Sushi, Seafood, and the Boomerang Wine Glass: Dinner at Posh Sushi Grill

We LOVE Sushi! I get it from my late, Dad. My father loved seafood. Whenever I made my gumbo I always made sure to make it with plenty of crawfish because alas, poor guy was allergic to shrimp. Fate is cruel, isn’t it? My dad used to joke about growing up in Tampico, Tamaulipas and fishing for crab by dangling his toes in the water.


I keep that tradition here in Laredo, by just LOVING sushi. Is it obvious? Have you READ this blog?!?!? We’ve been a big fan of Posh Sushi for years now. We recently noticed a new location went up at in front of Gold’s Gym. So last Friday we decided to give Posh Annex a try.  At least we THINK its called Posh Annex and we’d love to give you an address but their website doesn’t provide it. It just says, “now open for your private events, Posh Annex) SHE was nice enough to wait for me to get in a good workout on a Friday night and we dropped a little past 9:00 pm. The dining room was full but the wait was minimal. We were quickly led to one of two remaining tables. We sat in the small corner off to the right and not in the main dining room which very upscale and nicely furnished. There we placed our drink and appetizer orders of a Michelada and a glass of the house Pinot Noir along with an order for a plate of the Shrimp Quesadillas. The waiter was nice enough, but it seemed he was a newcomer to our city. He obviously moved here, like so many do, thinking he was going to “practice his English”. Whenever I get one of these guys, I instinctively just switch to Spanish when I hear them struggling with their English. I hope he didn’t mind.

Once the orders were in and our drinks arrived I noticed the glass in which the wine came was smudged and dirty. I politely asked for another. I have no way to prove this but I suspect the glass that came back was simply wiped down and brought out to me. I knew I should have taken a closer look at the glass to prevent this from happening. The high amount of lint on the glass, however, was sort of a dead giveaway. The quesadillas arrived and were delicious. They have a nice spicy chipotle cream sauce and had a nice shrimp flavor. I should emphasize the choice of term, flavor. To call what came in these quesadillas shrimp would have been generous. You’ve heard of the famous oxymoron, Jumbo Shrimp. Well, this is the exact opposite. To call this shrimp, micro shrimp would have redundant to the point of being Krill. (Krill: the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans) I’m not kidding these things were THAT small. But the Quesadillas were very tasty.

Once the second glass of wine arrived the waiter made it a point to make sure my glass was clean. A point made obvious by the fact that the glass was still warm after being pulled from the dishwasher. (Eye roll).


Our order of sushi rolls arrived and they were, as usual, perfect. HER roll was tasty and with lots of texture.  SHE ordered a Hideki roll.  MY roll was fresh and picture perfect.  Mine was the Samurai Roll.  The atmosphere was quiet and pleasant with a constant stream of Watercolors (Sirius Channel 66 Soft Jazz) playing on the in house music system as we enjoyed our rolls. I decided to order another glass of wine. This time I really had to complain as my glass tasted of dishwater. The management made it up to us by offering us a free desert of caramel crepes.

All in all I am not ANGRY with the nice people at Posh, but this sort of thing is never the kind of experience you hope for and takes such a big bite out of one’s enjoyment of an evening out.

   Find out what other diners are saying at Urban Spoon for user ratings and Reviews.

Posh Sushi Del Mar Boulevard | 7019 W Village Blvd Ste 101 Laredo, TX 78041 | 956.753.POSH

We’d love to give you an address to their new location but their website doesn’t provide it. It just says, “now open for your private events, Posh Annex

Spicy Sesame Chicken

We have been living among boxes for the last couple of weeks.  SHE and I just moved into a new home and only now is it becoming clear that someone actually lives in our new townhome.   However, there are still no couches in the living room, there are no pictures on the walls, and certainly neither one of our knick-knacks have populated ANY type of shelving unit.


But hey, we both lead busy and responsibility filled lives and cooking sometimes doesn’t make it off of our to-do list.  Sometimes she says she’s gonna make some lunch dishes for the week and then doesn’t and my track record for making breakfast shakes is spotty.  So one evening when I got home from work I found SHE had left some chicken defrosting.  I had NO earthly idea what she intended to do with it but all I knew was that I was hungry and I was alone.

I took the chicken and set about creating something.  The kitchen was almost completely unpacked but there were a few spice type items no where to be found.  I foraged around the kitchen to see what I could find.   How a complete finger of ginger made it through from our old to our new fridge is beyond me.  I took that as a sign and was glad for a sense of direction.  A-ha!  I had found a tub of garlic cloves.  What else?  Some Sriracha paste!  Now we’re talking.

I took the now defrosted bag of HEB chicken thigh meat (Seasoned for fajitas) and threw it in our non stick wok.  I figured the pressure of having the meat already cooking would make me think fast....this is what I came up with.


