Think Outside the Bun

Today’s issue is all about the food. Oh yeah. I suspect that some of you may salivate so much that you will be danger of drooling on your key board, so I recommend getting a napkin before continuing on. The Mexican culinary delights are similar to Taco Bell: nearly everything on the menu has the exact same ingredients. However, unlike Taco Bell, everything has a very unique and delicious taste.

Most taco stands will serve you some beans, salsas, limes, and chips before your meal instead of the traditional bread. There is a very spicy salsa and salsa verde.

Tacos. Aw jeez. These little fellas will fill you up, spice you out, and tickle your fancy. I most prefer tacos al pastor. You generally get three to four tacos. The shells are soft, yet cooked in oil, and are made of corn. Delicious. A meat, still unknown to me, is put on the tacos with salsa picante, a little pineapple, and cheese. I put a little salsa verde and lime juice all over those puppies. Of course, the name helps too. Bien provecho!

Quesadillas. Apparently, real quesadillas are small, batter fried corn tortillas stuffed with a sparse number of ingredients. They resemble an empanada. Today I sampled one with Huitlacoche y queso. One of my bosses, Jorge, described huitlacoche as a mushroom before I ordered it, then explained that it is more of a fungus that grows on corn. Nonetheless, it was delicious, and almost truffle-like, but what isn’t delicious that it surrounded by melted cheese? Quesadillas can also come in the more common, American form. It is good to ask.

Sopes. These are reminiscent of what Mexican restaurants in the U.S. call Tostados. They are fried corn tortillas, covered with beans, meat, onions, and cheese. You douse these bad boys with a little salsa verde and if you are feeling loco a little sour cream.

Tortas. Basically, a torta is a sandwich. But by the same token, cheese steaks are essentially sandwiches. So, what I am trying to say is that a good torta is as good as it gets. I had torta the other day with chopped up steak, melted cheese, tomato, lettuce, lime juice, y salsa picante. Mmmmmmm.

I have yet to try some mole, but there is a place near work that I have been itching to try. Mole if you do not know is a sauce made from chocolate, chicken broth, oil, a variety of spicy and mild peppers, and spices. Interesting and delicious.