“Egg, chicken and potato salad is a delicious ‘super food’.” the Dude of Food

Body builders, fighters, athletes, nutritionists, historians, 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. They too would agree upon the fact that vegetables are good for folks. So when I mixed eggs, chicken, potatoes, celery and onions together, in theory, I made super food, no? 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 use and 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 like. 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.

Vegetables

Now is the time to chop the vegetables, onions and celery, while the potatoes are warming up. 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 add them now too. 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 cube shape. The taste is the same.

Once mixed you can enjoy warm with crackers or cool in fridge and enjoy in lettuce bowls later 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 and sunsets.

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 all 5+ Golden Fork Awards if 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.

Good eats discovered in Playas Del Coco, Costa Rica

Main Street

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 eastish. 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 are a couple of the cool places I discovered as I wandered around Playas del Coco.

In the morning I would ride my borrowed 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 smart zen atmosphere. The guy behind the counter was 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. 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 taught me, shared with me and made my Costa Rican experience extra special. Thank you all. Pura Vida.

More info can be found at the following sites:

https://news.co.cr/a-guide-to-enjoying-playas-del-coco-beach-in-guanacaste-costa-rica/22448/

Guasacate Beach Treats – Popoyo

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. There is a variety of places to choose from and 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 in order. 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 have 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, if you notice the place has a nice charm, it is most likely 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 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 end of the 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 none 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 has the ratings it does but you can be assured Jessica has got it handled. Eat, drink, surf, sleep and be happy. 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 like 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 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 cool, act 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 places you can find pizzas 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 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.

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.

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.


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.

Some Mexican lagers

Above you see pictured some 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. They resemble Munich helles beer.

Another thing about Mexican lagers are that they are similar to Munich helles in the ABV. They both share a light roughly 5% count.

  • 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 you can drink so many while trying to hit the pinata.

In Munich three major breweries are Augustiner, Hacker – Schorr und Lowenbrau.

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

Germans don’t put anything in their beers but in the Americas we do. In Mexico they make an awesome drink called a Michelada. Now the Dude of Food is making them here.

2 great michelada mixes. Both on Instagram

Next Sunday while waking up and letting the sun shine in 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 to 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!

Califlower Hot Wings, YUM!

One of the latest things the Dude of Food has experienced is this food called Califlower Hot Wings. When my buddy said we were going to a vegan place to have a couple beers because they had a good selection, I felt my enthusiasm drop a bit. ‘I’m not a vegan’ I thought to myself. ‘this has the potential to really suck.’

Upon entering the room, Sage Plant Based Bistro in Echo Park, the place was as full as any good happy hour should be and everyone seemed to be having a genuine good time. Not a bunch of folks looking around gauging how the cool people act, but real folks having real conversations. It was starting out great. So far so good.

We found the last 2 seats at the bar and asked for a couple of IPA’s on tap. The beer choices were decent. Then we requested the Califlower Hot Wings. I wasn’t totally down with these by the way they sounded but when they arrived at the table and I tasted one, I was addicted. These things are good. The vinegar was strong and burned the senses just like they did at the old Garcia’s or the original Anchor Bar (home of wings) in Buffalo, NY.

If you are trying to stick to your New Year’s resolution by eating better, than get yourself and some friends over to try one of the Sage Plant Based Bistro’s in Los Angeles and enjoy something delicious.

If you are interested in having your restaurant, bar, club or food reviewed please write to the Dude of Food or Yelp – Dude Food G.

The Dude of Food discovers Shucks Pop up Oyster Bar in DTLA

Shucks Oyster Bar LA

It seems that oysters are a popular item on LA menus. The Dude of Food, a local LAist foodie, found himself working in downtown Los Angeles where next door was a bar that had a pop up oyster bar out in front of it called Shucks Oyster Bar.  The oyster bar tender was a nice guy and the Dude of Food tried a couple of each kind of oyster to check them out. The oysters were fresh and reminded the Dude of Food of how well beers go with oysters.

