Two Tickets on the Hot Tamale Train

I've eaten so many great things since coming to Mexico four weeks ago, I only wish computer screens came with a scratch and sniff application. If you haven't had lunch yet, this abbreviated list of some of my culinary highlights may be a form of torture.

~Shrimp and bacon tacos from El Bacalao.

~The Red Cabbage restaurant's Chicken Mole Poblano and the amazing carrot chutney.

~Soft and chewy, cream-filled coconut doughnuts from the bakery on Basillo Badillo.

~Joe Jack's whole red snapper with its mound of roasted garlic and chilies--and that crazy-assed lime and brown butter sauce its finished with.

~The roasted rabbit in tomato sauce from Trattoria Michel.

~A chipotle chicken sandwich from The Coffee Cup.

~Fresh pineapple with lime and chili from the vendors on the beach.

~And of course an after-the-bar pit stop for BBQ'd pork and pineapple tacos at Tacos Pancho plus a cup of hibiscus water for rehydration.

I can go on and on and on.

I love the food in this town; from the grilled mahi mahi on the beach to the taco stands in the streets and the inexpensive restaurants everywhere. The best part is I have yet to even take a small bite out of the great food scene in Vallarta.

So far one of my favourite meals was a lunch Alfonso and I prepared at home last week. His niece who visited from Monterrey over New Years brough two bags of homemade tamales with her. If you're not familiar, tamales are a soft corn bread stuffed with any number of ingredients and wrapped in corn husks.

In our case some were filled with shredded seasoned pork while others revealed a pocket of spicy refried beans. Accompaning our mound of tamales was gaucamole and tortillas. We washed it all down with papaya water, a blend of fresh papaya, mandarin orange and water.

This meal was also very special because tamales are usually only enjoyed at parties or larger celebrations, prepared in large batches by mothers and grandmothers. To enjoy them for lunch on a Thursday afternoon is completely hedonistic.

Before I leave Mexico I'm going to find a grandmother who will teach me how to make tamales. That will be reason enough to celebrate.

New Years and New Friends

Christmas in Puerto Vallarta passed by with little fanfare. Sure there are still decorations up in hotels and restaurants and bells of red and gold garland hanging from the street lights on my street, but the celebration of Christmas itself is much more sedate here than in Canada.

I worked right through the holidays, giving out information on the beach about all the gay parties happening for the week leading up to New Years, and then at Joe Jack's, busting my butt for eight hours a night. So Christmas ended up passing me by almost completely unnoticed.

And you know what? I think I'm okay with that. I went out with my roommate Alfonso for breakfast on Christmas morning to Coco's Kitchen, a great local open-air spot just seconds from the beach. I ate scrambled eggs and French toast and bacon with lots of maple syrup. We wished each other a very Feliz Navidad as we sucked back mimosas and chased thosed down with black coffee.

Now New Years Eve on the flip side--and frankly the whole weekend--was celebrated here like it was 2012 and the world as we know it was coming to end. Fireworks up and down the beach at midnight then again at 2am. Partiers out in the streets until the sun came up and clubs full until then.

I worked lunch at Joe Jack's until 4pm then had to stay to peel Brussel sprouts for 2 1/2 more hours. More on that later. Afterward I went back to my apartment for a couple cerveza and to meet my houseguests for the weekend. Alfonso's niece Fernanda flew in from Monterey with her friends Doravida, Ulysses and Octavio. They are true Mexicans; incredibly friendly, warm and of course, ready to party. Though I'm sure NYE had something to do with that as well.

They mostly don't speak English and mi hablo espanol pocito so we did what we could to get to know each other before I had to leave them behind and head to the party I was bartending at.

Latin Fever was one of many parties happening for NYE and the promoter, Gilles Belanger, is a fellow Torontonian. He needed a bartender for the night and so I volunteered. The money was great, I danced all night and I drank for free. But the best part was the view from the fourth flour of the parking garage where the party was being held. I could see the lights of PV from a 360 degree vantage point and it was the ideal spot to watch the fireworks going off all around us.

The next night we hit the Malecon, the oceanfront commercial strip and headed to a great Cuban bar, La Bodeguita del Medio. Complete with live Salsa band and possibly the best mojito I've had here so far. The bartenders and Joe Jack's make a mean mojo but the secret at La B del M is the Havana Club rum they use. The best in the world.

Januaray 1st on the Malecon was as packed as I've ever seen it. Mostly locals and Mexicans enjoying the sound of the waves mixed with the beats spilling out of the clubs that line the strip. Many of them mixing their own cocktails and cracking beers from styrofoam coolers. Everyone out enjoying their friends and family and in one of the greatest cities anywhere.

