Archive for ‘2009’

Morton's The Steakhouse llega a su casa (Part Two)


Por: Only in San Juan

Hace unas semanas les escribí sobre la oportunidad que nos brinda el restaurante Morton’s de llevar su exquisita experiencia a la comodidad de nuestro hogar. Primero adquiriendo las carnes y otros productos a través de su catalogo o por Internet. Ahora vamos a comentar sobre cómo podemos preparar esas carnes y otros platos exclusivos de Morton’s con las recetas que han hecho famoso a este reconocido restaurante por más de 30 años.


El ambiente de Morton’s se reconoce por sus muebles oscuros de madera, la pared llena de vinos y fotos de los famosos que visitan a diario estos restaurantes alrededor del mundo y, en Puerto Rico por su famosa barra con una preciosa vista al mar. Aunque todo esto no lo podamos recrear en nuestras casas, si podemos preparar una de sus famosas recetas con su nuevo libro de cocina “Morton’s The Cookbook: 100 Steakhouse Recipes for Every Kitchen.


El autor es Klaus Fritsch, co fundador de los restaurantes y Tylor Field vicepresidente de Wine & Spirits de Morton’s. Morton’s The Cookbook” ofrece más de 100 recetas de cócteles, carnes y otros platos principales así como aperitivos, sopas y ensalada y por supuesto los postres que tanto nos gustan. Por si quieres que quede exactamente como se sirve, cada receta se ilustra con una foto a color.


Este libro se enfoca en presentar no solo la receta del plato sino los vinos o bebida que mejor acompañaría al mismo.

Además, como tantos famosos han hecho de Morton’ su “spot” para ser vistos, se comenta sobre los platos favoritos de estos así como anécdotas de esos “celebrities”.

Ya sabes que con el libro de cocina “Morton's The Cookbook: 100 Steakhouse Recipes for Every Kitchen” convertirá su cocina en una sucursal de Morton’s que estoy segura será del gusto de sus amigos y familia. El libro, que puede ser un excelente regalo de Navidad, tiene un costo de $32.50 para adquirir uno llame o visite Morton’s The Steakhouse al Caribe Hilton Hotel or call (787) 977-6262.


Para que vayan practicando les copio una receta de un cóctel, aperitivo, plato principal y por supuesto no puede faltar el postre. !Que rico!


Guava Caipirissima

This rum drink is bright and fruity. Once they discover it, our guests love it. Serves 1

Put the lime wedges, guava, and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker and with the back of a long-handled spoon or a cocktail muddler, press on the fruit and muddle so that the lime wedges and guava are softened.

Add 1 cup of ice cubes and both rums. Shake vigorously and pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Do not strain.

Note: We use Cruzan Estate Diamond rum, which is a relatively light rum.


Warm Blue-Cheese Dip

Donna Rundle, our manager of restaurant services, donated this recipe for the book. It plays on two of the flavors we love at Morton’s: blue cheese and smoked bacon. Once you try it, you’ll be addicted. Everyone we know is mad for it, and it’s as amazing with raw vegetables or crackers as with good French bread. Donna says she got the idea for the dip when, on the way to a family reunion in Kansas, she passed through Newton, Iowa, where Maytag blue cheese is produced. She bought a big wheel of cheese and then set about coming up with any number of ways to serve it. This was one of her favorites. Serves 8 to 10

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or until nearly crisp. Drain the bacon and wipe the skillet dry.

Return the bacon to the pan, add the garlic, and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes longer or until the bacon is crisp. Take care the garlic does not burn. Drain on paper towels.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream and beat well to mix. Fold in the bacon, garlic, blue cheese, and chives.

Transfer to a 2-cup baking dish, top evenly with the almonds, and bake for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with crackers, baguette slices, or vegetables.

Wine recommendation

Cabernets from Chile tend to have a great vegetal character and strong tannins. They can be drunk young and taste great with this dip. Concha y Toro and Casa Lapostolle Apalta Vineyard are reliable producers.


