Eating Loco Moco in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget

Eating Loco Moco in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

Loco Moco, a Hawaiian dish, is my first choice on the Alvarado Street Brewery’s menu for breakfast or lunch with my family in Monterey, California. 

This California Brew Pub’s version of Loco Moco features a well-done Harris Ranch beef patty on top of a mound of bacon-fried rice. Shredded cabbage, grated ginger, and a fried egg sit on top of the beef patty. Bacon gravy covers everything. I like my fried egg over easy so that every bite of loco moco is unctuous and makes me forget about the calories. 

Loco Moco is a go-to dish in California as well as Hawaii, because California grows rice in the area around Sacramento north of Monterey. 

The Alvarado Street Brewery also makes excellent beer-battered, Pacific Cod Fish and Chips, pub-made pretzels, and pizzas in addition to brewing several kinds of beer, especially IPAs (India Pale Ales). 

The best thing about the Alvarado Street Brewery in addition to food is that it is a warm, welcoming place with music, regulars, and an outdoor beer garden. 

 By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Fish Tacos in Seaside, California by Ruth Paget

Fish Tacos in Seaside, California by Ruth Paget 

Tourists seeking local flavor at Googie’s Restaurant in Seaside, California (close to Monterey) might want to try the fish tacos. The Pacific cod used in the fish tacos can be broiled or deep-fried. I like crunchy extra calories, so I always get deep-fried fish tacos. 

The fish tacos come three to a plate with soft, corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo salsa, and fresh lime slices for squeezing. The pico de gallo salsa, pronounced “ga-yo,” is made with chopped tomato, onion, Serrano peppers, salt, lime juice, and cilantro. Its perky flavor ties the deep-fried Pacific cod and cabbage together with the savory flavor of the warm corn tortillas. 

Googie’s also serves traditional English fish and chips complete with vinegar in a bottle on the side. 

The restaurant’s location by the ocean and the Embassy Suites Hotel and Holiday Inn Express make it a great location for breakfast before touring downtown Monterey or shopping in Seaside. (Googie’s is in the Seaside Auto Mall for starters.) 

For Salinas diners, Super Pollo by Star Market also does great fish tacos with a creamy sauce.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Vegetable Vindaloo in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget

Vegetable Vindaloo in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

Vegan visitors to Monterey, California might want to try the vegetable vindaloo at the Ambrosia India Bistro located in downtown Monterey by the historic Casa Munras Hotel and on Cannery Row. 

Vegetable Vindaloo is a dish from the southern Indian city of Goa, a former Portuguese colony. The website www.epicurious.com gives a recipe for pork vindaloo that covers the sauce or curry ingredients. I have left out the pork and list the spices below: 

The spices make the vindaloo curry hot, pungent, and delicious. Epicurious.com lists the following spices that go into a good vindaloo: 

-Kashmiri chiles which can be replaced by guajillo chiles 

-garlic 

-ginger 

-cinnamon stick 

-vinegar 

-sugar 

-tamarind paste 

-peppercorns 

-cumin seeds 

-turmeric 

-cloves 

 -salt  

The seasonal vegetables for a vegetable vindaloo are stir-fried in an Indian wok called a kadai. Ambrosia tends to always use potatoes, cauliflower, sweet red peppers, green beans, and onions in its vegetable vindaloo with additions from the 200+ crops grown in the Salinas Valley just east of Monterey. 

The spicy vindaloo curry tastes great with basmati rice. I order naan bread as well to soak up every last bit of the vindaloo. I like to think that the vegetables used in Ambrosia India Bistro’s vegan dishes are all organic and come from the Salinas Valley just east of Monterey. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Peruvian Cuisine Introduction by Ruth Paget

Peruvian Cuisine Introduction by Ruth Paget 

Peruvian food is not similar to Mexican food I learned as I read Everything Peruvian Cookbook: 300 Recipes for Fresh, Flavorful, and Exotic Dishes by Morena Cuadra and Morena Escardo. 

The difference in diet comes from the influence of more cultures being assimilated into Peru’s national culture than in Mexico. Cuadra and Escardo discuss the culinary contributions of Peru’s multicultural society as follows: 

*The Incan Diet of Ancient Peru 

 -The Incans ate a mostly vegan diet with eggs and dairy being taboo except for the ill -meat was eaten at celebration and religious rites 

-fish and seafood were good to eat and raw fish became what is known today as cebiche 

-On a daily basis, the Incans ate many carbohydrates such as potatoes, corn, quinoa, and kiwicha (amaranth) 

*Spanish Influence 

-The Spanish brought European food products to Peru that are now integral to Peru’s national cuisine such as rice, wheat, sugar cane, bananas, figs, dates, grapes, cilantro, garlic, onions, cows, goats, lambs, and pigs. -The Spanish had local farmers produce these items to save money and encouraged the eating of eggs and cheese called queso fresco, a type of Parmesan 

-Grapes went into the production of Peru’s national alcohol called pisco. 

