Cheap Eats: Dorado Tacos & Cemitas

Brookline is certainly not lacking in Mexican food, and with the opening of Dorado Tacos & Cemitas one week ago, the pool of offerings has gotten richer, not more crowded. The restaurant, located in JFK Crossing on Harvard Ave, is bright and sunny, with a focus on high quality ingredients and eco-friendly materials.

The menu at Dorado is heavily focused on tacos. They offer a variety of types, including 4 different fish tacos, all with their own combination of proteins and condiments. The salsas, guacamole, and veggies are all fresh, making each bite shine with flavor. The tacos run about $2.50 each, which is a little high, but the quality of all the ingredients makes you forget the price tag. Three tacos would be enough for a meal, or try the taco plate for $6, with your choice of two tacos, perfectly cooked black beans, Mexican rice, and a whole charred jalapeno. This Bostonist recommends the shrimp taco, heaped with beer-battered shrimp, thin slices of jicama, orange salsa, and Baja crema.


The menu is filled with other options as well. The cemitas, Mexican sandwiches for $6, combine your choice of protein (chorizo, pork Milanesa, and portabella mushroom are just some of the options) with black beans, chipotles en adobo, avocado, Oaxaca cheese, and cilantro on a sesame seed roll. Take out a whole rotisserie chicken, with a nine spice and citrus marinade, for $10, or enjoy a half rotisserie chicken plate, with black beans, rice, and corn tortillas for $7. Dorado also offers salads (Caesar or chopped chicken), definitely big enough for a meal. And don't forget to order a side of elote - grilled corn with mayo, ancho chile, lime, and cotija cheese. It's not quite as transcendent as the version at Toro, but it's definitely a fantastic side dish or snack.

Dorado Tacos & Cemitas is located at 401 Harvard Street in Brookline. They are open daily from 11am to 10pm.

Originally published on Bostonist.

Herbed Corn from the Grill

So Mother Nature decided to hold up her end of the bargain this weekend, and I in turn took to the grill. And with corn, one of my favorite foods, coming into season, grilled corn was a natural choice. (I also grilled some potatoes, which didn't work quite so well, but were tasty. But then, anything covered in cheese is tasty.)

And since it's still early in the season, I whipped up some herb butter to make the corn a little more interesting (in case it didn't end up very sweet, which was not a problem). The recipe below is enough for 6 ears of corn. I also used some on my potatoes, which added a lot of flavor, and really, this would be good on any veggie or meat fresh off the grill. Because, after all, it's butter.

Herbed Corn on the Cob
6 ears of corn, cleaned
olive oil
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
1 garlic clove, finely minced
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Lightly brush corn with olive oil and place on a hot grill. Grill until slightly browned on all sides, turning as needed.

Combine softened butter, parsley, chives, garlic, lemon zest, and vinegar in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash all the ingredients together until well combined. If the butter gets too melted, place in the fridge until needed.

Spread the butter mixture on the hot corn and serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I know, I know, I've been a bad blogger lately. Two posts in two weeks makes Pam something something ("Go crazy?" "Don't mind if I do!"). But luckily, school is now done for the semester, and I'll have plenty of time to play around in my kitchen.

Earlier in the week, I saw this tortilla soup recipe, and I've been craving it ever since. Of course, did I manage to check out the recipe before I headed to the store to pick up ingredients? Of course not! So, as I stood in the produce section, trying to figure out what should go in the soup, I cobbled together my own make-shift version of the recipe. It turned out better than I expected it to, and because it was so easy to throw together, I'll definitely be making it again soon.


Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
10 oz Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilies
5 cups chicken broth
1 bunch cilanto, 5 sprigs reserved, the rest chopped
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
kosher salt
1 lime, juice and zest
1 cup frozen corn
1 avocado, cut into bite-size pieces
4 radishes, cut into thin slices
8 oz cheddar cheese, crumbled
tortilla chips, crumbled

In a large pot, boil chicken breasts until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from water and let cool; shred with two forks and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat oil, then add onions and saute until translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, Ro-tel tomatoes, chicken broth, 5 cilantro sprigs, sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove cilantro sprigs, and add in chopped cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and corn, and stir to combine.

To serve, add soup to bowl and top with avocado, radish slices, cheese, and tortilla chips. Or set all the toppings out on the table and let everyone serve themselves.

Corn and Scallion Chowder

I love corn soups, but I don't have the best track record in making them. So it was with some hesitance that I decided to try a corn chowder from Fine Cooking magazine with what will probably be my last farmers market corn of the year.

I am very glad that I made this soup, though. It was just what I was looking for - creamy, sweet, salty, warm, and comforting - and will undoubtedly secure a place in my repertoire now. The scallions were a surprising ingredient for a soup, but I was really happy with the mild onion flavor, as well as the texture, that they added. I'm sure this chowder would be good without the bacon (I promised my roommate I'd make some bacon-free for him sometime) if that's your style.

