Elote Loco - Andale!

I've found a food that could become an addiction and/or a slow but delicious death.

My mom and I finally made it to the Taco Truck on 16th at the right time. It makes its debut at dusk.  Rolling into the parking lot, the owners slide open the the service window and set-up a few plastic chairs and tables. They're ready for business.

                                            

We were the first to arrive.  I had eaten in four other countries during the previous 24 hrs so I wasn't very hungry.  I thought I'd keep it simple and choose a beef taco and one serving of the Elote Loco.

I'll get straight to the point and not waste your time with flowery words or poetry. Be in line on Friday night at dusk!  Be the first to get there and order the "Elote Loco".  Tell them I sent you!  I have not stopped thinking about that corn since I took my first bite under the street light in the parking lot of El Mariachi!!  Yes, Yes, the tacos were great, but if I were you I'd just make the Elote the main course and have a taco later!

Here she is on the left...isn't she lovely?

One of the chefs from the truck came out to take a few photos for us, but I'm not posting those. This isn't about me, it's about the experience, not to mention . . . my mom would kill me!

I asked him what goes into this intoxicating corn and he gave me a list of these low-fat and healthy ingredients:

Corn,  butter, cotija (Mexican cheese), mayonnaise, chili powder, red pepper, parmesan cheese and a lime.  

All of these ingredients are layered on top of the corn then you stir it together before eating.

The combination is rich and savory with a bite!  Something about the chili and red pepper makes it "loco bueno"!  If you come to my house for Thanksgiving this year, it's going to have a Latino twist.

I thought you might enjoy the view from our table.  If you've been following
along, then you may recognize the restaurant across the street.

On Sunday I rummaged through the pantry for something  to eat.  I thought of the corn from Friday night's visit to Mexico (via Guatemala) and would've gotten in my car and driven across town to get some.  However, they are not parked at El Mariachi at that time of the day.  I'm assuming they only work at night.  If I'm wrong about this, please refrain from telling me. I don't want the luxury of knowing that I can eat this goodness whenever I get a craving.

And then it dawned on me.  I had frozen corn in the fridge and all the fixins except the cotija cheese.  I added extra Parmesan.

The End,

Jenn

The first person to name the restaurant across the street in the picture above will win a prize!
Sorry, Mom you can't guess.  You were there and you're family.

                                      

A Brief Stop in Cambodia

My stop in Cambodia was brief.  I've not been able to find much in regard to the country here in Oklahoma.  So when I found the Lotus Restaurant in Lawton that offered Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian cuisine, I opted on calling this stop Cambodia.  I have the luxury of choosing which country is represented while doing this type of travel. There are so many Vietnamese and Thai restaurants that I'll have trouble picking when I visit those countries.

A side note:

Just this month, the trial of  Kaing Guek Eav or Duch was in the news.  A former Khmer Rouge prison chief who oversaw crimes of savagery during the killing fields regime over thirty years ago.  He was given only a 19 year sentence for these heinous crimes reminding us of the continual injustice occurring in Cambodia.  Please remember  the people as they work to rebuild a more just and prosperous nation.

It was late in the afternoon when I stopped so the restaurant had only one other customer.  I asked the woman at the counter which of the many choices were Cambodian and she pointed out three dishes on the menu from which I could choose.  Pepper Steak, Lok Lak and Pickled Green Garden.  I chose the Pickled Green Garden because it sounded the most unique.

So with my new fangled iPhone4G, I took these photos for you.  

You may choose Chicken, Beef, Pork or Shrimp stir-fried with green pickled veggies, tomatoes, white onion, jalapeños in oyster sauce.

Not bad for a phone image and certainly a little more discreet than waving a Canon 5D MKII over your plate with a flash. 

Although the Pickled Greens had a nice fresh flavor, I was disappointed that there weren't more choices.  I found a picture online of a popular delicacy and was hoping I could report back to you with news of finding an authentic Cambodian Restaurant with all the fixins.

Photo Courtesy of Google

I thought a plate of fried tarantulas would be a nice change of pace.  Something light during this heatwave we've been experiencing.  I'm pretty sure these would be better with gravy.

I apologize for not having more to report from Cambodia except that the food and service was great at the Lotus Restaurant in Lawton.  If you have any other suggestions on expanding my experience of Cambodia in Oklahoma, by all means please get in touch with me.  And if you've eaten a tarantula lately, I want to hear about it!