Ingredients:
    •    1 Bag of HEB Chicken thigh meat Seasoned for Fajitas    •    4 Fingers of Ginger
    •    1 handful of garlic cloves (about 8)
    •    2 tablespoons Sriracha Paste (as we say here in Laredo when we order in an asian restaurant , “la salsa del gallito”) in a jar of paste form not the squeeze bottle type.
    •    1 cup chicken or vegetable broth (or make your own with some water and Knorr Suiza)
    •    ½ cup toasted sesame oil
    •    ½ cup sesame seeds


Procedure:


    1.    Over medium high heat brown chicken thighs in large skillet, nonstick pan, or wok.
    2.    In separate small nonstick pan, toast sesame seeds over low to medium heat.  Toss often as they WILL burn quickly if you’re not careful.
    3.    Place ginger, garlic, sriracha paste, and chicken broth in food processor or blender and blend on high until everything is chopped.
    4.    When chicken is properly browned but not yet cooked through pour sauce mixture into pan over chicken.
    5.    Cook until done
    6.    Right before removing from heat pour sesame oil over chicken and mix until well incorporated
    7.    Garnish with toasted sesame seeds

Notes:


•    If you’d like a little additional heat, add some Hot Sauce.  The kind that goes well on chicken wings.  I prefer Frank’s Red Hot.  About ¼ cup should do.
•    Usually, try and use low sodium boxed chicken broth.  The Knorr is usually high in salt and the HEB Chicken Thighs seasoned for Fajitas is already salted as well.
•    Adding the oil at the end preserve the nutty flavor of the sesame oil.  I try and do this whenever I am cooking with a flavorful oil.  This way you use less oil and still get all the flavor.  You can use a little less if you’d like.
•    For a more consistent gravy like sauce, Use dried powdered garlic and ginger in the same amounts.


When SHE got home, I greeted HER with a nice spicy chicken dinner.  SHE loved it.  YESSSSS!

Botanas & More…

You might have thought we were not coming back, or maybe we had stopped going out to eat… But no… we were moving, and our internet connection (AT&T) has been down. But that has not stopped us from visiting different restaurants, so in the next couple of days you will read about our latest culinary adventures.

Getting together with friends is something we enjoy and sadly we don’t do it as often as we would like. Our friends suggested, El Capataz, and we agreed. It recently opened and we had already heard so many good comments about it, including that Chef Bobby G. is the master mind behind the culinary offerings.

We arrived at the restaurant and our friends were already seated at the patio, we decided to stay there as the night was not too hot and a nice breeze was making it even more pleasant.

They have both dinner and botanas (appetizers) on the menu, mostly Mexican with a twist, they all have "something different". In our case we went for the botana option and ordered the Fries “bien cargadas” which HE said reminded him of the hot dogs you would eat back in the day in Nuevo Laredo when coming out of the clubs. The fries come with chicken, cheese, tomato… They were enough for the two of us (our friends were not hungry). They also have a beer sampler and a nice array of wine and cocktails.

The service was good, and even though our waiter was new (even to the city) he was doing a great job and was very friendly.

Our recommendation is that you get there early (especially if you want to have dinner, at a certain time they only serve ‘botanas’) as it gets full, and that you seat inside, not because of the heat, but because by midnight the breeze brought a nasty smell. We can’t tell where it came from but it was definitely not pleasant.

Overall the place is really nice, great atmosphere, service is good and I’m interested in trying more things on the menu.

El Capataz is on 7220 Bob Bullock Loop (956) 723-7400

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Chili, Beans, Texas, Mexico, & Secret Ingredients

They say the origins of Chile con Carne (Chili) date back to the 17th Century and can trace its heritage to the Canary Islands, of all places.  The first written recipes date back to the 19th Century.  So what is it about Chili that makes people guard their secret ingredients like a pack of hungry coyotes on a racoon carcass?

I was at an all-day tailgate party last weekend for the start of the College Football season in Lubbock, Texas with a friend and fellow blogger, Seth and other people I met from his blog.  We breakfasted on migas-con-huevo and later feasted on bratwursts and homemade jalapeño sausages made on our friend Doc's mammoth towed grilling rig that would make the pit masters at Food Network proud.  I brought along my award winning chili to share.  As usual I got a lot of oh’s and ah’s as people tasted my chili and again, as usual, people were quick to ask that question.  “What’s your secret ingredient?”  They ask as if they HOPE against hope that I will divulge this ONE ingredient, (chocolate, cinnamon, beer...?) NO ONE has ever though of before that will elevate their chili to heights previously unattainable by mere mortal’s chili without it.

