Subway Ride to Squash Blossom Quesadillas - Video Review

Ride the Squash Blossom Quesadilla Special from Little Tokyo to Mariachi Plaza with The 99 Cent Chef as your culinary guide.

East L.A. Subway & La Cabanas Restaurant - Video

Play it here. The video runs 6 minutes.

The Chef and his wife rode the rails on opening day, Sunday, for the Gold Line subway extension into East L.A. We got to the train yard on 1st and Alvarado by 10am and easily boarded the gleaming train cars for a ride to the end of the line. L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina was at the East L.A. Civic Center for a ribbon cutting, and right up the hill in the same park was the East L.A. Farmers Market in full swing, alongside a row of white tented food stalls with maddening aromas, and tempting free samples including: fresh roasted peanuts and skewers of Korean BBQ chicken and beef.

After a few samples, the Chef and his wife were ready for a real meal, and we headed to Mariachi Plaza Station on East 1st Street -- it's a Latin restaurant row. We passed bandstands teeming with horn, violin and guitar players belting out passionate Mexican ballads, stalls ladling sweet cups of horchata, and local artisans selling Mexican skull and beer cap boxes along with life-sized skeletons. Quite an eye and earful.

The L.A. Times published a great subway stop restaurant listing in its Wednesday Food Section, so we had a lot to choose from. You can see the listing online here. Goat stew at Birriera Jalisco? No way the Chef's wife would go for that; that's a future solo trip. Upscale classic Mexican cuisine at La Serenata de Garibaldi? Too expensive for this chintzy chef. Squash blossom quesadillas and sheep tacos at hole-in-the-wall Taqueria Las Cabanas? Bingo!

Located two blocks away from Mariachi Plaza at 1908 3/4 E. 1st Street, Taqueria Las Cabanas Restaurant is a small red room with about 10 tables, and no menu was offered. On the wall are food entree pictures and a list of their specialties, including quesadillas served in handmade fresh pressed corn tortillas. These tender yellow-hued corn discs are thicker and larger than store bought, but somehow taste lighter. The fresh grilled flavor is subtle, like tamale masa.

The Times article recommended squash blossom quesadillas and we bit. Boy, were they fantastic, and well worth $3 apiece. The delicate squash blossoms paired perfectly with melty cheese and soft fresh corn tortillas. Squash is not subtle -- the blossoms are. Our waitress, Maria, says her family has a garden and picks them fresh.

Along with the quesadillas, we ordered Sheep Tacos for $1.75. The rich, earthy meat is shredded but still chunky, slow-cooked tender, and almost sweet -- simply delicious to this mutton-loving Chef. The taco is topped with chopped onion and cilantro; spicy red and green chile sauce is set out on the tables. Maria and Juana were kind enough to allow the Chef into their kitchen to see the tortillas rolled, pressed and grilled -- Juana makes quick work of it -- and the kitchen is filled with intoxicating smells of grilling meat and simmering soups. This Chef will be back this way for more.

The Chef and his wife have been to all the free subway/train first day rides on each opening day. Underground from Hollywood to Downtown L.A. in 1999; above ground from Union Station, through Chinatown, to Pasadena in 2003; and now underground and above, from Little Tokyo to East L.A., this past Sunday. The future of our great metropolis depends on all manner of mass transit.

Was it too expensive to build, yes; is it clean, quick and comfortable, yes -- does it disrupt neighborhoods and fall short, yes; does it allow for convienent connectivity to disparate communites, yes -- and finally, to this citywide-neighborhood-exploring Chef, is it the right thing to do? It is. I can't wait until the Downtown to Culver City Metro Line, with a stop just 5 city blocks from my front step, is completed; you can be sure we will be riding it on opening day, and that I'll be prepping a personal 99 Cent Chef Neighborhood Dining Guide for the occasion!

Taqueria Las Cabanas Restaurant
1908 3/4 E. 1st St.
phone: 323) 261-8384
Squash Blossom Quesadilla: $3
Sheep Taco: $1.75

Click here to view or embed from youtube.

