The Dude of Food can’t remember where he crossed paths with the Herdez sauce representative but when he did he was given a few bottles to try by the agent. Since I had a couple bottles to play with I tried experimenting and discovered that this product is a great addition to my Croc Pot with a pork roast and some onions. After a few hours of slow cooking you’ll pull the top off the Croc Pot and discover you have a pretty amazingly concocted Chile Verde. When the Dude of Food tasted this product he realized that this little bottle of green sauce contained a kick.
The avocado hot sauce can simply be used as a dip for tortilla chips but is pleasantly spicy and might be too strong for some on its own. Splashing some hot sauce into freshly crushed avocados works well. Spooning some into a fondue or as a side dip next to a plate of chicken nachos or chicken fingers would also be good options.
Herdez did well when they came up with this product. If you click on the image or Herdez name you will be redirected to Amazon to where you can purchase your own.
My job in the past allowed me to work with the Germany’s Next Top Model crew and Heidi Klum for 9 years. We spent about 3 months a year together and it was always interesting and fun. Heidi is super cool as was the German crew. It was a blessing to be part of a production team of friends. We had much fun working and partying together.
During that time my travels took me to Munich to visit my friends and it is always a joy to be with them in their city.
On my first trip to Munich I found myself attracted to the markets. Lidl, Rewe, Aldi and Edeka were my favorites. The lighting, the prices, the choices, the stern checkers, it all caught my eye. I’ve been back 5 times and always look forward to walking around the markets.
As I wandered around the market on that first trip looking at stuff on the shelves I ended up purchasing something I thought was like German breakfast grits called griesbrei. It was a product made by Dr. Oetker. I bought a few and made it for breakfast at home in Los Angeles, after decoding the instructions. I loved it.
When I told my Bavarian friends about how I loved griesbrei I always got the same odd reaction. They would get a weird look on their face and say to me, ‘so you like baby food?’
Well, I guess I do. Griesbrei is good. It’s sort of like grits but also reminds me of when I was a kid and my grandmother used to make me tapioca pudding for dessert and I always loved that too. She also would make homemade ice cream in a bucket with salt rocks and ice, but I digress.
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
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 the egg white.
You can get your package of Dr. Oetker’s Griesbrei by clicking here.
This form of eating called Tapas can be traced back many moons to when bar owners used salty meat strips to cover drinks to keep the flies from swimming. The salty meats promoted thirst amongst the patrons and drink sales thrived. Soon the drink covers became other salty creative snacks and a bar culture of food was born. Spain gets most of the credit for this type of nourishment as many of the ingredients used in creating these food gems are found abundantly in their region.
This salty sales theory is why in the 70’s and early 80’s many bar owners in the US offered free peanuts to bar patrons. Peanuts were cheap and salty and the President (Jimmy Carter) was a peanut farmer. Jimmy’s brother Billy was a famous beer drinker. See how these things go together!? The cool thing was back then that many places just let you throw the empty peanut shells on the floor like at a hockey game.
The Dude of Food was really impressed with the tapas in Donostia/San Sabastian. While visiting this beautiful Basque city many great items were discovered. I stumbled upon a place named Bar Desy that invited me to try tons of great foods including an extensive tapas menu. I went back to Bar Desy a bunch, sometimes 3 times a day, for the next week. The staff was really great and I even met the owners father.
The top photo is one I took after I created a few tapas for my Brazilian girlfriend to enjoy while listening to some Samba and sipping on wine. We would look deep into each others eyes and share moments that made the world outside go quiet. Love was in the air. I digress.
Anyways as stated, the Dude of Food created the above pictured tapas. On the various breads are oil, cheese, meats, tomato sauce, veggies, sardines, salt and herbs. Tapas are fun to make, great to share and super enjoyable to eat.
Below was my first pass by the home made tapas table.
Don’t be afraid to try this style of eating. Combine some of your favorite flavors and enjoy some tapas soon.
