My love for Mexican cuisine started at the tender age of 17, when en route to Mazatlan, we stopped at a remote village somewhere just west of Torreón and entered a ramshackle hut where, amidst the dust of the road, I was presented with a steaming bowl of fresh tortilla soup, adorned with wedges of fresh lime and the pungent aroma of coriander. The memories of that particular voyage have never left, eating fresh mangoes from the vendor on the beach, taquitos dripping with mole and devoured on the street, tortillas made daily by the housekeeper and eaten straight from the pan, the markets near Tec de Monterrey where we would sit and eat quesadillas and cups of sweet ice. On my return, there was nothing that could compare to those delicious delicacies, the boxed creations of El Paso were just an insult to my taste buds. Fortunately, now, Vancouver is home to a handful of Mexican restaurants that can at least satisfy my picky palette.

But it is San Francisco, with its colourful Mission district, that I always enjoy heading to. Enjoying sweet, sticky Tamarindade and burritos at a taqueria, my longing for Mexican food is well and truly sated. So it is always with a degree of anticipation when a new restaurant is suggested.

Nestled between 18^th and 19^th on Mission Street, lays Gracias Madre, the newest restaurant from the owners of Café Gratitude. From the moment we stepped in through the gates, we were treated to a feast of all senses. The décor is beautiful, simple and rustic. We sat outside, underneath the tall colourful mural holding court, sipping delicate horchata . The menu is completely vegan, which from a table of non-vegans, proved to be the biggest challenge. Not because of its non-meat offerings, but because we were unable to choose from all the mouthwatering descriptions. We sampled a selection of almost everything, and with each mouthful came pure bliss.

From the buttery tamal that simply melted in our mouths, to the perfectly seasoned Kale con Chile y Ajo and Hongos tacos, to the attentive service we received, Gracias Madre delivered.

With the majority of their produce grown at the Be Love Farm, Gracias Madre celebrates its food, offering a wide variety of seasonal, local fruit and vegetables, which appeased even all of us, the happily carnivorous. I’m looking forward to going back next time I find myself in San Francisco.

Gracias, indeed.

Gracias Madre is located at 2211 Mission Street, San Francisco and is open daily from 11am – 11pm.

I’m not really a fan of junk food – or “road food” as Tom Robbins calls it in Another Roadside Attraction – which makes heading out on a road trip somewhat less exciting in the eating department. Last year, however, a friend introduced me to Tacos Guaymas which has become a required stop on every trip south of the border. They’ve got plenty of locations, including several in Seattle, but Burlington (590 S Burlington Blvd) and Everett (1814 112th St SE) are the ones that seem to tie in well after waiting in the border line up.

Tacos Guaymas is a chain of fast food (for lack of a better word) restaurants, but rather than serving up processed, wilted dishes, the food is fresh and very authentic. They’ve got one of those menus that goes on and on with specials on coloured paper tacked on to the bottom and sides and it includes all the standard Mexican fare like tacos, burritos, carne asada, chimichanga, and enchiladas, etc. but I’ve also had the meat plate (above) and ceviche and others and not once been disappointed. The portions are enormous – truly trucker-sized – so consider yourself warned. It’s easy to get carried away ordering and then have to stretch out in the car for a couple of hours until you get to where you’re going.

Tamales Verdes de Pollo: Tamales with Chicken and Tomatillo Sauce

Another of the outstanding dishes we were served at our Foodists launch at South China Seas. I’ve had tamales, but seldom have they been as fresh as these. Don and his wife Joyce prepared them in advance and then steamed them at the event. Despite our almost uncontrollable need to eat these, Don made us wait ten full minutes post-steaming for the masa to firm up. Simple, delicious food with guest-impressing potential. Recipe makes 30 tamales.