Deal of the Day - Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs

It's semi-truth in advertising. They got the pasta right, and the meatballs with cream gravy, too. But where's that 'Swedish' flavoring? This dish must have been kitchen committee- tested to death, because there are no discernible seasonings except salt. I think I tasted a smidgen of Worcestershire sauce and some onion powder, but that is about it. Normally, you get minced onion and nutmeg-permeated meatballs -- I know this because I made "Ingmar Bergman Swedish Meatballs" last April and have eaten enough times in Ikea's cafeteria to be familiar with them.

This Lean Cuisine entree is still a good Deal of the Day: the serving is substantial, compared to the usual minuscule portions, and I like the substitution of pasta for typical boiled red potatoes. You do get five filling small meatballs, the pasta is tender, and the cream gravy is rich tasting. It's just a little bland for 'Swedish' meatballs -- if you are going to call it that, then try to get the flavor right.

I am a fan of Lean Cuisine because this Chef has to watch his figure, when he makes his appearances on the small computer screen. This frozen entree microwaves more evenly than normal, and there is enough gravy to coat all of the pasta. Plus, this dish is bland enough to appeal to the pickiest meatball-loving kid.

On The 99 Cent Chef's scale of 0 to 9, 9 being best, I give Lean Cuisine's Swedish Meatballs With Pasta a 5. I picked some up at this 99c only Store and tweeted about it Monday. I have the feeling they may linger in the frozen deli case until their expiration date.

Black Olive Tapenade with Crostinis - Appetizer

OK, it's just canned, drained and chopped black olives with oil on toast. A French appetizer, tapenade is typically made with capers, black olives, anchovies and olive oil. Just put it all in a food processor until it's the consistency of hot dog pickle relish.

Crostini is Italian for "little toast" made with olive oil, salt and pepper. The Chef's latest appetizer recipe is sophisticated and simple, like a black evening dress -- a perfect party starter.

Black Olive Tapenade is a quick budget appetizer that you can make your own. There are many variations that the Mediterranean region has adapted -- so feel free to do the same. If you have sun-dried tomatoes in oil, add it; don't like anchovies, leave them out; capers too expensive, add a little chopped garlic instead; got some window-box herbs, add a few sprigs.

This versatile appetizer can be served on your favorite cracker or cut pita triangles. It even goes well as an extra topping on The 99 Cent Chef's Pita Pizzas.
Black olives are a favorite budget item this black-tie-avoiding Chef never tires of.

Ingredients for Tapenade (serves 4)
1 15oz. can of pitted black olives - drained
1/3 cup of olive oil*
Pepper to taste

All the following ingredients are optional -- use any or all.

3 large sun dried tomato halves with oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic - jar or fresh
1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - including parsley, sage or oregano
1 tbsp. capers - drained
1 whole anchovy from can
1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard



Crostini
2 French rolls - 6 inch size or just 1/2 loaf - sliced.
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle bread slices with olive oil and salt and pepper. Toast in oven or toaster oven for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Directions for Tapenade
Simple, just combine all the ingredients you have on hand and blender, or food process, until finely chopped. Ready to serve on Crostini toast, crackers or pita triangles. You can prepare way ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
*Ok to use less olive oil, too.

Roasted Pumpkin alla Fusilli

Stop! Don't throw that pumpkin away yet! The 99 Cent Chef has a delicious way to use the parts without melted candle wax -- a vegetarian delight of roasted pumpkin with fusilli (pasta). Roasted and scraped from the skin, the pumpkin's soft flesh is sweeter baked than boiled, and the color is a richer orange, too. Baked pumpkin is drier, so the pasta sauce will be chunkier, like mashed potatoes, and wedge itself in the coils of fusilli. This is a tasty and intense pasta sauce needing only a few more ingredients.

Stir roasted pumpkin into sauteed onion and garlic, then make it all sweeter with 99 cent white wine. Yes, white wine is back at 99c only Stores, and of the Italian variety! I tweeted about it two days ago. The drought is over! White wine is generally too sweet for this chef's palate, but the Fattoria il Palagio chardonnay is dry, just the way I like it - I bought a case and a half. The other Italian wine is Terre Palladiane, a pinot grigio, and it's sweeter, so I added a cup of it to the pumpkin sauce. Call your local 99c only Store first to see if there's any left; these Italian wines are worth every penny and I'm sure it will fly off the shelf.

