Camping, Princess Style

[Smithy]

55 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

I'm showing my age here, but do you remember when tables in "ladies' tea rooms" had hooks on the corners so you could hang your purse there? That was the equivalent of the perchera. As to the spelling, I've only just heard the word, not read it. And it may be the feminine form because it's primarily for women's purses, less so for men's hats. In many ways it's really a miniature coat rack, isn't it? Spanish uses many words in different ways--very economical. Context is very important when using the same word to mean something different. 

 

I have a dim memory of those table hooks, but I was much too young (and not well enough behaved) to be a young lady!

 

While I have your attention, @Nancy in Pátzcuaro: I'm about to go on a hunt for Mennonnite cheese. I've learned that it's a Chihuahuan specialty. You're considerably farther south than that, but I wonder how widespread that cheese is. Do you get other states' specialty cheeses? Does Michoacán have a specialty cheese of its own?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1 hour ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

I'm showing my age here, but do you remember when tables in "ladies' tea rooms" had hooks on the corners so you could hang your purse there?

HA!   Do you remember when the backs of counter seats. like in Woolworth's lunch counters, had little push-button thingies that grabbed and held the brim of your hat?

[Smithy]

My darling is in burger nirvana: he's eaten hamburgers THREE DAYS IN A ROW!

 

I didn't show you the Burger King whoppers we ate in Deming. We'd finished our shopping and were faced with a 35-mile drive back, and were too hangry to think straight. They were filling. He claims it was his first burger in months, not counting our Superburgers. He adored it. The next day we were in Palomas, and you've seen that burger. Yesterday I finally convinced him that we should have a late lunch at the Patio Cafe.

 

The Patio Cafe is a small place across the street from the public library. It has a great reputation. Problem is, it's only open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Our recent experiences notwithstanding, we don't usually have large meals in midafternoon. I convinced him that we needed to try it. 3 burgers in 3 days convinced him.

 

This sight startled us when we pulled up to park.

 

 

How long has it been since you've seen a working pay phone?

 

The Patio Cafe shares a building with the Tumbleweed Theater, which occasionally still features shows (of the stage type, not the screen type) although it isn't the going concern it once was. Still, there's a side entrance from the Patio Cafe's courtyard to the theater.

 

 

It was too blustery to want to sit outside. In we went. (I shot this just before we left. The place was full when we went in.)

 

 

@heidih, I wish I'd seen your speculation about oilcloth before we went here. I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff as we saw at The Pink Store. It probably is oilcloth, but now I can't go back to check!

 

Eventually the waitress came over to greet us. It was already 2:20 and we apologized for coming in so late. Was it too late to get something, given that their closing time was 3? No, she said, but it had been a very busy day and they were out of almost everything: pork, chicken, soup...the litany went on. We said we'd come in for burgers. She brightened. "That we can do!" She gave us menus.

 

 

My darling's face fell when he spotted the pork tenderloin on this next page. He'd love to have tried it.

 

 

When he looked at the burger list, he brightened right up again.

 

 

"We'll have to stay here another 2 weeks so we can try everything!" he quipped.

 

We placed our orders. Our waitress told us we'd gotten the last two burgers! They really HAD run out of inventory, and they'd had to turn another potential customer away.

 

While we waited, we discussed the decor. American kitsch, I think I'd call it.

 

 

Our lunches were HUGE.

 

Wildcat Burger, with tots, for me.

 

 

Green chile cheeseburger, with fries, for him.

 

 

The table had mustard and ketchup, and the waitress brought us mayonnaise when we asked. My darling kept wondering what his burger was missing, and finally decided it had been Miracle Whip. We hadn't thought to ask for that. I don't know if she could have provided it. 

 

The onion slices were a bit skimpy, but these burgers were massive anyway.

 

 

We shared a few tots and fries with each other, and he was good enough to give me his pickles. He ate his entire burger, but brought fries home. I ate all my tots, but brought about half the burger home. I just finished it for a late breakfast. Even half of it was huge!

[ElsieD]

I too am married to a burger fanatic.

[kayb]

22 hours ago, Smithy said:

Palomas, Chihuahua is the border town just 3 miles south of our current camping spot. We don't know the town well, but have made a point to visit every time we've stayed here for a few days. It's easy: park for $5 in the lot on the U.S. side, walk across the border. Make sure you have your passport first! We're never checked when going into Mexico, but prefer not to test the effort required to get back into the U.S. without them.