Steak Florentine

These tasty steaks are served on a bed of spinach, which earns them their name. Both round and butt steaks are full of flavor, and they are so well appreciated all across America that we think of them as “American cuts.” They are chewier than sirloin or tenderloin but full of great beef flavor. If you can find prime beef, buy it, but choice will do just fine here. Serves 2

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and when hot, add the shallots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, or until the spinach just wilts. Do not let it get too limp. Remove the pan from the heat, cover to keep warm, and set aside.

In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon butter over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until it begins to brown. Set aside.

Lightly sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.

In another large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and when very hot, sear the steaks for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to a roasting pan and roast for 3 to 4 minutes or until barely medium-rare.

Remove the steaks from the oven and turn on the broiler.

Drain the liquid from the spinach and spread the spinach in a broiler pan. Set the steaks on top of the spinach and then top each steak with the garlic and butter. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese over each steak and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese melts and is lightly browned. Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Divide between 2 plates.

Wine recommendation:

Pinotage wine from New Zealand has medium body with low tannin and high acidity, making it a good match for both the mildly bitter spinach and the Parmesan cheese. Try Te Awa Winery’s Pinotage from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Rosso di Montalcino is the little brother to Brunello di Montalcino and will complement this dish nicely. It is a fruity, low-tannin wine that balances the bitter spinach but does not overpower the lean meat. We recommend Banfi Rosso di Montalcino from Tuscany.


Double Chocolate Mousse

You might wonder what took us so long, but we only recently added chocolate mousse to our menu. Since then, restaurant guests have gone wild for it. We use Belgian bittersweet chocolate, which is of very high quality, but any good dark chocolate will do. If you are concerned about the uncooked egg whites called for here, use pasteurized egg whites, which are sold in cartons in supermarkets. This is rich and smooth and chocolaty. Serves 8

In a saucepan, bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil over medium-high heat.

Put the chocolate and cocoa in a heat-proof glass bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Let the mixture stand for about 1 minute and then whisk until blended. Be sure to break up any clumps of the cocoa. Set aside at room temperature for about 45 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep the mixture smooth. The chocolate needs to cool to 80°F.

In a chilled, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed for 10 to 20 seconds or until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat for about 1 minute longer or until soft peaks form.

Sprinkle the sugar over the whites and continue to beat for 1 to 2 minutes longer or until the peaks are stiff but not dry. At this point, the mixer will make a “wop, wop, wop” sound.

Fold the whites into the cooled chocolate (make sure it’s no warmer than 80°F before adding the whites).

Pour the remaining heavy cream into the bowl of the mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate. Do not worry if a few flecks of whites remain in the chocolate.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve the mousse spooned on dessert plates or in bowls. Top each serving with a little whipped cream. At Morton’s we pipe the mousse into serving dishes using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.



Top Chef Winner: Michael Voltaggio


(From BravoTV.com)

Burning Questions
Michael Voltaggio: Top Chef
Michael Voltaggio explains why his win is kind of bittersweet, and reveals what's next for him.

Bravotv.com: You had time off and you came back — what were your assumptions about what any of the twists might be in the finale based on what's happened in previous seasons, or how did you prepare for the finale while you were at home?
Obviously once we found out where the finale was I did research on Napa Valley. And then my preparation for the finale was to change my strategy a little bit, in a sense that I wasn't going to "dumb down" my food, but make it a little more simple, and let the ingredients speak for themselves based on the region of the cuisine we were doing. As far as twists, obviously you always expect to see former contestants in some capacity.

Bravotv.com: Usually maybe another course, did you think that would happen?
Yeah I was definitely expecting another course. I made sure that I brought extra ingredients that I could tie into an extra course no matter what, so I wouldn't have too much thought into making an extra course at the last moment, almost have an idea of what I would want to do, and then use whatever we were given to put everything together.

Bravotv.com: What was going through your mind when you saw what the ingredients were in the mystery box?
None of this stuff goes together!

Bravotv.com: So what did you do to make it work?
I think first you had to look at the quality of the ingredients — some of it was OK, some of it wasn't so great. So my idea first and foremost take the stuff that wasn't good and try and make it taste better. I really just concentrated on flavor, because the ingredients, if they don't go together, obviously you need to make them mesh, so come up with an overall theme for the whole dish, then make all the ingredients work with that theme.

