Spicing Up Armaggedon

What's worse than a Depression? Why, the end of the world of course. I saw a trailer for the new movie 2012 which is based on a Mayan myth that the world will end in December 2012. The special effects have haunted me. Another new TV show is Fast Forward, a sci fi fantasy about predestination. Its my understanding that this show is somehow connected to the gigantic collider thing that makes "god particles" that some predict will blow up the earth if it works. Some scientists have come up with the novel notion that something from the future keeps coming back to break the thing so that they can save the planet. I am channeling the Terminator or something.

Anyways, in order to quit dwelling on doom and disaster, today I will review another affordable lunch place on Buford Highway, Little Szechuan. I have been going to this authentic szechuan place for years. While more recent reviews say it has gone downhill, I disagree. I just think it is less than novel so others have moved on to the latest new fad. If you stick with the Szechuan dishes, you will not be disappointed. Lunch always starts with a plate of cold pickles which include sesame flavored bean sprouts, cabbage and turnips. Lunch also includes soup and an eggroll but the best are the large family sized portions of food big enough for sharing with your dining companions. I like the dumplings in hot oil, too, when splurging. For entrees my favorites include the hot pepper chicken, a spicy dish of hot jalapeno or some other hot green pepper, snow peas, nappa cabbage and chicken. Another favorite is the pork with hard tofu and chinese celery. All the tofu dishes, mapu tofu, shredded pork on tofu, are winners, too. I always order food extra spicy. I think they keep a spare Hadron collider in the kitchen to smash a few ingredients into Szechuan god particles.

Little Szechuan

5091 Buford Highway

Chamblee-Tucker

Cheap Treats Debut: Restaurant Reviews and Food Highlights

A new feature of my blog will be reviewing bargain food treats and restaurants. This will be less about the hottest new thing but instead neighborhood favorites and food discoveries.

Today's review is Little Cuba in a dreary little strip mall near I-285 on Chamblee Rd. We recently relocated my office to the Koger Center so we have been looking for lunch places close by. What a delight to discover Little Cuba. I had really been missing my pressed Cuban sandwich since Little Havana burned down.

Well, Little Cuba is even better with delicious home style cooking and a neat, interiour for lunch dining. The staff are all welcoming and helpful with the menu. They have a number of lunch specialities named after I Love Lucy characters including the "Ricky", half Cuban sandwich (very big) with a side of black beans, yellow rice and crispy fried plantains. They usually have two lunch specials, the Ethel 1 and Ethel 2. The Cuban sandwich is the standard, pork, ham, cheese, mustard and green pickles, pressed hot. The beans and yellow rice are the best. While served separately they are best if you pour the beans and broth onto the rice. Another favorite is the pressed pork sandwich which has delicious thin slices of marinated roast pork on cuban bread, pressed hot. They also serve crispy fresh potato chips.

This place merits a once a week visit for lunch.

Little Cuba

3350 Chamblee Tucker Rd.

A cold day in Atlanta

It's been a while since I posted because the weather keeps me outside but today we are having a cold snap.

While I am not so worried about being on the brink of disaster, I still think we are in for a long recovery and still possibly a depression. So we continue to cost cut and save. Our biggest thrill continues to be the penny coupon at Publix but I have added a new one as well. We have been clipping coupons for a while and I match them to the grocery sales. Today we got a jar of brand name peanut butter for less than 50 cents. And I got a box of frozen crab cakes and a box of fried shrimp for $5 by using a Buy One Get One Free sale and two $1 off vendor coupons. Not on sale, this would have been a $15 dollar purchase.

Today's recipe is: Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from Nooshi's food blog)

Two chicken breasts cooked and shredded.

Pace Salsa Verde (delicious)

Wheat Tortillas

Shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack combo)

Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Cilantro

Green Onions

I poached the chicken breasts in broth, let them cool and then shredded with a fork. Put a couple tablespoons of salsa verde in the bottom of a glass square baking pan. Fill each tortilla with a heap of chicken, some diced cilantro, diced fresh tomato, shredded cheese and roll up. Place seam side down. Pour remaining salsa evenly over the enchiladas.

Bake at 350 (covered with foil) for 30 minutes. I like to cook it covered to keep things from drying out. Remove foil and top with a row of shredded cheese down the middle. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted or bubbly. Remove from oven. Top with chopped tomato, cilantro and green onion.

An alternate ingredient could be to add sour cream as a filling ingredient but Jeff doesn't like sour cream cooked. We serve it on the side.

I served with yellow rice, black beans and quacamole.

Thanks Nooshi! www.nooshi.com