And to me, that's what Christmas should be about. Spending time with the people you love. I celebrated with my family before I left Canada and then I came here and celebrated again with some new friends.

Who needs gifts when you've got that?

Sandy Apple

Have you ever tried to eat a candy apple on the beach? Not an easy thing to do. Or a smart thing. But "smart" and "beach" don't always go together. Like pasty Canadians who expose their vitamin D deficient bodies to gamma rays of tropic sun or the questionable costume choices of other shameless beach goers.

Sand just seems to stick to everything and work its way into every nook and cranny.

But I digress. . .

Today is my sixth and final day of training at Joe Jack's Fish Shack in beautiful Puerto Vallarta. Amazing food and an even more colourful cast of characters working there. It's fast paced and crazy busy and a helluva lot of fun.

It's been a whirlwind of a trip thus far and as soon as I get more time to write, you'll hear all about it. But for now I've got to get to work.

Chao mi amigos!!

Eat PV

Dec. 18, 9:16pm



Have you ever tried to eat a candy apple on an airplane? Me neither. But I am seriously considering it. It was a gift from my friend Chris. Homemade. Covered in caramel, drizzled with chocolate and dusted with pieces of crushed up candy cane. It’s wrapped in dollar-store cello and tied with fancy ribbon bought from a very fancy store in Yorkville. It’s sitting in the side pocket of my backpack which is stowed under the seat in front of me.



It’s not that my airplane meal was a total bust—the buttery crackers and strip of Cracker Barrel cheddar were nicely piquant with a pleasant finish. Great balance of texture too! My roll on the other hand tasted like the flight attendant fished it from the bottom of her Christmas stocking last year. If I chipped off small pieces and sucked on them long enough it almost tasted day-old.



But what can you really expect? Meals at 38, 000 feet have never been anything to blog nicely about, and in this day of low-rent travel just being offered something hot—and for free—seems like a real luxury. And speaking of free, the nice people at Sunwing even offer up some booze. So far I’ve been able to imbibe in a semi-cool squirt of Canadian Champagne and a complimentary half-cup of red wine to enjoy with my lasagna. That’s right folks, that red, fleshy looking stuff in the white tray is veggie lasagna. Mmm mmm good.



It was between that and chicken with mashed and veggies. I’ve always been a little leery of poultry on a plane. Chickens can’t fly so it just seems to go against nature. I knew the only edible item in that tray would be the taters and looking at the leftovers of my seatmates, I was right. Frankly, neither choice was the right one.



I suppose it’s not really fare to start a travel-food-adventure blog from a Boeing 737. I could recount the subtle nuances and depth-of-flavour of my Terminal 1 lunch for you but I won’t. Let me just say the pint of Molson Canadian was the highlight.



But none of this matters at all really. I’m just killing some down time during my flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where I’ll be spending the next three months working in a fantastic restaurant called Joe Jack’s Fish Shack. My plan is to write it all down—the city’s incredible food scene, night life, beach days and anything else that strikes my fancy. You see, the world is literally my oyster. Now, can I get a side of Mahi Mahi and some octopus to go with that?



And although I can’t literally share my meals with you, I’ve cleared some seats at the internet buffet. It’s time to eat PV!



Oh, and that candy apple in my pack? I’m going to save it for the beach. Who knows, maybe I’ll find someone to share it with.

Best Booze of the Season

Yay! It's the busiest time of year for the booze companies which means new products, new flavours and new packaging for some. For others it's the same ol', same ol'; switching things up with revamped cocktail concoctions and tying it all up with a fancy red bow.

Luckily, my loyal readers, you've got me. I've sifted through the bottles piling up on my desk. I've poured and tasted. Twisted and mixed. Spit. Swallowed. And of course savoured, to come up with my picks for the best booze bets this Christmas.

First up: Bombay Sapphire Cranberry Collins.

I may be the spokesperson for Bombay Sapphire, so ya, I'm a little biased but damn this is a fine cocktail.

First, fill a Collins glass with ice. Add about 1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 oz. cranberry juice (white or red) a glug of simple syrup (equal parts sugar dissolved in water), then top with soda.

Sure, the ingredient list is a little long but the outcome is worth it. To save time, mix up a pitcher of these and store in the refrigerator. Oh, and those Turkey Sliders with Lemon and Rosemary Aioli? You can find the recipe at: www.bombaysapphire.com. Look under "Inspired Entertaining for Winter".

