Another visit to our fav Cebicheria Erizo, Tijuana B.C.

We decided to celebrate Father's day at El Erizo in Baja and introduce the parents to this place we have come to love so much.

Ceviche El Petrolio.

This awesome creation uses squid INK to give it the dark appearance you see.  

The ceviche itself has squid along with clams and is garnished with huge Peruvian fried corn. This was definitely a favorite of ours.

A scoop of  the Petrolio with the tostada ready to be enjoyed.

A close up of the Mango and scallop ceviche.

 Garnished with basil and olive oil, this ceviche was so fresh, light, and delicious.

Who knew olive oil can go so well with ceviche? That was our first time trying it with the oil instead of just lemon/lime juice.

The blueberry or (mora) tamale with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Every time we go to El Erizo we have to have one of these.

They also come in mango and coconut. The flavor is so good; it's like a blueberry pie just without the flaky crust. The flavor of the fruit of choice is mixed in completely with the Maza so the flavor is like no other.

The beautiful and delicious surprise unwrapped. The ice cream also tastes homemade.

Mango Avocado Ahi Tuna Salad

So we saw Sam the Cooking Guy make this amazing looking tuna salad recipe on his show. The best part is that it uses fresh raw sushi grade tuna, rather than canned tuna. We also spiced it up with some wasabi. This serves 2 to 3 people, or more if used as a small appetizer.

Ingredients:

Chopped/cubed Mango (1/2 - 1)
Chopped/cubed Avocado (1)
Finely chopped Green Onions (1/4th bundle)
Cubed Ahi Tuna (steak size)

Sauce:

2 to 3 tablespoons Tamari
2 to 3 tablespoons Sesami Oil
Squeeze in half a lemon
Add wasabi to taste

The recipes I sometimes write here are farely general since most ingredients can be added to taste... if you want more avocado... add more avocado. If you want a saltier, more oily, or spicier salad, then adjust the tamari, sesami oil, or wasabi, respectively. I always taste everything as I go through the process anyway.

We also made "wonton" triangles to go along with the salad. They came out more like pita chips, but were still a great addition. The recipe included an egg, 2 cups flour, 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, and 3/4 tsp of salt.

After letting the dough rise for at least 15 minutes under a damp cloth, the dough is then rolled out into a very thin sheet. It is then cut into triangles (we used a pizza slicer) and placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The triangles were then each brushed or sprayed lightly on both sides with sesame oil and sprinkled with salt and sesame seeds. Lastly, they were placed in the oven at 350 F until they start to brown slightly and are crispy.

Here's more detailed directions for the wonton triangles:

Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Add 1/4 cup water.


Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and water mixture. Mix in with the flour. Add as much of the remaining water as necessary to form a dough. (Add more water than the recipe calls for if the dough is too dry)
Form the dough into a ball and knead for about 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth, workable dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out until very thin, and cut into triangles.

My version of a 10 minute Miso-Udon-Shrimp Soup

I bought some Udon noodles from Cost World Plus Market and realized I could make Udon soup with the Yellow Miso I had in the fridge from Whole Foods!

First I sliced 2 carrots, several cremini mushrooms (although shitake would be better), and a quarter bundle of green onions. I then boiled water (4 cups? half a pot?) with a few tablespoons of Tamari (basically add this to taste).

I prefer Tamari over regular Soy Sauce since it is "wheat free" or gluten free, and it is supposed to be the "original" Japanese soy sauce...with a richer flavor.

Once the broth was at a boil, I added the carrotts and mushrooms and cooked until they were starting to become tender. I then added a couple tablespoons of Organic Yellow Miso Paste (again add to taste) and the green onions. I don't think the Miso is supposed cook for that long, which is why I added it towards the end.

Then I added peeled/de-veined shrimp and the Udon noddles. The noodles are already soft and just need to be heated through. I figured the shrimp and noodles would take about the same time...lets say 3 mintues or so in the boiling soup.

Once it was all heated through... and the shrimp turned pink... I poured the soup into a bowl and topped it with Momi Nori or shredded seaweed.

This soup would be good without the shrimp or with tofu as a substitute for the shrimp.

Food obsessions in TJ, Baja California starting with ERIZO CEBICHERIA

El Erizo translation (the hedgehog) is a spot that our friend took us to in Tijuana that serves some of the best Ceviche we have ever had.

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The menu is extensive with all sorts or types of ceviche. a few examples are the usual shrimp and fish and some other not so usual like squid in its own ink and scallop.  The Drinks are really good too the one pictured is a pisco sour a Peruvian type frothy margarita.

Scallop Ceviche with cucumber and some chili with lemon or lime marinade.

this was a very good appetizer, two stuffed chili peppers with Marlin and Crab, lightly fried and served in a spicy lemony soy sauce.

TACOS EL FRANC

After our friends beer festival in Tijuana we decided to hit up one of Tijuana's many taco shops. Tacos El Franc has been around and has established itself as one of the best tacos stands around in all of TJ if not all of Mexico.  I headed straight for the Adobada as you can see.  5 Porfavor!

This pile of marinated pork roasting and cooking ever so slowly while rotating is so dangerously good. Dangerous because we just cant stop sometimes from eating ourselves into a coma. I asked the Taquero (Taco Man) how many tacos he can get out of this and he could not honestly tell me.  He said that's too many tacos to keep track of.  But he said it would probably be all done by midnight that night, we got there and were the first to have some that evening.

