The Dude – Page 4 – THE DUDE OF FOOD

Guasacate Beach Treats – Popoyo Nicaragua

Recently, there was a 3 week period when my path stopped and all I did was hang out in the Popoyo Beach, Guasacate, Nicaragua area. The time was spent with a buddy either going to the beach, doing little things around the pad, eating or going to get some more beers before going out to eat again. It was pretty terrific and as much as the insects, reptiles, barking dogs and heat can be annoying it was far better than the traffic, homeless issues and silly political news games presented to US back home. My heart rate easily decreased by 15 beats a minute after a few days of adjustment.

As mentioned there are a number of really good places to eat in the area. They are all run by fine people who create quality foods of all kinds. Below are some of the places that stood out the most to me. They are listed in alphabetical order and show no preference by the place on the list. Read each listing to find out more about the places.

https://goo.gl/maps/aPEzYy5FLo8skJFi8 This link will take you to Guasacate’s main beach road on Google maps and will help guide to some mentioned eateries.

Amahula Hostel – This place is located on the south end of the main beach street. They have nice rooms, a cool staff, a big open bar/cafe/board stash-shower/hang out area and organize parties in the area. They can be found on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amahulahostel/

Amaros – Amaro is a really nice guy who just opened a new restaurant in town. Located in a central spot on the main road near the salt flats this is a great place to eat breakfast. The huevos rancheros is the best in town. The staff is sweet and I loved going here.

Casitas Pacific – This place offers nice rooms and has a cafe you’ll be happy you discovered. If you want to enjoy lunch at a table looking out to the beach while sipping a cool drink in the shade, then you should find your way to this spot and enjoy. https://www.casitaspacific.com/cafe-restaurant

Dutchy’s Deli – Always cheerful and welcoming, this is a place I like to see the doors open at. You can change your spirit simply by walking in, saying hello and having a refreshing smoothie in the patio area. The tuna sandwich, roast beef sandwich and hamburger are all winners. If they have the homemade lox you must try it. They also make good fresh bread and have menu items for those who choose not to eat meat. There might be a dog sleeping in the bathroom and chances are he’s not gonna move so aim carefully. Lastly, the place has a nice charm and is because the owners wife is a very talented designer with a great eye. Both are very cool people who host an excellent staff that helps them run an awesome establishment. They can be found on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/dutchysdeli/

La Loma Del Sabor Restaurante – This La Loma was the first place I ate in the Guasacate/Salinas area and was always happy to return. The banana con leches were so good I would ask for 2 every time. The menu offered many good options and were more of a locally known spot. They aren’t on the main beach road but on the main highway. They are on Instagram too. https://www.instagram.com/la_loma_del_sabor/

La Tica #2 – This place is located at the south end of the beach road and everyone knows Jessica. She is super cool and besides being the hostess that holds down the hostel she is the cook that manages the nightly BBQ on the grill outside that is a big hit for everyone in the neighborhood. They offer non meat, chicken, cow or fish options along with a plate full of salad and potato star things. The nights they offered Dorado as the fish option were my favorites. This place is just good all around. Not sure why Trip Advisor shows the ratings it does but you can be assured Jessica has got it handled. Eat, drink, surf, sleep and be happy here. https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1025477827/la-tica-playa-guasacate-popoyo-nicaragua/

Magnific Rock – This place is an awesome location perched on the point above the surf break and when the waves are firing this place would be the bar where the judges would be sitting. It is priced more on the higher end of the scale, as are a couple others on this list, but what you get in return is worth the extra couple dollars when you are enjoying the coffee in the am while taking in the view or a refreshing drink at sunset. https://magnificrock.com/drink-dine/magnific-rock-cafe/

Restaurant Kathere Abierto – This one you may have to keep an eye out for as I don’t remember seeing a sign and it looks like it’s part of something else. It is located on the main beach road right next to and on the north side of Vibra Guesthouse. The patio, which from the street you enter the center, runs sort of parallel to the road with the kitchen counter towards the back of the patio away from the street. This place can seem odd at first but be patient and enjoy the food. Trying to get fancy or act touristy will not help. The menu is typical Nicaraguan food and is done properly. We ate here on several occasions and one night I enjoyed the fish special which was called like citrus fish or primo fish or something like that and it was worth every penny.

PIZZA – There are a couple of pizza places in town and all are pretty good. On the main beach road you will hear about pizza night and just follow the crowd. It can get crowded and you can wait an hour or they could even run out as once happened to us.

Club Surf Popoyo – https://www.clubdelsurf.com/ Good Italian in a chill spot.

Viento Este Popoyo – https://www.instagram.com/viento.este.popoyo/?hl=en Popular on pizza nights.

