Restaurant Review: Jilbertos (Escondido, CA)

Here in CA you can find many taco/Mexican food shops with a combo name of “___lbertos”.  You know…Alberto’s, Roberto’s, Albertacos, Jilbertos, Alertos…and the list goes on.  I’m not kidding about those name variations because they all exist.  In Escondido, there is probably one or two on every block; no joke!  I wouldn’t think of calling my boyfriend and I connoisseurs of Mexican food, but we are most likely going to taste about two or three things on the menu at each different Mexican shop.  The three things we mostly choose are rolled tacos, chimichanga(s), and carne asada fries/nachos.  That last bit is more or less a variation on what we crave that day or which one we are too bored of eating again.

To my knowledge and/or recollection, we have eaten at about three shops in Escondido with Jilbertos being at the top of the list (Jilbertos, Antonio’s, and…another which has escaped my memory).  Saving our waist lines and our wallets, we haven’t been back at Jilbertos for more than a week.  On an earlier date, we bought a chimichanga (for him), and 12 rolled tacos (for me), which I will review shortly in this post.  I forget the actual prices for each, but they are slightly pricey than the average taco shop but give a large portion. (And sorry for the bad quality of the pictures.  They were taken with an iPhone 3G camera which doesn’t give such a high resolution for photos…)

First things first, Jilberto’s can be found by a large grocery store named Vallerto’s (surprise surprise that there ISN’T a taco shop inside), Subways, Baskin-Robbins, Office Depot, and f.y.e. (for your entertainment) which is a store consisting of many genres of DVDs, CDs and vinyls to buy (more than in your ordinary Target or Walmart store).  The address is below:

1301 E Valley Pky, #A 
Escondido, CA 92027
(cross streets are Harding St. & 78 freeway/Valley Pkwy)
(760) 480-2618

Visa/Mastercard/Discover and cash are accepted.

12 Rolled Tacos with Guacamole & Cheese

12 rolled tacos (with guacamole and cheese toppings), $7.50

Review: From my own perspective and bias, I feel that these are probably some of the best rolled tacos I have ever eaten in my life.  It’s a pretty modest statement but I (and so have some friends) can say it’s true that these are just too good to put down or only eat little of.  They all stay crunchy despite a hefty layer of toppings (even the tacos at the bottom pile do not lose their crunchiness).  There is a pretty good amount of meat inside, compared to other locations I have been to.  There isn’t a big need to add any more toppings like salsa or pico de gallo but only through preference.  Additional salsa (I have experimented on adding) does not pull up enough on taste for me to distinguish the differences between a rolled taco smothered in guacamole and cheese.  Every time I go to Jilbertos, I need to order this again.  In case you feel that 12 rolled tacos is too much to eat, they have a 3-piece rolled taco special (comes with rice and beans), and a 5-piece rolled taco plate.  I can never finish 12 rolled tacos in one sitting, so I let Mike either finish the rest or allow him to take it to work for lunch.

Carne Asada Chimichanga

Review: Chimichanga with all of the works for no additional cost

The boyfriend, Mike, LOVES chimichangas, but only if done with the right consistencies.  His key targets are the shell must be crispy and crunchy, the filling must be to capacity of the chimichanga and taste yummy, and any toppings the restaurant adds must not diminish the crispy outer shell.

Other establishments are not up to par (for his standards) as the chimichanga here at Jilbertos.  It’s often a hit or miss as some places only grill their burritos (not really a chimichanga) or get too soggy to quick due to toppings, and some don’t even fill with much meat inside.

If not feeling in the mood to eat a chimichanga, he’s one to opt for the 12 rolled tacos instead and it doesn’t bother him in the least bit.  I have sampled a little of the chimichanga and it is pretty tasty.  Crunchy shell, good meat to saucy filling ratio, and very very filling.  This is not one of the menu items someone would pick if trying to lose weight due to the sauces and the fact that tortilla is fried, but it is very satisfying to eat.  I’m not a big fan of burritos and the like (chimichangas for example) so I cannot attest to all of the details on how this chimichanga is in comparison to other chimichanga menu items in other restaurants.

Jilbertos’ horchata is also just as good as other mom and pop Mexican restaurants, and yes, we always get a large cup of horchata for every visit.  That is a must!

I believe our bill (a large drink, 12 rolled tacos and a chimichanga) came out to be approximately $13-18.  Like I said before…a little bit pricey but oh so good.

