Chorizo Shrimp and Egg Tostada

Breakfast is, without question, my favorite meal of the day. But on most days breakfast is nothing more than a glass of orange juice and the occasional bagel, as we’re running out the door. So when the weekend comes around I can’t help but take advantage of the extra time to make and enjoy a good morning meal. For this dish, inspiration came in the form of leftover dinner ingredients. A few days ago we had queso fundido with chorizo and shrimp tacos. Leaving us with plenty of Mexican ingredients in the fridge; it was only natural what direction breakfast would take. The smokiness from the paprika in the chorizo and the sweet buttery notes from the shrimp go well in any dish, but add eggs, a crispy tostada and a touch of fresh cilantro and what you’re left with is a breakfast you wish you would have made more of.

Ingredients

¼ lb ground chorizo

¼ lb shrimp

4 eggs

1 tbs butter

1 tbs sour cream

2 corn tortillas fried

vegetable oil for frying

paprika for dusting

grated cotija cheese

chopped cilantro

salt + pepper

For the Chipotle Crema

½ cup Mexican crema (sour cream works)

½ lime juiced

1 tbs chipotle adobo

Instruction

For the chipotle crema, mix the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium, deep skillet, heat a ¼ inch of oil until hot. Fry the tortillas until golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and dust lightly with paprika. Bring a pan to medium-high heat and add the chorizo. When the chorizo starts to brown remove it from the pan and set aside. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; and cook in the pan with the chorizo drippings. When the shrimp are cooked through add the chorizo, stir and transfer to a bowl. Add butter to the pan, beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper and cook. Stirring constantly, when the eggs begin to firm up add the sour cream and continue to stir until the desired doneness is reached.

To assemble the tostada, place the tortilla on the plate, top with the eggs, shrimp, and chorizo. Finish with the chipotle cream, grated cotija cheese and chopped cilantro.



Street Food

Until recently “Miami street food” meant nothing more than hot dogs, sausages, and arepas, outside the arena on game day. But now, the national food truck trend has caught on and Miami street food has come alive. Like the rest of the nation, Miami food trucks are about elevating the notion of street food; about great chefs, good ingredients, restaurant quality food, and inspired dishes. Legendary dives are reinventing themselves with their mobile kitchens and up-and-coming chefs are using food trucks as marketing tools for their restaurants. These trucks are not only providing the typical street food fair, they are dishing out gourmet food with cultural inspirations. Food lovers are taking notice and are flocking to these trucks and following them around town, day and night.

Tuesday night we made plans to meet up with friends at BTTR, the Biscayne Triangle Truck Roundup [at Johnson and Wales University on Biscayne Boulevard], one of many food truck rallies taking place around the city. Thirty trucks meet here every week on this night for what seems to be an impromptu street festival; filled with food, music, and meandering foodies lining up at their favorite trucks to sample the menu.

Our first stop was Mr. Good Stuff, a Venezuelan inspired truck pumping out stuffed Lunas (arepas), burgers, and tostones. The truck itself served as a canvas for local artist Lebo. Now, if you think that the cartoon print is just a funky way to draw attention to the truck, all you have to do is take a peek behind the window. The inspiration and the man behind the red cap is Chef Alfredo Montero. The guy is legit and the food he’s serving up is proof of that. We went with the Sweet Caroline: a Carolina pulled pork luna topped with cheddar cheese and coleslaw; and the 4 Cheezy-My-Neezy: deep fried cheese bite made up of cheddar, gorgonzola, mozzarella and provolone with a spicy guava dipping sauce. Both were absolutely delicious. At this point, I would have been content grabbing another luna and waffle fries, and working my way through their assortment of sauces, but that wasn’t our goal today. With our sights set on sharing a sampling of as many trucks as our stomachs could handle, we moved on.

At Ms. Cheezious, the fresh made grilled cheese truck, we ordered the Goat Cheese and Prosciutto with tomato and arugula on a marble rye, while our less adventurous companions decided to create their own: a grilled bacon and cheddar. In spite of its simplicity, the bacon and cheddar was pretty good; the smoke from the bacon and sharpness of the cheddar always makes for a tasty combination, but it was definitely the Goat cheese and Prosciutto that was the standout. The creamy cheese and salty prosciutto make for the perfect marriage,  complimented and balanced by the slice of tomato.

Still hungry and ready for more, we made a stop at Arepa Box and paid homage to a Miami street food original, with a Cachapa: a tasty sweet corn arepa filled with guayanes cheese. That was followed by Che Grill, an Argentinean inspired truck where we tried one of their specialties, the Gaucho Burger. This is the kind of burger that would hit the spot at 3 in the morning after a long night of drinking. Topping this 8 oz. beef patty is everything you’d expect for breakfast: ham, bacon, a fried egg, and throw in a slice mozzarella cheese for good measure. Next up were a pair of stuffed tostones at Miso Hungry. The twice fried plantain cup served as a perfect vessel for this Asian-fusion pulled pork. The curry chicken stuffed tostón, on the other hand, was in need of complementary flavors to soften the punch of spices.

A little sluggish and about ready to throw in the towel we walked up to the Purple People Eatery. On the day’s specials was a must try, the Truffled Loaded Cheese Fries. Topped with truffle oil, cheese, bacon, scallion, and crema, these fries were delicious and definitely one of the night’s highlights. The menu is crammed with tasty creations by chefs David Shipman and Michelle Duncan, ranging from bison burgers to ginger beer battered mahi tacos. Without question, a do-over on an empty stomach.