       

This is where I don’t understand the other people that usually get asked this question.  What is the point of being so secretive?  Don’t we want ALL people to have access to good chili?  Or are we so selfish and vain as to want to control the access to chili to the degree that the only way our acquaintances can have good chili is when they are in our company?  I’m not. 


When asked, “what is your secret ingredient” I simply say, “I have none”.  When prodded further I simply tell them that the secret to good chili is not an ingredient but a ratio: a preparation technique.  My “secret” is simply to use good beef with, wait for it.....a little bit of pork.  NO, Im not talking about the bacon everyone seems to put in everything from macaroni and cheese to hamburgers.  I will tell you this.  Bacon is simply a cover up for an inferior burger.  But I digress.  Simply use pork in a 3/1 or 4/1 beef to pork ratio.  That’s the secret and I share it openly.


So my friend Jeff asks me, “So your chili recipe is based on ‘good meat’ rather than spices?”  To which I answered simply, “duh?!?!”  Isn’t it always?  I mean sure.  I have a few tips and tricks I use here and there.  Use this meat instead of that one.  Use this type of beer instead of the other.  There is still a way to keep SOME secrets.  ;)


Also, what is it about beans that makes most of us Texas Chili fans go all apoplectic at the mere mention of them?  Personally, I am a Laredoan and I LIKE beans.  Not just the pinto beans that we all grew up with but all sorts of beans.  I even like edamame(soy beans).  I recently introduced my nephew to the joys of Red Beans n Rice.  So, YES.  THIS Texan puts beans in his chili.  Personally, I like Black Beans.


Now.  My chili can actually be called “award winning”.  So I hope that can carry a little bit of “cred” there.  Sure, I have a few little tricks here and there that I use to make it extra special, but I doubt that any or all of those tricks added up can hope to equal the flavor added by my 4/1 beef to pork ratio “secret”.


Oh, and by the way...I like a little heat.  So, yes.  It’s HOT.


Ingredients
    •    1½ lb lean ground beef or turkey
    •    ½ lb lean pork sausage
    •    1½ chopped onion, medium
    •    ¾ cups chopped green onion, (about ¾ of a bunch)
    •    ¼ cup chopped chilies of your choice...preferably Serrano (optional)
    •    8 cloves of garlic...chopped fine
    •    1½ cans tomato sauce
    •    1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (or any other “chunky” form)
    •    1 small (9 oz.) can jalapeño slices (ok, you don’t have to add this either, you big baby)
    •    2 cups beans (uncooked) of your choice (or two large cans if you’re too lazy to cook your own)
    •    1 beer
    •    3-4 tbs beef or chicken bouillon granules (to match 1st ingredient)
    •    2-3 tbs chili powder
    •    1½ tsp cumin
    •    1½ tsp oregano
    •    1 tsp paprika
    •    1 tsp cayenne pepper (aw, c’mon you gotta at least leave this one in)
    •    salt & pepper to taste
    •    Tabasco or jalapeño sauce to taste...or is it too hot already?




Preparation
    I.    Brown meat in a pan and drain off fat. Set aside. If necessary, deglaze using half the beer.
    II.    Starting with fresh chilies & garlic then adding the onions, sauté everything in a big pot.  (I don’t know, big enough to hold everything)
    III.    Deglaze, if necessary, using other half of the beer and combine the two. (In the big pot, stupid!)
    IV.    Pretend you’re a mad scientist or a witch or something and add the rest of the ingredients. Oh, don’t put in the beans yet.
    V.    Simmer for about 20-30 minutes...or until you say its ready, dammit.
    VI.    Now add the beans. (after you cook them, genius) Simmer some more. (I don’t know, another 15-20 minutes.)
    VII.    Serve over white or brown rice. (yes, after its cooked too)




Tips and Tricks


To reduce the heat/spice factor, eliminate spicy ingredients in this order for more and more reduction.  Tabasco, Cayenne Powder, Can of Jalapeños, fresh chopped chiles.

To sushi or not to sushi...

Laredo has several options for sushi restaurants, and a couple of months ago a friend took me to a new one called Sushi Madre, she claimed they had the best 'aguachile shrimp'. To be honest I wasn't thrilled by it but, the sushi I did like! They have combos and compared to other places the food comes in good portions (for me that means you don't need a magnifying glass to find your roll) and the salad has more crab than cucumber.


This time WE were looking for lunch options and decided on Sushi Madre due to its location on Saunders and Barcelona. Being already 2.00pm we thought it would already be empty; to our surprise it was packed. (You can tell right away by the lack of parking space) The service was good and friendly. As always our attention went directly to the Combo’s menu on the wall. I ordered the Laredo and HE ordered the Monterrey (they have different rolls in the combos daily) and an order of ‘edamame’ (soy beans).


