Hola

Hi all,

It’s been a long time. By now, I’m hoping you’ve heard a mumble or two about Clean Plate’s new incarnation, Daily Grub. It’s been a labor of love. Converting this dark, dirty old bar into a shiny, bright, lunch/brunch spot has taken blood, sweat and lots and lots of tears. But after a winter spent in renovation-induced hibernation, I can proudly announce, it’s close!

To celebrate, I’ve taken a sun saturated break from the Omaha winter. (And in an entirely unfair move, Joey has been left at home to keep on keepin’ on with the dirty work of painting and sanding and mudding and taping.) I’ve been on the Playa de Troncones in Guerrero, Mexico for nearly a week now soaking up the local food culture and packing away more than my fair share of sopecitas. Two local cooks in particular have been huge sources of inspiration. Alberta y Inez.

Inez cooks for the casa I have been staying at. Every morning I wake up to the delicious smells wafting from her open-air kitchen – chilequiles, juevos Mexicanos, beans, handmade tortillas, avocado crema.

Alberta has a restaurant in town. Her small ten by twelve foot stall opens onto an alley off Troncones’s main street. Four plastic tables are set in the alleyway for seating and from the stall’s small studio kitchen Alberta serves the most delicious, lovingly prepared food I’ve ever eaten. Her menu changes daily with some exceptions. Tacos, sopesitas y quesadillas are available every day with your choice of barbacoa, chorizo, pollo, or carne asada. The locally made queso in the sopes and the quesadillas is so fresh it’s almost like a crema. And the tortillas. There is something about these hand made corn tortillas, something so comforting. You can taste their ripeness and you can feel the hands that made them, the warm strong hands. These aren’t just tortillas. They are hand sewn maize blankets. Every bite is like being wrapped up in a grandmother’s embrace. It took nearly three days for me to discover Alberta’s. I give all the sand on this beach to have those three days back. Since, her specials have included a mole con pollo, chile relanos and cerveche.

I come back to the states at the end of this week. I’m looking forward to it. I feel so reenergized by this trip, so excited about sharing these new ideas. And that’s what this blog is evolving into. It will become a place where I write about what’s going on with the Daily Grub, but also what I’m eating (and thinking about eating) outside of the restaurant. I’ll share recipes, stories and research and I hope you’ll do the same. Right now, Inez’s avocado crema is on my mind morning, noon and night. I’ve been having it for breakfast over beans or sopped up with a tortilla. Yesterday I wrapped it up with some mango. Last night, I made a black bean soup and topped it with a dollop. That’s definitely a dish that will get on the Grub menu…

Inez’s Avocado Crema

(all quantities to taste)

avocado – ripe and soft

tomatillo or green tomato

jalapeno

garlic

cilantro

salt

Submerge the tomatillos and jalapenos in water and bring to a boil and let them soak for a bit until they are nice and soft. Toss all the ingredients in a blender and puree. It should be a loose, creamy consistency with no lumps. You can serve it heated or cold.

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