its foundation, led to Olvera's latest cookbook, Sunny Days, Taco Nights (with Alonso Ruvalcaba, Phaidon, 2025). 'It's for everyone,' Olvera says of the taco. 'It doesn't matter which social class you are or age group. Everybody loves them. And also, one great thing is that it's very adaptable. So, if you're making tacos in Canada, Mexico or Brazil, there's always the possibility of adaptation.' Olvera and Ruvalcaba, a food critic and close friend, had long talked about writing a taco book. When they first added tacos to the menu at Pujol, Ruvalcaba was fascinated by the fact that they were 'courageous' enough to serve tacos in a fine-dining setting, Olvera recalls. 'He's somebody who understands Mexican taco culture profoundly. He's not only a thinker, but an eater, so it was great to collaborate with him.' Like his last cookbook, Tu Casa Mi Casa (2019), the 100 recipes are for home cooks. Olvera says he's always been interested in functionality and writing books people can use. Restaurant cookbooks may be beautiful and inspiring, but they're difficult for non-professionals to cook from. Sunny Days, Taco Nights is divided into four parts: classic tacos, original tacos, salsas and tortillas. Rooted both in their neighbourhoods and regions, taquerias in Mexico are very specific, says Olvera. The opening classics chapter features Mexican street tacos illustrating this specificity, such as Yucatán-style cochinita pibil, Sinaloa-style fish and Tijuana-style grilled tacos. The originals showcase Olvera's contemporary, composed creations, requiring more preparation and components. Pujol's earliest taco explorations are among them, such as avocado flautas, sea bass tataki al pastor, sea urchin, and fish chorizo tacos, showing applications beyond the traditional. 'That's the beauty of tacos — that they literally can hold anything. You go to Los Angeles, for example, and see Mexican-Korean tacos, and they work great. And also, it's important for people to understand that tacos are a way of eating. It's not only a dish. If you have tortillas, you could make a taco out of anything.' Pujol celebrated its 25th anniversary in May. When Olvera was at culinary school in New York in the late 1990s, 'contemporary Mexican cuisine' wasn't yet part of the conversation. Having been professionally trained in European techniques, Olvera writes that he didn't feel confident enough in traditional Mexican recipes to reinterpret them in the restaurant's early days. But when he started to play with the street foods he loved as a child, such as robalito al pastor and quesadilla, that began to change. 'What's nice now is that I think people feel very comfortable using Mexican cuisine as a creative platform instead of a heritage cuisine. Before, Mexican chefs and people from outside saw Mexican food as something that was traditional and old and something that we must protect, but not something that we can use creatively to complement our own story or as a platform to create something more personal.' Today, Olvera sees Mexican techniques and ingredients popping up in restaurants around the world. At home, there's a 'huge movement in almost every corner of Mexico' of small, contemporary restaurants. 'I'm the first promoter of traditional and classic food, but I think this complements the variety, and it's nice just to play around with food.' Conserving Mexican corn has become central to Olvera's work, and the cover of Sunny Days, Taco Nights showcases its diversity, ranging in colour from golden yellow to deep blue. Olvera highlights that though we tend to speak of ingredients in singular form, 'everything is plural.' 'With corn, the more we know, the more we realize it's a huge universe. Because it's not only the varietals or the families, but the singular plants and how they also adapt to the terroirs, the same as coffee or wine, I think this is how we're going to start approaching most of the crops, where we recognize the differences, even if they're subtle, of temperature, of altitude, and of the plant itself.' How you nixtamalize, mill and cook corn can also have a huge impact, as can the thickness and shape of the tortilla. 'It can be as profound as you want it to be, and it could also be simple. And that's fine. I think those are the best products, when they can be very simple, very comforting, but also super complex and profound.' Makes: 4 For the filling: 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 white onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 200 g (7 oz) bacon, finely chopped 300 g (10 1/2 oz) ground beef 300 g (10 1/2 oz) ground pork 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp black pepper Salt To serve: 4 crispy corn tortillas (store-bought) Guacamole (recipe follows) Pico de gallo (recipe follows) 2 lettuce leaves, chopped Lime wedges Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and bacon and sauté for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to brown. Add the beef and pork and sauté for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the soy sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, Season with the pepper and salt. Fill the tortillas with the meat filling. Top with guacamole, pico de gallo and lettuce. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Makes: 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced into rings, with seeds 1 clove garlic 1/2 white onion, finely chopped 4 avocados, pitted and cubed 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped Chopped cilantro leaves Juice of 3 key limes Salt In a molcajete or large mortar and pestle, crush the chili, garlic and onion into a paste. Add the avocados and gently mash. Using a spoon, mix in the tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt. Serve the guacamole in the molcajete or mortar and pestle. The guacamole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Makes: 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) 20 cilantro leaves, finely chopped 10 tomatoes, finely chopped (see note) 2 serrano chilies, stemmed and finely chopped 1 white onion, finely chopped Pinch of salt Juice of 1 key lime Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. The pico de gallo can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Note: If you like, remove the tomato seeds to avoid excess liquid. Makes: 4 For the green chorizo: 2 large bunches spinach, leaves only 1 large bunch cilantro, large stems removed 1 small bunch parsley, leaves only 3 serrano chiles, stemmed 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp salt 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) ground pork 250 g (9 oz) lard 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds 1 tbsp ground oregano 1/2 tbsp ground cloves 1 cup (100 g) chopped pumpkin seeds, roasted Scant 1 cup (100 g) chopped peanuts, roasted Scant 1 cup (100 g) chopped almonds, roasted 3/4 cup (100 g) raisins 2 tbsp olive oil To serve: 4 corn tortillas 1/2 white onion, finely chopped 10 cilantro leaves, chopped 4 lime wedges Your choice of sauces Fill a saucepan three-quarters full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by putting a little ice and water in a deep bowl. When the water begins to boil, add the spinach and herbs separately in batches. Cook each for 2 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the ice to cool. Transfer the spinach and herbs to a blender. Add the serrano chiles, vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the meat, lard, spices, pumpkin seeds, nuts, raisins and spinach mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and the marinated meat and cook for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Heat a skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the tortillas, flipping them continuously for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Transfer to a plate and top each tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of green chorizo. Serve with onion, cilantro, lime wedges and your choice of sauces on the side. Makes: 4 For the marinated prawns: 10 dried guajillo chilies 5 dried ancho chilies 1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic 2 tbsp vegetable oil 15 raw prawns, peeled, deveined and diced 100 g (3 1/2 oz) Chihuahua cheese, grated For the bean paste: Scant 1/2 cup (100 g) black beans, soaked overnight 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 1 white onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 dried chiles de árbol To serve: 4 corn tortillas 4 tbsp bean paste 3 tbsp marinated prawns 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced 2 serrano chilies, stemmed and thinly sliced into rings 6 lettuce leaves, chopped Cilantro leaves, whole 4 lime wedges Put the chilies, onion and garlic in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chilies are softened. Drain. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and blend into a thick paste. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, the prawns and the chili paste to the pan. Sauté for 7 minutes or until the mixture just starts to turn a deep red colour (or darkens). Sprinkle with the cheese and let it melt. Place the beans in a saucepan, then add twice the amount of water. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are softened. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 15 minutes or until the onion is caramelized. Add the beans with their cooking liquid and the chilies and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend into a homogeneous paste. Heat a skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the tortillas, flipping them continuously for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Transfer to a plate, spread 1 tablespoon of bean paste on each tortilla, then top with cheese-covered prawns. Top with the onion, serrano chili, lettuce and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Recipes and images excerpted from Sunny Days, Taco Nights ©2025 by Enrique Olvera. Photography ©2025 by Araceli Paz. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here .
The Sun
31-07-2025
- The Sun
Quintonil: Mexico's boundary-pushing culinary love story
MEXICO CITY: Behind the global acclaim of Quintonil, ranked third in 'The World's 50 Best Restaurants,' lies a love story between two gourmets passionate about redefining Mexican cuisine. Named after an aromatic Oaxacan plant, the restaurant merges traditional flavors with modern techniques, earning praise for its 'boundary-pushing' dishes. Alejandra Flores, co-founder of Quintonil, embodies Mexican hospitality, describing service as 'a dance' or even 'an embrace.' The intimate dining space, far from ostentatious, reflects the understated elegance that has drawn international diners to Mexico City. Head chef Jorge Vallejo, formerly of Pujol, credits his mentor Enrique Olvera for elevating Mexican gastronomy. 'Twenty years ago, people knew very little about what Mexican cuisine really is,' Vallejo said. Today, Quintonil showcases Mexico's diverse culinary heritage, from street tacos to refined dishes like vegetable mole with asparagus. With 98% of ingredients sourced locally, Quintonil highlights seasonal produce alongside staples like corn and tomatoes. Vallejo's dedication to local suppliers includes white beans from Sinaloa, reinforcing the restaurant's commitment to authenticity. The Michelin Guide praises Quintonil's 'constantly evolving' tasting menu, featuring innovative pairings like crab with blue corn tostada and pipian verde infused with galangal and lemongrass. The restaurant's success, according to critics, lies in its 'enticing melding of local product, execution, and creativity.' - AFP
Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Meet the Retrologist, a man on a mission to document America's fading roadside attractions