The food looks really nice, and the good thing is that it tastes as good as it looks! The roll tasted fresh and the different textures made it interesting and exciting to eat (the one I ordered had fried shrimp). Personally I like the rice that comes with the roll, but I agree with other people that say that it is not ‘sushi’ rice but more like a ‘Mexican’ yakimeshi.

Things that I like about this restaurant: The quality of the food has been consistent since opening, service is relatively fast and the portions are good.
Things that I don’t like: Limited parking space, the delivery service is not always available.




The price for our 2 person lunch: $25

Sushi Madre is located at 401 W. Saunders / Phone: (956) 726-5509



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Dabbling in Asian Flavors

 
When SHE and I got married she said she wondered how I didn’t get bored with eating the same  salad every day with lunch.  There are only so many ways to put together lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomato and cucumbers.  Well, the obvious reason is its essential to get ones vegetable servings for the day.  The other reason is it helps when you change it up every once in a while by trying a different salad dressing.


Now let’s back up a few years.  Once upon a time I was taking some gourmet cooking classes with a well known local chef.  I learned everything from making a awesome osso buco, to grilling game, to some pretty nice salad dressings.  I kept most of the recipes he handed out and have them all filed.  Recently, I’ve been on an Asian Flavors kick and, to be honest, I feel comfortable enough in the kitchen to experiment with existing recipes and am adventurous enough to be willing to fail.  Fortunately, this was NOT a fail. ;)


One of the ways I wooed HER was to make a big meal one night and this home made salad dressing was on the menu.  So I took that basic recipe, feeling confident enough, and Asian’ed it up.  I served it over pan seared firm tofu and a spinach salad.


Asian Onion Cilantro Vinagrette


    •    1 cup fresh lime juice
    •    1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar (the kind that says, “for salad dressings” on the label)
    •    1 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
    •    1 egg yolk
    •    1 bunch Cilantro
    •    2 bunches of green onions
    •    1 large shallot


Instructions:

1. Roughly Chop (or rip with your hands--much more fun) Cilantro and onions and place in blender
2. Add Lime Juice, Vinegar, shallot, and egg yolk
3. Blend on "high" until vegetation is well chopped.
4. Drizzle in Sesame oil slowly until it is all incorporated and emulsified into dressing.

Tips:
    •    If it separates in the fridge, try adding another egg yolk.  Or a little mustard powder.
    •    You can adjust the ratio of onions to cilantro back and forth according to taste.


Now, I know some people don’t much care for the taste of cilantro.  Some people even suffer from a rare disorder that makes cilantro taste like soap to them.  So feel free to adjust those ratios of onion and cilantro back and forth.  I make it every time I get the chance.  Try it.

Pho (Feed) a Fever and Starve a Cold?

Luckily, WebMd.com says the answer is NEVER to starve.  Whew!

I’ve always been the type of GUY who got sick slowly and was even slower to realize he WAS sick.  So it took me until at least Thursday to realize that I was sick having come down with a pretty good cough the previous Sunday.  The final clue?  Sweating like a pork rind under a heat lamp at my Wednesday night yoga class.  Some soup for the body and soul was just what the doctor ordered.

Having taken pity on me, SHE brought me home some pho (pronounced closer to fuh than fo) from Pho1 on McPhereson.  Pho is a Vietnamese soup consisting of anise infused beef broth served with a variety of vegetation and rice noodles and of course beef.  Usually.  Chicken and different cuts of beef are usually offered as well.  The broth is additionally infused with coriander, fennel, and cardamom.  Traditionally, the broth is served scaldingly hot and the cuts of beef are extra thin and raw as to cook quickly in the broth.  Health laws being what they are, the beef is served slightly blanched as to only need a minimal reheating in the not-really-scalding broth

The noodles were plentiful and the vegetation included onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro.  Hmmmm, is that thai basil???  I could have used plenty more cilantro in my take out box, but that’s a small quibble.  I believe the slices of beef numbered four and I definitely could have used more of that.  I sat at home and placed my take out container of broth into an appropriately large bowl to hold everything and let the microwave do its magic.  What came out was aromatically overpowering and I deeply enjoyed the garden fresh aromas that survived the “nuking” process.  Upon later contemplation, I think the way to go is to heat the broth to boiling in a pot, preferably.  Then, pour the hot broth into a bowl holding the veggies, noodles, and meat.  This will preserve even more the freshness of the other ingredients.


I slurped and sipped my noodles and broth over an entire evening of unwatched episodes of Whale Wars and two bottles of Longboard Lager.   One shot of nighttime cold medicine and ten hours of sleep later, Saturday morning was welcomed with a fresh outlook and renewed sense of well being.


The price for our 2 person dinner: $20 (no drinks included)


Pho 1 is located at 7511 McPherson Rd, Laredo, TX / Phone: (956) 523-0220


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