...Yucca Chips!

You can't eat just one.

That's a slogan for Pringles, and that's so true when it comes to chips, pretzels, and even cookies - the smaller they are, the harder it is to eat "just one".  This is also a problem when you're trying to watch what you eat, because the "mindless eating" craze tends to set in, and before you know it - you've eaten half (or all) of a bag of the chips.

Pampered Chef recently came out with a Microwaveable Potato Chip Maker, where you slice potatoes (with their Ultimate Mandoline or Simple Slicer, of course) to make even chips, then microwave them without oil to make "healthier" potato chips.

Brilliant, right?

Given my obsession with Chicken Latino's Yucca Fries, I wanted to see if this would work with yucca root.  After reading the directions to the Potato Chip Maker, I noticed that they explicitly said that it works with yucca, too.

This is going to happen.

On a trip to the Strip District one day, I stopped at Stan's Market to check out the yucca - and it was only $0.99/lb.!  WHOA!  Usually there it's $1.19/lb., and I've already ranted about Giant Eagle's $3.99/lb. rate for both it and jicama (what a rip-off!).  I bought some immediately, fearing for a sudden price increase or noticeable discrepancy.

The worst part about yucca is peeling it.  I had recently purchased a new Vegetable Peeler from Pampered Chef (as I have no idea what happened to my old one - how do you lose a vegetable peeler, really?).  It got easier once I got some of the initial bark off, but it was the most time-consuming and exhausting part of the process.

No, I didn't use that Santoku knife.  I still have all of my fingers.

 Then, the Ultimate Mandoline - I was fearful of breaking the blade, as I feared that with the Vegetable Peeler as well, but I was shocked at how well it sliced the yucca into "chips".  I have no idea how Shelbin at Chicken Latino slices yucca into "fries", let alone PEELS all of that yucca on a regular basis (it wore me out!), but slicing them into chips was a breeze.

Ultimate Mandoline and yucca

Chips came out even and pretty!

I know that the point of the chip maker is to not use oil, but I thought - these will need some flavor.  I had purchased some Persian Lime Oil from Olio Fresca in the Pittsburgh Public Market, and lime is a great Latino flavor - it would go really well with yucca, along with some cumin.  Also, in a previous food experiment, I learned - the hard way - that you don't need a lot of this oil for the flavor, just like peanut oil.  So really, I wasn't adding that much fat to the chips - maybe a teaspoon's worth, at most:

Olio Fresca's Persian Lime Oil - available at the Pittsburgh Public Market

After mixing the yucca, lime oil, and cumin together in a Ziploc bag (the most efficient method of evenly coating the chips), I spread them out in a single layer on the Microwaveable Potato Chip Maker:

Coating the chips with lime oil and cumin

After microwaving them for 2 minutes - yes TWO MINUTES - they were done.  YUCCA CHIPS!

Yucca chips!  Done!

I had more to make, but didn't want to eat an entire yucca root in one sitting - so I put that Ziploc bag in the refrigerator, and made one tray's worth when I wanted to.  I got about 3 more servings out of that root, and they turned out great each time. 

In addition to the flavors in the chips, I needed to dip - I like dipping - and my new obsession is Heinz Balsamic Ketchup.  I swear this endorsement is completely unsolicited - I am obsessed with this stuff.  I hope that this "Limited Edition" thing is just a marketing ploy, because when I can't find this anymore, I may cry.  James insists that he can teach me how to make balsamic ketchup, but I refuse, fearing that it just won't be this good.  I think I'm just going to buy two bottles on every shopping trip I make to stock up...and make sales soar...and make Heinz realize it would be a huge loss to take this off of store shelves...

Heinz Balsamic Ketchup.  Even better than the original.  No joke.

Yucca chips are a delicious, at-home potato chip alternative, and I thank Shebin at Chicken Latino for the inspiration (although, I will say that nothing compares to her Yucca Fries with Green Sauce and Mayo!)  Thanks to the Pampered Chef products, making them myself (and yourself) is quite simple!