The 99 Cent Chef would like to thank Mario Batali for the basic recipe concept; however, I think I improved it considerably with roasting and the addition of white wine. I also left out hot red chile flakes.

Of course, you can use acorn or butternut squash -- hey, try any type unique to your area, and tell the Chef how it works out. My recipe below serves four; if you used canned squash for a smaller serving, just cut other ingredients in half.
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
4 cups of roasted pumpkin (butternut or acorn squash, or from the can).
1/2 chopped onion
1 tbsp. chopped garlic - fresh or from jar
2 tbsp. olive oil for roasting
1 tbsp. olive oil for sauteed onion and garlic
1 cup of 99 cent white wine - ok to substitue with any stock or pasta water
1 package of fusilla pasta - you can use any type of pasta you have, even speghetti.
1/4 cup of 99 cent dried cheese blend or any parmesan you have on hand, to finish dish.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Break apart pumpkin, remove seeds and stringy membrane. Lay out cleaned pieces on a couple of flat cookie-type pans. Drizzle olive over both sides of pumpkin, salt and pepper, and turn all pieces flesh-side down with outer skin showing. This will keep the flesh from totally drying out. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour -- for thin skinned squash check after 45 minutes, it may be cooked enough. Remove from oven and allow to cool down. In a large bowl, spoon out the roasted flesh from the skin. Due to roasting, the flesh will brown and even blacken. Remove the most blackened bits but keep the rest; it adds color and contrast to pasta sauce. Go ahead and taste how sweet the pumpkin is. You can serve it just like this, with a little butter of course, or puree with stock and cream for a soup. OK to freeze any you do not use.

Boil water for pasta and follow cooking directions. I reduce time for al dente pasta.

In a large pan, saute chopped onion and garlic in 1 tbsp. of oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add 4 cups of roasted pumpkin (or canned) and pour in 1 cup of white wine, broth or pasta water. Mix well, but leave pumpkin chunky. Heat through for about 5 minutes more until hot. Mix in cooked pasta and dried cheese blend or parmesan.

El Pique Taco Truck - Video

The Chef is a trickster -- about to scare you up a frightening tasty taco review on this Halloween day - made with shocking and chilling cuts of meat! My final video on moveable feasts for the month of October features a taco truck from the "old school".

Pile on the salsa roja on tacos served at Highland Park's El Pique Taco Truck -- their fiendishly fiery salsa can raise the dead! Let your little ghouls and goblins have their bag of candy; this Chef prefers to feast on a platter of Tacos de Cabeza (head), Tacos de Lengua (tongue), and let's not forget the slow cooked Tacos de Buche (intestines)! The chunks of lengua are a little chewy, the buche is light and delicate and the cabeza meat is fall-off-the-forehead tender.

Walking down York Boulevard on Halloween Day in this East L.A. community, I walk past a sidewalk Day of the Dead altar loaded down with skull candles, fruit, flowers, plates of food and airline bottles of tequila. But the altar of epicurean delights known as El Pique Taco Truck is a block away, at the corner of Avenue 53 next to a car wash, and The 99 Cent Chef genuflects at the ordering window.

Have you ever tried tongue or head? Don't be a scared-y cat! Cabeza is surprisingly tender -- meat scraped from a cow's skull, and lengua is gamy but tasty. Of the two, tongue takes some getting used to. I still recoil from the first spongy bite, but quickly settle in and enjoy -- one must face their dining demons head-on!

The Chef first heard about El Pique Taco Truck from reading Jonathan Gold's column in The LA Weekly and decided to finally try it. This Chef has been around the block a few times taco truck dining, so, while not disappointed, I have had as good. The carnitas & carne asada are fine, while the al pastor (bbq pork) takes getting used to. I like the pork charred and crunchy; here it is damp and saucy -- different for sure, but an interesting variation. I prefer mine shaved off a fiery spit and crispy. The buche (intestine) is not deep-fried like I am used to; again, I miss the chewiness. Sorry Jonathan, your praise is misdirected -- as right down the street, on Eagle Rock Boulevard, is Rambo Taco Truck, which prepares al pastor and buche my favorite way (see my short video for info by clicking here) -- to each his own.

