Pizza and hormones

My poor-neglected husband just walked in to see old pictures of the scrumptiously delicious meals I used to cook about eight and a half months away. He's had a sandwich for lunch every other day, delivery pizza almost every weekend, pasta with bolognese sauce once a month (thank God he absolutely loves that one) and a huge dose of hormonal imbalance and challenges coming right from the woman he fell in love with and did not ever have PMS during the first year of dating her. Yeah...that would be me!
By now, my little baby boy is about ready to come! yes! exciting right? I cannot believe how fast time has past and how blessed I have been for a healthy pregnancy even though my mood swings may not feel like they fell from heaven to the people that do life with me.
Hopefully, I will regain my appetite for good meals and my desire to be in the kitchen. Right now, I am no inspiration in this area of my life, therefore, this blog has also been neglected completely.
I hope you all forgive me and bear with me as I come around the corner either with a new direction or with renewed inspiration in what I consider the heart of my precious home: the kitchen.

7 Spice Arroz con Pollo

I love spices.

I love experimenting with them, tasting different combinations, smelling the results, infusing my home with them as I hear curious footsteps approaching the kitchen eagerly.

I have a great respect for Indian cuisine because the dishes are like a surprise party in your mouth. I love trying to figure out what's in it, even though, a lot of times, I am completely off and have no idea what I am talking about. Indian people know their spices and they know how to combine them down to an art form.

I felt like experimenting a bit today with the spices I know and came up with this. Let me tell you, it's pretty freaking good!

Try it at home and let me know what you think.

Here's the recipe.

7 Spice Arroz con Pollo:

1 teaspoon of the following spices:

Cumin

Cinnamon

Clove

Chili Powder

Yellow curry

Cardamon

Paprika

1 vidalia or yellow sweet onion

2 chicken breasts (no bone)

1.5 cups of rice

1.5 cup of whole peeled tomatoes (canned)

1 cup of cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 cup of black raisins

2.5 cups of chicken stock

1/4 cup of capers

Sea Salt to taste ( I use about 3 teaspoons, but it's up to you to change the amount)

Cut the onion in large cubes. Cook them in canola oil until they are golden. Add chicken cut in strips. Cook with the onions until they are tender. Cut the tomatoes in large cubes and add them with their juices. Let this simmer for 8-10 min in low heat. Add spices one by one and add rice. Let it cook as you stir for about 5 minutes.
Add raisins, capers and sea salt. 

Last, add chicken stock and garbanzo beans.

Let it cook in medium heat until 3/4 of liquid has been consumed. Cover it and turn down the heat. Cook until rice has flourished. Let it rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

I recommend to use a flat (paella type) pan to cook this rice, but that is not necessarily a rule.

Serve, decorate, sprinkle with a little chili powder and a little olive oil.

The rest, it's up to you!

Bon Appetit!

small secret revealed.

I am a foodie's nightmare.

At the time.

I have a 4 year old girl's diet. There are only a handful of things I like right now: Pasta, bread, pizza, potatoes, rice and of course, arepas. The good old venezuelan ones. All of that, needs to be topped off with cheese. Any cheese will do. That, I have not lost.

Everything else, makes me feel like my insides are a volcano in eruption. Just opening my refrigerator makes me dizzy. I can smell absolutely everything, even if it's inside of a can, and trust me, being able to smell garlic, whipped cream, yogurt, blue cheese and raw chicken at the same time it's NOT a pleasant experience.

Yes baby, I am PREGNANT! There is an additional little heart beating inside my body. There is a little being developing into a precious little child that will make me cry as soon as I see her/him and will make me look like a helium balloon for many months. He/She will make my breasts acquire gargantuan sizes and will cause people to say hello to me looking down and in awe of this new and undesired proportions. But most importantly I know that there is a God, who is right now very busy, knitting that baby inside my womb.

I guess the fact that I cannot eat, feel miserable for most of the day and that I have to surrender my entire body to this little tenant is just a small part of a huge miracle developing. The miracle of Life.

I will continue posting and maybe cooking, but mostly praying for what's about to happen in my life.

I guess I cannot close this post with Bon Appetit...

Sure, why not?

Bon Appetit!

A

Latin Burger and Ingrid Hoffman

Guys, I am so happy...I feel like I am back home! Only a recognized chef drives the truck this time! I had the great opportunity to eat at Latin burger yesterday and was impressed by the concept, the quality of the food, the cleanliness, and the friendliness of the workers. Of course, Ingrid Hoffman was there, so they'd better behave!

The menu is nothing but short and simple. Three different tacos and one burger. No need for more when they are all delicious.

The cause, even better. People that work there, are those that need a second opportunity in life. Their first one, did not go so well. They also hire students that need to do their internship to graduate and part of their funds go to feed the homeless. That's my kind of business!! Cooking, doing it well and doing it for one or many causes.