To order the Microwaveable Potato Chip Maker, Ultimate Mandoline, Simple Slicer, Vegetable Peeler, or any other Pampered Chef products, please visit: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/mariemcdonald

Stan's Market

1811 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stans-Market/247614901924765

Olio Fresca Olive Oil Company (inside Pittsburgh Public Market)

Website: http://www.oliofresca.com/shop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlioFrescaOliveOilCompany

Pittsburgh Public Market

Produce Terminal Building

Smithfield Street near 17th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://pittsburghpublicmarket.org/

Facebook: http://pittsburghpublicmarket.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/PghPubMarket

...Pho Van [off-topic]

I crave soup when it's cold outside.

Not only soup, but any liquefied, hot, edible food or drink.  On the first cold day this past fall, I came home and immediately made myself a pot of hot water and proceeded to drink 3 full mugs of black tea.  I pulled out my cookbook and started making a list of ingredients that I needed for Hungry Girl's Chunky Veggie Pumpkin Chili, my favorite crock pot meal.

Call it a coping mechanism for Seasonal Affective Disorder, if you will.

When I went to Smoke BBQ & Taqueria with James and Food Collage, they were discussing pho, a traditional Vietnamese dish, which is available at two different restaurants in the Strip District - Vietnam's Pho, and Pho Van, which is newer.  I was clueless as to what this "pho" term referred, and they explained that it is a noodle soup.  

Noodle soup?  As a full meal?  I could definitely do that when it's cold out!

James and I made a trip to the Strip District on a chilly Sunday afternoon, so pho was definitely on my mind.  We warmed up earlier with coffee at 21st Street Coffee, one of James' favorite coffee stops, stopped in Chicken Latino to re-stock on some green sauce, and headed to Pho Van for lunch before going to Stan's Market and Wholey's to get some produce and fresh fish for dinner later.

The restaurant itself, upon first impression, looked as if it wasn't kept up well, for a newer restaurant, but I noticed a sign that they would be closed for a few days over the Thanksgiving weekend for renovations.  

While looking over the menu, I noticed that one of the beverages listed was a durian fruit smoothie, which James had mentioned in our discussion of the restaurant was one of the stinkiest fruits in existence.  Glad he mentioned that, as I was not in the mood for a stinky smoothie, but I did notice another smoothie option - avocado.

Done.  Sold.  Had to try it.  

Avocado is, of course, the base of any good guacamole - a Mexican food condiment.  How could I resist a smoothie made from that same base?

Avocado Smoothie

It was SO THICK.  They gave me a 1/2 inch-wide straw to use with it - and it was totally necessary, My spoon got some use, too, but this smoothie was creamy and flavorful.  James asked our waiter what all was in it, and he told us that it was just avocado, condensed milk, and ice.  

Huh.  I could make that at home....

For our appetizer, we ordered spring rolls - not spring rolls that are fried, like you'd get at a Chinese restaurant, but made with rice noodles (which is why they are clear), shrimp, mint, lettuce, and bean sprouts.  The sauce is a peanut dipping sauce, not unlike that of a Thai restaurant.  I prefer this type of spring roll because A.) it's healthier, B.) the mint adds a distinct flavor to the roll, and C.) I love peanut ANYTHING.

Spring Rolls, peanut sauce

For our pho, I had no idea what to choose, so I left it up to James, resident pho expert (out of the two of us, at least).  We both ordered the pho tai, which is the pho base (rice noodles and a beef broth with onions, charred ginger, and a variety of other Asian spices) with flank steak.  I was shocked at how HUGE the bowl was!  I could use a bowl like that to eat soup at home, personally.

Pho Tai

 Accompanying the enormous bowl of pho was a plate full of basil, bean sprouts, and - what's this?! - JALAPENOS!  AND LIME!  I felt right at home with these traditional Latino flavors!  As is tradition, these are served separately with pho for the consumer to add according to his or her personal preferences.  

Basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno, lime

How nice.  Kind of like do-it-yourself table-side guacamole at Verde.  I like it.

The pho was hot, tasty, and full of the flavors that I preferred - I couldn't complain one bit.  With a little sriracha, my pho was perfectly spicy and did a great job of warming me up!  Although it wasn't nearly as cold on this day as it will be in the coming months, I know exactly where to go when I need a meal to thaw me out.

Pho Van

2120 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (Strip District)

Website: http://phovan.net

…My Strip District Visit 10-15-11, Parte 5: Roasted Apple & Tomatillo Salsa + homemade Yucca Fries

I have an obsession with yucca.