El Pique Taco Truck - Video

Play it here. The video runs 2 minutes.

The locals are lucky to have El Pique. The tacos are tasty, and garnished with slices of radish and wedges of lime. I would stop there any time I was in the hood.

Click here for a map. Hours are all day and late into the evening.
The address is 5300 York Boulevard in Highland Park, CA 90042.
Tacos are $1.25 including tax. You can ask for salsa toppings mild or hot.

Click here to embed or view video on youtube.

Nom Nom Truck Rainy Day Video & Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe

A rainy day in Los Angeles will not keep this penny-pinching Chef from a lunch-truck-run for a 12-inch Banh Mi Sandwich from Nom Nom. Now, that is literally a mouthful of a sentence -- good luck finishing one of these whoppers in a single sitting. The 99 Cent Chef picked a damp day to shoot his latest lunch truck video and was amply rewarded with a huge and tasty $5 sandwich. This ain't no Subway - it's a whole lot better. L.A.'s latest addition to its booming taco truck culture is the neon green Nom Nom Truck, specializing in a Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi, pronounced "bun me." The truck was started last month by three UCLA alumni who were fans of, and inspired by, Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck (which the Chef video reviewed earlier-- click here).

These French-influenced unique and tasty sandwiches are filled with a bountiful mix of unusual ingredients including: sweet pickled slivers of carrot and diakon, sliced cucumber, jalapenos, and bbq pork, all on a crunchy baguette slathered with pate, mayo and butter. A standout is the rice flour baguette. Make sure to spread the sandwich's paper wrapping wide because your first bite will scatter shards of crunchy crust in all directions. The bread is incredibly light and springy - a satisfying start to a complex sandwich journey: from crunchy tangy veggies and tender sweet bbq pork, to spicy slices of jalapeno and rich earthy pate.

You can get Lemongrass Chicken along with a Vegetarian Tofu and, of course, they carry tacos, Vietnamese style, with the same fillings for $2.50 each, or 2 tacos for $4.

In the Chef's latest taco truck video, Nom Nom co-owners David Stankunas and Misa Chien will entertain you by describing their Bahn Mi Sandwich and also take your order. It is a real hands-on operation. Rain or shine, this Chef will pull over for their Banh Mi Sandwich anytime.

Nom Nom's truck hours vary - they are usually closed on Sunday.
Visit their Twitter feed here to learn their current location, and to see the website for a complete menu and more - click here

Nom Nom Vietnamese Truck - Video

As a bonus, The 99 Cent Chef shows you how to make your own Banh Mi Sandwich at home. Now, it will not be as good as Nom Nom Truck's, but it will be quite tasty. What makes this sandwich unique is the julienned vegetables soaked in vinegar and sugar. They retain their freshness and add a sweet slaw flavor to this sandwich.

Banh Mi Sandwiches can come filled with many types of meat, even cold cuts. I made a simple marinade that works for sauteing sliced chicken and pork cutlets, ground pork, beef, chicken or turkey - all are inexpensive cuts of meat. Instead of pate, I used liverwurst, which tastes similar. Carrots and cucumber are inexpensive at any market. Go totally vegetarian and substitute the meat with sauteed tofu (and leave out pate, of course). Regular French rolls work well; if you have access to a local bakery, even better.

The one tricky ingredient is diakon radish, usually found at Asian Markets. If you can find it, use it. What I did was spoon out the seeds from a cucumber, and thinly slice the white flesh as a substitute for diakon. It works quite well. Cilantro adds a coolness to contrast with a few slices of jalapeno - I've made these sandwiches without both, though.

Once you have the veggies in the marinade, it is just a quick stir fry for the meat, and everything is ready to simply assemble.

