Sabor de Puerto Vallarta

I just returned from a quick little trip down to Nuevo Vallarta in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, with a few little trips to the surrounding towns of Sayulita, Bucerias, and Old Puerto Vallarta (in the state of Jalisco). Besides the beautiful sunshine, the warm waters, and the fact that this was my first real vacation in over a year, the most memorable part? The food.

Though our resort was all-inclusive, the hotel’s food was only okay, and we really wanted to eat “real” Mexican food – you know, the kind that the locals eat, the kind that brings the possibility of a raging case of Montezuma’s Revenge. Our first venture was out into a town called Sayulita, located about half an hour away from Nuevo Vallarta on Highway 200. We decided on a little cafe called El Costeno, situated on the beach, and ordered a few dishes. Tacos de pescado (fish tacos), coctel de camarones (shrimp cocktail), quesadillas, ceviche, and fish. The two standouts were the Ceviche de Camarones – shrimp marinated in lime and chiles, and the Huachinango Frito – two whole red snappers, deep fried. Our bill total was about 500 pesos – a little less than $50, including beers, soft drinks, and tip.

 

Left to right, El Costeno, Whole Fried Red Snapper (Huachinango Frito), Shrimp Ceviche (Tostada de Ceviche de Camarones)

Our next stop, that evening, was the town of Puerto Vallarta, located in the state of Jalisco. By some divine stroke of luck, we found a parking spot right on the main drag, in front of TWO taco stands. We picked the one nearest to the car, Tacos Arturo, and ordered a few tacos each. These were probably the best tacos I have ever had in my entire life – little rounds of fresh corn masa, grilled, topped with your choice of meat (I had ‘adobada’, also known as ‘al pastor’, and chorizo), cilantro, onions, and salsa. Tacos cost 8 pesos (about 75 cents) up to 12 pesos for Cabeza de Res (Lengua – toungue, Sesos – brains, etc.). We washed our tacos down with Coca Cola (made with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup) and then walked down the street towards the pier.

Left to right, Tacos Arturo, A plate of tacos, Taco de Chorizo (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

First stop: The Casa Cofradia factory store – a tequila shop. They let us taste whatever we wanted to – and each “taste” was a little less than a full shot. About five “tastes” later, and I was a little buzzed. Time to get more food.

Left to right, Casa Cofradia Factory Store, close up of a tequila bottle, many many tequila bottles (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

As we approached the square, the amount of people doubled – it seemed as if everyone and their mother was out that night. At the end of the pier, the five of us stopped and stared: stand after stand of street food – aguas frescas, maiz (corn), hot dogs and fries, ceviche, plantains, tamales – it was like finding Mecca. We started spending our pesos on whatever our hearts desired. The average cost for everything was about 20 pesos per item (just a little less than $2). The ceviche was amazing, the roasted corn was nice and smoky, and I think I had the most delicious horchata EVER that night. After our binge on food there, we headed back towards the car and ordered a bunch of tacos to take back to our hotel. I got all bold (I think it was the tequila) and ordered a taco de sesos – cow brains. I ate half of it and gave the rest to my friend, who laughed at me when she saw the expression on my face. Sesos are not for everyone.

Left to right, Puerto Vallarta Pier vendor, Fried Plantains, and a giant serving of Ceviche de Camarones (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

Our last taste of real local food was our breakfast in Bucerias. I’d heard of this town in the Los Angeles Times, and it was close enough to our hotel for us to go there and make it back in time to return our rental car. We went to a little cafe in the back of a sort of ‘food court’ (several restaurants sharing a patio). We ordered Huevos al Gusto con Chorizo – a plate of chorizo with scrambled eggs and a side of beans, Birria de Res – a beef soup with lime, cilantro, and onion, and a Machaca burrito – shredded beef and eggs in a flour tortilla. The wait was a little long, but the food was worth every second. You could taste the richness of the beans, which meant they were made in the traditional way – with lard. The corn tortillas were fresh and handmade (you can tell by the irregular shape). Our entire table of five had breakfast (including coffee and aguas frescas) for around $22 USD. I definitely want to visit Bucerias again, since we didn’t get to see much of it except for the cafe.

Left to right, Huevos al Gusto con Chorizo, Birria de Res, and a Quesdilla con Carne Asada (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

After this trip, I don’t think I can eat Mexican food for awhile, just so I don’t ruin the memory of all the flavors for now. I recommend anyone going to Puerto Vallarta to venture out of the resort and go deep into the places where the locals hang out – it’s what real Mexican food tastes like.

RECIPE: A Taste of Valencia: Paella!

I was perusing a magazine one day at work, when an article caught my eye: it was a two page spread on the culinary delights of Spain, with a giant photograph of a beautiful pan of Paella Valenciana. The simple metal pan was overflowing with seafood, chorizo, and chicken atop a bed of saffron and tomato infused rice. The mere sight inspired me to buy a paella pan from Sur La Table ($19.99) and try my hand at making it. I found out that it’s actually pretty simple, and when the dish is finished, it is rather impressive. I am not one to follow a recipe to the letter, rather, I take the general idea and run with it. You will need a paella pan. So here is the basic framework for Paella Valenciana – I don’t know the proportions exactly, you just have to feel it out. If you have ever made risotto before, the process is very similar. This recipe can be expanded to feed many…if you find that the liquid amount seems too little, make sure to have extra chicken broth on hand to cook the rice all the way through.

Paella Valenciana

Per person, you will need:
1/2 c. Paella rice (I use Valenciano brand)
1/4 c. Dry white wine
5 Saffron threads
1/2 c. Chicken broth
1 Tomatoe, pureed
1/4 Onion, diced
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 a Chicken breast, cut into strips
1 piece Dried chorizo (not the mushy fresh kind), sliced at an angle
2-3 Mussels
2-3 Clams
3-4 Shrimp, deveined, with shells still on
Frozen peas
Artichoke hearts
Red bell pepper
1/2 tsp. Pimenton de la Vera
Olive oil

Toast the saffron threads in a dry sauce pan until they start to release aroma. Add white wine to the pan and bring to a boil, then keep on low heat so the liquid stays warm. Heat the paella pan on medium high heat, and coat generously with olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic, then add the chicken breast. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the chorizo and heat through. Then, add the rice and keep stirring until the rice is coated with oil. Add the tomatoes and a heaping spoonful of pimenton de la vera and mix until even. Ladle some of the wine mixture and add a little chicken broth. This begins the cooking process for the rice. You will slowly add liquid and keep at a low simmer until the rice is almost done. Add all of the vegetables – the peas, artichoke hearts, bell pepper, and make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp is done and the shellfish have opened.

Serve this dish with red wine or a nice glass of sangria, and it makes an incredibly tasty, filling, and beautiful meal. Buen Provecho!