This homemade Italian sausage was served at Mimmo's with honey mustard sauce. I got six slices of sausage that had been crisped up on the grill. I was told that the sausage was pure pork with no fillers. I could taste the addition of fennel and a touch of spice, maybe just black or white pepper. It was a nice sausage that tasted homemade, and it was definitely good bar food. The smooth honey mustard dipping sauce was just that: thinner than mustard but with a sweet mustard flavor.
Location: Mimmo's, 73540 Highway 111, Palm Desert, California. Date: December 24, 2022.
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This large head cheese is known in German as zungenwurst, which means tongue sausage, and it's made with pigs blood and pickled cow tongue. When I came across it at my local German deli (George's in Calimesa), I couldn't resist. I love cow tongue in many forms, including in tacos and sandwiches, and I've had two really good blood sausages, one in Spain and one in Panama. Here, these two ingredients are combined and flecked with fat, and it looks beautiful. Taste and texture wise, this is not one of my favorite cold cuts, but my sister loved it. I tasted a hint of clove in the mild spices.
Location: My Home, Desert Hot Springs, California. Date: May 24, 2022. The bacon wrapped sausage was smoky, and the dog came with whole pinto beans, chopped tomato, mustard and mayo, and a grilled yellow pepper on the side that was a little spicy, accentuated by one or more of the sauces I used to dress the dog. From the wonderfully fresh salsa bar, I also added slices of radish and cucumber for freshness and crunch. The pinto beans added flavor, creaminess, and more protein. The top photo shows the dog as served, and the bottom photo shows the dog as I dressed it. My friend who turned me onto this dish at this place was right: it was heavenly!
Location: El Güerro Canelo, 2480 N Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona. Date: April 13, 2022. The homemade sausage at Mario's comes sweet or spicy; naturally, I chose spicy. It turned out to be very spicy, but the sweet fennel in it came through nicely. The dish came with al dente red and green bell pepper slices along with onion slices and whole button mushrooms. This is my favorite dish at Mario's; it's spicy and very savory. It's served with spaghetti in marinara sauce, and it was garnished with chopped parsley. A friend of mine invited me tonight, and we were served by the owner's cute son, Lane. He turned out to be more than just a pretty face: he lit the fire pit for us outside, served us very competently, and he helped to create a fun environment. My friend and I lingered over wine, and it was one of those perfect restaurant experiences.
Location: Mario's Italian Cafe, 425 South Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, California. Date: December 20, 2021. A sope is a Mexican appetizer or snack that consists of a fried disk made of corn dough that has the sides pinched up. It is filled with savory toppings and usually garnished with lettuce and crumbled cheese. The two I had, served with rice and beans, were a whole filling meal. The sopes had a layer of creamy refried pinto beans spread on them, and for my filling I chose chorizo (Mexican sausage). On top of the chorizo was shredded lettuce, diced tomato and avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and just a little crumbled cotija cheese. The sausage was salty and spicy, but the sour cream and avocado cooled the dish, and the lettuce and tomato added freshness. For my side I was given a choice of pinto beans or black beans; I chose the black beans. One of my sopes turned out to be quite tough, but otherwise this was a fresh and delicious lunch.
Location: Fresh Agave, 73325 Highway 111, Palm Desert, California. Date: October 28, 2021. Meat is like fish in that it stays tender and moist as long as you don't cook it. That was my experience this afternoon with my raw bison. The finely chopped meat was seasoned with shallots, capers, and parsley, and it was served with grilled scallion aioli and bread crisps. The whole dish was garnished with very thinly grated parmesan cheese. The bread crisps were three extremely thin slices of bread that were toasted. The soft but still slightly chewy meat went well with the crisp bread. The parmesan was the real deal and added umami, but none of the flavors overpowered the delicate flavor of the meat. When I got to the restaurant, I found that Rabbit Sausage was on the happy hour menu, so I ordered one of those and together with my bison appetizer, I had a whole meal. The sausage came with pickled red onion, whole grain mustard, and warmed up French bread that was soft on the inside but with a somewhat crunchy crust. The sour flavors of the pickle and mustard went very well with the savory sausage. Yes, rabbit does remind you of chicken, but I can't remember having a chicken sausage as good as this one.