Ingredients (4 sandwiches)
12 oz. or 1 lb. breakfast sausage - OK to substitute chopped chicken, pork cutlets, ground chicken or turkey; for vegetarian, saute 1 package of tofu. And for a "no cooking" method, just use your favorite cold cuts.
4 French rolls -each about 6 inches in length.
Liverwurst or pate (optional) - enough to smear on one side of French roll.
Mayo for bread

Stir Fry Sauce
1/4 onion - chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chopped garlic - from jar or fresh
2 tbsp. lime or lemon juice - fresh or from bottle
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. oil for sliced chicken or pork cutlets, or ground turkey and chicken.
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet Pickled Veggie Topping
1 large cucumber - shredded or thinly chopped. Use white flesh (scoop out seeds with a spoon), and OK to leave green skin on.
If you use diakon, then thinly slice cucumber, seeds and all, to add to sandwich last, like you would with a sliced tomato.
1 large carrot - shredded or thinly chopped
1 bunch of cilantro (optional) - remove stems
1/2 cup rice vinegar (any vinegar will do)
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water or enough to just cover shredded veggies.

Directions for Veggie Topping
Chop or shred cucumber, carrot and diakon (optional). In a large bowl add veggies with sugar, vinegar and water - mix well. Let set for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain out liquid before adding to sandwich.

Directions for Banh Mi Sandwiches
Saute meat, onion and garlic until meat is done, about 10 minutes. Pour in lemon or lime juice, soy sauce and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of sugar, mixing well. Cook a few more minutes to evaporate liquid. You may need to drain meat mixture of grease, depending how lean sausage is (tofu, chicken or pork cutlets are lean and ready to serve on French rolls, once cooked).

To assemble sandwiches, first split French roll, leaving it connected on one side. Tear out some of the bread on the inside of the round top side, so it will hold the sausage. Smear mayo and liverwurst (or pate) on inside of rolls. Add meat and top with picked sweet veggies (make sure to drain them first) and cilantro. Finally sprinkle in a few slices of jalapeno, if you can take the heat.

Click here to embed or view video on youtube.

Los Angeles' MacArthur Park Food Carts - Video

A cake left out in the rain is not the only food item in L.A.'s infamous MacArthur Park. On weekends, a cornucopia of carts featuring Mexican-style cuisine line the sidewalks of this park. Everything from hot corn on the cob slathered in butter, to grilling bacon-wrapped hot dogs, cups of fresh sliced fruit, and to quench your thirst: sweet tropical juice over fresh shaved ice. With these tasty treats in hand, sit on the expansive lawns under shade trees and watch the kids in colorful uniforms kick around a soccer ball.

Located at the intersection of Alvarado St. and Wilshire Blvd., this park has been upgraded and is now filled on weekends with families picnicking and socializing. A bustling sidewalk vendor culture thrives here. The food carts are hand-made, the signs hand-lettered, and the cart wheels are a little wobbly. You won't see $100,000 groovy lunch trucks parked around here, that's for sure. Now we're not talking healthy food fare, but the cuisine is well prepared and tasty for an every-once-in-a-while splurge -- and the prices are right for this chintzy chef.

Before bacon became hip -- before it started turning up in everything from bacon brownies to garnishing a martini -- bacon was the smell that drew you to a Mexican sidewalk vendor browning bacon-wrapped hot dogs, on the way to your parking lot after a wine-soaked musical evening in The Hollywood Bowl.

Sidewalk chefs in MacArthur Park saute and sell a jumbo bacon-wrapped hot dog with grilled onion and bell pepper, topped with a huge green chile, for $2.50; and the chaser is a large cup of sweet mango nectar over hand-shaved ice for $2.

That is what the Chef filmed on his Sunday afternoon visit. A perfect caloric diversion for a balmy and warm L.A. fall afternoon. Sit back and watch The 99 Cent Chef's video visit to lively and colorful MacArthur Park.

MacArthur Park Food Carts - Video

Play it here. The video runs 3 minutes.

To see the Chef's "cake left out in the rain" reference mentioned in the intro, click here for Donna Summer's verson of Jimmy Webb's 8 minute
40 second song opus "MacArthur Park", just click here.

Address: 2230 W. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Click here for map - Corner of Alvardo St. & Wilshire Blvd.
Phone: (213) 368-0520
Open 7 days a week during daylight hours - 8:30am to 6pm

Click here to embed or view video on youtube.