Happy Travels,

Jenn

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Cheese Fries and Chevrolet

Over the weekend I returned for a visit to the ole "Red, White and Blue."
I had to get fresh clothes and decided while I was home I should take an American excursion.  What says America better than baseball?  And what says baseball better than the Red Sox?

So the Wary Nomad and I packed our BoSox shirts and caps and headed south to Arlington, TX.  Texas, you say?  I know.  This trip is supposed to be in Oklahoma.  Here's how I looked at it.  I felt it was fair to use this in my 80 days trip because the Red Hawks are a farm team for the Texas Rangers.  Technically, this is an extension of Oklahoma.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

However, I learned later that the Red Hawks are no longer the Triple A - Affiliate for the Rangers. So my weak attempt at claiming this as an extension of Oklahoma was just that.  Weak.  Thank you Nolan Ryan for clearing that up!

Saturday was the best day.  It was only 99˚F at 7:00 pm, the Red Sox won and we ate this:

Have I already mentioned that the Red Sox won?

Sunday was a different day all together.  Let me just start out by saying that the game began at 2:05.  The temperature was 102˚F with a heat index of at least 105+, our seats were the first row in the shade until after 3:00 and the Red Sox lost.  I'm not a sports writer so I will not recap either of the games.  Check your sports page for that.

Something happens to your brain when you sit in extreme heat and watch your team lose.  I found myself thinking of ideas for new t-shirt slogans.   Such as "Hit the Ball, Bill Hall" and on the back, "Bill Hall, Hit that Ball."  Or better yet, "I'll take an extra hot Saltalamacchia".  None of this means a thing if you don't know the Red Sox or Starbucks. Maybe it wasn't the heat affecting my mind, rather the cheese fries.  

                                       

All that being said, I love Mike Lowell, The Red Sox and Cheese Fries. 

photo courtesy of google

                                           

Did I say Mike Lowell?  It's the heat.

Go BoSox,

Jennifer

Becky-FYI- you'll be glad to know that the Red Hawks may become the Triple A - Affiliate for the White Sox.

Phileas Fogg and His Delays...

I have been delayed.  Not by the same sort of obstacles as Phileas Fogg but of a more modern nature . . .  technology . . . and the fact that I am not a wealthy British man wagering a bet on this journey.  I am a working woman, wealthy in many ways, but not like Mr. Fogg.  I have to keep this camel going and when the work comes I must take it.  Therefore, I have had time to visit a few places but not time to share them with you.

Technology is a constant obstacle.  I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with it.  Most of the time it works and I am thrilled to be using it.  However, when it doesn't my life is miserable.

Let me tell you about  my newest gadget, the iPhone 4, and how I've dragged my feet in getting it.  I've wanted an iPhone for a very long time.  The Wary Nomad is on his third. We have  extras laying around so I have no excuse not to be using one. I know it's ridiculous.

However, it's not that I didn't want to spend the money.  It had to do with leaving my carrier.  We've been together through bag phones, brick phones, Nokia phones, flip phones, etc.  I just couldn't stand the thought of switching.  Even their company slogan is "When loyalty counts".  About the time I would decide to change, I'd see one of their vans with those words and think "How can I switch?  I've been with them since the early nineties".

And yes, I could have gotten a different Smart Phone but everything I have is Apple.  So it just seemed like a better idea to have a phone that syncs with all of my other technology.   One big Apple family.

Now that I am officially an iPhone 4 user, I'm excited, frustrated and feeling a little guilty.  When I signed up for my AT&T account, I didn't even have to tell my current carrier that I was leaving them.  I just hit "confirm" and they were deleted.  It's like sending a text to break-up.  We'd been together almost 20 years . . . longer than my first marriage . . . and we never argued.  I had nothing but great things to say about them.  I wonder if they're hurt or disappointed.  They're probably saying, "We treated her so well and she just clicked the button and that's it, she's through with us."

To celebrate my new purchase I thought I'd take a photo of my dog Buddy and post it on my blog.  Now that I have this new-fangled technology, I can upload my pics while I'm living the adventure.  And yes, these pictures could've been better if I'd figured out that the reason my flash wasn't working so well was because I still had the plastic backing on my phone.  Once I realized this, he was bored and wouldn't let me take another photo of him.