Location: The Lion's Share, 629 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, California. Date: July 25, 2021. For my Colombian appetizer lunch I chose Chorizo con Arepa (Colombian pork sausage with a cornmeal patty), Platano Maduro con Queso (sweet yellow plantain with cheese), and an Empanada (savory yellow corn dough stuffed with beef and cooked potato). The empanada was very crispy on the outside and stuffed inside with mashed potato and a little shredded beef. It came with a spicy and sour dipping sauce that was so good I actually drank some of it. The sausage was cumin forward in flavor, which I love, and it came with fresh lime wedges for squeezing which brightened up the dish. The small corn arepa added just the right amount of starch to the dish. The plantain had been cut open lengthwise and flattened, and white cheese was melted all over it. The plantain was sweet and there was savoriness and chewiness from the melted cheese. The combination of these rustic appetizers was intensely good, and they provided me with a very satisfying lunch.
Location: Sabores Colombianos, 3695 University Avenue, San Diego, California. Date: July 21, 2021. A molcajete is a mortar used for grinding spices and making sauces, and this was the vessel the dish I had today was served in, hence the name. Ranchero, I think, refers to the fact that all the ingredients in the dish were grilled, which is common on the ranch. I would never have discovered this noteworthy Mexican restaurant had it not been for a freeway on-ramp closure that sent me in the opposite direction I was planning to go. As I was driving, I saw a restaurant patio with only one table occupied, and I decided to give it a try. When I entered the front door, I saw this amazing looking dish advertised as the special of the day, and I decided to order it. It consisted of eight shrimp, nicely cooked, a halved chorizo sausage grilled crispy, two pieces of fish with phenomenal seasoning, two grilled cactus paddles, and strips of tasty chicken breast and beef steak, all draped over the sides of the molcajete. Inside the bowl of the mortar was a grilled halved jalapeňo pepper, two plump grilled Mexican onions, warm salsa flavored with oregano that had an almost floral taste, and a wedge of lime for squeezing. The molcajete was the real deal: lava rock. The dish came with a side of rice and beans and corn tortillas. This was definitely a meal for two, at least, so I could only eat half of it at most. But what a find!
Location: Casa Cruz, 2579 Ramsey Street, Banning, California. Date: February 6, 2021. I have a baked clay Portuguese sausage flamer; you pour some high spirits into it, lay some sausages on the bars, and light it. The sausages crisp up while releasing some fat that makes the whole flambe thing even more flaming. I use flavored spirits, and that seems to help flavor the sausage casing. I always use Portuguese style linguiza sausages; they're like Spanish chorizo, meaning they're flavored with paprika and garlic, and the Portuguese version also contains wine vinegar. I served the Silva brand to my friends which is made here in California. It's a tasty sausage, and when you light the liquor, it doubles as performance art.
Location: Private Home, Redlands, California. Date: January 22, 2021. Three different sausages on one sizzling cast iron platter. Oh yeah! From left to right they are andouille, chicken, and smoked. Andouille is smoked pork sausage Louisiana style; it has a bit of a kick, and that's also where its red color comes from. The chicken was a white sausage with some char on the skin and a hint of sweetness to it; it was the driest of the three, but all were juicy enough. The smoked was simple pork sausage that was a touch pink inside. The dish came with grilled red and green bell pepper slices and white onion slices. The veggies provided some crunch and a little sweetness. This dish is on the appetizer menu and should definitely be shared; however, I made a meal of it, and I couldn't even finish it all (though I did eat all of the andouille).
Location: Tartan, 24 E Redlands Blvd., Redlands, California. Date: October 29, 2019. |
AuthorChef Roland has been a legal resident of seven countries and has travelled in over thirty, documenting food along the way. He currently resides in the desert in Southern California. Categories
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