It was a pretty average day at school, but I tried a new chapter of the Americas class. It was Mexico, and I was definitely in the mood to get jiggy with my arroz con frijoles. You don't have to know what I'm talking about.
Mexican food was for dinner, but lunch precedes dinner. So, let's talk about lunch. I went to Banquet, as usual, and here is what I got:
-- Sea Breeze
-- Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Squid, Octopus, Red Onions and Bell Peppers
-- Saltimbocca with Roasted Beets, Yellow Rice, and Braised Cabbage
-- Warm Chocolate Cake
Saltimbocca: Translated to "jump mouth", refers to the Italian dish of finely sliced veal that is sprinkled with sage and a thin slice of prosciutto
The sea breeze was good, but a little too tart from the lime juice. I do enjoy anything with fresh mint leaves, so I was a little happy. The seafood salad was perfect. It was extremely similar to a ceviche, and it was served cold. All of the seafood was tender and cooked through. The saltimbocca was also very good, but they added a little too much sage, making it incredibly herbal. The braised cabbage was probably my favorite part of the dish, because it was very soft and buttery. The chocolate cake was also yummy, and overall it was a very nice lunch.
After classes, I went to dinner. Like I said, it was Mexico today at the Americas kitchen, and here is what I got:
-- Cactus Salad with Hearts of Palm
-- Pozole Verde with Pumpkin Seeds, Chicken, Pork, Tortilla Strips, Avocado, and Potatoes
-- Chicken in Mole Poblano with White Rice, Black Beans, and Corn Tortillas
-- Hazelnut Cake
Pozole: A thick, hearty soup mainly consisting of pork meat and broth, onion, garlic, chiles, and cilantro
Mole: A sauce that is a Mexican specialty consisting of onion, garlic, chiles, ground seeds, and some Mexican chocolate
Poblano: A dark green chile with a rich flavor
Hearts of Palm: The edible inner portion of the stem of the cabbage palm tree
This dinner was mostly phenomenal. The salad was the worst part. I was looking forward to having some form of cactus in the salad that would be noticeable to both the palate and the eye, but instead it looked like it was just a bunch of hearts of palm. I don't really care for hearts of palm. They taste, to me, a lot like artichoke hearts, and I don't really care for them either. I know that a lot of people love artichoke hearts, and I don't hate them or anything, but I just prefer not to ingest them.
Do you remember in an earlier post when I had a soup from the Americas kitchen, and I said that it was incredible, but the second best soup I've had at the CIA? Well, I was referring to this one. This soup is the winner. There was so much flavor in that soup, and it contained so many diverse ingredients. The potato was incredibly soft, the avocado gave a smooth fatness, the pumpkin seeds gave a crunch, and the meats made it savory. The whole thing was just magnificent. Thank you, Americas kitchen.
The main dish was very good too. The chicken was pretty dry, given it was as thick a breast as it was. The mole sauce was very nice and the rice was a nice stopper on the heat. The black beans were tasty, and the corn tortilla was an authentic touch. I didn't really eat the cake. I tried a bite, and although it was good, I was too full. I still decided I should document it, though.
Until the next post,
Eat well, then eat more
No comments:
Post a Comment