SoCal Recipes

Current events have been heavy and emotionally draining. I wanted to jot down a few things on a lighter note. I first thought of the idea to start saving recipes that remind me of SoCal on a cold, snowy NY day this past February. Finally decided to push ahead and finish this post with the recipes I have so far instead of waiting and waiting for the perfect, on point In-N-Out spread recipe (yeah, I’ve attempted the more popular copycat recipes out there and there’s always something missing) and for me to get my act together and attempt the sauce from Anepalco.

Oh and as an aside, cheers to Junteenth!

Without further ado..

Churro Toffee

Because everyone knows the real reason you keep going back to Disneyland is not for the long ride lines or to see characters, it’s to stuff your face with treats! My girlfriend introduced me to churro toffee last year and it blew my mind. I’ve made this recipe and it came pretty close to the real deal.

Lengua Tacos

Tacos are not the same here on Long Island as they are back home and it kind of makes me angry to be honest. We found awesome street tacos in Des Moines (where Mitchell went for medical school) so why not Long Island?! I’ve found one place here that sells three lengua tacos for nearly triple the price of what you’d pay for in L.A. While it satisfied my craving, it made my wallet sad. One day I decided to try to make some at home and they came out great! I’ve made this recipe several times and we have lengua tacos for several days. I find whole beef tongue at the H Mart in Jericho.

Since I’m yammering on about tacos, I’ve also followed this recipe for tripitas tacos. It came out well! I prefer to fry it up a little longer than what the recipe calls for because I like my tripitas extra crispy. I also like to sprinkle freshly fried up tripitas with some ponzu sauce and Diamond kosher salt and eat it on top of a bowl of rice.

Acai Bowls

The first trimester of my pregnancy with Ava, I lived on the Balboa Peninsula with a girlfriend while I finished up one last semester of classes that I wanted to take. There was a Sambazon Acai Cafe within walking distance of our apartment that we liked to visit frequently. I still enjoy making acai bowls at home and the kids enjoy it too. I opt for the original frozen blend and use apple juice. I use banana for the kids’ acai bowls but do without for mine since I’m allergic. Bananas just thicken it up. Top with granola and fruit and it’s a perfect, easy treat that’s healthy to boot.

Dirty Dogs

They’re known by lots of names but I grew to knew these babies as dirty dogs. They were the absolute best after a night of drinking and clubbing, with street vendors positioned strategically near exits after the clubs and bars closed. I searched around for a recipe similar to what I make and the one I linked seems pretty close. I usually do without the jalapeño (I’m a weenie when it comes to heat) and I’ve never eaten it with pico de gallo personally.

Pollo Asado

Growing up, whenever my relatives from Chicago would visit us, we’d make it a point to do a beach day at Santa Monica. On the way, we’d stop by the El Pollo Loco on Santa Monica Blvd and bring our takeout to the beach to eat. It’s also one of the things my dad is known for picking up for dinner whenever my mom, a nurse that works nights, is away at work. I see El Pollo Loco is to Mexican food the same way Panda Express is to Chinese food; however, it’s just had seemingly ubiquitous presence in my memories growing up so I have a fondness for it now.

I recently looked into making a sort of El Pollo Loco copycat and came across this recipe for pollo asado. It’s pretty on point and a winner with the kids. I serve it with Spanish rice, another big hit.

Porto’s

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is a bake at home as is kind of thing. Quarantine has made me do wild things like pay for shipping willingly and on multiple occasions. Porto’s is the culprit that forced my hand. Yes, it’s $20 for shipping. Yes, it’s so worth it if you enjoy flaky, delicious pastries. It tastes just like what you’d get from the bakery. My favorite is the guava and cheese strudel. Mitchell likes the seafood potato ball (which I currently don’t see listed on the website) and we both love the cheese rolls.

Mangonada

The very first mangonada I had was from La Michoacana. The thought of waiting in line to order one just makes my mouth water again. The lazy way to satisfy my craving is to just sprinkle Tajin on some mango sorbet and top with a tamarind candy straw.

Boiling Crab

There’s an episode of Ugly Delicious where David Chang delves into the crawfish scene in Houston that I saw and was flabbergasted. No peep of O.C. at all in this discussion?! Blasphemy. I was missing Claws (my personal favorite Cajun seafood spot) enough to summon the courage to try this recipe out and it was perfect! I followed the ingredients nearly to a T, wasn’t shy with the garlic, and it was exactly the same flavors. I prefer my garlic on the chunkier side for a Boiling Crab-esque feast so I don’t mince it up finely. I did use butter when I attempted it and in hindsight, the restaurants probably use canola oil because I remember the Cajun seasoning staying viscous in my to go bag. The recipe itself is slightly confusing initially but the author did give the suggestion to start with 3 tsp of each spice listed and then tweak for preferences.