Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Bernardo Fernández, Bef – Cuello Blanco

Posted on by
3

9786073115933

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

Andrea Mijangos is back. Sadder and wiser, but still intensely loyal to family and friends, she’s intent on revenge, but this time she has the financial resources to do something about it. In her cross-hairs is Lizzy Zubiaga, the beautiful cartel leader who revolutionized the Mexican drug trade in Bernardo Fernández Bef’s lively previous novel, Hielo Negro. Cuello Blanco is a fun mix of genres, intertwining a gumshoe private detective investigating a very ordinary crime that may or may not have taken place, with busting a massive international money-laundering scheme with the dubious help of the American FBI and DEA.

The characters are outrageous, but at the same time well-realized. Former cop Andrea isn’t afraid to rough up a team of French flics, but also unwittingly stirs up the most basic instincts in the men she meets. “If you lived in the 1950s, you’d be a movie star” … “No, I’d be a wrestler, helping Santo fight mummies and vampires.” And Lizzy Zubiaga, while yet again revolutionizing Mexican organized crime, is into cosplay, extreme performance art and vicious murder, and has a truly frightening attitude to relations with the opposite sex.

The action is almost non-stop. There are murders – by gun, by knife, by explosion… even by sexual over-stimulation. There is a complex financial fraud, a Balkan arms deal, shocking performance art, a gang war and an explosive climax. You know, all the things you’d expect from a Bernardo Fernández, Bef novel.

A fun read!

________________________________________________________________________-

Óscar Salgado, dueño de la casa de bolsa Blue Chip, es secuestrado y amenazado para obtener la información financiera de Lizzy Zubiaga, la reina de las drogas sintéticas. Ella decide entrar de lleno al negocio del lavado de dinero junto con Salgado y su socio, Alberto Suárez. Su plan: crear un banco internacional para criminales de alto nivel. La única persona que puede detenerla es la ex policía Andrea Mijangos, con su nueva agencia de detectives. Mientras tanto, al otro lado de la ciudad, un misántropo dibujante de cómics aparece muerto en un cuarto cerrado por dentro, sin aparente violencia ni móvil. Son los primeros casos de Mijangos como investigadora privada, quien sigue obsesionada por ver a Lizzy tras las rejas. Ayudada por el Járcor, su ex compañero de la policía judicial, y con la ambigua amistad de Henry Dávalos, agente de la DEA, Andrea se verá cara a cara con traficantes de armas rusos, bandas de asaltabancos armenios y traficantes de tabaco albaneses en la segunda entrega de esta trepidante serie. Con el estilo único de Bef (Premio Grijalbo de Novela 2011 por Hielo negro), que combina lo mejor del género negro con elementos de la cultura pop, Cuello blanco es una novela explosiva que estallará ante los ojos del lector.

Juan’s Restaurante – Baldwin Park, California – Mole Velo de Novia

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_8806-001

Here’s one of the most delicious things I’ve tasted this year. Juan’s Restaurante was serving at the East LA Meets Napa fundraising event for AltaMed, and like the other participating restaurants, brought one signature dish for everyone to try. They chose Mole Velo de Novia.

Mole Velo de Novia (Bridal Veil, probably named for its color) is a lovey white color, and made from a pine nut base. At their restaurant in Baldwin Park, they serve it with sauteed shrimp, but this time, it came on tacos featuring big, juicy pieces of turkey on green tortillas. It’s hard to describe how the sweet, almost almondy flavor could be so rich, and yet fit so well with the savory flavor of the turkey. I went back for 3 servings, and insisted friends try it too… everyone was highly impressed.

Juan’s Restaurante features many Pre-Columbian menu choices, including Mole Velo de Novia. It is located in Baldwin Park, a bit far from Santa Monica, where I’m living, but I know I’ll be going there soon to try more of chef Juan Mondragon’s creations.

Here’s the website: http://www.juansrestaurante.net/

El Borrego de Oro – Tacos de Barbacoa

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_9095-001

There are a lot of great meat experiences in Los Angeles, ranging from Argentinian steaks to Shanghai style pork shanks, but I’ve just added a new favorite to my list.

El Borrego de Oro serves lamb barbacoa style, in which the whole lamb is steamed in an underground oven, covered with maguey cactus leaves. The result is a remarkably flavorful meat so soft that it falls off the bone. This is the style that has been perfected in the Mexican state of Hidalgo over many generations. They sell barbacoa by the pound, and will even cook an entire lamb for you by special order, but I went for the tacos… despite my good intentions, I can only eat so much.