Body builders, fighters, athletes, nutritionists, historians, chefs, archivists and intelligent eaters everywhere all agree that eggs and chicken are good sources of protein and carbs are good for a body in motion. This group also would agree upon the fact that vegetables are good for folks. So when I mixed eggs, chicken, potatoes, celery and onions together, I made a super food. The recipe ingredients follow at the end of article.
Super Food photo: p3
I started by peeling, cubing and boiling 3 potatoes in salted water. I love my Oneida knife. I’m not endorsed by them but this knife and I have grown together in the kitchen and we both try to look good while staying sharp.
You can add steamed peas to the mix if you desire. If so now is the time to retrieve them from the freezer and steam a cup full of them. Once steamed, cover and let sit.
Celery and onion
Next, time to chop the onions and celery, while warming the potatoes in water. I like to leave the onion a little chunkier and dice the celery up pretty small as you can see in the photo.
Peel and chop up the hard boiled eggs.
Remove the meat from the precooked chicken thighs.
Love my Oneida knife
Once the potatoes are cooked you need to drain them and return them to the hot pan. Add the chopped onions, celery, eggs and chicken to the warm potatoes. If you are adding peas, drain and add them now. Stir in the mayo, mustard, vinegar, relish and spices. No need to stir hard or use mixer as the potatoes are soft and will become mashed if you mix vigorously. It’s not bad, as some may prefer the texture, but personally I like the potatoes to maintain some of the cube shape. The taste is the same.
Once mixed you can enjoy warm with crackers or cool in fridge and enjoy in lettuce bowls or between toasted sourdough slices in the morning with a slice of cheese. It’s a bit like tapas and goes great with wine, anti pasta salads, appetizer trays, breakfast, snacks and parties.
Now getting back to the nutritional status of being called a ‘Super Food’. I think it certainly qualifies for the title as it tastes ‘Super’. The Dude of Food fully approves and recommends trying this. This new super food group deserves an all stars available rating and a Golden Fork Award if there any are to be given.
3 large gold potatoes 4 hard boiled eggs 4 chicken cooked thighs 3 chopped celery sticks 2 chopped green onion stalks 1/4 chopped white onion 3 spoon fulls of mayonnaise 3 circle squirt of yellow mustard 1 spoon full of dill relish 2 cap fulls apple cider vinegar Add salt, pepper, paprika to your taste.
Additional options could include but certainly not limited to: avocado, peas, sour cream, ranch dressing or raisins. If you add grapes then we probably aren’t friends.
One of the things I noticed about people returning from the island of Ometepe was that they all projected a relaxed vibe. Being on vacation at the beach I was already relaxed but I was curious about this vibe other folks were experiencing. They all said they had just returned from visiting Ometepe and the surrounding areas.
Taking the ferry from Rivas to cross to the island is easy, inexpensive and takes an hour. The boats run pretty frequently and make it easy to get back to the mainland if needed during daylight hours. The town of Moyogalpa is there like a patient friend waiting to greet the newly arriving ferry travelers. The town is a neat little arrangement of approximately 6 square blocks that you can find nearly everything you might need within. There are many places available to stay between the 2 volcanoes on this big island and everything can be arranged once arriving in Moyogalpa if a pick up hasn’t been arranged already. There are a bunch of places to choose from within steps to regroup, have a beer, get some food and/or contact folks for arrangements. Read on.
My arrangements were made for me. I needed to be 3 blocks up and 1 to the left of the port to a place known as Hospedaje Siero. The family that run this place are great. Lucy holds down the rentals while her husband Abraham is handling the remodeling that was going on. The photo below shows the old school material delivery happening one morning.
In the foreground you have the construction delivery going on and in the background you will see the orange canopy Krisdalia. I’d visit Krisdalia for instant mocha coffees in the early mornings. The mom and daughter team were nice people. Both the hostel and Krisdalia next door were easy to find and provided an excellent area to call home.