As you can see by the look on Buddy's face, he's sad about the old flip phone being tossed aside . . . along with our "loyal carrier".  It takes us a little while to adjust to change.

  

I'll be resuming my travels full force on Thursday of this week.  I'm headed to Chile, The Philippines, and maybe Korea all before Friday.  

Hopefully,  I'll have my work caught-up and my phone figured out so I can keep moving along on this journey.

Thanks for checking in with me!

Jenn

Do "Iguana" Come Along?

I'm still hanging around Roatan, Honduras.  I'll be finishing up my work here and sharing a few stories and images from my trip.

I popped over to Peru for lunch . . . Mama Veca Peruvian Restaurant.  While I was there, I met a very kind man named Juan who's from the village of Chiclayo.   He introduced me to some of his friends from Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela.  I'll be visiting more of Peru and South America later.  And who knows, when we return we might even see an Alpaca or two.

Do iguana come along?
Jennifer


Ps- Mama Veca's has two locations.  One in Norman and one in Edmond.  I had planned to take a picture of my Pollo Saltado to share with you.  But I took it to go and then turned it over in the bag. It wasn't very photogenic.  I still enjoyed it nonetheless!  Muy Delicioso!!

Roatan, Honduras

Just a quick post to let you know that I'm currently in Honduras finishing up a project.  Soon, I'll be posting my adventures in Roatan along with the list of things I've learned my first ten days of global travel in Oklahoma.

See ya soon!
Jennifer

Merry Christmas from Russia

Today, I traveled with my partner Lynn . . . the Wary/Weary Nomad.  He's the one in the picture above on the camel behind me.  His favorite trips require little effort and luxurious accommodations.  It's not a vacation if he's sleeping in a tent with wild animals roaming outside or on a roof top with people he doesn't know.  I find these adventures exhilarating!  With my persistent persuasion he reluctantly joins me.

We left the house with no plan and no worries of wild animals.  I had a few ideas on countries we could visit, most of which did not include food.  I've eaten a lot for my first week of travel, so today I just wanted to wander and see what I'd find.

After errands, we stopped in Ancient of Days Antique Store to escape the heat.   While looking around, I came across a large cabinet filled with vibrant hand-carved Santas from Russia.  I asked the sales person if I might photograph them and she obliged.

I have a soft spot for Kris Kringle.  I started my photography business in the loft of an interior  decorating store shooting Father Christmas portraits with children and pets.  I came up with the idea while walking through a mall during the holiday season.  I saw a skinny, 19 year old kid wearing a nappy cotton beard and a red-orange suit.  He held a small child on his knee.  I thought it an injustice to have such a lousy Santa picture as a keepsake of your baby.  I decided in that moment that I was going to do something to make Christmas memories special.  So the following year, I created an authentic Father Christmas for portraits.

As I began pulling each Santa from the glass case, I noticed the intricate hand-painted designs.  The colors and patterns brilliant and unique giving each of the figurines an individual quality.  The artists had paid specific attention to even the tiniest of details.

As I write this post, Russia is experiencing a record breaking heatwave and massive wildfires.  Many lives have already been lost.  My thoughts go out to the people who are suffering in hopes that they will soon find relief with rain and cooler temperatures.


Всего хорошего (All the best),
The Lucky Nomad

If you would like  to see these brilliant Santas, feel free to visit Ancient of Days Antique Mall.  Ask for Debbie and tell her I sent you.  

Ps-The Santas were 20% off when I was there:).

www.ancientofdaysantiquemall.com 5129 North Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK - (405) 842-2115

The "Mexican" Taco Truck

I set out on Friday evening for Mexico.  With so many choices in Oklahoma to experience Mexican culture, I wanted to find something uniquely authentic.

I made a plan with my mom to head to the El Mariachi Super Mercado on 16th.  It's a grocery store where I stop on occasion to buy ripened tomatoes, mangos and avocados.  I had noticed a taco truck parked there on Friday and Saturday nights with a small group of customers congregated outside it's sliding window.  This would be our version of street food in Mexico . . . Olé!

We arrived around 7:45 pm. Only the sun beat down on the corner of the parking lot where the truck normally sits.  No tacos.  This was a wrench in my plans, but a relief to my mom based by the ease I saw in her expression.  She was hesitant about our  little "over the border adventure" but still she agreed to come along.