Ever since I first tried yucca fries at Chicken Latino, I can’t get enough of them.  No potato-based French fries can compare to yucca fries, especially when they are eaten with their green salsa and mayonnaise.

During my Strip District visit, I was shopping at Stan’s Market, grabbing ingredients for a salsa recipe, when my mom, who had just been to Chicken Latino for the first time, spotted it – yucca, $1.19/lb.  And not moldy.

Yucca (Yuca, in Spanish) on the shelf outside at Stan's Market - good eye, mom!

 Giant Eagle, you may recall, had yucca, too - $1.99/lb.  And moldy.

Done.  Purchased.  Yucca fries will be made.

I am very aware that this looks like poo.  However, it is yucca root.

It's much prettier when peeled.

Beginning to fry (looks like they're on fire at the bottom - I swear they're not!)

Fully frying

Crispy and delicious!  No, they're not burnt!

 In addition to the yucca, I purchased a lot of fresh veggies from Stan’s Market that day, including tomatillos, Granny Smith apples, jalapeno peppers, garlic (a head, not the jarred stuff that I usually buy), and onions, among others.  Why?  

Granny Smith apples from Stan's Market

 Yet another fabulous-sounding recipe, this time for salsa, thanks to @eatocracy and @chefmarcela.

Tomatillos have always intrigued me, but I have never tried to make anything with them myself – the bulk of this recipe was made up of tomatillos, so I figured that this was the best thing to try with them. 

Tomatillos from Stan's Market

@eatocracy (from CNN) posts links to recipes all of the time, but on this particular day, they seemed to be focused on recipes by Marcela Valladolid, or “Chef Marcela”, who has a show on The Food Network and is the author of Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor.

Mexican?  Easy?  Yes, please.

The recipe can be found here: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/10/13/out-of-the-fryer-into-the-salsa-bowl

Ready to roast

Roasted

Roasted fruits/veggies ready to blend

Blended (salsa)

Reyna's tortillas, cut, baked

 At this point, I tasted the salsa – it was ok – I could definitely taste the apple, and I could get the feel for the flavor of the tomatillos, but it wasn’t very exciting.  I packaged it up in plastic containers, opened my fridge…

…then I saw the package of jalapenos.  

CRAP!   I forgot to put the jalapeno in my salsa! 

Luckily, I already had a tray of tortilla chips in the oven (corn tortillas from Reyna Foods sprayed with Pam, cut into 1/8ths), so I threw the stemmed jalapeno onto the tray to roast.  I pulled the chips out after a few minutes (otherwise they would have burned), and let the jalapeno continue to roast.

Trying to salvage the salsa by roasting the jalapeno!

 Once the jalapeno was roasted enough, I put all of the salsa back into the blender, along with the roasted jalapeno.  I probably should have removed the membrane and seeds, but I can handle the heat.

Going to blend in the jalapeno

 With the jalapeno, it didn’t make a huge difference flavor-wise, but the spice factor had definitely changed.  The tortillas had turned out crispy, yet almost chewy on the inside, and worked well with the salsa.

Mmmm, delicioso!

Nothing will compare to the flavor that the chicken and apple taco from Smoke Taqueria had, but this apple/tomatillo combo wasn’t bad, either.  Tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and…apples (?!) does not sound like an appetizing combo, but roasting them definitely gave them a different, sweeter flavor, almost the way they would taste in a pie, minus the extra sugar and spices.  I tried this salsa with chicken, too, and it was pretty tasty.

I now check out all of @eatocracy’s recipes when they are tweeted, and I follow @chefmarcela.  I need to go get her book!

Stan’s Market

1811 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stans-Market/247614901924765

The Strip District Website: http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/

Neighbors in the Strip on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=699253613466&id=47505581&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/StripDistrict

Strip District Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StripDistrict

Eatocracy

Website: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ - !/pages/Eatocracy/333730193484

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eatocracy

Marcela Valladolid

Website: http://www.chefmarcela.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chef-Marcela-Valladolid/308000942651?ref=ts&sk=wall

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/chefmarcela

…My Strip District Visit, 10/15/11 Parte Dos – Ingredients and Other Items Purchased

I like saving money.