The island consists of 2 volcano cones that protrude through an enormous lake that feels like a wave less ocean. The island’s perimeter claims roughly a 60 mile figure eight. Renting a motorcycle from the crew at Green Expedition was easy. They are reputable, trustworthy and came with a good recommendation which I share here. https://www.instagram.com/greenexpedition/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D
Along the same main street from the ferry and steps from Green Expedition is El Picante Restaurant. They offer a knowing staff, pleasant atmosphere, good blended drinks and delicious food too. The owner Jan knows many things, is very helpful and a great host. Many hours were spent here. Visit here for sure. Even Kurt from Canada recommends El Picante as you can read below.
The next place up and on the same side of the street hosts a sign that says La Cocina de Mami and offers rooms to rent also. This is an awesome place to go for breakfast. The other thing I loved besides the sweet staff was the chicken pasta.
The last place you should seek out is up the main ferry exit road and when you get to the island circle road which is about 5 blocks up go right. About 2 blocks down on the volcano side is a small sign letting you know there is delicious food waiting to be created for you at Comedor Alma. We were always welcomed warmly there and treated like family. I love this place. Everything we had on the menu was good. It is as local as you can get when it comes to eating in Ometepe and added to a great experience while visiting the island. https://www.facebook.com/memitoelnica/videos/estamos-transmitiendo-desde-el-comedor-almamoyogalpa-isla-de-ometepe/376300624389041/
Thank you to all the wonderful locals for sharing your beautiful place and vibes with me. Muchas gracias. Sincerely, the Dude of Food
Once you arrive to Playas Del Coco and get situated you will end up back on main street for one reason or another. It is the center of everything you will need whether it’s the beach, food, information, transportation, bank, doctor or whatever. The photo above shows the main street looking east. You’ll have a couple blocks until you are at the end looking this direction. The other direction in the above photo will send you towards the beach and a few more blocks of interesting places like more shops, quick eats, sports bars, etc.
Housing was at a place found on Airbnb called ‘Maria and Marios’ and I was very happy to have stayed there. They couldn’t have been nicer people and treated me like family. The walk from their home to the main road would take me past 2 stores and a fruit stand. Whether needing a refreshing coconut water straight from a coconut soaking in ice water or a cold beer on the walk I had options.
There are many fun looking places to enjoy around town and unfortunately I didn’t get to experience all of the ones that appealed to me but the following spots are a couple of the cool places I discovered as I wandered around Playas del Coco.
In the morning I would ride my rented bicycle the few blocks to the beach and get a coffee at a cool place called Cafe Corazon. They are located close to the water (50 meters) and provide good coffee in a cool zen atmosphere. The guy behind the counter was always a welcoming host. https://www.instagram.com/cafe.corazon/?hl=en
Sal y Fuego can be found off the main road up the street from the sports bar and is a terrific find. If you love grilled meats and fish presented by a local trained in Argentina then you’ll love this place. The staff is friendly. I gave them a Venice Brand sticker. It’s worth the quick walk up the slight hill. https://www.instagram.com/salyfuegocr/?hl=en
At the corner where the sports bar and Mexican restaurant meet (the street you’ll walk up to find Sal y Fuego) is another new restaurant called Nakapasi. They are really new and I couldn’t find their social media but the man behind the bar, Abraham, was super cool. I gave him a Venice Brand sticker too. We tried to get the NHL Stanley Cup finals on which didn’t work but they did offer cold beers and really good ceviche. This would also be a good place to bring a date for dinner.
The Dude of Food really enjoyed the time chilling out around Playas Del Coco and thanks all the nice folks that shared with me and made this Costa Rican experience extra special. Thank you all. Pura Vida.
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.
Amaros kitchen
Huevos rancheros at Amaros
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
Casitas Pacific
Dutchy’s Entrance
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/
$1 taco at La Loma
La Loma Lobster plate
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grandma Gina Petitti
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.
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.
photos: P. Pearce
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.
