gulfporter

@rotuts Love that Dorot garlic....used to only find in Trader Joe's, but in Tucson I get it at another (closer to home) grocery (Safeway). You can search for stores that carry it, here: https://dorotgardens.com/where-to-find/ Their ginger I found a tad too mild. I keep ginger in freezer and micro-plane it while still frozen and that works for me.

Mi esposo lost 20 pounds after his femur fracture, subsequent open surgery and hospitalization. He didn't regain his appetite for a several weeks (we think due to pain meds). He was thin to begin with, 6' 1" at 160 lbs. At 140 he looked positively emaciated. He's now at 146, wants to regain his weight slowly. PT has helped his leg muscles regain strength (did you know that for every week you are bedridden or chair-bound that it takes a month to rebuild unused muscles?). He was bedridden 3 weeks and now is 2 1/2 months post surgery. His surgeon has gradually increased his weight-bearing and he's now at 50% but allowed 70% during PT. Mostly in a wheelchair (for speed around the house) and a walker. He started using a cane minimally this past week with his therapist along side. Last night he was hungry and wanted a potato hash and his wish was my command.

A Mexican Zinfandel from Baja, Valle de Guadalupe. Good strong wine.

Grilled Salmon Nicoise Salad. Unfortunately most of the good stuff is hidden by the salmon. Lots of creamy little white potatoes, locally grown green beans, excellent cured black olives from Spain.

I stopped at Walmart in Tucson this week. Eggs were plentiful; dozen large were $4.97.

Bucatini with hot Italian sausage ragú.

Open a pouch and pour onto a paper plate and look for bugs, dead or alive. If none, bake.

Spanish Red. Didn't see that it was a Tempranillo until I read back label when uncorking. Very very nice wine for 180 pesos (under 9 bucks including tax).

I had to look up what Benedictine was on a sandwich. My original thought was that it was spiked with Benedictine brandy/liqueur 🍹

We're hitting 80 daily now, so time to switch to cold sides with our proteins. Grilled and blackened salmon with a quick mango salad.

It paired very well with grilled and blackened salmon.

This is an odd white, at least to me. A Chilean blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere. I associate Carmenere with reds as it's a pretty standard red sold here and stocked at many restaurants as the house red.

Tempranillo is my go-to red in Mexico as they are easy to come by and run between 200-300 pesos. This one is from Toledo, one of the first cities we visited in Spain back in the 1980s. Almost drove down a flight of stairs thinking the road continued on. Yes it's a tourist town, but like most tourist towns, once the day trippers leave, it's magical.

Pappardelle with rosemary, shallot, guanciale and bleu cheese.

For the record, the pinotage paired very well with the paella which in addition to seafood contained chicken and Mexican chorizo). The paella was delivered from one of our favorite chefs here. His father is French (immigrated here after his classical training in France) and his mother is Mexican. He worked side by side with his father at a Country Club here. When the pandemic closed the dining room, his father and mother retired back in France. The son began cooking out of his home while restaurants were closed. After the pandemic he decided he preferred being at-home with his wife and young kids. He has an interesting concept that works for us He publishes his menu for the entire upcoming week at his FB page. He normally has 2 meals per day. Some favorites are repeated often (his French dishes are our faves), and he'll also offer up some new ones. I've been following him for 2+ years and never saw paella before this week. His portions are huge; we share one dish when we order; prices reasonable, the paella was 260 pesos, under $13 USD including all taxes (though we tip the deliverer). He's always been on time with deliveries.

I had it 'straight' last night, not with a meal. I judge wines by how they go with food. Tonight's Valentine's dinner is a delivery of paella, so I'll drink the pinotage with it. I have had this wine in the past (I remembered the name/label). I shop at a small liquor store near my home in Ajijic. Mexicans' interest in wines is on the rise, but this store is 75% tequilas and other hard liquors. This is true of all nearby liquor stores. Years ago it was 95% liquors to wine. Many only stocked 1 red, 1 white behind the cash register. Specific wines come and go but kudos to the owners for always having a nice mix of EU, South American, Mexican and others (this pinotage is South African).

Starting to get a complex here as the only one opening a new bottle every other day. I stepped up my Wine Game due to mi esposo's fractured femur in late December; he is only 30% weight-bearing at the 2 month mark so all meals are at home, though many via delivery or carryout. What we are saving on restaurant wine prices I am adding to my liquor store budget. Cheers! 😀🍷 This is a South African Pinotage. Strong but with fruity tones, plum in particular.

I saw this Portuguese vinho verde today, and I grabbed it.

In small tiendas eggs are sold loose and by weight. Though we see more cardboard cartons in the supermercados. I priced dozen-sized cartons today and the average was 40 pesos (under 2 bucks USD). Saw some as low as 34p and some as high as 50p (in more modern hard plastic cartons).

For white wines I stick with Chile though if I see a vino verde from Portugal I grab it. Good taste, even better memories.

Mexican wines used to be out of my price range. But as vineyards have grown and bottling has increased, many are now in my comfort zone price-wise. The current exchange rate helps, too. This very drinkable Sangiovese from Dolores Hidalgo in the state of Guanajuato. It was 265 pesos. Dolores Hidalgo has always been famous for its talavera and is where I bought my first set of dishes in 2008 and where I bought a talavera toilet in 2017.

Gnocchi with guanciale, shallot cream sauce topped with blackened grilled shrimp.

I never have. I tuck a kitchen towel in my waistband.

WOW!!!

There is nary a city, town or village Plaza in Central Mexico that is not lined with Indian Laurel trees. And all are trimmed in this fashion. Should I snag a few leaves to dry when I walk through my Ajijic Plaza???