The night was coming to an end and it was difficult to imagine having anything else, but we figured there’s always room for dessert, right? Cue Coolhaus. How could four architects pass up this architecture themed dessert truck? Reading through and giggling at the list of architect-named ice cream sandwiches like the Mies Vanilla Rohe, the Louis Ba-kahn, and BuckMINTster Fuller, we quickly realized with the awkward stares that these puns were lost on most; nonetheless, it did not deter anyone from lining up to try one of these tasty creations.  We went with the I.M. Pie-Nut Butter ice cream in a Smore’s Cookie. The peanut butter ice cream was well balanced with sweet and salty, while the graham cracker and marshmallow cookie served a good compliment and as a great last bite.

Whether you are tracking your favorite food truck on the go or catching them at one of the many truck rallies around town, you’ll always find good service, great food, and even better people.

Cochon 555

A few weeks ago I came across a culinary event called Cochon 555, the description read: “five chefs, five pigs, five winemakers”. Considering that by this point I had already pulled out my credit card to purchase tickets, there was no need to read on, but I did. Five local chefs are given a whole pig to dream up their best recipes, nose to tail. The event is casual and is meant to be interactive with high tops and prep stations. At the end of the night the audience and a panel of judges vote on the best bite. The winner gets local bragging rights and a place in the Grand Cochon competition at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. Along with the chef’s creations, wines, spirits, and brews keep your whistles wet between stations while mingling with farmers or taking in a butcher demonstration and [why not] a tattoo challenge.

The mastermind behind such a sinister event is Brady Lowe of Taste Network. With event cities including: New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, DC, Portland, Memphis, Napa, and for the first time Miami, his goal of spreading the word about heritage pigs, the farmers that breed them, and their amazing benefits to the culinary world is catching on.

Tickets in hand and grumbling stomachs we head to the Four Seasons, Brickell. The sights and smells are overwhelming. We grab a drink and set our eyes on the first table.

The Chefs

Michael Schwartz [ Michael’s Genuine ]

James Petrakis [ The Ravenous Pig ]

Michelle Bernstein [ Michy’s ]

James Strine [ Café Boulud Palm Beach ]

Aaron Brooks [ Four Seasons Hotel ]

The Wineries

Elk Cove Vineyards

Chehalem Wines

Sokol Blosser

Scholium Project

K Vintners

Notable bites included; Chef Strine’s Milk Braised Pork Shoulder, Heart Tartar, and Bacon Jam (caution: when eating bacon jam, whatever you spread it on, toast, paper plate, all will taste delicious); Chef Brooks’ Pork Belly Anticucho and Smoked Hock Ice Cream Sundae; Chef Bernstein’s Pork Ceviche, Croqueta, and PB & J; Chef Schwartz’s Scapple with Fried Quail egg and Bacon Maple Pecan Pie; and Chef Petrakis’ Head Boudin and Bacon Fat Biscotti. 

If that wasn’t enough pork for one night Yardbird’s Jeffery McInnis served up Steamed Asian Buns, Tator Tot Croquetas and Yardbird Fiddle Faddle.

The event’s promise did not disappoint, it was every bit as decadent and delicious as it sounded. With a traditional champagne toast, the much anticipated results: the winner of the Miami Cochon 555 event is…

Michelle Bernstein!

Lou’s Beer Garden

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and I have a surprise outing planned. In a few days it’s Valentine’s Day and Leslie is going out of town for work.  We’re not the type to celebrate this holiday, but the weather has been beautiful so I use it as an excuse to try out a new place; Lou’s Beer Garden in North Miami Beach [ 7337 Harding Avenue ] for Beer Brunch. This charming poolside gastro pub is inconspicuously tucked behind the New World Hotel. Unless you live in the area and have walked by several times, chances are you haven’t noticed the small neon sign at the entry.  Luckily, we were told of its existence.

We arrive, grab a menu at the bar, take a seat poolside, and take in the atmosphere.  The space is flexible and laid back, a total local’s hangout. Nightly entertainment varies; anything from a Heat game projected on the side of the building to live music. The dinner menu, ranges from a 16 hour Pulled Pork Sani to a Garden Fresh Ceviche. Salads, crab cakes, a cheese and meat board, and artisanal thin crust pizzas can serve as accompaniments to one of many craft beers on tap and even more in bottle.

We are ready to order. Having previously seen the menu I knew right away what I was having: Eggs Louis, poached eggs on brioche with crabmeat, hollandaise sauce, and bacon. And of course, the chef recommended pairing, Blanche de Bruxelle, from Brasserie Lefebvre; a Belgian white beer with floral notes and distinct citrus flavors.  This witbeir is cloudy, light in color and has a slightly bitter aftertaste.  That turns out to be Leslie’s choice as well. But, if you prefer lunch rather than breakfast, how about the Nobe Kobe, a Kobe beef burger with all the fixings, paired with an Old Rasputin?

Our food arrives along with a fresh beer. I cut into the eggs let the yolk ooze over the crab, and savor my first bite; a hint of lemon, a touch of bitter from the greens, and the smoky crunch of bacon. Perfection. I take a sip of beer and the subtle citrus notes explode to the foreground, reminiscent of fresh orange juice. A beautiful pairing. With my last piece of brioche I soak up the remaining yolk and contemplate having another beer, but with a trip to the airport looming, we settle for the check.

Beer Brunch at Lou’s Beer Garden: a hidden gem and a definite do over.