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up By day, Pujol is a journalist at WABC-TV in New York, but by night, weekends, and pretty much any other spare moment, he devotes his time to documenting midcentury roadside kitsch. Most of Pujol's tales begin with road trips seeking out a drive-in theater or a pair of 12-foot hot dog statues, and then quickly build into adventures as he explores the country, collecting images and stories about a dying slice of Americana known as the roadside attraction. Advertisement He's perhaps the only person who can convincingly begin a story with: 'I was driving to see an old Ben Franklin store around Millbury, Vt., and then I saw a 20-foot concrete gorilla named Queen Connie, so I had to pull over.' Advertisement Retrologist is a term he's coined to describe his obsession. It's also the name of his Sometimes the attractions are saved (such as the Shell sign from 1933, located in Cambridge), but more often than not, communities don't see their value. Pujol included the now-defunct Twin Donuts in his book, but frets over the fate of its iconic and eye-catching sign. 'I was heartbroken to see that go,' he said of the 70-year-old donut shop, and then immediately asked, 'Do you know if the sign is still there?' Twin Donuts in Allston closed after 70 years. The diner's last day was March 23, 2025. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe From the 1940s to the 1970s, roadside attractions were an essential part of the landscape in the United States. Eye-catching neon signs, glistening chrome diners, and 40-foot metal fishermen were intended to entice motorists to pull over, shop, or eat. When you see an ice cream shop shaped like a cone or a massive geodesic dome painted blue to resemble a blueberry, chances are, curiosity will get the better of you, and you'll stop in for a look. At least that was the logic back when family vacations involved getting in a car without iPads and cellphones. Pujol, 52, said he first became enamored with these gems of Americana during family road trips in the 1970s. He would look out the car window at the bright orange roofs of Howard Johnsons or gaze with amazement at Muffler Men, the term used to describe 20-foot-tall, fiberglass statues used for advertising in the 1960s. Advertisement The Modern Diner in Pawtucket, RI. Its owners placed it on the market earlier this month. Rolando Puloj/Handout 'From a very early age, I was transfixed by roadside attractions,' Pujol said. 'The first road trip we took as a family, I was 4, and we drove from New York to Miami. 'There are so many interesting stops along that route. But the one that, of course, comes to mind is good old South of the Border in South Carolina. That made an impression on me even as a 4-year-old. For those who have never witnessed its splendor, Go ahead and call it tacky. Pujol finds no shame in the word. "Queen Connie," a 20-foot concrete sculpture of a gorilla, hoists a Volkswagen over her head at Pioneer Auto Sales in Leicester, Vt. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff While South of the Border is still in business, many famed roadside relics haven't survived into the 21st century. Quirky old motor lodges and cheese wheel-shaped stores are continually razed to make way for more characterless square box stores. Neon signs that beckoned motorists for decades are tossed into the landfill or wind up in private collections. 'It is heartbreaking. And you see that happen all the time,' he said. 'Sometimes these old stores get almost manipulated by sign shops into updating their look. They're told they need a new sign, and then they'll replace their beautiful vintage sign with a banal plastic sign or bland awning.' Advertisement For his book, Pujol traversed the entire country in his quest to find some of the best attractions and sights, and New England did not disappoint. He fell in love with kitsch icons such as the giant orange dinosaur in Saugus that was saved from near-death after the miniature golf course where it resided went out of business. The famous "Leaning Tower of Pizza" in Saugus is one of Rolando Pujol's favorite retro roadside attractions. Pujol refers to himself as the Retrologist. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff In addition to Twin Donuts, he also included Donut Dip in West Springfield, the Golden Rod in York Beach, Maine, the Weirs Beach sign in Laconia, N.H., the Teddie Peanut Butter Factory in Everett, Dairy Witch Ice Cream in Salem, and Modern Diner in Pawtucket, R.I. Like many of his favorite places, the fate of the Modern Diner is also unknown. Its owners have decided to sell, and it's now on the market. 'What makes these things so appealing is that they invite you and encourage you, almost force you to get out of your phone and stop doom scrolling and get out there and see things and, God forbid, talk to people,' he said. 'I love that. And you can't have those experiences locked up at home. That's why it's sad to see another one on the endangered list.' While places continue to close or remodel, Pujol is encouraged that he's seeing a growing community of people who seem to care about the fate of these places. He's hopeful that an increase in retro appreciation will mean a brighter future for some of his beloved destinations. The sign for Howard's Leather Shop in Spofford, NH, harkens back to the days when mom-and-pop stores used over-the-top signs to attract motorists passing by. This is featured in the book "The Great American Retro Road Trip." Rolando Pujol/Handout 'I don't want to overstate the point and call it a trend, but there are some indications that a revival of interest in this stuff is beginning to manifest,' he said, choosing his words carefully as if speaking too optimistically might jinx the future of these attractions. 'At some point, I'd like to think that people will get tired of everything being bland and beige. These attractions are not only historic but they're a window into our collective history, how we used to live, and what brought us joy.' Advertisement Christopher Muther can be reached at
