WHAT ABOUT FOOD!@#$!

Tuition: $300
Beginning Algebra:$130
An Introduction to Psycology: $90
The Presense of Other: $60
A Lesson Before Dying: $43
Philosophy: A Text: $99
My much awaited "lunch's around Pasadena"?: $0....a week, if i'm lucky!

"It will all be worth it in the end?

...will it really?

From Elago to a Purple Tlayuda: La Gastronomia del Mexico D.F

My dad decided to have a last minute vacation to Mexico City, if anyone was wondering. And in an attempt to make it a REAL vacation, I left my laptop at home.

Y la gastronomia? (the food?)

Well, I didn't really eat in an actual restaurant much seeing how there is so many artisans vending truly comida casera(homemade street food.) From purple corn Tlayudas, a kind of Gordita stuffed with either lard seasoned pureed fava or pinto beans and topped with stewed nopal strips (cactus strips), mesquite grilled fresh ears of corn sold off of carts with little bbq's on them or even smoked sweet potatoe's sweetened with Pilloncillo (brown sugar). And of course the occasional chapulin(grasshoper) here and there.

But when I did decide to eat out...I ate out, in Elago of Chapultepec. Apparently, Mexico's most expensive restaurant! (should of done more research!). The food was....well...sadly overlooked. It is more a case of lexury, extreme lexury might I add (For the first time, I truly felt out of place here; my scraggly, long haired self in a restaurant of that stature). The plate of Barracuda Tikin-Xac(Barracuda marinated with Achiote and Roasted in a Banana Leaf) was definetely not worth the 2+ hour expedition it took rummaging the forest of Chapultepec for it, the Chilaquliles Dulces were interesting though.

Tao on the other hand was a whole different strory. Mexico's only fully Macrobiotic establishment, the japanese style and all. I thought I had that whole "enjoy every morsel of food" thing down, but then I came here-the relaxing japanese music, the low Kotatsu tables just inches away from my face, the different courses of TOOTHSOME healthy food, not "cardboard" -easily my new favorite restaurant at the moment. Especially for that chewy, Pastel de Higo (Fig Cake), incorporating both fresh and dried figs for t that perfect texture and sweetness.

Oh Mexico, when will I be back.

Elago Restuarante
Chapultepec Lake, Chapultepec Forest
Mexico D.F

Centro Macrobiótico Tao Cozumel
76, Col. Roma. Mexico, D.F.
06700

Taking a Vato for some Dim Sum: Elite Restaurant

Living in East L.A basically leaves you stuck with extremely limited dining options; (1) Stay home and put together whatever foods you feel like concocting. (2) Go out to eat a Taco, Burrito or some other greasy Ameri-Chinese-Mexican options kicked up a notch with Tapatio. or (3) Busting a mission to wherever you feel like venturing to.

I usually opt for option 1, even though I would love to do 3 more often.

So anyone that's lived in East L.A all their life and still be willing to eat a Red Clam and Shark Fin Dumpling or Steamed Taro cake at 10:00 in the morning...certainly earns my respect.

As a token of gratitude for guiding my almost-lost friend to register in East Los Angeles College, he decided to take me out to go eat. And since Elite was only a couple of blocks away and i never did finish that post I started on the 2nd day they were Elite (way before Virbila went!). My friend was in for quite a ride.

I tried not to go too crazy with the food: Some chewy Pan Fired Rice Cake laced with sausage bits, some snow ball like Sweet Oatmeal Buns as soft as cotton filled with jet black sesame paste. But I did get Baked Duran Pie and Baked Scallop and Turnip Cake with these buttery, flakey crusts that would make any Croissant look like a slice of Wonderbread ; and he actually checked off the little boxes next to Steamed Spare Ribs with Garlic and Black Bean Sauce, whose garlic-sity was one of the highest I've encountered in my life and some milky Sweet Mango Pudding too.

And to my surprise, he liked everything, shark fins and all. Well except the Steamed Taro Cake topped with chopped up Pork Belly, even though it had that familiar breakfast combination (taro kind of like a potato, pork belly kind of like bacon). I think the unfamiliar purple shade was just too much for him.

If he liked it, you can imagine just how good everything was.

Elite Restaurant
700 S. Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park;
(626) 282-9998

Hard Times Are 'A Comin...

Well, I'm finally starting college as a full time student...along with all the fees, books and tuition.

My brother (a very, very for granted grubstaker) is off devouring the best steaks in his life and to top it off...I don't work.

It's been about a week since my last eating adventure (some more ban cuon) and I barely had enough pennies for that.

Looks like I'm due for some much heard-about "real life" experiences ahead.