Bravotv.com: Did Padma's pregnancy affect your menu at all?
I think all of us, out of respect for Padma, we weren't going to serve raw fish. We asked her if her pregnancy meant no raw seafood. She then said to us, "I'll taste it, I'll judge it, but I would appreciate it if you guys didn't."

Bravotv.com: What was your immediate reaction when your mom came to the door of the hotel room?
I can't remember what we were expecting; I think we thought Tom or Padma was coming to the door. We can always tell when something's about to happen. So we were waiting for that twist, and then when saw it was just our parents, we were happy and surprised.

Bravotv.com: You had to draw knives for your sous-chefs. If you could have chosen sous-chefs, who would you have wanted?
Mike Isabella and Eli.

Bravotv.com: And what was your reaction when you selected sous-chefs?
Well I got Eli, so I was happy, because Eli was like my little son on the show. He has a very similar style of food. He likes the kind of food that I cook, so it'd be easy to dial him into my whole situation. And as far as Jessi's concerned, I was actually excited to be able to work with her.

Bravotv.com: What was the inspiration for each dish?
The inspiration was to just cook simple. Not overdo or overanalyze everything, and just put tasty food out. If you look back at the season and what people were most successful with, at the end of the day it wasn't the tricks and the presentation and all the things I did; it came down to flavor and in some cases it came down to salt, so I just made sure the food was seasoned properly, cooked properly, and tasted good.

Bravotv.com: When you saw who was going to judge, and these are all people who have money to invest in restaurants, and you want to open your restaurant at some point, what was your reaction?
I was like, "Shit." The first person I saw at the table was Sam, and Sam actually owned the last restaurant where I worked. That made me a little bit nervous. Sam's a great guy. I didn't think he had any ill will towards me but at the same time you have some of the most successful restaurateurs sitting at one table, and they pick chefs based on meals like that, so I think we were all nervous.

Bravotv.com: How do you think you sous-chefs worked out?
I think my sous-chefs worked out great. Jesse was my prep horse the night before, so she got all the little stuff done that I needed to get done. Eli was there to make sure I crossed my Ts and dotted my Is. He helped me finish my sentences and get my food on the plate.

Bravotv.com: Do you blame Eli at all for the cake, or was that your fault?
The cake was totally my fault. I stuck it in the oven, and obviously nerves got the best of me, and I just totally forgot about it.

Bravotv.com: What was your immediate reaction to Padma announcing you won? You probably had the most stoic reaction of any winner we've ever had.
Well, I was standing there knowing that my brother won. I was standing there thinking, "Bryan won, Bryan won." So I was ready to turn and hug Bryan and say, "Hey man congratulations, you deserve it." And then when she said my name, emotions just took over. I was like, REALLY? I was shocked. I was in shock. I had no control of anything. I wasn't standing there thinking, "Oh I have this one in the bag," like I have in the past. Honestly if Bryan had won, I wouldn't have said, 'Well I don't think he should have won; my food was better." Because honestly, at that moment, I thought Bryan had put up a better showing than I did.

Bravotv.com: Kevin even says he thinks Bryan won. Did that change your mind at all?
I mean I think even Bryan thought Bryan won! We all thought Bryan won. When it came down to the critiques, it really came down to the seasoning. It just shows how important it is to make sure you don't forget seasoning — you don't forget to put salt on your food. I think a lot of times that separates a good restaurant from a great restaurant. You think well this food tastes a little better, and sometimes it's just salt.

Bravotv.com: Well you cried, and you weren't very emotional this season — are you a big crier?
No I never do. I never do. I think it was everything added up. I think my mind, my body knew how to react to the whole situation and I think my head exploded at that moment. But I mean honestly, we had been standing in that spot for hours, so my legs were sort of hurting. I'm like, "Aw I get to relax now."

Bravotv.com: What are you going to do with the prize money?
The first thing I'm going to do is open accounts for my daughters so that they have money, but money they can't touch until they're 18. Bryan and I have great parents, but we are sort of self-made. We went after our own careers, Bryan put himself through college, and I didn't go to college. I want my daughters to have some piece of this, something to start with. And the rest of it? I don't know. I'm a car guy. I'll probably get myself another new car. But it's $125,000 dollars to help jumpstart your career, so obviously that money is going to go towards that as well. I'll invest it in myself, in the sense that I want to grow a brand.