FILLING
3  Ancho chiles, seeded and stemmed
2  Mullato chiles, seeded and stemmed
2  Chipotle morita chiles, seeded and stemmed
1 small piece  Piloncillo (equivalent to about 2 Tbsp)
1-1/2 lbs  Tomatillos, husks removed and washed
1/2  Onion, thickly sliced
2  Serrano chiles, seeded
1  Garlic bulb
5 – 6 sprigs  Cilantro, stems removed
1 Tbsp  Mexican oregano (which is not oregano, and has a completely different flavour)
1 Tbsp  Sea salt
Water or stock
3 lbs  Shredded cooked chicken
2 Tbsp  Aniseed, toasted and roughly ground

MASA

8 cups  Chicken stock, well seasoned and simmering
4 cups  Masa harina
1-1/4 cups  Lard (or 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening)

WRAPPERS
30 squares  Banana leaves, about 10″ square, plus trimmings to the line the steamer and for strips for tying the tamales (make longer ties by knotting two strips together)
Method
Lightly toast the dried chiles (ancho, mullato, chipotle morita) and soak them, along with the piece of sugar, in a small amount of hot water in a covered bowl for about 20 minutes – turn the chiles periodically to ensure they moisten evenly, adding a bit more hot water if needed.

Broil the tomatillos, onion slices, serranos and garlic bulb on a baking sheet lined with foil (to hold the juices from the tomatillos) until well charred but not burned black. Charring times will vary – remove items as they are done, and turn the onion, garlic bulb and tomatillos as necessary.

Remove cloves from the garlic bulb. Rough chop the onions. Blend the dried chiles and sugar along with their soaking liquid, the charbroiled vegetables, cilantro, Mexican oregano and salt until fairly smooth, adding a bit of water or stock only if necessary for blending. Combine blended sauce with the chicken. Check for salt.
Bring stock to a medium boil, and whisk in masa harina gradually (It’s easier to do this if one person pours while another whisks). Reduce heat and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or a wooden spoon. Mix in the lard in 3 or 4 batches, beating vigorously (preferably with a hand mixer), until well incorporated.
Place banana leaf pieces on a work surface, smooth side up and spread 3 – 4 Tbsp of masa into a rough 3″ X 4″ rectangle on the center of each leaf in the direction of the ribs on the leaf. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of chicken mixture down the center of the masa. Sprinkle a pinch of aniseed over the filling. Fold the sides of the leaf snuggly over the masa and the filling, then the ends and tie each tamal closed with two strips of banana leaf.
Place tamales in a steamer cover with banana leaf pieces and the lid and steam for about 1-1/4 hours. Allow the tamales to rest off the heat for 15 or 20 minutes. When done, the masa will be set and will pull away easily from the leaf when unwrapped. Tamales may be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for six months if properly wrapped. Steam to reheat – 10 to 15 minutes if refrigerated, about 30 minutes if frozen.

Recipe Copyright © 2009, Don Dickson / South China Seas Trading Co. Limited

While the menu claims “authentic Mexican food,” it includes a wide variety of items ranging from 5-layer dip (which seems more Good Housekeeping to me) to chilaquiles (which I have eaten in Mexico at a non-touristy place), and pretty much everything in between. Authentic or not, there’s something for everyone.

A father and daughter team own the two restaurants, with plans to open more in Vancouver this year. The place is cozy, with brightly painted walls, and a variety of Mexican artwork, including a shrine-like space dedicated to Frida Kahlo where we sat. There’s a small patio out front that might be good for a beer in the summer. Staff is friendly and prompt.

I started with the tortilla soup, a roasted tomato broth with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, sour cream and cilantro. Let it be known that I love tortilla soup. And every time I have it, it seems to be prepared slightly differently. Whatever’s leftover in the kitchen that day, I’m guessing. And in this case, the roasted tomato broth was a change from other versions I’ve tried.

Of course, this is a taco quest, so it was time to sample the tacos. I ordered one chicken and one chorizo. I expected the small tacos that I have been trying at various places around town — the kind where I need three or four to fill me up. At El Taco I could have skipped the soup and still been stuffed with the two tacos: these things are huge! They came on two small corn tortillas and were loaded with meat, pico de gallo, lettuce and guacamole. Unfortunately they also contained black beans, which is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine. Save the beans for the burritos, please!

What I really liked about El Taco is how fresh the ingredients are. And after a quick tour of the kitchen, I could see why. They make everything from scratch using ingredients that look like they were just picked up at the market. Yum. They also make their own salsas; you can chose from four different ones at the little salsa bar. I just wish they’d get some larger cups in which to spoon the salsa.