I urge you to try something from Jilbertos if in the area next time.  There is no drive-thru like many other places, and parking can be tricky due to such a populated area, but a very good restaurant to try Mexican food if you haven’t already here.  Look for more reviews to come for other restaurants, desserts from Trader Joes, and dessert wines, and happy eatings!

Temporary Hiatus

My oh my…I haven’t been back here in a long while.  My camera stopped functioning and went to its own heaven, so I’m currently using a not-so-good camera phone.  I’m oh so sad about being camera-less.  I’ve taken a lot of photos pertaining to food, events, and even from restaurants but haven’t had the time to put them up or at least even written a decent blog.

In the future (maybe in the next week or two), look for recipes for smoky mushroom stroganoff, garlicky-grilled cheese sandwiches, food encapsulated from Valentines Day dinner (made by 5 girls for our guys), fair food reviews, and others.

In a non-food related way, I have somewhat gone back into my other online portfolio for photography (http://azndlish.deviantart.com) which I have also recently gone back to despite a long hiatus as well.  See you around and look for a future update.  Sorry for the extremely long wait, everyone!

Recipe: Mac&Cheese and the Kitchen Sink

Today has been a rather lackluster day.  Migraines, cramps, and plenty of thunder down under.  Sorry a bit TMI, but you ladies understand what I mean.

I have been craving macaroni and cheese for a few days now and I just had time to make something I wanted for myself after being so busy the whole weekend (other than my friend’s birthday party on Saturday…celebrated my parents’ 28th anniversary on Sunday too).  I decided to make my own version of a simple mac & cheese, sans boxed version you would find in every supermarket.  I just had to make my own version from scratch.

I originally wanted to put in Gruyere cheese instead of Monterey Jack cheese, but I was pretty low on cash as most college students are so I had to sell myself short on many ingredients.  For example instead of using smoked paprika, I had sweet paprika which I normally use only for deviled eggs.  Also why add “the kitchen sink” into the name?  I used so many other ingredients I found around the kitchen sink into the recipe as well.  Also you can substitute the bowtie pasta I used for regular elbow macaroni or other shapes…

Mac&Cheese and the Kitchen Sink

Mac&Cheese and the Kitchen Sink
adapted from “Traditional Macaroni & Cheese” recipe by http://www.verybestbaking.com

Estimated time:
Prep – 15 mins;  Cooking: 20 mins;   Yield – 6-8 servings, depending on how large the serving size

1 bag (12 oz) of bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
2 tbsp cornstarch (mix with 1-2tbsp of water until dissolved)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups (80z) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided if baking this dish)
optional: handful of store-bought croutons, crushed, for garnishing

1. Combine evaporated milk, water, butter, and sour cream in a medium saucepan.  Add cornstarch mix, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese (reserve 1/2 cup cheese if baking) until melted.
3. Pour cheese mixture over cooked pasta and toss. 
4. Garnish (optional) with a few sprinkles of paprika and crushed croutons.  Serve and eat while warm.

If baking, after you have added in 1 1/2 cup of cheese to melt in the mixture, pour over pasta and mix well.  Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.  Add panko bread crumbs (or crushed croutons if you don’t have any on hand) on top.  Bake for 20-25mins, at 375 degrees F, or until cheese is melted and light brown.  Sprinkle with a little bit of paprika on top for added color.

The cayenne comes out as an undertone in the dish as when you bite into the pasta you first taste all of the cheese.  Then the slight spicyness comes from underneath to give a little kick.

Sorry the picture was not as great as it is with my cell phone camera.  However, I hope you enjoy this recipe and happy eatings!

Recipe: Red Velvet & Cheesecake Tunnel Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Boy what a weekend it has been!  After my midterm last Thursday I went home, ate dinner, and then went to bed.  I was so tired I didn’t get to blog.  Then on Friday I needed to bake up a bundt cake for my friend’s birthday bbq potluck thing (Saturday).  Just your treat that I am going to post up the recipe I adapted from two recipes I found online (at the time I don’t remember which site I went to for the bundt cake portion…)!  The frosting I adapted from Joy the Baker and Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Usually I do not post up recipes unless it has been tried and more than two people love it.  This one was a BIG crowd-pleaser; even my parents liked it (they aren’t fans of cakes that are too sweet, but this cake isn’t that at all).  Sure if you eat the frosting by itself it can get pretty sweet, but just enough sweetness for this bundt cake.  I don’t have pictures for this cake yet, but I will have them uploaded into my computer by tonight for your enjoyment.

Also, I sort of cheated on the cake portion using a red velvet box mix, but it saves up on a lot of time and money for me.