These Tacos are pretty hefty, I'm talking almost have a pound per taco.The general rule for a diet is if it fits in the palm of your hand then that is a sufficient meal. I think I had three or four hand fulls of Adobada alone, you do the math.

The Classic Taco de Carne Asada. The meat here for some reason seems to be very soft almost melts in your mouth. kind of like a Kobe beef, I don't know but it was Effn GOOD! Uno mas.

GRACIAS SENOR!

TACOS SALCEADOS

A nice order of Jicama with Chili Powder to spark our appetite at Tacos Salceados.

Salsas are no problem here.  They keep it diverse much like their Tacos. You can have a nice almond puree or knock yourself out with some straight up habanero sauce.  Or keep it classic with some red or green sauce. All were tasty and all were utilized on this night. Some carrots, onions and jalapenos are also available, I consider them kinda like ginger, it cleanses the palate.

The Kitchen where the tacos are prepared is in the front of the restaurant visible to the customers.

When in Mexico you gotta have the roasted chili's right? Also with some green onions all drizzled with some lemony soy sauce just like mom makes.

Almost all the tacos come with Sauce and Cheese. the cheese however is grilled on the skillet until it gets to a sort of crispy gooey consistency. The cream sauce is sort of like the sauces you get at a sushi restaurant it only compliments the meal. You can ask for the sauce on the side if you want to be able to control the amount you want.  These three tacos are Marlin, NY steak and Shrimp and Scallop and Shrimp with roasted jalapenos.

Scallop with Shrimp and roasted jalapenos up close.

Crispy gooey cheese wrapped around whatever ingredients you want.

Another Mexican Classic, Tongue tacos are so flavorful and light. This is a delicacy.

NY Steak with Nopal (cactus).
We have to thank our close friend Damian and his wife Brenda for making our Tijuana eating experiences so joyful. They not only introduce us to these places but take the time to drive us all around town to experience it comfortably.

Detroit, Ann Arbor, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls (Canada side)

Grafitti can be beautiful as long as it is done in an acceptable place!
We found a lot of this amazing art around Detroit.

Our first stop once we landed in Detroit was actually "Greek Town."

We ordered a greek omelette which had all the usual but an addition of gyro (lamb)!

For lunch we went to Slow's BBQ located on Michigan Ave.
This, even after traveling to Texas, I gotta say is the best BBQ
meal I've ever had.

This was Slow's special in-house brewed peach tea sweetened with brown sugar.
I loved this! It was even better than the "sweet" tea I tried in the South.

This was #17 (if I remember correctly). 
A combo plate that included the most AMAZING
corn bread battered cat fish, brisket, and jambalaya.  With a SIDE of
gruyere mac'n'cheese and coleslaw.

Must have an up close view of the mac with perfectly crusted cheese on top.

This was called the "Triple Threat."
A sandwich with ham, bacon, and pulled pork.

We managed to make our way up to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
to watch the SDSU vs. Michigan football game.
Now this is what I call tail gating!
They apparently charged (and completely filled up) $80 or more
to park in this lot.  We parked about a mile away in someone's yard
and paid $15.  Basically everyone had their lawn open to make a profit.

There was so much spirit in the stadium!
(See the guy's arm in front of us moving along with the school song.)
We learned that this very stadium we were sitting was the largest in the nation,
seating over 110 thousand that day.

We made the 3-4 hour trip from Detroit to Canada to see Niagara Falls.
The road was not too exciting, lots of farm land, but it was quite
pretty and serene.  Now I really know what it means when people say
you don't get to see how trees really change colors in California.

Once we made it to Niagara Falls we crossed over the Canadian border
to go to Buffalo, New York and eat at The Silo.
The was actually in a quaint little town called Lewiston.

We ordered the "Haystack."  As you can see it is basically a foot long.
It has rib eye steak, cheese, and crunch potato sticks.

We split in half and finished the whole thing.

Niagara Falls view from the "Maid of the Mist" boat.
The blue in the bottom left is the much needed poncho that they provide you.

Hot Dog's are big in Detroit.
I mean they have rivalry restaurants like these two.

We tried the food from both restaurants.
They looked pretty similar, but a slight difference in taste led us to favor...
dun, dun, dun... The American Coney Island hot dog.
Apparently they both have their devotees, its like a cult thing.

We had a lot of fun exploring Detroit and the surrounding areas.
It is very obvious once you are there though the city really does need
some TLC.  It is pretty sad seeing how many places had been abandoned,
a direct result of the sliding economy.

Yet the city still lives on and maintains it's uniqueness and positive outlook.
This was a community garden, literally in the middle of the city, that grew
many fruits and vegetables that would be fed to people in need.

I love that the garden only used rain water collected in these tubes!

A must-visit-place in Detroit is the Heidelberg Project in Heidelberg.
To keep this town from being demolished, a town member began turning the town into a canvas.
The project grew and grew to the point where the whole town (a few square blocks)
has been decorated like seen in this picture.

A house decorated with stuffed animals.

The art was an amazing site.

People consistently asked "Why Detroit?"  Well here's why...when you go there you can really make the best out of what little the city have to offer.  Or you can miss the many unique sites it has to offer.
(Cheesy, I know.)