The prices? A chorizo, sirloin, chuck burger with caramelized onions, oaxaca cheese, jalapenos and a delicious avocado sauce: $5.75! Three tacos for $6.95! Do I need to say more? Go follow that truck right now for lunch!

The truck is at a different place every day. You need to follow them on twitter (@latinburger) or add them in you facebook page.

See you all later and put those taste buds to work!

Bon Appetit,

A

Saboreando - In and out

Yes, I am back.
I have been very busy eating and feeding and have had no time to blog!
In the past 2 months I have been laid off, got a new job, moved my whole daily life to different places; I found a new school for my daughter, I got a new role in my church, and I have cooked, and cooked and cooked a little more. I have also eaten and cooked my way thru peace. Cooking for me it’s therapeutic. I know what I am doing, I can control it, If I mess it up, I can start all over again, I can also chase people off the kitchen when they disrupt my found “zone”. (Get outta here before I use this 12” Santoku chef’s knife and turn you into a Hannibal Lecter kind of dinner please!!!!). Yes. I am very territorial when it comes to my kitchen. I especially hate when somebody stands right behind me and asks me what I am doing. (Mmmm…peeling an onion? Slicing a garlic clove?...yes! slicing a garlic! Not killing it with a mortar!!!)
Well. Enough about me. I wanted to write some about this very special place with tons of amazing food. Design District, Miami. My new job is located there and I have been very impressed with the places I have been to. There is a renaissance of good food going on over here. I tought all I was going to find a lot of trendy, expensive places, but I am pleased to report that you could eat very well on a dalily basis around here without having to leave your left eye as part of payment. Yes, I know that when I say Design District, you think Senora Martinez, Michael’s Genuine, but that is not what I want to talk about.
I want to talk about options for the business people, the strolling moms and the hungry middle class traveler. Creative, delicious, fast and affordable.

Here are three of them. This is just part one of a very tasty journey.

Salsa Fiesta:
Mexican. $
I love this place. Is it authentic Mexican food? Not really. You are not going to find mole or tacos al pastor; there is no Valentina sauce and for the first month they did not have soft corn tortillas. So you ask-why is it even on my list? Because the ingredients are fresh, the tacos make your mouth water, they do use crema Mexicana and fresh queso blanco instead of sour cream and Monterrey jack. The menu has great options, the guacamole is very well done, the mango salsa is addictive! They also have tostones (which I die for) and really good, well seasoned carnitas. Some of my favorites there are the guerrero taco with grilled fish (that features that mango salsa I’m talking about) and the Acapulco Mio Salad with carnitas. The best part of this salad? It comes with crunchy tostones so you can dip on the good stuff. The service is excellent, the place is very nice – modern and clean, and the prices are awesome. Sorry Lime Fresh, there is not even a contest here.

Pizza Volante.
Italian. $$

Mozzarella and Burrata Bar. Hand written daily specials. Brick oven Pizza. Welcome!
From the Pacific Time owners, comes a more affordable, simple menu, very fresh ingredients, all organic, lovely Italian eatery.
I’ve had many things here and I have not been disappointed yet. I love the concept of the mozzarella bar and the accompaniments are delicious. From roasted eggplant to fresh tomatoes, red peppers, they are all fresh and perfectly served. The only thing I would add for the bar is that the burrata I ordered was very cold. I like my burrata al natural. The pizzas are amazing, beautiful crust; less is more with the ingredients. The daily specials are usually very simple, more towards home made Italian cooking, and that is exactly what I like about them. The service could improve substantially, the music is too loud and they charged me for the bread I asked to go with my burrata (fail!). Not perfect, but close.

The Cheese Course.
Cheese! $

I absolutely adore this place! Why? Simple. They have AMAZING cheese. I am not exaggerating. World class, all international, best quality ever cheese. The sandwiches and salads are delicious. The quiches are excellent. The products they sell to go with the cheese are high quality. You can taste before you buy and they usually have an array of produce for you to explore with your taste buds before your food is ready. I go often and by now I’ve tried at least ¾ of the menu. Is has all been worth it. But, again, it’s me, cheese adicta Andie. But even if you’re a not a cheese connoisseur, you can delight on the great cold cuts they offer, they are all world class as well. The prosciutto and jamon Serrano are my favorite, and you can order a side of them to go with your salad and a piece of freshly baked baguette.
Again…deliciousness!

If you made thru here, Congratulations! You are officially my fan number one! I’ll be back soon with more stories and more eateries. In the meantime, make sure you cook, eat out, taste something different and enjoy life.
In the words of one of my favorite people in the whole world, Tony Bourdain “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement ride!” so go out and taste the world!

Bon Appétit!