BLOCHO'S TACOS

Granola is not "good for you".  I remember the pangs of disappointment and loss I felt when I learned that my high school go-to-breakfast of bowls filled with granola (a.k.a. Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey bars broken into pieces) was not the breakfast of champions.  Store bought granola is packed with sugar, not to mention all the processed grains, dried fruits etc. Being gluten-free, I have a burning desire to try everything labeled as such and so have had my fair share of unhealthy granolas -- gluten free is not a euphemism for health -- pass through my kitchen (and into my mouth). The options have increased tremendously -- Udi's, Purely Elizabeth, Bare Naked, KIND -- and if you want to find gluten free granola, there is a spectrum of choices and health qualities you can choose from. In an effort to minimize my grocery store spending and maximize the health benefits of my food but still enjoy the sweet delicious crunchy goodness of granola, I set out to make my ow...

As a kid I never ate seafood.  The smell and look of salmon, lobster, swordfish, or whatever ocean / river / fish tank dweller my mom brought home disgusted me.  I used to get bribes to taste the fish -- $1 for a bite of salmon, $5 for a lobster claw -- but nothing seemed to work.  Except mayonnaise, carrots, and celery.  I loved Bumble Bee Tuna out of a can and mixed up into the most delicious tuna salad in the world -- my mom's. With years came maturity and adventurousness and I started eating seafood.  I took the $5 bribe and realized I liked lobster claws, but not the tails.  A tuna avocado roll doused in soy sauce (now gluten-free tamari) and loaded up with pickled ginger was quite delicious. Two sticky situations led me to try shrimp and salmon* and my expected reactions -- immediate hurling -- was dwarfed by the pure enjoyment. Tuna salad will always hold a dear place in my heart at my fish-eating gateway drug.  Combining tuna salad ...

BREAKFAST.....tacos. You don't have to tell me twice.  I believe the breakfast taco originated in Austin, Texas, and has been making moves across the U.S. for year.  The beauty of the breakfast taco is you can make it your own -- a blank corn-tortilla palette.  Like bacon? Prefer chorizo?  Pick your poison. Add it to your taco.  ENJOY. Saveur offered a recipe for a pretty standard "bacon, egg, and cheese" + avocado + potatoes.  What more do you want in a warm breakfast "sandwich"? http://www.saveur.com/breakfast-taco-recipe Go forth and breakfast taco!

In the past 7 years since I've been gluten free, the market has seen a tremendous increase in the number of gluten-free items on the store shelves.  Cookies, pretzels, cereals, breads, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, muffins, crackers...you name it!  Carb-y good ness now comes in all different gluten free shapes and sizes.  It seems like every brand -- from King Arthur Flour to Betty Crocker -- is coming up with a gluten free variation.  I've tried a lot of these products, but if you were to ask me for recommendations, I don't feel super passionate about one over the other.  I tend to grab what is available and have not developed a preference one way or the other.  I would feel OK about this indifference if the items were really the same, but they're not.  Everyone has their own take on gluten free and the blend of flours used typically differ. I made the assumption that the category with the greatest variety in composition and the one where having an op...

Brace yourselves! The post you have all been waiting for! CHIPÁ! What is chipá?  I call it cheesy bread.   According to Wikipedia via Google: " Cheese buns ,   cheese breads,   pão de queijo  or   chipá  are a variety of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls ”. I have a few problems with this definition: 1.       These are not cheese flavored. There is real cheese (and lots of it) in these bad boys. 2.      Cheese bun sounds like a version of a Danish and, again, these are not “flavored” or Danish-like In other South American countries there have variations on chipá so I give kudos to Wikipedia for associating them with Brazil’s popular pão de queijo. I discovered these bundles of joyful deliciousness while dining at Cabaña Las Lilas.  I asked if they had any gluten-free bread and they pointed to the chipá.  I was initially very hesitant because the consistency was li...

I love breakfast. Yes, it's the most important meal of the day, but it's also something that can take on so many shapes and forms.  I'm a big egg person so that tends to be the base of my breakfast, but I'm happy adventuring into the land of pancakes (gluten-free, of course), yogurt parfaits, and other interesting creations. When breakfast and Mexican food come together, I jump for joy. A favorite Mexican dish of mine is "chilaquiles".  El Centro ( http://www.elcentro-nyc.com /) describes Chilaquiles as a "casserole" of tortilla chips and other goodness.  It's not a taste for everyone -- some see it as soggy chips, but I find chilaquiles to be like Mexican comfort food and the perfect dish to have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So, when my favorite meal of the day joins one of my favorite dishes, I cannot resist. This recipe from PureWow for Breakfast Chilaquiles (to get rid of all your Super Bowl leftovers) is spot on.  A bit elaborate...