Farther away from the beach is Mad Dog’s Pizza. They are kind of located in a spot by themselves but follow the sign and you’ll easily find it. The owner is a nice guy and they had a pretty cool set up where we watched 2 periods of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The food was good, the beer was cold and the hospitality was genuine. https://www.facebook.com/maddognicaragua/

Well that is what I have to share. Muchas gracias to all the fine folks in the beach community of Guasacate y Las Salinas, Nicaragua.

Quick kitchen fix – Broken Glass Down Drain

If you ever have encountered the ‘stuff down the drain’ issue in your kitchen then maybe you can get a tip from this little kitchen quick fix tip video. The Dude of Food is here to help.

As far as preventative tips go, a good rule of thumb is to always have a catch screen in place at the bottom of your kitchen sink drain. Also never toss coffee grounds or eggshells down the garbage disposal. Those items are for the trash or composting.

Watch the following video for drain cleaning tips.

It is worth it to be aware of what you put down your sink drains and a simple catch screen helps a lot. They help in the shower too so hair doesn’t build up and clog the drain

Click here to get your own LASSHSWA Kitchen Sink Drain Strainer, for Kitchen Sinks with Large Wide Rim 4.5″ Diameter (2 Pack).

Check and measure your drain size to be sure this size fits.

The Joy of Griesbrei

One of the memories I carry from when I was a little kid is of my grandmother preparing tapioca pudding from scratch. It was the best. I always loved it warm and freshly made. Grandma always made us stay out of the pool for 30 minutes after eating lunch. Anyways, the memory I have of those tapioca puddings is captured in a German dish known as Griesbrei from Dr. Oetker. I discovered this dish while curiously shopping in a Munich market. The flavor of Griesbrei reminds me of those early family days. My Bavarian friends always laugh at me and say that I like ‘baby food’ but it is what it is. If it tastes good maybe it’s worth overeating sometimes. Perhaps I will try to mix it with some grits, a couple eggs and a side of peppered bacon next to a buttered pancake splashed with maple syrup.

Dr. Oetker makes the package above and the one I originally brought home and fell in love with but you can prepare your own with the following recipe. I have some semolina left over from pasta making and will try this recipe soon.

Griesbrei –

Ingredients
3 ⅓ cups milk
½ cup soft wheat semolina
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 tbsp. butter

Instructions
Add milk and sugar to a sauce pan, mix well and bring to a light simmer.
Gradually add the semolina while stirring.
Bring to a light simmer, cover with a lid, and remove from heat.
Allow to sit for about 5 min.
In the meantime, separate the egg.
Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
Add the egg yolk to the semolina pudding and mix well until fully incorporated.
Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
Fold in egg white.

You can purchase your Dr. Oetker’s Griesbrei on Amazon by clicking here.

Enjoy. Prost.

Northern Costa Ricas Sal & Fuego

Recently I spent a few days in Playas Del Coco in northern Costa Rica before entering Nicaragua. I found a room named ‘Casa Maria and Mario’ and was very happy I stayed there. Maria couldn’t have been a nicer lady and made sure I was comfortable there. Another discovery was an excellent restaurant in town called Sal & Fuego.

The town offers a number places to eat on the main street but what I discovered by walking up one of the side streets was a real find. Most folks are on the main strip so it gets quieter when you leave the main drag which was the case of this well put together restaurant I discovered. The sign in front read Sal & Fuego and the master chef, Arturo, and his helper, Sebastian, were warmly greeting guests, serving drinks and proudly displaying their tomahawk steaks.

Arturo is a native that learned BBQ techniques in a place known for great beef and meat cooking skills, Argentina, where he became an expert in South American meat cuts. He is now a youthful 50 years old, an awesome chef, restaurant owner and gracious host of a fine restaurant located a short walk up the hill.
Both Arturo and Sebastian are attentive and will make you feel right at home ensuring that you have everything you need.

If you find yourself in Playas Del Coco and are looking for an excellent dinner with a group of friends then you will need to wander up one of the side streets in Playas del Coco to discover the best steakhouse around, Sal & Fuego.

Gracias Arturo y Sebastian. Pura Vida.

Find them on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Steak-House-Sal-y-Fuego-la-Aut%C3%A9ntica-Parrilla/100083568422156/

or on Instagram @salyfuegocr

2022 New Kitchen Tools

This 2022 holiday season I introduced a couple of new items to my kitchen tool box which is important as we grow as chefs.

The paella pan is made by Garcima from Valencia, Spain and is a traditional polished steel paella pan that I plan to use to prepare risotto. The pan seems well made and carries a 2 year guarantee. I look forward to cooking with it.