Epoch Times
04-07-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
This Budget-Friendly ‘Taco Tuesday' Meal Would Be Great Any Day
PITTSBURGH—It's the rare grownup, teenager, or child who doesn't love a good taco (or three) every now and again, if not on each and every Tuesday as the social media trend dictates. In Pittsburgh, it's easy to scratch the itch for this classic Mexican hand food, as we have our pick of so many great places to fill up on meat- or vegetable-filled tortillas in and around city. They're available everywhere from food trucks and small storefronts to full-service restaurants and even a gas station-turned-Mexican grocery in Coraopolis (La Poblanita). Our mouths water at the thought of tacos because they taste great, of course, and are extremely versatile; they're a good choice for vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike. You can tuck almost anything—meat, veggies, fruit, beans, cheese, and even the occasional leftover—into a corn or flour tortilla. They're also a kitchen darling because tacos are ridiculously easy to make at home, even if you don't normally like to cook. And tacos make good financial sense in these challenging economic times, because they usually feature less-expensive cuts of meat like ground beef, and also can be built with rice, corn and beans. A package of 30 corn tortillas at my local grocery store cost just $2.15—about 21 cents per three-taco serving. That's why I was excited when a copy of 'Sunny Days, Taco Nights' by Enrique Olvera (Phaidon Press, $40) landed in my mailbox. The acclaimed Mexican chef has been experimenting with tacos for well over a decade at his Mexico City restaurant, Pujol, growing more inventive as he developed a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the staple he and his staff worked with every day. The cookbook includes 100 succulent recipes for home cooks—both classics like barbacoa, Baja-style fish, and al Pastor tacos and 'originals' like ones featuring fried Brussels sprouts, rabbit, octopus, and bundled green beans and peanuts. In the book's foreword, co-author Alonso Ruvalcaba writes that a taco 'is the opposite of exclusive: It is genuinely for the masses—not just in words or a damn sign, but for real. For everyone.' To keep costs down for this latest installment in our budget-minded dinner series, I opted for a taco that was a little different but still in the 'classic' category because it includes ingredients you could find in most grocery stores and a super-simple preparation: cochinada tacos. Cochinado means 'filth' in Spanish, which sounds pretty unappetizing. In this case, it refers to the crispy bits and pieces of meat that collect at the bottom of a chorizo grill after many hours of cooking sausage. In Olvera's book, they're made with a combination of finely chopped beef cecina (a cured, air-dried beef similar to prosciutto) and 'green' chorizo made with spinach, pork, peanuts, nuts and raisins, among other things. I went a more traditional route, swapping regular ground beef and chorizo, though I kept the traditional garnishes of onion, lime juice and cilantro. The original recipe is probably tastier, but my version was pretty delish, too—crunchy, slightly spicy, and definitely craveable. The best part: The entire dish took less than 20 minutes, during which I prepared the guacamole served as an appetizer and also the spicy salsa de arbol to be spooned on top for some extra zing. The breakdown on cost: $2.42 for the guacamole, $2.16 for the salsa, $7.37 for six tacos, and $3.01 for a pan of nine brownies gently spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. That adds up to just $14.96 for two, with leftovers, or about $7.50 per person for a three-course, really tasty meal. The biggest expense after the meat (which wasn't that costly since you use a total of 1 pound) was the avocado. In fact, I almost chucked it from the menu when the first store I stopped at was charging $2 apiece, which would have blown my $15 budget. Then I saw them for almost half the price at another store—whew! The classic Mexican appetizer was back on, with one change: To make the guac guilt-free, I served it with crisp-cut carrot sticks—a budget vegetable I always have in my refrigerator crisper—instead of tortilla or corn chips. For dessert, I gave in to my love of chocolate with a really fudgy brownie that used very little flour and only one stick of butter. As always in this series, I went into it with a plan, made careful choices, and took advantage of ingredients I already had on hand (and you probably do, too). I didn't have to factor into the cost garlic, vanilla, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne. As prices continue to climb—can you believe a single Granny Smith apple or yellow onion now can cost a buck or more?—I imagine it will become harder than ever to create menus that are interesting, taste great and are easy on your wallet. But at least egg prices are finally coming down! Cochinada Tacos PG tested Makes 6 generous tacos. 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces ground beef 8 ounces ground chorizo 6 corn tortillas 1/2 white onion, chopped Chopped cilantro 1/4 teaspoon salt Lime wedges Salsa, for serving (recipe follows) Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add beef and chorizo, and saute for 10 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden brown. Transfer 3/4 of the mixture to a plate, and cook the remainder of the mixture until it is dark brown, about 5 minutes. (This is the cochinada.) Heat a skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add tortillas, flipping them continuously for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Transfer to a plate. Top each tortilla with browned meat and a spoonful of cochinada. Serve with onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa. Recipe adapted from 'Sunny Days, Taco Nights'