Cutting into deliciousness

Red Velvet & Cheesecake Tunnel Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting

1 red velvet cake mix box
1/3 cup butter (I used unsalted and added 1/4tsp of salt)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (for the cheesecake mixture, so get more for however many the cake box calls for)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if using a darker bundt pan, take temp down by 5-10 degrees).  Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting oil needed for butter (as stated in ingredients list).
2. Pour 1/2 of batter into a 12-cup greased and floured fluted bundt pan.
3. Combine in a separate bowl cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract, mixing well at medium speed on an electric mixer until well blended.  Slowly add in eggs (2) one at a time until incorporated.
4. Pour cheesecake mixture over batter in pan  and spoon the rest of the red velvet cake batter over the cheesecake mixture.  Bake 1hr or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool 30mins to an hour (while in bundt pan to keep shape of fluted bundt pan).  Remove to a wire rack.

For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp butter, at room temp
4 oz cream cheese, cold
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 1/2tsp because I like the cinnamon to be extremely present in frosting)
1 tsp vanilla extract

5. Beat the powdered sugar, cinnamon, butter, and vanilla extract together in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (can use the same from cake batter–just cleaned).  Mix on medium-slow speed until well mixed (you wouldn’t want to cover yourself in a powdered sugar blanket).
6. Add cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.  Turn the mixer to a medium-high and beat for 5 mins or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.  Do not overmix as the frosting can become runny.
7. Make sure the cake is nice and cooled so the frosting does not melt into the cake.  Pipe lines on bundt cake or spread frosting covering most of the cake (up to you how thick you would like the frosting to be on the cake and how much to spread).

You can also convert this recipe into cupcake form by filling up each holder half-way with cake batter and then adding in about 2 tbsp of cheesecake mix into each and topping with rest of cake batter (enough to fill 3/4 of the way).    Then bake as directed on cake mix box for 19-25mins, depending on altitude and lightness/darkness of pan, checking with a toothpick at the end to see if baked through.  Cool cupcakes for about 30 mins transferring to a wire rack and then frost cupcakes.

To add more color and texture I added some red sprinkles over frosted bundt cake.  Keep cool until serving.  Slice (if a cake) and enjoy your decadent dessert.

This recipe calls for a dozen cupcakes so double the cake recipe for two 9-in layer cakes, and double the frosting recipe to frost a two-layer 9-in cake.

a piece of the cake

Photo credits go to Diana Wong.  Thanks Di for taking some pictures and happy belated birthday, chef (that’s my nickname for her).  Hope you liked the cake like Agatha hoovering it. Hehe…

Sorry…

I haven’t died yet.  I’ve just been super busy with these two summer school classes I’m taking for fulfillment for an AA degree for Administration of Justice, with emphasis in Investigations.  Wow that was a huge mouthful (that’s what she said…).  Tonight after I finish my midterm I will be posting up the banana bread recipe for you all as well as other recipes I experimented with.  I will also be writing a restaurant review on Rainforest Cafe at Disneyland, as well as a review on the Blue Bayou, a fine-dining restaurant at Disneyland, tonight.

This weekend I will be baking a red velvet cheesecake bundt cake so look for that recipe & photos later into next week.

I thought I would make it up to you all because I was so inactive on my foodie blog for so long, so prepare for some heavy reading later on.  Now back to studying!

It’s alive!!!

At least that’s what I think Frankenstein’s creator said when his creation came to life…

I have been away too long, and I’m really sorry about that.  Let’s see if I can recap what went on since Thanksgiving.  After countless tries, I made the Coconut Pumpkin Pie and served some Oreo Turkeys alongside my pie.  There isn’t a Thanksgiving meal without the turkey; no matter how sickingly sweet it is.

The Oreo Turkeys were a hit amongst the kids!  I think my nieces scarfed down about 12 of the turkeys I made for my relatives’ feast in about 2 hours (usually they would have probably lasted a shorter time, but their aunts and uncles –myself and my cousins–all told them they had to wait until every other kid had one).  I’m pretty sure that wait in-between was torture.

When I find the recipes amongst my piles of paper upon my desk I’ll post on here for whenever your next occasion arises and you can use them.  (*Note: the Oreo Turkeys can be transformed into other characters if you would like.  All it takes is some imagination and more candy.)

oreo turkeys in a line

coconut pumpkin pie topped with 2 oreo turkeys

The pie also went away pretty fast.  I had made two 9″ pies that day for two separate Thanksgiving feasts (one for my relatives and the other for my boyfriend Mike’s relatives).  I don’t know how long it took for the one at my relatives to go away because I had to leave early, but the one at Mike’s house was eaten up in roughly 3 hours.

