SMA Shorts

Rosemary:

You'll regain 75% of your memory just smelling a rosemary plant every day.

Now, if only I could remember to do it!

Magic:

With all the tools on Photoshop, I can make you any size you want to be.

Teeny Tiny – Yep…that’s what I thought.

Does not matter what you eat today!...

Recipe: Red Sauce

This is an original recipe. My friends and I have passed this recipe back and forth over the years in an effort to improve it. I will admit that it is now near perfect.

The best thing about this recipe is that after you get all of the ingredients in the pan, you let it simmer all day. That's the secret.

You can add chicken or Italian Sausage but I love this sauce just the way it is. In fact, one of my friends commented that it tasted like there was meat in the sauce already.

Serve over fresh pasta with great Italian bread and plates of Parmesan and Olive Oil.

4 cups chopped Roma Tomatoes

1 ½ cups chopped onion

¼ cup lemon juice

1/2 medium size banana pepper

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp + Italian Spices

1 tsp Oregano

3 tsp crushed garlic

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

2 cups + red wine

1 tsp olive oil

Put Olive Oil in the pan and sauté onion and garlic.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer all day.

Important: I taste and add more wine, salt, pepper and sugar as I go.

Dessert: White Chocolate Cakes with Fresh Berries

Market Finds:

Sweet Find:

Mente Cacao, a delightful chocolate store at Salida Real a Querétaro No. 82, sells my new favorite brand of chocolate: Marmot Mountain Chocolates.

Chocolate is one of my favorite addictions and it took me awhile to hunt them down. More to follow on why this is some of the best made chocolate in San Miguel.

New Find: Tomatillos...really little ones!

Tiny tomatillos from the Saturday Market made for a great Salsa Verde.

Dish of the Week: Muro

Muro's Pork with Peanut Sauce or the always appealing Arrachera?

Seriously delicious the pork wins out. Too bad that's what my friend ordered. I only got one bite.

A Diners, Drive Ins or Dive Find: Camaronicto at Hidalgo and Calzada.

The kitchen? A taco cart parked to the front of the room. So who ever thought that this little dive would be at the top of your list of places to go for a shrimp in SMA? Ridiculously long lines on Sunday.

OK so shrimp cocktail or Michelada?

Your call this time. I liked them both!

Drink of the Week: Orquidea Comida Thai at Umaran 36.

I was a one Margarita girl at this Thai restaurant that served one of the best (that was after I added an entire glass of lime juice) and strongest Margaritas around.

Craved pan fried dumplings but got deep fried instead but the flavor of the Pad Thai and the dipping sauce was some of the best Thai spicing I've had since I've been in San Miguel. The food was also cooked fresh to order.

I heard prior to going there that the food was just OK which only goes to prove that you have to order the right dish (do your research before you go) ... and a strong Margarita!

Best Restaurant Find: Provecho at Ancha de San Antonio #10A

I've been to Provecho twice and both times the food was layered with enticing flavors that even surprised me.

The bean soup with a topping of salsa made of green olives, cilantro, scallions and bacon made this dish a stand out.

They also have some interesting and beautifully presented salads. If you order one you can counter balance the calories in the dessert. Hum...sounds good on paper.

I had the Sticky Toffee Cake with warm toffee sauce. This is a go-to but the Chocolate Covered Brownie with Salted Caramel Sauce is another temptation you just have to try for yourself.

The best treat of all? 88 year old artist and owner Siobhan Bryne. She is delightfully Irish and her daughter Joanna is the master mind behind all of the creative dishes that come out of their kitchen.

Siobhan hosts other artists at the restaurant so there is frequently a show on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 PM.