The Dutch Oven is called Pure Intentions ‘Ecolution’ by Epoca Int’l in Florida. This pan is also stainless steel with a tempered glass top. This item has a Limited Lifetime Warranty and will be good for boiling stuff.

The wooden roller is an Everyday Living item distributed by Inter-American Products and was made in Taiwan. It has held up pretty well so far for helping to thin out homemade pasta for my noodle cutting machine. This item has a quality guarantee or receive a full refund. How can you go wrong?

Whatever your budget or skill level remember that joy comes from sharing and cooking is to be shared, so bring joy to the world and keep cooking. Happy holidays.

Pasta, Angels, Family & Grandma Gina.

Cooking With Grandma Gina.

The Dude of Food grew up as an only child with a working mom who disliked cooking. Her 3 motto’s in life were:

‘where there’s smoke, there’s dinner’
‘you can never be too rich or too thin’
‘go play on the freeway’

The refrigerator to me was something to go look in at someone else’s house. That is how I learned about food, by looking in other peoples fridges and lunch boxes to see what they ate like. It took me years to get over just casually opening and looking inside of someones fridge. Sometimes I still do.

On special Saturday mornings as a kid I used to make a can of Spaghettios or Franco American Macaroni with cheese sauce as a treat.

One of the places I would wander over to visit was the house of the Italian family down the street. They had 3 older girls and a boy my age and they always had food on the stove. Their kitchen was the best. Homemade pastas, sauces, pizzas, rapini and as we got older their mother made everything with red onions so our lungs would stay healthier. This Italian mother even made liver taste good. She used thin slices of liver and loads of onions.

When we would go back east to visit their Italian relatives I would be blown away that every Italian kitchen was the same, warm and full of food. We couldn’t go anywhere without eating a plate of food and sipping some homemade wine. By the third or fourth visit you’d be pretty full but the hosts would get offended if you didn’t eat their food and thought you liked the other family better so you had to eat, drink and be merry. It was great and nothing but love.

When I went to visit the youthful home of my Italian buddies father in Italy I was blown away at the genuine love, hospitality and meals shared with me.

I am forever grateful and extremely thankful. This love of family and sharing food has never left me. Recently I began preparing homemade pasta noodles after lessons from my friends uncle’s wife, Aunt Mary, whom I’ve known since I was in 5th grade. I’m now 56 years old. In researching how to make a better noodle I was directed to YouTube and discovered the next best thing since beer was created. The name of this Youtube Angel is Grandma Gina Petitti.

Grandma Gina is precious and I instantly fell in love with her. She speaks just like everyone in my buddies family and reminds me of the best of my childhood. If you are still reading this then you must go to visit Gina https://www.youtube.com/c/BuonAPetitti/videos and see for yourself.

Watch and learn to make noodles, ravioli or any other quality Italian dish you might be interested in preparing. You will learn to cook properly and have your heart warmed at the same time. She’s awesome.

You can also purchase Gina’s cookbook online as well. It’s titled, ‘Cooking With Grandma Gina’.

Grazie Nonna Gina. May the Lord God continue to bless you.

According to Buzzfeed Pasta Facts, https://www.buzzfeed.com/jesseszewczyk/pasta-facts , the average Italian eats 60 pounds of pasta a year while Americans average eating just 26 pounds per year.

Jan 4 – National Spaghetti Day
Feb 9 – World Pizza Day
Oct 25 – World Pasta Day

“Now I’ma gunna maykeh a pasta carbonarra.” the Dude of Food.

Discover Roasted Almond Snacks

M & W Gourmet Foods – Oxnard, CA

M & W Gourmet Foods of Oxnard, CA was begun in 2006 at 3 Farmers Markets with the desire to create “a healthy snack alternative.” Over the last 16 years these snack makers have grown into a really good thing keeping many people happily snacked up.

The Dude of Food discovered these tasty snack treats while being on set and finding his way to the craft service table. These roasted almond filled snack bags are a great replacement to donuts and potato chips. Over time more and more flavors became available with 11 roasted almond flavors currently available at their web page (https://www.mwgourmetfoods.com) including many creative tasty flavors. Some of the Dude of Foods favorites include Coconut Macaroon, Honey Cinnamon and Cappuccino.

For more information you can visit https://www.mwgourmetfoods.com or call 661.305-3515. They can also be found on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/mwgourmetfoods and on Instagram, @mwgourmet

Thank you M & W Gourmet Foods.
Enjoy.

The Dude of Food

Mexican lager beer and micheladas.

Above you see pictured a variety of a few of Mexico’s famous lager beers. Not pictured are Estrelle Jalisco, Corona Familiar, Montejo and Victoria.

It’s interesting because my German friends who visit the states choose Mexican lagers when they are here as they resemble Munich Helles beer a little bit.