 

This memorial on the inbound side has changed since our last visit a year or two ago. When we first started coming, the memorial plaque was in Spanish. The poster at the base was probably added when the plaque was changed. 

 

 

On the outbound side, this beautiful sinuous plaque lines the wall. Some of the places mentioned have changed (Martha's Place in Columbus, for instance) but it was never intended as an actual map. I've been told that the reflection on the sidewalk when the sun is low is stunning, but I've never made the trip that late in the day to enjoy it.

 

 

Here's an explanation of the artwork:

 

 

There are other signs of continued cross-border harmony and cooperation. This isn't the place to discuss them, but it's nice to see.

 

Our destination lay a few blocks south of the border crossing.

 

 

It has a marvelous shop and a wonderful restaurant. I'll show you the interior of both later, but here are photos of the menu. Sorry one of them is so fuzzy, but you should be able to read the bold print. What would you have ordered?

 

 

Pollo mole! Love a good mole sauce. It’s also marvelous on eggs, either scrambled or fried. I used to get tamales at the farmer’s market and serve them with eggs for breakfast, mole drizzled over the whole thing.

 

4 hours ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

I'm showing my age here, but do you remember when tables in "ladies' tea rooms" had hooks on the corners so you could hang your purse there? That was the equivalent of the perchera. As to the spelling, I've only just heard the word, not read it. And it may be the feminine form because it's primarily for women's purses, less so for men's hats. In many ways it's really a miniature coat rack, isn't it? Spanish uses many words in different ways--very economical. Context is very important when using the same word to mean something different. 

 

I have a dear friend who carries a ginormous purse and refuses to put it on the floor. She carries a hook, something like a Christmas stocking hanger, and hooks it on the edge of the table.

[heidih]

30 minutes ago, kayb said:

Pollo mole! Love a good mole sauce. It’s also marvelous on eggs, either scrambled or fried. I used to get tamales at the farmer’s market and serve them with eggs for breakfast, mole drizzled over the whole thing.

 

 

I have a dear friend who carries a ginormous purse and refuses to put it on the floor. She carries a hook, something like a Christmas stocking hanger, and hooks it on the edge of the table.

On mole - I find it interesting that many see it as a single sauce when there are so many different ones with their own unique complexities. All worth exploring  https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-types-of-mole-in-the-world#:~:text=The moles of Oaxaca include,beef stock and thickened with

 

On the purse amd hat thing. I think QVC marketed one for chair back. The push button fascinated me as a child in church = on back of pew in front of you for when men wore hats and took them off inside. But for those and the ceiling murals (intricate) I'd never have lasted through a mass.

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

On mole - I find it interesting that many see it as a single sauce when there are so many different ones with their own unique complexities. All worth exploring  https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-types-of-mole-in-the-world#:~:text=The moles of Oaxaca include,beef stock and thickened with

 

I thought this would be a good opening to remind folks of our Molé Cook-Off, way back when. But when I looked at it, I discovered that it's strictly for Molé Poblano with a bow toward other molés in the introduction. Hmm, maybe we have another topic for a Cook-Off.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

13 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I swear I'm not OCD but the first upside down N really jars me. 

 

Almost as much as the 'G'.

 

[Smithy]

I had my second chile relleno for lunch today, and learned more about its construction as done at The Pink Store's restaurant.

 

As a reminder: this was the original dish.

 

 

Under all that sauce and cheese at the right were the two chiles. What I reheated today was the final chile. I'd long since finished off the rice and beans. The cheese turned into a large surface glop during the reheating process, and I didn't bother photographing that.

 

This collage shows the final bites, and what I learned about the construction. The chile had cheese and sauce inside it; a delicate fried coating (I bet it involved an egg batter and cornstarch or even rice flour) and the aforementioned sauce and cheese as toppings. The upper left picture shows an exemplary bite. When I got to the stem end, I learned that they hadn't removed the seeds or the stem. Those I threw away after getting the last bits of coating and sauce off.

 

 

It looks as though the way they make them is to roast and peel the poblanos, then slit along a side to fill them before coating and frying. They apparently remove most of the ribs, but don't bother with the lion's share of seeds. Not a problem, though. This is still the gold standard for me as I start trying to make my own.

 

I went in search of Mennonnite cheese today, without caring to cross back across the border to look for it in Palomas. The little store near me had a couple of candidates. The clerk said their queso asado is closest to it, but he also sold me on another mild cheese. I'll make tasting notes later.