Bravotv.com: Did you feel as the younger brother that you had something to prove when competing against Bryan?
I don't think I had something to prove. Honestly, when it came down to that moment, I didn't want to win. I didn't want either one of us — I was hoping they'd say, "You both won! Congratulations it's the first time in Top Chef history!" Because you can't celebrate when you know your bother is standing next to you, and he doesn't have the same thing to celebrate about. I worked for a chef one time and he went to take the Certified Master Chef test, and it's one of the hardest tests you can take. There were ten people in his class, and he was the only one who passed. At the end of the whole grueling process he didn't have anybody to celebrate with, because no one else had passed. So it just kind of sucked, at that moment.



Morton’s The Steakhouse llega a su Casa (Part One)



Por: only in san juan

(San Juan, PR)

Muchas veces salimos a cenar a un restaurante y si nos encanta lo que ordenamos, pensamos que sería de lo más “nice” poder tener la oportunidad de prepararlo en casa. Pues bien, el restaurante Morton’s The Steakhouse nos da esa oportunidad de dos formas. Primero con la llegada de su catalogo y página de Internet “Morton’s The Steakhouse At Home”( www.mortons.allenbrothers.com) que ofrece los famosos cortes de carnes y mariscos de Morton’s a través de su reconocido suplidor Allen Brothers. Sí, porque si no lo sabia, todos los restaurantes de Morton’s a través del mundo sirven la misma calidad de productos ya que todos reciben los mismos directamente del mismo suplidor. Así, cuando viaje y visite otro Morton’s, encontrará la misma calidad y sabor al que está acostumbrado. (Aunque para darles un chismecito, cuentan que importantes “celebrities” de Hollywood que han llegado a Puerto Rico y de repente se pasean por Morton’s del Caribe Hilton, siempre salen diciendo que es donde mejor sabe la comida…quién sabe si el sabor boricua se impone en esa parrilla).


En este catalogo los amantes y conocedores de las carnes podrán ahora disfrutar de la calidad de los cortes de carne de Morton’s en la comodidad de su hogar. Puedes escoger entre una selección de los jugosos New York Strip Steaks, grandes porterhouses de 24 onzas, cortes gruesos de ribeye steaks, Morton’s filets, domestic lamb chops, rabos de langosta West Australian y los famosos colossal shrimp, (que tanto hacen que sus fanáticos se chupen hasta los dedos). Estos serán exquisitos para una cena en su casa, enviarlo como agradecimiento a alguien especial o como un excelente regalo para las fiestas navideñas. Además a través de esta página cibernética, catalogo o el número libre de cargos puede conseguir otros productos de Morton’s como lo son sets de cuchillos, especias para sazonar las carnes y los libros de recetas de Morton’s The Steakhouse. Para solicitar un catalogo puede llamar a través del 1-800-260-0111 u ordene a través de la página www.mortons.allenbrothers.com.


Prime Rib-Eye *drool*



El libro de recetas Morton’s The Cookbook es el complemento perfecto para ese pedido que lleve a cabo por catalogo pues nos trae recetas famosas de este restaurante y las que puede recrear en la comodidad de su hogar para sorprender a su familia y amigos. La semana que viene les escribiré más sobre el libro y por supuesto compartiré con ustedes algunas de las recetas, no solo para comer si no también para preparar uno que otro coctelito….Uy, uy, uy, que rico!



No-Bake Pecan Pie

For the bunch of us who love Pecan Pie this Fall but don't have an oven, I've found a No-Bake Pecan Pie recipe, I don't know if it's the best one. If someone has a better idea, do comment!

Source: Notecook.com

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie (No Bake)

published by Jo Oliver on Sep 12, 2008

This pie is an easy no bake alternative to the traditional chocolate pie. Plus, it is kicked up with the caramel and nuts. The texture is fudge-like.

Ingredients

  • 25 of the little caramels that are in the plastic wrappers
  • 2 Tbsp of whole milk
  • 1 cup of pecans
  • 1 (6 oz) pie crust
  • 1 package of semi sweet baking chocolate
  • 1 carton of Cool whip

Method

  1. Unwrap caramels and place in microwaveable bowl with milk. Heat 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
  2. Remove from microwave and stir in pecans.
  3. Pour mixture into pie crust and spread smooth.
  4. Place chocolate in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 ½ – 2 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Remove from microwave and whisk in the cool whip until color changes to light brown.
  6. Spread contents over caramel mixture and smooth any lumps.
  7. Refrigerate for 2 hrs.



