Adolfo stayed in Albuquerque for another day and shared a lunch he had near the hotel at El Modelo. Here’s what he said…..
“Mic, I finally scored. I walked to El Modelo for lunch. This is just a simple cheese enchilada plate. 1pm. Pure tasty slop in a styrofoam box. I’ll hunt down some eggs with green sauce in the morning. Maybe Cecilia’s… IF I get up in time. I’m sleeping in late. MEXICAN AMERICAAAAAAAN! ”
Looks Messy!
Thanks for sharing Adolfo!!! Seeya in Vegas~ J
Tower played the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center last night and I had Mic visit two restaurants downtown that had good menus and reviews. The first is the Slate St Cafe http://www.slatestreetcafe.com/
Mic ate
| baby spinach & goat cheese salad | $7.5 |
| apples, beets, warm bacon and mango dressing with crispy onion straws |
| portabella French fries with sweet and spicy ketchup | $8 PORTEBELLO FRIES  GRILLED ASPARAGUS
Mic also had 2 Humboldt County Double IPA’s that finished him off. He said the restaurant was excellent. He enjoyed the meal very much. Good downtown restaurant to visit. The next day I wanted Mic to visit Cecelia’s http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/60/650229/restaurant/Downtown/Cecilias-Cafe-Albuquerque which was featured on both the Food Network, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” and the Travel Channel, “Man vs Food”. They feature “New Mexico” style food. Cecelia’s is family owned and ran. The owner, Cecelia, served Mic’s breakfast. They feature homestyle cooking. Mic said it was good. The problem is I serve a “mean” huevos, so he is spoiled. The restaurant is very popular and right downtown walking distance from the Doubletree Hotel . It was moderately priced. Mic’s breakfast cost $11.00. He had huevos with their signature carne adovada, which is a slow cooked spicy meat. Here’s what it looked like:
 GUY PUT THEM ON THE MAP  THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ARE AN INTERESTING TOUCH |
Also,
HUEVOS
ONE MORE,
Yesterday Mic went to Enochs High School for the clinic and rehearsal in preparation for the February 26th show at the Downey High School Auditorium in Modesto. Here are a few pictures from the clinic. Stevie Keys will also be appearing and we are hoping Megan will come by to apply more cowbell. The concert is being recorded and CD’s will be available for sale. Come on by and support music in the schools!!!!!
Dynamics!!
Talking the talk
Welcome Mic! Fanx!
Getting Ready
This morning I made some tortillas and then sautéed some chicken in a lime tequila sauce with grilled onions and some large shrimp in a lime butter sauce and grilled onions. The Pico De Gallo was freshly made and some guacamole topping. They were so good. Here’s what they looked like. Mic said they were “stupid good.” YUM
Great Breakfast!!
Recently I have taken homemade to a new level. I think this is called digressing or de-evolution. Buying tortillas in a plastic bag full of preservatives just didn’t work. The time involved finding an acceptable product was staggering, but placing delicious organic ingredients in a store-bought tortilla just didn’t make sense. Watching the bread machine whip up a perfect loaf of bread also seemed like I was cheating. So, last night I made 2 loaves of buttermilk bread “by hand.” It was an amazing experience. Working with yeast and dough is an exact science and innocently sensual. I wasn’t sure of the recipe, but it appeared as though it may work. I learned that kneading dough is essential to making bread. Kneading stretches the dough and develops the gluten, the springy stuff that gives bread its texture. It also helps to uniformly distribute the gasses that are the byproduct of the yeast’s metabolism. I used buttermilk which gave the bread a tangy interesting finish almost like a good sourdough. I believe the act of “touching your food” is a diminishing art form. Just over a few decades modern convienances of opening cans and boxes, has taken hold. We lose the understanding of how foods work and where they come from and what’s in season. I believe that with clean hands and a passionate heart that touching your food creates a more nourishing meal. Here are a few pictures of the finished product. I brushed the dough with butter before I baked it. The crust is reminiscent of the crusty breads we enjoyed, while we were in Europe. Bread that is baking in the oven is one the best aromas ever!! I have an extra loaf if anyone want’s it, let me know.
Buttermilk Bread
Extra loaf shown here
Nothing Yucky
I have been very busy writing recipes and testing them out on my loved ones. Mic has been in Seattle for the week at Jazz Alley and I couldn’t make it, because I am still getting Sunshine settled. Jazz Alley has a good menu and offers several organic items, but their chef recently left, so they are going through some changes.
We will be heading to several gigs in Texas and also in New Orléans in about a month and I will be reviewing some restaurants as we travel.
Recently I decided that I must make, not buy corn tortillas, because finding a good tortilla without preservatives is hard to track down….. I bought the masa flour, a tortilla press and cast iron pan. It was not as easy as it seems. After 3 trial and errors I finally got it. The picture below shows what I considered a food resembling a corn tortilla. They tasted good too. I am developing a new nacho dish that is sure to please. Well, it has been fun and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Tortillas...a funky picture, but they were good.
On February 26 th Enochs High School will be putting on a jazz concert and all are welcome!!! Please help support music in the schools.
Here are some pictures from the Liberty High Rehearsal and Concert…
Rehearsal
Thanks to Mic, Stevie, Skip, Steve, Tommy and Juan for “giving back.” Also, Meg your poster and artwork were amazing and Deb thanks for passing the hat and the pictures.
I didn’t attend the show last night in Brentwood, so I am hoping that Meg can offer some pictures. I hear it went well. Mic said the fog heading home was horrible. I am going to post some random pictures of Dec and Jan events.
In December Happy Sanchez came to our home with a portable recording unit and Mic and Norbert Stachel recorded 5 tunes the project is co-produced by Karl Perrazo, it went well…the power didn’t go out.
That's Happy!
Mic bought me a horse for Christmas named Sunshine her registered name is High Renee. I think her name should be grumpybutt. She is an Overo Paint Mare who seems nice, but has a little mean streak. She loves to eat.
Sunshine! She is real pretty.
John, Meg and Savannah came up to help build a separate area for Sunshine. Hunter and Smokey don’t understand that Sunshine can hurt them, so I am keeping them from one another until they become friends. In the morning we went to the Cozy Cafe for breakfast, while Mic played the National Anthem with the Tower Horns and Larry Bragg at the Raider’s game. This picture is for you Jimmy!!
We are one picture away from a Cozy Cafe picture collection!
I started culinary school yesterday and attended my first class..Safety and Sanitation. Everyone who cooks should take this class it is an eye opener. I am attending Columbia College in Sonora. During lunch I took a walk and some pictures. It is one of the prettiest campuses I have attended.
View across the lake.
Last night I was exercising and had to stop and take a picture of a beautiful sunset.
Thanks Mom and Dad!