Another similarity about Mexican lagers when compared to Munich Helles is the ABV content. Both share a roughly 5% count, German beer a touch over and Mexican beer a touch under. Following are the ABV levels of Mexico’s most popular lagers.

Bohemia Lt 5.3 %
Carte Blanca 4 %
Corona Extra 4.6 %
Corona Familiar 4.8%
Dos Equis Green 4.2 %
Estrelle Jalisco 4.5 %
Modelo Especial 4.5 %
Modelo Negro 5.4 %
Montejo 4.5 %
Pacifico 4.5 %
Sol 4.5 %
Tecate 3.9 %
Victoria 4 %

Now you see why folks can drink so many beers while trying to hit the pinata.

In Munich three major breweries are Augustiner, Hacker – Schorr and Lowenbrau. There are many more.

Augustiner Helles 5.2 %
Hacker-Schorr 5.5 %
Lowenbrau 5.2 %

Germans don’t put anything in their beers and have a law dating back to 1516 called Reinheitsgebot. In Mexico they make an awesome drink called a Michelada which is like a bloody Mary except with beer instead of vodka. Now the Dude of Food enjoys making micheladas.

2 great michelada mixes. Both on Instagram

Next Sunday try making some of these delicious day starters while planning what to BBQ.

If you love fish then you will certainly love adding these mixes into your favorite ceviches. I add the spicier, LA Pinche Mezcla, to mine and it is the best! Guaranteed satisfaction. It’ll make you wanna say Odele!

Capitalism & Beer Marketing Tricks Today

Remember the good old days, like 2 years ago, when beer was served in bottles and you could get a 12 pack for $9.99? Now beer is trendy and manufacturers have taken to following the coffee business model.

Starbucks has ruined coffee. Sadly, the Dude of Food has noticed the same detrimental thing is happening in the beer business.

Some craft beer makers decided to charge a bunch of extra dough for some aged beer and now even the cheap lagers are expensive. This same trickle down for profit theory has gone into packaging too.

In the 1970’s folks claimed aluminum cans caused Alzheimer’s disease. These days it’s cheaper to can beer than it is to bottle beer so we are told and sold that cans are OK now. I still prefer bottles.

Next, let’s look at packaging.

As you can see from the image comparison above, the buyer is paying the same or more for a package containing 8 less ounces per purchase and are put in a potentially health riskier but cheaper to produce package. The only bonus about cans is they don’t break when dropped and are lighter to recycle, but then again in California we pay for CRV to recycle but there is nowhere to take your recycling except to the trash so the state gets it back anyways but subsidizes itself by charging a pre-paid recycling fee. The fee was established by the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act of 1986 and since 2010 the program has been administered by the Cal/EPA California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) (previously administered by California Department of Conservation – Recycling Division)

In February 2016 RePlanet, the largest recycling center in California, closed 191 recycling centers and terminated nearly 300 employees in small communities across the state due to increases in operational costs. By August 2019 RePlanet announced the closing of its remaining 284 centers and termination of it’s last 750 employees. It began the process of liquidating assets to pay creditors which had backed up due to continued reduction in state fees, the depressed pricing of recycled aluminum, plastic and cardboard, the minimum wage increases and the rise in operating costs.

Write to your elected California senators, local newspapers and media services to ask more questions as to why nothing logical is getting done in California.

What’s inside that sausage?

Ever wonder what’s in that delicious looking sausage. Well the Dude of Food has been wondering and finally took the time to tear one down and see what’s in there. Above is your typical average sized sausage found in any US market. This is not a small breakfast sausage but a regular sausage. This one weighed in at 46 grams as shown.

The first thing I don’t like eating is the intestinal lining that sausage is held together with. There just doesn’t seem like any nutritional value to this stuff. The next thing I noticed was the amount of white fat speckles mixed in the meat so I cut the skin wrap from around the sausage and began to pick the specs out with the tip of a corn holder.

You can see in the photo below that there was a good amount of those white fat particles in there. The other things that were hidden in there are what look like small gristle beads. They are rounded and look like little white nuggets. I am pretty sure these things are about as healthy for you as plastic but who knows. Anyhow, I weighed the pile of garbage that had accumulated on the tin foil and it weighed in at 10.6 grams including the intestinal wrapping but not the weight of the foil. That works out to be roughly 22% useless unhealthy waste in every sausage.

So for nearly every 5 sausages you eat 1 of them is all fat and nasty gristle waste. Granted this was the first one I broke down and the brand was recorded but not given here as I want to test a few more brands and see what the averages are before any brands are named.

I also bought a small, stainless steel kitchen grinder and have been experimenting with grinding various blends of meats and spices for my own sausage patties and meatballs in search of a healthier mix.