NYC in a bite and a sip

On the last week of August I had the great opportunity to take my vacations (after almost 5 years of working and studying non-stop) in NYC. It was nearly impossible as a foodjunkie not to go insane with the gastronomical universe in this city and its boroughs, and with not that much cash, sadly I couldn't go to all the places I wanted. Following is a small summary of what I achieved and discovered while I explored the city in a week. Most of them have links!


The Hideout (266 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY )
This speakeasy-type small bar is completely hidden from plain view, no signs or lights on the entrance. It's a very cozy lounge though a bit dark for my taste. Your bartender is your "mixologist" for the evening and the complex drinks from the menu will run you between $14-$16, but they're very much worth the money. The fusion of flavors and other ingredients will speak for themselves. Try the "Poisoned Rose"


Pop Burger (58 9th Ave. )
At first I had a hard time finding the place, because it's just a picture of a burger on the door. It's a small place apparently big on take-out. Their specialty is hot dogs and burgers mostly and the
main attraction is the POP burgers, which are two small burgers in a white box, made constantly on they're huge grills and served in less than a minute. A little expensive for the size ($6.75 plus fries and drink) but hey... it's Chelsea.

Chelsea Market (Meat Packing District)
Once the Nabisco factory (where the Oreo was invented!) is now an indoor food court housing many fresh food markets, bakeries, cafes and... The Food Network!

Room Service (35 E 21st St)
This was my first time trying Thai food and I have to say NY is big on Thai. The place has individual rooms with private doors (like a hotel) you can ask for room service from (of course!) If you're just having dinner with a friend, you'll be seated at a table with a door on the back of the chair and a room number (again, completely themed). Choose between chicken, beef and shrimp, your choice of rice or noodles and your sauce. I had some chili and tamarind with white rice and broccoli and it was just the right amount of heat.

Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleeker St)
Famous for its appearance on an episode of Sex and The City, Magnolia Bakery is famous for its cupcakes ranging from $2.50 to $3 for "special cupcakes". After making the line outside on the street, you hand-pick your cupcake from a table, make a box of two or more. I have to say I've never seen so many people crazy about their cupcakes on a Thursday night. I had the Devils Food Cupcake with Mocha frosting. And of course, the service was so friendly, considering it's such a small and hot place to be working at.

Habib's Place (89 Avenue A)
Self-promoted for having "The Best Falafel in the East Village", They're open until very late. I'll remember this as the place I had my first Falafel at, a must if you're a New Yorker who's on-the-go and pressed for time. Fried Falafel patties with fress greens in a wrap or pita.

Westville East (
173 Avenue A)
Nestled in the East Village and with locations also in the West Village and soon Chelsea, it's the perfect place for Sunday brunch. The wait time was brutal, but so were the other places around. It's small yet comofrtable, with open doors and windows. I had scrambled eggs with lamb sausage, potato hash (which was delicious) and fresh orange juice. You can choose between baguette, rye, what and the mysterious "Portuguese Muffin" which is basically a bigger English Muffin, as we soon learned. They also serve sandwiches, burgers, and are big on salads and the prices are between $5-$11 mostly.


Of course, when in NYC, you must a slice of pizza. It'll run you between 1-3 depending on your location. We found a place where you can get a slice of cheese and a coke for $2.25.



Godiva Gems

Godiva has given a twist to some of their classics with the introduction of their new Gems line. They've taken they're soft dark and milk chocolate caramels, milk and dark truffles and milk and dark solids and reshaped them into bite-sized and individually wrapped jewelry-shaped pieces that are not only as delicious as they're bigger versions, they're also affordable. A $15 pack of Gems will give you 22 pieces (32 if you're buying solids). And for those of you counting calories, you should know that they're the perfect little temptations (at only 230 Calories per 9 pieces = about 25 calories per gem. It's up to you to be disciplined...)


