Canned beans are for feebs…

Use dried beans. Please. Here’s how, from Ruhlman.

Make the time for dried beans. Relax.

Frijoles rosados

Tacos al pastor en Kansas City, MO.

These were all take-out orders..

Tacos al pastor from Carniceria El Torito!

And they are only a buck on Tuesdays!

Tacos al pastor from Taqueria Mejico #2

At this place one can sit down and have a Bohemia, a much better beer than Dos Equis.  I would be happy to shill for Bohemia since I am a lot more interesting than the most interesting man in the world. I’ve read he’s really from Brooklyn and formerly a lawyer.

Here’s a painting from the wall of the Carniceria El Torito (on St Johns). Nice place, nice folks.

Pintura de chancho

This bourgeois eating stuff has to stop!

Come on.. I wish CHETTI’S COW AND CLAM was still around. Everything’s getting so hoity-toity;  por ejemplo, a craft beer joint in this burg called SEDONA. That’s the Sausalito of the desert southwest.Think New Hope, PA. Too cute for words. And alien power loci, too. Go to Roswell if you want *aliens*..

Where can a normal person get a dozen steamers  like you could at CHETTI’S these days? Yeah, the VFWs around Bawlmer have ‘em, but that’s one heck of a drive for bivalves. And no local seafood dealers want to carry steamers. And I hardly want to give John Mackey at WHOLE PAYCHECK any of my $$ if I can help it!

KC Kiełbasa

Whilst in KCMO, I found this place..
Peter May House of Keilbasa
1654 Bristol Avenue,
Kansas City, MO 64126
(816) 231-9850
Good stuff.. about 3/4″ in diameter and better than the kielbasa at European Market out on Broad..

Sorry, this is a generic photo..

a local review from Yelp:

So I was browsing through random reviews and the word “kielbasa” pops up on my screen. That’s about all you need to get my attention; for 4 whole days I had kielbasa on my mind and yesterday had to talk myself out of driving 30 miles one way just to get my hands on some smoked sausage. It’s not surprising that I’ve never heard of this place before – it’s in the middle of a neighborhood and you have to be looking for it in order to find it. The sign says “since 1929″ and inside it looks like they haven’t thrown anything away since then – toys, tchotchkes, photos, golf clubs – for the lovers of places with atmosphere it doesn’t get any more unique. Breakfast and lunch menus (see photos) list some super cheap items. I haven’t tried any since I had to run back to work, but I knew what I was there for, so I asked for kielbasa. I paid $8.25 for about 1.5 lbs. which ended up to be about 3 kielbasa-feet.I have to say this was easily the best kielbasa outside of the farmers market in my hometown of Odessa, Ukraine. It was smoky, slightly spicy, a little sweet, overall delicious, addictive kielbasa. I ate probably a third of it on the way to work.
If you are looking for a quirky place, with cheap food and awesome kielbasa, find this place and try it out.
P.S. I’ve tried Krizman’s but it was a long time ago and now I think this one is better.

It should be noted that RVA needs more Eastern Europeans and Mexicans.

Pork chop

I did this same sort of series with a Belmont Butchery steak last fall. Here’s a similar operation with a couple of boneless pork chops I got at Kroger. (Hey, I’m trying to save money, Tanya!) <snargle>

I used lemon juice and some of Stubbs' Chile-Lime Rub on these succulent boogers. That was all.

after the anointment

the grates outdoors

It's done..

These will be sliced for sandwiches to take to work during the week. I’m amazed at how many folks go out to eat every day. Must be nice (maybe).

P.S.  How do these jokers get corporate funding for their ever-so wistful food bloggerie? I sure as hell would drink the Stubbs’ Kool-ade. I’d take his free charcoal. <snargle>

More of La Milpa

Here you are. Looks quite nice.  I combined this with a trip to Taj Mahal to get some tea for my lady-wyfe in KCMO. Nearly went over to Jerusalem to see what they might have in the way of halal lamb to grill, but I went on home.

La Milpa without the cook tent.

La Milpa gets a makeover!!

I have been meaning to document this for at least a month. They’ve redone the stucco in a sky blue with embellishments. Quite handsome, I’d say. I’ll go by and take some more photos when the dining/cooking tent is down.

Note the blue finish.

Nice facade.

Whoever did this did a nice job. Reminds me of home in South Texas.

Facing Hull Street

Noth entry with corn motif

This is nicer than in a lot of the toffee nosed places downtown. Seguro que hell yes!

South entry with Quetzalcoatl motif

Flower beds

Para flores

The banner.. which says

outdoor carnitas/they are here/enjoy them!

Note the happy cartoon chanchito!

carnitas!

I got a carnita taco and is was as good as always. There were three fine salsas to go with this..

Mr Impolitic Eye needs to quit eatin’ at the hifalutin places. I nearly took a photo of the tripitas (chitlins), but I left my camera in the truck when I sat down to eat my taco.

Chorizo con cebollas!

Chorizo and onions..

Oregon in February: Tacos y NWPA

I was out that way, attending the annual SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER FESTIVAL in Boring, Oregon last weekend. Not much happened there, but I did have the best tacos al pastor that I have ever had at the El Jaliscense taco truck near the Boring Fire Station.

I had the best tacos al pastor here...

Tacos tend to be no more than $1.50 out there. I find it difficult to pay the Richmond going rate for tacos of $2.50. They guys who charge this must be freakin’ chilangos. “y TAKOS! No me dijé..“

I also brought carne adobado tacos to my mother-in-law’s so we’d have a quick lunch. These were from a neighborhood taqueria called TACOS DEL SUR.
They were great, with radishes and 5 types of salsa available.

I like to get lunch for three people for under ten bucks!!

I went by the neon salmon, but bought nothing. I was going to make some clam chowder, but decided not to.

Hail the neon salmon!

And Deschutes Brewery has a great new Pale Ale. NWPA Red Chair. But oh, this is wonderful stuff.

Some of the best beer I have ever tasted in my life!

A bargain for olive oil..

We finally finished our 93 oz. jug of Nablus olive oil. It was only $19.98 and lasted well over a year. That’s under 22 cents an ounce.

Nablus olive oil

We got this at Jerusalem Halal Market at Hull & Turner. They have good lamb there, too.

NewYears Day/Blackeyed Peas

I found some fresh blackeyed peas and I’m simmering them in white wine with thyme, oregano,  savory, a scrap or two of pancetta, and some chile caribe from New Mexico.

Blackeyed peas for New Years Day

I wonder if I should cook rice or cornbread? (I did rice. Easier.)

(Note: a New Years Day ER meet up would be interesting.  Karen can come, too.)