Corn and Scallion Chowder (adapted from Fine Cooking)

6 ears of corn
1 bunch of scallions (5-6 ounces)
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 jalapeno, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1/4 heavy cream

Clean the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs. Reserve two cobs and discard the rest. Finely slice the scallions, keeping the dark green slices separate from the white and light green slices.

In a deep pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy and brown. Remove the bacon pieces from the pot and cool on a paper towel. Drain off the bacon fat, discarding all but 1 Tbsp. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter to the 1 Tbsp bacon fat. When the butter has melted, add the jalapeno, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the white and light green scallion slices. Stir until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, corn, corn cobs, and potato, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the corn cobs.

With an immersion blender, blend the soup for about 30 seconds, just until it begins to look creamy - you want plenty of chunks left. Alternatively, transfer about 1 cup to a blender and puree before adding back to the rest of the soup. Add the cream and 2/3 of the dark green scallions, and stir until the scallions are wilted. Serve topped with the remaining dark green scallions and the crumbled bacon.

Creamy Polenta

I cleaned out my pantry this weekend and discovered all kinds of good stuff that I had forgotten about. Behind a giant canister of Quaker oats, I found an unopened bag of polenta. I must have bought it in the fall sometime. I've never cooked polenta before (well, besides the preformed slice-and-serve kind), so I was a little hesitant because I thought it would be hard. But having made it now (both creamy and the harder kind, thanks to a misprint in the recipe I was using), I can pleasantly say that this is easy enough for a weeknight meal when I barely feel like cooking. Plus, it's always good to find a new way to eat one of my favorite combos, arugula and pecorino.

Creamy polenta with arugula and bacon

- 5 cups water
- 1 cup polenta
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 4-6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 large bunch of arugula (about 1/2 pound), well washed and dried
- shredded pecorino romano
- olive oil

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add polenta in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and add a hefty pinch of salt. Stir frequently to prohibit sticking. The polenta is done when big lava-like bubbles form and the grains are no longer hard. Stir in parmesan and set aside.

In a saute pan, fry bacon on medium heat until the meat is nicely browned. Pour off as much fat as possible, then add arugula and let it wilt. Add a little of the bacon fat back in if it seems too dry.

To serve, heap the polenta on a dish and top with the arugula and bacon mixture. Sprinkle with shredded or shaved pecorino romano and drizzle with olive oil.

Only in Boston

Fresh ears of corn and freshly-fallen snow.

Only in Boston.

Aquitaine Bis, Chestnut Hill

I haven't seen my parents much this summer, between my moving out and their spending most of the time down the Cape. When I do see them here in town, though, we've been enjoying great meals at places we've never tried before, ostensibly as fuel for this blog (which I think my mom gets a big kick out of). So the other day, they picked me up at work and we headed on our way.

"Let's just drive up Route 9 and see what looks good," my dad said. So we headed down Route 9 in Brookline as I pointed out a few restaurants I had been to recently. Not long after, though, traffic came to a halt - a big section of the street was blocked off by cop cars, and there were ambulances flying past on the wrong side of the divided street. We spent the next hour or so driving through a horrible detour, only to end up about a half a mile down Route 9.

By the time we made it past the detour, we were all starving and in bad need of a restroom. We headed into Chestnut Hill and my mom says "Oh, there's that nice place we had lunch a few weeks ago. Let's just try that." Yes, the car ride defeated us, and instead of braving the road further to see what we could find, we pulled into an unassuming strip mall.


And am I glad we did. I've never been to Aquitaine (Chestnut Hill or South End), but I have of course heard the name many times.

The restaurant was almost empty when we arrived, but it filled up quickly. There was a surprising number of solo diners - nice to see them so at home in their neighborhood restaurant. As soon as we were seated, fresh gougeres were brought out that made me instantly ravenous. Bring on the food!

For my entree, I ordered the seared scallops with sweet corn pudding, arugula and browned butter. The scallops were delicous, if a bit overcooked. The corn pudding, though, was the star - a large piece of very light pastry dough topped with plenty of corn custard. It was smooth, but with some whole kernals, for great texture. I could have used more than 4 leaves of arugula, but then, I'm an arugula hound.



Now, I rarely order dessert when I go out (Restaurant Week is an obvious exception to this). My parents (especially my mother) aren't big on ordering dessert either. So when my mom mentioned that they had had a great tarte Tatin the last time they visited and that she wanted to have it again, I was surprised. Then my dad pointed out the profiteroles (my mother's dessert weakness) on the menu, and we almost had a Sophie's Choice moment. Instead, we went for both (shocking!), and they were delicious. I preferred the tarte Tatin, with its smooth caramel sauce, over the profiteroles, with ice cream that was a little too hard.

