Time Well Spent...

Well...now that the craziness is behind me, and the rush is past, I am enjoying some much needed R & R at home with the familia. This is a time when we shut down for the rest of the year to send all of our staff on vacation, do some much anticipated remodeling and cleaning on the old girl and get things back in order before the new year. It is a time that has always found me in the past working Christmas dinner, and then rushing like mad to get set up for the big NY's dinner soiree that we would typically put on at wherever I am cooking at the time. Well...not here. At least this year. I actually took Xmas off! After 11 years. Finally home with the wife and kids. They were ecstatic. At least the kids were! Ha Ha. Yes, my wife was too. Yet, as luck would have it...she had to work! Total bummer dude. Time has been spent hanging out, reading cookbooks, researching recipes and web sites, writing my own blog, working on new menus and the like. One really simple, yet cool thing we did, was to go meet my father-in-law for lunch at a local Mexican joint, which I have long before this determined it is my favorite. I have been going there since it's inception. It is the very popular Taqueria Guaymas in West Seattle. If I have been there once, I have been there a hundred times. Literally. We go there every chance we get. My kids both crave the cuisine facon du amigos who cook there. Recently, I have been ordering the super burrito with carnitas. It is a slow cooked savory goodness, made reality by means of a shredded pork shoulder, which is then grilled crispy and layered with rice, pinto beans cooked soft and rich, onions, sour cream, avocado, some "ranchero" type sauce and a layering of cheese. Sounds pedestrian huh?!? Not even! The flavors are rich, very deep, soothing and succulent and down-right tasty. It's deep flavor captivates your thoughts and for a span of time, enough to consume the beast, you say nothing. Hear nothing. Devour it, you must. And you do. The best thing about this place is that they offer you a salsa bar that is quite possibly the best in the city. They present about 6 or so different salsas, about as authentic as you can find and are simply awesome. I always go for the salsa verde, made rich and clean with tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and onions with a nuance of vinegar, then blended to smooth silkiness, as well as the fire-roasted ancho chile variety done up with garlic, chilies, tomatoes and rich spices. You can feel the "fuego" as it scorches the skins of the pepper, then taste the liveliness as it burns so good. There are as mentioned, quite a few others and equally as tasty, but I tend to leave those for the rest of the diners at my table. The salsa that accompanies the fresh tortilla chips is the best around for basic table "condiment". I am writing about this experience as I think it is just wonderful, and one that should be made public. Nothing fancy, or top shelf, just good, wholesome cooking by some of the local cowboys and not a gringo in sight! Most clientele are from south of the border, or least white center it seems. If you are looking to satisfy that type of craving, and are in this neck of the woods, or in the vicinity of their other stores (white center, downtown etc) for that matter, give it a try...unless you simply do not like that type of juxtaposition of flavors and ingredients, you will not be steered wrong. Until something more exciting is concocted or ingested...that about wraps up the year. Who knows...perhaps New Years Eve will find us cooking something interesting again at home. Afterall...there is some foie in the fridge!