Tacolicious is Absolutely Delicious!

Do you remember I mentioned previously that I have a love for tacos?  

Well, the other day on Chestnut St. I smelled food wafting from the nearby Tacolicious. Next thing I was seated at the bar and ordered my favorite cod fish taco. I watched the cook dip the fish into a batter, deep fry it and served with a crisp cabbage slaw. I love that the portions are generous and the three kinds of sauces that come with it are fabulous and to die for.

On this particular day I had the pleasure of speaking to Mike the managing partner, and heard how the restaurant got started. I find that true stories are hard to beat and I love to hear all the details. Personally, I think it’s very interesting how some restaurants get to be successful and others just disappear... Well, in my honest opinion, Tacolicious is here to stay.

A Tomato Sandwich...

Since I was a little girl I have loved tomato sandwiches. An elderly Chinese neighbor made me my first tomato sandwich and every time I make one for myself, I see her smile

I remember her reaching for a slice of white bread with her fragile fingers and placing it on a little white plate. Then she held a butter knife, scooped mayonnaise from a small bottle and spread it on the bread until it covered the entire slice. Then two slices of tomato were carefully placed on top then one piece of manoa lettuce. A slice of avocado next then another slice of bread went on the top. Then she reached for a cleaver, aimed for the middle of the sandwich and cut down slowly.

There, now there were two triangle pieces on the plate next to a tall glass of milk. As I picked up the first half I saw the tomatoes dripping with juice and the mayonnaise oozing out so I took a bite of my first tomato sandwich.  

Simple, delicious and still my favorite...

Chef Traci des Jardin’s Arguello

I seem to eat a lot of tacos these days.  Maybe it’s because we have so many restaurants that cater wonderful, tasty, satisfying tacos. But honestly, I love them.

I’ve already visited the one on Hayes St. called Papitos and I have yet to write about Tacolicious where I get great fish tacos. And our Mission neighborhood is brimming with more places where the tacos are more rustic but none the less fulfilling and absolutely delicious.

Today after yoga a few friends of mine wanted to go to a new restaurant owned by Traci des Jardin. Arguello, located in the Presidio, is one of six restaurants she owns in S.F. We arrive there on a beautiful blue sky day.  It is quiet due to the location but the restaurant is filled to capacity. So we wait our turn and my friends order margaritas and guacamole.

When our tacos arrive, I am especially happy to see my corn tortilla brimming with carnitas and peppers. The first bite sends me to food heaven then when I gaze up I see

Traci des Jardin walking around. She stops at our table and we all start talking to her at the same time. I will revisit her restaurant again, for sure.

Students Do It All, Free Dinner at St. Cyprians

There is a Church called St.Cyprian near me that hosts free organic dinners for the community once a month. The organic vegetables are grown at USF and the students in a program work the gardens, then the food is harvested for this particular event. 

My dear friend Susan Strouse is the Pastor for the United Lutheran Church invited me to attend one evening and I was so impressed with the entire evening and I cannot thank her enough for her suggestion.

The people attending are mostly students from USF and anyone who wants to come from the community. The students do all the prep work, cook the entire meal, present the delicious food and then we all cleanup. 

Every dinner is a bouquet of beautiful organic vegetables. A real food fest! Lively music is provided by volunteer musicians and sometimes when the students chime into a song, it is just mind blowing. Everyone is smiling! It's definitely contagious. 

Of course being a senior visitor I was thrilled to be around these young, enthusiastic students. Who wouldn’t be? Takes me back to my college years. Fills my heart to be a part of an evening like this; I find myself running toward it whenever I can. 

Brussel Sprouts Anyone?

My Chinese upbringing did not include Brussels sprouts but in recent years I’ve been drawn to these stalks full of little cabbages. Because I so love the regular cabbage in every way I decided to buy some sprouts from the market. While unpacking, I realized the stalks were too long to stick into the fridge. So I decided to  break them off one by one and for some reason I started to count how many I would get. There were sixty perfectly round sprouts.

Next, I began to think of all the ways to prepare my round friends...

I started with oven roasting at high heat with  kosher salt, fresh pepper and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well then bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Next method, I moved on to just simple steaming until fork tender then finished with a sprinkle of kosher salt. I know you can sliver them for salads but I found them too chewy and moved on to cutting them into quarters then sautéing in oil until tender.

Last week I brought some sprouts to a birthday party. First I sautéd them with a little garlic, oil, and when they were golden in color, I added a little butter for flavor and a quarter cup of water. This cooked them until tender. I covered it for a few minutes then at the last minute I slivered 1/2 a red bell pepper and zucchini, then topped the entire dish with a tablespoon of soy and a little dark sesame oil to taste.

When the sprouts were devoured at the party and people asked how I prepared it, I was happy they enjoyed the sprouts and of course I shared the recipe...