Fajita Fiesta

Ahhhh, fajitas. I know that it's overly dramatic to say that I live or die by fajitas, but some days it certainly feels true. If everyone has that one sure-fire staple, the food you can eat day in and day out, then staple me with fajitas baby. They are just so.....delicious....and cheap.....and easy (an excellent combination in many situations)....and delicious....and surprisingly healthy. At least, that's what I tell my stomach. I'm mostly a veggie girl myself: throw in some diced bell peppers, squash, onions, and you have yourself a bonafide vegetarian dinner. But as with all good things, the gloriousness of fajitas comes in the mix-n-match. This picture, for example, is a result of an evening of meat sharing (another wonderful activity) between myself and the roomie. Our ingredients combined and wahla! a delicious fried chicken fajita feast. I also have been known to enjoy carrots, potatoes and even green beans in my fajitas, although the bells are pretty much a requirement. Let's see....what else do you need? Oh yes, Masa is definitely the way to go here people. It may seem scary, but the whole making-fresh-tortillas thing actually is mostly painless. You buy the Masa flour from Safeway (or the like) and mix it with water and some salt. Once it is a dough that is not sticking to your fingers, flatten it out on a piece of plastic wrap and throw it into the frying pan. Presto! (I'm digging the magician theme today...). Cheese and avocado top me off, but I recommend sprinkling all sorts of things on top of that puppy. Fajitas are the neverending gift! The best part is, the tortillas last in the fridge for like a week. And any God-Fearing American knows all the wonderful things that can result from a tortilla!




And yes.....that's a Mexican magician.

Panqueques

I've been encouraged to expand my food posts to those articles which can be prepared and consumed by the humble student with little money and no time to trek across the city for delicious food. So here I am, ready to share my most secret and delicious of personal grad-school recipes with you. I'll start off with a glorious Ecuadorian delicacy, a recipe I learned while living with a family in Bahia de Caraquez, a coastal city. These are panqueques, quite literally "pancakes." In contrast to the U.S. style, Ecuadorian panqueques are savory and can be eaten at any time of day. They are also perfect for fulfilling cravings for fried foods, and they can be transported, reheated and many other useful verbs that make them, overall, quite a wonderful thing. You make them just like regular pancakes: flour, sugar, salt, egg, dash of oil, a bit of milk, and water to texture. If you're feeling especially lazy or out of ingredients, you can actually just use boxed pancake mix. There's no shame. Then you add the cheese. In Ecuador, they have a special Farmer's cheese that is super salty and comes in little chunks sold in bags. While there are many queso granjeros through which to sort at my neighborhood groceria, I have found that often the easiest and safest cheese route is through the land of feta. Any kind will do. I've been buying the cheap "domestic feta" at about $6 a pound. So then you crumble in the cheese, oh delicious cheese. Throw some vegetable oil in the pan and commence frying! The rest should be easy. I recommend a dash of salt on top, although the possibilities really are endless. Speaking of which....I left a couple of panqueques in the pan and I'm thinking of heading back into the kitchen. Or as the Rangers would say (no..don't boo! not those Rangers!), "leave no man behind." And....break.

Mission Mania #5 - Kiji (22nd and Guerrero)

Coming in at sweet number five is this most delicious of delicates located on the lone island block of 22nd and Guerrero next to a few other mildly interesting restaurants (and the NOT interesting Tuba) and a couple of bars. Lord knows, I love me some sushi. In fact, it might be my most favorite of food genres. And Kiji exemplifies all of the flavor-based reasons one might idolize this type of cuisine. We are talking the freshest of fish with unique combinations and constantly evolving daily specials. But, I might have a sweet spot for this beauty since Kiji introduced me to the glories of the living sea butter, otherwise known as sea urchin. Ah uni, you are like the secret to transcendence and peace on earth all at once. And for an extra buck or too, you can get belly pieces of your favorite fishes, a choice I highly recommend. The salmon belly will melt in your mouth in ways that almost seem R-rated. They also offer unique creations that will delight and inspire. For 5$ you can get a melt-in-your-mouth shot that includes an oyster, uni, raw quail egg and salmon roe, a decision that will satisfy many of your rawness cravings at quite a reasonable price. True to San Francisco form, the restaurant is a little pricey (it's okay - when dealing with raw - quality is worth the price), so expect to spend about $25 per person. Also, you must be prepared to deal with some mild electro music and ridiculous mood lighting. It's almost as if Virgin's red-headed twin has expanded its tentacles into the most tasty of professions and you're stuck dealing with the music as compensation for the empty seat next to you.

Final judgment: "Oh, it's so worth it. Suck down the bounty of the sea - with fresh options of abalone and geoduck, along with toro, uni and sake favorites, you are guaranteed a graciously delicious dinner of the Pacific Ocean's finest."