-The Peruvians use onions and garlic along with native ají (chile peppers) to produce their base cooking sauce called aderezo. 

*The Arab Influence 

-The Spanish in Peru had recently freed themselves of Arab domination. However, some Spanish men brought Arab wives and servants with them to Peru who were considered very good cooks. 

-Empanadas, a small crescent-shaped pie stuffed with meat and/or vegetables is credited to the Arabs. 

-Very sweet desserts are also credited to the Arabs such as rice pudding and candied lime. 

*African Influence 

-Peru Imported slaves to replace Incans who had died. 

-Africans according to the authors used variety meats such as the heart and intestines to help economize. Many street stalls today sell items such as these. 

*Chinatown 

-When slaves were freed, Peru hired Chinese laborers to take their place as had been done in Cuba. -When the Chinese obtained money, they set up stores and street stalls that sold rice dishes. 

-The main Chinese contributions to Peruvian cuisine are ginger, scallions, and soy sauce. 

*The Italian Influence 

-At the end of the 19th century, Italians from Liguria came to Peru. The authors state that everyone in Peru now eats lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, gelato, and panettone. 

-Salsa verde is Peruvian pesto. 

-Queso fresco, a white cheese, is Peru’s version of Parmesan. 

*Japanese Influence -Japanese farmworkers replaced Chinese farmworkers. -The Japanese brought their superb knife skills for sushi and applied them to cebiche, Peru’s raw fish dish cured with lime juice. 

After that informative introduction, I did read the 300 recipes, but thought trying Peruvian sauces is the best introduction to learn the flavor of the food when cooking at home. I chose the following sauces, because I thought they would go well with pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, sandwiches, some soups, or cooked fish: 

-salsa criolla made with onion, ají Amarillo (yellow peppers), lime juice, salt and pepper, olive oil, and cilantro. There is also a recipe for this with radishes. 

-scallion salsa criolla made with red onion, scallions, ají Amarillo, limes, olive oil, and chopped cilantro  

-black olive mayonnaise made with black olives, garlic, mayonnaise, roasted red bell peppers, and salt and pepper 

-avocado cream made with avocados, lime juice, scallions, ají amarillo, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and cilantro leaves 

-salsa verde made with vegetable oil, onion, garlic cloves, spinach, basil leaves, evaporated milk, queso fresco 

-scallion and egg dip made with vegetable oil, ají amarillo, sliced scallions, eggs, and salt and pepper  

-papa a la Huancaina made with ají amarillo, oil, evaporated milk, soda crackers, queso fresco, Bibb lettuce, potatoes, black olives, eggs, and parsley 

Cooks interested in trying a new cuisine might enjoy Everything Peruvian Cookbook by Morena Cuadra and Morena Escardo with its 300 recipes. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Bagels for Lunch by Ruth Paget

Bagels for Lunch by Ruth Paget 

Delivery has made it possible to avoid the lunch crunch lines I experienced as a young woman when I would wait in lines for sandwiches or cheeseburgers in Paris and Chicago. 

I was in line a few times when people would say at the counter, “I am still deciding” or “What comes on the cheeseburger?” These questions are innocent in and of themselves, but when asked during one-hour or half-hour lunch breaks now, they can create a tense atmosphere. 

I like how Bagel Bakery has reduced lunch line tension by using delivery and reserved take-out tables to reduce the number of people in line. Many people love toasty bagels, but it takes time to toast them correctly.  If you order ahead, you can avoid line rage. 

Some bagels I like from Bagel Bakery can be a little fragrant, making me want to eat them at home like the lox and cream cheese bagel. Lox is cured in salt water and smells briny like the ocean and tastes great. 

I also like authentic West Coast jalapeño-cheddar bagels with creams cheese with hot coffee and cream or a cold Starbucks mocha coffee, which Bagel Bakery sells. 

An office team ordering several bagels at once makes the delivery charge more palatable and gets everyone fed at once. 

A huge added plus is that delivery creates gig jobs that are taxed in California at least. Capturing money from the informal economy adds up and helps drivers pay bills with additional income. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Denver Omelets in Monterey County California by Ruth Paget

Denver Omelets in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

There are not as many Greek diners in Monterey County California where I live now, so I eat what I call Denver omelets at Denny’s. 