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A few weeks after Thanksgiving a couple of my friends and I decided to have our annual Foodie Night, which this time had a theme of “Make Your Own Pizza” Night.  With that said, you could bring your own toppings to make your own special pizza.  A year prior, we had the same pizza night and I remember a friend of mine made Carne Asada Pizza…and WOW was it good.  Apparently this time we forgot to take pictures of all the pizzas we had made before consumption because I only have one picture of food in my folder; the rest were of friends and guys playing Rock Band.

a plethora of pizzas for Pizza Night

 I guess we (the rest of the cooks/chefs) were too busy packing out the dough, which was made the night before.

Between the pizza night (Dec. 18, 2009) and a few days before Jan. 14, I was busy with the flu (and H1N1 to the speculation of my doctors, although tests weren’t performed so it’s unclear).  I also had finals a few days prior to pizza night and since then I have just been extra busy with school work, as to the reason why I stepped off the face of the Earth on this blog.

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I also went on a little vacation with Mike and three of my other friends to South Lake Tahoe from Jan 13-17, 2010 and didn’t bother taking food pictures up there.  My friend, Kevin, and I were the DFAs (Designated Food Handlers) you could say.  We were the only ones up there that were heavy foodies and thus was our appointed titles.  He made his drunken chicken drumsticks that lasted 2 meals (1 night and the following lunch), and we jointly made some beef pho.  Mike and Kevin made breakfast each morning.  Since it was mad cold up there we kept ourselves warm with some Gentleman’s Jack, Cherry Pepsi, Coke, and some chai lattes.  Normally I keep this blog for food, but you can see where I spent most of my time:

climbing to 9000+ft

5000-some ft. is the rest of civilization, whereas we were heading to 9136ft where you couldn’t feel your nose or lips, nor whether or not your boogers were free-flowing down your face.  Weirdly enough, this was in South Lake Tahoe, NV (about 10 mins from South Lake Tahoe, CA) at the Heavenly Resort.  We just a took a bus from the CA side to go to the NV side.  The trip was exhilarating and I recommend it, although take caution if you’re not used to such high elevation; I was winded out after 5 mins of being up there.

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I will occasionally stop by here and post up more pictures of food from restaurants I went to, as well as recipes I have used.

Look for a banana nut bread recipe that my mother and I used from a book she photocopied in the 1980′s which we experimented to our own tastes, as well as upcoming photographs from birthday events that have passed in which I made a cake or the like.  Until then, happy eatings!

Thanksgiving feast/fest

Well tomorrow as we all know it (at least in the US) is a holiday that pleases our eyes and fills our bellies is Thanksgiving.  I know I haven’t been writing here as much as I’d like in terms of recipes, reviews, and whatnot, but trust me when I say that I will be adding in many things after the holiday has passed.  I’m not saying exactly what day, but I will post up a great many things (including pictures).

I have been testing and retesting a recipe I adapted for Coconut Pumpkin Pie, and another version for a Pumpkin Chai Pie.  The pumpkin chai pie needs a little more work and thus I won’t be posting that one up any time soon.  For the first test, the coconut pumpkin pie turned out really well, I’d say.  The flavors were there, and the texture was too; I just needed to tweak the recipe a bit.  And this time, I won’t forget the garnishes on top like I did when a few friends of mine taste-tested the pies for me.

I won’t be cooking up a storm on Thanksgiving Day, per se, but I will be most likely in the kitchen, around the ovens, baking instead.  This year (and like the last) my family is spending the holiday at my aunt’s house and at my boyfriend’s house: a two-for-one deal.  My cousin makes the BEST stuffing. I go for thirds and fourths instead of seconds.  He’s really thoughtful, too, my cousin, because in my family my mom and a few of my relatives are strictly vegetarians (or at least some are for random days of each month–no meat/poultry, no seafood, no eggs) so he makes sure he has an even number of dishes to serve to both the vegetarians and meat-eaters alike (and I’m not talking just the tofurkey…).  YAY!

I will be making, other than the coconut pumpkin pie, snickerdoodles (as you’ve seen on past posts) and maybe something else.  I’m not sure; I also don’t want to make too much.  But the things I will be making will be dessert/snack-ish because everyone’s already covered the bases for main course & side dishes.  The snickerdoodles were already a crowd-favorite so why not make them again?  Besides, they don’t take long to bake and they’re uber delish.