The meat is cooked essentially without spices, to preserve the rich meaty flavor, so I was slightly surprised to receive two tortillas, each with a generously large, but unadorned piece of meat on top. Accompanied by cilantro, chopped onion and lime wedges, all I needed was a liberal splash of smoky, spicy chile sauce for a perfect experience.

With all 3 locations in East LA, I had to drive for this experience… I’m looking forward to doing it often in the future.

Here’s the website: http://borregodeoro.com/

El Cholo – Los Angeles – Green Corn Tamales with Mole Poblano

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_8818-001

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to El Cholo, which has been a fixture in Los Angeles since 1923. I recently posted an article in which El Cholo was cited as being the first LA restaurant to serve a burrito – that’s the kind of history they bring to the table. They have branches around town, but the location I always think of is the original on Western Avenue south of Olympic.

El Cholo was a participant in the wonderful fund-raising event for AltaMed, held in the courtyard of Union Station, so I was able to reacquaint myself. Each of the restaurants that came to the event selected a featured item, and El Cholo chose to serve Green Corn Tamales with a delicious Mole Poblano. The tamales were made with a rich, soft masa, and were sweetened and textured with whole kernels of corn, and a secret (to me) ingredient that gave them a creamy, almost cheesy finish. The mole poblano, with its sweet/smoky/spicy flavor was the perfect accompaniment.

I’m sure I’ll be going to El Cholo in the near future to see what else is on the menu.

Here’s the website: http://www.elcholo.com/

Churros Calientes – Food Truck, West Los Angeles – Churros

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_8037-001

Nearly 3 years ago, I was thrilled to see that a restaurant called Churros Calientes was coming to Santa Monica Boulevard, near Federal Avenue right around the corner from home. Before it opened, though, I had to move out of town for a while, and always regretted missing out. Sadly, since returning to LA, I haven’t had an opportunity to try it. Last week, though, I posted a picture of the great churros I had at the Barrio Cafe in Phoenix, and the urge for churros became rather intense.

Leaving the gym yesterday, I saw among the usual food trucks at the Santa Monica office park a new truck… Churros Calientes… and I was able to satisfy my craving. delicious, hot (yes, caliente) pastry, fresh from the fryer, tossed in the perfect mix of sugar and cinnamon, with a thick dulce de leche sauce. I could have chosen different sizes and shapes, and there were chocolate, strawberry and guava sauces available. I’ll try those eventually, but probably not until I’ve had this perfect combination a few more times.

Here’s the website: http://www.churroscalientes.com/

Empanadas de Flor de Calabaza – La Huasteca, Lynwood. Los Angeles

Posted on by
1

IMG_5884-001

Whenever I have a Mexican empanada, I wonder why they are usually so much better than Argentinian empanadas. After all, they are a national dish in Argentina. These were no exception. Warm and soft, filled with squash blossoms and mild cheese. With crema and queso, of course… Perfectly accompanied by a slightly tart and delicious guacamole.

Here’s the website: http://lahuasteca.com/

A Delicious Lesson in Moles – La Huasteca, Lynwood. Los Angeles

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_5888-001

They went out of their way to be sure I had a memorable meal at La Huasteca. I was having such a great time eating my pork chops with mole mancha manteles (appropriately named “tablecloth stainer”) that manager Irma Vera brought me samples of the other moles available on the menu. Clockwise from the upper left:

Mole de los dioses (mole of the gods) is made from the highly prized delicacy huitlacoche. Only because I knew what it was, a fungus that grows on the corn plant, I was able to identify flavors of both mushrooms and corn, but the taste is absolutely unique and wonderful.

Mole de tamarindo, which they serve with duck, had layer upon layer of flavor that transformed from sweet to chile to smoky hot… Beautiful.

Mole poblano, possibly the most famous mole, can be a bit sweet for my taste in some places, but this one tasted like smooth chocolaty smoke, with a hot, spicy finish. A welcome variation.

Red pipián and green pipián. I think the world is divided 50/50 on the subject, but I think the red sauce better suits the toasty flavor of the pumpkin seeds. Both were beautifully executed.

Meanwhile, the mole mancha manteles that was on my plate, and not in this picture, surprised me with a vague resemblance to some of the very best barbecue sauces in Kansas City. Rich and spicy, with a reddish brown color, it outdid anything from the midwest in complexity and layers of flavor, while not overpowering the pork chops. It did, however, have the same satisfying comfort that we find in the best barbecue.

Here’s the website: http://lahuasteca.com/