chileheadmike

Coke made in Mexico of course. No corn syrup.

If you get to Olathe.... I have been going to Mariscos Veracruz just South of the JoCo Jail on Kansas Ave. Lots of seafood, tacos, tortas, stews. The tacos are very similar to Taconazzo in that they are served on two soft corn tortillas. I don't have a menu, but they have cabeza, carnitas, chicken, beef (shredded), and fish. They serve Mexican coke. Although their hours are stated as open until 9, I have been there on a couple of early Monday evenings to find them closed. I highly recommend this place.

I don't recall there being a lot of cheese on anything we had. Some mayo stuff, no cheese.

Zeemanb and I went there about 2 weeks ago. I really like the food. I doubt its traditional anything though. Its like some concoctions I make at 3 am after serious drinking. In a good way,of course.

They were soft, a few crispy bits. But mostly soft. ← Thank goodness. I really hate it when they fry the heck out of brains. It just defeats the whole textural goodness of the product. ← Its head UE, cesos is brains. This was definately not brains. In fact, I did't see them on the menu.

They were soft, a few crispy bits. But mostly soft.

I've done that. I only used a couple of chunks of hickory becase the thing already had a smoke flavor. Didn't seem to add much (cuz it was only a couple chunks) but it did free up oven space and people did like to see it taken off the smoker.

Ok, I'm bringing this back from page 7. I took my daughters to Mariscos Veracruz on Sunday. Its on Kansas Ave in Olathe, about a block South of the JoCo Adult Detention Center (We all know where that is, right?) We were in search of a place to eat after church. We drove past a lot of the Olathe chains that had people hanging out the doors. It was actually Brianne's suggestion that we go here to see if they were even open at 10:30 on a Sunday morning. The window advertises breakfast, but we didn't see anything on the menu that looked like breakfast. Maybe they have a separate menu. The menu is heavy on the seafood, with fish and shrimp tacos, ceviche tostadas, fried fish, and a caldo featuring shrimp and octopus. Server was very friendly and brought us chips with 2 salsas, an average tomato version that both girls liked, and a spicier tomatillo salsa which was excellent. Drink selections include Mexican Coca Cola and Inca Kola plus all the usual stuff. Meghan, my 7 YO wanted chicken nuggets and fries. (The only "American" choice on the menu) She liked it. Brianne had chicken tacos, each taco is two grilled soft corn tortillas, topped with shredded white and dark meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. I ordered tacos de cabeza. Our waiter asked me if I knew what it was and if I was sure. I said yes to both, he said he liked the lengue better but that the cabeza was good. A few minutes later we heard the sound of cleaver hitting wood. I told the girls, "Those are my tacos" which got an immediate "Eeewww". My tacos were the same two tortillas, topped with chopped cabeza, diced onion and cilantro. Lime wedges on the side. The meat was slightly fatty and had plenty of gelatin. I can't recommend them highly enough. I'm definately going to check out the seafood, the tortas, and the caldos.

Great topic. I have two. I've been roasting my own coffee and brewing in a French press. When the hot water hits the freshly ground coffee in the morning and those grounds go crazy and the aroma is released, ahhh now I can go to work. The other is adding hot liquid into roux, then whisking and waiting for that moment when the magic happens.

Not sure about the curing salt but I've gotten hog casings from Bychelmeyer's.

KC Star reported that Stroud's will reopen in Fairway. Good news for chicken lovers. http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/323695.html

Do you happen to remember what other cuts they had of the Piedmontese beef? I'm thinking a nice rib roast would go perfectly with a bottle of Barolo for Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks, Frog ← Most of their stuff was pre-cut and cryovac'd. They did have a wagyu brisket that looked very tempting. I'm sure they would order one for you. I'd call anyway, because, well living in Olathe, they're practically in Iowa.

I think D&D has duck fat. Mcgonigles or Bichlemeyer's may be your best bet for veal bones. I'd definately call first.

Reviving this one. I have a friend looking for good sushi in KC. Is Kaiyo still in biz? If so, can someone tell me where its at? Any other recomendations? Thanks, Mike

Bichelmeyer's at 7th and Cherokee in KCK is the place to go for pork and beef needs. Lot's of Mexican stuff there too (Carnitas and tamales) For fish, the Chinese Market just North and East of the City Market downtown has fresh (live) fish and shell fish. Lots of veggies, canned goods, and Mexican stuff there too.