So far I’ve looked into making those Cranberry Bliss Bars you see at Starbucks, but depending on the time I have and how many other things I will have made, I might save these for the Xmas celebrations.

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving fest/feast is going to be as great as mine.  Even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wondrous day filled with food surrounding you.  Hehe.  Until next time, happy eatings!

Irio, a Kenyan side dish

Why hello again!  I have been making a lot of things that aren’t vegetarian friendly, but this recipe is sure to please all vegetarians, and those who like eating vegetables.  This is also a great way to include in the Thanksgiving dinner as an updated version to the mashed potatoes.  Let me first tell you why I made irio.  I was searching around the internet for any recipes that had potatoes in it for a side dish that I could pare with the boeuf bourguignon I posted earlier.  There were plenty of mashed potatoes recipes and I didn’t want to make the ordinary mashed potatoes recipe I have seen everywhere.  I decided to be different and keep looking.  Lo and behold, I found a recipe for a kind of mashed potato dish called irio, which is a Kenyan side dish.  What caught my eye was the simplicity of ingredients used in the dish and how easy it would be to make in between my cooking time for the boeuf bourguignon.  Super!!

Irio -- a Kenyan side dish

Irio
adapted from: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/03/healthy-delicious-irio-kenyan-potato-and-pea-side-dish-recipe.html
Servings: 6 large side helpings
Prep time: less than 20 mins
Cook time: 30-45 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen green peas
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Place the peas and potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Stir in the salt and place over a medium flame. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Drain, reserving the liquid.

2. Simmer the corn with a little salted water in a separate saucepan for a few minutes while the potatoes and peas are cooking.

3. Mash the potatoes and peas together with a potato masher or put through a blender to form a pale green puree. Stir in the corn with a little of the reserved liquid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. 

4. Add melted unsalted butter to give it a little more flavor and creaminess.  Can use regular butter or margarine but I decided to use unsalted because margarine and butter will add more salt to the dish.

It was a pretty cultural night, I’d say.  French cooking for the main entree and then Kenyan for the side dish…what more could I ask?  By the way, this side dish was very nutritious.  It goes well on its own too, so hope you enjoy them!  Until the next time, happy eatings!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Hello everyone!  Wow what a rollercoaster the month of October has been.  Sorry for the delays on this recipe.  I’ve been doing school, going to visit my friend in the hospital when he was on life support (btw, rest in paradise JP), and attending a viewing for my uncle and then his funeral.  Oy.

Without further adieu, let me say that this recipe for the boeuf bourguignon (beef stew) took about half a day to cook; I also don’t know where my pressure cooker went otherwise it wouldn’t have taken half my day to cook.  It was worth it in the end though.   If you don’t have all of your ingredients ready for prep, it will take much longer for the recipe, so I would advise you to have everything ready (ie: veggies chopped, meat ready and cubed, bouquet garni in place, etc.).  By the way, I think Julia Child, and my mother, would love me in this recipe because I used a lot of butter for sauteing. Hahah.

Boeuf Bourguignon on white rice

Boeuf Bourguignon
adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Boeuf-Bourguignon-104754
Prepping time: 1hr 30 mins (may be longer or shorter depending on if all ingredients are ready)
Cooking time: 3-4 hrs 30 mins (if using pressure cooker, will be much less time)

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cubed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy (caution: emits flames) — if don’t have, can use dry red wine
2 onions, finely chopped 
1.5 tsp refrigerated chopped garlic (in glass bottle), or 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon ketchup (can use tomato paste, but I ran out)
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (I used Merlot)
1pound mushrooms, quartered if large
2-3 cups water (dilute red wine)
sugar, to taste (so wine won’t make the stew so bitter)

Bouquet garni:
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
garlic parsley salt, rubbed on meat
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp powdered cloves

Accompanies a side dish of potatoes, or goes on white rice well.

Pat beef dry and season with salt (or garlic parsley salt) and pepper. Coat all sides of meat with flour.

Heat 1‚ tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining ‚ tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.

Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy (or 1/2 cup red wine) to pot. Deglaze by boiling over high heat 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour over beef. **Caution: with brandy, there will be flames**

Optional to tie celery and bay leaves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.  You can fish them out later too. 

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides and add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots, then sauté, stirring, until onions are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste (or ketchup) and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the rest of the wine, 2-3 cups of water to dilute wine flavor, sugar to taste, meat with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes (while still simmering). Remove bouquet garni ingredients and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.  (Fat is easily removed after refrigeration as it will be more visible on surface)

Phew!  It took long to cook but was highly enjoyable.  I pared this dish with a side dish of irio, which is a Kenyan side dish that consists mainly of potatoes and green vegetables.  In the picture, I pared the boeuf bourguignon over white rice.  Either is acceptable and delicious in their own way.  In the next post, I will include the recipe for irio.  Until then, happy eatings!

