Henry's

A spin off of my Tortilla post I'd like to tell you about a little taqueria named Henry's where the chips are fresh, the chile verde is spicy and the service is uber friendly. This little gem is run by Henry and his wife (not his name nor his wife), which we recently found out after eating there for the past few years. Well, it's the "go to" place after a long day of work, basketball and "honey, there's nothing to cook for dinner".

The food is delicious and fresh. On my "good" days, I'll have the plain chicken burrito topped only with onions, cilantro and salsa. When I'm in the mood for chile verde that I haven't spend hours cooking, I go for it. The meat is soft, spicy and delicious. Wrapped in a fresh tortilla with nothing but a Diet Coke as a chaser, I'm in heaven. For a little variety I like to take the chips and place a small piece of pork on it and have a crunchy bite.

David love the mexican tacos, a small corn tortilla, filled with chicken or carne asada. He can put away 5 or 6. Danielle loves the chicken burrito with a side of sour cream and mole'. Mole is a rich mexican sauce made with dark chiles, spices and chocolate. It is a yummy topping on any grilled meat.

Other frequent visitors are Cath and Scott. Scott loves the bacon breakfast burritos, any time of day, and Cath likes the chile verde tacos and the chips. She absolutely loves the chips! She even thought of somehow incorporating them into her wedding celebration menu. Mike A. loves Henry's as well and his wife love the chile rellano burrito, which you have to call in the morning to put your order in so they don't run out.

Other items to try, the carnitas, crunchy tacos, salads and quesadillas filled with whatever you like.

The salsas are delish as they come in a variety of spices and colors. Regular mild red salsa, smokey dark roasted salsa and a verde (green) salsa are the choices. They also have all types of bottled chile's with a wide range of heat levels.

Henry's is a favorite of ours and we love that Henry's "wife" knows our orders, asks if our friends are coming in and makes us speak Spanish when ordering. We've tried other places, but for now, none stands up to this home cooking away from home.

What's for lunch?

787 Franklin Street
Santa Clara, CA 95050-4930
(408) 249-2922

back to yogurt,

fat and happy
deb

Tortillas

I didn't think I thought much about tortillas, but I guess I do. I thought everyone eats them and heats them just as I do. As I learned from Matt B., they are something to think about and are delicious eatin all the time. I've learned that they taste awful cooked on an electric stove (my grandmother used to have an electric stove and they tasted awful that way). I much prefer them heated up directly on the fire of a gas stove. David prefers a cast iron tortilla warmer (no waiting to heat-- we each get a burner). I like them slightly burned on one side and soft on the other. The food goes on the burnt side and the soft side is up and manageable.

So many different types for so many different uses. A tortilla is a wondrous food tool, you can wrap it around most anything. My brother asked me once how to pick out the freshest tortillas. I said, pick up the package and flop it back and forth. If it flops easy, then they are fresh. If they are stiff, then they are not.

Small, big, white, floury, thick, whole wheat, brown speckled, gringo, true mexican and corn just to name a few types...what type do you like? I'd say it depends on the use: peanut butter and honey-- a nice whole wheat tortilla works nicely, a medium brown speckled mexican tortilla--chile verde (this one can hold the juices of the chile and stand up to the pork). For David's ground turkey burritos, the larger thin type of tort works just fine. It can hold the meat, salsa and fixings and not drip on your chest as you eat the burrito on the couch. A lovely tool and no mess.

I know there are a few corn lovers out there, such as Mark S. which I think he makes soft tacos daily and puts all types of fixings inside. Or at least I think he does, when he is not Zoning it. That's for a different blog.

Well, no matter how you like them, they are a great alternative to bread and can be low in calories and carbs or not.

Enjoy!

back to yogurt

fat & happy
deb

Inspiration

I thought I'd let you all know my inspiration for this blog and, of course, it was the movie "Julie and Julia", the new book "As Always, Julia", my grandmother and my love for food: good food.

I think picking out the right packaged tortilla is just as important as whether or not to use salted or unsalted butter in recipes. I love savory, salty, crunchy and a good mouth feel dish. I love all kinds of food, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and of course Mexican....you name it--I love trying new foods, almost as much as as Danielle does.

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fat & happy
deb

Christmas Eve

I'm finally starting my "dining with deb" blog. I'll give you recipes, ideas depending on the week and the craving. I love to cook, I love to eat and I love to feed my friends and family. I go by feel and never measure. I think cooking and dining are all about the feeling, the love and technique.

We had a delicious Christmas Eve dinner with the Meduri family; a small intimate gathering of 14 (smaller group than usual). We had perfectly cooked fillets straight off the bbq (Jay style), yummy veggies by Lara, twice baked and loaded potato's by Deb J. and homemade desserts by Debbie Lynn. All delicious, all yummy!

Twice baked potato recipe by Deb J follows:

Bake large russet potato's
scoop out potato meat into a bowl
add butter, mayo and sour cream
(I didn't say they were lowfat)
add salt and pepper to taste
mix in shredded mexican cheese mix
scoop back into the potato halves
top with cheese
And, bake in the oven until bubbly and hot.
Heaven!

Back to my yogurt.

fat & happy
deb