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I had my second chile relleno for lunch today, and learned more about its construction as done at The Pink Store's restaurant.

 

As a reminder: this was the original dish.

 

 

Under all that sauce and cheese at the right were the two chiles. What I reheated today was the final chile. I'd long since finished off the rice and beans. The cheese turned into a large surface glop during the reheating process, and I didn't bother photographing that.

 

This collage shows the final bites, and what I learned about the construction. The chile had cheese and sauce inside it; a delicate fried coating (I bet it involved an egg batter and cornstarch or even rice flour) and the aforementioned sauce and cheese as toppings. The upper left picture shows an exemplary bite. When I got to the stem end, I learned that they hadn't removed the seeds or the stem. Those I threw away after getting the last bits of coating and sauce off.

 

 

It looks as though the way they make them is to roast and peel the poblanos, then slit along a side to fill them before coating and frying. They apparently remove most of the ribs, but don't bother with the lion's share of seeds. Not a problem, though. This is still the gold standard for me as I start trying to make my own.

 

I went in search of Mennonnite cheese today, without caring to cross back across the border to look for it in Palomas. The little store near me had a couple of candidates. The clerk said their queso asado is closest to it, but he also sold me on another mild cheese. I'll make tasting notes later.

I do a bastardized version of cheese stuffed poblanos that I'm sure you've seen.  I steam broil them in the CSO for 10 mins on each side.  Cool and then peel.  Then do a slit and get as many seeds out as I can, but getting out the top ones next to the stem ruin the structure of the pepper and then you can't stuff it.  So, yeah, we have seeds and don't eat the very top.  I simply stuff with shredded sharp cheddar and top with a bit of enchilada sauce.  Ronnie would love it if I included venison burger but I rarely do because I love them as they are and there is plenty of meat in the main dish that I make with them.

[Smithy]

4 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I do a bastardized version of cheese stuffed poblanos that I'm sure you've seen.  I steam broil them in the CSO for 10 mins on each side.  Cool and then peel.  Then do a slit and get as many seeds out as I can, but getting out the top ones next to the stem ruin the structure of the pepper and then you can't stuff it.  So, yeah, we have seeds and don't eat the very top.  I simply stuff with shredded sharp cheddar and top with a bit of enchilada sauce.  Ronnie would love it if I included venison burger but I rarely do because I love them as they are and there is plenty of meat in the main dish that I make with them.

 

Thanks for that explanation. Do you batter and fry them too, or just eat them stuffed as you describe?

[Shelby]

23 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Thanks for that explanation. Do you batter and fry them too, or just eat them stuffed as you describe?

I don't usually--the battered are a pain lol.  AND I end up picking off the breading because I love the pepper by itself with the cheese and enchilada sauce.  

[Shelby]

I'll also say that I do like the fried kind if someone else does it and it's not drowned in sauce that makes it soggy.....or maybe if someone else made them I'd be happy as a clam regardless so that I didn't have to fry and clean up lol.

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

I'll also say that I do like the fried kind if someone else does it and it's not drowned in sauce that makes it soggy.....or maybe if someone else made them I'd be happy as a clam regardless so that I didn't have to fry and clean up lol.

 

I may come down to that decision. This batter was soft, not crispy; I liked it, but I may decide that this is a dish better purchased than made at home. 

[C. sapidus]

11 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I don't usually--the battered are a pain lol.  AND I end up picking off the breading because I love the pepper by itself with the cheese and enchilada sauce.  

 

Yep, I prefer no batter. Especially at home. You can always make a Panko-butter topping and broil it if you want a little crunch.

 

Caveat: I have only made stuffed peppers once (crab-stuffed Poblanos). They were more "open face" than stuffed, mostly 'cuz I had too much crab meat (there are worse problems lol).

[Smithy]

8 minutes ago, C. sapidus said:

 

Yep, I prefer no batter. Especially at home. You can always make a Panko-butter topping and broil it if you want a little crunch.

 

Caveat: I have only made stuffed peppers once (crab-stuffed Poblanos). They were more "open face" than stuffed, mostly 'cuz I had too much crab meat (there are worse problems lol).

 

Crab-stuffed peppers sound wonderful. You have the advantage of great access to crab meat, and I rather envy you that!