Review: Crepes and Corks

Ok let me tell you that the food is delicious!  The portions aren’t too large, nor too small, that you need to pat your belly and roll out of the cafe like many other nooks serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And don’t let the location fool you either.  The upscale and growing community of Del Mar, CA certainly have many restaurants that are pricy, but this one cafe fits my budget: the “starving college student” budget.  I can’t complain about that one!

I went with a few of my friends, including my boyfriend, to catch a bite and try out C&C (Crepes and Corks, for short) for ourselves.  We were trying out a bite of each plate, and all of them were excellent.  The ingredients and flavors used were fresh, airy, and melded very well together.

Proscuitto and Brie Panini

I had the Proscuitto and Brie Panini which was just the right size for me, and the cheese and proscuitto flavors weren’t in competition with one another.  I have had brie off of the wedge and it has a slightly sweet cheese taste, and proscuitto is just cured and salted.  The melted creamy brie version in this panini did not come as greasy as does other melted cheeses in sandwiches either.  Oh and let me not forget the absolutely great thing they added in this sandwich: pesto mayonnaise.  Ohhhh that in itself was divine.

Egg and Cheese Crepe

My boyfriend did what caught his eye first and that was the Egg & Cheese Crepe.  Short and simple and still pleasing.  Their description on their menu for the Egg and Cheese Crepe stated that “2 farm fresh eggs, melted cheddar/jack blend and Black Forest ham, smoked bacon, or grilled chicken” were in it.

Meat Lovers Omelet

My friend, Diana, ordered the Meat Lovers’ Omelet, I believe.  The description has “Bacon, Black Forest ham, Portobello mushroom sweet red onion, with melted cheddar/jack blend” in the omelet.  Now if you were wondering how big the omelet is, it fits within a standard-sized skillet, and not like the uber big ones at IHOP or Dennys you can’t finish without either taking it home, asking for someone else’s help in eating it, or leaving it on the plate as you leave.

Florentine Crepe

My friend, Randy, ordered the Florentine Crepe, which was one of the items on the menu I considered ordering as well.  What sold me was the Portebello mushrooms and spinach in the crepe.  Its entire description allows for “2 farm fresh eggs, Portobello mushrooms, sweet red onion, baby leaf spinach, melted mozzarella cheese”.  And just as sumptuous as that sounds, it tasted really good too.

The Del Mar

My other friend, Agatha, ordered an entree crepe called The Del Mar.  I’m assuming this is a specialty and/or favorite of the locals due to the name.  Oh, and boy does it live up to being a goodie-goodie.  “Grilled chicken breast, artichoke hearts, Portobello mushroom over melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil”…um hello!  artichokes and portobello mushrooms under one roof/crepe?  The crepe was drizzled with the pesto mayonnaise on top and it was so so good.  I think the next time I may get that one.  Also, doesn’t her plate have THE best lighting?  Jealous.  Hehe.

Now you know what is sort of funny?  Prior to going to C&C that morning I researched online to see what I should order, and boy was my top list long!  Haha.  I didn’t number them from most favorite to least because that would be too hard to do, considering I haven’t tried any of the foods yet.  However, my list was originally:

- Raspberry Chicken Crepe
- Florentine Crepe
- Proscuitto and Brie Panini
- Dulce Banana Crepe
- Banana Bahama Crepe

Wow.  Now I want to go back soon.  I can also add The Del Mar to that list now. 

Would I recommend this place?  Totally!  However, I don’t recommend the Red Velvet Cupcake they have there.  My friend Diana bought one and it could have been more dense as a cupcake and more moist, but she did say that their frosting was good; just not the cake portion itself.  Sprinkles was better.

If you want to know more about this cafe or where to go, click: http://www.crepesandcorks.com/index.html.

In addition to this restaurant review, I have also cooked up two things I had a few hours ago that I will add (pictures, anyway) later in another post.  It was like an ethnic night of two dishes that were French and Kenyan.  Wow different parts of the world, right?  I had prepared a practically-took-half-the-day Boeuf Bourguignon that I adapted from a recipe I found online and Julia Child’s techniques, and Irio, which is like an updated version of the mashed potatos.  Hope I made your mouth water a bit.  Until then, happy eatings!