Unfortunately, I actually found the food to be rather bland, which made me really appreciate that salsa bar. It wasn’t bad, just a bit bland. The owner told me they try to cater to all tastes and therefore allow customers to add their own salsa according to their personal tastes. Fair enough – you can always add spice, but it’s hard to add flavour, which is what seemed to be lacking.

So, what’s the final call? Not exactly the most authentic or flavourful Mexican place I have tried. But the fresh ingredients and homemade salsa bar score some bonus points. If you’re in the ‘hood this is probably your best bet for a decent quick, cheap meal, and you can wash down with a beer, margarita or sangria. Better than $1.25 pizza or Subway. Give it a go.

El Taco is located 738 Davie Street in Vancouver, BC; (604) 806-0300

We tried to order chicken soup to warm up, but unfortunately they were sold out. So we both settled for a taco platter that came with three tacos (your choice of meat), rice and beans. I should have known when the guy asked me if I wanted a soft or hard “tor-TILL-a” that there was going to be a problem…

The tacos each consisted of one small (soft) corn tortilla, topped with refried beans, meat, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream and lettuce. Not exactly authentic, but typical fare for gringo food, which we so often find in Vancouver. The chicken was actually fairly tender and had decent flavour. The beef, unfortunately, was ground, which is never my preference, and seemed a bit dry.

But it wasn’t just that the food was lacking in authenticity. I can live with that. I even enjoy that sometimes. What really killed it for me was the refried beans. They added a weird, sweet mushiness to the taco. And the accompanying rice and beans that melded into a glutonous glob on my plate didn’t do much for me either. The lack of salsas or extra toppings to accompany our meal didn’t help to redeem it – there was no option to boost the mild flavours.

I have to say there are better taco places in town — even if you prefer yours gringo-style.

I ordered four tacos for $7.00. There are about 10 choices of fillings, and I opted for one each of: pastor (pork in red sauce), carnitas (shredded pork), chorizo and pollo (chicken). The best thing about Tacos Mexico Rico is the platter of fixings that come with the meal: a red salsa, a green salsa, chopped onion and cilantro, tortilla chips and a spicy pico de gallo (chunky salsa). I ate every last bit of that pico.

The chorizo and pastor were both tender, juicy and full of flavour. The carnitas was simple but so tender – it tastes better than it looks. The pollo was probably my least favourite, as it was a bit dry. I added quite a lot of both salsas to all the tacos. It is flavourful, but I would say the spiciness has been toned down a bit for us gringos, so go ahead and slather it on. All in all, it was a tasty lunch. I will definitely be back to try other menu items, particulary as it’s probably the only authentic Mexican restaurant (and, really, one of the few Mexican places of any kind) within walking distance of my office.

Tacos Mexico Rico is located 309 W Pender Street in Vancouver, BC; (604) 688-7426

Are you ready to join me on the quest for the best taco in Vancouver?

The tacos of my dreams are simple. Two small flour or corn tortillas, topped with meat – pork, chicken or beef – onions and cilantro. Add a dollop of salsa, either roja or verde, and you have taco perfection.

Unfortunately, most Mexican restaurants in Vancouver don’t generally offer this delicious simplicity. They serve huge “tacos” – heavily ladened with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, and often served in a deep fried, hard shell. Now, there is something to be said for this version of the taco, but I miss the simple SoCal version that I know and love.

So, I have embarked upon a quest. I will find the holy taco here in Vancouver. I will search high and low until I find THE ONE. Suggestions welcome!

[photo: M@rkopako]

Ice cream, Mexi-Style

First, you need to get married so you have an ice cream maker. Then, assemble

2 pucks Ibarra chocolate
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
8 egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Dice chocolate into small pieces, then combine cream, milk and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk almost boils and the chocolate is fully incorporated. Turn down heat to low.

Whisk yolks, sugar and vanilla until light coloured and smooth, then whisk in 1/4 cup of the the warm cream mixture in a slow, steady stream. Slowly add the yolk mixture back to the saucepan, whisking to prevent it from curdling. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon – about four or five minutes. Cool thoroughly in the fridge overnight, or over an ice bath if you want to make the ice cream right away.

Pour mixture into a frozen ice cream maker bowl, start ‘er up, and when it’s thickened appropriately – about half an hour later – transfer to a freezer proof bowl and set it for a further two hours or so in the freezer.

Enjoy!