 

I have made a chile relleno casserole, more than once, probably from different recipes. I think if I look back through this topic I'll find one or two versions. The beauty of it was that they were open-faced and much easier to deal with than all the fiddly stuffing and frying.

[C. sapidus]

6 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Crab-stuffed peppers sound wonderful. You have the advantage of great access to crab meat, and I rather envy you that!

 

I have made a chile relleno casserole, more than once, probably from different recipes. I think if I look back through this topic I'll find one or two versions. The beauty of it was that they were open-faced and much easier to deal with than all the fiddly stuffing and frying.

 

Picadillo would be an excellent stuffing, too. I find huge glops of cheese a bit heavy.

[Smithy]

16 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

I have made a chile relleno casserole, more than once, probably from different recipes. I think if I look back through this topic I'll find one or two versions. The beauty of it was that they were open-faced and much easier to deal with than all the fiddly stuffing and frying.

 

Yep. Looking back, I can see I was on a chiles rellenos kick beginning in 2018. In no particular order, there are:

 

@Darienne's topic on her version, here

An attempt in Nov. 2018

Another version in Dec. 2018

A Christmas 2021 effort (how could I have forgotten it already?)

 

There may be more, but it's fun to look back on these posts and remember what I've done in the past. I'd forgotten all about them. 

[lemniscate]

I have only eaten chile rellenos out in restaurants, I also dislike the idea of frying them at home.  That being said, a B&B I was staying at years ago, I was served a chile relleno pancake which was delicious and had all the flavors of a traditional style.  And no messy frying to worry about.

Edited April 16, 2023 by lemniscate (log)

[Katie Meadow]

My experience is there's nothing easy about making good chile rellenos. I lived several years in NM and successfully learned how to make good enchiladas, chile verde and chile rojo, refried beans, chile sauce from dried chiles etc, but never mastered chile rellenos, and neither did anyone I knew. For that we went out. You have to start with structurally sturdy poblanos. They need to be roasted, but not over-roasted. Making a slit and stuffing with melty Mexican Oaxacan style cheese is a very slow operation, especially if you want to scrape out ribs and seeds. The batter should not be thick or too crunchy, but more delicate. And then you've got to fry them very carefully so as not to destroy them.  It's an art I wish I had time and energy to practice, because I've never had goods ones outside of NM. When they are good they are great. 

[Darienne]

10 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Yep. Looking back, I can see I was on a chiles rellenos kick beginning in 2018. In no particular order, there are:

 

@Darienne's topic on her version, here

An attempt in Nov. 2018

Another version in Dec. 2018

A Christmas 2021 effort (how could I have forgotten it already?)

 

There may be more, but it's fun to look back on these posts and remember what I've done in the past. I'd forgotten all about them. 

Thanks @Smithy for this reference.  I went back and reread my post and laughed with delight.  And I just finished roasting some Poblano rajas and I think next I'll make that very Chile Rellenos casserole.  Thanks again for an early morning bit of joy.

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

21 hours ago, Smithy said:

While I have your attention, @Nancy in Pátzcuaro: I'm about to go on a hunt for Mennonnite cheese. I've learned that it's a Chihuahuan specialty. You're considerably farther south than that, but I wonder how widespread that cheese is. Do you get other states' specialty cheeses? Does Michoacán have a specialty cheese of its own?

Glad to hear that you ultimately located some Mennonite cheese. We can get it here at Costco in large blocks, but I've seen the signs along the highway in Chihuahua advertising cheese from Mennonite farms. It's very mild, except for the one with chiles in it, and it melts well. (One of these trips we should stop to see if there are other flavors, but by that time in the trip we're heading for the border and are reluctant to stop.) Around here we use queso fresco for chiles rellenos.

 

Somewhere in the archives is a post I made several years ago called My Spanish Teacher's Chiles Rellenos. They're finished in a light tomato broth that doesn't make them soggy. I agree that it's a real production to make them--roast and peel the chiles (and be sure to buy flat ones, not curved or curly because they're easier to roast and peel), stuff them with queso fresco, batter them (separate the eggs and beat the whites), fry them, and then finish them in the tomato broth. Not something you do for everyday consumption but very delicious for a special occasion. In fact you can spread out the steps over several days, including frying them and putting them in the fridge to be finished later in the tomato broth. When I make them I put on some good music and plan to spend a couple of hours on the process. The beauty part of these chiles rellenos is that they are also delicious the next day. In fact my Spanish teacher actually prefers them the second day. She taught me a good trick for roasting poblanos--rub each chile with a very light coating of oil. It makes the skin pop off faster so that the chile doesn't overcook.