I was never a coupon clipper until about a year after owning my own house and realizing that saving money as often as possible is essential when you want to spend money on things other than essentials. 

This is also why I work two jobs – one (teaching) pays the bills, the other (Kennywood) allows me to spend money on things other than bills.

My last trip to the Strip District taught me that because I like to buy a lot of fruits and vegetables, since they are “diet-friendly”, buying them there is more cost-efficient than buying them somewhere convenient, like Giant Eagle. 

In addition to necessities, the Strip District also has unique shops for gifts, household items, and otherwise “fun” things.

Here is a rundown of my purchases on this day (not including the taco and Chicken Latino meal)  I marked the ingredients for future recipe posts with an asterisk (*):

Pittsburgh Public Market: Pumpkin butter*, Very Berry jelly, and mango habanero jelly from The Berry Patch; Honeycrisp apples from Morning Dew Orchards

Jelly and Butter from The Berry Patch

Honeycrisp Apples from Morning Dew Orchards

 Firehouse Farmer’s Market: horseradish root

Reyna Foods: mild and spicy chile peppers, roasted outside on the sidewalk as part of their 2^nd Annual Hatch Green Chile Roast; corn tortillas

Chiles Roasting

Chiles, bagged and purchased

 Random table on Penn Ave.: La Toalla Terrible!

Native Inka’s Shop: Handmade hats – one for me, and one for my brother (I’m the best sister EVER)

My awesome new hat - this is my best attempt at trying to look awake at 1:30 AM, when I decided to take this pic

You can tell that my brother loves his new hat!  You're welcome!

 Stan’s Market: bananas, serrano peppers*, jalapeno peppers*, white onions*, yucca root* (THEY HAD IT!  Not moldy!  $.80/lb. cheaper than Giant Eagle!), jicama* (still $0.89/lb., not $3.99 lb.), Granny Smith Apples*, acorn squash, garlic*, tomatillos*

Acorn squash, bananas, jicama

(clockwise, from top) Serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatillos

Yucca root on display at Stan's Market

Penzey’s Spices: Lemon pepper*, Mexican vanilla extract*, cream of tartar*

 Prestogeorge Fine Foods: Cookies ‘N Cream-flavored coffee (I’m busy, I need caffeine to keep me going)

Wholey’s: Flank steak*, The Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle, Nutella, unsalted butter*

Flank steak - $7.99/lb. at Wholey's

The one flavor of Laughing Cow Cheese that they don't carry at Giant Eagle

Besides buying some items in these same stores, my mom also bought items in S & D Polish Deli, Art of Steel, Costume World, and Mancini’s Bakery.  In addition, we visited Collage, Yinzer’s, Penn Avenue Pottery, and the Artisan Market.

I’m exhausted!  4+ hours of shopping is killer before working 5 PM – 1 AM!

Now I can’t wait to share what I’m making with the ingredients that I bought…

…My Strip District Visit, 10/15/11, Parte Uno – Foods I Didn’t Make Myself

When I’m busy – I make myself busier.

As if I didn’t have enough to do this month, I quickly realized that the only plans that I had for the weekend of October 14^th, 15^th, and 16^th were to go to the Homecoming game on Friday night and work at the switchboard at Kennywood on Saturday night.

Whoa.  What to do with my spare time?!  Clean my house?  Organize my closet?  Pull flowers out of my garden?  Pfffft, no,…

…visit the Strip District, of course!

I know, it feels like I was just there, and I should probably go visit Squirrel Hill or some other neighborhood that I haven’t visited yet, but I couldn’t resist.  I had tacos on the brain from my visit to Smoke Taqueria on Wednesday, so I just HAD to try the tacos at Reyna’s Taco Shack outside of Reyna Foods (where I buy REAL tortillas – see previous Strip District post and bonus post). 

I have only ever had a bite of a burrito from that stand before, and it was awesome, as I remember, but I wanted to try their tacos to see how they compare.  My mom and I drove down to The Strip, found a parking place RIGHT outside of the Pittsburgh Public Market (score!), and began our shopping adventure around 10:30 AM. 

We perused the market for ingredients for some recipes (more to come on that…), took our wares to the car, and moseyed on up to Penn Ave., quickly realizing that we should probably have more cash than we did to make purchasing items easier. 

