I've died and gone to Sicily!

Sunday afternoon, Kate and I were deciding on our menu for the week before heading out into the wild blue grocery shopping yonder to gather ingredients. Kate suggested pizza for dinner, of course I loved the idea. If you're like me, you probably think pizza should be it's very own food group. I like all pizza; NY style, thick crust, thin crust, veggie pizza, meat lover's. It just doesn't matter what kind it is. As long as it's called pizza, I'm a fan.

Pepperoni and mushroom are my standard pizza toppings, for almost every occasion. The toppings were no different last night, but the pizza was quite different. It set a new standard for which all Sicilian pizza will be held. The dough was absolutely perfect. It was thick, close to two inches, and soft. Edges golden brown and crunchy, the way crust is meant to be. I'll try to take a picture next time to document the experience.

For those of you who have experienced Kate's culinary creations, you know how lucky I am to be spoiled regularly. I'm as thankful as you are jealous! The recipe is top secret, definitely one to request anytime you come to visit.

Something Bad about Boise

I know all of our friends from North Carolina are tired of hearing how great Boise, Idaho is, so this post should soothe those bruised egos. Yes indeed, there is something bad about Boise.

Tortillas are essentially an entire food group in my pyramid, so finding quality Mexican food was high on the list of things to do when we moved here. To complicate matters, we had a really excellent Mexican restaurant in Raleigh, NC called Dos Taquitos. It was Mexican food with an inventive Central and South American flair. The service was great, the margaritas were made with fresh-squeezed juices, and as a side dish they served my favorite vegetable, broccoli, sprinkled with Oaxacan cheese and chipotle sauce. What Mexican restaurant have you been to that serves broccoli? To be fair, perhaps We were spoiled and our expectations were unreasonable.

I had read much about the breadth of Mexican food available in Boise, due to the large community of Mexican immigrants in the area. (I must say, however, that there are not nearly the number of Mexican immigrants here as there are in Raleigh.) I tirelessly read reviews of area Mexican restaurants and we soldiered to many of them in search of our Dos Taquitos. The latest and final edition in my search was Chapala #9.

Although the Chapala restaurants have received good, even excellent reviews, I had avoided them because of the #9. Most people would think, "with nine restaurants, the food must be good," but I was suspicious. Owning one restaurant is hard enough, let alone nine? I was convinced that with so many restaurants, the food could only be mediocre and Jon was wrong I was right. In fact, I would go so far as to say the food was terrible and the service was pleasant, expedient, and annoying.

Weirdly, the waiters and staff kept calling us "amigos". Somewhere along the way in opening nine restaurants, the owners got the idea that white people love being called "amigos", which is Spanish for friends. The phrase was tacked on at the end of every single question and every reply. By the end of the meal, it was so ridiculous that it was making me laugh out loud every time I heard it.

Oh, and when I asked if they had any chopped jalapeño peppers as a condiment for my meal, they served me a whole jalapeño pepper in a cup, stem attached. Thanks, amigos! For my next act, I will chop this jalapeño pepper with my dinner knife, which is about as sharp as a spoon. Can the chef spare a cutting board?

Here is a rundown of the other area Mexican restaurants that have tried and failed.

El Gallo Giro, Kuna, ID: This place was so highly recommended that we drove 20 miles to eat there. If only I had read this review first: "The fried doughnuts are not to be missed, and there's even a can of whipped cream if you so desire. "
Cafe Ole, Boise, ID
Andrade, Boise, ID
Los Betos, Boise, ID
Casa Mexico, Boise, ID
9 Beans and a Burrito, Twin Falls, ID
La Tapatia, Boise, ID: This is the only place that was slightly above mediocre in my book.

I am so absolutely done eating Mexican food in Boise. No mas!

New Black Beans

As a strict vegetarian for 12 years and a quasi-one for the last three or four, I have long sought a solid, flavorful recipe for black beans. I finally found one in last month’s Gourmet magazine. To my surprise, my time-honored technique of overnight soaking or preboiling the beans is not necessary!

Last night, I made Kemp’s Black Beans and was introduced to the seasoning triumvirate of sherry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. I incorporated the beans into an impromptu dinner with shredded cheese, diced avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, cooked kale, and diced tomatoes tossed with cilantro. This was served on a warm flour tortilla sprinkled with a store-bought Rosa Mexicano salsa (I personally think the flavor of a roasted salsa is important to this dish) and finely chopped pine nuts. The sweet, nutty, roasted, and fresh flavors of this dish had a remarkable, but not overwhelming depth.


The good news is that the bean recipe makes more than enough for leftovers (which we will be happily eating for lunch today) as well as for other recipes later in the week. Some of Kemp's suggestions include her own Black Beans and Rice Your Way and Black Bean Soup with Sherry and Lime. Enjoy!