 

I make a chile relleno casserole-type dish for breakfast that has all the same ingredients (roasted chiles, queso fresco) but deconstructed: tear the chiles into thick rajas (strips), layer them with slices of queso fresco, mix eggs and milk together with S&P and some red or green ground chile, pour over the chiles and queso, crumble queso fresco on top and bake. It's always well received, even when people are somewhat leery of spicy food. Every now and then you'll find a poblano that's hotter than most, of course.

 

As for cheese specific to Michoacan, I can't think of one. Given the quantity of goats around here you'd think someone would be making cheese, but they raise these goats for meat, not cheese making. In general Mexican cheese is disappointing, especially considering the vast variety of fine cheeses in the rest of the world. In general cheeses are used for cooking but not as part of a cheese plate, for instance.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Nancy in Pátzcuaro
clarity (log)

[Smithy]

23 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

Somewhere in the archives is a post I made several years ago called My Spanish Teacher's Chiles Rellenos

 

I found it in RecipeGullet. Thanks for posting it back then, and for remembering the name so clearly now! That makes a world of difference for the seach.

 

My Spanish Teacher's Chiles Rellenos, by Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[Margaret Pilgrim]

7 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

My experience is there's nothing easy about making good chile rellenos. I lived several years in NM and successfully learned how to make good enchiladas, chile verde and chile rojo, refried beans, chile sauce from dried chiles etc, but never mastered chile rellenos, and neither did anyone I knew. For that we went out. You have to start with structurally sturdy poblanos. They need to be roasted, but not over-roasted. Making a slit and stuffing with melty Mexican Oaxacan style cheese is a very slow operation, especially if you want to scrape out ribs and seeds. The batter should not be thick or too crunchy, but more delicate. And then you've got to fry them very carefully so as not to destroy them.  It's an art I wish I had time and energy to practice, because I've never had goods ones outside of NM. When they are good they are great. 

I don't find them difficult but totally agree that success depends on acquiring very fresh, thick pulped poblanos.    Buy them and use them before they stary to deteriorate.    If they aren't prime, don't buy them and don't keep them around long.

[Smithy]

I have one last Columbus restaurant report, and then I think I'm done until we move on tomorrow.

 

Six years ago, I was delighted to discover that an old wreck of a building at the nearest highway intersection had been refurbished and was opening as a new restaurant. I wrote the story of its refurbishment, soft opening, and owners here, but here are a couple of pictures from that post:

 

 

 

I stopped by briefly again in Nov. 2017, and they seemed to be doing well. Business was booming.

 

I'd have checked them out and reported fully again in Nov. 2020, but by then the pandemic was in full swing and the park in Columbus where we camp was closed. All I could do was snap photos and see that they were open for takeout.

 

In April, 2021, they were managing to hang on despite the pandemic. I was disappointed to see that they'd dropped their Middle Eastern offerings. The updated menu was what I'd call standard American and Tex-Mex stuff. Our burgers that night were good, although cold because they were take-out, but the place had become just another burger joint to me. I wished them well, but didn't expect to be going back.

 

Still, I've followed their business and career with interest. I've never owned or operated a restaurant, and have no desire to do so, but my time here on eGullet has taught me that it's a difficult and dicey business. Last time we stayed here (a year ago? I can't find any notes about it) I learned that the couple had split up and she was running the place on her own.

 

Here it is now:

 

 

The offerings had changed, based on the lettering outside the building; the beer and wine are new. Obviously the exterior had changed....

 

...and the place is closed for a month.

 

I managed to catch Adriana when she stepped outside for a moment. She's redoing the place: eliminating the grill offerings, sticking with easy things like pizza. She's looking for a food truck, which is how she started out in the business; when she gets it, she may use this building for special events of some sort. She said she simply hasn't been able to find reliable help. The grill is especially demanding, and she's come to feel like a slave to it. Her experience was that she'd spend a month training help and then they'd leave. What about pizzas? I asked. How will that help? "Oh, pizzas are easy!" she said. Maybe she means frozen pizzas cooked in a pizza oven. I dunno. 

 

I've never seen a soft opening and grand opening except here, much less witnessed the life cycle of a small restaurant. I hope the changes work for her, and the restaurant's new life is a good one.