I took a few photos of the Supermercado and began looking around for an alternative.  Behind me on the corner was a small bright restaurant, with concrete tables out front.  On the sign above the door read, Cocina Guatelinda . . . authentic Guatemalan food.  Next door was a small market, Tiende Guatalinda.   I felt like  Clark Griswold in European vacation when he's stuck in the London round-about circling Big Ben.  I was circling on 16th St  hearing, "Guatemala, look Guatemala".  We went inside.

Our server, Andrea, is the daughter of the owners.  She's bright, cheerful and happy to share any details of the menu or culture with customers.  She described the different dishes and made recommendations.

I recognized the word Pacaya on the menu and  asked her about it.  She said it's a little bitter for her taste.  However, most of their Guatemalan customers like it.  I mentioned my first impression of it looking like Octopus tentacles.  She agreed and said she had described them the same way.  I felt a little better about my previous post on the tropical blossom.

I ordered the Enchiladas Guatemaltecas and my mom, the Carne Guisades.  We drank the local Hibiscus tea and ate handmade corn tortillas.

Enchiladas Guatemaltecas are more like a Mexican Tostadas. These are topped with beef, pickled beets
and vegetables, cheese, salsa, onion and a hard boiled egg.  A great summer dish, light and tasty.

Carne Guisada is a nice beef stew with potatoes.  Served here with potato salad and black beans.

Red Hibiscus tea.

                                    

Just as we began our dinner, the taco truck pulled up and parked for service.  I told Andrea about my "Around the World in 80 Days" project and that tonight was supposed to be authentic Mexican street tacos. She then informed me that the "Mexican Taco Truck" is run by Guatemalans and the "El Mariachi Super Mercado" is owned by an Asian man.
Hmmm . . . I wonder if a man by the name of Rodrigues owns the "Chinese Super Buffet".

Adios Amigos,

La Nomade Afortunado

Dinner with the Queen of Sheba

I celebrated my birthday with the Queen of Sheba.  Okay, she wasn't really there.  But I've peaked your curiosity.

I had a lovely stay in Guatemala but knew I had to move on or I'd never make it  "Around the World in 80 Days."  Global travel, never leaving Oklahoma, is far less stressful than traditional travel without the airline delays or cramped seating.  I can hop from country to country within a 24 hour period never having jet-lag.

It may seem unusual to choose Ethiopian food for your birthday dinner if you're not from Ethiopia, but in our family ethnic food has become a tradition.  We've prepared Indian food on Christmas eve, tacos for birthdays and Chinese over Thanksgiving.  Food is our source of travel when we can't leave home.

During football season we would eat on campus corner. While the majority of fans were drinking beer and eating burgers on tailgates or in pubs, we ate Chicken Korma, Beef Vindaloo or the occasional Moo Shu Pork.

We would leave the heat of the stadium, walk the few blocks to the Masala Indian Restaurant and find our way into the cool dark setting.  Seated among sequined pillows, colorful hand-painted frames on mirrors and lanterns hanging over the tables gave me the feeling of being transported to an exotic land.  While waiting on our food, we drank tea with lemon and rosewater breathing in the thick fragrant smell of curry and cumin.

This year for my birthday I wanted to add another memory to the collection of many.  A birthday steeped in color, texture, and taste. And because I love Africa, The Queen of Sheba had everything.

This is the Queen of Sheba Messob.  A plate of lamb, chicken, beef, salad, green beans, lentils and corn.  The seasonings are unique and unlike other cuisines.

My favorite foods are eaten by hand without utensils sharing one large plate.
It's more intimate and engaging as you take turns pinching up food with injera bread.

A spongy crepe-like bread made with teff flour.

The pace in Africa is slow and restful.   The people, warm and generous.  This is reminiscent of The Queen of Sheba.  A cool and quiet retreat from the hot summer.

Thanks Dad for the birthday dinner and another fond memory!

Betam amesegënallô,
The Lucky Nomad

Rugs from Guatemala

I took this image while visiting a market in Guatemala in 2009.  I love the colors and textures.  I'll try to post more images from this trip later.

Octopus Tentacles

These jars labeled "Pacaya" look a bit like they contain octopus tentacles. 

Okay, they may not  look like that to you. . . but unless you're from Guatemala I'm sure you didn't guess Date Palm Blossoms.  I would have considered guessing tripe long before blossoms.