Next up is Absolut Vodka. No new flavour and no spokesperson contract, just a shiny new bottle. And who doesn't love a little sparkle under the tree, or on the bar for that matter? This year's limited edition bottle cover is a magnificent blue disco ball. Hang the empty cover from the middle of the dance floor or set in the middle of the table. Who needs a pine-bough centre piece when there's pretty vodka to decorate your party?

Okay, enough of the hard stuff. If liqueurs are more your speed (breakfast cocktails, anyone?!) then the new Mocha flavour from Kahlua might just find its way to your Boxing Day coffee cup. This dark chocolate edition to the Kahlua line is the best of the lot thus far. Both French Vanilla and Hazelnut flavours were launched a year or two ago and added very little to the Kahlua brand. Fad flavours with little staying power. Mocha on the other hand is just what my doctor ordered and this one could stick around for many Boxing Days to come.


Try the Kahlua Mayan Raspberry: shake 2 oz. of Kahlua with 6 raspberries and some ice in a cocktail shaker to crush the raspberries. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, top with soda and garnish with a raspberry or two. Or tip the bottle into your Starbucks' latte. Makes shopping, baking, caroling and wrapping all the more enjoyable.

And finally, if boozy gift-giving is on your to-do list, a bottle of premium Scotch is sure to be a welcomed edition to any adult's stocking. A single malt from The Macallan family is ideal for both seasoned whisky drinkers and juniors alike. Its line of sophisticated whiskies offer something for everyone and in every price range. Scotch aficionados enjoy the complex flavour notes and richness of The Macallan family, while the entire line is peat free (most Scotches are made with barley that is dried over burning peat). This creates a whisky without that signature earthy smokiness, that can overpower a novice palate and makes for a more accessible whisky.

Here's a pic of me and my boys (David and Gordon) at The Macallan tasting in October. Our choice was the ultra premium 18 Year Old. Our palates are very refined. What can I say?

Bottom line: get thee to your local booze emporium! Wander the aisles and find something new. Drink it yourself. Give it away. Or share it with friends. Tis the season.

Bake, Batter and Roll!

One of the most creative and uber fun food styling jobs I've had in recent months was for Robin Hood flour. 2009 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Canadian company and to mark the occasion it decided to set up a bake shop for moms and kids. Located on Eglington Avenue near Bathurst Street in Toronto, the Bake, Batter and Roll bake shop is running until November 22, 2009. It's been so greatly recieved that there are no longer any spots available but moms and kids can still create all the great cookie and cupcake recipes at home. Just go to www.robinhood.ca/bakeshop for recipes, videos and shopping lists!

From the top: Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes, made with strawberry jam, Crispy Crunch Bites and white chocolate shavings.

Aquarium Cookie, made with coloured licorice, rock sugar and royal icing.

Pizza Cookie, made with strawberry jam, licorice, sugar-dipped marshmallow slices and frosting.

Bug Cookies, made with royal icing and coloured sugar.

Baby Bird Cupcakes, made with coloured coconut, cookies, candy corn and Mike 'n' Ikes.

Eating Fries with Arnold

Unfortunately I can't loiter in bed til noon on a regular basis. Today I was up at the crack of 8am! I went to bed just after 11pm so I still managed a good 9 hours of superfine sleep. Once I was showered and smelling good I built a damn fine latte, poured it into my travel mug and hit the streets with Jack for an invigorating morning stroll.

You see, Gary Coleman was waiting for me.

Yep, Arnold from that iconic '80s sitcom Different Strokes. Just don't bring that up in his presence; apparently it's a bit of a sore spot--even after almost 1/4 century.

Gary flew in from Salt Lake City, his current place of residence, last night to be on set this morning for a New York Fries campaign. I'm the guy they called in to stuff the box with fries.

I didn't have to buy the potatoes. Or cut them. Or even fry them. Just arrange them attractively in a NYF container. For a food stylist this is a plum job.

Sometimes I wonder how I ever happened into this life of mine? It's a little random and a little inconsistent but a helluva good time.

And because my French fry arranging skills are pretty stellar I sat back and watched the drama unfold over wardrobe (way too big), his wig (also a little large) and a makeup artist who had to keep doing touch-ups because Mr. Coleman's nose was a little runny.

I wish all my days were this excitingly uneventful. But I'm beat, it's time for a nap.

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Keep your eyes peeled for the ads which will be out later this spring. It's all part of NYF's 25th anniversary.

"After 25 years, some things are still fresh."