Finally a solution for those dinner parties, game night (or movie night) or just to drop some in your bag. At some Godiva Boutiques, you can even buy them individually.



Review: Tierra del Fuego (Hato Rey, PR)

Por Loudovika Doe (Guaynabo, PR)

El sábado pasado fuimos a celebrar el cumpleaños de una muy buena amiga. Nos dirigimos a Tierra del Fuego en Plaza Las Américas en donde se especializan en hacer carnes a la brasa argentina. Este lugar--como toda parrillada argentina--es para todos aquellos comensales que disfrutan la carne en todo el sentido de la palabra. Con una decoración que evoca como al de una cabaña el lugar se distingue por ser bien sencillo, las mesas, las sillas y todo evoca madera. De hecho, las mesas parecen troncos y casi todas las paredes del restaurante tienen cuadros y posters que tienen que ver con la Argentina. Igual es ideal para disfrutar entre amigos, familia, entre dos, etc.


Cuando llegamos, no había ningún host en la puerta hasta que llegó un mesero--que a leguas se veía que no era él quien se encargaba de esas funciones--y nos preguntó qué para cuantas personas iba ser la mesa. La cuestión es que mientras le explicábamos, una familia de "guaynabitos" se nos coló descaradamente y el mesero no hizo ningún gesto por detenerlos. En cambio nos dejó ahí tiradas frente a la puerta hasta que luego vino otro mesero y nos preguntó por la mesa. Este segundo empleado nos quería sentar en una mesa que daba--O SEA-- que estaba frente a la misma puerta del restaurante. Así que rápido Vero se montó en tribuna y le dijo que no. El únicamente se rascó la cabeza, hasta que nosotras mismas fuimos quienes nos sentamos en la mesa de nuestra predilección. Pasado unos 5 minutos llegó nuestra mesera a darnos nuestros menús. Ella muy amablemente aunque un poco ansiosa nos dijo las ofertas del día. Creo que tenían sopas en especial y luego nos trajo pan y sirvió agua.



Pedimos un aperitivo llamado "Picadera Tierra del Fuego" ($23) que por su precio deberían más bien tenerlo como plato, trae un surtido bien chévere para tapear a gusto con tu copa de vino pues incluye: Yukitas fritas (cortadas como si fuesen french fries), milanesa, churrasco, chorizo y empanadillitas argentinas acompañados con distintas salsas y sobretodo mucha salsa chimichurri. Todo muy exquisito y gustoso. Para beber, yo pedí un frappé de frutas ($5.95) que sabía a gloría, estaba en su punto, nada de desabrido ni muy dulce. Vero, pidió una copa de sangría ($6 aprox.) de la casa la cual viene adornada con frutas cortadas. Según Vero, la sangría estaba deliciosa y las frutas--aun no sabe si eran manzanas--le daban un toque especial que no podía dejar de beberlo. Así que note to self: No te esmandes mucho con la sangría.



Luego procedimos a ordenar nuestra comida. Debo decir que el menú como había mencionado antes es todo carne, me extrañó que no hubiese espacio para los postres pues bien siempre es bueno probar alguito dulce después de la cena. Yo pedí un plato llamado "Del Mar, La Tierra y El Corral" ($30) que tiene filete de res, camarones, pollo y papas majadas con yuca. Ok, según nuestra mesera si el comensal no tiene taaaantaaa hambre lo pueden compartir entre dos personas y por el precio asumimos que entonces venía forrado de comida.



Así que ambas, Vero y yo compartimos el mismo plato con la única diferencia de que ella pidió como acompañante "Arroz provenzal". Al parecer alguien andaba rush en la cocina y no cogió las ordenes bien que me incluyeron en mi plato el arroz. Por eso, puedo decirles que el arroz estaba delicioso, muy rico, perfecto para acompañar con la carne en una próxima ocasión. Las carnes estaban bien jugosas, aunque el pollo decepcionó un poco porque estaba un poco quemado para mi gusto pero teniendo en cuenta que las carnes la cocinan a la parrilla pues, bueno. Los camarones sí que estaban deliciosos que me hubiese gustado tener más en mi plato.



Luego de corregido el error del arroz me trajeron mi puré de papas y yucas y aunque de momento lo que parecía era una natilla. Sí pasó la prueba, pues era buena pero nada sorprendente.