Ah, 104F in Kansas City on Tuesday. Seemed hotter in between the brick buildings of Westport. I pulled up, parked and walked across the Westport Road with the theme from “After Hours with Daniel” drumming in my head. Walked in, sat down with Judy and Jerry for a great evening of food and conversation. I passed on the wine so I can't comment on that, although Judy was gracious enough to let me have a smell or two of some of the standouts. Amuse- watermelon juice and foam shooter Perfect beginner, sweet with just a slight hint of bitterness. Very fresh, a recurring theme of the night. Hamachi Crudo, Litchi Granita, Sake, Citrus, Ginger One bite. Very fresh and flavorful. This was served over buttermilk. Other than as a medium for breading, I’d never had buttermilk with fish before. Very good. Shrimp, Salmon, Avocado “Roll”- Maybe the best of the evening. We all looked at each other simultaneously with the wow in our eyes. So much flavor in one bite. Wagyu Tartare w/ Black Olive Caramel Jerry forgot to mention the wonderful cherry tomatoes on this. The beef went so well with the olive caramel and the olive salt. The tomatoes provided a nice sweet/acidic counterpoint to the rich meat. At this point Judy asked if Colby was giving the stove the night off. Foie Gras Torchon w/Smoked Plum, Golden Raisins Oh man, butter should have it so good. Rich and satisfying. And, I’m good with the foie gras biscuit thing, but it has to have sausage gravy. Gazpacho, Cucumber, Onion, Tomato, White Gazpacho Emulsion Slightly sour, sweet, with the flavor of cucumber coming through. Very nice after the rich foie gras. Fazzoletti, Italian Sausage, Black Pepper, Cherries, Saba Fat, perfectly cooked house made pasta, the sausage was loaded with fennel. The cherry reduction was not too sweet. A very nice satisfying dish. Walu, Guanciale Yup, rich. I had never heard of this fish before. Our server said it was from Hawaii. Very buttery for a warm water fish. Perfectly cooked and served over white tomatoes and thin, slightly warmed slices of cucumber. A real winner. Berkshire Pork, Soy Caramel, Heirloom Veggies- “and in unison we all said “the shoulder is the best part of the pig” “. Yeah, except it was shank. This one was a little weird, but very good. The meat was in a perfectly formed cube and seared on top. There was some savory spice that I couldn’t put my finger on. I thought allspice, Judy thought fennel (I think) Jerry was too busy sucking down the vino. Colby said it was clove. Definitely not your usual pork dish. Really porky and rich with just a little fat. Tasmanian King Salmon , Braised Sweet Onions, Thane’s Potatoes, Aromatic Vinaigrette- Perfectly cooked salmon. So soft. Yum. Wagyu Striploin, Smoked Potato Puree, Tomato Beignet- At this point I was starting to lose it. Almost tomato overload. But the tomato beignet was amazing. A whole peeled tomato in a lacy beignet crust and given a quick fry. This almost overshadowed the perfectly cooked wagyu steak. Cheese Course- From mild to stinky. The Maytag Blue was very salty and pungent. Good stuff. “Baked Alaska” w/ Yuzu, Lemon, Mint- I’m not a huge fan of meringue and thanks JWest for not overdoing it. Lots of different textures and flavors. And yes, very intense lemon. Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cake, Passion Fruit Curd, Avocado Mousse, Chocolate Sorbet- Very rich without being too sweet, very good. Compressed Melon, Citrus Crisp, Crème Fraiche Sorbet- Very fresh. Just a hint of bitter in the crisp to go with the sweet melon. As Jerry said, a perfect way to end a great meal. Great meal overall. We were treated very well by all. It was the first time I got to meet JWest. It was obvious that he had put a lot of effort and talent into his desserts and it showed. I'm sure he will go far. ETA: Judy, your turn. The "cat ate my homework" excuse is wearing thin.

Only 2 bottles of barbecue sauce? You've been away from KC for too long. My friends and family know I like to 'cue, so I get gift sets of 4 bottles at a single pop. The garage fridge is full of 'em. Of course, most aren't very good but I can't throw them away. Plus my wife and kids rarely look in the fridge to see if there's an open bottle of ketchup so I have several open bottles at any time. Good thing I'm a ketchup bottle half full kind of guy.

Yes, "Lunch" was called "Dinner" and the evening meal was supper. Dinner was served about 5:30 or so.

I grew up in Kansas City and still live here. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents while my parents worked during the day. Dinner was at 11:30 Supper was at 5:30

Barbecue has less to do with the rub/marinade than it does with the time/temp in the smoker. You want cook at 225 to 250 for a long time using charcoal and/or wood. I like hickory for ribs but apple works very well too. Spares will take about 6 hours, baby backs 4 or 5. For my rub, I use a mixture of 1 part kosher salt to 1 part white sugar, add 1/2 part brown sugar, then add chile powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red, white and black pepper, and whatever spices look good. I peel the membrane from the concave side. Sprinkle generously with rub, wrap and let sit over night in the fridge. Next morning I fire up the smoker and cook at 250 for about 5-6 hours. They're done when tender but not falling off the bone.

Cholesterol shmolesterol. I didn't spend all summer growing maters to not have BLT's. Back on the "Healthy Lifestyle" tomorrow.

Doc said I gotta cut down on the cholesterol, so I'm eating much healthier now. Grilled fish tacos for one. Cod pan seared in olive oil with Cumin, Mexican Oregano and a little chile powder. Really good corn tortillas topped with the shredded fish, raw cabbage, and a mixture of onion and cilantro. Side View

Cross Country Nurseries has the plants for $3.00ea. I've been getting chile plants from there for years although I haven't tried this one. http://www.chileplants.com/search.asp?ProductCode=CHIBHJ

Careful what you ask for.... ← OK, Scoville-Boy, you were once a cook at what was then the best restaurant in Lawrence . . . perhaps you can find time between snide remarks to illuminate Dinger? ← Ok Ok, sorry. I just couldn't help myself. We don't get back to Larryville nearly often enough but here's my list of where we go when we do. Unfortunately my favorites (Cornucopia, Tin Pan Ally, and Paradise and Lunch have all closed) Bambino's: I had to take Brianne there because its the site of the old Cornucopia. Not quite the same. Decent pasta served by nice hippies. Free State Brewery: Obvious choice but I've always had good food and beer there. There's a couple of Mexican places we like. One on New Hampshire between 7th and 8th, and one at 23 & Iowa. Both decent but not in the same league as the finer places in KCK. There's a Thai Restaurant where Paradise used to be (I think) where I had the hottest Pad Thai of my life. Wow, at the top of my heat level. Really good, Brianne had a milder version that she really liked.

Careful what you ask for....