I find myself intrigued by what's on the shelves in foreign markets.   Yet anxiety, over the thought that I may be wasting not only money but an entire evening over a dinner that would eventually be thrown out, keeps me from buying anything.  Had I not inquired about these exotic creatures, I would've eaten them right out of the jar like pickles, brine water and all. 

This might have ruined any chance I had for developing a taste for Pacaya.

So to broaden my horizons and my dinner menu at home, I asked Jeremy how to prepare them.  He took me to the kitchen to meet Consuelo...

where she gave me a demonstration.

Take the blossoms out of the jar and rinse to remove the brine water.  Dip them in a batter of egg and flour.  Now fry.  If I remember correctly, they serve a chili sauce on the side.  I would smother them in Green Mole Sauce.

The fried blossom is the one on the right and on the left is a chile relleno.  

 I don't have to be anxious anymore.  I know how to prepare Pacaya and an octopus doesn't have tentacles . . . it has arms.

Adios Amigos,

La Nomade Afortunado

Green Mole-Olé

I would like to introduce you to Señor Fasta Cifuentes and his son Jeremy.  Okay . . .  this isn't really them.  But they are a lovely father and son from Guatemala and this is the rest of their family.

We met this family a little over a year ago in Guatemala and they asked to come home with us,  They are a very quiet family, but friendly and content.  We get along quite nicely with them.

I'm reconsidering my excursion, "Around the World in 80 Days".  It's hot, I'm tired and already overwhelmed by the amount of options I'm finding in this city alone.  The truth is...I love Guatemala and I want to stay.

Here are some of the many reasons:

Chicken in Green Mole Sauce

Hand-made tortillas dipped in Green Mole Sauce

Green Mole Sauce over rice

...and really anything to which you might want to add

Green Mole Sauce.

It's the best I've ever eaten!  

Actually, I'm not sure that I've ever had Green Mole Sauce.  If I have, it wasn't tasty enough to remember.  

I'll be back manaña to share more about my visit with Senor Cifuentes and his son Jeremy. The owners of Tiende Guatemala.

Olé 

La Nomade Afortunado

Curiosidades Guatemala...Tienda Guatemala

I arrived in Guatemala about 3:30.  The heat is dreadful today, so I'll be taking things a little slower while traveling through Central America.

I found a small store carrying a variety of foods and curios, "Curiosidades Guatemala" or "Tienda Guatemala",  which translates  "Guatemalan Store". This seemed the perfect place to try the cuisine and learn a little more about the country.

At the back of the shop there is a restaurant.  I met the owner, Senor Fasto.  I asked if it would be okay for me to return tomorrow, try the food for lunch and take photos of his place.  He agreed.  So tomorrow between 9-11am I'll go back for a tour of the store and a taste of Guatemala.

Upon leaving, I  wandered down an aisle filled with jars of various pickled fruits and vegetables.  One jar looked as though it contained the tentacles of an octopus.   It was something from a palm tree in brine.  After looking over the selections of unusual canned goods,  I opted for "Jocote", Spanish plums.  I bought a jar.

The plums remind me of the spiced peaches my father buys at Thanksgiving, only without the taste of clove and nutmeg.  We had an unspoken rule at our holiday meals that everyone had to have one peach.   I wasn't crazy about them but I would plunk one on my plate and eat it with my turkey.  This seemed like the polite thing to do.  Now I can't imagine a holiday without them.  I bet to someone in Guatemala, these "Jocote" are just as special.

Adios Amigos,
La Nomade Afortunado

First Stop....Guatemala!

Why Guatemala you ask? Good question. It's close and doesn't require me to travel too far in one day... in this ridiculous heat.
I'll post an update after I've arrived and settled in for the evening!

Buen Viaje,
La Nomade Afortunado

(It took me thirty minutes with my language converter to write these last two lines. I don't speak Spanish so I don't
know if my gender is correct)

Around the World in 80 Days...begins Today!

My bags are packed and I'm headed out!

For the next 80 days I will travel the world never leaving Oklahoma.

If you have suggestions or ideas and want to follow along, by all means let me know. I will be experiencing other countries through food, religion, art, film, music, transportation, people and past travels. Check this blog for photos and stories of my journey.
It will be quite an adventure I'm sure!

Bon Voyage!
Jennifer