Lo único negativo que puedo decir de Tierra del Fuego fue que la comida se tardó demasiado. Nuestra mesera después de tratarnos amable parecía perdida y fue un trabajo llamarla para que nos repusiera las bebidas. Sin embargo a nuestra derecha se encontraba sentado Andy Montañez y a él si le sirvieron diligente, hasta vinito de cortesía creo. Entiendo yo, que el servicio debe ser igual para todos no importa quién seas. Y lo bueno, que puedes ordenar tu propia parrillada que te ponen al lado de la mesa de la cual puedes degustar varios cortes de carne. Aparte de que también te lo hacen a como lo ordenes para quienes les gusta el sangrero, al término medium y well done como a mí.



Como mencioné antes, el sitio está perfecto para ir en grupos grandes y si es que se van compartir los gastos. Pues es un poco caro para nuestro gusto por no decir demasiado.

Tierra del Fuego tiene su especialidad en cortes y carnes a la brasa argentina. También tiene disponibles las distintas bebidas carbonatadas, vinos y cervezas locales. Puedes disfrutar de una rica copa de sangría para ir haciendo embocadura mientras esperas por tus starters. También tienen una gran variedad de cervezas importadas y su gran famosa Agua "Tierra del Fuego".



Tierra del Fuego está localizado en Plaza Guaynabo (787)287-0040 y en Plaza Las Américas (787) 294-7018.





Twitter Poll: Pizza Toppings

This was long overdue, sorry for the delays!

Follow us on Twitter!



La misión: La ruta boricua de Andrew Zimmern

Para el que no lo sepa, adoro a Anthony Bourdain. Su insight, sus aventuras, su honestidad, su apreciación por sus experiencias y su punto de vista antropológico han sido fuente de inspiración y seguirán siéndolo. Pero quizás por esa misma adoración, detesto su episodio de Puerto Rico. Siempre he querido escribir un artículo al respecto, pero me falta. Sólo puedo decir que no fue su culpa y que no se trata del episodio, se trata de la experiencia… y que aún no se si echar culpas, ni se si hubiese manera de solucionarlo, de hacerlo diferente, mejor.

Lo que sí sé es que el episodio sobre Puerto Rico de Andrew Zimmern fue más...entretenido y mucho menos... deprimente. Y quizás tampoco fue su culpa. Quizás es que es otra cosa, otro punto de vista. Odio Bizarre Foods porque mi sentido aventurero es limitado y me da un poco de asco. Pero un día caí frente al televisor en el momento correcto y me tocó el episodio. Y me gustó. Y mi misión es seguir su ruta.

¿La ruta de Zimmern define de alguna manera más o menos correcta el mundo gastronómico boricua que la de Bourdain? ¿Hay manera de definirlo? Esas preguntas prefiero contestármelas en el OTRO artículo, el que me tomará meses en terminar, en analizar, en pensar hasta terminar con más preguntas.

Lo que sí puedo decir es que me he tomado la ruta de Zimmern como meta, o quizás… como excusa para explorar aquellos rincones que siento que debí haber explorado hace años. Entre estos se encuentran Guavate, La Bombonera, y la Plaza del Mercado de Río Piedras no desde el punto de vista de una universitaria con hambre entre clase y clase, sino del punto de vista de un consumidor de productos locales. Después de ver la cara de Zimmern al comer corazón (la fruta, no el órgano) se me va a hacer bien difícil probarlo, pero ese es parte del reto.

Aquí los dejo con una lista parcial de lugares que visitó Zimmern:

  • La Bombonera (Viejo San Juan, Calle San Francisco)
  • Plaza del Mercado de Río Piedras (entradas por Calles Robles y de Diego)
  • El Rancho Original (Guavate)
  • Piñones
  • El bosque Toro Negro (comieron en una residencia privada)
  • Pikayo (Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico; Chef: Wilo Benet)
  • El ice cream shop de Lares
  • El Nuevo Guayabo (Arecibo)
Zimmern también visitó otros lugares, un poco menos identificados. Para más información y para ver lo que se comió, busquen las repeticiones de los episodios en The Travel Channel (canal 39 en One Link).