The ATM is right next to Reyna’s, so after loading up on cash, we decided to stop for our tacos – especially since I hadn’t eaten breakfast, knowing that I would most likely eat my way through The Strip.

I’m so smart.

After looking over the menu, I knew that I had to be different and go with the most unusual taco – not pork, not chicken, not beef, but…”lengua”.  “Lengua” in some Spanish-speaking countries means “language”; however, it is also the word for an important part of speaking any language…

Lengua Taco from Reyna's Taco Shack

…you got it!  TONGUE!

I ate a tongue taco.

In addition, I couldn’t order a normal beverage to go with a tongue taco, so I opted for hibiscus water.  My mom chose a regular bottle of water to go with her chicken taco.

Cooking the tongue

Warming the tortilla and adding the veggies

The tacos were made in front of us on the griddle of the taco stand.  Once they were finished, we had to find someplace to settle and eat, so we opted for the curb around the corner, across from Chicken Latino.

Mmmm, Chicken Latino…yucca fries…plantains…

My taco was delicious – not quite as delicious as the unique chicken and apple taco from Smoke, but it was a classic – fresh, warm corn tortilla, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, lime zest, onions…and of course, tongue.  My mom raved about her taco, too, and commented on how she really liked the lime flavor in her taco.

I told her that lime makes everything better – but honestly, I think that only applies to Hispanic foods.

Hibiscus Water

My hibiscus water was definitely different, but good.  It is like an agua fresca, but the flavor is hard to describe – kind of grapey, kind of tropical fruit-ish.  I devoured it quickly, nonetheless.

We ventured down to the Firehouse Farmer’s Market, which is completely outside, and where I was talked into buying horseradish root (I usually buy it jarred and pre-grated).  The winds were crazy, and things were blowing around – and I was pretty cold, so that ended the trip to that venue.  

Horseradish Root

After stopping at a few non-food establishments, we were back at 21^st Street, which meant that it was time for Peruvian deliciousness at Chicken Latino.

There was only one other group there when we arrived (yay!  I’m not a fan of crowds, and the streets were crowded that day).  We were immediately waited on and asked what we would like to drink.  My mom, who has never been to Chicken Latino, followed my lead and ordered Chicha Morada.

Without a doubt, I had to order yucca fries so that my mom could try them (not that I’m addicted to them and the green sauce at all – not at all….), and I wanted to try their fried plantains.

Yucca fries!

My mom liked the Chicha Morada, and she seemed to like the yucca fries with green sauce and mayo just as much as I do.  The plantains were hot (temperature-wise), delicious, and fried to golden perfection.

Fried plantains

 I had already had the ceviche and Peruvian-style chicken before, I needed to try something different, and really, the only thing “authentic” that I haven’t tried is a big-as-your-head quesadilla.  I opted for the vegetarian one, which is made with black beans, rice, and cheese.  

Veggie Quesadilla at Chicken Latino

 I need to learn why my quesadillas at home don’t taste this good.  Maybe I need to add rice to them.

The only piece that I ate there, I swear!

 Ok, so you’re probably thinking that I’m a pig for eating all of this food, but I didn’t eat it all.  I had the taco from Reyna’s, then I had maybe – MAYBE - half of the yucca fries and plantains, but I only ate one piece of the quesadilla there.  See, I had a plan – eat what I could, then take the rest home for my dinner at Kennywood that night, since I was working 5 PM-1 AM.

Like I said before – I’m so smart!

My mom took her leftover chicken quesadilla, the rest of the yucca fries, and the lone leftover plantain home for my brother, who was unable to come with us because he agreed to help out a co-worker by working part of the day for her.  Awwww. 

Chicken Latino never disappoints – even if you can’t make it there, apparently!

There is so much more to say about this trip to The Strip, but the results of some of my other purchases remain to be seen…stay tuned for the next chapter…

Reyna Foods & Reyna’s Taco Shack

2031 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://www.reynafoods.com

Chicken Latino

155 21^st St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://www.chickenlatino.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=699253613466&id=47505581&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/pages/Chicken-Latino/145153807143

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/chickenlatino

The Strip District Website: http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/

Neighbors in the Strip on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=699253613466&id=47505581&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/StripDistrict

Strip District Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StripDistrict