An excellent meal, thanks to a little traffic and a good deal of impatience!

Vomit Soup

The other day, as I was reading about Ugly Soup over at The Best Bite, I was thinking that her soup wasn't really that ugly. It wasn't beautiful, no, but it wasn't something that should be hidden from view.

And then, last night, totally without meaning to, I one-upped Andrea in the ugly soup department. A simple name of Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup won't do for this one. No, all I can picture is my 10-year-old nephew playing some nasty practical jokes on his teachers, and now the name Vomit Soup has stuck in my head. It tastes fantastic, though, uses the late summer crops, and was ridiculously easy to make. It's wicked healthy, too. This recipe yielded about 6 cups of soup, or 3 big bowls-worth. I served the soup with Trader Joe's Southwest Style Gourmet Flatbreads, little flat breadstickets baked with chilis and cheese.

Perhaps next time, I'll serve it in the dark in front of the TV.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup (aka Vomit Soup)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I think I used more, I didn't measure)
1/2 tsp salt (again, I didn't measure)
1/2 cup water
5-6 ears of corn, kernals cut off
fresh tomatoes (I used 3 small tomatoes and a pint of cherry tomatoes)
about 1/2 cup skim milk (you can also use whole milk or cream)

In a large pot, saute the onion in the oil. Add cayenne and salt. After 4-5 minutes, when the onion is tender, add water, corn and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, until corn is tender. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender. Add milk as you puree. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

And no, I'm not going to give you pictures, because I like having readers.

Excelsior takes Restaurant Week to a New Level

Walking into Excelsior is like entering a James Bond film, all glass and shiny metal. After checking in with the host, we were escorted into a glass elevator and sent to the second floor, travelling through the wine room on the way. Impressive.

We were quickly shown to our table overlooking the Public Garden. The dining room is a classy and modern room. There are a lot of tables, but it doesn't feel crowded. The service was very good considering how busy the restaurant was.


I started with the Native Corn Bisque, with Hot and Sweet Roasted Peppers and Smoked Shrimp. This was spicier than I expected, more of a slow burn in the back of the throat. The corn flavor was deep and rich, but not overly heavy. The best part of the dish, though, was the shrimp, with a smoky flavor that made it taste like bacon. I wished there had been more shrimp (there was only one, sliced in half), but it made me savor the flavor a little more.


Continuing with the seafood theme, I had the Peppered Linguini with Seared Sea Scallops and Crabmeat, Zucchini, Smoked Tomato, and Scallop Cream. This was a fantastic dish, with each component standing strong on its own but mixing with the rest to form a wonderful entree. The scallops were cooked perfectly, with a dark seared crust and a buttery soft center. The smoked tomato stood out, adding the same meaty quality that the shrimp had added to the bisque. There was a good deal of cream coating the pasta, but it wasn't overly heavy. There was an excellent ratio of pasta to meat and vegetables.



For dessert, I had the Dark Chocolate Cake with Coffee Chicory Ice Cream and Candied Orange Zest. This was a perfectly balanced dessert. Too often, a dense chocolate cake is cloying after a meal... a bite or two will suffice. This, on the other hand, was fantastic, and I loved every bite. The cake and the ice cream were well paired. The chicory really evened out the coffee flavor, making it a better accompaniment to the sweetened, creamy dark chocolate. The candied orange zest was more of a flavored simple syrup pooled on the plate, just hinting at its fruity origins. For textural contrast, the plate was scattered with cacao nibs, a very tasty garnish.

This meal at Excelsior was a prime example of what Restaurant Week should be (but often isn't at many restaurants). The portions weren't huge, but the food was carefully crafted. Maybe these weren't the most expensive ingredients, but they were handled with flair, and I was left wondering what else the kitchen could do. Excelsior has now be added to my list of "special occasion" restaurants, but if I had the money, I would eat there more regularly.

Me, A Freak?

I'm a big fan of corn on the cob. It's another trait I've picked up from my father, who will routinely eat 3 ears in a sitting. Next time I eat with him, I'll have to remember to look at how he eats his...

Why? Because my friends have noticed how I eat mine, and they think I'm a little bit of a freak for it.



Apparently there's something strange about the ear being this clean. The weirdest part is that this is totally out of character for me; I mean, I'm clean, but not anal retentive!

I think I learned this trick when I had braces; only my bottom teeth were in a metal hell, so my uppers learned to scrape off each row of kernals without producing too much fibrous wreckage. Since then, I've kept up the habit for a different reason... good corn can be hard to come by, and I don't want to waste any of it!

Does anyone else eat their corn like this?