If you are on Spring St. near 7th in DTLA then look for the Shucks Oyster Bar pop up.

The Dude of Food makes Obatzda just like a Munich beer garden, kind of.

obatzda 11The 1st Obatzda the Dude of Food ever made in his westside kitchen was fairly decent. It wasn’t just like Munich Obatzda but I have to say it sure helped ease the longing I have to be back in Munich with my friends at one of its many beautiful beer gartens. The Obatzda made by the Dude of Food wasn’t exactly the right color and was lumpier. It also wasn’t mixed as well as the Obatzda you find in Munchen and probably had something to do with the Gruyere cheese I used. 

What mine did do for my spirit though, was remind me of all my Bavarian friends und the gut times we’ve spent together eating obatzda, stecklefisch, pizza, chicken, goulasch, knudel, donors or pretzels while drinking Augustiner Brau Helles beer and enjoying nature.

The Obatzda the Dude of Food made was pretty darned good and my mind happily filled in the blanks. I love brotziet und look forward to having more my next time back in Minga, Bavaria. Prost.

Flippin Pizza in Long Beach is home to one of the neighborhood’s best pizzas.

flippin-pizza-entIf you are a pizza lover, like many folks who now live in Los Angeles are, then you will be happy to know the Dude of Food has picked up where the LA Weekly Best Pizza Search has left off in the search for Southern California’s Top Pizzas and has found another contender for the Top 10 Pizzas in the Area list at the Flippin Pizza location.flippin-int

 

Upon entering Flippin Pizza it is apparent the place is fresh and clean. A friendly staff member greeted and informed me of the daily specials. The nice staff member turned out to be the owner, Anthony. We chatted and I learned that the restaurant had been open since August 2015 at 6269 East Spring Street, Long Beach.

They offer daily pizza specials and also offer a happy hour from 3-6p with $4. pints. (Hello, Pizza, Beer & NHL Hockey!) Besides carefully crafted pizzas you can find really nice salads too. The lunch specials offer various versions of slices, salads and drink options.

flippin-pieThe Dude of Food tried a slice of the 4 Cheese and a slice of the Little Brooklyn and was satisfied with both. The crust is thin and lite. It is not all rubbery and sweet which is a good thing. Both slices could have been a little greasy but both showed signs of very little accumulation on top.flipin-pie

 

 

The two slice and a drink lunch special will run you $6.50 and will satisfy your pizza craving for the time being. Flippin Pizza is Dude of Food approved and will be appearing on the list of Top 10 as the survey works towards the Top 5 round.

If you are craving pizza in the Long Beach / Lakewood area give Flippin Pizza a call and have something delivered.  562/421-1111  http://www.flippinpizzalongbeach.com

The Dude of Food email – weallgottaeat on g mail

The Dude of Food showcases Cee Gee Farm’s homemade goat milk cheese

cheese

Somewhere in the Tucson foothills a couple stones throw away from Arizona Wildcat stadium is located a small rancho that carries the brand name CG. On this small but productive rancho known as Cee Gee Farms live a community of award winning european show goats that are hand kept, cared for and loved by the farm’s, Charlotte G. The Dude of Food recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Charlotte G and her fury Alpine buddies and learned some stuff.

Bred of good farm genes and with the energy of 2 energizer bunnies, Charlotte G breeds, feeds, tattoos, milks, cares for and shows this collection of goats and has been the recipient of more than a dozen Grand Prize and 1st Prize awards over the years for her top notch goats. These goats love to be fed the pods of the mesquite trees that are everywhere. Goats are funny animals and fun to play with for awhile.

Charlotte has learned to make goat milk cheese of various flavors as shown in the photo above and also creates a really nice and all natural goal milk soap that is great for gifting.

Baaasically, the Dude of Food can report that the goats located on this farm in Arizona are a happy bunch of kids.