My local Denny’s calls their Denver omelets Mile High Omelets. (Denver is called the Mile High City, because it sits about one mile above sea level.) The staff and customers at my local are multicultural and like no-surprises American food just like I do to vary their diet. 

I like the take out and delivery options. Sometimes I just want to eat a Denver omelet while wearing sweatpants as I write, so I do use delivery, which always arrives with warm food. 

The Mile High Omelet at Denny’s, also known as a Denver or Western omelet, is made for people working in thin air at high altitudes. Diners at sea level like I am in Monterey County California know they might get a second meal out of their breakfast order. 

I am usually pretty hungry when I order a Mile High Omelet, which is made with three eggs and filled with ham, sautéed green peppers and onions, and melted Swiss cheese. The traditional side dishes that go with it include bacon, hash browns, and pancakes or toast. I put hot sauce like Cholula or Tabasco on the hash browns for added Vitamin C and sometimes order jalapeño peppers to go with the omelets. 

Denny’s offers a choice between toast and pancakes as a side. Between toast and calcium-rich buttermilk pancakes, I opt for the pancakes. I do not eat Denver omelets everyday, so I consider the pancakes a once-in-awhile dessert. I also tend to make the pancakes a second meal. 

Denny’s makes very good Cobb salads as well, if the Mile High Omelet might be too much to eat for you. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Guerrero (Mexico) Fare by Ruth Paget

Guerrero (Mexico) Fare by Ruth Paget 

Author Rachel Glueck offers an insider’s view of the Mexican state of Guerrero in her cookbook The Native Mexican Kitchen: A Journey into Cuisine, Culture and Mezcal. Glueck is married to an indigenous Mexican, who leads an Aztec dance troupe and runs a restaurant that serves Mezcal often made by members of his family. 

Guerrero is most famous for its resort city of Acapulco on the Pacific Coast of Mexico that heads south towards Central America. In Glueck’s introductory remarks, she notes that there are 65 indigenous groups in Mexico, that corn is revered for providing sustenance, and that the indigenous milpa cropping system grows beans, squash, chiles, and/or tomatoes together with corn. The milpa crops are all native to Mexico.  

The rest of Guerrero’s cuisine reflects the fusion of Spanish and indigenous foods. Pork and cheese, for instance, are of Spanish origin. The indigenous and Spanish ingredients come together in a dish of Oaxacan origin (Oaxaca is Guerrero’s neighboring state to the south) called a tlayuda, which people in Guerrero also eat. 

The tlayuda resembles a large, crunch tostada, but features asientos de puerco as a spread. Asientos de puerco is the settled fat from frying lard with remaining crunchy bits. I might substitute a salsa verde (green sauce made from Mexican green tomatoes) in place of asiento de puerco as a spread. On top of the tlayuda spread, cooks place refried beans, a shredded meat, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, and salsa. The tlayuda is a filling dish made of simple ingredients that is enhanced with great salsas. 

Marge Poore, who wrote 1,000 Mexican Recipes, says that salsas are the distinguishing feature of Mexican cuisine. Glueck provides recipes for indigenous sauces that probably show up in Acapulco since they go well with fish or pork. Glueck’s sauce recipes are easy to follow and usually follow the pattern of sautéing vegetables, blending the cooked vegetables, putting the vegetables back in a pan to warm them, and stirring in the final ingredients like chunks of mango or pineapple. 

Glueck’s commentary on life in Guerrero often makes you overlook her recipes, but they are excellent and give an introduction to what indigenous food in Mexico is like.  

The following recipes might interest first-time cooks trying Mexican food: 

-peanut salsa made with peanuts, chiles, onions, tomatoes, and garlic cloves 

-salsa de piña made with pineapples for fish and pork 

-salsa de mango made with mangos and a favorite for fish or pork in Acapulco 

-tortilla soup made with chiles, garlic, onion, tomatoes, water or chicken stock, cream, cotija cheese, and avocado with garnishes like cabbage, avocado slices, and tortilla chips 

-pozole rojo soup from Jalisco (a state north of Guerrero) made with chicken breasts or pork leg, white hominy, corn, tomatillos, and chiles 

-esquites – Mexican street corn served with cream, cheese, chile powder, and lime 

-carnitas – Mexican pork belly braised with orange juice. 

 -liver and onions tacos 

The Native American Kitchen by Rachel Glueck has well-written recipes and is a good introduction for cooks who would like to make their first forays into Mexican indigenous cooking. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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